Remembering a legend

LE ROY — Family, friends and former athletes who played under hall of fame high school football and track coach Bill Freeman gathered Saturday to dedicate Freeman’s mural, which adorns the Assembly of God church in downtown Le Roy. Cutting the ribbon for the event was Jennifer Freeman Liles, Freeman’s daughter. Freeman coached teams in Le Roy, Osawatomie and Lawrence to a combined eight state titles in football. He also coached two Lawrence High School track teams to state championships before retiring in 1990. Freeman, who died in 2015, is a 2014 inductee into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame.

Dixie Becannon

Dixie Lee Becannon, age 82 of Humboldt, passed away on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2019 in Humboldt. She was born April 4, 1937 in Humboldt, the daughter of Leo and Pauline (King) Huffmaster. On Dec. 9, 1965, she married Donald Becannon in Humboldt. She graduated from Humboldt High School in 1955.

Dixie worked as the payroll supervisor for Churchill in Chanute for many years. She enjoyed playing volleyball,  going bowling and taking care of the flowers in her yard. Dixie most of all loved her family and spending time with her grandkids. She will be greatly missed.

Dixie is survived by her husband, Don Becannon; daughter Karen Mendoza and husband Larry of Humboldt; sister, Judy Bean and husband David of Thayer; grandchildren, Amanda Comeau and husband Michael of Lenexa, Allison Mendoza of Lenexa, and great-grandchild Brady Michael Comeau.

Dixie was preceded in death by her parents; brothers, Robert and Gary Huffmaster; niece, Brandy Bean and nephew, Brandon Bean.

Cremation has been requested. A graveside service will be at 11 a.m. Friday, at Mount Hope Cemetery in Humboldt. Online condolences may be left at www.countrysidefh.com.

The family suggests memorials to Harry Hynes Hospice and may be left with or mailed to the funeral home. Arrangements have been entrusted to Countryside Funeral Home, 908 Central, Humboldt, KS 66748.

Lenora Fletcher

Lenora Mae Fletcher, age 88, of Iola, died Thursday, Oct. 24, 2019, at Moran Manor. She was born Oct. 28, 1930, to William T. and Edith M. (Heath) McClanahan in Humboldt.

She married Harley Curtis; he preceded her in death in 1966. She married James W.C. Fletcher on Dec. 18, 1972. He preceded her in death.

Funeral services for Lenora will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday in the Chapel at Feuerborn Family Funeral Service. Burial will follow in Highland Cemetery, Iola.

Packers squeeze by Chiefs at Arrowhead

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — It was supposed to be a prime-time showdown between the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs, division leaders each led by two of the most talented and exciting quarterbacks in the NFL.

Aaron Rodgers and the Packers lived up to the billing.

Patrick Mahomes never got the chance.

Rodgers threw for 305 yards and three touchdowns, two of them to Aaron Jones on a big night for the Green Bay running back, and the Packers held off fill-in quarterback Matt Moore and the rest of the banged-up Chiefs for a 31-24 victory Sunday night.

“I totally trust our quarterback,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said, “and I trust Aaron Jones as a receiver. He made some great plays all night long.”

Jones, who briefly left with a shoulder injury, had seven catches for 159 yards and added 67 on the ground — a big chunk of them in the closing minutes, when the Packers (7-1) sealed their first win at Arrowhead Stadium since Nov. 4, 2007.

“He’s very talented,” Rodgers said, “and I think this scheme is giving him the opportunity to do a lot more out of the backfield. You know, we’re splitting him out and throwing the ball to him. We kind of caught lightning in a bottle there a couple of times. Hit him on a slant-and-go for 50 and on a screen pass for 70 or whatever. He’s a talented guy. I’m very proud of him.”

The Chiefs (5-3) hoped Mahomes could make a miraculous recovery 10 days after dislocating his kneecap in Denver in time to play. But after the league MVP was limited all week in practice, coach Andy Reid announced Friday his franchise quarterback would be inactive for the game.

Moore took the reins of the high-powered offense and fared well, throwing for 267 yards with two touchdowns and no picks in the ex-high school coach’s first start in more than two years.

It wasn’t the Rodgers-Mahomes matchup everyone wanted, but Moore and Co. made sure it was still an entertaining game between teams with Super Bowl aspirations.

It started like most outside the walls of 1 Arrowhead Drive expected, with Rodgers slicing up the defense and Green Bay marching for two quick touchdowns.

