Page 3 - 2019 Daily Union Master Template

www.junctioncityunion.com The Junction City Union. Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020 5B

'A bit lonely': Wichita Open prepares for Thursday start with

no fans in attendance

tayloR eldRidge the 17th hole once in the apprehension that a year Nearly all of the top Ferry) tour because they will begin 7:20 a.m.
Tribune News Service past 10 days. without the 17th hole players on the Korn Ferry love Wichita and they love Thursday.
“It’s going to be a bit experience would drive Tour will play in the event, this event. I’m sure the “It’s all been quite a big
The Tuesday during the lonely out here this year, sponsors away, especially including Taylor Pendrith, competition will be production to make sure
week of the Wichita Open but I’m sure everybody during a time when so who finished in a tie for incredible.” we get everybody taken
is usually a frantic time for will understand why,” said many businesses are strug- 23rd at the U.S Open last As far as COVID-19 test- care of,” Turner said. “My
tournament director Roy Turner, who has spent the gling financially. week, and Davis Riley, who ing goes, players, tourna- priority is to get this event
Turner. last two decades turning But Turner said all but is in search of his third ment officials and volun- done as well as we can and
In a typical year, he’s the professional golf tour- three of the 150 sponsors tour victory which would teers — a total of 536 peo- make sure there is no virus
preparing the North nament into one of Wichi- have already pledged to earn him an immediate ple — were all tested this outbreak. We’re looking
course at Crestview Coun- ta’s signature events each come back for next sum- promotion to the PGA week. The Korn Ferry has forward to playing in June
try Club to for 50,000 spec- summer. “The people who mer’s event. Tour. supplied its own testing next year and getting back
tators to pass through dur- are going to miss it the “The response has been For local talent, Wichi- vehicle, which allows rapid to normal, but right now
ing the week. Turner esti- most are the people who a real kick in the butt, how ta native Luke Cannon test results that are we’re dealing with the
mates that he usually come out here and have a great it is, and that just earned a spot in the field received in hours instead virus and making the best
spends about two months good time and look for- motivates me to look for- through Monday qualify- of days. of it and making sure the
perfecting the 17th hole ward to it every summer ward to the future,” Turner ing and Andy Spencer, a Turner said the testing players here are taken care
experience, which has like it’s Christmas. said. “I think everybody in Kansas City native who has gone off without a of and welcomed to the
been voted the best hole “I’ve been trying to get the public understands the was a standout at Kan-
on the Korn Ferry Tour for people to come out and situation and now it’s shift- sas, will make his first hitch and the tournament city of Wichita.”
its lively atmosphere. enjoy the tournament for ed to ‘Let’s get ready for start on the Korn Ferry
But this is no typical so many years and now I’m next year and let’s make it Tour.
year, as the coronavirus telling them to stay away.” even bigger and better.’” “I think the field is get- Soccer
pandemic forced the Turner has been blown Without fans, Turner has ting stronger and stronger
Wichita Open, which tees away by the community been able to turn his atten- every year,” Turner said. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1B
off on Thursday, to be support he’s received since tion to the golf side of “We look at these players
held without fans. On the July announcement things for the Wichita later on and now he is “Whenever we play Thursday’s matchup
this Tuesday, Turner says that the tournament this Open, which he says will playing and winning in the them the game is always will also, hopefully, break
— rather solemnly — year would be without have one of its strongest PGA Tour. We always get dirty and not in a sense a streak that McFarland is
that he has only been to fans. There was some fields yet. the best players on (Korn of physical dirty,” he not proud of.
said. “But the play that found an away win,” he
“This group has not
we do — we're not con-
Is Chabastin Taylor ready to deliver as necting as much passes, said of the Blue Jays. “We
have not found a way
a lot of just kicking the
ball up and just running
wins since I've been a
Kansas State's 'dominant guy' at receiver? through people. Like we head coach. So we're
need to really just calm
hoping to change that on
down, play our game,
move the ball and we'll Thursday. It's a big game
they beat us on our home
Kellis Robinett find some good opportu- field, so we're going back
Tribune News Service nities and hopefully get a and get a little bit of
win.” revenge.”
