Sports category, Page 2192
Four Downs: Steelers’ Devlin Hodges not ducking the deep ballVideo
1. Deep Duck Despite the narratives otherwise that the Pittsburgh Steelers have muzzled their “Duck,” data compiled by Pro Football Focus suggests otherwise. Of the 37 NFL quarterbacks who have attempted at least 16 passes of 20 or more yards downfield this season, just seven have thrown a higher ratio...
Cal (Pa.)’s Jess Strom gets 200th win
Cal (Pa.) women’s basketball coach Jess Strom, of Steel Valley and Penn State fame, reached 200 career wins for the No. 9-ranked Vulcans Friday in a 67-60 victory over West Chester. Only seven other women’s basketball coaches in the PSAC have 200 or more wins. Strom is 200-53 in nine...
Pitt’s Pat Narduzzi on Kenny Pickett: ‘He’s a great quarterback. He’s our quarterback’
Kenny Pickett’s collegiate career, so fresh with hope when he boldly led Pitt to an upset of No. 2 Miami as a freshman only two years ago, has been reduced to one season and one game. “He’ll be a senior next year,” coach Pat Narduzzi said, almost sadly. “We wish...
Kevin Gorman: MetLife Stadium brings back memories for Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick
Minkah Fitzpatrick never attended an NFL game until he played in one, but smiles at the recollection of playing in games at MetLife stadium long before he made it to the league. The Pittsburgh Steelers free safety starred at St. Peter’s Prep when the Marauders reached back-to-back New Jersey Non-Public...
Recognized by Pro Bowl voters, Steelers’ Cam Heyward getting better with age
As disappointed as Bud Dupree was for not being selected to his first Pro Bowl, the Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker kept reminding himself about teammate Cameron Heyward. “It takes time,” Dupree said. “Cam didn’t make one until, like, his sixth year.” Actually, it took seven years for Heyward to be...
Empty Thoughts: Penguins 5, Oilers 2
Observations from the Penguins’ 5-2 win against the Edmonton Oilers: The Penguins are hobbled right now. They’ve been that way for the vast majority of the season. For the past few weeks, with Sidney Crosby out, Evgeni Malkin has largely carried the freight. When Kris Letang has been injured, John...
Minor league report: Tokarski, Penguins shut out Bruins
Goaltender Dustin Tokarski made 23 saves for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in a 1-0 shutout of the Providence Bruins at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre on Friday. Tokarski recorded his first shutout of the season for the Penguins (15-11-3-1) while forward Anthony Angello scored the only goal. Highlights: The Penguins will...
Penguins get goals from all over, Tristan Jarry comes through vs. Oilers
EDMONTON, Alberta — Tristan Jarry made 26 saves, Jared McCann scored and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Edmonton Oilers, 5-2, on Friday night. Chad Ruhwedel, Joseph Blandisi, Kris Letang and Brandon Tanev also scored for the Penguins, who have won four straight. Zack Kassian and former Penguins forward Riley Sheahan...
Pitt gets defensive, breezes past Binghamton
With the Christmas break on the horizon, Pitt enjoyed a bit of a breather Friday night while taking advantage of another opportunity to sharpen its skills ahead of an ACC schedule that doesn’t offer many breaks. Pitt coach Jeff Capel saw some things to like in a 79-53 rout of...
Stawovy, Gabauer trying to boost fortunes of West Virginia Wesleyan women’s basketball
Though they are the same age, attended high school 11 miles apart and sometimes competed against each other, Brittany Stawovy (Greensburg Central Catholic) and Abi Gabauer (Norwin) were acquainted only by reputation. That doesn’t mean they didn’t develop a bit of a rivalry. “We used to read about each other...
No. 23 Penn State basketball wins as ranked team for 1st time in 23 seasonsVideo
STATE COLLEGE — Myreon Jones scored 11 of his 21 points in the first half and No. 23 Penn State routed Central Connecticut, 87-58, on Friday. Izaiah Brockington scored 11 points and Lamar Stevens added 10 for the Nittany Lions (10-2), who won as a ranked team for the first...
Jets assistant coach Hines Ward wants ‘Gatorade shower’ if team beats SteelersVideo
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Hines Ward has been a popular guy this week — and he has the countless voicemails, texts and emails to prove it. The Pittsburgh Steelers are coming to town, and the former star wide receiver has been hearing from friends and former colleagues who hope to...
