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  • Dodgers beat Blue Jays, 5-4, in Game 7 of World Series

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    TORONTO — Will Smith homered in the 11th inning after Miguel Rojas connected for a tying drive in the ninth, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 in Game 7 Saturday night to become the first team in a quarter century to win consecutive World Series titles..

    What You Need To Know

    • Los Angeles overcame 3-0 and 4-2 deficits and escaped a bases-loaded jam in the ninth to become the first repeat champion since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees, and the first from the National League since the 1975 and ’76 Cincinnati Reds

    • Smith hit a 2-0 slider off Shane Bieber into the Blue Jays’ bullpen in left, giving the Dodgers their first lead of the night

    • Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who threw 96 pitches in the Dodgers’ win on Friday, escaped a bases-loaded jam in the ninth and threw 43 pitches over 2 2/3 innings for his third win of the Series.

    • Visiting teams had won four straight Game 7s dating to 2014 after home teams won nine in a row from 1982 to 2011



    Los Angeles overcame 3-0 and 4-2 deficits and escaped a bases-loaded jam in the ninth to become the first repeat champion since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees, and the first from the National League since the 1975 and ’76 Cincinnati Reds.

    Smith hit a 2-0 slider off Shane Bieber into the Blue Jays’ bullpen in left, giving the Dodgers their first lead of the night.

    “You dream of those moments, you know, extra innings, put your team ahead — I’ll remember that forever,” Smith said.

    Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who threw 96 pitches in the Dodgers’ win on Friday, escaped a bases-loaded jam in the ninth and threw 43 pitches over 2 2/3 innings for his third win of the Series.

    He gave up a leadoff double in the 11th to Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who was sacrificed to third. Addison Barger walked and Alejandro Kirk hit a broken-bat grounder to shortstop Mookie Betts, who started a title-winning 6-4-3 double play that ended baseball’s 150th major league season, the first that began and ended outside the United States.

    Los Angeles used all four of its postseason starting pitchers, with Yamamoto joined by Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell.

    “We’ve got a special group of guys, man,” Smith said. “We just never gave up. … Oh man, that was a fight, for seven games.”

    With their ninth championship and third in six years, the Dodgers made an argument for their 2020s teams to be considered a dynasty. Dave Roberts, their manager since 2016, boosted the probability he will gain induction to the Hall of Fame.

    Bo Bichette put Toronto ahead in the third with a three-run homer off Ohtani, the two-way star pitching on three days’ rest after taking the loss in Game 3.

    Los Angeles closed to 3-2 on sacrifice flies from Teoscar Hernández in the fourth off Max Scherzer and Tommy Edman in the sixth against Chris Bassitt.

    Andrés Giménez restored Toronto’s two-run lead with an RBI double in the sixth off Glasnow, who relieved after getting the final three outs on three pitches to save Game 6 on Friday.

    Max Muncy’s eighth-inning homer off star rookie Trey Yesavage cut the Dodgers’ deficit to one run, and Rojas, inserted into the slumping Dodgers’ lineup in Game 6 to provide some energy, homered on a full-count slider from Jeff Hoffman.

    Toronto put two on with one out in the bottom half against Snell, and Los Angeles turned to Yamamoto.

    He hit Kirk on a hand with a pitch, loading the bases and prompting the Dodgers to play the infield in and the outfield shallow. Daulton Varsho grounded to second, where Rojas stumbled but managed to throw home for a forceout as catcher Smith kept his foot on the plate.

    Ernie Clement then flied out to Andy Pages, who made a jumping, backhand catch on the center-field warning track as he crashed into left fielder Kiké Hernández.

    Seranthony Domínguez walked Betts with one out in the 10th and Muncy singled for his third hit. Hernández walked, loading the bases. Pages grounded to shortstop, where Giménez threw home for a forceout. Guerrero fielded a grounder to the right side and threw to pitcher Seranthony Domínguez covering first, just beating Hernández in a call upheld in a video review.

    The epic night matched the Marlins’ 3-2 win over Cleveland in 1997 as the second-longest Series Game 7, behind only the Washington Senators’ 4-3 victory against the New York Giants in 1924.

    The memorable matchup included the World Series’ first pinch-hit grand slam, the first complete game in a decade, an 18-inning Game 3 featuring Ohtani reaching base nine times, six outs on the bases and Freddie Freeman becoming the first to hit two walk-off homers, the first back-to-back homers opening a game, a 22-year-old striking out a rookie record with 12 just six weeks after his debut and the first game-ending double play in which an outfielder had a putout or assist.

    Visiting teams had won four straight Game 7s dating to 2014 after home teams won nine in a row from 1982 to 2011.

    Emotions were high, with benches and bullpens clearing when Giménez was hit on the right hand by a 96.4 mph fastball from Dodgers reliever Justin Wrobleski in the fourth. No punches were thrown.

    Ohtani was given extended time after ending the top of the first on base and making the final out of the third, causing the between-innings break to reach 4 1/2 minutes.

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    Associated Press

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  • Flacco hopes to shake off loss and injury as Bengals host Bears

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    CINCINNATI — First came a disappointing loss for Joe Flacco and the Cincinnati Bengals. Now, the 40-year-old quarterback is dealing with a shoulder injury.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Chicago Bears and Cincinnati Bengals are both looking to rebound from recent losses as they face off on Sunday

    • Cincinnati quarterback Joe Flacco has a shoulder injury, but coach Zac Taylor says the 40-year-old Flacco is able to succeed with minimal preparation

    • Cincinnati needs a win to stay in the AFC North race

    On Sunday, the Bengals will host a Chicago Bears team that also felt it should have won last weekend.

    The Bears (4-3) had a four-game winning streak snapped with a 30-16 loss at the Baltimore Ravens, who were missing quarterback Lamar Jackson for a third straight game.

    The Bengals (3-5) blew a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter and lost 39-38 to the previously winless New York Jets.

    Cincinnati needs a win to stay in the AFC North race and has concerns about the health of Flacco, who injured the AC joint in his throwing shoulder during the second half against the Jets. The 18-year veteran did not practice on Wednesday and was limited on Thursday.

    Even if Flacco gets limited practice snaps, coach Zac Taylor is confident in his quarterback, as long as he’s healthy enough to play. The 40-year-old Flacco made his first Bengals start at Green Bay five days after being traded from Cleveland and then led Cincinnati to victory in his second game on a Thursday night against Pittsburgh after another short week.

    The Bengals are counting on Flacco to keep them afloat while star quarterback Joe Burrow recovers from toe surgery, and Taylor expects Flacco to do everything he can to play.

    “I think if anybody in this league can get by on minimal reps right now, it’s him,” Taylor said.

    “I’ve seen him show up three days with no knowledge of our offense whatsoever, Ja’Marr (Chase) got minimal work that week and the next week we got no physical reps whatsoever. I think that proof is out there that we could do it if we needed to,” the coach continued.

    In his three starts with the Bengals, Flacco has a 100.1 passer rating, a 64.3% completion rate, and has thrown for seven touchdowns with no interceptions.

    For Chicago, Caleb Williams will make his 25th NFL start on Sunday. The second-year QB has completed 18 passes of 25-plus yards this season, second-most in the league. Wide receivers Rome Odunze and Olamide Zaccheaus each had seven receptions last week.

    Williams and the Bears are looking for better production in the red zone. Chicago has had 19 trips inside opponents’ 20 over the past five games and has seven touchdowns and nine field goals. The Bengals’ defense has allowed a TD 70.3% of the time in the red zone, the third-highest rate.

    “It just comes down to execution. As a run game, as a pass game, it comes down to details,” Williams said. “Run game: stand on landmarks, hitting the holes, finding those — even if it’s not a gaping hole, getting those dirty four yards, three yards, because that goes a long way. Then pass game, it’s just being on the same page.”

