November 9, 2021 3:46 am
UNDATED (AP) – The NCAA has set the stage for a dramatic restructuring of college sports. Proposed changes include reshaping of Division I that will tackle revenue distribution, how rules are made and enforced and access to the most-high profile and lucrative NCAA events such as the men’s basketball tournament. There’s also the question of just how big the tent should be at the top of college sports. The rewritten constitution focuses more on the NCAA’s broad goals of athlete welfare and athletics as part of an academic experience instead of governing procedures and operations. Both matters have come under increasing criticism.
November 9, 2021 3:48 am
UNDATED (AP) – The Major League Baseball Writers Association of America has announced the finalists for the major postseason awards. Those up for the MVP Awards are Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Angels designated hitter Shohei Ohtani and Toronto’s Marcus Semien in the American League, and Philadelphia’s Bryce Harper, Washington’s Juan Soto and San Diego’s Fernando Tatis Jr. in the National League. None of the six players appeared in a postseason game this year. NL Cy Young Award finalists are Dodgers right-hander Max Scherzer, Phillies right-hander Zack Wheeler and Milwaukee ace Corbin Burnes. Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, Chicago’s Lance Lynn and Toronto’s Robbie Ray are up for the AL Cy Young Award.
November 8, 2021 3:47 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Pittsburgh Steelers are back in the mix in the AFC North heading into a visit by Chicago. The Steelers have won three straight following a 1-3 start. The uptick has coincided with the development of rookies Najee Harris, Pat Freiermuth, Dan Moore Jr. and Kendrick Green. Coach Mike Tomlin says they have shown they belong in the NFL. Tomlin’s next victory will move him past Hall of Famer Bill Cowher and into second place on Pittsburgh’s career coaching win list behind Chuck Noll.
November 8, 2021 3:50 am
UNDATED (AP) – Aaron Rodgers was sidelined with the coronavirus on Sunday, but it was the Green Bay Packers’ offense that looked sick. The Chiefs relentlessly blitzed the Packers’ Jordan Love in a 13-7 victory at Kansas City. Making his first NFL start, Love was 19 of 34 for 190 yards with a touchdown and an interception, both of them coming in the fourth quarter. Love’s touchdown pass to Allen Lazard with 4:49 left gave Green Bay a chance, but the Packers finished with just 301 yards of total offense in ending a seven-game winning streak.
Patrick Mahomes threw for 166 yards and a touchdown for the 5-4 Chiefs, who won despite amassing just 237 total yards.
November 8, 2021 3:53 am
UNDATED (AP) – Cincinnati has held onto the No. 2 spot in The Associated Press college football poll, but the Bearcats’ performance on Saturday probably did little to raise them from sixth in the CFP rankings. The Bearcats four points ahead of No. 3 Alabama after a 28-20 victory over Tulsa. The Crimson Tide struggled with LSU before posting a 20-14 victory. Georgia is a unanimous No. 1 for the fifth straight week. Oklahoma remains No. 4 and Oregon moved up two spots to fifth following a 10-point win at Washington. Ohio State, Notre Dame, Michigan State, Michigan and Oklahoma State round out the top 10. The Spartans dropped from third with a 58-55 loss at Purdue. The CFP rankings will be revealed on Tuesday.
November 7, 2021 1:30 am
PITTSBURGH— Minnesota Wild forward Nick Bjugstad capped a frenzied five-minute rally against his former team on Saturday night, scoring the deciding goal in a shootout that came after the Minnesota Wild erased a two-goal deficit in the final five minutes of regulation to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-4. Bjugstad, who had 16 points in 45 games during parts of two seasons with Pittsburgh, beat Tristan Jarry with a wrist shot in the shootout. The Wild pulled Cam Talbot and got a goal from Jared Spurgeon — his second of the game — with about 3:20 left in the third period. Ryan Hartman tied the game with 1.1 seconds to play in regulation after a net-mouth scramble. Kaprizov also scored in regulation and Talbot made 35 saves. Pittsburgh’s Kasperi Kapanen scored his first career hat trick in regulation, but he was stopped in the shootout. Kapanen, who netted 11 goals with Pittsburgh last season, hadn’t scored in the team’s first nine games. Jake Guentzel scored his third goal and Jarry made 36 saves, but Pittsburgh lost for the fourth time in five games.
