ReportWire

Tag: APP Sports

  • Region 4 final takes on distinct NFL flavor

    [ad_1]

    CINCINNATI — Anytime a trophy gets handed out, it’s a big deal, and Friday night 28 of them will be distributed to regional champions in the Ohio High School Athletic Association football playoffs. 

    What You Need To Know

    • GCL-South rivals St. Xavier and Elder meet in the Region 4 final in a game moved to Paycor Stadium

    • The game will air on Spectrum News 1 and the Spectrum News App

    • An additional 21 games will be streamed at spectrumnews1.com 

    Experience at this level is always a key factor, and 17 regional champs from a year ago are still alive trying to repeat that goal. 

    In the 28 regions, there are 21 top seeds still playing, and 10 of those brackets feature a championship game with the one seed battling the two seed. That includes two meetings of undefeated teams, with London playing Tippecanoe in Division III, Region 12, and Wheelersburg taking on Nelsonville in Division V, Region 19. 

    There are still a handful of Cinderellas hoping it doesn’t turn midnight just yet, as well. Danville is the 11-seed in Division VII, Region 21. In Division VI, Region 22, Carey is still alive as the nine-seed. Eighth-seeded North Union is playing for the Region 20 (Division V) championship, and Garaway is the seven-seed in Division VI, Region 21.

    In all, there are 10 schools seeded fifth or lower, who will playing their fourth postseason contest after needing first round wins to advance. 

    Whether you are pulling for an underdog or a favorite, Spectrum News 1 has you covered with four live games Friday night, going to the Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus and Dayton markets, as part of the Ohio High School Athletic Association Game of the Week, and bonus coverage of a fifth.  

    According to the website Pro Football Reference, St. Xavier (14) and Elder (12) have combined to send 26 players on to play in the National Football League.

    So, when those schools meet in a regional final for the first time since 2001, it’s so big it must be played in a NFL Stadium. 

    Originally scheduled to be held at Mason High School, the initial allotment of 7,000 tickets sold out in roughly an hour on Monday. A deal was struck with Hamilton County Commissioners, and the game site shifted to Paycor Stadium, home of the Bengals. 

    Just as exciting as the match-up itself is how the teams got here, pulling out wins for the ages in the regional semifinals. 

    The Bombers (9-2) ended a seven-game losing streak at the hands of another Greater Catholic League South Division rival Moeller, scoring the go-ahead touchdown with less than a minute to play, for a 17-13 decision.

    The Pit has hosted Elder football since 1947 but never witnessed anything like what unfolded the week before when the Panthers defied odds to rally for a 32-30 win over Princeton. 

    Elder (12-0) trailed 23-0 early in the third quarter, before responding with 23 unanswered points of its own. Then—all in the game’s final 75 seconds—Princeton blocked a field goal and returned it for a touchdown, the Panthers answered with a 75-yard touchdown on their first play from scrimmage after that, missed the two-point conversation that would have tied it, recovered the onside kick and booted the game winning field goal with 12 seconds left. 

    It means we get the 110th all-time meeting between these long-time rivals, with Elder leading the series 56-47-6, dating back to the first one in 1923. This will be the eighth postseason battle, with St. Xavier holding a 4-3 advantage there.

    While the teams have split over the past two regular seasons, with the Panthers a 23-13 winner on Sept. 26 this year, the Bombers were victorious in the last playoff matchup, 42-7 in a 2021 regional quarterfinal. 

    Friday’s winner will break through a Region 4 stranglehold from Moeller, which had taken the crown in each of the past four years. St. Xavier won it in 2020 on the way to the state title, while Elder won Region 4 in 2019 while reaching the state championship game. 

    Most Spectrum customers will get the Massillon vs. Big Walnut game statewide on channel 314. For those who don’t have that channel, the game is still available as a stream (link above). 

    This Region 7 matchup has become a common occurrence, as they are meeting in the playoffs for the fourth time in five years. Massillon won regional semifinal games in 2021 and 2022, while Big Walnut returned the favor in last year’s regional final, upsetting the then-defending state champions, 14-7. 

    The Tigers (9-3) have won six straight after a 3-3 start to the year, including comfortable playoff wins over Hoover (62-7) and DeSales (48-14). 

    The Eagles (11-1) only loss was in the season opener to a Watterson program that has currently won 27 straight games, including last year’s Division III championship. 

    Additionally, Spectrum News 1 will broadcast 17 games on www.SpectrumNews1.com, including the following matchups:

    Previous games from the season are also available on demand through our web site.

    The playoffs continue next Friday, Nov. 28, with live broadcasts on Spectrum News 1 and all 14 state semifinal games available through the Spectrum News 1 website. 

    The excitement runs all the way through Dec. 4-6 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, site of the OHSAA football championships, live on Spectrum News 1 and the Spectrum News App. 

    [ad_2]

    Rob Kunz

    Source link

  • Bengals’ offense in flux due to injuries, suspension

    [ad_1]

    CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Bengals have a lot of moving pieces on offense going into this weekend’s matchup with the rolling New England Patriots.

    What You Need To Know

    • Joe Flacco has been limited in practice as he continues to manage a shoulder injury

    • Joe Burrow, out since September with a toe injury, participated in his first 11-on-11 drills since the injury on Wednesday

    • Star receiver Ja’Marr Chase has been suspended for one game

    Joe Flacco has been limited in practice as he continues to manage a shoulder injury. Fellow quarterback Joe Burrow, out since September with a toe injury, participated in his first 11-on-11 drills since the injury on Wednesday.

    Star receiver Ja’Marr Chase has been suspended for one game. Offensive guard Jalen Rivers missed practice on Wednesday due to an ankle injury, and tight end Mike Gesicki could return from injured reserve this week.

    It’s a lot to sort through for a 3-7 team hoping to stop a three-game slide, especially with Drake Maye and the 9-2 Patriots coming to town.

    The 40-year-old Flacco injured his shoulder on Oct. 26 in a loss against the New York Jets. He has been managing the injury over the last month while playing through it.

    “I feel good, I really do,” Flacco said Wednesday. “I’m starting to feel pretty good with what’s just gone on the last couple of weeks, the rest of the body is holding up well, so I can’t complain.”

    Flacco had a great opening drive on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but his passing appeared to look different following a massive hit that he took early in the game. Flacco went on to have his worst game during his short stint with the Bengals in a 34-12 loss on a windy day.

    “It was a difficult day in general,” offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher said. “The rush in that building is different than the rush on the road. He took that hit. The weather was not easy to throw in. I think if there’s anyone in the world suited for throwing in that weather it’s Joe Flacco. I would lean on whatever his own self-assessment was of his performance when it comes to that.”

    This week, the Bengals’ coaches are figuring out how they will fill Chase’s role against the Patriots. After spitting on Steelers defensive back Jalen Ramsey, Chase was suspended by the NFL for Week 12.

    Tee Higgins and Andrei Iosivas are good to go, and the Bengals are evaluating several options to be their third receiver this week, including Mitchell Tinsley, Charlie Jones and Jermaine Burton.

    “Guys taking advantage of opportunity, that’s exactly what it is,” coach Zac Taylor said. “That’s how some guys have gotten their chances. That’s how Mitch Tinsley has gotten himself on the roster. He has taken advantage of moments where he’s at. We’ll continue to evaluate those guys. We have a good plan in place and will utilize everyone we can.”

    Gesicki, a proven pass catcher who has been out since Week 6 with a pectoral injury, also could return on Sunday.

    That would provide another boost to the Bengals’ passing game.

    “It helps given that situation (with Chase) to lose a guy like Ja’Marr and add Mike helps ease the pain a little bit,” Taylor said. “Happy to have him.”

