IRVING, Texas (AP) — Defending Big 12 men’s basketball champion Kansas, Big 12 champion or co-champion in each of the past eight seasons, is the preseason favorite to win repeat again. League coaches tapped the Jayhawks as the overwhelming 2012-13 favorite in the annual preseason vote released Thursday. Kansas was 16-2 in league play last season and made it all the way to the NCAA championship game against Kentucky. The Jayhawks return senior starters Jeff Withey, Elijah Johnson and Travis Releford.

Since coaches are ineligible to vote for their own team, Kansas got the maximum nine first-place votes available. The other top vote went to Baylor, which was picked second. Oklahoma State is third, followed by Texas, Kansas State and Big 12 newcomer West Virginia. Oklahoma, Iowa State, Texas Tech and TCU round out the poll.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Nationals signed Jayson Werth to show them how to win. His game-ending homer Thursday night extended their surprising season. Werth led off the bottom of the ninth inning by driving Lance Lynn’s 13th pitch into the left-field stands to give the Nationals a 2-1 victory over the defending World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals and force a Game 5 in their NL division series. As he circled the bases, Werth raised his right index finger in a “No. 1” gesture, while the announced crowd of 44,392 roared with delight. The best-of-five series will end Friday night in Washington, with the winner advancing to face the San Francisco Giants in the NL championship series.

Class 3-A District 1  
*Harlan (6-1, 3-1) @ Atlantic (5-2, 2-2)         —on KJAN & KJAN.com—
*Perry (2-5, 1-4) @ ADM (5-2, 3-1)
*Glenwood (2-5, 0-4) @ Lewis Central (5-2, 2-2)
Creston (6-1) @ Winterset (5-2)

Class 3-A District 2
*Carroll (2-5, 2-2) @ Sergeant Bluff-Luton (0-7, 0-4)
*Bishop Heelan Catholic (7-0, 4-0) @ Denison (1-6, 1-3)

Class 2-A District 8  
*Clarinda (1-6, 1-3) @ Shenandoah (3-4, 2-2)
*Greene County (3-4, 2-2) @ Clarinda Academy (0-7, 0-5)
*Red Oak (2-5, 2-2) @ Kuemper Catholic (7-0, 4-0)
OA-BCIG (5-2) @ Ridge View (3-4)

Class 1-A District 2
*Pocahontas Area/P-P (4-3, 1-3) @ IKM/Manning (7-0, 4-0)

Class 1-A District 8
*Missouri Valley (2-5, 1-3) @ Treynor (3-4, 0-4)
*Nodaway Valley (1-6, 1-4) @ St. Albert (6-1.4-0)
*Panorama (5-2, 3-1) @ Tri-Center (5-2, 3-1)
West Central Valley (4-3) @ Van Meter (5-2)

Class A District 7
*Audubon (3-4, 2-3) @ Martensdale-St. Marys (3-4, 1-4)
*Madrid (4-3, 3-2) @ Bedford (4-3, 4-1)
*Guthrie Center (1-6, 1-4) @ Earlham (1-6, 1-4)
*Woodward Academy (3-4, 3-2) @ Woodward-Granger (7-0, 5-0)

Class A District 8
*A-H-S-T (5-2, 4-1) @ Logan-Magnolia (6-1, 5-0)
*Griswold (5-2, 4-1) @ East Mills (3-4, 2-3)
*Riverside (1-6, 0-5) @ West Monona (0-7, 0-5)
*Underwood (4-3, 4-1) @ Westwood (1-6, 1-4)

8-Man District 6  
*Adair-Casey (6-1, 5-1) @ Ankeny Christian (1-7, 0-5)
*Colo-Nesco (5-3, 4-2) @ Grandview Park Baptist (3-4, 2-3)
*Mormon Trail (1-6, 0-5) @ Lamoni (6-2, 3-2)
*East Union (3-5, 2-3) @ Murray (7-0, 5-0)

8-Man District 7
*Ar-We-Va (2-5, 2-4) @ Exira/EHK (7-0, 6-0)
*Woodbine (3-4, 3-3) @ Boyer Valley (5-2, 4-2)
*Coon Rapids-Bayard (5-3, 4-3) @ Charter Oak-Ute (2-5, 1-5)
*Heartland Christian (0-8, 0-6) @ West Harrison (3-4, 2-4)

8-Man District 8
*CAM (6-2, 5-1) @ Corning (3-4, 3-4)
*Essex (3-5, 1-5) @ Nishnabotna (1-6, 1-5)
*Fremont-Mills (6-1, 5-1) @ Villisca (1-6, 1-5)
*Sidney (7-0, 6-0) @ Stanton (1-6, 1-5)
Lenox (6-2) @ Melcher-Dallas (6-1)

* District game

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel has been ruled out for Sunday’s game at Tampa Bay with a concussion, and Brady Quinn will start an NFL game for the first time since the 2009 season.  Coach Romeo Crennel said Thursday that doctors have not cleared Cassel after he was hurt in the fourth quarter of a 9-6 loss to Baltimore last Sunday.