    Chase’s streak

    Chase has three straight games with at least 10 catches, a first in franchise history.

    The fifth-year All-Pro leads the league with 70 receptions, including 38 in the past three games. If he gets double-digit receptions against the Bears, he would join Pro Football Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson as the only players to do it in four straight games.

    “When you watch the tape, especially over the last few weeks, they’re feeding some targets to him. There’s times I look on the tape, I’m like, ‘There’s two dudes draped all over him and they’re still throwing the ball to him’, so they have a lot of confidence in what he can do,” Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said.

    Turnover battle

    Turnovers have been a key to the Bears’ four victories. Chicago has an NFL-best 16 takeaways and defensive back Kevin Byard III is tied for the league lead with four interceptions.

    The Bears have three or more takeaways in each of their wins but have totaled just one in their three losses.

    The Bengals haven’t committed a turnover in their past three games.

    “I think that shows as a defense right now when we get takeaways, we win the ballgame,” Byard said. We have to play cleaner football. But we know the recipe for, at least on the back end, we take the ball away. So just doing everything we can to try to get the ball. That’s always on our mind, so that’s been a discussion.”

    Being run over

    The Bengals have allowed four 100-yard games to running backs, their most in the first eight weeks of a season since five opposing backs did it in 2007.

    Pittsburgh’s Jaylen Warren had 127 yards on Oct. 16 and the Jets’ Breece Hall ran for 133 last Sunday. The Bengals are last in the league in run defense, allowing 151.9 yards per game.

    Chicago’s D’Andre Swift has 464 rushing yards and has scored a touchdown from scrimmage in four straight games.

    “Honestly, it’s a collective effort. You can’t point one thing out. Everyone is on the field and has to do his job,” Bengals safety Geno Stone said. “The only thing I can say for the back end is (that), I think whenever we have the opportunity to have an open-field tackle, we just have to get them down. That’s really all it is — no matter if the run breaks — we just have to get them down and we can’t let them score.”

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    Spectrum News Staff, Associated Press

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  • High school athletes could engage in NIL deals 

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    COLUMBUS, Ohio — It could be a game changer for high school athletics in our state. 

    A judge’s ruling has prompted the OHSAA to schedule a vote that could allow student-athletes to make money off their name, image, and likeness. 

    What You Need To Know

    • A judge’s ruling has prompted the OHSAA to schedule a vote that could allow student-athletes to make money off their name, image, and likeness

    • This already exists in other states

    • Ohio high school athletes can now sign endorsement deals and earn money through social media

    It’s an opportunity that that most high school athletes in other states already have.

    Ohio high school athletes can now sign endorsement deals and earn money through social media.

    It became legal when a judge issued a temporary restraining order in October in response to a lawsuit by a star football player who’s committed to Ohio State.

    And regardless of how schools vote in a few weeks, many believe NIL is here to stay.

    For Tony Cornett, NIL is about more than just making money.

    “You’re basically getting paid to represent yourself, on how you carry yourself as a person rather than just basketball itself,” said Cornett, a junior at Westerville North High School.

    The junior guard on the Westerville North basketball team started gaining recognition when he helped lead the Warriors to a state title last season.

    Now he’s is hoping to take advantage of this new opportunity being given to Ohio high school athletes.

    “I’m very close with my family, mom, dad, grandmas, grandpas, uncles, aunts, I feel like my parents would be extremely proud of me if I ended up getting a deal,” Cornett said.

    Westerville North Athletic Director, Wes Elfrritz, said the Ohio High School Athletic Association is doing the right thing by scheduling a vote that could bring Ohio in line with 44 other states. 

    “The OHSAA has gotten ahead of this vote, and they’ve kind of put some parameters in place so if its passed we’re looking at making sure our student athletes keep their potential deals separate from their school, so we don’t have any conflicts of interest,” said Elifritz.

    For example, if a student athlete is promoting a business, Elifritz said they wouldn’t be allowed to do so while they’re representing their school during a practice or a game. 

    “And also, if they’re at the business, or promoting in a commercial, they cannot be displaying or verbalizing the school that they’re a part of so the goal is to kind of keep those two things separate,” Elifritz said.

    Some high school athletes get thrown into the spotlight quickly. Favour Akih is a senior running back at Delaware Hayes high school. He never touched a football until his freshman season.

    Three years later, he’s become a top-10 recruit in Ohio and has committed to play for the Buckeyes. 

    But he’s excited that he won’t have to wait for college to profit from his talent.

    “It would be a major opportunity because I know a lot of single parent households families that are really talented football players that could capitalize on this opportunity here,” said Akih.

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    Cassidy Wilson

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  • Joe Flacco hopes to shake off disappointing loss and injured shoulder

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    CINCINNATI — First came a disappointing loss for Joe Flacco and the Cincinnati Bengals. Now the 40-year-old quarterback is dealing with a shoulder injury.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Chicago Bears and Cincinnati Bengals are both looking to rebound from recent losses as they face off on Sunday

    • The Bears had a four-game winning streak snapped by the Baltimore Ravens

    • The Bengals blew a 15-point lead against the New York Jets. Cincinnati quarterback Joe Flacco has a shoulder injury, but coach Zac Taylor says the 40-year-old Flacco is able to succeed with minimal preparation
    • Meanwhile, the Bears are looking for better production in the red zone

    On Sunday, the Bengals will host a Chicago Bears team that also felt it should have won last weekend.

    The Bears (4-3) had a four-game winning streak snapped with a 30-16 loss at the Baltimore Ravens, who were missing quarterback Lamar Jackson for a third straight game.

    The Bengals (3-5) blew a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter and lost 39-38 to the previously winless New York Jets.

    Cincinnati needs a win to stay in the AFC North race and has concerns about the health of Flacco, who injured the AC joint in his throwing shoulder during the second half against the Jets. The 18-year veteran did not practice on Wednesday and was limited on Thursday.

    Even if Flacco gets limited practice snaps, coach Zac Taylor is confident in his quarterback, as long as he’s healthy enough to play. The 40-year old Flacco made his first Bengals start at Green Bay five days after being traded from Cleveland and then led Cincinnati to victory in his second game on a Thursday night against Pittsburgh after another short week.

    The Bengals are counting on Flacco to keep them afloat while star quarterback Joe Burrow recovers from toe surgery, and Taylor expects Flacco to do everything he can to play.

    “I think if anybody in this league can get by on minimal reps right now, it’s him,” Taylor said.

    “I’ve seen him show up three days with no knowledge of our offense whatsoever, Ja’Marr (Chase) got minimal work that week and the next week we got no physical reps whatsoever. I think that proof is out there that we could do it if we needed to,” the coach continued.

    In his three starts with the Bengals, Flacco has a 100.1 passer rating, a 64.3% completion rate, and has thrown for seven touchdowns with no interceptions.

    For Chicago, Caleb Williams will make his 25th NFL start on Sunday. The second-year QB has completed 18 passes of 25-plus yards this season, second-most in the league. Wide receivers Rome Odunze and Olamide Zaccheaus each had seven receptions last week.

    Williams and the Bears are looking for better production in the red zone. Chicago has had 19 trips inside opponents’ 20 over the past five games and has seven touchdowns and nine field goals. The Bengals’ defense has allowed a TD 70.3% of the time in the red zone, the third-highest rate.

    “It just comes down to execution. As a run game, as a pass game, it comes down to details,” Williams said. “Run game: stand on landmarks, hitting the holes, finding those — even if it’s not a gaping hole, getting those dirty four yards, three yards, because that goes a long way. Then pass game, it’s just being on the same page.”

    Chase’s streak

    Chase has three straight games with at least 10 catches, a first in franchise history.