November 7, 2021 1:06 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Pittsburgh Steelers have won three straight heading into a visit from the Chicago Bears. Pittsburgh’s recent surge has coincided with improved play from an offensive line featuring two rookies in left tackle Dan Moore Jr. and center Kendrick Green. The Steelers have gone over 100 yards rushing during their winning streak after topping that number just once in their previous 16 games. The Bears have dropped three in a row. Rookie quarterback Justin Fields played well in a loss to San Francisco, but will face a stiff test from a Steelers pass rush featuring star outside linebacker T.J. Watt.
November 6, 2021 1:10 am
The night started with 11 Washington/Greene County teams in the WPIAL playoffs. It ended with only Peters Township moving on to the next round. The Indians rallied from a 14-0 hole to win at North Hills. Peters Township travels to Pine-Richland next week in the quarterfinals.
North Allegheny scored twice in the opening quarter and rolled past Canon-McMillan. New Brighton stopped Washington’s two-point conversion attempt in overtime to stun the Little Prexies. McGuffey scored a safety to take a 2-0 lead but MAC champion Laurel answered with six touchdowns to end the Highlanders’ season. Top-ranked Steel Valley crushed Beth-Center while Chartiers-Houston fell to Mohawk, the Bucs playoff losing streak extends to 10 straight.
All five Class 1A teams from the two-county area were eliminated: West Greene & Carmichaels at home, Burgettstown, California and Mapletown on the road.
CLICK HERE for WPIAL Football brackets
Friday, Nov. 5 results:
6A #4 North Allegheny 49, #5 Canon-McMillan 26
5A #11 Peters Township 33, #6 North Hills 28
2A #13 New Brighton 21, #4 Wash High 20 OT
2A #10 Mohawk 34, #7 Chartiers-Houston 12
2A #3 Laurel 41, #14 McGuffey 2
2A #1 Steel Valley 49, #16 Beth-Center 14
1A #3 Bishop Canevin 49, #14 Burgettstown 6
1A #7 Leechburg 28, #10 California 7
1A #11 Shenango 31, #6 Carmichaels 13
1A #5 Rochester 35, #12 Mapletown 0
1A #13 Springdale 21, #4 West Greene 0
Other nearby matchups/seedings include:
6A #1 Mt. Lebanon first-round bye
5A #10 Fox Chapel 13, #7 Upper St. Clair 10
5A #9 Woodland Hills 27, #8 Bethel Park 23
4A #1 Belle Vernon first-round bye
4A #5 Thomas Jefferson 41, #12 Indiana 0
November 6, 2021 4:04 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Pittsburgh Pirates have claimed outfielder Greg Allen off waivers from the New York Yankees. Allen hit .270 with four doubles, a triple, two RBI and five stolen bases in 15 games with New York in 2021. The 28-year-old switch-hitter played each outfield position multiple times. The Pirates have All-Star Bryan Reynolds in center field and Ben Gamel played solidly in left field but right field is wide open heading into 2022.
November 6, 2021 4:08 am
DURHAM, N.C. (AP) – Pittsburgh visits Duke this weekend in an Atlantic Coast Conference matchup. The Panthers are coming off a loss to Miami. But they still lead the league’s Coastal Division race heading into Saturday’s game. Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett says the Panthers have “no room for error” with small lead on Virginia in the standings. Duke is 0-4 in the league. The Blue Devils are also trying to improve an offense that was shut out at Virginia and nearly suffered another shutout last week at No. 10 Wake Forest. Pitt has won six of seven meetings with Duke since joining the ACC for the 2013 season.