    Since Chase is suspended this week, he isn’t allowed to have contact with the Bengals’ coaches. Taylor has continued to support Chase and said he’s on the same page with the All-Pro receiver about this situation.

    “As a team we have a to move forward and still support Ja’Marr,” Taylor said. “I’ve supported Ja’Marr. We have to focus on New England now and we look forward to getting him in there next week.”

    [ad_2]

    Spectrum News Staff, Associated Press

    Source link

  • Georgia up to No. 4 in AP poll, Sooners back in top 10

    [ad_1]

    Georgia moved up one spot to No. 4 in The Associated Press poll Sunday, Oklahoma returned to the top 10 and North Texas, ranked for the first time since 1959, is among three Group of Five teams in the Top 25.

    Ohio State, Indiana and Texas A&M were the top three teams for the fifth straight week. Georgia earned its highest ranking since the first week of September and Mississippi was back in the top five after spending three weeks there at midseason.

    Oregon and Texas Tech were tied for No. 6, and Oklahoma rose three spots to No. 8 following its win at Alabama. The Sooners were last in the top 10, at No. 6, the second week of October.

    Notre Dame remained No. 9 after a 22-point win at Pittsburgh and Alabama dropped six spots to No. 10 after the Sooners ended its eight-game win streak.

    Ohio State, which rolled past UCLA to improve to 10-0 for the fourth time in seven seasons, received 57 of 66 first-place votes. Indiana, which beat Wisconsin to go 11-0 for the first time, got eight first-place votes. Texas A&M, whose comeback from a 27-point deficit to beat South Carolina was its largest ever, got one first-place vote, three less than last week.

    Georgia’s 35-10 win over Texas was its sixth straight and second over a top-10 opponent. Mississippi, which lost at Georgia a month ago, defeated Florida and is more than 100 points behind the Bulldogs at No. 5.

    The Group of Five hadn’t had three teams in the Top 25 since four appeared in last season’s final poll.

    The Sun Belt Conference’s James Madison blew out Appalachian State and moved up three spots to No. 21. North Texas is next at No. 22. The Mean Green of the American Conference clobbered UAB 53-24 on the road and have matched their best start in program history.

    The last time UNT was 9-1 was in 1959, when the team then known as the Eagles was ranked two straight weeks in November, reaching No. 16. That team lost to New Mexico State in the Sun Bowl to finish 9-2. This year’s UNT team already is eligible for a second straight bowl game and is in the thick of the race for the Group of Five’s automatic CFP bid.

    In and out

    — No. 22 North Texas’ first appearance in the poll in 66 years ends the longest drought by a Bowl Subdivision team.

    — No. 23 Missouri returned after a one-week absence following a win over Mississippi State in which Ahmad Hardy became the first player since 2022 to rush for 300 yards.

    — No. 24 Tulane has won two straight since losing to UTSA and is ranked for the first time this season.

    — No. 25 Houston, fifth among teams also receiving votes last week and idle, were ranked for one week in October.

    Louisville (19), Cincinnati (22), Pittsburgh (23) and South Florida (25) dropped out.

    Poll points

    — Voters did what the CFP selection committee did last week, jumping Miami over Georgia Tech to make the Hurricanes the highest-ranked Atlantic Coast Conference team. Miami easily beat North Carolina State and moved up two spots to No. 14. Georgia Tech, which needed a field goal in the final seconds to edge one-win Boston College, slipped a spot to No. 15.

    — No. 13 Utah has outscored three opponents by a combined 153-49 since losing at BYU and has its highest ranking of the season.

    — No. 17 Texas took the biggest plunge, dropping seven spots.

    Conference call

    SEC (9): Nos. 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 12, 17, 20, 23.

    Big Ten (5): Nos. 1, 2, T-6, 16, 18.

    Big 12 (4): Nos. T-6, 11, 13, 25.

    ACC (3): Nos. 14, 15, 19.

    American (2): Nos. 22, 24.

    Sun Belt (1): No. 21.

    Independent (1): No. 9.

    Ranked vs. ranked

    No. 16 Southern California (8-2, 6-1 Big Ten, No. 17 CFP) at No. 6 Oregon (9-1, 6-1, No. 8 CFP): Winner strengthens its position for a CFP at-large bid and keeps alive slim hopes of sneaking into the Big Ten championship game.

    No. 23 Missouri (7-3, 3-3 SEC) at No. 8 Oklahoma (8-2, 4-2, No. 11 CFP): Sooners did wonders for their playoff resume by knocking off Alabama on the road and now go for a fifth win over a Top 25 opponent.

    [ad_2]

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • Loss to Steelers has Bengals reeling

    [ad_1]

    CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Bengals’ plan to have Joe Flacco keep them competitive until Joe Burrow can return from toe surgery has hit a major snag.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Bengals (3-7) lost four straight before beating the Steelers last month

    • Flacco, making his 200th career start, delivered his worst performance since he arrived in Cincinnati last month to take over for ineffective backup Jake Browning

    • The Steelers put the game away when cornerback James Pierre scored on a 32-yard fumble recovery

    Flacco was riding high after his first game against the Pittsburgh Steelers this season, a 33-31 victory on Oct. 16. But the 40-year-old struggled in Sunday’s rematch, throwing a costly interception as the Bengals lost 34-12 to extend their skid to three games.

    “We have to find a way to scratch and claw, get a win and get that feeling back we had three weeks ago when we beat Pittsburgh,” coach Zac Taylor said. “That’s our only option right now.”

    The Bengals (3-7) lost four straight before beating the Steelers last month. They haven’t won since, and their chances of staying in contention in the weak AFC North are dwindling.

    “Our goal was to be 3-0 in the division coming out of this game,” Taylor said. “But that’s not how it played out.”

    Flacco, making his 200th career start, delivered his worst performance since he arrived in Cincinnati last month to take over for ineffective backup Jake Browning, who had initially stepped in after Burrow got hurt.

    Burrow started practicing this week, opening his 21-day window to return, but the two-time Pro Bowler was never expected to play Sunday.

    Flacco completed 23 of 40 passes for 199 yards and a touchdown. The game-changing play was an errant throw over the middle that Kyle Dugger turned into a 73-yard pick-6.

    “We made mistakes and they capitalized,” Flacco said.

    Flacco had been pushing the ball to the Bengals’ star receivers, but they were quiet on Sunday. Tee Higgins caught three passes for 63 yards and the Bengals’ only touchdown, and Ja’Marr Chase was limited to just three catches for 30 yards.

    Chase was also involved in a heated fourth-quarter exchange with Steelers veteran defensive back Jalen Ramsey. Ramsey, who was ejected after grabbing Chase’s facemask with his left hand and taking a swing with his right, accused Chase of spitting on him. Chase denied the accusation.

    “He didn’t like some of the words I told him,” Chase said. “We’ve been going back and forth the whole time, so I’m sure something got under his skin.”

    The Steelers put the game away when cornerback James Pierre scored on a 32-yard fumble recovery.

    “You have to give them credit,” Taylor said. “They won the turnover battle 2-0 and that’s the recipe for success. I don’t think the score is indicative of how the game played through three quarters, but they did the things you have to do to win and they had a chance to run away with it.”

    [ad_2]

    Spectrum News Staff, Associated Press

    Source link

  • No. 12 Louisville uses hot hand from deep to wallop Ohio 106-81

    [ad_1]

    LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Ryan Conwell scored 22 points and No. 12 Louisville had its best 3-point shooting game of the season to cruise to a 106-81 victory against Ohio on Saturday.