    The fifth-year All-Pro leads the league with 70 receptions, including 38 in the past three games. If he gets double-digit receptions against the Bears, he would join Pro Football Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson as the only players to do it in four straight games.

    “When you watch the tape, especially over the last few weeks, they’re feeding some targets to him. There’s times I look on the tape, I’m like, ‘There’s two dudes draped all over him and they’re still throwing the ball to him’, so they have a lot of confidence in what he can do,” Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said.

    Turnover battle

    Turnovers have been a key to the Bears’ four victories. Chicago has an NFL-best 16 takeaways and defensive back Kevin Byard III is tied for the league lead with four interceptions.

    The Bears have three or more takeaways in each of their wins but have totaled just one in their three losses.

    The Bengals haven’t committed a turnover in their past three games.

    “I think that shows as a defense right now when we get takeaways, we win the ballgame,” Byard said. We have to play cleaner football. But, we know the recipe for, at least on the back end, we take the ball away. So just doing everything we can to try to get the ball. That’s always on our mind, so that’s been a discussion.”

    Being run over

    The Bengals have allowed four 100-yard games to running backs, their most in the first eight weeks of a season since five opposing backs did it in 2007.

    Pittsburgh’s Jaylen Warren had 127 yards on Oct. 16 and the Jets’ Breece Hall ran for 133 last Sunday. The Bengals are last in the league in run defense, allowing 151.9 yards per game.

    Chicago’s D’Andre Swift has 464 rushing yards and has scored a touchdown from scrimmage in four straight games.

    “Honestly, it’s a collective effort. You can’t point one thing out. Everyone is on the field and has to do his job,” Bengals safety Geno Stone said. “The only thing I can say for the back end is (that), I think whenever we have the opportunity to have an open-field tackle, we just have to get them down. That’s really all it is — no matter if the run breaks — we just have to get them down and we can’t let them score.”

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    Spectrum News Staff

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  • Browns’ QB question: Stay the course with Gabriel or give Sanders a shot?

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    BEREA, Ohio — In another disappointing Browns season marked by the ongoing struggles to find a reliable quarterback, Cleveland faces a question: Stay with Dillon Gabriel or give Shedeur Sanders a shot?

    What You Need To Know

    • The Cleveland Browns are grappling with quarterback issues in another tough season

    • With a 2-6 record at the bye week, the team must decide whether to stick with Dillon Gabriel or give Shedeur Sanders a chance

    • Coach Kevin Stefanski and his staff are evaluating the offense, which has struggled beyond just the quarterback position

    With the Browns at 2-6 entering their bye week, it is more a matter of when Sanders — their highly publicized, fifth-round draft pick — will take his first NFL snaps and get his first start. Presumably, it will happen sometime between now and the Jan. 4 season finale at Cincinnati.

    As Kevin Stefanski, his coaching staff and the front office assess the first half of the Browns’ season, much of their time will be spent trying to fix a punchless offense whose problems go beyond who is under center.

    “I think it’s by position we have to be better and we have to put our players in better spots, if you will, and that includes every position. So, we’ll look at all of it this week and make a decision coming out of the bye,” Stefanski said on Monday.

    When it comes to Sanders, Stefanski has said, “Honestly, my focus is where we are right now. That’s not my focus.”

    Sanders has mainly practiced with the scout team, moving from third-string to backup after Joe Flacco was traded to Cincinnati.

    Another variable could be Deshaun Watson, who was thought to be out for the season after a second Achilles tendon injury in January. Watson has recently posted videos on social media showing him working out on the indoor field at the Browns’ facility.

    Steelers coach Mike Tomlin isn’t the only one wondering why the Browns were quick to move on from Flacco.

    The veteran was benched after starting Cleveland’s first four games. Flacco had an NFL-low 60.3 passer rating, the league’s second-worst completion rate (58.1%), and six interceptions when the Browns gave Gabriel a shot.

    Gabriel’s numbers haven’t been much better. He has the third-lowest passer rating (75.8) and the fourth-worst completion rate in October (59.4%). He has thrown for four touchdowns and has a pair of interceptions.

    A different story has unfolded for Flacco since his move to Cincinnati on Oct. 7. In his first three starts with the Bengals, he has a 100.1 passer rating, a 64.3% completion rate, and has thrown for seven touchdowns with no interceptions.

    The difference? Flacco now has two game-breaking receivers: Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Chase leads the league with 70 receptions and has at least 10 catches in all three games Flacco has started.

    As for Cleveland’s receivers? Jerry Jeudy has a league-high eight dropped passes. Overall, the Browns are tied for second with 14 drops.

    Those struggles were clear in last Sunday’s 32-13 loss to New England. Cleveland’s wide receivers had only two of the team’s 21 receptions. Jeudy had none on his two targets. Tight ends Harold Fannin Jr. and David Njoku combined for 10 catches, including both touchdowns. Three running backs accounted for the other nine.

    The result is a nonexistent downfield passing attack. Gabriel is 1 for 8 on passes at least 20 yards from the line of scrimmage.

    Rookie Quinshon Judkins has given the running game a spark with eight carries of at least 12 yards. However, because of Cleveland’s persistent passing struggles, teams have focused on stopping the second-round pick, who missed training camp and the first regular-season game due to an off-the-field matter.

    No matter who has been under center, the Browns often fall behind the chains. Their 35.5% successful play rate — gaining at least 4 yards on first down, half the needed yards on second, and converting on third or fourth — is the worst in the league.

    Cleveland’s 8.39 average yards to go on second down is the league’s second-highest. On 70.3% of those plays, they faced at least 7 yards — nearly 10% above league average.

    As a result, the Browns have gone three-and-out on 25.6% of possessions, the league’s fourth-highest rate. Under Gabriel, that figure jumps to a league-leading 29.5%.

    Stefanski — a two-time Coach of the Year — faces ongoing questions about turning play-calling duties over to first-year offensive coordinator Tommy Rees. So far, he has opted to stay the course.

    The question for the Browns is whether switching to Sanders or Watson would actually spark improvement, or if the team must make more wholesale adjustments to its offense.

    Sanders has the athleticism and was among the most accurate quarterbacks in the nation last year at Colorado with a 74% completion rate. The Browns must evaluate whether he is up to speed with play-calling and making changes on the fly.

    “He’s working hard and really learning by the day, by the week. He’s doing a nice job of getting the most out of each and every day and feeling more comfortable with the system,” quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave said last week.

    If Watson returns, he’d bring a veteran presence to the huddle, but he is 9-10 as Cleveland’s starter. He is also reviled by fans after the Browns sent three first-round picks to Houston for him in 2022 and then signed him to a massive contract that will go down as one of the worst in NFL history.

    Whoever the Browns decide to go with, the offense will look different when they take the field on Nov. 9 against the New York Jets. Jeudy and many of the veteran starters on the offensive line could be on other rosters by Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline.

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    Spectrum News Staff, Associated Press

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  • Rays announce ‘pop-up’ store with parking at Tropicana Field

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    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays have announced that a “pop-up” store will open Saturday.

    The location will be 1101 1st Ave S. The hours this Saturday will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

    Saturday’s event will include a live DJ, complimentary ballpark fare, hourly giveaways and mascot appearances and more.

    Rays starting pitcher Ryan Pepiot will also stop by to greet and interact with fans.

    Parking for the store will be available for free in Lot 6 of Tropicana Field.

    “We very much look forward to being back at Tropicana Field for the 2026 baseball season,” said Rays Chief Business Officer Bill Walsh. “There’s been great progress with repairs, and the pop-up store is a concrete first step to moving back into Tropicana Field. This new retail space will also give us the opportunity to host special events, and allow Rays fans the chance to come together and shop throughout the holiday season.”

