Sporting KC makes roster moves

Sporting Kansas City announced on Tuesday that the following four players will be out of contract with the club as of Dec. 31, 2014: Aurelien Collin, Kevin Ellis, Jacob Peterson and Soony Saad.

Sporting Kansas City will extend offers to each of those four individuals and contract negotiations are ongoing, a spokesman said.

Additionally, Sporting Kansas City and midfielder Lawrence Olum have mutually agreed to terminate his contract pending league approval. Sporting Kansas City will retain rights to Olum within Major League Soccer, per MLS roster rules and regulations.

The club has also declined contract options for Antonio Dovale, Andy Gruenebaum, Michael Kafari, Eric Kronberg, Victor Munoz and Sal Zizzo. Kafari and Munoz will be eligible for selection in the MLS Waiver Draft on Dec. 10.

Gruenebaum, Kronberg and Zizzo will all be eligible to participate in Major League Soccer’s Re-Entry Process. Phase One of the Re-Entry Draft will take place on Dec. 12; Phase Two will occur on Dec. 18.
– Story from Sporting KC

Lady Blue Devils set steal record; tough Hutch Classic next

by Alan Hoskins
If Kansas City Kansas Community College’s game against Wentworth’s women Saturday had been a prize fight, it would have been stopped in the first round.

Just 5½ minutes into the game, the Lady Blue Devils had built a 23-2 lead on the way to a 103-32 win.

Wentworth had been held to just four shots – none good – and forced into 10 turnovers, nine on a record-breaking night of steals while the Blue Devils had scored on 9 of 13 shots (69.2) percent including 3 of 4 three-pointers.

By the halfway point of the first half it was 36-6 and 12 Blue Devils had gotten into the action on a night 12 players scored and 12 had rebounds.

The win, the seventh in a row for the unbeaten and 18th Blue Devils, set up KCKCC’s biggest pre-holiday tests – the Hutchinson Classic where KCKCC will play unbeaten Hutchinson (6-0) Friday at 5:30 p.m. and Dodge City Saturday (6-3) at 1:30 p.m.

KCKCC wrote two records into the record book – the most steals (38) in a game and the most forced turnovers (47). Leading 62-18 at the half, 41 of the Blue Devil points had come off turnovers (62 for the game).

“We really played well the first 15 minutes, especially in the transition game,” said KCKCC head coach Valerie Stambersky.

Reserves accounted for 49 of KCKCC’s 103 points and played a big role in limiting Wentworth to just seven field goals in 42 attempts, half the number of Blue Devil shots (39-of-84).

Cierra Gaines led the Blue Devils with 25 points on 11-of-16 shooting while Cheyenne North added 12 points and a game high eight rebounds.

Cassidy Harbert had another big assist night with nine along with 11 points.

Arrica Day led the scoring off the bench with 11 points while Sierra Roberts had nine,

Rashaun Casey seven and Iland Shurn and Julia Garrard six each.

Alan Hoskins is the sports information director for KCKCC.

Dodge City holds off big KCKCC men’s comeback

by Alan Hoskins
Kansas City Kansas Community College’s unbeaten men’s basketball season came to an end in Dodge City’s Pizza Hut Classic over the weekend but not before a whale of a Blue Devil comeback.

Trailing Dodge City by 16 points at halftime Friday, the Blue Devils roared from behind to take a 64-63 lead with 7:35 left only to have the Conquistadors pull away for an 82-74 win.

Neosho County made it a double setback Saturday, breaking open a nip-and-tuck first half battle for an 88-67 win.

The losses left KCKCC at 6-2 heading into a home game with Westminster College Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Hitting a torrid 64.3 percent, Dodge City scored the last eight points of the half for a 49-33 lead in a game that was tied six times and had four lead changes in the early going.

However, the Blue Devils limited the Conqs to just one field goal and three points the first 8½ minutes of the second half and went ahead 64-63 at the 7:35 mark.

Dodge City went back in front on a four-point play by Ameer Jackson and then limited the Blue Devils to just two field goals the final seven minutes to improve to 6-1.

C,J, Vallejo led KCKCC with 23 points on 10-of-17 shooting while Tevin Downing just missed a double double with 14 points and nine rebounds.

Roberto Hernandez added eight points and a career high seven assists while Joe Lendway also scored eight points.

KCKCC had a 34-29 edge in rebounding and had a season low eight turnovers but couldn’t overcome Dodge City’s 58.7 percent shooting for the game.

KCKCC trailed Neosho County 35-33 in a furious first half Saturday that had six ties and eight lead changes.

However, the Blue Devils could not keep up with Neosho’s 53.4 percent shooting in a 53-point second half.

Freshman Austin Hall had 19 points, Vallejo 13 and Downing and Hernandez eight each for the Blue Devils, who were 27-of-65 for 41.5 percent.

The Blue Devils were outrebounded 41-29 as Joseph Acull had 21 points and 20 rebounds for the Panthers. Downing led KCKCC with eight.

Alan Hoskins is the sports information director at KCKCC.