November 30, 2020 6:53 am
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) – The governing body for high school sports in West Virginia has canceled the state football championship games due to the coronavirus pandemic and instead declared winners in each class. The Secondary School Activities Commission made the announcement Saturday night after the Department of Education released its color-coded county map that determines whether athletic competitions can be played. St. Marys was declared the champion in Class A, Fairmont Senior in Class AA and South Charleston in Class AAA. SSAC executive director Bernie Dolan says the agency wishes there could have been championship games, but the state’s color-coded virus map did not allow the games to be played.
November 30, 2020 3:52 am
UNDATED (AP) – The NFL has fined the New Orleans Saints $500,000 and stripped them of a 2021 seventh-round draft pick for violating league COVID-19 protocols. That’s according to a person with direct knowledge of the discipline who also tells The Associated Press that the Patriots have been fined $350,000 for similar violations.
The person says New Orleans was fined as a repeat offender. The Saints are expected to appeal the discipline, which ESPN first reported Sunday morning.
November 30, 2020 3:54 am
UNDATED (AP) – The Atlantic Coast Conference has shuffled its football schedule, calling off Florida State’s game at Duke on Saturday and sending Miami to play the Blue Devils instead.
The Hurricanes were scheduled to come back from a two-week pause because of COVID-19 issues at Wake Forest. But that game was postponed because of virus problems within the Demon Deacons’ program. This will be the Seminoles’ third consecutive game to be called off. FSU’s previous two games against Clemson and Virginia were postponed on game-day morning.
November 30, 2020 3:53 am
UNDATED (AP) – There’s no change among the top eight in The Associated Press football poll, with Alabama remaining the unanimous No. 1 team again. The Crimson Tide are spending a fourth straight week atop the poll and have been ranked for 209 consecutive weeks, tying the third-longest streak in AP poll history.
Notre Dame is second, followed by Ohio State, and Texas A&M. Florida, Cincinnati, BYU, Miami and Indiana round out the top 10.
November 29, 2020 3:47 am
According to the NFL, the Steelers vs. Ravens game scheduled for Sunday has been postponed until Tuesday at 8:00. Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has tested positive for COVID-19, according to multiple media outlets. Last year’s NFL MVP is the biggest star to become infected by the virus. The Baltimore Sun and ESPN, both citing unidentified sources, reported that Jackson was among four more Ravens players to test positive Thursday. Outside linebacker Pernell McPhee was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Wednesday, joining running backs Mark Ingram and J.K. Dobbins and defensive tackle Brandon Williams. Because of the outbreak, the Ravens have been conducting team work remotely. They were supposed to play unbeaten Pittsburgh on Thursday night, but the game was postponed until Tuesday. The Ravens have 18 players dealing with COVID-related issues as of Sunday morning, while the Steelers have four players and a coach. James Conner headlines the names placed on the reserve list Saturday night, along with Special Teams Coach Danny Smith. On Friday, the Steelers announced defensive linemen Stephon Tuitt, Isaiah Buggs and offensive lineman Jerald Hawkins were all placed on the COVID list. The game now slated for Tuesday could potentially be in jeopardy unless the cases on both teams slow down.
November 29, 2020 7:39 am
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — In a year when everything seems so unusual and different, Penn State at Michigan felt particularly strange. No fans, no buzz — and not much to feel good about these days for either team. What was also empty was Penn State’s win column coming into Saturday’s matchup, but that changed when the Nittany Lions beat Michigan 27-17. Penn State never trailed in this matchup of proud programs that have stumbled their way through this pandemic-shortened season. Even if there had been a normal crowd at the game, it would have felt different with both teams coming in under .500. For one day at least, the Nittany Lions (1-5, 1-5 Big Ten) could celebrate. However strange the circumstances, this was still a victory in Ann Arbor, where Penn State had lost three in a row. Empty was Penn State’s win column coming into Saturday’s matchup, but that changed when the Nittany Lions beat Michigan 27-17. Penn State never trailed in this matchup of proud programs that have stumbled their way through this pandemic-shortened season. Even if there had been a normal crowd at the game, it would have felt different with both teams coming in under .500. For one day at least, the Nittany Lions (1-5, 1-5 Big Ten) could celebrate. However strange the circumstances, this was still a victory in Ann Arbor, where Penn State had lost three in a row.
November 29, 2020 7:37 am
CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Trevor Lawrence has stuck to his plan throughout his time at Clemson — and if this is his final game at Death Valley, he couldn’t come up with a more perfect end. Lawrence threw for 403 yards and two touchdowns in his first game in five weeks to lead the fourth-ranked Tigers to a 52-17 victory over Pittsburgh in what’s likely to be his last home game. The junior passer said before the season he hoped to play, graduate in December and then enter the NFL draft, where he’s widely expected to be taken No. 1 overall. Lawrence hadn’t seen the field on game day since beating Syracuse on Oct. 24. He tested positive for the coronavirus the following week and missed Clemson’s next two games, including its only loss this season — a 47-40 double OT defeat at No. 2 Notre Dame.
November 28, 2020 1:07 am
Defending PIAA champion Thomas Jefferson has won four state football titles. Jersey Shore, the District 4 champion, had never reached the finals until now. Saturday afternoon, the Jaguars and Bulldogs meet at HersheyPark Stadium and on WJPA-FM (95.3) for the Class 4A crown. Thomas Jefferson stumbled in the final week of the regular season, turning the ball over four times in a 20-14 loss to McKeesport but has won four straight post-season game. Jersey Shore rolled through the regular season and the D-4 playoffs before getting past Crestwood and Lampeter-Strasburg in state playoff action.
Jake Pugh has thrown for more than 1,700 yards and 24 TD passes to lead the Jaguars, primarily connecting with senior receivers Preston Zandier and Ian Hansen. Bulldogs’ quarterback has passed for more than 1,800 yards and 23 scores while running back Cam Allison has more than 1,000 yards on the ground with nine touchdowns.
Pregame is set for 3:00 pm on WJPA-FM (95.3) or Listen Here!
November 28, 2020 3:42 am
UNDATED (AP) – With reigning NFL MVP Lamar Jackson under quarantine as part of an outbreak of COVID-19 that has ravaged the Baltimore Ravens the team has turned its focus from breaking out of a slump to simply getting healthy and back to practice. The Ravens have more than a dozen players on the reserve/COVID-19 list and the training facility is closed to prevent the spread of the virus. Jackson tested positive this week and will not play against the unbeaten Pittsburgh Steelers next Tuesday night, a game that was originally scheduled for Thanksgiving night and postponed to Sunday before the NFL moved the game again.
November 28, 2020 3:41 am
UNDATED (AP) – Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence has never sat out this long during the season. He’s glad he gets a final chance to play at home before the likely end to his college career when the fourth-ranked Tigers face Pittsburgh on Saturday. Lawrence has not played since Oct. 24 against Syracuse, the week before he tested positive for COVID-19. That’s when the wait to return to the field began. Lawrence missed games against Boston College and No. 2 Notre Dame. The Tigers then had a week off before last Saturday’s game at Florida State was postponed due to a positive coronavirus test.
