WSJM Sports

As heard on 97.5 Y-Country, the Lakeshore Lancers (3-5) are back at home to face Portage Central (3-5), still with a chance at making the MHSAA playoffs with a victory.  Al Pscholka and Denny Kniola were at Al Stockman Stadium with the call of the game.

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NFL – National Football League – Week 7
Last Night
Arizona Cardinals 42, New Orleans Saints 34

Cardinals 42, Saints 34 – Cardinals use two pick-6s in first half to down Saints 42-34
Marco Wilson and Isaiah Simmons scored touchdowns on two pick-6s late in the first half and used that stunning change in momentum to lift the Arizona Cardinals over the New Orleans Saints 42-34. The Cardinals snapped an eight-game home losing streak that was the franchise’s longest since 1958. The game was tied at 14 when Saints quarterback Andy Dalton threw the game-changing interceptions on consecutive drives that were barely a minute apart just before halftime.

Sunday
Detroit Lions at Dallas Cowboys, 1:00 p.m.  Rock 107 WIRX 12:00
Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans, 1:00 p.m.

Monday
Chicago Bears at New England Patriots, 8:15 p.m.

NFL – Cowboys QB Prescott says injury absence ending against Lions
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott says he will start Sunday at home against the Detroit Lions. Prescott’s return would end a five-game absence after he fractured his right thumb in a season-opening loss to Tampa Bay. Dallas went 4-1 with backup Cooper Rush, starting with a four-game winning streak. Prescott says he had a full workload as the first-team QB in practice. Dallas players are crediting Rush for keeping the club in contention. They also see Prescott as the “life source” of the team’s offense.

NFL – 49ers acquire RB Christian McCaffrey from Panthers
The San Francisco 49ers have acquired star running back Christian McCaffrey from the Carolina Panthers for a haul of draft picks. The Panthers announced the deal that sends McCaffrey back to the Bay Area where he starred in college at Stanford in Thursday night. They said it will be finalized when McCaffrey passes a physical. A person familiar with the deal said on condition of anonymity that the Panthers will receive picks in the second, third and fourth rounds of the 2023 draft, as well as a fifth-rounder in 2024.

MLB – Major League Baseball Playoffs – League Championship Series (best of 7)
Yesterday
Houston Astros 3, New York Yankees 2                                            (HOU leads 2-0)

Astros 3, Yankees 2 – Bregman HR as Valdez, Astros edge Yankees 3-2, lead ALCS 2-0
Alex Bregman hit an early three-run homer, Framber Valdez pitched seven strong innings and the Houston Astros edged the New York Yankees 3-2 to take a 2-0 lead in the AL Championship Series. Yankees slugger Aaron Judge just missed a two-run homer in the eighth when his drive was caught just in front of the short wall by right fielder Kyle Tucker. The ball would’ve landed in the short right-field porch at Yankee Stadium, Statcast showed — with the roof open at Minute Maid Park, the wind might’ve knocked down Judge’s bid. The Astros improved to 5-0 this postseason. A night after Justin Verlander fanned 11 to begin the best-of-seven series, Bregman’s third-inning homer was all the offense Houston needed. The Astros improved to 5-0 this postseason.

Tonight
San Diego (Musgrove 10-7) at Philadelphia (Suarez 10-7), 7:37 p.m.      (Series tied 1-1)

NBA – National Basketball Association
Tonight
Chicago Bulls at Washington Wizards, 7:00 p.m.
San Antonio Spurs at Indiana Pacers, 7:00 p.m.
Detroit Pistons at New York Knicks, 7:30 p.m.

NBA – AP source: Pistons’ Rob Murphy on leave due to investigation
A person familiar with the situation said Detroit Pistons assistant general manager Rob Murphy was put on leave due to an investigation. The person spoke to The Associated Press on Thursday night on condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing. ESPN reported that Murphy is facing an allegation of workplace misconduct involving a former female employee. Murphy was promoted to assistant general manager in June after serving as president and general manager of the G League’s Motor City Cruise. The former Syracuse and Kent State assistant was Eastern Michigan’s basketball coach from 2011 to 2021.

NHL – National Hockey League
Tonight
Detroit Red Wings at Chicago Blackhawks, 8:30 p.m.

