October 16, 2025 4:27 am
Joe Flacco and Aaron Rodgers are set to face off in a rare matchup of 40-year-old quarterbacks. Thursday night’s game between the Steelers and Bengals marks only the third time this has happened in the regular season. Flacco, recently traded to Cincinnati, will play against Rodgers, who has led the Steelers to a 4-1 start. Rodgers has excelled with quick passes, while Flacco has quickly connected with Bengals receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. The Bengals hope to end a four-game losing streak, and the Steelers aim to overcome their Thursday night road woes.
October 16, 2025 4:24 am
SEATTLE (AP) — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and George Springer woke up Toronto’s offense as the Blue Jays hit five home runs to rebound from an early deficit, routing the Seattle Mariners 13-4 and closing to 2-1 in the AL Championship Series. Julio Rodríguez’s two-run, first-inning homer off Shane Bieber put Seattle ahead and stirred thoughts of a possible sweep, but Andrés Giménez sparked the comeback with a tying, two-run homer in a five-run third against George Kirby. Springer, Guerrero, Alejandro Kirk and Addison Barger went deep as the Blue Jays totaled 2,004 feet of homers among 18 hits.
October 15, 2025 4:28 am
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Chris Kreider scored his second power-play goal in his Ducks home debut with 1:27 to play, and Anaheim beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 on Tuesday night for its 10th consecutive victory in home openers. Cutter Gauthier and Drew Helleson also scored and Lukas Dostal made 23 saves for the Ducks, who matched Boston and Toronto for the NHL’s longest active victory streak in home openers. Kreider, who also had an assist, is off to an outstanding start with four goals in three games for the Ducks after the Rangers traded their longtime left winger last June to create cap space. Justin Brazeau, Rickard Rakell and Anthony Mantha scored and Tristan Jarry stopped 17 shots as Pittsburgh opened a three-game California trip.
October 15, 2025 4:29 am
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched a three-hitter for the first postseason complete game in eight years as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Milwaukee Brewers 5-1 to extend their lead in the National League Championship Series. Teoscar Hernández and Max Muncy each hit a solo homer to help the Dodgers leave Milwaukee with a 2-0 advantage in the best-of-seven series, which shifts to Los Angeles for Game 3 on Thursday. Muncy’s homer was the 14th of his postseason career, breaking the Dodgers record he had shared with Corey Seager and Justin Turner. Yamamoto allowed a home run to Jackson Chourio on the first of his 111 pitches but shut down the Brewers the rest of the way for his first complete game in two major league seasons.
October 15, 2025 4:37 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is threatening to relocate World Cup matches set to be played next year in suburban Boston. He suggested Tuesday that parts of the city had been “taken over” by unrest. The city is set to stage seven matches as the U.S. cohosts the 2026 World Cup with Mexico and Canada. It wasn’t immediately clear what unrest Trump was referring to, but earlier this month there were multiple arrests in connection with a pro-Palestinian protest that turned violent on Boston Common. World Cup host sites aren’t up to Trump but are contracted with FIFA, which would face significant logistical and legal issues if it made changes now.
October 14, 2025 4:29 am
Bears Extend Win Streak With Win Over Commanders
LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — It wasn’t quite the same drama as the Hail Mary that decided these teams’ game a year ago, but Caleb Williams and the Bears did get the better of Jayden Daniels and the Commanders on a final-play score this time. Chicago defeated Washington 25-24 on Jake Moody’s 38-yard field goal Monday night. The Bears extended their winning streak to three games under first-year coach Ben Johnson. Washington continued its pattern of alternating wins and losses in 2025 and flopped with a chance to pull even with the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles atop the NFC East.
Falcons Ride Robinson To Win Over Bills
ATLANTA (AP) — Bijan Robinson matched a career high with 170 rushing yards and the Atlanta Falcons denied Josh Allen’s comeback attempt to beat the Buffalo Bills 24-14. Robinson’s huge day included an 81-yard touchdown run that was the longest rush in the NFL this season. He also had six catches for 68 yards to finish with a career-best 238 yards from scrimmage. Allen threw two touchdown passes but was also intercepted twice as the Bills lost their second straight. Drake London, who had 10 catches for 158 yards and a touchdown for the Falcons.
October 14, 2025 4:26 am
NLCS: Dodgers Hold On To Beat Brewers
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Blake Snell allowed one baserunner in eight shutout innings before Los Angeles’ bullpen barely held on as the Dodgers opened the National League Championship Series with a 2-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers. Blake Treinen struck out Brice Turang with the bases loaded to end the game. Freddie Freeman homered for the Dodgers in the sixth to break a scoreless tie.
ALCS: Mariners Head Home With 2-0 Series Lead
TORONTO (AP) — Julio Rodríguez and Jorge Polanco hit three-run homers, Josh Naylor added a two-run drive and the Seattle Mariners took a 2-0 lead in the AL Championship Series by routing the Toronto Blue Jays 10-3. Seattle, the only big league team never to host a World Series game, headed home for Wednesday’s Game 3 needing two more wins to end that drought. Toronto had just six hits, only one after the second inning, and had eight hits in the first two games. Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was 0 for 3 with a walk and is hitless in the series.
