March 5, 2025 4:32 am
Saquon Barkley will become the highest-paid running back in NFL history after his record-setting season helped the Philadelphia Eagles win the Super Bowl. The Eagles are giving Barkley a two-year contract extension worth $41.2 million with $36 million guaranteed, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Tuesday. The person, speaking on condition of anonymity because the extension hasn’t been announced, said Barkley’s new deal includes $15 million in incentives. Barkley ran for 2,504 yards in the regular season and playoffs, breaking Terrell Davis’ record for most yards rushing in one season.
March 5, 2025 4:34 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James has become the first player in NBA history to score 50,000 combined points in the regular season and postseason. He needed just one point during the Los Angeles Lakers’ game against the New Orleans Pelicans. The 40-year-old James is already the top scorer in NBA history in both the regular season and the playoffs during a career in which he has rewritten all previous definitions of basketball longevity. He is on the verge of 50,000 combined points deep into his 22nd season. That’s tied with Vince Carter for the most seasons in the league by any NBA player.
March 4, 2025 2:13 am
The PIAA Basketball playoff brackets were released Sunday afternoon. Those 12 brackets include six Washington County teams. Chartiers-Houston and Peters Township are sending both boys and girls into the state tournaments. They’ll be joined by girls teams from Canon-McMillan and Fort Cherry. Action is slated to start Friday/Saturday with the finals set for the Giant Center, March 27-29. Click for PIAA Brackets
First Round
Friday, March 7
6:00 pm 5A Boys Spring Grove at Peters Township
7:00 pm 6A Girls Canon-McMillan at Allderdice
7:00 pm 2A Girls Chartiers-Houston at Aliquippa
7:00 pm 2A Girls Fort Cherry at Kennedy Catholic
Saturday, March 8
1:00 pm 5A Girls Conrad Weiser at Peters Township
1:00 pm 2A Boys Chartiers-Houston at Lakeview
March 4, 2025 4:34 am
CINCINNATI (AP) — The Cincinnati Bengals have placed the franchise tag on Tee Higgins for a second time, as the team hopes to work out a long-term deal with the star wide receiver. If the Bengals can’t reach a contract with the 26-year-old Higgins before July 15, his salary for the 2025 season would be $26.2 million. Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin reiterated last week at the NFL scouting combine that one of his top priorities is to get a deal done with Higgins. Higgins is the second player to receive a franchise tag, joining Kansas City guard Trey Smith. Teams have until Tuesday at 4 p.m. EST to tag players.
March 4, 2025 4:35 am
Jimmy Johnson has announced his retirement from Fox Sports after being part of its NFL coverage for most of the network’s 31 years. The 81-year-old Johnson made the announcement during an appearance on “The Herd With Colin Cowherd.” He said he had been thinking about retiring for four or five years. He said he would miss the people he’s worked with and called it a great run. Johnson worked alongside hosts Curt Menefee and Terry Bradshaw and analysts Howie Long and Michael Strahan. As a coach, he won consecutive Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys and the college football national championship with Miami in 1987.
March 3, 2025 4:33 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — William Nylander scored 1:00 into overtime, and the Toronto Maple Leafs beat Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-5. Nylander, Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies each had a goal and an assist as Toronto earned its fifth consecutive win. John Tavares, Max Domi and Conor Timmins also scored. It was Nylander’s 35th goal of the season and No. 252 for his career, passing Bob Pulford for 10th on the franchise list. Crosby had a goal and two assists for the Penguins. He passed Bobby Hull for 18th on the NHL’s career goals list and Gordie Howe for 10th on the league’s assists list. Crosby has 611 goals and 1,050 assists.
March 3, 2025 4:35 am
Pittsburgh freshman cornerback Mason Alexander has died in a car crash in Indiana. According to the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, the 18-year-old Alexander was a passenger in a vehicle that swerved off the road Saturday and struck a tree in Fishers, a northeastern suburb of Indianapolis. The car burst into flames upon impact. Alexander was pronounced dead at the scene. Alexander was a star at Hamilton Southeastern High School in Fishers. He signed with the Panthers in December and enrolled at Pitt in January. Panthers coach Pat Narduzzi said the team is “shocked” and that Alexander will always remain a Panther in the eyes of the program.