Many of the 11,041 fans in atten-
dance for Kansas State’s first game of
the season were probably surprised
to see Chabastin Taylor emerge as lady JayS
the team’s top receiver against
Arkansas State. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1B
Taylor, a 6-foot-4 junior from Gid- The Lady Spartans took the first set, 25-14.
dings, Texas, had previously rarely The momentum from the first set carried over to the
made big plays for the Wildcats. second as Emporia quickly rallied behind a 10-0 run
His career statistics entering this before Junction City’s first point was awarded on a kill
year were 13 catches for 183 yards that landed out-of-bounds by Emporia.
and two touchdowns. But he set per- Several long volley’s took place during the set with
sonal single-game highs in every cat- each team digging and scraping for the ball, but
egory against the Red Wolves by Emporia defeated the Lady Jays 25-8 to take the set
grabbing four passes for 98 yards and and game.
also rushing for 20 yards. His longest Emporia would fall to Washburn Rural between
gain of the day went for 42 yards. JCHS games with the Lady Blues using their height
Another went for 35 yards. He was and speed to their advantage.
also inches away from catching a Those same characteristics would bite the Lady Jays
deep ball for a touchdown. this point, but he may have finally For one game, at least, all that as they gave up four to six inches of height on the front
In short, Taylor looked like arrived. work made him look like he might line.
K-State’s No. 1 receiver. He became one of Thompson’s replace Dalton Schoen as the team’s “We had a couple of overpasses that that they took
“He has had one of the best fall favorite targets early on during pre- go-to receiver. advantage of and we know that's not what we want to
camps out of anybody on our team,” season practice, as he proved him- Now it’s time for him to prove he do on a nightly basis, especially against somebody
K-State quarterback Skylar Thomp- self on and off the field. His play- has staying power. that's got extra height,” Nevill said. So just taking care
son said. “So I wasn’t surprised or making ability was on display two “He needs to for us to be success- of it a little better on our side — a little more under
anything about the way he played. I weeks ago. But he put in a lot of work ful,” K-State coach Chris Klieman control. Give us a little more opportunity for some
expected that. That’s the way he was behind the scenes to make that hap- said. “We’ve seen that all through the offense.”
going to bring it. Chabastin is the pen. Teammates say he is always summer and fall camp. The practices Junction City fell behind early, 5-0, against Wash-
least of my worries.” early for practice, getting in extra we’ve had, limited or not, he’s been burn Rural. The Lady Jays would only be able to mus-
Can he deliver like that all season work at the football throwing the dominant guy, in my mind, on a ter seven points in the first set as the Lady Blues rolled
long? That’s the million-dollar ques- machine. He also usually stays late daily basis. We were confident that to the 25-7 victory.
tion as the Wildcats try to create and runs extra routes with K-State’s Chabastin would have that kind of a The second game was more of the same with Junc-
more big plays starting against No. 3 quarterbacks. game. Hopefully it gives him a lot of tion City putting up eight points in the match.
Oklahoma on Saturday. “Chabastin is a great player, man,” confidence, too, that he is so much Throughout the contest the players owned up to bad
Taylor has always had the size and Thompson said, “a great player. I felt better Year 2 in the system. He’s passes and hitting errors by patting their chest and let-
athleticism to be a productive player as the season went on last year he stronger. He has really good speed. ting their teammates know they were sorry for the
for K-State. He was the star of a got better and better and just He has excellent hands and runs mistake. Nevill said this is a sign that the players were
spring game early on in his college improved. The thing about good routes. He’s a big, physical guy, in to the game and was proud of them for take charge
career and former coach Bill Snyder Chabastin is he just focuses on one so I was not surprised with his per- on the court.
identified him as a “youngster” with day at a time and he gets in extra formance. I can’t wait to see how he “I think it shows that we've got some leadership in
potential. It’s been a slow climb to work everyday.” does the rest of the year.” there,” he said. “We've talked a lot about that self talk
idea. What you say to yourself, how you bounce back
Kansas State freshman linebacker Demarrquese from a bad pass or a mistake or something along that
line. And so we spend some time talking about what
you say to yourself, how you react, how you let things
Hayes entering transfer portal roll off your back and how you respond to that or
bounce back from it.”