    What You Need To Know

    • Louisville beat Ohio 106-81 Saturday

    • Ryan Conwell scored 22 points

    • Ohio hosts Bethune-Cookman Wednesday

    The Cardinals (4-0), who entered Saturday averaging 102 points per game, topped 100 points for the third time this season. They went 16 of 35 from beyond the arc in matching their best start to a season in five years.

    Louisville shot 20 of 36 in the first half, including going 9 for 17 from 3-point range. Isaac McKneely scored 12 points in the half.

    Louisville also forced Ohio (1-3), a team that averaged 10.3 turnovers in its first three games, to commit 11 of its 17 turnovers in the first 20 minutes. That helped the Cardinals grow their lead to 58-37 with less than two minutes before halftime.

    Six Cardinals scored in double figures. Mikel Brown Jr. finished with 19 points and seven assists. McKneely had 15 points and Sananda Fru scored 10 of his 14 in the second half.

    Jackson Paveletzke led the Bobcats, matching his career-high of 28 points. An All-MAC first-team selection last season, Paveletzke made seven of his first eight shots and finished 8 of 14 from the field.

    Aidan Hadaway finished with 12 points and eight rebounds for Ohio.

    Up next

    Ohio hosts Bethune-Cookman on Wednesday night.

    Louisville travels to play Cincinnati on Friday night.


    [ad_2]

    Spectrum News Staff, Associated Press

    Source link

  • Browns weighing use of PSLs at new Brook Park stadium

    [ad_1]

    CLEVELAND — How much would you pay to see the Cleveland Browns play in the new covered stadium in Brook Park?

    What You Need To Know

    • The Cleveland Browns are surveying current season ticket holders about PSLs at the new domed stadium in Brook Par

    • The PSLs would be needed to purchase season tickets in the new stadium and range from $500 to over $140,000

    • The team hasn’t made a final decision on if PSLs will be instituted at the new stadium

    That’s the question the team is asking season-ticket holders in a recent survey. The survey shows several pricing options for PSLs, or personal seat licenses, which may be required to purchase season tickets at the new stadium.

    Cleveland State University Director of Sports and Entertainment Jim Kahler said PSLs are common in new stadiums. 

    “PSLs have been around for years but they’re becoming more and more common for new construction buildouts,” said Kahler. 

    In a recent survey sent to season ticket holders, the Browns put out potential price points for PSLs in the new stadium. A general seat in the upper level from the 30-yard lines to the endzone requires a one-time payment of $1,050 to be able to purchase a season ticket. The PSL to be able to buy a coveted club seat on the home side 50-yard line for the season could cost over $130,000 in the new stadium. 

    “It’s a partnership with fans and the owners of the team,” Kahler said. “We’ve got raise enough money in this case in Cleveland to build a state-of-the-art domed stadium. Is the Haslam family going to get some contributions from the state? They’ve done that. Are they going to put their own money into it? They’ve done that too. To be fair to the equation, the fans are going to own a piece of it and they way they do that is through PSLs.” 

    PSLs were used in 1999 for the current lakefront stadium. Rodney Symons remembers it well as a former season-ticket holder but says higher priced PSLs and tickets could ice out loyal fans. 

    “If their tickets are going to be right around $200 a piece once again with the PSLs people just can’t afford that,” Symons said. “It’s overpriced.” 

    Symons is excited for the new domed stadium but thinks the team could struggle filling it due to high prices and lackluster performance on the field.  

    “If you build it, they’re going to come we already know that,” said Symons. “But once that newness wears off you’re going to be in a situation where it’s like okay, ‘we’ve seen the facility’. If the product is the way it is right now, they’re only going to come for so long and then what are you going to do?” 

    The Browns have not made a final decision on whether PSLs will be a part of the new stadium. Kahler thinks it’s not a matter of if PSLs are instituted but when.

    “It’s just a natural way to fund the financing of the new facility,” said Kahler. 

    Kahler thinks the Browns have an opportunity to do right by the fans by gathering feedback so early in the process. 

    “You don’t want to alienate the fans that have been with you for a lifetime,” Kahler said. “I’m sure that they will come up with some sort of scoring or rating system that rewards people. The Browns have an opportunity to do that and in my professional opinion the right time to do that is when you’re going to open a new stadium.”

     

    [ad_2]

    Jack Berney

    Source link

  • Dune of Dreams: Baseball league in Dubai begins with novel rules and camels

    [ad_1]

    UD AL-BAYDA, United Arab Emirates — Emerging from the shimmering heat in the desert outskirts of Dubai is an unfamiliar sight in the Middle East, a baseball field.

    Now that it’s built, though, one question remains: Will the fans come?

    What You Need To Know

    • Baseball United has launched its inaugural season in Dubai, aiming to bring baseball to the Middle East

    • The league featuring four teams kicked off on Friday at the new Barry Larkin Field

    • The Mumbai Cobras faced the Karachi Monarchs, drawing on the sporting rivalry between India and Pakistan and the large number of expatriates in the Emirates
    • The league introduces novel rules to speed up games and attract fans. All games will be at the stadium in Dubai’s desert, with environmental concerns leading to an artificial field. Baseball United hopes to capture interest in a region dominated by soccer and cricket

    That’s the challenge for the inaugural season of Baseball United, a four-team, monthlong contest that began Friday at the new Barry Larkin Field.

    Its named for an investor who is a former Cincinnati Reds shortstop, has the exact dimensions of the field at Yankee Stadium in New York, and is artificially turfed for the broiling sun of the United Arab Emirates.

    The professional league seeks to draw on the sporting rivalry between India and Pakistan and their large number of expatriates in the Emirates. On Friday, the Mumbai Cobras played the Karachi Monarchs. Each team has Indian and Pakistani players seeking to break into the broadcast market saturated by soccer and cricket in this part of the world.

    And while having no big-name players from Major League Baseball, the league has created some of novel rules to speed up games and put more runs on the board — and potentially generate interest for U.S. fans as the regular season there has ended.

    “People here have got to learn the rules anyway so if we get to start at a blank canvas then why don’t we introduce some new rules that we believe are going to excite them from the onset,” Baseball United CEO and co-owner Kash Shaikh told The Associated Press.

    The dune of dreams

    The season ends in mid-December and all games will be played at Baseball United’s stadium in an area known as Ud al-Bayda, some 30 kilometers (18 miles) from the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building. The stadium sits alongside The Sevens Stadium, which hosts an annual rugby sevens tournament known for hard-partying fans drinking restricted alcohol and wearing costumes.

    The field seats some 3,000 fans and will host games mostly at night, though the weather is starting to cool in the Emirates as the season changes. But environmental concerns have been kept in mind — Baseball United went for an artificial field to avoid the challenge of using more than 45 million liters (12 million gallons) of water a year to maintain a natural grass field, said John P. Miedreich, a co-founder and executive vice president at the league.

    “We had to airlift clay in from the United States, airlift clay from Pakistan” for the pitcher’s mound, he added.

    Beside the Cobras and the Monarchs, the inaugural league also features the Arabia Wolves of Dubai and the Mideast Falcons from Abu Dhabi.

    The changes to the traditional game in Baseball United put a different spin on the game similar to how Twenty20 drastically sped up traditional cricket. The baseball league has introduced a golden “moneyball” which gives managers three chances in a game to use an at bat to double the runs scored off a home run. A similar “fireball” automatically ends an inning if a pitcher strikes out a batter.

    Teams can call in “designated runners” three times during a game. And if a game is tied after nine innings the teams face off in a home run derby to decide the winner.

    “It’s entertainment, and it’s exciting, and it’s helping get new fans and young fans more engaged in the game,” Shaikh said.

