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Old rivals to clash again
ALLIANCE -- After leaving the Ohio Athletic Conference in the spring, John Carroll University is playing old rival Mount Union again.
Mount Union (11-0) will host John Carroll (10-1) in the third round of the NCAA Division III football playoffs on Saturday. Kickoff is at noon at Kehres Stadium. Gates will open at 10:30 a.m.
Mount Union is 40-3-2 against John Carroll, including a 4-0 mark in the playoffs. The Purple Raiders won last year's second-round playoff game 42-7. The 2014 playoff game between the team drew a stadium-record 9,397 fans.
Tickets are available at hometownticketing.com. Tickets are $11 for adults and $5 for students. Children 3 and under are free.
Salem grad earns top award
YOUNGSTOWN --The Youngstown State cross country team has captured top honors in the Horizon League for the third straight year.
Junior McKinley Fielding from Fort Drum, N.Y., was named the Horizon League's Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Year on Thursday. Hunter Christopher, a Salem High School graduate, was the Horizon League Men's Athletie of the Year in 2023 and 2024.
Fielding led the YSU women to their first Horizon League title since 2014. She won the 6K race in 20 minutes, 10.9 seconds, breaking the previous school record by 30 seconds.
The only other YSU female to claim the Horizon League honor was Morgan Cole in 2022.
Clipper frosh best Palestine
EAST PALESTINE -- Columbiana's freshman boys basketball team beat East Palestine 43-28 on Thursday.
For East Palestine, Caleb Dmyterko had 19 points. Mason Gorby added seven points.
East Palestine is at Girard on Monday.
Marlington defeats Branch
BELOIT --Marlington's boys basketball team defeated West Branch 46-35 on Thursday.
For West Branch, Logan Hawk had 19 points. Judah Kutz added five points.
West Branch is at Alliance on Monday.
Rebels score sweep
SALEM -- The Crestview bowling teams swept Liberty at Hunt Club Lanes on Wednesday.
The Crestview boys won 2401-1057. For the Rebels, Brody Brubaker had a 214 game and 420 series. Peyton Mellott had a 389 series and Chris Johnson a 367 series
The Rebels also captured the girls match, 1591-1194. Leading the Rebels were Kylee Wolfe with a 195 game and 319 series. Blasey Biser added a 280 series and Nikke Kernich a 229 series.
Wellsville bowlers roll
STRUTHERS -- Wellsville twins Makayla and Madelyn Landess both rolled 200 games as the Tigers doubled up Youngstown East, 1939-932, Thursday at Holiday Lanes.
Makayla Landess had a 212 game and 415 series and Madelyn Landess a 214 game and 407 series. William Lockhart added a 162 game and 311 series.
Wellsville (1-1) will play Southern Local today at Forest Lanes.
Avon repeats as state champion
CANTON -- The Elders gave the Avon Eagles their second straight state championship.
First-year starting quarterback Blake Elder, the son of head coach Mike Elder, threw four touchdown passes in the first half to guide the fifth-ranked Eagles to a 37-20 victory over top-ranked Cincinnati Anderson in the Division II state title game Thursday night at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.
Mike Elder is a former Warren JFK and Mount Union standout and his son, Blake, was born a month after he coached his first game for Avon.
It was a rematch of last year's Division II state final that Avon won 20-13.
Avon scored twice in the opening 9 1/2 minutes to lead for good. Finn Jerdonek had a 14-yard touchdown catch after a snap went over the Anderson punter's head and Caden Clapham had a 22-yard catch to put the Eagles ahead 14-0 with 2:39 left in the first quarter.
Blake Elder was 12-of-18 passing for 216 yards and four touchdowns, which ties a Division II state championship record. Quiante Smith ran for 180 yards and a touchdown.
Anderson quarterback Owen Scalf was 32-of-47 passing for 376 yards with two touchdowns and a scoring run.
Both teams finish at 13-1.
Pirates make trade with Red Sox
BOSTON (AP) -- The Boston Red Sox acquired right-hander Johan Oviedo from the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday night as part of a five-player trade.
Boston also got left-hander Tyler Samaniego and minor league catcher Adonys Guzman from Pittsburgh in exchange for outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia and minor league right-hander Jesus Travieso.
Oviedo, a 27-year-old from Cuba, had Tommy John surgery in December 2023 and missed the 2024 season. He returned last season and went 2-1 with a 3.57 ERA in nine starts.
In 2023, he made 32 starts and went 9-14 with a 4.31 ERA with 158 strikeouts in 177 2/3 innings for the Pirates and ranked eighth among National League starters with a .237 opponent batting average. Oviedo is 15-26 with a 4.24 ERA in 81 appearances, including 67 starts, for St. Louis and Pittsburgh.
Boston designated right-hander Cooper Criswell for assignment to make room on its 40-man roster.