October 14, 2025 4:30 am
Purdue is No. 1 in the preseason Associated Press men’s college basketball poll for the first time. The Boilermakers earned 35 of 61 first-place votes to top Monday’s AP Top 25 poll to begin the 2025-26 season. That put Matt Painter’s squad ahead of the two teams that played in last year’s NCAA title game. Runner-up Houston was No. 2 while reigning champion Florida was No. 3. UConn was fourth, followed by St. John’s. Duke, Michigan, BYU, Kentucky and Texas Tech rounded out the top 10. The Southeastern Conference, Big Ten and Big 12 each had six ranked teams.
October 14, 2025 12:01 am
The WPIAL football regular season ends Saturday, Oct. 25th with the conclusion of the Burgettstown/Bishop Canevin game at Dormont Stadium. All told, 65 teams will enter the WPIAL playoffs, most by claiming one of the conference automatic berths, 16 others by invitation of the WPIAL Football Steering Committee as Wild Cards. The League is expected to release the brackets the afternoon of the final day of the season. Following is a two-weeks-to-play look at the playoff pictures for the 19 teams in Washington & Greene Counties. (Conference records).
The Class 1A playoff field will include 16 teams, the top three finishers in each of the four conferences, then four wild card selections. The Black Hills Conference will almost certainly get one wild card slot and possibly two. The Tri-County South did not fare well a year ago in the at-large selection process, though a 7-win fourth-place team should be in good shape for an at-large selection this season.
Black Hills Conference: Fort Cherry (5-0) has clinched their third straight conference title. The two-time defending WPIAL champion has a non-conference game this week before hosting Serra Catholic (0-4) to close the season. Chartiers-Houston (3-2) is in a virtual tie with Cornell (2-2) and Monessen (2-2) heading into this weekend’s action. The Bucs go to Cornell Friday to close their conference slate. Bugettstown (0-4) cannot win an automatic bid and is not in wild card consideration.
Tri-County South: California (5-0) has clinched one of the three automatic bids. The Trojans host Beth-Center this week before finishing at Jeff-Morgan. Bentworth (4-1) stayed within one game of the lead with last week’s win over Jeff-Morgan. The Bearcats go to Mapletown before hosting Avella. Bentworth clinches a playoff spot with a win. Jeff-Morgan (4-1) lost at Bentworth, now hosts Avella and California to close. The Rockets have to win at least once to qualify. Avella (3-2) goes to Jeff-Morgan, then Bentworth. The Eagles have to win at least once down the stretch to get in. Beth-Center (2-3), Carmichaels (1-4) , West Greene (1-4) and Mapletown (0-5) are relegated to spoiler role, which the Mikes may well have done with last week’s win at Avella.
2A Wash High, Waynesburg, Charleroi: The Little Prexies (4-0) locked up their playoff spot in the 13-team bracket, comprised of the top three finishers in each conference plus four wild card teams. Wash High has games with Carlynton (0-4) and co-leader Seton-La Salle (4-0). Waynesburg (1-3) cannot claim an automatic berth after its loss to Keystone Oaks (4-1). The Raiders close with Charleroi (1-3) and Sto-Rox (1-4), needing to win both to get to .500 and into the at-large discussion. Charleroi, at 1-7 overall, cannot qualify.
3A McGuffey: The Highlanders (0-5) cannot qualify for the 12-team bracket made up of the top three conference finishers and three wild card choices.
4A Trinity, Ringgold: The Hillers (3-0) have sole possession of first place in the Big Six Conference, one game up on Chartiers Valley (2-1) and Thomas Jefferson (2-1). The top two teams in each conference qualify for the 8-team bracket, supplemented by two wild cards teams. Trinity clinches a playoff spot with any win (at Laurel Highlands, at Belle Vernon), and the conference title with two wins, or a win and a Belle Vernon loss. The Hillers have already beaten Chartiers Valley (2-1) and Thomas Jefferson (2-1). Those two meet Friday in Bridgeville. Ringgold (1-2) goes to Belle Vernon (1-2) this week, then to Chartiers Valley to end the regular season, the Rams likely in need of two wins to get into wild card discussions, or losses ahead of them to get back in the AQ position.
5A Peters Township: The Indians (3-0) remain the #2 ranked team in the classification behind Pine-Richland. Peters Township clinches a playoff spot with any win, playing Friday at Baldwin (0-3), then closing the schedule at Bethel Park (1-2). The top three teams in each conference qualify along with three wild card selections, making up a 12-team bracket.
6A Canon-McMillan: The Big Macs (2-2) got some help last week when Seneca Valley (1-3) knocked off Hempfield (1-4). But the Big Macs could use one more win, either this week at Norwin (2-2) or home next Friday vs. Central Catholic (4-0). Shy of that, the Big Macs could use some help from Mt. Lebanon (1-3) this week at home against Hempfield. C-M clinches with a win this week, but can get in without it. The top four teams qualify for the bracket with Central Catholic and North Allegheny (4-1) already clinching spots.
October 13, 2025 4:38 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Aaron Rodgers passed for 235 yards and two touchdowns, and the Pittsburgh Steelers had little trouble with the Cleveland Browns in a 23-9 victory. The Steelers strengthened their early grip on the AFC North by continuing their home mastery of the Browns. Cleveland’s regular-season losing streak at Acrisure Stadium hit 22 games after another lifeless performance by its offense. Browns rookie Dillon Gabriel passed for 221 yards but couldn’t lead the league’s second-lowest scoring offense to the end zone as Cleveland failed to crack the 17-point barrier for the 11th consecutive game. Rodgers threw TD passes to Connor Heyward and DK Metcalf.
