January 22, 2025 4:18 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Ichiro Suzuki became the first Japanese player chosen for baseball’s Hall of Fame, falling one vote shy of unanimous when he was elected along with CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner. Suzuki received 393 of 394 votes from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Sabathia was on 342 ballots and Wagner on 325, which was 29 more than the 296 needed for the required 75%. Sabathia and Suzuki were elected in their first appearance on the ballot. Wagner made it on his 10th and final try. The trio will be inducted into the Hall at Cooperstown on July 27 along with Dave Parker and Dick Allen, voted in last month by the classic era committee. Mariano Rivera remains the only player to get 100% of the vote from the BBWAA.
January 22, 2025 4:19 am
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings and coach Kevin O’Connell have agreed to terms on a multiyear contract extension. The deal reached Tuesday follows a 14-3 regular season that defied external widespread preseason projections of at least a losing record if not a last-place finish in the NFC North. In three seasons with the Vikings, the 39-year-old O’Connell is 34-17 in the regular season and 0-2 in the playoffs. The Vikings didn’t disclose terms of the deal. It was reached with one year remaining on O’Connell’s existing contract.
January 21, 2025 4:35 am
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin scored milestone goals and the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated Los Angeles 5-1, snapping the Kings’ nine-game home win streak. Crosby, Anthony Beauvillier and Kevin Hayes each had a goal and an assist. Cody Glass also scored for the Penguins, and Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 25 shots. Adrian Kempe had the Los Angeles goal and David Rittich made 27 saves. Crosby became the 11th player to reach 50 points in at least 18 seasons when he scored late in the first period. Malkin tied Jean Beliveau for 44th place on the NHL list with his 507th career goal in the second period.
January 21, 2025 4:33 am
ATLANTA (AP) — Will Howard transferred to Ohio State to win a national championship, and he reached that goal by playing the best football of his career throughout the Buckeyes’ four games in the College Football Playoff. He was never better than in the first half and at the end of Ohio State’s 34-23 victory over Notre Dame. Howard connected on his first 13 passes to set the record for consecutive completions in a CFP title game, and late in the fourth quarter he lofted a pass to Jeremiah Smith for a 56-yard gain that all but sealed the win.
January 21, 2025 12:01 am
Just past the halfway point of the regular season, seven girls basketball teams form Washington/Greene Counties are in good position to qualify for the WPIAL playoffs. Five more teams are within reach of the post-season while seven teams face significant uphill challenges down the stretch.
Entering the final three weeks of the season, Peters Township (5A-4), Chartiers-Houston (2A-2) and Fort Cherry (2A-3) lead their section races, each at least three games clear of the current cutlines.
Canon-McMillan (6A-2), Beth-Center (2A-3), Bentworth (2A-3) and California (2A-3) are all at least two games above the line and in good shape. Trinity (5A-4), McGuffey (3A-3), Waynesburg (3A-3), Burgettstoingwn (2A-2) and West Greene (1A-2) are locked in tight battles to reach the playoffs. Trinity is in a three-way battle for two spots with Bethel Park and Baldwin. McGuffey and Waynesburg are battling with Brownsville for the last two playoff spots. Burgettstown is currently fourth with wins over the two teams it’s battling for the final berth. West Greene is a game back of Bishop Canevin for the final berth.
Ringgold (4A), Charleroi (3A), Wash High (3A), Carmichaels (2A), Jeff-Morgan (2A), Avella (1A) & Mapletown (1A) are likely to miss the playoffs. Ringgold, Charleroi, Jeff-Morgan and Mapletown are all winless once through section play. Wash High, Carmichaels and Avella are each two games back of the final spots in their sections.
Monday, Jan. 20
Girls
3A Keystone Oaks 54, McGuffey 34
3A Wash High 41, Brownsville 39
2A California 50, Bentworth 41
3A Seton-La Salle at Charleroi, postponed to Saturday, Feb. 1, 12 noon
1A West Greene at Mapletown, postponed to Tuesday, Jan. 28, 6 pm
January 20, 2025 4:43 am
Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills will take on Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game in their fourth playoff matchup in five years. Allen ran for two touchdowns and the Bills beat Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens 27-25 in a divisional game Sunday. Mark Andrews dropped a pass from Jackson on a 2-point conversion that would’ve tied it with 1:33 remaining and Buffalo held on for the victory. The Chiefs have defeated the Bills three straight times in the playoffs, including the conference title game four years ago in Kansas City. It’ll be Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley and the Philadelphia Eagles hosting Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders in the NFC championship game.
January 20, 2025 4:45 am
ATLANTA (AP) — Ohio State and Notre Dame will meet in the College Football Playoff championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Monday night. Both teams survived embarrassing regular-season losses to make it to the game that will end the longest season in history. Ohio State will be playing for its first championship since 2014 and Notre Dame for its first since 1988. Since losing to Michigan, Ohio State has playoff wins over Tennessee, Oregon and Texas. Notre Dame has won 13 straight since losing to Northern Illinois. The Irish have beaten Indiana, Georgia and Penn State in the playoff.
January 19, 2025 9:06 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Jakob Chychrun, Aliaksei Protas and Pierre-Luc Dubois scored, Logan Thompson made 18 saves and the NHL-leading Washington Capitals beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-1 on Saturday night for their fourth consecutive victory. Thompson came up just short of becoming the first player in franchise history to record three shutouts in a row, when he allowed Bryan Rust to score midway through the third period. His shutout streak ended at 198 minutes, 22 seconds, the longest in the league this season and third in team history. Brandon Duhaime sealed it with an empty-netter with 1:30 left. The Capitals are 7-0-3 in their past 10 games, picking up points despite not playing their best during this stretch. The Penguins lost for an eighth time in 10 games. Pittsburgh goaltender Joel Blomqvist allowed three goals on 32 shots.
January 19, 2025 9:20 am
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes threw for 177 yards and a touchdown, Travis Kelce caught seven passes for 117 yards and the score and the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Houston Texans 23-14 to advance to the AFC championship game for the seventh straight season. The Chiefs will face Buffalo or Baltimore next weekend at Arrowhead Stadium as they try to become the first team to win three consecutive Super Bowl titles. Mahomes improved to 7-0 in the divisional round while Andy Reid became the fourth NFL coach with 300 career wins. The Texans still have never won in six trips to the divisional round.
January 19, 2025 9:22 am
DETROIT (AP) — Jayden Daniels threw for two touchdowns in a flawless performance by Washington’s dazzling rookie, and the Commanders stunned the Detroit Lions 45-31 to reach the NFC championship game for the first time since winning the Super Bowl 33 years ago. The sixth-seeded Commanders were nearly double-digit underdogs against the Super Bowl favorite Lions and overcame doubts as they did all season with a rookie quarterback, new coach and general manager. Detroit, the NFC’s No. 1 seed for the first time, doomed its chances by turning it over five times. Washington rookie Mike Sainristil had two interceptions.
