January 9, 2022 7:55 am
Ben Roethlisberger’s career is not the only one reportedly coming to an end this offseason in Pittsburgh. NFL Network insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero say longtime Steelers General Manager Kevin Colbert is expected to step down from the position following the 2022 NFL Draft. His current contract expires at that point. The GM had been working on one-year contracts for several years to reportedly give him flexibility as to when he wanted to call it quits. Colbert has been in charge of personnel since 2000, winning two Super Bowls and reaching a third, while compiling a record of 225-124-3. Internal names in the organization like VP of football and business administration Omar Khan or pro scouting coordinator Brandon Hunt could be options to replace Colbert
January 8, 2022 3:44 am
UNDATED (AP) – AP College Football Writer Ralph Russo says college football needs a peacemaker. He says the administrators responsible for managing the College Football Playoff appear to be at an impasse when it comes to expansion. Nobody is against expanding the current field of four, but they now seem to be entrenched in opposing positions regarding how and when. The CFP’s management committee is scheduled to meet in Indianapolis this weekend to discuss a new format for deciding a champion. Russo says someone needs to have the authority to build consensus among the group.
January 7, 2022 3:54 am
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – The Pittsburgh Penguins won their 10th straight game with a 6-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Bryan Rust and Jake Guentzel each scored two goals for the Penguins. The Penguins haven’t lost since Dec. 1 against Edmonton. The Penguins won five games during the streak on the road and can at least think about the team record of 17 straight set over March-April 1993. The Penguins also won 15 straight games in March 2013 and have winning streaks of 12, 11 and 10 games in franchise history. Cam Atkinson scored his 14th goal of the season for the Flyers in the second period and Oskar Lindblom scored a power-play goal in the third.
January 7, 2022 3:56 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt needs 1 1/2 sacks on Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens to break Michael Strahan’s single-season record. The Steelers also have a chance to reach the playoffs with a win and some help elsewhere in the league. Watt has 21 1/2 sacks this season, the most by any NFL player since Kansas City’s Justin Houston had 22 in 2014. Watt signed a contract in September that made him the highest-paid defender in the league. It’s been money well spent for the Steelers, who are 8-3 when Watt plays a full game and 0-4-1 when he sits or is limited because of injury.
January 6, 2022 3:44 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Sidney Crosby and Evan Rodrigues scored 12 seconds apart in the third period, and the Pittsburgh Penguins rallied past the St. Louis Blues 5-3. Crosby scored his fifth, Rodrigues his 14th and Brock McGinn his ninth, as Pittsburgh scored three in the third to erase a 3-2 deficit. Bryan Rust also scored twice for the Penguins, who won their ninth straight. Casey DeSmith stopped 13 shots, but was pulled after the Blues’ third goal. Tristan Jarry, who recently came off the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol, stopped all 13 shots in relief. Brayden Schenn returned from injury to score his fifth of the season and 200th of his career. Jordan Kyrou and Colton Parayko also scored for St. Louis.
January 6, 2022 3:47 am
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) – El Ellis scored 18 points off the bench, including seven consecutive for Louisville during a critical late stretch to put the Cardinals ahead for good before holding off Pittsburgh 75-72 on Wednesday night. A second half featuring 16 lead changes finally swung the Cardinals’ way thanks to Ellis, who hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 5:11 remaining for a 63-61 lead. The junior guard added another go-ahead jumper and two free throws to make it 67-63 before Sydney Curry added a layup and Noah Locke a 3 for a 72-65 cushion that Louisville needed. Jamaris Burton had 21 points for the Panthers.
January 6, 2022 3:52 am
The NFL has looked into other potential sites for next month’s Super Bowl amid a rise in COVID-19 cases, though the league always develops contingency plans for the game. An NFL spokesperson says the league still plans to play Super Bowl 56 as scheduled in Los Angeles on Feb. 13 but adds the NFL has contacted several clubs to inquire about stadium availability in the event the Super Bowl can’t be played as scheduled. The Cowboys’ stadium reportedly is one of the facilities contacted.
