January 17, 2026 7:00 am
The WPIAL basketball sprint to the finish line is underway. Just three weeks remain in the regular season. The second half of the campaign opened with a couple crucial 5A Section 3 games. Peters Township lost at Thomas Jefferson as TJ opened a two-game lead on the Indians. Ringgold lost at home to South Fayette, dropping the Rams into fourth place. Unbeaten Chartiers-Houston won at Fort Cherry in 2A Section 3, pushing the Rangers two games back. West Greene crossed the county and beat Carmichaels, taking over sole possession of the fifth and final playoff spot out of the section. Avella’s win over Beaver County Christian moves the Eagles into a first-place tie with Nazareth Prep at the halfway point. Trinity girls got their second half started with a win at Bethel Park, putting three games between the Hillers and the playoff cutlline. Here’s the Friday section scores for Washington & Greene County teams.
Girls
5A Trinity 40, Bethel Park 34
Boys
5A Thomas Jefferson 77, Peters Township 54
5A Trinity 59, Bethel Park 53
5A South Fayette 59, Ringgold 51
2A-1 Bentworth 51, Riverview 35
2A-1 Jeannette 80, California 33
2A-2 Chartiers-Houston 49, Fort Cherry 40
2A-2 Jeff-Morgan 58, Burgettstown 47
2A-2 Beth-Center 78, Mapletown 26
2A-2 West Greene 70, Carmichaels 47
1A Avella 66, Beaver County Christian 30
January 18, 2026 8:31 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Charlie Coyle scored the deciding goal in the shootout and the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 on Saturday night. Kirill Marchenko, Danton Heinen and Zach Aston-Reese scored for the Blue Jackets. Zach Werenski continued his four-game point streak with an assist. Elvis Merzlikins made 29 saves for the Blue Jackets. Sidney Crosby had a goal and an assist for the Penguins. He recorded his 511th multipoint game, tying Gordie Howe for fifth place in NHL history. Connor Clifton and Rickard Rakell also scored for the Penguins, and Arturs Silovs stopped 22 shots.
January 18, 2026 8:23 am
SEATTLE (AP) — Rashid Shaheed returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, Kenneth Walker III rushed for three scores and the Seattle Seahawks advanced to the NFC championship game with a dominant 41-6 victory over the San Francisco 49ers. Sam Darnold threw a touchdown pass and got his first career playoff win in his first season with the Seahawks, who will host either Chicago or the Los Angeles Rams next Sunday with a trip to the Super Bowl at stake. The Seahawks led 7-0 13 seconds into the game thanks to Shaheed, who fielded the opening kick and took it 95 yards to the end zone.
January 18, 2026 8:15 am
DENVER (AP) — The Denver Broncos wrangled their biggest win in a decade from Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills but suffered an enormous loss in the process. About an hour after second-year quarterback Bo Nix led the Broncos to a 33-30 win on Wil Lutz’s 23-yard field goal in overtime, Denver coach Sean Payton returned to the postgame lectern to deliver the stunning news. He said Nix broke his right ankle a few plays before Lutz’s kick sent the top-seeded Broncos to the AFC championship game against either New England or Houston. Nix will have season-ending surgery Tuesday in Birmingham, Alabama.
January 18, 2026 8:25 am
NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Giants have hired John Harbaugh as coach. Harbaugh joins the Giants 11 days after he was fired by the Baltimore Ravens. He is a Super Bowl champion who guided Baltimore to the playoffs in 12 of his 18 seasons there. He and the Ravens won it all a year after the Giants’ most recent championship in the 2011 season. Harbaugh is now tasked with turning around a beleaguered franchise that has just two playoff appearances over the past decade. He gives New York a proven winner after seven coaches since Tom Coughlin failed to get past the divisional round.
January 17, 2026 4:45 am
The Pittsburgh Pirates announced the invitation of 7 additional players to the 2026 Major League Camp as non-roster invitees. They include catcher Omar Alfonso, RHP Noah Davis, RHP Chris Devenski, infielder Duce Gourson, infielder/outfielder Konnor Griffin, infielder Temarr Johnson and Catcher Shawn Ross. Duce Gourson was named the organization’s Omar Moreno Baserunner of the year. Konnor Griffin was honored as the Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year.
January 17, 2026 4:27 am
A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press that catcher J.T. Realmuto has agreed to a $45 million, three-year contract to stay with the Philadelphia Phillies. Realmuto can earn an additional $5 million annually in bonuses. The move comes a month after designated hitter Kyle Schwarber also chose to remain with the Phillies. Realmuto, a three-time All-Star, hit .257 with 12 homers last year. He was in the final season of a $115.5 million, five-year contract. Philadelphia has also reached deals with right-hander Brad Keller and outfielder Adolis García this offseason.
January 17, 2026 4:25 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Bo Bichette and the New York Mets have agreed to a $126 million, three-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal was subject to a successful physical and had not been announced. Bichette, a two-time All-Star at shortstop with the Toronto Blue Jays, will move to third base with the Mets, who have Francisco Lindor at shortstop. Bichette has never played a professional game at the hot corner. Bichette can opt out of the deal after the first or second season to become a free agent again. He would receive $47 million for one year and $89 million for two years, the person said.
January 15, 2026 2:32 am
Basketball moves into the second half if its regular season, though teams in sections with fewer than seven teams won’t return to conference play until next week. While Thursday is traditionally a girls night, a couple boys section games were also on the schedule. And, by the same token, while Friday is usually boys night, at least one girls game is on the docket as part of a girls/boys doubleheader. Here’s the Thursday section scores for Washington/Greene County teams.
Boys
6A Imani Christian 55, Canon-McMillan 53
1A Avella 62, Summit Academy 58
Girls
5A Thomas Jefferson 61, Peters Township 49
4A Belle Vernon 61, Ringgold 19
3A Wash High 56, Charleroi 28
3A Waynesburg 66, Brownsville 21
1A Mapletown 48, Avella 39
1A Geibel Catholic 55, West Greene 24
January 16, 2026 4:27 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Sidney Crosby scored one of Pittsburgh’s three power-play goals and the Penguins beat the Philadelphia Flyers 6-3. Crosby also had an assist to become the eighth player in NHL history with at least 19 50-point seasons. Justin Brazeau and Bryan Rust also scored power-play goals for Pittsburgh. Egor Chinakhov, Blake Lizotte and Connor Dewar scored for the Penguins, who snapped a three-game losing streak. Stuart Skinner stopped 30 shots for his fourth win in five starts. Rodrigo Abols, Nick Seeler and Matvei Michkov scored for the Flyers, who lost their fifth straight.