    America’s pastime has limited success

    Baseball in the Middle East has had mixed success, to put a positive spin on the ball.

    American supporters launched the professional Israel Baseball League in 2007, comprised almost entirely of foreign players. However, it folded after one season. Americans spread the game in prerevolution Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE over the decades, though it has been dwarfed by soccer. Saudi Arabia, through the Americans at its oil company Aramco, has sent teams to the Little League World Series.

    But soccer remains a favorite in the Mideast, which hosted the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Then there’s cricket, the biggest sporting passion in India and Pakistan. The International Cricket Council, the world governing body, has its headquarters in Dubai near the city’s cricket stadium.

    Organizers know they have their work cut out for them. At one point during a news conference Thursday they went over baseball basics — home runs, organ music and where center field sits.

    “The most important part is the experience for fans to come out, eat a hot dog, see mascots running around, to see what baseball traditions that we all grew up with back home in the U.S. — and start to fall in love with the game because we know that once they start to learn those, they will become big fans,” Shaikh said.

    Opening Night with bullpen camels

    On Friday night, attracting fans to the stadium appeared to be a challenge as laborers on buses filled one section of seats after being given a free Karachi Monarchs shirt, snacks and water.

    Still, they cheered along with other more experienced, somewhat inebriated baseball fans and filmed selfies as cheerleaders performed between innings. Beers on tap cost over $13, expensive for a laborers’ salary, which can be just a few hundred dollars a month.

    The game’s first pitch saw Monarchs batter Pavin Parks hit a home run. “Fireballs” saw the top and the bottom of the seventh and the top of the eighth end with one strikeout, speeding along a game as the crowd thinned. Parks hit a ninth inning “moneyball” home run, the game’s first. The Monarchs won 6-4.

    In a nod to its desert environs, the starting pitchers for each team came into the game on camels.

    “Thirty years in the game and I’ve never seen a camel in the bullpen,” Monarchs pitching coach Frank Gonzales said. “I kind of like it though.”

    [ad_2]

    Spectrum News Staff, Associated Press

    Source link

  • PGA announces new tournament in western North Carolina

    [ad_1]

    ASHEVILLE, N.C. — The world’s top golfers will soon get a chance to play in western North Carolina.

    The PGA has announced the inaugural Biltmore Championship in Asheville will tee off in September 2026. The tournament comes just two years after Helene devastated the region.

    Local businesses, like men’s clothing boutique JW Bell in Biltmore Village, are hopeful this tournament will bring some much-needed tourism back to the area.

    What You Need To Know

    • The inaugural Biltmore Championship in Asheville is scheduled for Sept. 17–20 at the Cliffs at Walnut Cove golf course

    • The historic Biltmore Estate and Explore Asheville are co-title sponsors of the event

    • The Biltmore Championship is part of the FedEx Cup Fall series



    William Tepper, the president of JW Bell, is used to welcoming people during this time of year, most of them coming to take in the colorful leaves and celebrate the holidays. 

    “The customer and the people we get to see here in the village, they’re great. They’re coming to see something really special, visiting western North Carolina, we really wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” Tepper said.  

    The boutique was flooded during the storm and reopened in July.  

    Despite seeing a decrease of customers since Helene, Tepper says he is happy with the traffic the store has had and predicts the Biltmore Championship will help bring even more customers to the store. 

    “I just think that the visitor in general, is going to be just great for the business, you know, whether it’s restaurants, retail, hotels, I mean, they tend to come in groups and enjoy the area,” Tepper said.

    Explore Asheville, says they expect the tournament to attract thousands of visitors and to generate millions of dollars of direct spending for businesses in the area. 

    “The travel and hospitality has always been a part of Asheville in western North Carolina. And sports tourism was a big part of that,” said Vic Isley, the president and CEO of Explore Asheville.

    Tepper is excited to see Asheville and the surrounding area take center stage again during such a big sporting event.

    “People are going to see it, you know, maybe on TV that don’t get to come to the tournament, but they’ll see it on TV and say, ‘maybe we really need to go visit that area,’” he said.

    The inaugural Biltmore Championship tournament is scheduled for Sept. 17–20 at the Cliffs at Walnut Cove golf course. The historic Biltmore Estate and Explore Asheville are co-title sponsors of the event.

    Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.

    [ad_2]

    Jordan Grantz

    Source link

  • QBs in spotlight as Panthers, Falcons look for more help from passing game

    [ad_1]

    ATLANTA (AP) — Carolina’s Bryce Young and Atlanta’s Michael Penix Jr. delivered identical somber messages following disappointing performances in losses last week: “I’ve got to be better.”

    The quarterbacks are in the spotlight as the Panthers and Falcons seek more balanced offense in the renewal of their NFC South rivalry on Sunday.

    The Panthers (5-5) and Falcons (3-6) share similar stories of frustration in recent seasons. Each team is looking to snap a streak of seven consecutive losing seasons and reach the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

    Each team is counting on its young quarterback to spark a turnaround, but the 2025 results have been mixed as the running games have been more reliable for Atlanta and Carolina. Penix and Young rank 21st and 25th, respectively, in passing yards.

    Falcons second-year coach Raheem Morris is facing increased pressure as last week’s 31-25 overtime loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Berlin left Atlanta with a four-game losing streak. Morris knows criticism is part of his job, but he has spoken more this week about his concern about Penix “being so hard on himself” after completing only 12 of 28 passes for 177 yards and a touchdown against the Colts.

    Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson said patience is needed with young quarterbacks.

    “Knowing how difficult this game is, knowing the immense pressure that goes into that position, being the franchise quarterback, all the different expectations that come with young quarterbacks, we can obviously jump on these guys super early in their career and not even give them a chance to develop,” Robinson said.

    Relying on the run

    Each team has relied on deep running games. Carolina’s Rico Dowdle ranks third in the league in rushing and has support from Chuba Hubbard. The Falcons counter with Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier. Robinson, also productive as a receiver out of the backfield, ranks third in the league in scrimmage yards.

    Low point for Penix

    Penix has thrown only three interceptions this season. Two picks came in an ugly 30-0 loss at Carolina on Sept. 21, including one returned for a touchdown by Chau Smith-Wade. Penix completed only 18 of 36 passes for 172 yards and former starter Kirk Cousins took over in the fourth quarter with the Falcons trailing 27-0.

    Penix promised the Falcons will be more competitive.

    “Obviously if you look back at that game, they had success in that game,” Penix said. “So, maybe they do show some of the same things that they did in that game, but we will be ready for every look. We’ll definitely make it a better game than what we did last time.”

    Protecting Young

    The Panthers were held to 175 total yards in last week’s 17-7 home loss to the one-win New Orleans Saints. Young had just 124 yards passing and turned the ball over twice. The Saints stuffed the box on defense to stop Dowdle and forced Young to beat them. Young couldn’t, but it wasn’t all his fault.

    The No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL draft spent most of the day on the run as the Saints were able to get pressure up the middle, disrupting the timing of several pass plays.

    Panthers coach Dave Canales has similar concerns this week facing the Falcons, who come in tied for fifth in the league with 29 sacks, including seven last week. Rookies Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. have helped boost the pass rush.

    “At the end of the day, they got some talented guys, and they got some young speed on the edges,” Canales said.

    Speak for yourself

    Linebacker Nic Scourton said on Sunday the Panthers may have taken the Saints lightly. The rookie’s comments didn’t sit too well with Canales, who said he’d prefer those comments stay in-house.

    Canales added that the Panthers looked sharp in practice Wednesday.

    “It’s a learning opportunity to say, OK, for our guys, speak for your own performance,” Canales said. “If you want to make a general comment about, hey, when we lose, we’re upset, we’re disappointed. But the specific part of it that we can do a better job of just keeping those things within us and the stuff that we talk about.”