Shaler grad Emily Ondo gets new lease on basketball life at Chatham
Not long ago, Emily Ondo thought she was done playing basketball. She walked away from the sport early in her junior season at Capital — the end of a mostly frustrating stint with the Crusaders — and decided to get on with the rest of her life. But deep down,...
Paul Newberry: James Wiseman shows he’s wise young man by dumping collegeVideo
Congratulations to James Wiseman, a wise young man indeed. He didn’t need one-and-done. None-and-done will work just fine (we rounded down from the three games he played at Memphis). After tussling with those tyrants at the NCAA, Wiseman told the guardians of an unjust system what they could do with...
Penn Hills grad Stephens hoping JUCO route leads to more Division-I basketball opportunities
During his senior season, Daivon Stephens led the Penn Hills boys basketball team to the 2018 WPIAL Class 6A title, the program’s first title since 2003. Stephens’ performance earned him an offer from Eastern Michigan, where he later committed to attend last season. After getting minimal playing time at Eastern...
Penn Hills grad Hollis Mathis makes impact as freshman at William & Mary
Heading into his freshman season at William & Mary, Hollis Mathis wasn’t sure how his game would translate to the collegiate level. A record-setting season provided answers to his doubts. Mathis, a 6-foot-2, 170-pound quarterback, threw for 976 yards and four touchdowns for William & Mary (5-7, 3-5) this season....
Burrell grad Natalie Myers filling stat sheet for IUP
In her three-plus seasons as a basketball player at the collegiate level, Natalie Myers hadn’t had the type of game she produced in the IUP women’s basketball team’s 65-54 victory over Salem on Nov. 27. The Burrell graduate and senior guard for the Crimson Hawks scored a career-best 26 points,...
Surrounded by 1st-rounders on Steelers’ dominant defense, undrafted Mike Hilton stands tallVideo
In ranking the Pittsburgh Steelers by snaps played this season on defense, eight of the top nine are former first-round picks. The other is a third-rounder. And then there’s Mike Hilton. He’s not only the shortest player on one of the NFL’s top defenses, he’s the only one who went...
Cotton Bowl could give glimpse into future of Penn State’s offense
On the most basic level, Penn State’s football team is about to embark on a pretty standard bowl trip to Dallas to take on Memphis in the Cotton Bowl a week from Saturday. The itinerary will include sponsored functions, luncheons, scripted sightseeing tours — that sort of thing. The goal...
Bills out to end Patriots’ run of AFC East dominanceVideo
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — For years, the Buffalo Bills have been one of three chasers in the AFC East, annually trying and failing to knock the New England Patriots from their decade-long run atop the division. Buffalo enters its Week 16 matchup with New England clinging to its best hope in...
Penguins forward prospect Jordy Bellerive has little time for fearVideo
WILKES-BARRE — Jordy Bellerive didn’t hold back. Despite being listed at a somewhat-dubious 5-foot-11 and 194 pounds, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins forward didn’t hesitate to give the business to Providence Bruins forward Trent Frederic, who has a more ample 6-foot-2 and 200-pound frame. Frederic didn’t appreciate the interaction and ripped Bellerive’s...
Jeannette grad ‘Showboat’ Robinson back on Basketball Hall of Fame ballot
For the third straight year, Lamont “Showboat” Robinson is on the ballot for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The Jeannette graduate is known for having a pivotal role in comedy basketball when he played for three Harlem teams: the Globetrotters, Roadkings and Clowns. Among the list of candidates...
Pirates hire Tarrik Brock as new 1st base coach
Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton filled another vacancy on his coaching staff Friday, as the team announced the hiring of Tarrik Brock as its new first base coach. Brock, 45, has been minor league outfier/baserunning coordinator for the Los Angeles Dodgers for the past three seasons. Before that, he was...
Steelers continue lovefest for Le’Veon Bell, but want to beat him
At 6-foot-5, 295 pounds but with a wide smile and gregarious personality, Pittsburgh Steelers defensive captain Cameron Heyward can be difficult to decipher. When he was asked about a former teammate in running back Le’Veon Bell, who was popular in the locker room but left under questionable circumstances, Heyward chose...
Mark Madden: Count on GM Jim Rutherford to get defensive depth the Penguins need
Mike Tomlin is a strong candidate for NFL Coach of the Year. But jabroni quarterback Duck Hodges throwing 38 times in a losing effort vs. Buffalo didn’t help. Neither did Hodges tossing four balls to the wrong team. OK, so the Bills had eight men in the box. Is the...