But after a shaky start by Moore, the journeyman quarterback found a groove. He led the Chiefs on an 89-yard drive that ended with a make-it-rain 29-yard touchdown pass to Travis Kelce, then found Mecole Hardman on a 30-yard pitch-and-catch to knot the game.

The Chiefs led 17-14 at halftime, raising some eyebrows across the league.

“Once we got in the flow,” Moore said, “we were kind of rolling for a little while.”

LaFleur made a couple adjustments, though, and Rodgers and Co. began to move the ball once more. They used a 15-play drive that soaked up more than half the third quarter to get a tying field goal, then got the ball back when LeSean McCoy fumbled on the very next play.

Five players later, Rodgers conjured up more of his magic.

With third down at the 3, he dropped back and was flushed from the pocket. He rolled to his right and threw a blind pass to the back corner of the end zone, where Damien Williams somehow took the ball away from Chiefs linebacker Ben Niemann while tapping both feet inbounds.

Rodgers was lying flat on his back, staring at the sky, as the official signaled touchdown.

“I truly believe he was throwing it away,” Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu said.

The Chiefs answered with another long drive, and just when it appeared they had finally been stopped, the Packers’ Tramon Williams was flagged for illegal use of hands. That gave Kansas City the ball inside the 5, and Damien Williams scored on the next play to tie it again.

It took the Packers all of 56 seconds to score the eventual winner.

Rodgers again found Jones out of the backfield, and this time he found a lane through the entire Kansas City secondary. It was a foot race from there, and the speedy running back hop-skipped over the goal line to finish off the 67-yard touchdown reception.

“He’s an explosive weapon,” LaFleur said. “You don’t find too many running backs that can go out there and produce like that. You don’t see many running backs that you can put them on the outside and run a slant-and-go. I think he’s dynamic as a runner, a receiver, a pass protector.”

The Chiefs were forced to punt on the ensuing possession and never got the ball back.

“We played hard and aggressive,” Reid said, “but you know? When two good teams play each other, sometimes a turnover here or there can affect you and that’s a little bit what happened tonight. But we can all do better, starting with me and my guys.”

HALL OF FAME

The Chiefs honored TE Tony Gonzalez and SS/FB Johnny Robinson, their new entrants into the Hall of Fame, during a halftime ceremony. Both were presented with their Hall of Fame rings.

THE WORM TURNS

Jones twice reached the end zone thinking he’d scored, dropped to the turf and did “the worm.” The first was negated by a penalty, though he scored a few minutes later anyway. The second came on a 60-yard reception in which a replay showed Jones had stepped out of bounds at the 10.

STAR SEARCH

Along with Mahomes, the Chiefs missed five other starters: DE Frank Clark (neck), CB Kendall Fuller (thumb), LT Eric Fisher (groin), LG Andrew Wylie (ankle) and DT Chris Jones (groin).

Packers WR Davante Adams (toe) went through pregame warmups before he was scratched. But they did have LB Blake Martinez (hand) and SS Darnell Savage (ankle), who had missed the last two games.

Conviction of retired Kansas trooper thrown out

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A federal judge has thrown out a retired Kansas Highway Patrol trooper’s conviction and probation sentence related to a charge that he lied to the FBI during an investigation into illegal gambling in Wichita.

The Wichita Eagle reports U.S. District Judge Eric Melgren on Tuesday granted 54-year-old Michael Frederiksen’s request to vacate his conviction. Frederiksen had argued his attorney was ineffective.

The judge agreed, writing that Frederiksen’s trial attorney was inexperienced, unfamiliar with court rules regarding evidence and, while he was licensed to practice in New Mexico, he was not licensed in Kansas.

Frederiksen, of Derby, was convicted in May of lying to FBI investigators about participating in an illegal cash poker game while he was still a trooper. Prosecutors at his trial said video showed he had participated.

 

Hurts and Sooners travel to Manhattan

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Oklahoma has been a statement game for every team in the Big 12 for decades, and that should be no different for Kansas State, which is trying to rebuild under new coach Chris Klieman.

Only he doesn’t view it that way.

“I learned a long time ago, be careful about overemphasizing one team than another,” Klieman said ahead of their Saturday showdown, “because if you do that — ‘Man, this is our Super Bowl. We have to get it done’ — then what do you do the next week? What do you do the following week? It’s no different than if we were playing Nicholls State. That’s the next game on the schedule.”

With all due respect to the Colonels, they don’t have Heisman Trophy contender Jalen Hurts running around at quarterback. Or star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb catching everything thrown his way. Or a defense featuring potential first-round picks Neville Gallimore and Kenneth Murray.