    Stopping Bijan

    The Panthers defense shut out the Falcons the first time around. Carolina cornerback Mike Jackson knows duplicating that effort on Atlanta’s home field will take another stellar performance.

    Robinson had 13 carries for 72 yards and six catches for 39 yards but was held out of the end zone. Robinson’s No. 7 jersey will be the focus for the defense.

    “We just played good clean defense, we got a couple of turnovers,” Jackson said. “I feel like we just kind of disrupted their timing. We have to contain No. 7. It all starts with No. 7.”

    ___

    AP Sports Writer Steve Reed contributed to this report.

    Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.

    [ad_2]

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • In matchup of 6-3 teams, Buccaneers visit Bills for Sunday showdown

    [ad_1]

    ORCHARD PARK, N.Y.  — Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield likes to joke about how much he looks up to Josh Allen.

    What You Need To Know

    • Baker Mayfield and Josh Allen have mutual respect in a friendship that began in 2018, when they were among five quarterbacks selected in the first round of the NFL Draft

    • They face off on Sunday, when the Bills (6-3) host the Buccaneers (6-3)

    • The meeting on Sunday marks their third, with each splitting the first two, and comes at a critical juncture for their teams’ playoff aspirations

    • Kickoff is at 1 p.m.


    “I have to walkie-talkie to him because he’s so damn tall,” the 6-foot-1 Mayfield said, attempting to maintain a straight face when discussing his relationship with the Bills quarterback, who stands 6-foot-5.

    “So I can’t really have a face-to-face conversation with him,” Mayfield added, before suggesting Allen has small hands for his size.

    Allen shot back by accusing Mayfield of wearing two gloves when he golfs, after the two were paired at a celebrity tournament this summer.

    The playful banter is an indication of a mutual respect in a friendship that began in 2018, when they were among five quarterbacks selected in the first round of the draft.

    The bond has grown given the career challenges they’ve overcome since, in establishing themselves as franchise-caliber players preparing to face off on Sunday, when the Bills (6-3) host the Buccaneers (6-3).

    “I love the guy. He’s awesome,” Allen said. “To see how his career has progressed and the adversity he’s fought through, he’s playing some really, really dang good football right now.”

    Mayfield’s rise has been gradual since being drafted first overall by the Cleveland Browns.

    It took him five seasons and stops with the Carolina Panthers and the Los Angeles Rams before finally finding the right fit in Tampa Bay. This year might be Mayfield’s most impressive in working his way into the midseason NFL MVP conversation for his production overseeing an injury-depleted offense.

    For Allen, drafted seventh by Buffalo, he shed knocks about his accuracy and mechanics coming out of Wyoming by transforming the Bills into an AFC power and earning MVP honors last season.

    The meeting on Sunday marks just their third, with each splitting the first two, and comes at a critical juncture for their teams’ playoff aspirations.

    The five-time defending AFC East champion Bills have dropped three of five and face a crisis of confidence on offense after the passing game sputtered in a 30-13 loss at Miami.

    The four-time defending NFC South champion Buccaneers still lead their division, but have dropped two of three following a 28-23 loss at New England. Injuries remain the biggest concern, with Tampa Bay playing much of the season without receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, and running back Bucky Irving.

    Mayfield refused to use injuries as an excuse by voicing concerns about the team lacking a killer instinct following the loss on Sunday.

    “I’m perfectly fine with it,” coach Todd Bowles said. “When you’re one of the captains of the team, you know what it looks like. … He spoke up, and everybody took it the right way.”

    [ad_2]

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • Ryan Day warns against complacency ahead of Ohio State’s game against UCLA

    [ad_1]

    COLUMBUS, Ohio — With two weeks remaining before its schedule gets tougher, top-ranked Ohio State looks to continue its dominating season when it hosts UCLA on Saturday night.

    What You Need To Know

    • Top-ranked Ohio State looks to continue its dominating season as it hosts UCLA on Saturday night

    • The 9-0 Buckeyes have dominated their six Big Ten games, winning by an average of 26.2 points

    • Coach Ryan Day emphasizes staying focused and not getting caught up in the hype
    • After UCLA, Ohio State will face Rutgers, leading to a showdown at Michigan

    The Buckeyes (9-0, 6-0 Big Ten) — who are favored by 31 1/2 points to beat the Bruins (3-6, 3-3), according to BetMGM Sportsbook — have dominated their six Big Ten games, winning by an average of 26.2 points. That includes a pair of 24-point victories the past two weeks against Penn State and at Purdue.

    The one person not buying into the hype, though, is coach Ryan Day.

    “And so it’s one thing to say, ‘OK, we’ve done X, Y, and Z up until this point,’ but that means absolutely nothing, like zero. We’ve done nothing,” he said following Wednesday’s practice. “So I understand everyone’s gonna talk about those things, but none of that has anything to do with what we’re doing moving forward. So if we think that has anything to do with this weekend or where we’re going, then we’re dead wrong. So we have to make sure we all understand that.”

    After facing UCLA, Ohio State will host Rutgers next Saturday, leading up to its Nov. 29 showdown at Michigan. This could set up a Dec. 6 matchup against second-ranked Indiana in the Big Ten Championship Game, followed by a potential College Football Playoff appearance.

    “We said this from the beginning, we wanna be the first (Ohio State) team ever to be back-to-back. And that’s a tall task. It’s easy to say, but it’s another thing to do. And so we’re in the middle of it right now, but we’ve got a lot of work to do and we gotta continue to stay focused on what matters,” Day said.

    Day’s more immediate focus is making sure quarterback Julian Sayin and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith remain concentrated on the present, rather than thinking about potential Heisman Trophy considerations.

    Sayin leads the Football Bowl Subdivision in completion percentage (80.9%) and passer rating (192.6). Smith is second with 10 receiving touchdowns and sixth in receptions (65) and receiving yards (862).

    “Our guys understand that if you win as a team, then everybody’s going to do well. I think you can see that with Jeremiah. You can see it with Julian. They both are pulling for each other. If I started to feel like it was becoming an individual thing, then yeah, we’d probably put a stop to it,” Day said.

    The Bruins have lost their last two, including a 56-6 setback at Indiana on Oct. 25. Interim coach Tim Skipper is 3-3 since replacing the fired DeShaun Foster.

    “It’s always going to come back to us just doing what we’re supposed to do. The big message from that game to this one will be starting fast. We have to take care of us. We can’t worry about who we were playing and things like that,” Skipper said.

    Welcome back, Nico

    Nico Iamaleava returns to Ohio Stadium, albeit in different circumstances.

    The UCLA sophomore was Tennessee’s starting quarterback during the Volunteers’ 42-17 loss to the Buckeyes in a College Football Playoff first-round game last December. Iamaleava was 14-of-31 passing for 104 yards and had a career-high 20 rushing attempts for 47 yards.

    “He takes hits, but he’ll get back up and do his thing. You just got to be aware of his feet, him on the ground and in the air because he can hurt you both ways,” defensive tackle Eddrick Houston said.

    Even though Iamaleava is the leader of a 3-6 squad, Day knows how dangerous he can be. He is second in the Big Ten among quarterbacks with 474 rushing yards.

    “He played tough in the playoff game here, and I’m watching him play the last few weeks, and man, he’s physical, he runs hard,” Day said.

    Tate’s status

    Ohio State could be without Carnell Tate for a second straight game. Day did not have an update on the junior wide receiver after he was held out of the Purdue game due to precautionary reasons.

    Tate has 39 catches, 711 yards, and seven touchdowns this season.

