KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs safety Eric Berry sounded confident Friday that he’ll be on the field when Kansas City plays the New England Patriots in the AFC championship game at Arrowhead Stadium. The three-time All-Pro has been a full participant in practice this week after dealing with a heel injury, but needs the OK from coach Andy Reid to take the field on Sunday night.

“I feel pretty good. Just talk to coach and see what he wants to do and go from there,” Berry said. “It would mean a lot not just for me and my family and my teammates, but the organization.” Berry tore his Achilles’ tendon in last year’s opener, sidelining him the rest of the season. He returned in time for summer workouts and the start of training camp. But a mysterious heel injury popped up that kept Berry off the field until Week 15 against the Chargers.

Berry played more the following week on the turf in Seattle, but the injury recurred and he missed the regular-season finale against Oakland and the divisional round matchup against Indianapolis.
“It was pretty frustrating, but you just have to keep rolling,” said Berry, who nevertheless broke down the pregame huddle with an emotional pep talk. “Keep focused and keep your head down.”

Berry has become a pro at overcoming adversity. He missed most of one season with a torn ACL in his knee, and he missed the end of another when he was diagnosed with cancer. In both instances, he recovered in time to play the following season. However, those situations were relatively straightforward. There was a clear diagnosis and obvious path toward recovery. But the heel has been a challenge for Berry and the organization, once viewed as a “day-to-day” situation that became a saga that lasted months.

There have been various reports, always citing unnamed sources, of a heel deformity that causes intense pain, but the Chiefs and Berry have refused to confirm them. Asked several times about the injury Friday, Berry merely replied: “It’s hard to explain.” Berry said he wasn’t concerned about the field causing the heel problems. It was torn up in the divisional round after several inches of snow fell before the game. The grounds crew spent this week replacing the turf between the hashes, along the sidelines and in one of the end zones.

“I’m just being prepared for every situation,” Berry said. “Our field crew, grounds crew is very good. They do a very good job. Just trusting in them that they can get the job done.” Berry’s value lies not just in his athletic ability, though the Chiefs could use some help covering Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski on Sunday. Rather, his biggest benefit to a defense that has struggled mightily at times this season may be his leadership and on-field demeanor.

“A huge impact. He’s a huge player for us,” Chiefs linebacker Dee Ford said, while defensive tackle Chris Jones said “the physicality he brings to this team and the leadership role is amazing.” When he’s at his best, Berry is one of the best safeties in the NFL, adequate in coverage and dynamic at stuffing the run. But even at a fraction of his best, Berry is still talented enough to impact a game, and that’s why his return could prove so critical to the Chiefs.

“I mean, Eric’s a good football player. He’s an All-Pro player,” Reid said. “That’d be an obvious statement, but it’s another good player in the mix. A great player.” Notes: Chiefs OLB Dorian O’Daniel (hamstring) was ruled out for the game. … WR Sammy Watkins (foot) and RB Spencer Ware (hamstring) participated in practice all week and are expected to play.

The John J. Harris Wrestling Invitational set for this weekend in Corning has another schedule change due to the impending winter weather. The tournament has now been condensed to a one-day event on Saturday with weigh-ins starting at 11:00am and wrestling beginning at noon.

Southwest Valley officials said six teams have dropped out of the tournament due to the weather. Fewer teams will accommodate a condensed schedule on Saturday that will hopefully work for the remaining teams involved around the weather impact.

The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast with Chris Parks.

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The Atlantic boys basketball team halted a seven game losing skid on Thursday night with a 62-49 win at Clarinda. The Trojans took the lead early in the game and were able to slowly build the lead in the second half. The Trojans led 21-16 at the end of the first quarter and the margin was also five points at halftime. Atlantic then pushed the lead to 9 by the end of the third and led by as many as 17 down the stretch.

Three Trojans finished in double figures on the night and Head Coach Jeff Ebling thought the team moved the ball well on the offensive end.

Tyler Moen led all scorers in the game with 16 points, 10 of those coming in the first half. Coach Ebling thought Moen had a great game slashing to open spots in the Cardinals’ zone.

Logan Reilly finished with 13 points and Chase Mullenix had 12 for the Trojans. Atlantic improves to 5-9 on the season overall.

Clarinda was led by 15 points from Connor Brown who hit 3 three-pointers in the first half. The Cardinals fall to 6-9 on the year.

