Dec 8, 2018 5 min read

Trinity’s Whitmer wins at Gateway

Trinity’s Cole Whitmer won the 195-pound title Saturday and the Hillers finished in eighth place in the team standings at the Eastern Area wrestling tournament held at Gateway High School.

Whitmer won an 8-3 decision over his opponent from Kiski in the finals. Kiski won the team title in the 23-team event.

The Hillers, who started the day in second place, had six placewinners led by Whitmer. Dom Quarture was third at heavyweight, Danny Boardley (126), Gianni Martini (132) and Drew Cain (152) each placed fifth and Chet Locy (220) was a sixth-place finisher.

“We wrestled well for the first tournament of the year,” said Trinity coach Mark Powell.

McGuffey goes 4-1

McGuffey rolled through its first four opponents but lost in the finals to host John Marshall (West Virginia), 39-38, after an injury default in the final bout Saturday at the season-opening JM Duals.

Four wrestlers for the Highlanders went 5-0 in their respective weight classes: Nate Yagle (113), Jett Pattison (126), Ethan Barr (152) and Garrett Doone (195).

McGuffey went 3-0 in matches against high schools from West Virginia, defeating Cameron (48-18), East Fairmont (42-32) and Ripley (59-24). It also won its match against Crestview (Ohio), 51-18.

PIAA football

Running back Avante McKenzie scored four touchdowns and Aliquippa used its size and speed advantage to defeat Middletown 35-0 in the PIAA Class 3A championship game Saturday at Hersheypark Stadium.

McKenzie rushed for 198 yards on 22 carries, including TD runs of 5, 35, 1 and 80 yards. It was redemption of sorts for the 5-6 senior, the Quips’ leading rusher on the season who did not play (suspension) in Aliquippa’s 41-7 semifinal victory over Sharon.

Eli Kosanovich completed 17 of 30 attempts for 170 yards and a fourth-quarter TD to Gevod Tyson, which completed Aliquippa’s run to its third state title. The Quips finished the season with a 15-1 record.

WPIAL champions Beaver Falls (2016), Quaker Valley (2017) and Aliquippa have defeated the Blue Raiders (13-2) in succession in the PIAA finals.

Ex-WVU player’s appeal denied

The NCAA denied an appeal by Wichita State basketball player Teddy Allen to play immediately after transferring from West Virginia, forcing the sophomore guard to sit out a redshirt season.

Allen appealed to the subcommittee for legislative relief arguing that the transfer was so that he could be closer to his support system in Boys Town, Neb. The small village near Omaha provides care, treatment and education to at-risk children with behavioral, emotional and academic issues.

Allen arrived at Boys Town when he was 17 and blossomed into a star basketball player. He signed with West Virginia, where he averaged seven points in 12 minutes a game as a freshman.

The decision by the NCAA means Allen will be able to practice and travel with the Shockers, who are off to a 4-3 start, but he cannot play in games until next season.

Giants’ Beckham ruled out

New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. has been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Redskins with a quadriceps injury. He did not travel to Washington with the team.

Beckham appeared on the team’s injury report Friday with a bruised quadricep and practiced on a limited basis. He was downgraded to out on Saturday.

Beckham threw one touchdown pass and caught another last week in the Giants’ 30-27 overtime victory over the Bears.

Bills’ Hughes fined

Buffalo defensive end Jerry Hughes was fined $53,482 by the NFL on Saturday for confronting an official in the tunnel after the Bills-Dolphins game last weekend. Hughes accused the official of calling him a vulgar name.

“I’ll catch you. I’ll catch you, guaranteed,” Hughes shouted, waving his index finger, as he was pulled away by Bills officials. Hughes later declined to elaborate on the reason for his anger, saying, “I lost the game, so I am supposed to be angry.”

The league also fined Tennessee left tackle Taylor Lewan $26,739 for yelling at referee Jerome Boger and his crew after the Jets-Titans game.

Fines of $26,739 for unnecessary roughness were levied against Dallas’ Jaylon Smith (helmet-to-helmet hit) and Jatavis Brown of the Chargers.

Receiving $20,054 fines were Ndamukong Suh of the Rams for a horse collar tackle, the Lions’ Ezekiel Ansah for an illegal hit on the quarterback, Za’Darius Smith of the Ravens for roughing the passer and Bears quarterback Chase Daniel for a horse collar tackle on an interception.

In the NBA

Luka Doncic shrugged off a rough shooting night with 11 straight points to erase an eight-point deficit late in the fourth quarter and the Dallas Mavericks went on to their ninth consecutive home victory, 107-104 over the Houston Rockets on Saturday.

Doncic was 3 of 13 before hitting back-to-back 3-pointers to get Dallas within two. After Chris Paul missed two free throws, Doncic hit a floater in the lane for a tie, then followed an air-ball 3 from James Harden with another from long range for a 105-102 lead. It was 26th lead change.