February 10, 2021 2:32 am
The fields have been reduced, the schedule compacted, all lingering effects of COVID-19. But the WPIAL Team Wrestling Tournaments continue Wednesday night. Following the Section Dual Meet Championships, the top two finishers have qualified for the WPIAL tourneys. Kiski Area, winner of Section 1-AAA, notified the WPIAL that they are pulling out of team matches, seeking to protect their wrestlers for the upcoming individual tournaments which start next week.
Waynesburg is the top seed in Triple-A, having steamrolled their way through the regular season. The Raiders get a first-round bye due to Kiski’s withdrawal and await the Thomas Jefferson/North Allegheny winner. Those matches will be wrestled at Canon-McMillan at the request of Waynesburg, so as to allow some fans to attend. #7 Peters Township will travel to #2 Seneca Valley, a match we’ll carry on WJPA-AM (1450) and online Wednesday at 5:50 pm.
Double-A has a six-team field headed by #1 Burrell and #2 Burgettstown, last year’s finalists. Both get byes in the quarterfinals round and are hosting. Burgettstown will meet the Beth-Center/Montour winner while Burrell awaits the Quaker Valley/Mt. Pleasant victor. Burrell has won 14 straight WPIAL Team Wrestling titles. We’ll have all the action from Burgettstown on WJPA-FM (95.3) and online beginning Wednesday at 5:50 pm.
The finals in both brackets are scheduled for Saturday at Canon-McMillan, Double-A at 12 noon, Triple-A at 2;30 pm.
Follow all the action of the 2021 WPIAL/PIAA Wrestling tournaments here.
February 10, 2021 2:42 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Pittsburgh Penguins have hired former rival Ron Hextall as the team’s new general manager. Hextall played goaltender for 11 seasons for the Philadelphia Flyers and later served as the team’s general manager. Hextall replaces Hall of Famer Jim Rutherford, who resigned abruptly last month. The Penguins also hired longtime NHL executive Brian Burke as the team’s director of hockey operations. Patrik Allvin, who served as interim general manager following Rutherford’s departure, will stay on staff as assistant GM.
February 10, 2021 3:53 am
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Big Ten officials have decided to move next month’s men’s basketball tournament from Chicago to Indianapolis. Games will be played March 10-14 at Lucas Oil Stadium, which also will be the site of this year’s Final Four. The Big Ten women’s tournament will be held the same week just a few blocks away at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The conference says the moves were necessary for several reasons surrounding health and safety concerns because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
February 9, 2021 3:37 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Pittsburgh Steelers have hired longtime NFL assistant Mike Sullivan as their new quarterbacks coach. The move is one of three made by the team to fill coaching vacancies. Sullivan replaces Matt Canada, who was promoted to offensive coordinator last month. Sullivan is a 16-year NFL coaching veteran, winning two Super Bowl rings with the New York Giants. The team also hired Chris Morgan as assistant offensive line coach and Matt Tomsho as quality control coach.
February 9, 2021 3:40 am
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) – Fresh off their Super Bowl win, the Buccaneers are already looking at next season. Tom Brady’s coming back. So is Bruce Arians. But the challenge of attempting a repeat begins with trying to keep some key components together for next season. Brady threw three touchdowns passes on the way to claiming a record seventh NFL title with a 31-9 rout of the Kansas City Chiefs – two to Rob Gronkowski and one Antonio Brown. Both played on one-year contracts after being lured to Tampa Bay by Brady. Leonard Fournette ran for the team’s other TD. He also joined the Bucs on a one-year deal.
February 9, 2021 3:47 am
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) – Kansas has dropped out of The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll for the first time in 12 years. The Jayhawks’ record streak of 231 consecutive weeks ranked is over. Gonzaga and Baylor kept the top two spots, as they have all season, with the Bulldogs getting 55 of 63 first-place votes and the Bears getting the other eight. Michigan took advantage of Villanova’s loss at St. John’s to jump into the top three, Ohio State climbed three spots to No. 4 and the Wildcats rounded out the top 5. With Kansas and UCLA falling out, that leaves the AP Top 25 without the Jayhawks, Bruins and fellow bluebloods Duke, Kentucky and North Carolina for the first time since December 1961. It also means none of the 13 winningest Division I programs is ranked.
February 8, 2021 12:16 pm
Several teams have pulled out of the WPIAL Wrestling Section Dual Meet Championships due to COVID issues or concerns, the latest being Canon-McMillan’s withdrawal from the Section 4-AAA tournament this morning. Brackets released by the League on Thursday included Butler, Franklin Regional and Canon-McMillan. Canon-McMillan will not be replaced in tonight’s pairings. Trinity declined due to the late notice. Franklin Regional was replaced in the 1-AAA bracket by Plum. West Allegheny has taken Butler’s spot in the 3-AAA pairings. Hempfield Area told the committee last week that the Spartans were not going to participate to protect their wrestlers for the individual part of the season, starting Feb. 17. No other teams in Hempfield’s sub-section chose to participate.
We’ll have live coverage of tonight’s Section Dual Meet Championships starting at 5:50 pm.
WJPA-FM (95.3) Section 1-AA McGuffey at Burgettstown, Fort Cherry vs. Beth-Center, followed by the winners for the Section Championship — Listen Here
WJPA-AM (1450) Section 4-AAA Mt. Lebanon vs. Waynesburg, followed by the winner vs. Peters Township for the Section Championship — Listen Here
February 8, 2021 3:55 am
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) – Tom Brady was efficient and the Tampa Bay defense was devastating. The combination has led to the Buccaneers’ second Super Bowl victory. Brady threw for three first-half touchdowns and the Buccaneers stifled Kansas City’s offense in a 31-9 win over the Chiefs. Brady claimed Super Bowl MVP honors for the fifth time, throwing to Rob Gronkowski for the first two TDs and found Antonio Brown in the end zone with six seconds left in the first half. Brady was 21 of 29 for 201 yards and no interceptions in winning a Super Bowl ring for a record-extending seventh time. Leonard Fournette and Ronald Jones II combined for 144 yards rushing, with Fournette scoring the game’s final TD on a 27-yard run in the third quarter. Most of the Chiefs’ 350 total yards came in the fourth quarter. Patrick Mahomes didn’t go over 100 yards passing until the final minute of the third quarter. Mahomes was pressured throughout while completing just 26 of his 49 throws for 270 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions. It’s the first time Mahomes has been held under 10 points or lost by double digits since becoming a starter.
February 8, 2021 3:52 am
WASHINGTON (AP) – Scott Laughton scored his first career hat trick, Sean Couturier had two goals in his first game back following a rib injury and the Philadelphia Flyers pulled away for a 7-4 victory over the Washington Capitals. James van Riemsdyk added a goal and an assist, running his points streak to seven games while helping Philadelphia overcome an early 2-0 deficit. Robert Hagg scored his first goal of the season in Philadelphia’s first win in regulation in five games. Joel Farabee had two assists, and Carter Hart made 33 saves. Alex Ovechkin scored two goals and had two assists for Washington. The Capitals lost their third straight despite outshooting Philly 37-23.
February 8, 2021 3:57 am
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) – Brooks Koepka chipped in from 32 yards for eagle on the 17th hole and parred the last for a one-stroke victory in the PGA’s Waste Management Phoenix Open. Five strokes behind Jordan Spieth (speeth) and Xander Schauffele entering the round, Koepka shot a 6-under 65 to finish at 19-under. The four-time major champion also won in 2015 at TPC Scottsdale for the first of his eight PGA Tour titles. Schauffele birdied the par-4 18th for a 71 to tie for second with Kyoung-Hoon Lee, who fired a 68.