Quinn has been taking repetitions with the first team in practice this week. The former first-round draft pick hasn’t started a game since he was with the Cleveland Browns. Ricky Stanzi, the Chiefs’ fifth-round draft pick last year, will serve as the backup.

Officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources announced today (Thursday), that four Louisiana men face 76 counts and nearly $86,000 in fines and civil damages for allegedly killing five deer illegally in southwest Iowa last November. The DNR says 41-year old James Keith Moore,  of Hammond, La., and 45-year old Michael D. Fralick,  of Ponchatoula, La., were charged with 32 counts each of deer related violations in four different counties in southwest Iowa. Moore and Fralick were each fined $6,123.90. The state is also seeking $25,000 in civil damages from each man for the deer they allegedly killed illegally. In addition, 46-year old Stanley B. Russell, of Roseland, La., and 39-year old William H. Chambliss,  of Kentwood, La., were charged with six counts each of deer related violations in Montgomery County. Russell and Chambliss were each fined $1,823.40.  The state is seeking $10,000 in civil damages from each man for their role in the alleged poaching activity. The state has also requested forfeiture of four rifles the individuals used to shoot the deer.

The investigation began in late November when the Kansas Wildlife and Parks Department received a TIP call from a concerned citizen about the activities of these men. The information led authorities to possible illegal activity in Iowa. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources received a TIP call about illegal deer activity around the same time that linked the two cases together. Deb Howe, state conservation officer for the Iowa DNR, said “These men came to Iowa specifically to road hunt trophy bucks during the rut. They did not have any licenses or tags to hunt in Iowa during the time they were here.”

A 10 month investigation by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Bureau, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Louisiana Department of Game & Fish, and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks culminated in the 76 wildlife-related counts being filed against four Louisiana men.  Fralick, Russell and Chambliss face similar charges in Kansas. An initial court date will be scheduled for November.

Information received through the TIP hotline in both Iowa and Kansas was critical in this investigation.  If you have information on wildlife crimes please call TIP of Iowa at 1-800-532-2020 you can remain anonymous.

w/ Jim Field

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Royals have hired Doug Henry to be their bullpen coach next season. Henry served as the interim bullpen coach the final two weeks of last season. He takes over on a permanent basis for Steve Foster, who was appointed the club’s minor league pitching coordinator and special assistant to general manager Dayton Moore on Aug. 31st. Henry has been part of the Royals organization since 2008, primarily with Triple-A Omaha. The Royals are still searching for a new hitting coach after choosing not to renew the contract of Kevin Seitzer last week. Manager Ned Yost says he’ll likely promote someone from within the organization to take his place.

WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s another umpiring call that went the St. Louis Cardinals way this postseason. And it’s not the first time TV replays show umpire Jim Joyce missed a call at first base. Joyce ruled Nationals batter Danny Espinosa out when he bunted with a runner on and no outs in the second inning of Wednesday’s Game 3 of Washington’s NL division series against St. Louis. Nationals manager Davey Johnson came out to argue as fans booed. The Cardinals benefited from a disputed infield-fly rule call in their wild-card game victory at the Atlanta Braves last week. Fans at that game responded by tossing trash on the field. Joyce is best known for blowing a call at first base to ruin Detroit pitcher Armando Galarraga’s bid for a perfect game in 2010.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State rode a pair of one-and-done transfers to its first NCAA tournament appearance in seven years. The formula worked so well that the Cyclones will give it another go in 2012-13. Iowa State lost perhaps the nation’s most versatile player, Royce White, and standout senior guard Chris Allen from the team that went 23-11 before falling to eventual national champion Kentucky in the third round of the NCAA tournament. Enter senior forward Will Clyburn and point guard Korie Lucious.

Clyburn, a 6-foot-7 forward, led Utah in scoring at 17.1 points per game in 2010-11 before transferring to Iowa State following a coaching change. Lucious, like Allen before him, fell out of favor with Michigan State coach Tom Izzo and decided to spend his final college season in Ames.