NCAAFB – College Football – Week 8
Saturday
Bowling Green at Central Michigan, 1:00 p.m.
Eastern Michigan at Ball State, 2:00 p.m.
UNLV at Notre Dame, 2:30 p.m.
Western Michigan at Miami (Ohio), 3:30 p.m.
Michigan, Michigan State are off this weekend

NCAAFB – CFP expansion ‘not finished,’ still working toward 12 in ’24
The third in-person meeting of conference commissioners who manage the College Football Playoff since August ended without a resolution on expansion, but not without optimism. The CFP management committee, comprised of 10 major college football conference commissioners and Notre Dame’s athletic director, met for six hours. They worked on a plan to triple the number of playoff teams from four to 12 for the 2024 season. Playoff Executive Director Bill Hancock says the work is ‘not finished’ and that time is running short.

NCAAFB – Concussion lawsuit against NCAA could be first to reach jury
A Los Angeles jury could be the first in the U.S. to decide whether the NCAA failed to protect college football players from repeated blows to the head that cause serious brain injuries. A jury was seated Thursday in a Los Angeles courtroom in the case of a former University of Southern California linebacker who had significant brain damage when he died at age 49. The widow of Matt Gee, who was on the 1990 Rose Bowl winning squad, is suing the NCAA for wrongful death. The NCAA says it had nothing to do with Gee’s death and his mental decline was from years of hard drinking. Hundreds of similar cases are pending against the NCAA.

NCAAVB – Wisconsin female athletes notify police over private photos
University of Wisconsin police are investigating how private photos and video of members of the school’s national champion women’s volleyball team got circulated publicly without their consent. Wisconsin’s athletic department says players contacted campus police after they became aware the photos had been made public. The volleyball players aren’t being investigated for wrongdoing. University of Wisconsin police spokesman Marc Lovicott confirmed the investigation, but details are not being disclosed.

Olympics – Olympic officials talk with 10 bidders for 2036 Summer Games
The International Olympic Committee says it’s in talks with 10 potential candidates to host a future Summer Games. Interest in hosting the 2036 Olympics has been expressed by officials in countries including Egypt, England, India, Indonesia and Qatar. IOC director general Christophe de Kepper did not identify any of the 10 projects addressing the Association of National Olympic Committees meeting in Seoul, South Korea. The 2036 Olympics is the next Summer Games available to be awarded in a mostly secretive process led by the IOC. It seeks to avoid both expensive public campaigning and a vote contested by multiple candidates.

MCCAA – Junior College Athletics
Yesterday
Women’s Volleyball
Lake Michigan College 3, Kellogg Community College 1
Southwestern Michigan College 3, Glen Oaks Community College 1

Today
Men’s Soccer
Lake Michigan College at Schoolcraft College, 1:00 p.m.

Women’s Soccer
Lake Michigan College at Schoolcraft College, 3:00 p.m.

Women’s Volleyball
Lake Michigan College at Grace Christian University Tri-Meet (Grand Rapids)

• Lake Michigan College vs. Grace Christian, 4:00 p.m.
• Lake Michigan College vs. Welch Collee, 6:00 p.m.

MHSAA – High School Sports
Yesterday
Football – Week 9
SW Michigan 8-Man
Bridgman (9-0) 35, Martin (7-2) 34

Volleyball
Parchment 3, Benton Harbor 0
Berrien Springs 3, South Haven 2
Edwardsburg 3, Sturgis 1
Plainwell 3, Paw Paw 0

Boys Soccer – Districts (Semifinals)
Division 3 (Paw Paw)
Paw Paw 6, Three Rivers 1
Watervliet 4, Buchanan 3 – Shootout
-Championship game Saturday, 10:00 a.m. at Paw Paw

Boys Soccer – Districts (Championship)
Division 1 (Kalamazoo Loy Norrix)
Portage Central 2, Battle Creek Lakeview 0

Division 3 (South Haven)
Holland Christian 4, Fennville 0

Division 4 (Our Lady of the Lake)
Howardsville Christian 2, Bridgman 1

Division 4 (Hartford)
Hartford 3, Holland Black River 1

Today
Football – Week 9 – All games start at 7:00 p.m. unless posted otherwise
SMAC
St. Joseph (7-1) at Battle Creek Central (7-1)                News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM 6:35
*Winner claims SMAC Championship

Portage Central (3-5) at Lakeshore (3-5)                      97.5 Y-Country 6:45
Portage Northern (5-3) at Mattawan (3-5)
Battle Creek Lakeview (1-6) at Kalamazoo Central (0-8)