The Atlantic girls basketball team was able to hit free throws in a foul-riddled game to pick up their second win of the season over Clarinda 63-52 on Thursday night. The Trojans got their first official Hawkeye Ten Conference win with the help of 22-31 shooting from the free throw line, including 14-19 in the second half. The game didn’t have much of a flow with 58 total fouls called and 65 free throws shot between the two teams. After the game Atlantic Head Coach Dan Vargason said he was proud of the way the girls handled the game.

Coach Vargason also liked the team’s response to a close loss on Tuesday to Kuemper Catholic.

Atlantic had three players finish in double-figures led by 16 points from Alyssa Ginther. Baylee Newell finished with 15 and McKenzie Waters had 12. Ginther helped build the Atlantic lead early, coming off the bench to hit three first-quarter three pointers. Atlantic improves to 2-13 with the win and are now 1-7 in Hawkeye Ten Conference play.

Clarinda got 23 points from senior Taylor Wedemeyer; she had 14 of those points from the foul line. Darah Gray finished with 13 for the Cardinals. Clarinda falls to 1-14 overall and 0-8 in Hawkeye Ten play.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A 93-year-old World War II veteran has finally been given a medal he won at the 1944 Drake Relays track meet. The Des Moines Register reports that Ted Williams, of Altoona, had finished second in the discus among high school boys while competing for Knoxville High School. But because of wartime metal rationing, he was given only a certificate that could be redeemed for a medal after the war. Less than two months later Williams joined the Marines and eventually served in the Pacific theater. After the war he married and became a history teacher and coach.

The certificate remained stuffed away in his home until his birthday Thursday, when he received a medal from Drake University in a surprise ceremony staged by his friends in a coffee group. He was grateful for the acknowledgment of his accomplishment, saying, “This is a very, very important thing to me.”

Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Megan Gustafson had 21 points and 16 rebounds for her 16th double-double and added six assists to lead No. 22 Iowa to a 75-62 win over Michigan. Eight players scored in the third quarter when the Hawkeyes made 10 of 16 shots, including two 3-pointers, to stretch a 32-29 lead to 54-38.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz says defensive line and tight end are the team’s biggest concerns heading into the offseason. The Hawkeyes finished 9-4 and ranked 25th after beating Mississippi State in the Outback Bowl. They watched a program-high four players leave early for the NFL. Tight end was by far the hardest hit, with redshirt sophomore T.J. Hockenson and junior Noah Fant both projected to be high picks after declaring themselves eligible for the draft.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Cassius Winston scored a career-high 29 points, Nick Ward added 15 and sixth-ranked Michigan State pulled away from Nebraska late for 70-64 win. Michigan State relied on tough defense to extend its school-record Big Ten winning streak to 19 games. The Cornhuskers had their school-record 20-game home win streak end.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Joe Montana was the quarterback the previous time the Kansas City Chiefs reached the AFC title game. Len Dawson was under center the previous time they played in the Super Bowl. For one of the NFL’s proudest franchises, the wait to reach this weekend has been a long one, and the chance to hoist the Lamar Hunt Trophy _ named after the Chiefs’ founder _ has the city on the edge of its collective seat.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — The Patriots were unbeatable at home this season, going 8-0 during the regular season and rolling past the Chargers in the divisional round. Playing outside of Massachusetts has provided different outcomes. Brady is 8-4 all-time in AFC championship game with a 6-1 record at home. But he’s just 2-3 on the road, with both wins coming at Pittsburgh during 2001 and 2004 seasons. The Patriots will also have to deal with what could be the coldest temperature for a game in Arrowhead Stadium history.

Glenwood, Clarinda @ Atlantic/CAM

Atlantic/CAM 57, Glenwood 23
Atlantic/CAM 63, Clarinda 18
Glenwood 48, Clarinda 24

AHSTW, Harlan, Kuemper Catholic @ Red Oak

Harlan 51, Red Oak 23
Harlan 54, Kuemper Catholic 22
Harlan 54, AHSTW 9
AHSTW 42, Kuemper Catholic 36
AHSTW 42, Red Oak 39
Kuemper Catholic 40, Red Oak 29

Shenandoah, Creston/O-M, Riverside @ Denison-Schleswig

Creston/O-M 72, Denison-Schleswig 12
Creston/O-M 57, Riverside 18
Creston/O-M 74, Shenandoah 3
Riverside 63, Denison-Schleswig 10
Riverside 60, Shenandoah 18
Denison-Schleswig 36, Shenandoah 24