Care to reconsider that opinion, coach?

“You pick your poison a little bit,” Klieman acknowledged. “We have to at least be able to slow down some of the run game, but which run game are you going to slow down? Are you going to slow down the quarterback run? Are you going to slow down the running backs? Are you going to slow down the running backs, the jet action, all that stuff? That’s the scary part.”

In fact, the Sooners (7-0, 4-0 Big 12) have been so dynamic offensively — averaging more than 600 yards — that Hurts alone is averaging more total offense (397 yards) than the Wildcats as a team (369).

The transfer from Alabama doesn’t think the Sooners have hit their ceiling, either.

“I think we’re continuing to take steps every day at practice, and I think we have to be eager about every opportunity we have,” Hurts said, “whether it be a walkthrough, a meeting, whatever it is. We have to be eager to attack it with the right intent.”

Oklahoma knows a stumble against the Wildcats (4-2, 1-2), would likely doom its College Football Playoff hopes. So just as Klieman doesn’t view the Sooners as any more important than Nicholls State, the Sooners likewise view Kansas State as just another opponent on their way to bigger things.

“It’s a long season,” Hurts said. “I think the different things we experience as a team, maybe overcome, just all the culture we have — it’s all about us doing the things we want to do.”

 

TURNOVER TROUBLE

One thing Oklahoma hasn’t done well this season is force turnovers. Its defense has been solid but it has failed to pick off a pass or recover a fumble in each of the past three games.

“Obviously it’s a huge disappointment,” Murray said. “For us, that just adds fuel to the fire to get it done. When we don’t meet our standards, big thing about us is no excuses.”

 

FEELING DEFENSIVE

Yes, the Sooners have the best offense in major college football. But the Wildcats have the No. 1 defense in the Big 12, and defensive end Wyatt Hubert said they’re just scratching their potential.

“We are not satisfied at all,” he said. “It’s OK to be sitting 4-2, but there’s a lot of things to improve on defense, like tackling is the main concern right now. Definitely something to work on.”

 

PRAISE FOR HURTS

What makes the numbers Hurts has put up this season even more impressive is that he’s done it while having one summer to learn coach Lincoln Riley’s offensive system.

“Seeing what he’s been able to do running that offense — and it’s a phenomenal offense as it is — but he’s running it at a really high level,” Klieman said. “Obviously, that’s the biggest challenge is he can beat you in so many different ways.”

 

KNOWLES A GO?

Wide receiver Malik Knowles hopes to play more for Kansas State this week. He’s been limited to a combined three quarters the past two games because of a lower-body injury sustained in the Wildcats’ win over Mississippi State. His ability to stretch the field is crucial for the Wildcats.

 

STILL A STATEMENT

Regardless of what Klieman said, many of the Wildcats still know that beating Oklahoma would be a tremendous moment for their program. Amon them is quarterback Skylar Thompson.

“We know we are going to have the whole college football world watching us,” he said. “It will be a good opportunity to show what we are capable of against a very good team. It has our whole team excited. We don’t really have anything to lose going into this game, so that takes some weight off of our shoulders in a way, but also knowing that we are going to have to perform at a very high level.”

Shockers fly under the radar in loaded AAC for 2019-20 season

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — All the attention in the American Athletic Conference these days is on Memphis, where new coach Penny Hardaway landed the nation’s best recruiting class, along with Houston and Cincinnati.

Kelvin Sampson has made the Cougars into a winner. The Bearcats have a new coach of their own.

But under the radar and out of the spotlight, Wichita State has quietly put together a team that could upend all those predictions of a three-way fight for the league title. They won nine of their last 11 games last season, won twice more in the AAC tourney and picked up three more wins in the NIT.

So while Markis McDuffie and Samajae Haynes-Jones have moved on, the Shockers — who not long ago were the toast of the NCAA Tournament — enter the season with a whole lot of momentum.

“I like this group. They’re fun to coach,” Shockers coach Gregg Marshall said. “It depends on the day, how we feel when we come out, when it comes to how much we improve. Some days we improve quite a bit and other days not It’s a challenge Marshall welcomes, though.

He took a team that was among the least-experienced in the nation last season, and began 8-11 with plenty of ugly losses, and instilled in it his gritty work ethic and brutal man-to-man defense.

Now, he at least has some veterans to help pass along those lessons.