Non-Conference
Benton Harbor (4-4) at Constantine (7-1)
Dowagiac (2-6) at Niles (4-4) game at St. Joseph
Portland (7-1) at Berrien Springs (6-1)
Centreville (6-2) at Buchanan (7-1)
Brandywine (4-4) at Parchment (4-4)
Three Rivers (5-3) at North Branch (7-1)
Detroit-Loyola (1-7) at Lawton (6-2)
Saranac (2-6) at Decatur (5-3)
Cassopolis (0-8) at Sand Creek (1-7)
White Cloud (6-2) at White Pigeon (5-3)
Lansing Eastern (0-8) at Kalamazoo Loy Norrix (1-7), 6:00 p.m.
Gull Lake (3-5) at Olivet (6-2)

Wolverine
Sturgis (5-3) at Edwardsburg (7-1)
Paw Paw (4-4) at Plainwell (3-5)
Otsego (0-8) at Vicksburg (4-4)

SAC
Kalamazoo United (4-4) at South Haven (2-6)
Allegan (3-5) at Watervliet (5-3)
Delton-Kellogg (4-4) at Galesburg-Augusta (2-5)
Schoolcraft (6-3) 2, Saugatuck (2-6) 0 (Forfiet)

SW Michigan 8-Man
Twin Cities (1-7) at Bloomingdale (0-8)
Eau Claire (5-3) at Marcellus (5-3)
Lawrence (3-5) at Mendon (6-2) – Cancelled
Bangor (3-5) at Red Arrow (5-3) at New Buffalo
Gobles (6-2) at Wyoming Tri-Unity (4-4)
Wyoming-Lee (0-8) at Fennville (3-5)

Saturday
Boys Soccer – Districts (Championship)
Division 2 (St. Joseph)
St. Joseph vs. Edwardsburg, 11:00 a.m.

Division 3 (Paw Paw)
Watervliet vs. Paw Paw, 10:00 a.m.

Volleyball
BCS Conference Tournament at River Valley, 9:00 a.m.
Michigan Lutheran, Our Lady of the Lake, Eau Claire, Howardsville Christian, New Buffalo, Watervliet Grace Christian, River Valley,

Lakeland Conference Tournament at Berrien Springs, 10:00 a.m.
Benton Harbor, Berrien Springs, Brandywine, Buchanan, Dowagiac

Cross Country
SMAC Championship at St. Joseph, 11:00 a.m. (Riverview Park)
St. Joseph, Lakeshore, Mattawan, Portage Central, Portage Northern, Kalamazoo Central, Kalamazoo Loy Norrix, Gull Lake, Battle Creek Lakeview, Battle Creek Central.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NBA – National Basketball Association – Regular Season Openers
Last Night
Detroit Pistons 113, Orlando Magic 109
Chicago Bulls 116, Miami Heat 108
Washington Wizards 114, Indiana Pacers 107

Pistons 113, Magic 109 – Bogdanovic shines in Detroit debut, helps Pistons beat Magic
Bojan Bogdanovic scored 24 points in his debut with Detroit, helping the Pistons beat the Orlando Magic 113-109 on Wednesday night. Orlando’s Paolo Banchero, the No. 1 overall pick last summer, had 27 points, nine rebounds and five assists in an impressive NBA debut. Cade Cunningham, the No. 1 pick last year, had 18 points and 10 assists. Cunningham’s last assist set up Isaiah Stewart for a 3-pointer with 11.6 seconds left that gave the Pistons a four-point lead. Bogdanovic made two free throws with 4.7 seconds left to restore Detroit’s four-point cushion, sealing the victory.

Bulls 116, Heat 108 – DeRozan scores 37, Bulls top Heat 116-108 in season opener
DeMar DeRozan scored 28 of his 37 points in the second half, Ayo Dosunmu added 17 and the short-handed Chicago Bulls topped the Miami Heat 116-108 in the season-opener for both teams on Wednesday night. Nikola Vucevic scored 15 points and grabbed 17 rebounds for the Bulls, and Goran Dragic added 12 off the Chicago bench. Jimmy Butler scored 24 points and Tyler Herro added 23 for Miami, which got 22 from Max Strus and 12 from Bam Adebayo.

Wizards 114, Pacers 107 – Beal, Wizards open season with 114-107 win over Pacers
Bradley Beal scored 23 points and Kyle Kuzma added 20 as the Washington Wizards led from wire to wire, beating the rebuilding Indiana Pacers 114-107. Kristaps Porzingis added 15 points and 10 rebounds as the Wizards won consecutive season openers for the first time since 2004-05. Indiana was led by Tyrese Haliburton’s 26 points and 19 from rookie Bennedict Mathurin. The Pacers’ losing streak reached 11 games overall, including 10 to end last season.