    After Saturday’s event, store hours will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. It will be closed on Sunday.

    Read more from the team.

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    Spectrum News Staff

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  • USF voice of the Bulls is hanging up the headset

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    TAMPA, Fla. — If you are a USF football fan, you recognize the voice.

    That’s because it’s the only voice in the football program’s 29-year history.

    What You Need To Know

    • Jim Louk has been the voice of the Bulls for football games since the team’s inaugural season in 1997

    • He’s been with USF for 43 years, calling more than 3,000 sporting events

    • After he retires at the end of the season, Jim Lighthall, the Bulls men’s basketball play-by-play announcer, will take over the football duties


    “There’s a lot of exciting things going on here, you know, a new stadium, and the team is playing so well,” Louk said. “It’s not the smartest time to step away professionally, but personally, it was the right time.”

    Hard to step away when it’s all that he’s known for 43 years. That’s how long he’s been at USF, calling more than 3,000 sporting events. And he’s been there from the very beginning when the football team kicked off its inaugural season in 1997. Louk has witnessed the program’s growth into national relevance and has been on the call for so many amazing moments.

    He has narrated the good times and the bad. He’s notorious for his passion and his preparation. All of that comes through in his broadcasts.

    “It’s been a privilege to be there for all these games and all these years, but every broadcast is multiple people,” he said. “And everybody except me is gonna be back next year, so I think people are really going to continue to enjoy the broadcasts.”

    One of his sidekicks and USF men’s basketball play-by-play voice, Jim Lighthall, will replace Louk. And he’s got a big headset to fill. When you’re the only one who has done something for so long like Louk, letting go isn’t easy — especially when there is so much that goes into every game.

    “The relationships, the coaches, the players, the broadcasts are fun, but it’s like anything else, it’s all about the people,” Louk said. “That’s the best, and that’s probably what I’ll miss the most.”

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    Katherine Smith

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  • High school football playoffs on Spectrum News 1

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    OHIO — The Ohio high school football playoffs kicks off this Friday, which will feature several highly contested games, including four gridiron battles that will keep fans on the edge of their seats.

    Fans can watch the OHSAA playoffs live on Spectrum News 1 and on the Spectrum News mobile app. Nineteen total games will be available to watch at 7 p.m.

    Twinsburg vs. Nordonia – Northern Ohio Divison II, Region 5
    Airing on Spectrum News 1 in Northern Ohio

    10 seed Twinsburg is travelling to Macedonia to face off against 7 seed Nordonia. The winner of the game would move on to face the 2 seed Walsh Jesuit Wariors in the quarterfinal.

    Grove City vs. Olentangy Berlin – Central Ohio Divison I, Region 3
    Airing on Spectrum News 1 in Central Ohio

    The Olentangy Berlin Bears will play host to the Grove City Greyhounds in a 8 and 9 seed matchup. The victor will face off against number 1 seed Olentangy Orange on Nov 7.

    Mason vs. Fairfield – Southern Ohio Division I, Region 4
    Airing on Spectrum News 1 in Southern Ohio

    Another 8 and 9 seed matchup pits the Mason Comets against the Fairfield Indians. The winner would take on number 1 seed Elder in the quarterfinal.

    Marysville vs. Springfield – Southern Ohio Division I, Region 2
    Airing on Spectrum News 1 in Western Ohio

    The 5 seed Springfield Wildcats will host 12 seed Marysville. The two teams will battle to see who gets to play against the 4 seed Springboro Panthers on Nov 7.

    Other matchups

    Here is a list of games that will be available for fans to watch on Friday on the Spectrum News mobile app:

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    Ryan Johnston

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  • Panthers QB Young returns to practice after missing game with ankle injury

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    CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young was a full participant in practice on Wednesday and the team is optimistic he might be able to play on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers.

    Young sat out Carolina’s 40-9 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday with an ankle injury, the first game he has missed this season.

    “Bryce had a really good day and we are going to take it each day,” Panthers coach Dave Canales said. “We are going to push it a little more. We had a little bit of a modified mode at practice today, but he handled the load. Tomorrow we will push it again and we will make a decision in the next couple of days. But he looked good.”

    Andy Dalton, who started for Young on Sunday, did not practice because of a sprained thumb.

    Young had won three straight starts before missing the Bills game.

    Canales said that right tackle Taylor Moton got a good report on his injured knee and there is optimism he might play against the Packers after leaving last week’s game.

    Moton did not practice, but the plan is to amp up his load this week at practice and make a determination on his status later in the week.

    Outside linebacker Princely Umanmielen (ankle) missed practice and is not expected to play this week. Center Cade Mays (ankle), linebacker Trevin Wallace (shoulder) and safety Nick Scott (groin) did not practice either.

    Canales also confirmed that guard Brady Christensen’s season is over after he underwent surgery on Wednesday to repair a torn Achilles tendon sustained in the loss to the Bills.

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  • Blue Jackets beat Maple Leafs 6-3

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    COLUMBUS, Ohio — Cole Sillinger had two goals and an assist, and the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-3 on Wednesday night for their third straight win.

    What You Need To Know

    • Toronto outshot Columbus 9-6 in the first period but trailed by two goals after 20 minutes

    • The Blue Jackets scored three goals in an 8 1/2-minute stretch later in the period to pull away

    • Cayden Primeau had 19 saves as the Maple Leafs snapped a two-game win streak

    Mathieu Olivier had a goal and three assists, Zach Werenski had a goal and an assist, and Ivan Provorov and Dante Fabbro also scored for the Blue Jackets, who have won five of six. Charlie Coyle had four assists, and Elvis Merzlikins finished with 35 saves.

    Sammy Blais and Nicholas Robertson each had a goal and an assist, and John Tavares scored his 500th career goal for Toronto. Cayden Primeau had 19 saves as the Maple Leafs snapped a two-game win streak and lost for the fourth time in six games (2-3-1).

    Toronto outshot Columbus 9-6 in the first period but trailed by two goals after 20 minutes.

    Sillinger gave the Blue Jackets a 1-0 lead 6:56 into game, taking a pass from Coyle inside the blue line, skating up on Primeau and beating the goalie with a forehand shot past the blocker. Coyle got his 300th career assist on the play.

    Werenski made it 2-0 with 8:44 remaining in the first as he fired a shot past Primeau on the glove side.

    The Maple Leafs then had an 18-7 advantage on shots in the second and fell further behind.

    Blais, in the lineup in place of William Nylander (lower body injury) after 10 games as a healthy scratch, got Toronto on the scoreboard at 2:43.

    However, the Blue Jackets scored three goals in an 8 1/2-minute stretch later in the period to pull away.

    Provorov put a backhander past Primeau at 8:33 to restore the two-goal lead. Sillinger got his second of the night with 6:36 remaining as he scored on a 2-on-1 with Coyle, and Fabbro made it 5-1 a little more than 3 1/2 minutes later as got a drop pass from Olivier and fired it past Primeau from inside the left circle.

    Olivier made it a four goal lead at 7:50 of the third, and Tavares and Robertson scored 2:25 apart late to pull the Maple Leafs to 6-3.

    Up next

    Maple Leafs: At Philadelphia on Saturday.

    Blue Jackets: Host St. Louis on Saturday.

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  • NYCFC beats Charlotte 1-0 to begin best-of-3 series

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    CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Alonso Martínez scored in the 34th minute to end a three-match scoreless run and New York City FC beat Charlotte 1-0 on Tuesday night to begin a best-of-three series.

    New York City became the first away team to win in the 2025 MLS playoffs after the first eight squads lost. NYCFC will host Charlotte on Saturday in Game 2.

