Basketball Monday/Tuesday, Feb. 3-4

February 4, 2025 12:01 am

Bentworth, Beth-Center, Charleroi and McGuffey boys teams clinched WPIAL playoff spots with wins Tuesday night. Avella, Carmichaels, Trinity and Wash High boys teams playoff hopes ended with losses.  All boys playoff races in Washington/Greene Counties are now settled. Avella, Carmichaels and Wash High girls are still alive for post-season invitations. Chartiers-Houston boys and Peters Township girls claim outright section titles Tuesday night.

Playoff chase:
Girls clinched–Canon-McMillan (6A), Peters Township (5A), McGuffey (3A), Bentworth (2A), Beth-Center (2A), Burgettstown (2A), California (2A), Chartiers-Houston (2A), Fort Cherry (2A), West Greene (1A)
Girls eliminated: Trinity (5A), Ringgold (4A), Charleroi (3A), Waynesburg (3A), Jeff-Morgan (2A), Mapletown (1A)
Boys clinched–Peters Township (5A), Charleroi (3A), McGuffey (3A), Waynesburg (3A), Bentworth (2A), Beth-Center (2A), Chartiers-Houston (2A), Fort Cherry (2A), Jeff-Morgan (2A), West Greene (2A)
Boys eliminated: Canon-McMillan (6A), Ringgold (5A), Trinity (5A), Wash High (3A), Burgettstown (2A), California (2A), Carmichaels (2A), Mapletown (2A), Avella (1A)

Tuesday, Feb. 3, Girls
6A Norwin 32, Canon-McMillan 30
5A Peters Township 63, Uniontown 19–Indians win outright section title

Boys
6A Norwin 55, Canon-McMillan 51
5A Peters Township77, Ringgold 45
5A South Fayette 53, Trinity 34–Hillers eliminated from playoff race
3A McGuffey 63, Sto-Rox 42–Highlanders clinch playoff berth
3A Carlynton 61, Wash High 48–Little Prexies eliminated
3A Charleroi 54, Brownsville 29–Cougars clinch playoff berth
3A Ligonier Valley 47, Waynesburg 39
2A Bentworth 74, California 57–Bearcats clinch playoff berth
2A Beth-Center 50, Burgettstown 40–Bulldogs clinch playoff berth
2A Fort Cherry 62, West Greene 61
2A Chartiers-Houston 79, Mapletown 18–Bucs win outright section title
2A Jeff-Morgan 51, Carmichaels 28–Mikes eliminated
1A Aquinas Academy 82, Avella 57–Eagles eliminated

Monday, Feb. 3, Girls
5A Peters Township 58, Thomas Jefferson 49–Peters clinches share of section title
5A Trinity 61, Albert Gallatin 36
4A Laurel Highland 73, Ringgold 25
3A Brownsville 59, Charleroi 24
3A McGuffey 48, Wash High 40
3A Keystone Oaks 54, Waynesburg 24–Waynesburg eliminated from playoff race
2A Brentwood 41, Burgettstown 30–despite loss, Burgettstown clinches playoff spot
2A Fort Cherry 74, Northgate 12–Fort Cherry clinches share of section title
2A Beth-Center 45, Bentworth 28–despite loss, Bentworth clinches playoff spot
2A California 54, Jeff-Morgan 26
2A Chartiers-Houston 59, Carmichaels 20–CHHS clinches share of section title
1A Avella 45, Bishop Canevin 39
1A West Greene 67, Serra Catholic 61 OT
1A Clairton 74, Mapletown 24

Boys
5A Thomas Jefferson 73, Ringgold 59
2A Springdale 80, California 54

PIAA Team Wrestling Begins

February 4, 2025 8:40 am

A revamped PIAA Wrestling Team Tournament began Tuesday night at 14 sites across the state. McGuffey, the WPIAL 2A third-place finisher, lost to District 10 runner-up Corry and is eliminated. Quaker Valley also lost in the 2A preliminaries. Burrell won its first-round match while WPIAL runner-up Derry Area lost in the first round and was eliminated. In the 3A bracket, Norwin blanked Obama Academy, then lost to WPIAL champion Franklin Regional. Connellsville won its first-round match.  Click for PIAA Team tournament info.

Tuesday, Feb. 4
Corry 41, McGuffey 24

Chiefs & Eagles Handle Super Bowl Opening Night

February 4, 2025 4:26 am

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Patrick Mahomes treated Super Bowl opening night like a two-minute drill, providing rapid-fire answers to one question after another. Travis Kelce passed on an inquiry about popping the question to Taylor Swift. Been here, done that. That’s how the Kansas City Chiefs handled the annual extravaganza that kicks off Super Bowl week. The Philadelphia Eagles were here two years ago so they weren’t fazed by the silliness either, though their most dynamic player is new to the wild experience that could overwhelm teams that aren’t used to the circus atmosphere. Saquon Barkley got his first taste of this made-for-television spectacle. Nick Sirianni received letters, and a kiss from Chad Johnson. Jalen Hurts even cracked a smile or two.