MLB – Major League Baseball Playoffs – League Championship Series (best of 7)
Yesterday
Houston Astros 4, New York Yankees 2                                            (HOU leads 1-0)
San Diego Padres 8, Philadelphia Phillies 5                                       (Series tied 1-1)

Astros 4, Yankees 2 – Verlander Ks 11 to lead Astros over Yankees 4-2 in ALCS
Justin Verlander struck out 11 in six strong innings and Yuli Gurriel, Chas McCormick and Jeremy Peña all homered to power the Houston Astros to a 4-2 win over the New York Yankees in their AL Championship Series opener. The Astros are in their sixth consecutive ALCS, looking to reach the World Series for the fourth time in that span, against a New York team in the LCS for the first time since being eliminated by Houston in 2019. The game was tied 1-all in the sixth when Gurriel connected off reliever Clarke Schmidt for a solo shot that put Houston on top. Two batters later, McCormick sent a sinker from Schmidt into right field to make it 3-1.

Padres 8, Phillies 5 – Drury, Padres rally to beat Nola, Phillies 8-5, tie NLCS 1-1
Brandon Drury hit a go-ahead, two-run single during a five-run rally in the fifth inning and the San Diego Padres stunned Aaron Nola and the Philadelphia Phillies 8-5 to tie their all-wild card NL Championship Series at one game apiece. The outburst started with Padres catcher Austin Nola hitting an RBI single off his younger brother that brought the sellout, towel-twirling crowd of 44,607 at Petco Park to life. Three innings earlier, the Phillies took a 4-0 lead with a rally that included bloop hits, a sun-aided double on a gorgeous, 92-degree afternoon and some shoddy Padres defense.

Tonight
NY Yankees (Severino 7-3) at Houston (Valdez 17-6), 7:37 p.m.            (HOU leads 1-0)

NHL – Red Wings’ Vrana enters NHL/NHLPA player assistance program
Detroit Red Wings forward Jakub Vrana has entered the player assistance program of the NHL and NHL Players’ Association. The league and the union made the announcement. They did not specify why he entered the program. Vrana will be paid while he is receiving treatment. The program administrators will determine when he’s cleared to compete for the Red Wings. The 26-year-old Vrana is from the Czech Republic. He had a goal and an assist in Saturday’s win at New Jersey. He did not play in a home game two days later against the Los Angeles Kings due to personal reasons.

NFL – National Football League – Week 7
Tonight
New Orleans Saints at Arizona Cardinals, 8:15 p.m.

NCAAFB – Notre Dame Stadium no longer place of solace under Freeman
Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman understands the problem. The Fighting Irish have lost their home-field advantage. Finding the solution has proven to be challenging. Notre Dame is an inexplicable 1-2 in South Bend in Freeman’s first season, despite entering each game as a double-digit favorite. And they easily could be 0-3. They’ll have a chance to turn things around Saturday when UNLV comes to town. Notre Dame is a heavy favorite but will need to sweep its final three home games to post a winning record at Notre Dame Stadium.

NCAAFB – Mississippi State freshman lineman Sam Westmoreland dies
Mississippi State says freshman offensive lineman Sam Westmoreland has died at the age of 18. Westmoreland was an industrial technology major from Tupelo who would have turned 19 on Friday. The news release announcing Westmoreland’s death did not provide details but said the school was working with the athletic department, the Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Office and the coroner’s office to determine facts and would not comment further. MSU coach Mike Leach said the athletics family was heartbroken by Westmoreland’s death, which he called sudden. Westmoreland was listed on the roster for the Bulldogs’ Southeastern Conference game Saturday at No. 6 Alabama but had not played this season, according to game notes.

NCAAMBKB – Wolverines add another Howard
The 22nd-ranked Michigan basketball team features three Howards this season. Juwan Howard is entering his fourth season as coach, and his first with two sons on the roster. Highly touted freshman Jett Howard is expected to be in the starting lineup on the wing. Junior Jace Howard will have an opportunity to play a larger role this season as his brother’s backup. Center Hunter Dickinson put his NBA goals on hold to return for his junior season after leading the team in scoring and rebounding the previous two years.

WNBA – Brittney Griner spends 32nd birthday in Russian prison
Brittney Griner spent her 32nd birthday in a Russian prison, awaiting an appeal to her nine-year sentence for drug possession that’s set for next week. The WNBA star has been especially down lately, according to her lawyers. They were with her for part of her birthday on Tuesday. Attorney Maria Blagovolina says they passed along well wishes from family and friends. The WNBA star’s appeal hearing is scheduled for Oct. 25. While it’s unlikely the appeal will overturn her conviction, her lawyers hope it could lessen the sentence.