    Martínez, who had 17 goals during the regular season, collected a headed pass from Andrés Perea and dribbled to the top of the 18-yard box before slicing through Charlotte’s backline for a calm shot under Kristijan Kahlina.

    Matt Freese, who had eight clean sheets during the regular season, made four saves.

    Charlotte was without forward Wilfried Zaha due to a red card suspension.

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  • Gonzales facing Georgia in long-awaited shot to be head coach as Gators’ interim

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    GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Billy Gonzales has coached as many years at Florida as Hall of Famer Steve Spurrier. He has twice as many national titles, too.

    Gonzales is in his third stint with the Gators, having first stepped foot on campus under Urban Meyer in 2005. He returned with Dan Mullen in 2018 and came back again when Billy Napier asked in 2023.

    Now it’s his program — for the next five games anyway.

    What You Need To Know

    • Billy Gonzales is in third stint with the Florida Gators after being on the staffs of Urban Meyer, Dan Mullen and Billy Napier

    • He is the interim coach for the next five games after AD Scott Stricklin fired Billy Napier

    • Gonzales has waited three decades for this opportunity and will make his debut Saturday against Georgia

    • The Bulldogs have won the teams’ past four matchups

    Gonzales agreed to serve as the team’s interim coach when athletic director Scott Stricklin fired Napier on Oct. 19. Gonzales jumped at the offer. After all, he’s waited more than three decades for this opportunity.

    “It’s always been about the players,” said Gonzales, 54. “When you get into coaching and you have an opportunity, it’s most importantly about the players. And, for me, it was to hopefully continue to give back to what the coaching staff gave me when I was a player, and that’s to provide guidance, to provide another family, another father figure.”

    He hesitated for a second and then continued: “Obviously, I like winning. We want to win. We’re at the University of Florida. We want to win games. And let’s call it what it is: We’re out here to try to get that done as well, too.”

    Gonzales has a chance to get a huge victory when the Gators (3-4, 2-2 Southeastern Conference) play No. 5 Georgia (6-1, 4-1) in the rivalry game known as “the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” in Jacksonville on Saturday.

    The Bulldogs have won four in a row in the series, with an average margin of victory of 21.5 points. Although coach Kirby Smart’s team has looked susceptible at times this season — trailing at halftime in four of five conference games — Georgia has turned it up late to remain in the SEC race and in the mix for a College Football Playoff berth.

    No one really knows what to expect from Florida following a bye week. Gonzales made no staff changes other than installing quarterbacks coach Ryan O’Hara as the primary play-caller. They plan to spread things out and push the ball down the field, no surprise considering Gonzales is a longtime receivers coach.

    But there has to be concern about players checking out with so little at stake down the stretch.

    “Just playing for the (Gators) patch and playing for the name on our back,” left tackle Austin Barber said. “That’s the big thing for us. We got a lot of seniors out there, and we want to put out a good product for them. And it’s just about playing for the university and playing for the fans.”

    Gonzales might be the ideal interim coach to keep the team together. He won two national titles alongside Meyer and has experienced the firings of Mullen and now Napier. He has so much respect for the program that he chose not to move into Napier’s office or even use his parking spot.

    “I’ve been asked to oversee the program right now by Mr. Stricklin,” Gonzales said. “I always told him, ‘We are doing this together as a staff. It’s us working together. It’s us working with our players.’ Always will be, and I take great pride in that.”

    Gonzales has heard from several head coaches he worked for in the past week, including Meyer and Mullen. They told him the same thing: Be yourself.

    Gonzales’ coaching career has been all about serving. He volunteered at his alma mater, Colorado State, in 1993. Meyer, an assistant at the time, put Gonzales in charge of slot receivers the following spring. It led to a paid position at Division III MacMurray College in Illinois and then a move to Kent State.

    One of his earliest memories is driving to a hardware store twice a week in his “beat-up, old, white Chevrolet” to buy carbon dioxide canisters and white paint to line the practice and game fields.

    “I had to go read a book on how to line a field,” he recalled. “I took great pride in it.”

    He’s taking a similar approach to this coaching opportunity, even though it’s temporary.

    “I love Florida. This is a special place to me,” Gonzales said. “A goal of mine would be to stay here. My first goal is to make sure we put a fantastic group of players on that football field that are going to compete and play for the University of Florida.”

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  • Big Ten rivals trying to follow suit of OSU’s WR talent

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    COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State coach Ryan Day spoke definitively earlier this month about where he believes Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith ranks nationally.

    What You Need To Know

    • It’s not unusual for Ohio State to have multiple future NFL receivers on its roster

    • What’s notable this year is how the depth of receiving talent in the Big Ten isn’t limited to the Buckeyes

    • Seven of the top 19 Bowl Subdivision players in yards receiving per game are from the Big Ten

    “I don’t think it’s even close that Jeremiah Smith is the best offensive player in college football,” Day said then. “If it’s close, I’d like to know who it is.”

    Day appeared to soften his stance a couple of weeks later to make room for one more Ohio State receiver after Carnell Tate scored two touchdowns in the top-ranked Buckeyes’ 34-0 victory over Wisconsin, including a spectacular 33-yard grab between two defenders in which he hung onto the ball despite losing his helmet while landing.

    “He is playing himself to be a first-rounder and All-American,” Day said after that game. “He’s just a different style of player than Jeremiah but just as dangerous and just as good.”

    It’s not unusual for Ohio State to have multiple future NFL receivers on its roster. Five Ohio State receivers have been selected in the first round of the last four drafts: Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka.

    What’s notable this year is how the depth of receiving talent in the Big Ten isn’t limited to the Buckeyes.

    Seven of the top 19 Bowl Subdivision players in yards receiving per game are from the Big Ten. The Southeastern Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference and Big 12 each have only two receivers on that list.

    Smith, generally regarded as the best receiver in college football, isn’t draft eligible yet as a sophomore. The Big Ten still has three of the top five and four of the top 10 draft-eligible receivers in the rankings that ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. released earlier this month. Kiper had Southern California’s Makai Lemon first, Tate third, USC’s Ja’Kobi Lane fifth and Washington’s Denzel Boston 10th.

    “There’s more NFL talent maybe even in the wide receiver pool in the Big Ten than there is any other position, which I don’t know if you could have ever said that in the last 100 years,” Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell said.

    Seven Big Ten players are averaging at least 83.5 yards receiving per game, which would essentially equate to 1,000 yards over a 12-game regular season. As recently as 2017, the Big Ten had only one 1,000-yard receiver.

    “The old-school version of what the Big Ten was — just running the football and big, physical guys, and everything down south was about athleticism and speed — I think that everybody’s starting to realize that that’s not the case,” Fickell said. “I’m not saying that there’s more in the Big Ten than there is in the SEC, but I think that what we see and we have seen on a consistent basis is, it’s as good as you get.”

    And that’s produced plenty of headaches for defenses trying to stop these guys.

    “There’s never a break,” Michigan coach Sherrone Moore said. “If you decide to take a breath, you’re going to lose.”

    The easy explanation for this increase in receiving talent across the Big Ten is the addition of Oregon, USC, Washington and UCLA to the conference. USC leads the nation and Washington ranks 26th in passing yards per game. Oregon annually has one of the nation’s most dynamic offenses.

    Conference expansion resulted in an end to divisional play. Big Ten Network analyst Jake Butt, who played tight end at Michigan from 2013-16, says that also has contributed to the change in style.

    “When it was the East and the West, you think about the teams that consistently would win the West,” Butt said. “It was Iowa. It was Wisconsin. What that incentivized programs to do was win by playing great defense, running the football, playing ball control, winning on special teams.”

    Butt said those old West Division schools have needed to diversify to adapt to the arrival of the former Pac-12 schools plus the improved coaching across the league.

