Dec 12, 2018 3 min read

Cal’s McPhatter

named AP All-American

California University of Pennsylvania junior defensive back Lamont McPhatter was named to the Associated Press Division II All-America football first team Wednesday.

A native of New Castle, McPhatter ranked third in the PSAC with five interceptions and tied for the lead in Super Region One with 0.6 interception per game. He paced Division II and ranked fourth among all NCAA divisions with 198 interception return yards. McPhatter finished the year with 63 tackles (37 solo). He also tallied 3.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and two defensive touchdowns as a junior.

McPhatter repeated as an All-PSAC West First-Team selection and became the first defensive back since 2012 to be chosen as the PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Year. He was the lone defensive back among the 37 national nominees for the Harlon Hill Trophy and is also under consideration for the Cliff Harris Award, which is presented to the top defensive player in the country among NCAA Division II and III and NAIA programs.

In two seasons with the Vulcans, McPhatter has 10 interceptions and scored four defensive touchdowns.

Diaz to Temple

Temple is finalizing a contract to make Miami defensive coordinator Manny Diaz its next head football coach, a person familiar with the negotiations told the Associated Press on Wednesday.

Diaz would replace Geoff Collins, who left Temple after two seasons to become coach at Georgia Tech last week. Like Collins, Diaz has been a successful defensive coordinator with Power Five schools.

Their careers already have crossed. Collins helped replace Diaz as co-defensive coordinator at Mississippi State in 2011 after Diaz left for Texas. In 2015, when Collins left Mississippi State for Florida, Diaz returned to the Bulldogs.

NFL draft to Vegas

The NFL draft is heading to Las Vegas for 2020.

It almost certainly will arrive before the Raiders.

“We believe the draft will be the kickoff to our inaugural season,” said Raiders owner Mark Davis, who is moving the team from Oakland.

The league announced Wednesday at an owners meeting that the city where the Raiders will begin play in September 2020 will host the draft that April.

“Las Vegas is the entertainment capital of the world and will provide a tremendous experience for the NFL and its fans,” Davis added.

Other cities in the running for 2020 were Kansas City and Cleveland, which was partnering with the Pro Football Hall of Fame in nearby Canton, Ohio.

The league also announced that it will stage four games in London and one in Mexico City next season, with the Jaguars, Chargers, Rams, Raiders and Buccaneers serving as hosts.

When the games will be played and who the opponents will be won’t be announced until the spring, when the league schedule for 2019 is released.

In the NBA

Thaddeus Young had 25 points, 11 rebounds and four assists, and Myles Turner added 23 points to lead the Indiana Pacers to their fifth straight win – 113-97 over Milwaukee on Wednesday night.

• Spencer Dinwiddie scored a career-high 39 points off the bench and Allen Crabbe had 20 to lead the Brooklyn Nets to a 127-124 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.

Joel Embiid had 33 points and 17 rebounds and Ben Simmons scored 22 for Philadelphia, which played without Jimmy Butler because of a strained groin.