NASCAR – Bell says Wallace apologized on flight home from Las Vegas
Bubba Wallace and Christopher Bell shared a flight home from Las Vegas, and Wallace apologized during the trip to his fellow Toyota teammate for the incident that crippled Bell’s championship chances. Bell said Wallace also apologized to the entire Toyota group in the Monday competition meeting. Wallace has been suspended one race by NASCAR for a dangerous act of retaliation that inadvertently collected Bell. He will miss Sunday’s race at Homestead-Miami Speedway for deliberately retaliating against reigning NASCAR champion Kyle Larson at Las Vegas. Wallace hooked Larson in the rear corner of his car to spin him directly into traffic, where Larson drilled Bell and ended Bell’s race.

Olympics – US figure skaters still await medals from Beijing Games
Eight months after finishing behind the Russians at the Winter Olympics, the U.S. team has yet to receive its medals. They do not even know whether they will be silver or gold. That’s because the Russian Anti-Doping Agency only recently finished its investigation into Kamila Valieva. Her positive doping test surfaced during the opening week of the Olympics. It led to its biggest scandal in years. RUSADA did not reveal the results of its investigation, but it did say that the next step in the process would be to hold disciplinary hearings in September or October.

AHL – American Hockey League
Last Night
Grand Rapids Griffins 3, Milwaukee Admirals 2

MCCAA – Junior College Athletics
Yesterday
Women’s Soccer
Jackson College 1, Lake Michigan College 0

Men’s Soccer
Jackson College 5, Lake Michigan College 3

Tonight
Women’s Volleyball
Kellogg Community College at Lake Michigan College, 6:30 p.m.
Glen Oaks Community College at Southwestern Michigan College, 6:30 p.m.

MHSAA – High School Sports
Yesterday
Boys Soccer – Districts (Semifinals)
Division 2 (St. Joseph)
Edwardsburg 3, Sturgis 1
St. Joseph 1, Vicksburg 0
-Championship game Saturday, 11:00 a.m. at St. Joseph

Boys Soccer – Districts (Championship)
Division 2 (Middleville Thornapple-Kellogg)
Gull Lake 1, Parma-Western 0

Volleyball
Lakeshore 3, Battle Creek Central 1
St. Joseph 3, Kalamazoo Loy Norrix 0
Michigan Lutheran 3, Watervliet Grace Christian 0
Niles 3, Brandywine 2

Tonight
Boys Soccer – Districts (Semifinals)
Division 3 (Paw Paw)
Three Rivers vs. Paw Paw, 5:00 p.m.
Buchanan vs. Watervliet, 7:00 p.m.
-Championship game Saturday, 10:00 a.m. at Paw Paw

Boys Soccer – Districts (Championship)
Division 1 (Kalamazoo Loy Norrix)
Battle Creek Lakeview vs. Portage Central, 7:00 p.m.

Division 3 (South Haven)
Fennville vs. Holland Christian, 6:00 p.m.

Division 4 (Our Lady of the Lake)
Bridgman vs. Howardsville Christian, 5:00 p.m.

Division 4 (Hartford)
Holland Black River vs. Hartford, 5:00 p.m.

Volleyball
Benton Harbor at Parchment, 6:30 p.m.
South Haven at Berrien Springs, 1:00 p.m.
Sturgis at Edwardsburg, 6:00 p.m.
Paw Paw at Plainwell, 6:00 p.m.
Dowagiac at Cassopolis, 7:00 p.m.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

MLB – Major League Baseball Playoffs
Last Night
ALDS – Best of 5
New York Yankees 5, Cleveland Guardians 1                              (NYY wins 3-2)

Yankees 5, Guardians 1 – Stanton, Judge HR, Yankees beat Guards, into ALCS vs Astros
Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge staggered Cleveland with early homers, and the New York Yankees rocked past the Guardians 5-1 in the decisive Game 5 of their AL Division Series to set up another rematch with Houston for the pennant. Yankees manager Aaron Boone won his gamble by starting Nestor Cortes on three days’ rest over Jameson Taillon, making the late switch after Monday night’s rainout. Cleveland starter Aaron Civale struggled. With two on and two outs in the ninth and ace Gerrit Cole warming up in case, Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres stepped on the bag to end it, then mimicked rocking a baby with the ball — a jab at Guardians slugger Josh Naylor, who made the motion rounding the bases after a homer off Cole in Game 4.

