March 5, 2026 4:32 am
The New England Patriots have informed wide receiver Stefon Diggs that he’ll be released when the new league year begins next week, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team hasn’t announced its intention. Diggs posted a goodbye on social media, thanking the Patriots for the season. Diggs led the team with 85 receptions and 1,013 yards receiving with four touchdowns in his only season in New England, helping the Patriots reach the Super Bowl.
March 4, 2026 4:31 am
BOSTON (AP) — Marat Khusnutdinov and Casey Mittelstadt scored less than a minute apart early in the first period and the Boston Bruins held on for a 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Pittsburgh’s Erik Karlsson scored just 42 seconds into the game, but Khusnutdinov tied it at 1-1 when he snapped the puck high inside the far post past Penguins goalie Stuart Skinner at 5:10 of the first. Mittelstadt scored 50 seconds later when gathered in the rebound of Nikita Zadorov’s shot and fired past a diving Skinner. Skinner had 26 saves. Boston’s Jeremy Swayman made 34 saves.
March 4, 2026 4:32 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh has fired women’s basketball coach Tory Verdi. Panthers athletic director Allen Greene announced the decision after the Panthers missed the ACC tournament following an 8-23 record, including a 1-17 mark in conference play. The move came weeks after former Pitt players filed a lawsuit against Verdi and the university, alleging they were subject to Verdi’s abusive coaching practices and the school did nothing to stop him. The university has denied the allegations. Verdi went 29-66 in three seasons with the Panthers.
March 4, 2026 4:34 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar has been suspended for the 2026 season by Major League Baseball following his second positive test for a performance-enhancing drug. Profar tested positive for exogenous testosterone and its metabolites, the commissioner’s office said, which means testosterone that was not produced by his body. Because it was a second offense, the length of Profar’s suspension was 162 games. An All-Star in 2024, Profar was suspended for 80 games last March 31 following a positive test for Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG), a hormone that helps production of testosterone. He issued a statement then saying: “I would never willingly take a banned substance.”
March 2, 2026 2:46 am
The PIAA released the state basketball playoff brackets early Sunday afternoon, including the sites/times for the eight teams from Washington & Greene Counties still playing. WPIAL 6A girls champion Canon-McMillan is the only local team to host a first-round game. The Big Macs will entertain District 3-8th Gov. Mifflin Friday with a 6 pm tip-off. Chartiers-Houston, Fort Cherry and Burgettstown girls, along with the Ringgold boys all open PIAA play Friday on the road. Peters Township and Trinity girls, plus the Jeff-Morgan boys, all begin the state playoffs on the road Saturday afternoon. PIAA Brackets
Friday, Mar. 6 (District – finish)
6A Girls 3-8 Gov. Mifflin at 7-1 Canon-McMillan, 5:45 pm, WJPA.com Watch/Listen Here
2A Girls 7-3 Chartiers-Houston at 9-2 Kane, 5:45 pm, WJPA.com Watch/Listen Here
2A Girls 7-6 Fort Cherry at 10-1 Wilmington, 7 pm
2A Girls 7-7 Burgettstown at WPIAL champion Neshannock, 7 pm
5A Boys 7-8 Ringgold at Dist. 3 champion West York, 6 pm
Saturday, Mar. 7
5A Girls 7-4 Peters Township at 3-3 Susquehannock, 12:45 pm, WJPA.com, Watch/Listen Here
5A Girls 7-7 Trinity at Dist. 6 champion Hollidaysburg, 12:45 pm, WJPA.com, Watch/Listen Here
2A Boys 7-6 Jeff-Morgan at Dist. 9 champion Redbank Valley, 1 pm
March 3, 2026 4:34 am
The Boston Bruins will try to keep their 10-game home win streak intact when they play the Pittsburgh Penguins. Boston has a 33-21-5 record overall and a 22-8-1 record in home games. The Bruins have given up 184 goals while scoring 198 for a +14 scoring differential. Pittsburgh has gone 16-7-6 on the road and 31-15-13 overall. The Penguins have a 7-6-5 record in games decided by a goal. The matchup Tuesday is the second meeting between these teams this season. The Bruins won 1-0 in the previous meeting.
March 3, 2026 4:30 am
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Duke star freshman Cameron Boozer had a pair of long, thick and inflamed scatches wrapped around his right shoulder after a lopsided win at N.C. State. The victory secured the outright Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title for the Blue Devils. Boozer finished with 26 points in the 93-64 win. He joked that “the Wolfpack got me” afterward with “long claws.” Boozer says the scratches came from one of the Wolfpack’s big men after halftime.
March 3, 2026 4:29 am
Iran’s World Cup place in US put in doubt by Middle East war. FIFA has Iraq next in linGENEVA (AP) — Iran’s place at the men’s soccer World Cup in three months has been put in doubt amid an escalating Middle East conflict sparked by tournament co-host the United States. Iran is due to play three group-stage games in the U.S. from June 15-26. Two are in Inglewood, California and one in Seattle. It is unclear if the state-backed Iranian soccer federation could refuse to send its team to the 48-nation tournament that Canada and Mexico will co-host. Or if the U.S. government could effectively block the team. If Iran doesn’t play, Iraq is next in line from Asia.
March 2, 2026 4:28 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Bryan Rust, Ben Kindel and Justin Brazeau each had a goal and an assist, helping the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Vegas Golden Knights 5-0. Rickard Rakell and Egor Chinakhov also scored as Pittsburgh improved to 10-1-3 in its last 14 games. Erik Karlsson had two assists, and Arturs Silovs made 22 saves in his first shutout since opening night on Oct. 7 at the New York Rangers. Vegas goaltender Adin Hill stopped 17 shots. The Golden Knights dropped to 4-7-2 in their last 13 games. Vegas captain Mark Stone left late in the first period with an undisclosed injury.
March 2, 2026 4:29 am
JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — Top prospect Konnor Griffin has homered for the third time this spring in the first inning of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ matchup with the St. Louis Cardinals. The 19-year-old Griffin is ranked as MLB Pipeline’s No. 1 prospect. He started at shortstop for the Pirates and hit a two-run shot off Kyle Leahy to give Pittsburgh a 2-0 lead. Griffin went deep twice against the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday. The Pirates drafted Griffin in the first round in 2024. He reached Double-A last year, where he hit .337 with a .960 OPS in 21 games for Altoona.
