WJPA Sports

Beth-Center, California, Fort Cherry, Trinity and Wash High all won opening-round football playoff games Friday night, advancing to the WPIAL quarterfinals. Trinity led 6-0 at the half, then added a pair of touchdowns after intermission to earn a shot at #1 Pine-Richland next week. Wash High scored early and often at home and set up a meeting with Beth-Center, the Bulldogs coming in off a blowout of Burgettstown. Fort Cherry rolled into the quarterfinals where the Rangers will play Laurel for the third time in less than a year. California trailed 7-0 at the half before scoring touchdowns in the third and fourth quarters to advance in the 1A bracket against Clairton. McGuffey led 7-0 at intermission but Beaver Falls scored four time after the break, ending the Highlanders’ season. Chartiers-Houston lost at Western Beaver bringing the Bucs’ season to a close. Waynesburg fell behind Aliquippa early and never recovered. Friday’s winners advance to play next weekend, along with Canon-McMillan who had the night off, preparing to host North Allegheny next Friday night in the WPIAL 6A semifinals. Click for WPIAL brackets

WPIAL First Round Scores
1A #8 Beth-Center 34, #9 Burgettstown 8,  Watch/Listen Here
1A #1 Wash High 58, Frazier 8, Watch/Listen Here
1A #4 Fort Cherry 50, #13 Avella 6, (Watch/Listen Here
1A #6 California 16, #11 Northgate 7
2A #9 Beaver Falls 28, #8 McGuffey 7, Watch/Listen Here
2A #5 Western Beaver 44, #12 Chartiers-Houston 22
3A #7 Aliquippa 52, #10 Waynesburg 14
5A #8 Trinity 21, #9 Latrobe 0

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Myles Garrett is expected to return to the field for the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday at Washington after missing the past seven games with a knee injury. Coach Sean McVay announced Garrett’s likely availability before the last practice of the week. The Rams acquired the two-time AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year in a trade over the summer, but he has played in just one game for his new team. That was the Rams’ season-opening blowout loss to the 49ers in Australia. Garrett was ineffective in that game and revealed afterward that he was limited by the knee injury.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The NFL has told disgruntled receiver Brandon Aiyuk that he needs to repay the San Francisco 49ers about $13 million he previously received in bonuses as he tries to get reinstated to the team’s roster. A person with knowledge of the situation says the league sent Aiyuk and the NFL Players Association a letter Thursday saying that he owes the 49ers the money based on bonuses he was paid after signing a four-year, $120 million extension before the start of the 2024 season. Aiyuk and new agent, Drew Rosenhaus, met with the team Friday at the Niners’ business offices.

BOSTON (AP) — Braylon Mullins scored 23 points and connected on 10 of 11 free throws to help No. 4 UConn beat No. 16 Michigan 85-77 in a rematch of last season’s NCAA championship game. Silas Demary Jr. finished with 21 points and seven rebounds. Colben Landrew added 14 points and eight rebounds off the bench for the Huskies at TD Garden, home to the Boston Celtics. In last season’s title game, the Wolverines held off UConn 69-63 despite making only two 3-pointers. This time, Michigan again struggled from beyond the arc, going 7 of 28 against a Huskies team that led by 18 in the first half. Trey McKenney led the Wolverines with 22 points.