NLCS – Best of 7
Philadelphia Phillies 2, San Diego Padres 0                                       (PHI leads 1-0)

Phillies 2, Padres 0 – Harper, Schwarber HR as Wheeler, Phils top Pads to open NLCS
Bryce Harper homered again, Kyle Schwarber hit a jaw-dropping, 488-foot drive and Zack Wheeler was brilliant in throwing one-hit ball for seven innings to lead the Philadelphia Phillies over the San Diego Padres 2-0 in the opening game of the all-wild card NL Championship Series. Wheeler and two relievers combined on a one-hitter for the Phillies, who will try to take a 2-0 lead when they send Aaron Nola to mound to oppose Blake Snell on Wednesday afternoon. Harper homered in his third straight playoff game.

Today
League Championship Series – Best of 7
Philadelphia (Nola 11-13) at San Diego (Snell 8-10), 4:35 p.m.             (PHI leads 1-0)
New York (Taillon 14-5) at Houston (Verlander 18-4), 7:37 p.m.           (Game 1)

NBA – National Basketball Association – Regular Season Openers
Last Night
Boston Celtics 126, Philadelphia 76ers 117
Golden State Warriors 123, Los Angeles Lakers 109

Celtics 126, Sixers 117 – Tatum, Brown each score 35, Celtics beat 76ers 126-117
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown each scored 35 points and the Boston Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers 126-117 in the opening game of the NBA regular season. Malcolm Brogdon added 16 points and Grant Williams finished with 15 as the defending Eastern Conference champions gave interim coach Joe Mazzulla a victory in his debut. James Harden had 35 points — his most since joining the 76ers last season — including 12 of 12 from the free throw line. He also had five 3s. Joel Embiid added 26 points and 15 rebounds. Tyrese Maxey finished with 21 points.

Warriors 123, Lakers 109 – Stephen Curry, Warriors celebrate championship, beat Lakers
Stephen Curry opened the season with 33 points, seven assists and six rebounds, and the Golden State Warriors beat LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers 123-109 after receiving their championship rings in a pregame ceremony. Jordan Poole made a pretty bounce pass assist to a driving Draymond Green for a layup and all seemed perfectly well with the defending champions almost two weeks after Green punched Poole at practice Oct. 5 then took a brief leave of absence from the team to work on his emotions. Poole wound up with 12 points and seven assists.

Tonight
Orlando Magic at Detroit Pistons, 7:00 p.m.
Washington Wizards at Indiana Pacers, 7:00 p.m.
Chicago Bulls at Miami Heat, 7:30 p.m.

NBA/WNBA – Stephen Curry offers Warriors’ support of Brittney Griner
Stephen Curry took the microphone in the middle of Golden State’s championship ring ceremony Tuesday night to make an impassioned plea in support of Brittney Griner as the WNBA star spent her 32nd birthday in a Russian prison. The Warriors, long committed to social issues far beyond basketball, celebrated their fourth championship in eight years. Griner is awaiting a hearing in Russia later this month for her appeal of a nine-year prison sentence for drug possession.

NFL – Colts owner Irsay says there’s "merit to remove" Snyder
Colts owner Jim Irsay says there’s “merit to remove” Dan Snyder as owner of the Washington Commanders. Irsay is the first NFL owner to publicly state that his controversial counterpart should go. Snyder’s status has been widely debated for years amid several scandals and investigations into workplace conduct in Washington. The league has been investigating allegations of sexual misconduct and financial impropriety, a probe conducted by attorney Mary Jo White that is ongoing. Removing Snyder would requires 24 votes from the other owners.

NFL – NFL says it’s not backing down on protecting quarterbacks
The NFL isn’t backing down on protecting quarterbacks. League executive Troy Vincent said there was a healthy and spirited conversation with owners about roughing-the-passer penalties at the league’s fall meeting. A pair of disputed roughing penalties in Week 5 frustrated defensive players and had players, coaches and fans questioning what constitutes a legal hit. NFL competition committee chairman Rich McKay said the conversation on making roughing-the-passer calls reviewable lasted about 30 seconds and needs more discussion.

NFL – Prime Video will add Black Friday game to NFL package in ’23
The NFL has announced that Amazon Prime Video will stream a game on Black Friday beginning next season. The game will take place on Nov. 24, 2023, and will kick off at 3 p.m. ET. The teams will be announced in early May when the regular-season schedule is expected to be released. Prime Video is in its first season as the exclusive carrier of “Thursday Night Football” and will expand to 16 games next season. The package goes through the 2033 season.