Browns Star Myles Garrett Requests To Be Traded

February 4, 2025 4:28 am

CLEVELAND (AP) — Star defensive end Myles Garrett has requested a trade from the Cleveland Browns with the hope of better positioning himself to play in a Super Bowl. That’s according to a statement he sent to media outlets. The Browns finished last in the AFC North with a 3-14 record and general manager Andrew Berry said last week that he would not trade Garrett. Garrett is under contract with the Browns for two more seasons under a five-year, $125 million extension he signed in 2020.

Umpire Fired For Sharing Sport Gambling Accounts

February 4, 2025 4:29 am

NEW YORK (AP) — Umpire Pat Hoberg was fired by Major League Baseball for sharing his legal sports gambling accounts with a friend who bet on baseball games and for intentionally deleting electronic messages pertinent to the league’s investigation. MLB opened the investigation last February when it was brought to its attention by the sportsbook, and Hoberg did not umpire last season. While MLB said the investigation did not uncover evidence Hoberg personally bet on baseball or manipulated games, MLB senior vice president of on-field operations Michael Hill recommended on May 24 that Hoberg be fired. Commissioner Rob Manfred said Monday he upheld Hill’s decision. Among the highest-rated umpires at judging the strike zone, Hoberg can apply for reinstatement no earlier than 2026 spring training.

Eagles & Chiefs Arrive In New Orleans

February 3, 2025 4:38 am

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs have landed in New Orleans for Super Bowl week. They exited their planes in sunshine and temperatures in the 60s on Sunday afternoon, a week before their matchup on Feb. 9. Players and staff made their way down moveable staircases from their planes to buses awaiting them on the tarmac without much fanfare. Then they quickly rolled off in convoys bound for for their downtown hotels. Most Eagles players and staff wore black sweatsuits with a “Super Bowl LIX” logo across the chest.

Rory McIlroy Overpowers Pebble Beach

February 3, 2025 4:39 am

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (AP) — Rory McIlroy brought some life to a sleepy start to the PGA Tour season. Combine his appeal with the glorious views of Pebble Beach, and he delivered a command performance. McIlroy won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am by two shots with a 66. He pulled away from a pack of contenders with two birdies early on the back nine. And then he effectively sealed it by smashing a drive and hitting 7-iron to 25 feet for eagle on the par-5 14th. McIlroy won for the 27th time on the PGA Tour. Shane Lowry birdied the 18th to finish second.

Sidney Crosby Scores In 4th Straight Game

February 2, 2025 6:25 am

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Sidney Crosby scored in his fourth straight game, Alex Nedeljkovic made 25 saves for his first shutout of the season and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Nashville Predators 3-0 on Saturday night. Crosby, the captain of Canada in the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off, added an assist for his 484th multi-point game. Only six players in NHL history have more multi-point games. Nedeljkovic had his ninth NHL shutout. Bryan Rust scored an empty-net goal for his sixth 20-goal season, and Philip Tomasino scored against his former team. Pittsburgh acquired Tomasino in a trade with Nashville on Nov. 25. Erik Karlsson, an alternate captain for Sweden, had two assists. He reached 30 assists for the 12th time in his career, most among active defensemen.

QB Russell Wilson Sidesteps Raiders Rumors

February 2, 2025 6:27 am

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Russell Wilson doesn’t want to talk about the Las Vegas Raiders. The 36-year-old quarterback is focused on returning to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Wilson, who was added to the Pro Bowl Games as an alternate when Buffalo’s Josh Allen pulled out this week, is a pending free agent after spending one year in Pittsburgh. He says, “I’ve got a lot more ball left in me.” Wilson sidestepped several questions about potentially reuniting with former Seattle coach Pete Carroll in Las Vegas. The Raiders hired the 73-year-old Carroll last month, and speculation quickly followed that Wilson might join him in Vegas. But Wilson insists Pittsburgh is his No. 1 destination.

Wrestling Team Tourney Semis/Finals

February 2, 2025 12:01 am

The 2025 WPIAL Wrestling Team Tournaments are in the books. McGuffey split its two matches Saturday, losing to Derry Area in the semifinals before beating Quaker Valley to take third place. The Highlanders will face District 10 runner-up Corry Area in the PIAA preliminary round. That winner will take on host Bishop McCort, the District 6 champion.

In the 3A bracket, Thomas Jefferson made its first-ever Final Four appearance but dropped both decisions, losing to eventual champion Franklin Regional in the semifinals, then to Norwin in the third-place match. Only the top three 3A teams qualify for the PIAA tournament. Click for WPIAL Brackets  Click for PIAA Team tournament info.

Saturday, Feb. 1 at AHN Arena, Peters Township
Class 2A Semifinals 
#2 Derry Area > #3 McGuffey, 46-21
#1 Burrell > #4 Quaker Valley, 55-13

Class 2A Championship/Third-Place
Championship: Burrell > Derry Area, 33-27
Third-Place: McGuffey > Quaker Valley, 44-21

Class 3A Semifinals
#2 Franklin Regional > #3 Thomas Jefferson, 37-36
#1 Connellsville > #5 Norwin, 40-18

Class 3A Championship/Third-Place 
Championship: Franklin Regional > Connellsville, 33-25
Third-Place: Norwin > Thomas Jefferson, 36-30