    On guard

    Ohio State’s biggest lineup question going into the game is who will start at right guard? Josh Padilla is coming back from injury after missing last week at Purdue.

    The Buckeyes are still likely to go with a rotation of Padilla, Tegra Tshabola and Ethan Onianwa, as no one has emerged as a clear starter.

    Moving on up

    A win would give Day his sixth season of at least 10 victories, moving him past Woody Hayes and John Cooper.

    Urban Meyer and Jim Tressel share the mark with seven.

    [ad_2]

    Spectrum News Staff, Associated Press

    Source link

  • Hornets snap losing streak with 111-100 win over Bucks as Bridges scores 20

    [ad_1]

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Miles Bridges scored 20 points, Ryan Kalkbrenner had 17 points on 8-for-8 field goal shooting, and the Charlotte Hornets snapped a three-game losing streak on Wednesday night with a 111-100 win over the Milwaukee Bucks, who played without Giannis Antetokounmpo.

    Collin Sexton and Kon Knueppel had 16 points apiece for the Hornets.

    Ryan Rollins led the Bucks with 25 points on 10-for-15 shooting, going 4 for 6 on 3-pointers. Myles Turner had 21 points. Kyle Kuzma, who was shooting 55.3% from the field and was coming off a season-high 26 points against Dallas, was limited to eight points on 3-for-12 shooting.

    Antetokounmpo, a two-time NBA MVP, sat out with left knee patellar tendinopathy but is expected to return for the rematch with the Hornets on Friday night in Milwaukee.

    The Hornets took the lead with 3:52 remaining in the first quarter and did not trail again. The Hornets led 59-50 at halftime.

    The Hornets were 23 of 27 from the free throw line compared to 8 of 13 for the Bucks. The Hornets also outrebounded the Bucks 50-34.

    Charlotte played without LaMelo Ball (right ankle impingement) and Brandon Miller (left shoulder subluxation).

    Up next

    The same two teams play again Friday night in Milwaukee.

    Follow us on Instagram at spectrumnews1nc for news and other happenings across North Carolina.

    [ad_2]

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • Treatment center says FSU’s Pritchard has completed ‘intensive rehabilitation’

    [ad_1]

    JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Florida State freshman linebacker Ethan Pritchard is ready to move “onto the next stage of his recovery” after completing 34 days of intensive rehabilitation, Brooks Rehabilitation in Jacksonville posted on Facebook Thursday.

    Pritchard was shot in the back of the head on Aug. 31 in what investigators say was a case of mistaken identity.

    Four people were arrested in connection with the shooting. Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass said at the time of the shooting that Pritchard was “not doing anything wrong” when he was ambushed outside an apartment complex. He added that Pritchard was dropping off an aunt and a child at the time of the shooting.

    Pritchard was moved from the hospital to Brooks Rehabilitation on Oct. 9, where he had been undergoing treatment before Thursday’s announcement. 

    While Brooks Rehabilitation said in its post Thursday that Pritchard was moving onto the next phase of his recovery, no information was immediately released on what that might entail.

    A video attached to the announcement shows Pritchard being applauded by flanking rows of staff members as he uses an electric wheelchair to exit the facility.


    [ad_2]

    Spectrum News Staff

    Source link

  • USF makes its debut on college playoff bracket

    [ad_1]

    TAMPA, Fla. – The University of South Florida’s latest football milestone made its debut Tuesday night when the Bulls were included in the College Football Playoff bracket.

    USF, at 7-2, came in at No. 12 in the bracket, representing the American Athletic Conference and the highest regarded Group of 5 team.

    The final bracket will be released Dec. 7. Playoff games start Dec. 19 at campus locations.

    What You Need To Know

    • USF latest football milestone made its debut Tuesday night when the Bulls were included in the College Football Playoff bracket

    • USF, at 7-2, came in at No. 12 in the bracket, representing the AAC and the highest regarded Group of 5 team

    • With plenty of football remaining to be played, anything could happen and everything could change 
    • TAKE A LOOK AT THE BRACKET: College Football Playoff

    That gives the Bulls (7-2, 4-1) a few weeks to solidify their position, starting with Saturday’s game at Navy (7-2, 5-1). USF also has contests remaining with AAC bottom dwellers Alabama-Birmingham and Rice before a potential AAC championship game.

    There are five one-loss teams in the American, and the jockeying has already started for spots in the conference title game and possibly that automatic CFP bid that USF is holding right now highest-ranked Group of Five champion.

    But with plenty of football remaining to be played, anything could happen and everything could change.

    The No. 25 USF-Navy matchup is a battle of one-loss conference teams.  

    Meanwhile this weekend, two-loss Memphis goes to one-loss East Carolina. Tulane is coming off its big win at Memphis and will need to be on point when Florida Atlantic visits. North Texas, the fifth one-loss team, goes on the road to play a UAB team that upset Memphis four weeks ago.

    After USF (39%), the best odds among G5 teams to reach the playoffs is James Madison (35.8%). But USF has better key wins this year with victories against Boise State and at Florida and at North Texas.

    As the playoff brackets are currently listed, No. 12 USF would play at No. 5 Georgia in the opening round.

    Other currently bracketed matchups include: No. 11 Miami at No. 6 Texas Tech; No. 10 Texas at No. 7 Ole Miss and No. 9 Notre Dame at No. 8 Oregon.

    The four top squads currently with byes are No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Indiana, No. 3 Texas A&M and No. 4 Alabama. 

    Information in the Associated Press was used in this report.

    [ad_2]

    Spectrum News Staff

    Source link

  • Cavaliers rout Wizards 148-114 to improve to 1-1 in NBA Cup

    [ad_1]

    WASHINGTON — Donovan Mitchell scored 24 points, Darius Garland had 20 points and nine assists and the Cleveland Cavaliers routed the Washington Wizards 148-114 on Friday night to improve to 1-1 in NBA Cup play.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Cavs routed the Washington Wizards 148-114 on Friday night to improve to 1-1 in NBA Cup play

    • Cleveland fell a point shy of matching the franchise record for a regulation game, set at Denver in a 149-135 victory last Dec. 28

    • The Cavaliers have won three straight after dropping their Cup opener a week ago at home to Toronto, a game Mitchell missed because of hamstring tightness
    • The Cavs host Chicago on Saturday night

    Cleveland fell a point shy of matching the franchise record for a regulation game, set at Denver in a 149-135 victory last Dec. 28. The overall mark came in a 154-153 quadruple-overtime victory at home over the Los Angeles Lakers on Jan. 29, 1980. The Cavaliers also had 148 points at home in a December 1991 victory over Miami.

    The Cavaliers have won three straight after dropping their Cup opener a week ago at home to Toronto, a game Mitchell missed because of hamstring tightness.

    CJ McCollum scored 20 of his 25 points in the first half for Washington in its East Group A opener. The Wizards have lost seven straight to fall to 1-8.

    Both teams are home Saturday night to complete back-to-backs.

    Two days after Mitchell scored a season-high 46 points in a home victory over Philadelphia, Garland and Sam Merrill led Cleveland to a 76-59 advantage at the half. It was 109-86 after three quarters.

    Garland played his second game after missing the first seven following surgery on his big toe to repair a turf toe injury. In his debut against the 76ers, he had eight points and four assists.

    Garland and Merrill each had 14 points in the first half. Garland was 5 for 5 from the field in the half, hitting two 3-pointers, and making two free throws without a miss. Merrill was 5 of 6, going 4 of 5 from 3-point range. He failed to scored in the second half.