One thing that was noticeable during the contest
was the quietness inside Shenk Gymnasium. Last year
Ryan blacK has helped me build charac- game in a Wildcat uniform, to the 247Sports Composite. the stands were packed with both parents and stu-
Flint Hills News Service ter as a (man) and also how as he didn't participate in Starring at La Vega High in dents honoring the seniors. This year, with COVID
to overcome fear. I want to the Sept. 12 opener versus Waco, Texas, Hayes was a restrictions in place the gymnasium was partially filled
Demarrquese Hayes' time thank the amazing fans and Arkansas State. first-team all-state selection with parents of the players only.
at Kansas State didn't even staff who gave me the ability Last month, Hayes admit- by the Texas Sports Writers A definite disadvantage for the Lady Blue Jays, Nevill
last a year. to display my talents at the ted he wasn't sure college Association during the 2018 said.
Hayes, a freshman line- Division (I) level. football should be played season. That year, the Pirates “I think anytime you have a home game, you want
backer on the K-State foot- "After talking with my this fall. went 14-2 and advance to your home crowd to be behind you,” he said. “And just
ball team, announced Tues- family and coaches, I believe "We all want to play foot- the Class 4A Division I state with COVID and different restrictions on who can
day that he was leaving the it's best for me to enter the ball everyone knows that," championship. He also attend and how many we can have, I think it was a lit-
program and entering the transfer portal as a freshman he wrote on Twitter on Aug. excelled in track, where he tle deflating to not have that same ‘Rah-Rah’ energy
transfer portal. He revealed and continue my athletic 10, "but is it safe to play right was the leadoff man on La behind us.”
his departure in a note post- career elsewhere." now is the question that we Vega's gold-medal winning The Lady Jays will take the rest of the week to pre-
ed on his personal Twitter Hayes was a member of are all trying to answer!" 4x100-meter relay team in pare to hit the road next week as they travel to Topeka
account. the Wildcats' 2020 recruiting Rivals and 247Sports 2019. Hayden.
"Manhattan has been a class, arriving in Manhattan tabbed Hayes as a three-star The Wildcats signed just “We'll take some time, kind of regroup, work on
fun experience and has as an early enrollee last prospect in the 2020 class. one other linebacker in the speeding up things on our end in terms of offense and
taught me many life lesson," spring. But he'll leave K-State He ranked as the No. 170 2020 cycle: fellow Texan Jay making sure defenses is getting to the right spots,”
Hayes wrote. "Kansas (S)tate having never appeared in a prospect in Texas according Harris. Nevill said. “One of the things that I challenged them
with over the last week or so, was an aggressive serving
team is going to make it harder for the other team to
Blue JayS play something off of your serve. And so, we worked
on making our serves more low, line drive, float serve,
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1B more aggressive serve. So, I'll take some right now in
the net, and we're working on cleaning that up toward
ing experience with their offense and and week two is in their secondary. he said. “We're just trying to get the end of the season.”
trusting the experience on their Those kids are all new, but their better today that's about it. I'm sure
defense to lead the way for them. front is pretty much intact from a the kids have looked at it and seen A new 12U Manhattan Optimist Fastpitch team is having
“They only have two offensive year ago. We have to play well. it, and hopefully they're not paying TRYOUTS on
starters back, but those kids have We're gonna have to get started attention to it much. But, you
started three games already this very quickly against them to have a know, it's good for them. We've just Tuesday, September 29th
year,” Zimmerman said. “So they're shot at them for sure.” got great kids doing good things. from 5:30-7:30pm at the Optimist Park
veterans to that side of the ball. Current rankings have Junction We tell them every day, make sure
Defensively now, they have six City in the top-10 of Class 6A west they prove us right that they're in Manhattan (317 Plymate Lane)
returning starters. So, they are a — with one poll placing the Blue great kids and they do.” Please contact
tough defense. Very, very tough Jays above defending class cham- Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. Fri- Jeff Connell
defensively and they're coming in pions Derby and another having day, check back in the Sunday 785-410-4116
their own offensively. That them below the Panthers. Current Sports section of the Junction City
quarterback's really good. Where rankings don’t phase Zimmerman. Union for a complete wrap up of with questions
they struggle a little bit in week one “I don't even look at that stuff,” the game. or to reserve a spot