NFL – Bears waive backup receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette
The Chicago Bears have waived receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette. Smith-Marsette got his first significant playing time in the offense in Chicago’s 29-22 loss at Minnesota two weeks ago and committed two costly mistakes. He had the ball taken away from behind by Cameron Dantzler at the Vikings 39 following a reception on the Bears’ final drive to decide the game. He also got flagged for an illegal block from behind on a 52-yard scramble by quarterback Justin Fields, negating a TD.  

NHL – Bettman: NHL salary cap may get nice bump for ’23-24 season
The NHL salary cap could be going up more than expected sooner than expected. Commissioner Gary Bettman says there’s a chance players could be finished paying off what they owe owners from pandemic revenue losses as soon as this season. That would mean the cap going up $4 million or more next summer after being mostly flat for several years. Bettman expects the players’ debt to certainly be paid off next season, allowing for a significant cap increase going into 2023-24. The cap has only gone up $1 million to $82.5 million since the pandemic began. 

NHL – NHL, its workforce 84% white, sets baseline to up diversity
The NHL for the first time has done an internal demographic study of its staff and all 32 teams. The results suggest hockey has a lot of work to do to increase diversity. It found that 83.6% of the NHL’s workforce is white and that men make up nearly 62% of the total. That mirrors the situation on the ice. More than 90% of players and nearly all coaches and officials are white. NHL executive Kim Davis called the study a good start and a baseline from which the league can improve.

NCAAFB – Big Ten – Ohio State, Michigan making Big Ten look like Big Two
Ohio State and Michigan are making the Big Ten look like the Big Two, rekindling memories or some of Woody Hayes and Bo Schembechler turning the chase for a conference championship into a two-team race. The second-ranked Buckeyes and fourth-ranked Wolverines are the Big Ten’s only undefeated teams. No other team in the conference is ranked among the top 15. Penn State can potentially be a factor in the because it hosts Ohio State on Oct. 29. The 16th-ranked Nittany Lions will have to play much better than they did while getting pummeled at Michigan.

NCAAWBKB – South Carolina women unanimous No. 1 in preseason AP Top 25
South Carolina is the unanimous No. 1 team in the preseason AP Top 25 women’s basketball poll. The defending national champions went wire-to-wire as the No. 1 team last year and have been the top team for 20 straight weeks. Stanford, Texas, Iowa and Tennessee round out the top five. UConn is sixth, the first time since 2006 that the Huskies aren’t in the first five in the preseason poll. Louisville, Iowa State, Notre Dame and N.C. State is the rest of the top 10.


NASCAR – NASCAR suspends Bubba Wallace 1 race for Las Vegas crash
NASCAR has suspended driver Bubba Wallace for one race following his fracas at Las Vegas Motor Speedway over the weekend. NASCAR determined that Wallace deliberately spun reigning champion Kyle Larson in a dangerous move of retaliation. Wallace will miss Sunday’s race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Golf – PGA – Elevated events show a divide among PGA Tour events for ’23
A person with direct knowledge of the plans says the PGA Tour is announcing that four tournaments will have elevated status and $20 million purses next year. The four additions are the WM Phoenix Open, the RBC Heritage at Hilton Head, the Wells Fargo Championship and the Travelers Championship. That leads to an incredibly crowded schedule. Texas-born Jordan Spieth figures to play five straight weeks in May and seven out of eight weeks. And that includes two majors. Two of the events are the week after a major. Not since Tiger Woods in 2006 has someone won a tournament the week after winning a major.

AHL – American Hockey League
Tonight
Milwaukee Admirals at Grand Rapids Griffins, 7:00 p.m.

MCCAA – Junior College Athletics
Yesterday
Women’s Volleyball
Kalamazoo Valley Community College 3, Southwestern Michigan College 0

Today
Women’s Soccer
Jackson College at Lake Michigan College, 2:00 p.m.

Men’s Soccer
Jackson College at Lake Michigan College, 4:00 p.m.