    Evan Mobley had 18 points and 10 rebounds for Cleveland. Jarrett Allen added 16 points and 14 rebounds, and Tyrese Proctor scored 17 points. The Cavaliers had 25 offensive rebounds.

    Alex Sarr had 20 points for Washington.

    Up next

    Cavaliers: Host Chicago on Saturday night.

    Wizards: Host Dallas on Saturday night.

    [ad_2]

    Spectrum News Staff, Associated Press

    Source link

  • Battle-tested Trotwood faces Lima Senior

    [ad_1]

    OHIO — After a rugged, 10-game regular season schedule, having an off week before the playoffs start seems like a good idea on the surface.

    What You Need To Know

    • A battle-tested Trotwood team faces a formidable foe in Lima Senior

    • The game will air on Spectrum News 1 and the Spectrum News App

    • As additional 19 games will be streamed at spectrumnews1.com 

    The Ohio High School Athletic Association football tournament went from 16 teams per region down to 12 this season, creating byes for the first time in history, outside of opt outs, forfeits or in 2020 when all schools that wanted to participate in the postseason got in.

    However, high school football coaches are notoriously regimented, and many would prefer to keep the weekly routine going and not lose any momentum or focus.

    Then there’s this—albeit from a very tiny sample size—to give pause to the head coaches of the 112 schools in Ohio that had an opening week bye in the postseason; in last year’s inaugural 12-team college football playoff, the four teams with first-round byes all lost in the quarterfinals. 

    For the glass half-full crowd, the bye represents a week off to rest and heal, before hosting a regional quarterfinal on your home field.

    Spectrum News 1 will give you a home advantage, by presenting four live games Friday night, going to the Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus and Dayton markets. 

    WATCH LIVE (Friday 7 p.m.): Lima Senior vs. Trotwood (Dayton & Toledo)

    For viewers in Dayton and Northwest Ohio, it’s a Division II, Region 8 battle between Lima Senior (9-2) and Trotwood (6-3). 

    The Spartans, a member of the Toledo City League, blew through the Glass City winning six league games by a cumulative score of 280-34. That momentum carried over into the first round of the playoffs, and a 62-20 win over Cincinnati Aiken. 

    Lima Senior’s two setbacks came at the hands of Findlay and Anthony Wayne, who are both still alive in the playoffs. The Spartans are seeking their first regional title since 1996, which ended with a Division I state championship win over St. Ignatius. 

    Trotwood won it all in 2019, 2017 and 2011, as head coach Jeff Graham is no stranger to postseason success. The Rams earned plenty of computer points (finishing fourth in Region 8) with wins over Division I opponents Cleveland Heights, Fairmont and Springfield. 

    Trotwood hasn’t played a game since Oct. 24, and while the Rams will be rested, they’ll have to guard against rust. 

    Additionally, Spectrum News 1 will broadcast 25 games on www.SpectrumNews1.com, with the following matchups:

    Previous games from the season are also available on demand through our website.

    The playoffs continue next Friday, Nov. 14, with live games in the Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus and Dayton zones, and as many as 19 games available through the Spectrum News 1 website. 

    The excitement runs all the way through Dec. 4-6 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, site of the OHSAA football championships, live on Spectrum News 1 and the Spectrum News App. 

    [ad_2]

    Rob Kunz

    Source link

  • FC Cincinnati’s Evander named in 2025 MLS Best XI

    [ad_1]

    CINCINNATI — FC Cincinnati announced that midfielder Evander de Silva Ferreira has been recognized in the 2025 MLS Best XI, a list of top players for each position.

    What You Need To Know

    • FC Cincinnati’s midfielder Evander de Silva Ferreira has been recognized in the 2025 MLS Best XI

    • This list highlights top players for different positions
    • Evander is 27 years old and was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    “Evander’s selection to the Best XI, a collection of elite performers from the 2025 MLS Regular Season and one of the most prestigious annual honors a player can receive, marks FC Cincinnati’s sixth all-time Best XI honor and the fourth consecutive season at least one FC Cincinnati player was named to the Best XI,” a release from the team reads.


    The 27-year-old from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, joins midfielders Sebastian Berhalter from the Vancouver Whitecaps FC and Cristian Roldan of the Seattle Sounders FC on this list.

    The list also included the following players for other positions:

    Goalkeepers

    • Dayne St. Clair of Minnesota United FC

    Defenders

    • Tristan Blackmon of Vancouver Whitecaps FC
    • Alex Freeman of Orlando City SC
    • Jakob Glesnes of Philadelphia Union
    • Kai Wagner of Philadelphia Union

    Forwards

    • Denis Bouanga of LAFC
    • Anders Dreyer of San Diego FC
    • Lionel Messi of Inter Miami CF

    “Evander’s Best XI selection is the latest club honor for FC Cincinnati following the 2025 MLS Regular Season after Nick Hagglund was named the 2025 MLS Comeback Player of the Year and Roman Celentano was awarded the 2025 MLS Save of the Year,” the release reads.

    [ad_2]

    Spectrum News Staff

    Source link

  • Ohio dads hope to help grow football interest among kids

    [ad_1]

    OHIO — Having enjoyed and then agonized over the Cincinnati Bengals making the Super Bowl in the 2021 season and losing to the Los Angeles Rams in February 2022, Mike Schroeder was a little lost the following year when his favorite NFL team made another playoff run.

    His wife was pregnant with the couple’s third child, and he wanted to get his then-5-year-old daughter, Ella, into it with him.

    What You Need To Know

    • Over a matter of months, Schroeder and friend and fellow father Michael Gold, who live in central Ohio, developed a storybook approach to the sport with a beanbag toss game to represent the concept of four downs — and it stuck

    • As the NFL seeks to grow its audience internationally and among younger fans everywhere, Schroeder and Gold have worked with the Bengals domestically and the Indianapolis Colts in Germany to use Future Fans as a way of teaching football

    • Schroeder and Gold are hoping to be a part of those efforts, and they’ve had activations during Super Bowl week for Future Fans

    “I’m watching what are life-changing games for me but with no one to share them with,” Schroeder said. “My big takeaway was like, ‘She’s not interested because she doesn’t understand what’s happening. And I’m totally ineffective and have been ineffective at teaching her the rules of the sport or how it works.’”

    Schroeder recalled a storybook about chess he and Ella had done to learn about that game and decided to try the same concept with football, with his daughter the guinea pig in the process. Over a matter of months, he and friend and fellow father Michael Gold, who live in central Ohio, developed a storybook approach to the sport with a beanbag toss game to represent the concept of four downs — and it stuck.

    As the NFL seeks to grow its audience internationally and among younger fans everywhere, Schroeder and Gold have worked with the Bengals domestically and the Indianapolis Colts in Germany to use Future Fans as a way of teaching football.

    “I feel like I used to just sit there and watch the Eagles games with my dad, but it just doesn’t seem like it’s that way anymore,” said retired offensive lineman Ross Tucker, who tried it with his daughters and became an investor. “I adore the sport of football. I’m extremely passionate about it. And so I want everyone to be exposed to it and feel like they have a chance to check it out and at least be aware of it.”

    Thousands of people attended an event in Stuttgart, Germany, on Sept. 7, ahead of the Colts facing the Atlanta Falcons this Sunday in Berlin, the first regular-season NFL game in the city. Gold said Future Fans was “excited to be part of efforts to bring the game of football to new audiences around the world.”

    Gerrit Meier, managing director and head of NFL international, said all 32 teams are involved in the Global Markets Program around the world, with a focus on growing the game from the grassroots up, especially with flag football coming to the Olympics beginning in Los Angeles in 2028.