    “You used to be able to say you could have a successful season in the Big Ten West, and you would never need to throw the ball,” Butt said. “You could have a successful season just by running the ball. Now because of the competition conference-wide, all these teams have been forced to adapt.”

    That adaptation takes time.

    Of the seven Big Ten receivers on pace for 1,000-yard seasons, the only one from a former West Division school is Illinois’ Hank Beatty (averaging 86.3 yards per game). The others are Lemon (108.3), Rutgers teammates KJ Duff (95.1) and Ian Strong (90.5), Smith (86.0), Tate (83.9) and Boston (83.5).

    One noteworthy aspect of this year’s surge in receiving depth is the number of Big Ten schools with multiple productive wideouts. Rutgers has Duff and Strong. USC’s Lemon and Lane are both likely early-round draft picks. No. 2 Indiana’s Elijah Sarratt has 10 touchdown catches to lead all FBS players, while teammate Omar Cooper Jr. has seven.

    “It allows us to go out there and play more free, knowing you can’t double-team one person because we’ve got more weapons than you can hold,” Cooper said.

    But all these teams ultimately are playing catch-up to Ohio State, which could make a case it has the two best receivers in all of college football.

    Smith and Tate are so good that they’ve boosted the Heisman Trophy chances of Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin, who has capitalized on the opportunity to throw to these future NFL receivers.

    “We’ve got two guys who, when it’s one-on-one and you’re looking both sides, I have full confidence that both these guys are going to go score a touchdown for us,” Sayin said.

    The depth of receiving talent across the Big Ten has plenty of its quarterbacks feeling confident each Saturday.

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  • Defensive issues hurt Bengals once again in loss to Jets

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    CINCINNATI — All those good vibes that Joe Flacco brought to Cincinnati were wiped out by one of the worst defensive performances in franchise history.

    It was that bad.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Bengals lost to the Jets on Sunday, which was previously a winless team

    • While the Bengals got off to a strong start this season, the team has gotten plagued injuries

    • Next up, the Bengals take on the Bears

    In position for a momentum-building victory, the Bengals crashed. They surrendered 23 points in the fourth quarter of a wild 39-38 loss to the lowly New York Jets on Sunday.

    “The offense scored enough and the defense, we should have lived up to it,” cornerback DJ Turner II said. “This is not about what they did, it’s about what we did. We have to finish the game out, play better defense.”

    Cincinnati got off to a 2-0 start this season, but Joe Burrow got hurt in the second game. Cincinnati acquired Flacco in a trade with Cleveland during a four-game slide, and the 40-year-old quarterback passed for 342 yards and three touchdowns in a 33-31 win over Pittsburgh on Oct. 16.

    With Flacco stabilizing the QB position, the Bengals (3-5) had an opportunity to turn their season around — with home games against the previously winless Jets and roller-coaster Chicago Bears before their bye week. But they were hurt by their ongoing defensive issues once again.

    “As a whole — as a defense — everyone has got to step up and play better,” safety Geno Stone said. “You can’t just single out one person because we’re on the field together. We just have to be better next week.”

    The defensive performance against New York was particularly alarming, even for a Cincinnati team that allowed at least 27 points in its previous six games.

    The Jets played without receiver Garrett Wilson because of a knee injury. They managed a total of 17 points and 302 yards in the previous two games combined. They hadn’t scored a first-half touchdown since Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

    But they shredded Cincinnati’s defense for 254 yards rushing and 502 yards overall. The Bengals had a 38-24 lead in the fourth quarter, but they couldn’t stop the Jets in the final minutes.

    “This is one that we had right in our grasp, and that’s the disappointing part about it,” coach Zac Taylor said. “We were right there, we had this. … We let it get away from us. It’s frustrating.”

    What’s working

    The run game. Cincinnati averaged 56.7 yards rushing over its first six games this season. But it has been much better in the past two weeks.

    The Bengals rushed for 142 yards in their win against the Steelers, then gained a season-high 181 yards on the ground against the Jets.

    “I thought our guys up front were doing a great job,” Taylor said after the loss to New York. “I thought the backs were running really well, breaking tackles.”

    What needs help

    The pass rush. One of the biggest problems for Cincinnati’s defense is its missing pass rush. It hasn’t registered a sack since its 27-18 loss at Green Bay on Oct. 12. It had two quarterback hits against Pittsburgh and just one against New York.

    Stock up

    Samaje Perine scored his first touchdown of the season on a 32-yard run in the third quarter. The veteran running back set season highs with nine carries for 94 yards. He entered with 99 yards on 22 carries on the year.

    Stock down

    Andrei Iosivas set career highs with 36 receptions for 479 yards and six touchdowns in his second year with Cincinnati, but this season has been a disaster so far.

    The 26-year-old Iosivas was shut out against the Jets. He has just 11 receptions for 170 yards and no TDs.

    Injuries

    All-Pro defensive end Trey Hendrickson returned to the lineup after he missed the victory over Pittsburgh. But he aggravated his hip injury in the final seconds of the first half against New York. He hobbled off the field, then spiked his helmet when he reached the sideline.

    Key numbers

    8 — Tee Higgins has scored a touchdown in eight consecutive home games. The lanky receiver had a 44-yard TD catch against New York, but that was his only reception of the afternoon.

    12 — Ja’Marr Chase had 12 catches for 91 yards in his third consecutive game with double-digit receptions. He has 64 targets in the last four games.

    What’s next

    Cincinnati hosts Chicago on Sunday. The Bears had won four in a row before their 30-16 loss at Baltimore.

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  • Patriots beat Browns 32-13

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    CLEVELAND — New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel wanted to add energy in Gillette Stadium after watching his team lose two of its first three games at home to open the season.

    What You Need To Know

    • Drake Maye threw three second-half touchdown passes to help the Patriots erase an early deficit and roll to their fifth straight victory

    • Browns star edge rusher Myles Garrett finished with a franchise-record and career-high five sacks

    • The loss extended Cleveland’s road losing streak to 12 games

    He did it by bringing back individual pregame introductions for the first time since 2001. It might have been exactly the boost New England needed.

    Drake Maye threw three second-half touchdown passes to help the Patriots erase an early deficit and roll to their fifth straight victory, 32-13 over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

    “The crib was rocking,” safety Jaylinn Hawkins said. “It was loud out there.”

    Hawkins and linebacker Robert Spillane both added interceptions for New England (6-2), which has won six straight over Cleveland and 11 of the past 13 meetings since 1999.

    Maye finished 18 of 24 for 282 yards and an interception. Hunter Henry, Stefon Diggs and Kayshon Boutte all had TD catches.

    “It’s really cool to really see a difference from last year,” Maye said of getting back to .500 at home. “It’s been a journey. They’ve been through it. The fans have been through it the last couple of years. So it’s just a credit to them.”

    It came on a day where Browns star edge rusher Myles Garrett finished with a franchise-record and career-high five sacks, raising his season total to 10.

    The loss extended Cleveland’s road losing streak to 12 games. The Browns (2-6) haven’t won away from home since Week 2 of last season against Jacksonville.

    A week after earning his first victory as an NFL starter, Browns rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel was 21 of 35 for 156 yards, with two touchdowns and the two picks.

    “It starts with me. We’ve got to be better,” Gabriel said.

    Coach Kevin Stefanski said Gabriel will remain the starter for now.

    “With a young quarterback, you understand that there’s going to be ups and downs,” he said.

    Cleveland hasn’t won in six trips to the Patriots’ current home since it opened in 2002 and now has an eight-game skid in Foxborough.

    The Patriots took a 9-7 lead into halftime but had all kinds of trouble with Garrett early on.

    Garrett dropped Maye for a third-and-goal sack on the Patriots’ opening drive of the game and forced them to settle for a field goal.