March 2, 2025 12:07 pm
Saturday, western Pennsylvania wrestlers either earned invitations to the PIAA Wrestling Championships or their seasons came to an end. Multi-district individual regional tournaments were held at Altoona (Southwest 2A boys), Canon-McMillan (West 3A boys) and North Allegheny (West girls) along with 9 other sites across the state. The top seven finishers at Altoona, five at Canon-McMillan and four at North Allegheny earned advancement to the state tournaments at the Giant Center in Hershey. That action begins Thursday. Click on each tournament for medal-bout results.
PIAA 2A Boys Southwest Regional (Altoona)–Braedon Welsh (Fort Cherry) is the only regional champion among the 12 Washington/Greene County wrestlers heading to the PIAA championships out of the SW AA Regional. McGuffey has four qualifiers, Bentworth and Burgettstown two apiece with Beth-Center, Fort Cherry, Wash High and West Greene one each.
PIAA 3A Boys West Regional (Canon-McMillan)–Nicholas McGarrity (Peters Township) was the lone champion from the two-county area. In fact, he was the only local finalist. Canon-McMillan, Peters Township and Trinity have two qualifiers to the state tournament, Ringgold and Waynesburg have one each.
PIAA Girls West Regional (North Allegheny)–Marlee Solomon and Natalie Rush claimed regional titles for Canon-McMillan. The Big Macs’ duo will be joined by four other CM wrestlers in the state tournament, more than half the two-county’s contingent. Abigail Dolanch (Avella) and Elaina Ashby (Trinity) also won regional titles. Trinity has two qualifiers, Fort Cherry and Peters Township one each.
March 1, 2025 12:26 pm
PIAA 3A Boys West Regional Individual Championships at Canon-McMillan
(top 5 qualify for PIAA Championships)
Championships
107 Nicholas McGarrity (Peters Township) DEC Andrew Alexander (Mifflin County), 9-8
114 Nico Kapusta (Hempfield Area) DEC Mateo Gallegos (DuBois), 6-5
121 Braiden Weaver (Altoona) DEC Leo Joseph (Greater Latrobe), 10-8
127 Santino Sloboda (Butler Area) MAJ DEC Dalton Wenner (Cranberry), 10-0
133 Nico Fanella (Indiana) DEC Luke Willochell (Greater Latrobe), 6-4
139 Kai Vielma (Connellsville) DEC Dominic Ferraro (Pine Richland), 9-4
145 Dalton Perry (Central Mountain) DEC Ramil Islamov (Baldwin), 7-6
152 Maddox Shaw (Thomas Jefferson) MAJ DEC James Whitbred (State College), 15-4
160 Luke Sipes (Altoona) DEC Lonzy Vielma (Connellsville), 8-1
172 Asher Cunningham (State College) TECH FALL Bode Marlow (Thomas Jefferson), 18-0 6:00
189 Kendahl Hoare (DuBois) DEC Avery Aurand (Mifflin County), 5-2 SV
215 Elijah Brown (Belle Vernon) DEC Cooper Roscosky (Kiski Area), 1-0
285 Shepherd Turk (Thomas Jefferson) FALL Peyton Kearns (Mifflin County), 2:45
Third Place
107 Tommy Gretz (Connellsville) DEC Michael Johnson (West Allegheny), 5-0
114 Dylan Barrett (Penn Trafford) DEC Zachary Franks (Connellsville), 4-1
121 Nolan Rice (Connellsville) DEC Luke DeSantis (Penn Trafford), 3-0 SV
127 Dom Canali (Trinity) DEC Deklan Barr (Altoona), 7-0
133 Collier Hartman (Canon-McMillan) TECH FALL Cael Yanek (Moon Area), 19-3 5:00
139 Talan Mizenko (South Fayette) DEC Gavin Ciampoli (Altoona), 2-1 TB2
145 Ethan Higgins (Bethel Park) DEC Max Firestine (Franklin Regional), 4-1 SV
152 Evan Petrovich (Connellsville) MAJ DEC Darius McMillon (Peters Township), 12-1