The sophomore backcourt of Jamarius Burton, Dexter Dennis and Erik Stevenson may be among the most talented and improved in the AAC, and the international inside tandem of Colombia’s Jaime Echenique and Denmark’s Asbjorn Midtgaard give the Shockers both size and experience.

“Last year was very up-and-down. We got thrown into the fire,” Stevenson said. “We got better because of it. It taught us it’s going to take more than just playing basketball to win games at this level. We’ve got to do the little things. What we learned last year is that, even though you might be missing some shots, if you can defend and rebound, you can still win games.”

Only if the newcomers are ready to go.

Junior college transfer Trey Wade, who arrived from UTEP via South Plains College, is expected to step into the starting lineup. Tyson Etienne is a high-scoring guard and one of the most touted recruits in Wichita State history, while Grant Sherfield and Noah Fernandes also could crack the rotation.

“We’re more hungry this year,” said sophomore center Morris Udeze, who is also in line for more playing time. “We’ve got more depth. Last year we were leaning on Markis and Samajae to lead us and they did. They did a good job leading us. But I feel like this year we are ready to go.”

 

CHEMISTRY MAJORS

Dennis said one of the biggest differences between last season and this season is that the team is “really, really close.” Not that the Shockers weren’t last year. There’s just a different feeling.

“Our new guys came in with a sense of trying to learn. They don’t think they know it all,” Dennis said. “I think everyone is listening to Coach well and that’s bringing us together.”

 

WHAT’S IN A NAME

If nothing else, the Shockers have some creative names. Burton’s nickname is “Grandpa,” even though he’s just a sophomore, because of his old soul. Then there is sophomore forward Isaiah Poor Bear-Chandler, who is a proud member of the Oklala Lakota tribe of Native Americans.

 

GET IN MOTION

Among the reasons Wichita State got off to a slow start last season was the time it took such a young group to learn Marshall’s intricate motion offense. The experience in the backcourt coupled with more scoring power from his newcomers should speed up that process this season.

 

ROOM FOR 

IMPROVEMENT

“We’ve got to shoot better, and we will,” Marshall vowed, and for good reason. There isn’t anywhere to go but up. The Shockers shot 47% from inside the arc last season to rank 302nd nationally, and they were even worse beyond the arc at just 31% (325th).

 

GAZING AHEAD

Wichita State opens the season against Omaha on Nov. 5, but its first real test doesn’t come until a trip to the Cancun Challenge for a game against South Carolina. The Shockers also visit Oklahoma State and play Oklahoma at InTrust Bank Arena in downtown Wichita as part of their nonconference slate.

Jayhawks battle rebuilding Red Raiders

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — With a new offensive coordinator and fresh attitude, Kansas spent four quarters going toe-to-toe with Texas last week, taking the highly ranked Longhorns down to the wire on the road.

The Jayhawks didn’t quite finish off the upset, but they certainly raised some eyebrows.

Two belonged to Texas Tech coach Matt Wells.

“What a phenomenal effort they played with,” said Wells, who team heads to Lawrence to face the Jayhawks on Saturday. “I mean, those kids played hard. They really did. They went out and man, they did. They emptied the tank, and they had every right to win and deserved to win.”

The Jayhawks (2-5, 0-4 Big 12) had 310 yards passing, Pooka Williams ran for 190 and two scores, and they scored with 1:36 left and converted an audacious 2-point try to take the lead. But their defense stumbled after that, and Texas managed to kick a game-ending field goal for a 50-48 victory.

On the mountain of moral victories, it may have pushed to the top of the heap.

Too bad for the Jayhawks it still counted as a loss.

“Another good outing but not exactly how we wanted to finish it,” Kansas coach Les Miles said. “But I believe this team is coming and I think there will be some games of significance going forward.”

It could start against the Red Raiders (3-4, 1-3), who are also in the foundation-laying process under their new coach. Wells led them to an uplifting win over Oklahoma State a couple weeks ago, but the Red Raiders were edged a week later by Baylor and never put up much fight against Iowa State.

The way that game went down left Wells scratching his head.

Texas Tech got off to a hot start against Oklahoma State, setting the tone early. It floundered in the opening minutes against Oklahoma. Another fast start put the Red Raiders in the game against the unbeaten Bears, but another poor start against the Cyclones made it an uphill battle.

“It’s all tied to the first year, trying to build this foundation and making sure that it’s exactly what we want,” Wells said. “It’s been a work in progress, and there’s things that have gone better, but it takes more guys doing it. It takes quite a few guys.”