    On the ensuing drive, Gabriel connected with Harold Fannin Jr. for an 18-yard touchdown pass, capping a six-play, 70-yard drive. The score was set up by a 31-yard run by receiver Malachi Corley.

    It was the sixth time in eight games that a Patriots opponent has scored on its opening drive this season.

    Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger had his first career INT early in the second quarter. But the Browns failed to get points out of it when Andre Szmyt’s 47-yard field-goal attempt missed wide left.

    New England was threatening again and had third down on the Browns 7 when Garrett sacked Maye again, forcing the Patriots’ second field goal of the game.

    Later, Garrett sacked Maye for the third time, stripping him of the ball with a minute to play in the half. The ball was recovered by left guard Jared Wilson, however, helping New England salvage a third field goal as time expired.

    Sack man

    With his performance, Garrett became the third player in NFL history to have 10 or more sacks in eight consecutive seasons, joining Hall of Famers Reggie White (nine from 1985-93) and John Randle (nine from 1992-99). It is the third four-sack game in Browns history. Andra Davis also had four in a 2003 game against the Chiefs. The three-sack first half was the third of Garrett’s career.

    Trickery

    The Patriots used a gadget play on their opening drive of the third quarter to set up their first touchdown.

    With a first down on the Browns 38, Maye pitched to Rhamondre Stevenson, who threw it back to Maye. Maye tossed it ahead to receiver Mack Hollins for 19-yard gain.

    Three plays later, Maye connected with Henry on a 7-yard TD pass as the Patriots extended their lead to 16-7.

    Injuries

    Browns: CB Tyson Campbell jogged off the field after taking a hit to the head on a play in the third quarter, was evaluated for a concussion and did not return. RB Quinshon Judkins also left the game with a shoulder injury in the third quarter and was ruled out. S Rayshawn Jenkins left with a groin injury. LB Carson Schwesinger left with an ankle issue.

    Patriots: DL Khyiris Tonga left in the second half with a knee injury and was ruled out.

    Up next

    Browns: Have a bye next week. They visit the Jets on Nov. 9.

    Patriots: Host Atlanta next Sunday.

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  • Sorsby led Cincinnati defeats Baylor 41-20

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    CINCINNATI —  Brendan Sorsby threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score to help No. 21 Cincinnati beat Baylor 41-20 on Saturday.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Cincinnati Bearcats handedly defeated Baylor on Saturday

    • QB Brendan Sorsby had three thouchdowns in total

    • The Bearcasts have won seven straight for the first time since 2021

    The Bearcats (7-1, 5-0 Big 12) have won seven straight for the first time since 2021 when they reached the College Football Playoff.

    “Proud of what our guys did tonight,” Bearcats coach Scott Satterfield said. “Just a complete team win and that’s how we like it.”

    Baylor (4-4, 2-3) trailed 24-0 late in the first half, then cut it to 27-20 early in the fourth quarter behind two touchdown passes and a rushing TD by Sawyer Robertson.

    Sorsby’s 23-yard TD run capped a 12-play, 75-yard drive that took more than seven minutes to make it 34-20 with six minutes left.

    “We’re in position to get a stop and get the ball back to our offense to go win the game and just couldn’t do it,” Baylor coach Dave Aranda said. “It’s just so frustrating.”

    Cincinnati started fast again Saturday.

    The Bears got a third-down stop on the Bearcats’ first possession, but a pass-interference penalty gave Cincinnati a first down. A 1-yard touchdown run by Tawee Walker capped an 81-yard drive to put the Bearcats ahead 7-0.

    The Bearcats rushed for 265 yards.

    “We knew that we could come in and probably be the more physical team,” Sorsby said. “I felt like our offensive line was dominating. You just keep feeding into that.”

    After a sack on third down resulted in a Baylor punt, Cincinnati drove 66 yards in 10 plays and Evan Pryor’s 5-yard TD run made the score 14-0.

    Josh Cameron’s catch and fumble for the game’s first turnover led to Sorsby’s 6-yard TD pass to Cyrus Allen that made it 24-0 with 2:34 left in the half.

    “You talk about not starting as fast as we need to,” Aranda said. “Despite all of it, the fight to get back into the mix is nice to see. But we can’t live the way we’re living.”

     

    Running man

     

    Sorsby rushed for 85 yards and a touchdown giving him 425 yards and seven TDs on the ground. Four of his rushing TDs are for 20 or more yards.

    “We’re certainly going to utilize his legs,” Satterfield said. “We didn’t need as much in the passing game tonight, but when we needed it he came through. Brendan is playing efficient football. That’s what we’re asking of him.”

     

    Still perfect

     

    Bearcats kicker Stephen Rusnak made two more field goal attempts to improve to 11 for 11 on the season. Rusnak has made 22 straight attempts dating to last season when he played for Charlotte. He’s the only kicker in the country to not have missed a field goal attempt since the start of the 2024 season.

     

    The takeaways

     

    Baylor: Robertson came into the game leading the nation in passing yards and passing TDs, but the Bearcats held him to a season-low 137 yards passing.

    “Obviously really proud of our defense,” Satterfield said. “Putting together a game plan to contain the nation’s top passing offense. What they did tonight was incredible.”

    Cincinnati: The Bearcats remained tied with BYU for first place in the Big 12. BYU beat Iowa State 41-27 on Saturday. Cincinnati hosts BYU on Nov. 22.

    “Every week has been a big week for us, nothing is going to change,” Sorsby said.

    Cincinnati’s next games is against Utah on Saturday.

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  • Bucs defense shines in a 23-3 victory over the Saints

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    NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Tampa Bay edge rusher Anthony Nelson had an interception for a touchdown to go with a forced fumble and two sacks, Sean Tucker ran for a 1-yard score on fourth down and the Buccaneers beat the hapless New Orleans Saints 23-3 on Sunday.

    Antoine Winfield Jr. recovered a fumble and intercepted a pass for the Buccaneers (6-2), who forced four turnovers and also played a role in forcing Saints second-year quarterback Spencer Rattler out of the game.

    First-year Saints coach Kellen Moore inserted rookie QB Tyler Shough late in the third quarter, but the switch did little to improve matters for New Orleans (1-7), now tied for the worst record in the NFL with the New York Jets and Tennessee.

    After saying earlier in the week that he didn’t like the Saints and did not feel they played “clean,” Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield did enough to help his team win comfortably. But the Bucs’ offense did not have the smoothest day.

    The Saints managed to preserve a scoreless tie in the second quarter by stuffing four goal-to-go runs from the 1, only to give up Nelson’s defensive touchdown a couple plays later.

    Rattler was rolling right and appeared to have tight end Foster Moreau open in the flat, but Nelson — who started because of Haason Reddick’s ankle and knee injuries — tipped Rattler’s pass to himself for his first career interception. The seventh-year pro then flattened the Saints QB while basically walking into the end zone to make it 7-0.

    The Bucs appeared to have taken a 14-0 lead on a second defensive touchdown when Winfield recovered receiver Rashid Shaheed’s fumble on the New Orleans 47 and returned it to the end zone. But an inadvertent whistle wiped out Winfield’s return, and a few plays later, Saints defensive end Chase Young forced and recovered a fumble by Mayfield.

    The Saints converted that turnover into Blake Grupe’s 48-yard field goal that made it 7-3 at halftime.

    Tucker’s TD came after the Saints had stopped Mayfield and Co. three more times from the 1 in the third quarter.

    Chase McLaughlin kicked three second-half field goals from 52 or more yards to help the Bucs pull away from there.

    Rattler, who fell to 1-13 in career NFL starts, competed 15 of 21 passes for 136 yards. He also lost the fumble forced by Nelson.