    “Our strategy’s a lot more than about the games,” Meier said at the annual fall owners meeting in New York last month. “In the end, we’re connecting to local communities. That’s where our attention, that’s where our effort, that’s where the investment goes, as well, around the full NFL schedule of games, as well as events across the entire calendar. We need consistent engagement. We see that it works.”

    Schroeder and Gold are hoping to be a part of those efforts, and they’ve had activations during Super Bowl week for Future Fans, which they say can teach the rules of football in a couple of weeks for the target audience of children ages 4-8. Kids — or even slightly older fans unfamiliar with the sport — have four chances to throw a beanbag in a hoop, eventually learning more along the way.

    The Bengals have had players go to schools to go through the storybook and play the game, while also having their mascot and players record videos to send around the area along with Future Fans kits. Even as the program expands, it might take time to see if it works long term.

    “Once these kids get older and as more and more opportunities for football grow, are they going be the next generation of fans?” Bengals director of community engagement Taylor Conklin said. “What we’re really interested to see is five, 10 years down the road: What does the fan look like of how they were introduced to it at an early age, compared to you get into high school, college and then you become a fan?”

    For Ella Schroeder, it clicked immediately, her father said. Mike was scheduled to go to the AFC championship game in Kansas City with his brother — until Cincinnati beat Buffalo in the divisional round.

    “She looks at me and says: ‘Daddy, please don’t go. All I want to do is watch the game with you,’” Schroeder recalled. “She and I ended up taking in what was a heartbreaking loss on our couch.”

    It was not the result they wanted, but that is also part of football, as so many longtime fans know all too well.

    [ad_2]

    Lydia Taylor

    Source link

  • BYU, Texas Tech give Big 12 two top 10 teams for 1st time in 2 years

    [ad_1]

    The Big 12 had two teams in the top 10 of The Associated Press Top 25 college football poll for the first time in two years Sunday, Notre Dame was back in the top 10 after a two-month absence and Oklahoma and Texas made the biggest upward moves.

    The top seven teams were unchanged in the final poll before the College Football Playoff committee releases its first rankings Tuesday night to kick off the run-up to the CFP bracket release Dec. 7.

    No. 1 Ohio State, which pulled way in the second half to beat Penn State, is at the top of the AP poll for a 10th straight week. Indiana, which scored 50-plus points against a Big Ten opponent for the third time while hammering Maryland, is No. 2 for a third straight week.

    The Buckeyes and Hoosiers again were followed by Texas A&M, Alabama, Georgia, Oregon and Mississippi. Losses by Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt and Miami shuffled the Nos. 8, 9 and 10 spots, now held by BYU, Texas Tech and Notre Dame.

    The distribution of first-place votes was the same as last week. Ohio State received 54, Indiana got 11 and Texas A&M one.

    No. 8 BYU and No. 9 Texas Tech gave the Big 12 two teams in the top 10 for the first time since Oct. 29, 2023. The Cougars, who were idle, have their highest ranking of the season. The Red Raiders won at Kansas State and re-entered the top 10 for the first time in three weeks. The two teams face each other this weekend.

    Notre Dame, winner of six straight, was pushed by a one-win Boston College on the road before it won by 15 points and moved up two spots to No. 10. The Fighting Irish were last in the top 10 in Week 3, at No. 8, before a home loss to Texas A&M dropped them to 0-2 and dropped them to No. 24.

    No. 11 Oklahoma and No. 13 Texas received seven-spot promotions for their wins Saturday. The Sooners beat Tennessee on the road and the Longhorns knocked off Vanderbilt at home. Tennessee took the biggest fall, dropping nine spots to No. 23.

    In and out

    — No. 24 Washington, which was idle, is in the poll for the first time since it finished the 2023 season at No. 2 following its loss to Michigan in the national championship game. The Huskies’ only losses are to No. 1 Ohio State at home and to a then-unranked Michigan on the road.

    — Houston, whose No. 22 ranking last week was its first Top 25 appearance since 2022, dropped out after losing at home to West Virginia.

    Poll points

    — BYU has risen in the poll six straight weeks since making its debut on Sept. 21. The Cougars have gone from No. 25 to No. 8 over that span.

    — Miami’s losses to two then-unranked opponents in three weeks have caused a 16-spot plummet, from No. 2 to No. 18.

    — Ohio State is in the Top 25 for a 90th straight poll, third-most on the active list. Notre Dame is in a 50th straight time, fifth on the active list.

    — Texas made its 800th appearance in the poll, seventh all-time.

    Conference call

    SEC (9 teams) — Nos. 3, 4, 5, 7, 11, 13, 15, 19, 23.

    Big Ten (6) — Nos. 1, 2, 6, 20, 21, 24.

    Big 12 (4) — Nos. 8, 9, 17, 25.

    ACC (4) — Nos. 12, 14, 16, 18.

    American (1) — No. 22.

    Independent (1) — No. 10.

    Ranked vs. ranked

    — No. 8 BYU (8-0, 5-0 Big 12) at No. 9 Texas Tech (8-1, 5-1): The game of the year in the Big 12. The Red Raiders have lost 16 straight against top-10 teams.

    — No. 3 Texas A&M (8-0, 5-0 SEC) at No. 19 Missouri (6-2, 2-2): The Aggies embarrassed Missouri in College Station last year, getting out to a 34-0 lead and winning 41-7.

    [ad_2]

    Associated Press

    Source link

  • Arfsten, Crew avoid elimination, beat Cincinnati 4-0 to force decisive Game 3

    [ad_1]

    COLUMBUS, Ohio — Max Arfsten had a goal and two assists and Dylan Chambost scored a first-half goal on Sunday night to help the Columbus Crew avoid elimination from the MLS Cup playoffs and beat FC Cincinnati 4-0 in Game 2 of the best-of-three first-round series.

    What You Need To Know

    • The series returns to TQL Stadium, where Cincinnati won the opener 1-0, for Game 3 on Saturday

    • The winner advances to the one-game Eastern Conference semifinals against No.3 seed Miami or sixth-seeded Nashville

    • Yuya Kubo was shown a yellow card in the seventh minute and another in the 38th and No. 2 seed Cincinnati played a man down the rest of the way

    The series returns to TQL Stadium, where Cincinnati won the opener 1-0, for Game 3 on Saturday. The winner advances to the one-game Eastern Conference semifinals against No.3 seed Miami or sixth-seeded Nashville.

    Jacen Russell-Rowe, who replaced Diego Rossi in the 61st minute, fed Andrés Herrera for a goal in the 65th and added a his first career playoff goal in the 69th.

    Arfsten opened the scoring in the 33rd minute. Rossi, on the counter-attack, won a loose from defender Alvas Powell at the edge of the 18-yard box and poked it Arfsten on the left side of the area. The 24-year-old midfielder cut outside to evade goalkeeper Roman Celantano, who had charged off his line, and blasted a shot from the corner of the 6-yard box into the top-net for his third career playoff goal.

    Yuya Kubo was shown a yellow card in the seventh minute and another in the 38th and No. 2 seed Cincinnati played a man down the rest of the way.

    Chambost, whose shot in the seventh minute was stopped by Celentano, bent the ensuing free kick, from just outside the top of the box on the right side, inside the near post to make it 2-0 in the 41st.

    The seventh-seeded Crew outshot Cincinnati 19-1.

    Columbus defender Rudy Camacho, who had been sidelined due to a thigh injury, made his season debut when he subbed on 81st minute.

    Celentano, who finished with five saves, dove to break up a cross played by Taha Habroune and was accidentally kicked in the head by Hugo Picard in the third minute. Celentano was evaluated for a head injury and was allowed to remain in the game.

    [ad_2]

    Spectrum News Staff, Associated Press

    Source link