sports in brief

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, Sep 22, 2008

Local & state: Sprint Center hosts Blues-Kings exhibition

Big-league hockey -- the preseason extent of it, at least -- returns tonight to Kansas City, which wants to prove it deserves an NHL team as a permanent resident.

The Sprint Center will host an exhibition game between the St. Louis Blues and Los Angeles Kings. The puck drops at 7 p.m. in the first hockey game to be contested at the new arena, which still has hopes of landing an NBA or NHL team.

Plenty of tickets remain and can be purchased at the Sprint Center box office. Tickets remaining are $25, $50, $60, $75 or $150 for center ice.

Auto racing: Biffle wins second straight in Chase, taking Dover

Greg Biffle made it 2-for-2 in the Chase for the championship, making another late pass -- this time with nine laps to go -- and holding off Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards on Sunday at Dover, Del.

Roush Fenway Racing teammates Biffle, Kenseth and Edwards engaged in a thrilling run over the final 20 laps at Dover International Speedway, but Biffle made another textbook move to the outside late to pull away.

"That was probably the best race I've seen in a long time," Kenseth said. "You hate to get beat when you're in those battles."

Biffle, the winner last week at New Hampshire after passing Jimmie Johnson with 12 laps left, is third in the Chase points standings. Biffle and Johnson are both 10 points behind Edwards for the lead, but Johnson holds the tiebreaker.

Kenseth was second, and Edwards third.

Up ahead for Biffle is a trip to Kansas City, a track where he won last season.

Mark Martin was fourth and Chase drivers filled up the next five spots. Johnson was fifth followed by Kevin Harvick, Jeff Gordon, Clint Bowyer and Jeff Burton.

J.R. Todd beat Tony Schumacher in the Top Fuel final Sunday, one of an unprecedented four final-round losses for reigning NHRA POWERade Series champions in the NHRA Fall Nationals at Texas Motorplex in Ennis.

In Funny Car, Tim Wilkerson dealt Tony Pedregon his first loss of the year in five final rounds.

Lewis Hamilton hopes to get his Belgian Grand Prix victory reinstated when he appears before a FIA appeals court Monday.

The hearing at governing body headquarters in Paris was sparked by McLaren's decision to appeal the Formula One leader's 25-second time penalty, given when the British driver was judged to have gained an advantage by cutting a chicane on his way to the victory at Spa this month.

General: Jayhawks rankedNo. 18 in both AP, coaches polls

The Kansas Jayhawks managed to move up a spot in The Associated Press Top 25 this week. KU (3-1) is ranked No. 18 in the AP and coaches' polls.

Oklahoma (3-0) is at No. 2 in both polls, right behind top- ranked Southern California. Missouri (4-0) holds down the No. 6 spot in the AP poll and No. 5 in the coaches. Texas (3-0) is ranked No. 7 in both polls.

Texas tight end Blaine Irby will miss the rest of the season after dislocating his right knee Saturday against Rice, trainer Kenny Boyd said Sunday.

Irby started all three games this season and had 10 catches for 95 yards and two touchdowns. He had seven receptions for 62 yards and a TD in the Longhorns' season-opening victory over Florida Atlantic.

Texas coach Mack Brown said Irby will get a medical redshirt year and have three seasons of eligibility when he returns in 2009.

Notre Dame tight end Will Yeatman and center Mike Golic Jr., son of an ESPN television host, were among 41 people arrested on misdemeanor alcohol charges early Sunday at a South Bend home, police said.

Yeatman, 20, and Golic, 18, were charged with being minors consuming alcohol, said Sgt. Al Taylor of the Indiana State Excise Police. Others arrested included members of the Notre Dame lacrosse and soccer teams, he said.

The U.S. reign as Davis Cup champion ended Sunday, with an ailing Rafael Nadal beating Andy Roddick in a straight-sets victory that sent Spain to the final for the sixth time.

The top-ranked player won 6-4, 6-0, 6-4 on a clay court at a bullfighting arena in Madrid, giving Spain an insurmountable lead in the best-of-five format.

Spain will play for the title against Argentina, which defeated Russia 3-2 in a semifinal in Buenos Aires.

Golf: MacKenzie claims second PGA win in playoff at Viking

A day after blowing a lead with a triple bogey on the final hole, Will MacKenzie birdied the par-5 18th three straight times to win the Viking Classic at Madison, Miss., in a playoff for his second PGA Tour victory.

MacKenzie rallied to beat Marc Turnesa on the second playoff hole after Brian Gay dropped out on the first extra hole. At the second extra hole, MacKenzie two-putted from 63 feet for birdie.

Matt Bettencourt won the Oregon Classic for his first Nationwide Tour title Sunday at Junction City, Ore., closing with a 3-under 69 for a two-stroke victory over former U.S. Amateur champion Bubba Dickerson.

From staff and wire reports