    Shough completed 17 of 30 passes for 128 yards. The second-round draft choice also was intercepted when his accurate pass to Chris Olave was ripped away by Winfield.

    Injuries

    Buccaneers: CB Jacob Parrish was treated on the field in the fourth quarter, but walked off on his own.

    Saints: CB Alontae Taylor briefly received attention in a blue injury tent kin the fourth quarter, but remained in uniform on the sideline. … DT Bryan Bresee also received apparent concussion tests on the sideline in the final minutes, when Shaheed also hobbled off with an apparent leg injury.

    Up next

    Buccaneers: Have a Week 9 bye before hosting New England on Nov. 9.

    Saints: Visit the Los Angeles Rams next Sunday.

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  • Mitchell scores 35 as Cavaliers outlast Nets 131-124

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    NEW YORK — Donovan Mitchell scored 35 points, Jarrett Allen added 22, and Cleveland Cavaliers outlasted the Brooklyn Nets 131-124 on Friday night.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Cavs beat the Nets 131-124 Friday night

    • Donovan Mitchell scored 35, and Jarrett Allen scored 22

    • Cleveland will host Milwaukee on Monday night

    Sam Merrill finished with 22 points, and Evan Mobley chipped in 13 for the Cavaliers, who won their first game of the season after losing to the New York Knicks on Wednesday night.

    Cam Thomas scored 33 points, and Michael Porter Jr. had 31 for Brooklyn, who are 0-2.

    Cleveland led by 25 points in the third quarter before the Nets rallied in the fourth.

    Ziaire Williams hit a 3-pointer to make it 121-115 with 5:18 left before a short delay after a fan ran on the court.

    Merrill missed a 3-pointer after play resumed, and Thomas’ layup cut the deficit to 121-117.

    Mitchell, who was 10 for 15 from the floor, turned the ball over on the ensuing possession before Brooklyn rookie Egor Demin’s 3-pointer made 121-120 with 3:48 remaining.

    Cleveland then took advantage of multiple missed shots by the Nets and scored six consecutive points to extend the lead 127-120 with 38 seconds remaining.

    The Cavaliers shot 44 for 82 from the field and made 18 of 42 from 3-point range, including 9 of 11 in the third quarter.

    Up next

    Cavaliers: Host Milwaukee on Monday night.

    Nets: Visit San Antonio on Sunday.

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    Spectrum News Staff, Associated Press

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  • Capitals beat Blue Jackets 5-1 for 6th win in 7 games

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    COLUMBUS, Ohio — Alex Ovechkin scored his 899th career goal and added an assist, and the Washington Capitals beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-1 on Friday night.

    What You Need To Know

    • The Columbus Blue Jackets lost 3-1 to the Washington Capitals Friday night

    • Denton Mateychuk scored, and Jet Greaves finished with 25 saves for the Blue Jackets, who snapped a two-game win streak

    • Blue Jackets will be at Pittsburgh on Saturday night to open a two-game trip

    John Carlson and Connor McMichael each had a goal and an assist, and Justin Sourdif and Tom Wilson also scored as Washington got its sixth win in seven games. Logan Thompson stopped 34 shots for his fifth straight win.

    Denton Mateychuk scored the only goal for his team, and Jet Greaves finished with 25 saves for the Blue Jackets, who snapped a two-game win streak.

    Ovechkin pushed Washington’s lead to 2-0 at 1:36 of the third, getting the puck off a faceoff in the right circle on the offensive end and quickly firing it past Greaves to move the NHL career goals leader one away from 900.

    Sourdif made it a three-goal lead 1:04 later as he got a lead pass from Ryan Leonard, skated in on Greaves and fired it past the goalie off the right goalpost and in. Thompson also got an assist on the play.

    Mateychuk ended Thompson’s shutout bid with 9:40 left as he got a pass from Sean Monahan from behind the net and quickly beat the goalie from the left side.

    Wilson made it 4-1 with a power-play goal with 4:21 remaining for his fifth of the season, and McMichael made it a four-goal lead 58 seconds later on the same advantage for Mathieu Oliver’s major for elbowing.

    Carlson had given the Capitals a 1-0 lead with 1:41 left in the second with a one-timer off a pass from Connor McMichael that went from straightaway near the blue line along the ice through traffic in front and into the bottom left corner past Greaves.

    It came on Washington’s second shot on goal of the period as they were outshot 10-2 in the second.

    Each team had 12 shots on goal in a scoreless first period.

    Up next

    Capitals: Host Ottawa on Saturday night.

    Blue Jackets: At Pittsburgh on Saturday night to open a two-game trip.

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    Spectrum News Staff, Associated Press

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  • OHSAA bans Ironton from 2025 football playoffs for recruiting bylaw violations

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    COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ironton High School will not be taking part in the 2025 football playoffs after the Ohio High School Athletic Association recently discovered “numerous violations of… recruiting bylaws over the last seven years.”

    What You Need To Know

    • The OHSAA confirmed Ironton High School will not be participating in the 2025 football playoffs

    • They said they committed violations of recruiting bylaws over the last seven years

    • The school district said they are disappointed by the decision and the way it will affect their students
    • The football program will subject to a post-season ban for 2025, a three-year probation, a fine of $7,500 and more

    The district confirmed in a letter posted on social media that the OHSAA determined the coaching staff committed recruiting violations in 2018, 2019 and 2025.

    “The OHSAA’s investigation determined that some members of the Ironton football program had engaged in ongoing and coordinated recruiting efforts, including communications with parents and students regarding methods to influence other prospective athletes’ enrollment,” reads an OHSAA press release. “Records show deliberate efforts to conceal recruiting activity, including direction on how to avoid leaving evidence of infractions, which demonstrates an awareness of wrongdoing and an intentional effort to circumvent compliance. The scope and coordination of these activities, as well as the number of impermissible contacts, represents a serious and pervasive violation.”

    Penalties include:

    • Post-season ban for 2025
    • Post-season suspension of some coaching staff next year
    • Three years of probation
    • A fine of $7,500

    The OHSAA clarifies that these penalties and probations are for the football program specifically.

    The district said these penalties are being imposed by the OHSAA and that the school board has taken no action.


    “The OHSAA’s determination followed an investigation during which we repeatedly advocated strongly for the District’s football program and its students, presented all rebuttal evidence available to us, and did everything we could in the short time provided to achieve a different outcome,” the district’s letter reads.

    The OHSAA said it will not make Ironton give up its 2024 Division V state championship or forfeit wins from past seasons. However, they note Ironton allowed an “ineligible student-athlete” to play in its final regular season game on Friday, resulting in a forfeiture.

    The district said they are disappointed in the OHSAA’s decision and the impact it has on their students.

    “We want you to know, however, that the sanctions initially proposed by the OHSAA would have made our team ineligible to participate in playoffs for two years and their decision to remove the ban in the second year was a result of our advocacy on the team’s behalf,” the district’s letter reads. “We understand that many of you are upset. After consultation with attorneys who have the most successful experience with legal challenges to OHSAA determinations as well as multiple local attorneys, it was their collective recommendation that we accept the negotiated sanctions presented to us at this point in time.”

    The OHSAA said the district will change enrollment and transfer policies as well as attend an educational seminar. If there are further violations of recruiting bylaws while the football program is on probation, it will lose postseason eligibility for the next tournament.

    “Moving forward, we are fully committed to ensuring that appropriate corrective measures are taken to avoid any further adverse impact on our football program,” the district’s letter reads. “This is a setback, but this has not erased the hard work and accomplishments of our students as a team this year. We are so proud of them. We will not let this take away our pride or our legacy, and we will strive, as always, to uphold the values that define Ironton City Schools both on and off the field.”

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    Cody Thompson

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