November 25, 2019 3:52 am
CINCINNATI (AP) – Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph says he “couldn’t believe” a claim that he used a racial slur against Browns defensive lineman Myles Garrett before their altercation in Cleveland. Garrett was suspended indefinitely for yanking off Rudolph’s helmet and hitting him with it near the end of the Browns’ 21-7 victory on Nov. 14. ESPN reported that during his suspension hearing, Garrett told NFL officials that Rudolph had used a racial slur. After Pittsburgh’s 16-10 win over Cincinnati on Sunday, Rudolph repeated that he didn’t make any such comment. “It’s totally untrue and I couldn’t believe it and I couldn’t believe he would go that route after the fact, but it is what it is,” Rudolph told reporters. “I think I’ve moved on.” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said last week that the league investigated Garrett’s claim and “found no such evidence” of the slur. The teams have a rematch next week in Pittsburgh.
November 23, 2019 8:26 am
WPIAL Football Brackets
Wash High lost to Avonworth Saturday afternoon in the WPIAL Class 2A championship game at Norwin. The Little Prexies lost by a score of 28-6.
Peters Township made its first-ever appearance in a WPIAL football championship when the Indians took on Gateway Saturday, also at Norwin. Peters lost however, 21-20.
PIAA Football Brackets
Dylan Mallozzi ran for two scores while quarterback Shane Stump threw for one touchdown and ran for another Friday night, leading Thomas Jefferson to a 28-13 win over three-time defending PIAA champion Cathedral Prep. Mallozzi ran 27 times for 151 yards, capping the opening drive with a one yard run. Then, trying to run out the clock, the senior running back scampered untouched 33 yards in the last two minutes to seal the win, the Jaguars’ first against the Ramblers after three straight playoff losses. Unbeaten Thomas Jefferson moves to next weekend’s state semifinals against Lampeter-Strasburg, a 35-21 winner over Berks Catholic in Friday’s District 3 championship game. Date/time/site have not been announced.
November 23, 2019 3:47 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Pittsburgh Steelers are scrambling on offense following a series of injuries to high-profile skill players. The Steelers will be without running back James Conner and wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster when they travel to Cincinnati. Center Maurkice Pouncey is also out while serving a suspension for his role in a fight last week against Cleveland. Running back Trey Edmunds called the situation “unique” but said the Steelers can’t use the injuries as an excuse.
November 22, 2019 3:51 am
Former Vikings kicker and Monongahela native Fred Cox has died at age 80, according to the team. Cox scored a Vikings-record 1,365 points while often kicking in nasty conditions because Minnesota played outdoors during his career from 1963-77. He was second to George Blanda on the NFL’s all-time scoring list. Cox was a running back in high school and at the University of Pittsburgh. He also invented the nerf football and became a chiropractor in the 1970’s. Cox died at his home in Minnesota.
November 21, 2019 3:52 am
UNDATED (AP) – The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired head coach Mike Babcock and replaced him with Sheldon Keefe. The move comes after the Maple Leafs absorbed their sixth consecutive loss to fall to 9-10-4 this season. They were 173-133-45 in 351 regular-season games under Babcock, but they never won a playoff series. The 39-year-old Keefe has a long history with Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas (DOO’-buhs) and was in his fifth season as coach of the AHL’s Toronto Marlies.
November 19, 2019 3:45 am
MEXICO CITY (AP) – The Kansas City Chiefs have regained a half-game lead in the AFC West by winning in Mexico City. Daniel Sorenson picked off Philip Rivers at the goal line with 18 seconds remaining to preserve the Chiefs’ 24-17 victory over the Chargers. Mike Williams made a spectacular 50-yard catch with 44 seconds to play and Los Angeles got to the Kansas City 14 before Rivers tossed his fourth interception of the night. Patrick Mahomes passed for 182 yards and hit Travis Kelce (KEHL’-see) for his only touchdown. LeSean McCoy and Darrel Williams rushed for touchdowns as the 7-4 Chiefs hung on to win the fourth regular-season NFL game played in Mexico. Kansas City leads its division by a half-game over Oakland. Rivers passed for 353 yards during his first four-interception game since November 2016. The Chargers are 4-7 following their fifth loss in seven games.
November 19, 2019 3:40 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Xavier Johnson scored 13 second-half points to lead Pittsburgh through a slow first half and over Monmouth, 63-50. Pitt was stifled early by the visiting Hawks and their own poor shooting in the opening 20 minutes of play. The Panthers made just one of their first nine field goals and three of their first 17.
November 18, 2019 3:56 am
HOMESTEAD, Fla. (AP) – Kyle Busch has emerged from the Joe Gibbs Racing juggernaut as NASCAR’s latest champion, winning his second title after teammates Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. were slowed by pit-road gaffes. Busch won the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway to snap a 21-race losing streak and beat Hamlin, Truex and rival Kevin Harvick for the Cup. Busch joined seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson as the only active drivers with multiple titles. Busch is the 16th driver in NASCAR history to win multiple championships, and one of only five to win titles in both the Cup Series and the second-tier Xfinity Series. Truex dominated early but fell a lap back after his crew put tires on the wrong side of his Toyota. Hamlin fell out of contention when a crew member placed a large piece of tape across the front of his car, causing his engine to overheat leading to an unscheduled pit stop. Truex recovered to finish second, but Hamlin didn’t have enough time to overcome the miscue and was a disappointing 10th. Harvick never seemed to be a solid contender despite his fourth-place finish.
November 16, 2019 3:45 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) – West Virginia freshman forward Oscar Tshiebwe scored 20 points and grabbed 17 rebounds and the Mountaineers smothered Pittsburgh in the second half to pull away for a 68-53 victory. The 6-foot-9, 258-pound Tschibwe outmuscled and largely outhustled the Panthers inside as West Virginia (2-0) won its third straight over the Panthers (2-2) since the “Backyard Brawl” between the longtime rivals was renewed in 2017
November 15, 2019 3:51 am
CLEVELAND (AP) – Cleveland defense end Myles Garrett ripped off Pittsburgh quarterback Mason Rudolph’s helmet and hit him with it in the head in the final seconds as the Browns’ 21-7 win over the Steelers on Thursday night ended with a wild brawl between the rivals. Garrett faces a likely suspension for his actions, and Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey will likely be disciplined for kicking Garrett in the head. Players from both sidelines spilled on the field during the wild melee, which began after Garrett wrestled Rudolph to the ground after he threw the ball on a meaningless play. Garrett, Pouncey and Browns defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi were ejected. Before the ugly ending, Baker Mayfield threw two touchdown passes and scored on a 1-yard plunge as Cleveland held on to defeat the banged-up Steelers for just the fourth time in 10 years and improved to 2-0 in the AFC North for the first time. The Browns (4-6) have won two in a row after dropping four straight, a skid that put first-year coach Freddie Kitchens’ job in jeopardy.