January 6, 2022 3:46 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger acknowledged that his emotions were still high in the hours following a 12-point win Monday night against Cleveland. Roethlisberger insisted Wednesday morning that he’s solely focused on Sunday’s significant season-finale at Baltimore, a game that will play a role in determining Pittsburgh’s playoff fate. But the 18-year veteran allowed himself to reflect one more time on his final game this past Monday at Heinz Field.
January 4, 2022 2:23 am
PIAA has posted enrollment numbers for the next two-year cycle. The posting includes all schools and the corresponding classifications in all sports. Click Here to see the individual sports reports. The classifications do not include voluntary play-up decisions (due to PIAA by end of day Wednesday) or the results of any Competition Formula adjustments to classes. Following is a list of Washington County schools, their submitted enrollment numbers (boys-girls) and the classification for baseball/softball, basketball, football, soccer, girls volleyball and wrestling.
NOTE: Softball classification parameters were changed by PIAA late yesterday afternoon. The League said that there was a vast difference in the number of teams in 1A & 2A compared to the other four classes. In all sports, PIAA divides the number of competing schools into equal classifications every two years.
Avella (50-47) Base-1A, Soft-1A, GBB-1A, BBB-1A, Foot-1A, GVb-1A
Bentworth (100-115) Base-2A, Soft-2A, GBB-2A, BBB-2A, Foot-1A, GSoc-1A, BSoc-1A, GVb-2A, Wr-2A
Beth-Center (121-117) Base-2A, Soft-2A, GBB-2A, BBB-2A, Foot-1A, GSoc-1A, BSoc-1A, GVb-2A, Wr-2A
Burgettstown (104-99) Base-2A, Soft-2A, GBB-2A, BBB-2A, Foot-1A, GVb-1A, Wr-2A
California (80-94) Base-1A, Soft-1A, GBB-2A, BBB-1A, Foot-1A
Canon-McMillan (563-622) Base-6A, Soft-6A, GBB-6A, BBB-6A, Foot-6A, GSoc-4A, BSoc-4A, GVb-4A, Wr-3A
Charleroi (138-140) Base-2A, Soft-2A, GBB-3A, BBB-3A, Foot-2A, GSoc-1A, BSoc-1A, GVb-2A
Chartiers-Houston (123-95) Base-2A, Soft- 1A, GBB-2A, BBB-2A, Foot-1A, GSoc-1A, BSoc-1A, GVb-1A, Wr-2A
Fort Cherry (95-124) Base-1A, Soft-2A, GBB-2A, BBB-2A, Foot-1A, GVb-2A, Wr-2A
McGuffey (157-183) Base-3A, Soft-3A, GBB-3A, BBB-3A, Foot-2A, GSoc-2A, BSoc-2A, GVb-2A, Wr-2A
Peters Township (452-470) Base-5A, Soft-5A, GBB-6A, BBB-5A, Foot-5A, GSoc-4A, BSoc-3A, GVb-4A, Wr-3A
Ringgold (305-271) Base-4A, Soft-4A, GBB-4A, BBB-4A, Foot-4A, GSoc-3A, BSoc-3A, GVb-3A, Wr-3A
Trinity (372-393) Base-5A, Soft-5A, GBB-5A, BBB-5A, Foot-4A, GSoc-3A, BSoc-3A, GVb-3A, Wr-3A
Washington (133-127) Base-2A, Soft-2A, GBB-2A, BBB-3A, Foot-2A, BSoc-2A, GVb-2A, Wr-2A
January 5, 2022 3:52 am
HOUSTON (AP) – Deuce Vaughn and the Kansas State Wildcats finished a streaky season on a positive note with a dominant 42-20 win over short-handed LSU in the Texas Bowl. Vaughn, a sophomore running back and first-team All-American as an all-purpose player, rushed for 146 yards on 21 carries. He scored four touchdowns – three rushing and one receiving. Kansas State also got a strong performance from quarterback Skylar Thompson, who returned to make his final collegiate start after missing the regular-season finale with an ankle injury. Thompson completed 21 of 28 passes for 259 yards and three touchdowns. Malik Knowles had two touchdown catches and 42 yards receiving.
