Kansas

Kansas State football’s culture won out in comeback road victory over Tulane

Published

1 year ago

September 8, 2024

Kansas State football’s culture won out in comeback road victory over Tulane

Kansas State’s football team lost its share of battles against Tulane, but ultimately it was the Wildcats who won the culture war.

At least that was K-State coach Chris Klieman’s explanation after the Wildcats were outplayed for most of the game Saturday before rallying for an improbable 34-27 victory over the Green Wave at Yulman Stadium in New Orleans.

“Great resolve by our guys,” Klieman said after the Wildcats came back from a 10-point halftime deficit to take the lead and then stopped sealed it with an end zone interception to end the game. “I told the guys at the end of the game, that was a culture win.

“Discipline, toughness, commitment, be selfless, and that’s what that was today. And we beat a good Tulane team, dang good Tulane team on the road. So happy to escape with a win.”

Culture clearly was the word of the day, because through the first half especially, Tulane (1-1) had its way with the Wildcats. The Green Wave made K-State look silly on defense, racking up 291 yards before intermission against a defense that allowed just 134 for the whole game to Tennessee-Martin the week prior.

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“We made some changes. It was really we were just beating ourselves,” said super-senior defensive end and team captain Brendan Mott. “K-State was beating K-State, and if we don’t make those errors and everybody does their job, we’re a really tough team to beat, and that’s something that we were preaching about at halftime.

“And man, we had a bunch of leaders on the whole team — o-line, safeties, d-line, linebacker everywhere. It wasn’t just one guy in that locker room at halftime that was saying something. And that really shows to our culture, and I think we came out in that second half and really made some changes and got after it.”

The defense, which didn’t keep Tulane on its own side of the field once in six first-half possessions, got three straight stops in the third quarter that allowed the Wildcats to come back and tie it at 20-20. It also created the two fourth-quarter turnovers that produced the game-winning touchdown with Austin Romaine’s strip sack and Jack Fabris’ 60-yard fumble return, and then iced it on VJ Payne’s end zone interception with five seconds remaining.

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The offense had 200 yards, two touchdowns and a field goal after intermission, with Avery Johnson completing 7 of 8 passes for 119 of his 181 yards. It was his 45-yard completion to running back DJ Giddens on a fourth down that finally got it tied at 20-20 late in the third quarter.

“We had a lot of guys step up and be vocal in the locker room and just challenge the rest of our team, and some guys stepped up and made bit plays and ultimately got us the win today,” Johnson said.

Giddens, who had another big game with 114 rushing yards and four catches for 63, said safety Marques Sigle and linebacker Austin Moore, both team captains, were particularly vocal during halftime.

“Marques Sigle, he was in my ear even before halftime,” Giddens said. “After halftime, he was pushing me to my limit. Austin Moore, when we first came in here, he got everybody’s mind right.”

And that, Klieman agreed, made all the difference. Especially with a team that did not fare well in close games last year, going 1-4 in one-possession contests.

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“I challenged the guys at halftime,” Kileman said. I’m not upset or anything, I just said we can play better. We can play better on both sides.

“And Marques Sigle, Avery, Hadley (Panzer), Austin Moore, some of the older guys and captains, they stepped up and it was player led.”

The fact that the players took control meant everything.

“Culture is holding each other accountable,” Klieman added. “And one of our awards we gave to Avery, and Avery gave it to Marques Sigle, because Marques Sigle challenged Avery and challenged his leadership.

“That’s awesome to see, because we have kids that are holding each other to the standard that they expect. That’s a culture.”

Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@gannett.com or on Twitter at @arnegreen.

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Kansas

RESULTS: NE Kansas high schools to play Friday after Tuesday sub-state wins

Published

13 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

RESULTS: NE Kansas high schools to play Friday after Tuesday sub-state wins

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – Below is a look at the results from Tuesday night’s high school basketball sub-state semifinals in Northeast Kansas.

Editor’s Note: This story will be updated with what schools are hosting when that information becomes readily available.