That’s a fact Miles knows, too.

“I like the way they played,” he said of last-week’s narrow defeat, “and I enjoyed how they took the field and they obviously were in a very competitive game right from the start. When you take the lead in the last drive, you think that, you know, you’re going to win.”

Now the trick is to finish it off.

 

JAYHAWKS FLYING HIGH

Kansas fired offensive coordinator Les Koenning and replaced him with analyst Brent Dearmon last week, and the change paid immediate dividends. Carter Stanley threw four touchdown passes without a pick, Williams was a nightmare for the Longhorns, and the Jayhawks piled up 569 yards total offense.

“It was cool. I mean, I’m proud of our guys,” Stanley said. “It was a good first showing. Just going off how we played and watching film by myself, I think it was pretty good. I can be better in some areas and we left a few points off the board, but it was a good start.”

 

JUKE-A POOKA

After he was held to just 12 yards rushing on eight carries by TCU, the Jayhawks’ electrifying running back has run for 137 yards against Oklahoma and 190 against Texas. That means Williams, who was suspended for the opener against Nicholls State, now has three 100-yard games this season.

 

JETT NEEDS TO SOAR

Texas Tech quarterback Jett Duffey was 40 of 52 for 239 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions against Iowa State, numbers that are efficient if unspectacular. But the performance, which included nine carries for 24 yards, left Wells wanting more out of his signal-caller.

“We missed some throws. We got pressure a couple times and didn’t think we needed to be. You just got to move the ball,” Wells said. “We just weren’t real sharp as we’d been in the passing game.”

 

SCREEN GAME

The reason for Duffey’s low yardage despite 40 completions was the fact that Iowa State gave the Red Raiders the short screen game. The Cyclones compensated by taking away downfield throws. It proved an effective strategy and one the Jayhawks could try to emulate on Saturday.

 

RING OF HONOR

The Jayhawks will induct former Chargers safety Darrell Stuckey into their ring of honor. He will join former teammates Todd Reesing, Chris Harris and Anthony Collins as recent additions.

“You don’t really plan when you come into college something like that to happen. You look up there and it’s this far-fetched opportunity,” he said. “It’s such a moment of joy and accomplishment.”

Raymond Colvin

Raymond Howard Colvin, age 87, of Humboldt, died Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2019, at Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center, Chanute. He was born Nov. 9, 1931, in Stark, to William and Bessie (James) Colvin. 

He married Joan Fugitt on Aug. 9, 1953, in Humboldt.

He served in the U.S. Army. 

Survivors include his wife, Joan, of the home; son David Colvin of Overland Park; daughter Ann Finley of Chanute; and other relatives. 

Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Monday at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Humboldt. The family will greet friends from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday at Feuerborn Family Funeral Service Chapel, Iola. 

Yvette Morrison

Yvette Deanne Morrison, age 69, of Iola, went to her heavenly home on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2019. 

Yvette was the first of four children born to Harry Frank and Juanita Ethel (Knoblock) Holloway. She was born on April 11, 1950, in Iola. Yvette graduated from high school with the class of 1968. 

On May 2, 1970, Yvette married Steven Morrison in Gas. Their union was blessed with three children. They made their home in Iola. 

Yvette worked in the H.L. Miller Dress Factory in Iola and in the Artex Dress Factory in Yates Center. She was happiest when she was hosting her family for holidays or special events. She loved cooking and making those events special to her family. Yvette enjoyed spending time working on craft projects with her mother and her children. She was always looking for a new skill to master. She was happy just spending time with her family, sometimes that “Sunday ride” started on Saturday afternoon and lasted until almost Monday. Her Christian faith was an important part of her life. She and Steve worked with the Cleansing Stream Ministry in numerous retreats in locations throughout the Midwest. 

Yvette was preceded in death by her parents. 

She is survived by her husband, Steve, of the home; two sons, Russell Morrison and wife, Tamara of Iola, Rick Morrison and wife, Jessica of Gas; daughter, Angie Bagley and husband, Lenny of St. Joseph, Mo.; seven grandchildren; brother, Harry David Holloway of Gas; two sisters, Terri Holloway of Gas and Jacque Thummel of Iola. 

Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at Feuerborn Family Funeral Service, Iola. Burial will follow at Le Roy Cemetery, Le Roy. The family will greet friends from 3 to 5 pm. Sunday in The Venue at Feuerborn Family Funeral Service. Memorials are suggested to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and may be left with the funeral home. Condolences may be left at www.feuerbornfuneral.com.