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FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS
Salem, West Branch and United will be in second-round football playoff games at 7 p.m. today.
Tickets are $12 for adults and $5 for students.
Salem (8-2) hosts University School (6-4) in Division III. Gates open at 5:30 p.m.
West Branch (9-1) entertains Poland (7-4 in Division IV. Gates open at 5:30 p.m.
United (9-1) travels to Columbia Station Columbia (9-1) in Division VI. Gates open at 6 p.m.
REGIONAL FINAL AT CRESTVIEW
COLUMBIANA -- The West Branch girls soccer team won’t have to go far for its Divivion IV regional final on Saturday.
The No. 2 seed Warriors (21-0) will face No. 5 seed Warren JFK (16-4) at Crestview’s Rebel Stadium. Game time is 2 p.m. Saturday.
Tickets are $12 for adults and $5 for students.
The winner advances to the state semifinals against the winner of Cincinnati Mariemont and Kettering Archbishop Alter. The match is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday at a neutral site, most likely near Columbus.
The Div. IV state championship will be played at noon Nov. 13 at Scotts-Miracle Gro Field, the home of the Columbus Crew.
RAIDERS ADVANCE
MEDINA -- The South Range volleyball team advanced to the regional finals for the first time, downing Lakeview, 25-17, 25-21, 22-25, 25-19, in a Division V regional semifinal Thursday at Medina High School.
It was the third time this season South Range beat Lakeview in four games. South Range has lost seven sets all season.
Fifth-ranked South Range (26-0) will play Orrville (16-10) in the regional final at 11 a.m. Saturday at Barberton High School. The winner advances to the state semifinals.
Orrville won its sixth match in a row, topping Fairview Park Fairview, 32-30, 27-25, 25-18, in Thursday’s opener. Orville won regional titles in 2003, 2004 and 2013.
BEAVERS HOST CLASSIC
CALCUTTA -- The District 1 Senior Classic volleyball matches will be held at Beaver Local High School on Sunday, Nov. 8. Matches will be at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.
HUNTER EDUCATION
NEW CUMBERLAND, W.Va. -- The Chester-Newell Sportsmen Club will host a free hunter education class from 1-6:30 p.m. Nov 14-15.
Students must attend both days. Certification is good in all 50 states and Canada
Anyone who took an online class and needs the firearms handling and test may also sign up. Please bring online class certificate or phone pic of it. Those online students may attend on that Sunday from 1-4 p.m.
For more info and to register go to register-ed.com.
LOBOS RANKED
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.(AP) -- For decades, the modestly sized but fervently loyal crew of University of New Mexico sports fans endured the same ritual. With the scent of grilled green chiles still wafting from tailgate parties outside, they would file into the football stadium, find their seats and gaze longingly across University Boulevard, toward the arena called The Pit.
As any true Lobos fan would attest, it was never too soon to start counting the days until basketball season arrived.
These days, though, hoops can wait.
Led by a vagabond of a coach in Jason Eck -- a fan-friendly figure in his second season at UNM who’s not above playing the role of ” Jeff Tickets ” for a sales promotion designed to put a few butts in the seats -- football is making waves in Albuquerque. This week, the Lobos (7-1) cracked the AP Top 25 for the first time ever, coming in at No. 22.
A program that produced Hall of Fame linebacker Brian Urlacher and lured coaches like Marv Levy and Dennis Franchione to New Mexico’s biggest city now has its most complete program in a while.
“I’m happy for our fans. It’s something for them to get excited about,” Eck said in an interview with The Associated Press. “It’s something that’s motivating -- trying to do things that haven’t been done in a long time.”
Or ever.
MCELROY PENALTY
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- Rory McIlroy was handed a two-shot penalty after his first round at the Abu Dhabi Championship on Thursday, with officials ruling he improved his lie on a hole where he made double-bogey to spoil his card.
McIlroy’s score of 6 at the par-4 12th hole turned into an even uglier 8 and left him posting a 2-under 70 to be eight shots off the lead, held by Francesco Laporta after his bogey-free round of 62.
In actions that have dented his bid to win a record-tying eighth season-long Race to Dubai title, McIlroy was seen in video footage pressing his club on grass behind his ball that had rolled back down the hill and into a divot after he duffed an attempted chip onto the green on No. 12.
“There’s no intent. I play by the rules,” said the world No. 2, who spent time in the scorer’s hut after his round discussing the incident with officials. “I try to do everything that I can to never end up in these positions.”
McIlroy acknowledged video footage of the incident “doesn’t look very good.”