160 Brayden White (Thomas Jefferson) DEC Rook Smith (Montour), 2-0
172 Mario Hutcherson (Kiski Area) TECH FALL MacLane Miller (Pine Richland), 17-2 0:54
189 Mark Gray (Kiski Area) MAJ DEC Hunter Snyder (Greater Latrobe), 12-4
215 Roman Thompson (Pitts. Central Catholic) FALL Jake Conroy (Ringgold), 2:37
285 Philup Rearick (Armstrong) FALL Bradyn McConneha (North Allegheny), 1:39
Fifth Place
107 Zach Rehak (Thomas Jefferson) DEC Bryce Thomas (Moon Area), 10-4
114 Titus Colangelo (Franklin Regional) FALL Kael Davis (State College), 2:42
121 Michael Worsen (Fox Chapel) FORFEIT Ben Fuller (Meadville)
127 Aiden Kunes (Central Mountain) DEC Wyatt Long (Bellefonte), 5-0
133 Nicholas Berrena (State College) DEF Gus Stedeford (North Allegheny), 7-1 2:30
139 TJ Allison (Trinity) DEC Kamden Everly (Mifflin County), 4-1
145 Kase Chopp (Butler Area) TECH FALL Andrew Gall (Bellefonte), 22-3 3:18
152 Ezra Swisher (Bellefonte) DEC Luke Dunlap (South Fayette), 7-0
160 Liam Costa (Moon Area) DEC Noah Weaver (Bellefonte), 11-7
172 Kaleb Kinzey (Armstrong) DEC Jackson Long (Bellefonte), 1-0
189 Jacob Stephenson (Waynesburg) DEC Bryce Brungard (Central Mountain), 4-1
215 Brayden Collins (Canon-McMillan) DEC Carter Wilson (DuBois), 2-1
285 Cam Danna (West Allegheny) DEC D’Angelo Hamilton (Fox Chapel), 2-1
March 1, 2025 12:25 pm
PIAA Girls West Regional Individual Championships at North Allegheny
(top 4 qualify for PIAA Championships)
Championships
100 Kristen Walzer (Montour) DEC Lily Young (Sharpsville), 5-4
106 Finley Fourspring (Corry) FALL Ashley Campbell (General McLane), 0:00
112 Marlee Solomon (Canon-McMillan) TECH FALL Trinity Moore (Connellsville), 17-1 3:38
118 Braylee Ireland (Knoch) DEC Paige Jox (Mt. Lebanon), 3-1 TB2
124 Emmaleah Cunningham (Beaver) DEC Anna Duncan (South Park), 6-4
130 Haley Smarsh (Moon Area) FALL Chloe Zacherl (McDowell), 3:43
136 Ava Golding (Kiski Area) DEC Janayah Nobles (Connellsville), 5-1
142 Abigail Dolanch (Avella) DEC Alyssa Tresco (Kiski Area), 8-3
148 Elaina Ashby (Trinity) FALL Evangeline Gray (Canon-McMillan), 1:14
155 Cydney Rea (Northwestern) FALL Whisper Abercrombie (General McLane), 5:02
170 Davaya Truman (Erie) DEC Octavia Walker (Norwin), 14-10
190 Natalie Rush (Canon-McMillan) TECH FALL Alaina Claassen (Plum), 16-1 5:48
235 Zoey Murphy (Southmoreland) FALL Bella White (Sharpsville), 3:04
Third Place
100 Blythe Letters (Shaler Area) MAJ DEC Ella Clark (General McLane), 10-0
106 Ella Trahan (Fort Cherry) DEC Malia Ramos (Canon-McMillan), 5-3
112 Daylee Watson (Conneaut) DEC Tamara Humphries (Brashear), 11-8
118 Yuni Ayala (Canon-McMillan) DEC Ella McGuire (Fort LeBoeuf), 3-1
124 Aariona Strader (Pine Richland) MAJ DEC Leah Sample (Saegertown), 10-1
130 Saphia Davis (Plum) DEC Kelley Enterline (Greenville), 4-1
136 Maggie Alfera (Laurel) FALL Koda Kuzma (Corry), 0:50
142 Grace Nasman (Upper St. Clair) DEC Alexia Ashby (Trinity), 4-1
148 Tiffany Gathers (Pine Richland) DEC Royale Reno-Gaus (Saegertown), 10-7
155 Karsyn Champion (Norwin) FALL Trinity Webster (Hickory), 3:19
170 Hannah Hornick (Seneca Valley) FALL Olivia Shultz (Connellsville), 1:57
190 Liliana Giulianelli (Peters Township) DEC Arianna Bernard (Valley), 6-3 SV
235 Brooklyn Pearson (Woodland Hills) FALL London Ellis (Canon-McMillan), 2:53