WIBW Scoreboard

BOYS

5A East Boys: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

KC Washington 68, Highland Park 38
Shawnee Heights 49, De Soto 37 (will play Leavenworth Friday)

5A West Boys: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Topeka West 55, Hutchinson 32 (will play Bishop Carroll Friday)
Emporia 61, Great Bend 41 (will play Maize South Friday)
Seaman 73, Valley Center 51 (will play Hays Friday)

3A West Franklin Boys: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Burlington 60, Osage City 35 (will play Baxter Springs Friday)

3A Sabetha Boys: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Hiawatha 73, Oskaloosa 48 (will play Heritage Christian Friday)
Silver Lake 58, Sabetha 39 (will play Perry-Lecompton Friday 7:30 p.m.)

GIRLS

6A West Girls: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Washburn Rural 60, Wichita South 32 (will play Derby)
Topeka High 69, Maize 45 (will play Liberal)
Manhattan 67, Free State 21 (will play Wichita East)

4A East Girls: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Rock Creek 71, Parsons 23 (will play Tonganoxie)
Wamego 54, Labette County 33 (will play Bishop Miege)
Hayden 2, Athison 0 (will play Baldwin)

2A Eskridge/Mission Valley Girls: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Rossville 71, KC Christian 49 (will play Maur Hill-Mount Academy)
Lyndon 61, Jeff. Co. North 31 (will play Valley Heights)
Valley Heights 65, Doniphan West 41 (will play Lyndon)

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Kansas

Doe v. State of Kansas | American Civil Liberties Union

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Doe v. State of Kansas | American Civil Liberties Union

In early 2026, the Kansas state legislature passed SB 244, a law which prohibits transgender people from using public restrooms on government property that align with their gender identity and establishes a private right of action that allows anyone who suspects someone is transgender and in violation of the law to sue that person for “damages” totaling $1,000.

The law also invalidates state-issued driver’s licenses with updated gender markers that reflect the carrier’s gender identity. In February 2026, transgender people across the state received letters from the state Department of Revenue’s Division of Vehicles informing them that their driver’s licenses “will no longer be valid,” effective immediately. SB 244 also prohibits transgender Kansans – or those born in Kansas – from updating the gender marker on state-issued birth certificates and driver’s licenses in the future.

The same day SB 244 went into effect, the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Kansas, and Ballard Spahr LLP filed a lawsuit challenging SB 244 in the District Court of Douglas County on behalf of two transgender men who had their driver’s licenses invalidated under the law. The lawsuit charges that SB 244 violates the Kansas Constitution’s protections for personal autonomy, privacy, equality under the law, due process, and freedom of speech.

“The invalidation of state-issued IDs threatens to out transgender people against their will every time they apply for a job, rent an apartment, or interact with police,” said Harper Seldin, Senior Staff Attorney for the ACLU’s LGBTQ & HIV Rights Project. “Taken as a whole, SB 244 is a transparent attempt to deny transgender people autonomy over their own identities and push them out of public life altogether.”

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Kansas City man sentenced for cocaine trafficking, possession of illegal firearm

Published

2 days ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Kansas City man sentenced for cocaine trafficking, possession of illegal firearm

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – A Kansas City man was sentenced in federal court for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy and possession of an illegal firearm.

According to the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, 22-year-old Antoine R. Gillum was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison without parole.

His sentencing stems from a June 2024 incident in a metro gas station. KCPD investigators contacted Gillum inside and found that he had discarded a 9 mm pistol in an aisle between the merchandise. He also discarded a pill bottle containing multiple illegal substances: cocaine base, oxycodone/acetaminophen and oxycodone.

Officers searched the vehicle Gillum had arrived in and found approximately 32 grams of cocaine base.

On May 6, 2025, Gillum pleaded guilty to one count each of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Jennings. It’s a part of ‘Operation Take Back America,’ a nationwide Department of Justice initiative to eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations.

No further information has been released.

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