Wrestling Weekend: AA Regional, AAA Sections

February 22, 2020 3:40 am

Double-A wrestlers who survived last weekend’s WPIAL, District 5 or District 6 tournaments are gathered at Indiana University of Pennsylvania for the PIAA Southwest Regional Tournament.  Six qualifiers in each weightclass will advance to the PIAA Championships in Hershey. Regional action resumes Saturday morning with consolations and semifinals at 10 am with finals scheduled for Saturday at 5:30 pm.  Of the 28 Washington/Greene wrestlers who qualified for the regional tournament, 18 are still alive.  Burgettstown has six of those including Shane & Riley Kemper in the semifinals.  Jeff-Morgan’s Jonathan Wolfe is also in the semis.  We’ll have complete live coverage on WJPA-AM (1450) and online Listen Here.

Triple-A wrestlers have waited since the end of the WPIAL/PIAA Team Tournaments for their individual tournaments to get started.  That wait ends Saturday when the League holds four Section tournaments with the top five placewinners advancing to the WPIAL AAA Championships. You can hear the WPIAL Section 4-AAA Tournament from Chartiers Valley Saturday on WJPA-FM (95.3) and online Listen Here.  Follow all of the individual wrestling tournament action on the WJPA Wrestling PageClick Here

Note: Our Section 4-AAA wrestling coverage will be interrupted at 12:50 pm for our broadcast of the Trinity/Gateway 5A Basketball Quarterfinal.  We will update action at halftime and return to wrestling immediately following the game. This is the ONLY wrestling coverage interruption of the entire PIAA Individual Championship Series and we appreciate your understanding.

Penguins Acquire Washington Native Riley Barber

February 21, 2020 5:59 am

Washington native Riley Barber is now in the Penguin’s organization. He was acquired in a trade with Montreal. The Penguins acquired him along with forward Phil Varone in exchange for Joe Blandisi and Jake Lucchini. Barber and Varone were both assigned to the Penguin’s AHL affiliate at Wilkes-Barre. The 25 year old Barber was a sixth round draft pick of the Washington Capitals in the 2012 Draft.

Roger Federer Has Knee Surgery

February 21, 2020 3:47 am

BASEL, Switzerland (AP) – Roger Federer will miss the French Open and no fewer than three other tournaments while he is sidelined for at least four months after having arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Wednesday.  The 20-time Grand Slam champion posted on Facebook Thursday that his knee had been bothering him for a while. It’s only the second operation for the 38-year-old Federer. Wimbledon starts June 29.

Florida State Rolls Over Pitt

February 19, 2020 3:48 am

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) –  Patrick Williams scored 16 points, Anthony Polite had 10 points and six rebounds and No. 8 Florida State pulled away in the second half, beating Pittsburgh 82-67. Williams, a freshman forward, scored in double figures for the 10th time this season as the Seminoles improved to 14-0 at home. Au’Diese Toney had 15 points and seven rebounds, and Xavier Johnson added 12 points and seven assists for Pittsburgh, which has lost six of its last eight games.

Josh Bell Eager For 2020 Season

February 19, 2020 3:47 am

BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) – Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Josh Bell is eager to prove his breakout 2019 season was no fluke. Bell hit 37 home runs last year while making the All-Star team for the first time. The 27-year-old cooled off down the stretch. So did the Pirates, who plummeted to last place in the NL Central. Bell says he’s eager for a fresh start under first-year manager Derek Shelton. Shelton says Bell has the tools to be one of the best hitters in baseball if he keeps putting the work in.

Illinois Upsets Penn State

February 19, 2020 3:45 am

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) – Ayo Dosunmu scored 24 points and Illinois snapped a four-game losing streak with a 62-56 victory over No. 9 Penn State. Kofi Cockburn added 14 points for the Fighting Illini, who led most of the way and ended Penn State’s eight-game winning streak. The win also snapped Illinois’ six-game losing streak against Penn State. Lamar Stevens scored 13 points for the Nittany Lions.

Pitt Falls To Virginia Tech

February 18, 2020 3:40 am

BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) – P.J. Horne scored a career-high 18 points to lift Virginia Tech to a 67-57 victory over Pittsburgh. Horne hit 6 of 9 from the floor, including a career-high four 3-pointers for the Hokies, who snapped a five-game losing streak. Au’Diese Toney and Justin Champignie scored 12 points each to lead the Panthers, who lost for the fifth time in the past seven games.

Daytona 500 Postponed By Rain

February 17, 2020 3:48 am

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) – It’s going to take another day to determine the winner of the Daytona 500.  NASCAR’s season-opening race was postponed following a second rain delay, pushing the event into Monday. It’s the second time in 62 years and first time since 2012 that “The Great American Race” will finish on a Monday.  Pole-sitter Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was the leader 20 laps into the race when the rain returned, sending drivers back to pit road.  The first delay lasted 50 minutes and came moments after the presidential motorcade completed a ceremonial parade lap around the 2 1/2-mile track. The second stoppage was prompted by heavier rain, further soaking a racing surface that takes hours to dry.

Tony Fernandez Dies At 57

February 17, 2020 3:44 am

TORONTO (AP) – Former All-Star shortstop Tony Fernandez has died. The director of his charitable foundation said Fernandez died Sunday afternoon. He had been ill with a kidney disease and was on a life support system. Fernandez was a stylish shortstop who made five All-Star teams during his 17 seasons in the major leagues and helped the Toronto Blue Jays win the 1993 World Series. Fernandez earned four straight Gold Gloves with the Blue Jays in the 1980s and holds club records for career hits and games played. Fernandez was 57.

Rudolph’s Agent: Garrett Legally liable After Interview

February 16, 2020 7:30 am

The agent for Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph says Cleveland defensive end Myles Garrett opened himself up for potential legal action after reiterating his claim that Rudolph used a racial slur shortly before their infamous brawl in November. During an interview with ESPN, his first since being hit with a suspension after slugging Rudolph in the head with Rudolph’s own helmet in the final seconds of a Browns win on Nov. 14, Garrett said Rudolph called the defensive end “the N-word.” Rudolph, as he did when Garrett made the claim while appealing the suspension in November, called the allegation “a disgusting and reckless attempt to assassinate my character.” Tim Younger, Rudolph’s agent, went a step further. Because Garrett conducted the interview in California, Younger said Garrett’s “defamatory statement” has now exposed the former No. 1 pick to “legal liability.” Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin also came to Rudolph’s defense. Tomlin said he interacted with “a lot” of people within the Browns’ organization in the aftermath of the fight and that no player or coach indicated there was a racial element to the incident. “In my conversations (with the Browns), I had a lot of sorrow for what transpired,” Tomlin said in a statement. The NFL said there was no evidence of Rudolph using a slur when it handed out an indefinite suspension to Garrett, a suspension which ended when he was reinstated earlier this week. Garrett, however, hinted the league may know more that it has revealed.