Treynor, Underwood, Woodbine @ St. Albert

Underwood 72, St. Albert 6
Underwood 71, Woodbine 6
Underwood 58, Treynor 18
Treynor 76, St. Albert 4
Treynor 66, Woodbine 15
Woodbine 42, St. Albert 22

Coon Rapids-Bayard, Perry @ Carlisle

Carlisle 78, Coon Rapids-Bayard 6
Perry 60, Coon Rapids-Bayard 18

Sioux City North @ Lewis Central

Lewis Central 46, Sioux City North 36

Southeast Warren, Panorama, Van Meter @ Interstate 35, Truro

Interstate 35, Truro 51, Southeast Warren 25
Panorama 36, Southeast Warren 30
Van Meter/Earlham 56, Southeast Warren 15

BOYS BASKETBALL

Hawkeye Ten Conference

Atlantic 62, Clarinda 49
Harlan 74, Red Oak 58
Bedford 60, Shenandoah 53

Western Iowa Conference

AHSTW 50, Logan-Mangolia 49
Audubon 77, Riverside 44
IKM-Manning 56, Missouri Valley 21
Underwood 41, Boyer Valley 27

Rolling Valley Conference

Ar-We-Va 64, CAM 51
Exira/Elk Horn-Kimballton 70, West Harrison 33
Paton-Churdan 51, Glidden-Ralston 39
Woodward-Granger 49, Coon Rapids-Bayard 35

Corner Conference

Heartland Christian 52, Essex 40

Corner Conference Tournament

Championship: Stanton 66, East Mills 47
Third Place: Sidney 46, Fremont Mills 41

Pride of Iowa Conference

Nodaway Valley 64, Central Decatur 50
Mount Ayr 54, Martensdale-St. Marys 43
Southwest Valley 62, East Union 51

Other Scores

Ballard 63, ADM 61, 2OT
Council Bluffs, Abraham Lincoln 65, Council Bluffs, Thomas Jefferson 40
Earlham 47, Lenox 37
East Sac County 54, MVAO-CO-U 33
Twin Cedars 66, Orient-Macksburg 64, OT

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Hawkeye Ten Conference

Atlantic 63, Clarinda 52
Red Oak 49, Harlan 46

Western Iowa Conference

Audubon 71, Riverside 40
IKM-Manning 72, Missouri Valley 26
Logan-Magnolia 46, A-H-S-T-W 42
Underwood 45, Boyer Valley 43

Rolling Valley Conference

CAM 58, Ar-We-Va 55
Glidden-Ralston 47, Paton-Churdan 35
Exira-EHK 81, West Harrison 45
Woodward-Granger 40, Coon Rapids-Bayard 36

Corner Conference

Heartland Christian 63, Essex 56

Corner Conference Tournament

Championship: Sidney 58, Fremont Mills 28
Third Place: Griswold 43, Stanton 40

Pride of Iowa Conference

Central Decatur 68, Nodaway Valley 43
Martensdale-St. Marys 55, Mount Ayr 53
Southwest Valley 69, East Union 30

Other Scores

Ballard 47, ADM 32
Council Bluffs, Abraham Lincoln 38, Council Bluffs, Thomas Jefferson 32
Earlham 47, Lenox 37
East Sac County 65, MVAO-CO-U 41
Panorama 68, AC/GC 27
West Central Valley 49, Saydel 29
West Monona 84, Whiting 16

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Megan Gustafson had 21 points and 16 rebounds for her 16th double-double and added six assists to lead No. 22 Iowa to a 75-62 win over Michigan on Thursday night.

Eight players scored in the third quarter when the Hawkeyes made 10 of 16 shots, including two 3-pointers, to stretch a 32-29 lead to 54-38. The Wolverines went 4 of 12 and never got the deficit below double figures in the fourth quarter despite making 11 of 17 shots.

Hannah Stewart had 16 points for the Hawkeyes (13-4, 4-2 Big Ten Conference), who improved to 8-0 at home. Tania Davis and Kathleen Doyle both added 10. Davis also had six assists and Iowa had 25 helpers on 34 baskets.

Naz Hillmon had 16 points and Hallie Thome 15 for Michigan (11-7, 2-4). Despite the hot fourth quarter, the Wolverines shot 33 percent for the second half and 42 percent for the game. They went 1 of 15 from 3-point range.

The teams only had a combined 17 free throws and 16 turnovers.