MHSAA – High School Sports
Yesterday
Boys Soccer – Districts (Semifinals)
Division 2 (St. Joseph)
Edwardsburg vs. Sturgis, PPD      at St. Joseph
St. Joseph vs. Vicksburg, PPD       at St. Joseph

Division 3 (South Haven)
Holland Christian 5, Allegan 0
Fennville 2, Delton-Kellogg 1

Division 4 (Our Lady of the Lake)
Howardsville Christian 1, Cassopolis 0
Bridgman 2, Brandywine 1

Division 4 (Hartford)
Hartford 8, Bangor 2
Holland Black River 2, Bloomingdale 1

Division 4 (Kalamazoo Christian)
Kalamazoo Hackett 3, Battle Creek Academy 1
Calhoun Christian at Schoolcraft, PPD

Division 1 (Kalamazoo Loy Norrix)
Portage Central 3, Portage Northern 1
Battle Creek Lakeview 3, Kalamazoo Central 1

Volleyball
Our Lady of the Lake 3, Howardsville Christian 1
Mendon 3, Decatur 0

Girls Swimming and Diving
Portage Central 109, St. Joseph 72

Today
Boys Soccer – Districts (Semifinals)
Division 2 (St. Joseph)
Edwardsburg vs. Sturgis, 5:00 p.m.          at St. Joseph
St. Joseph vs. Vicksburg, 7:00 p.m.           at St. Joseph

Division 4 (Kalamazoo Christian)
Battle Creek Calhoun Christian at Schoolcraft, 7:00 p.m.

Boys Soccer – Districts (Championship)
Division 2 (Middleville Thornapple-Kellogg)
Gull Lake vs. Parma Western, 6:30 p.m.

Volleyball
Lakeshore at Battle Creek Central, 6:30 p.m.
St. Joseph at Kalamazoo Loy Norrix, 6:30 p.m.
Michigan Lutheran at Grace Christian, 6:00 p.m.
Brandywine at Niles, 6:00 p.m.
New Buffalo at River Valley, 6:00 p.m.

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NHL – National Hockey League
Last Night
Los Angeles Kings 5, Detroit Red Wings 4 – OT

Kings 5, Red Wings 4 – OT – Danault’s overtime goal gives Kings 5-4 win over Red Wings
Phillip Danault scored 1:12 into overtime for his second goal of the game, and the Los Angeles Kings handed the Detroit Red Wings their first loss with a 5-4 victory. Danault’s winning shot in front hit a defender’s skate and bounced into the net. Anze Kopitar had a goal and an assist, giving him 47 points in 42 games against Detroit. Gabriel Vilardi also scored for the Kings, and Jonathan Quick made 29 saves. Wings forward Oskar Sundqvist scored in the final minute of regulation to send the game into overtime.

NHL – Red Wings’ Bertuzzi out 4 to 6 weeks with upper-body injury
Detroit Red Wings forward Tyler Bertuzzi is expected to be out for four to six weeks with an upper-body injury. The team made the announcement Monday before hosting the Los Angeles Kings. Bertuzzi helped Detroit win its first two games this season, giving the rebuilding team a much-needed solid start. Bertuzzi had career highs last year with 30 goals and 62 points. The 27-year-old Bertuzzi has scored 84 goals and has 189 assists in his career.

NFL – National Football League – Week 6
Yesterday
Los Angeles Chargers 19, Denver Broncos 16 – OT

Chargers 19, Broncos 16 – OT – Late turnover, Hopkins 4th field goal gives Chargers OT win
Dustin Hopkins kicked four field goals, including a 39-yarder with 2:38 remaining in overtime, and the Los Angeles Chargers rallied for a 19-16 victory over the Denver Broncos. The Chargers have won three straight to improve to 4-2. They are tied with Kansas City atop the AFC West. The game appeared to be headed toward a tie until Denver’s Montrell Washington muffed JK Scott’s punt at the Broncos 32-yard line. It was recovered by Deane Leonard at the 28.

NFL – Lions DL Levi Onwuzurike out for year after back surgery
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike is out for the season after having back surgery earlier this month. Lions coach Dan Campbell made the announcement Monday. The Lions drafted Onwuzurike with the No. 41 pick overall in 2021 and the former Washington standout had an underwhelming rookie season. Onwuzurike played in 16 games as a backup last year and had 35 tackles, including one sack. While trying to recover from a back injury this season, he did not play in a game.

MLB – Major League Baseball Playoffs
Last Night
ALDS – Best of 5
Cleveland Guardians at New York Yankees, PPD Rain                            (Series tied 2-2)

Guardians at Yankees, PPD – Guardians-Yankees rained out, to play ALDS Game 5 on Tuesday
The decisive Game 5 of the AL Division Series between the Cleveland Guardians and New York Yankees has been postponed by rain after a 2 1/2-hour delay and rescheduled for Tuesday at 4:07 p.m. Both teams took batting practice ahead of the scheduled 7:07 p.m. start. Major League Baseball announced a delay at 6:20 p.m., rain started falling at 7:30 p.m. and the postponement was announced at 9:38 p.m. It was the second postponement of the series following Game 2 at Yankee Stadium being pushed back a day until last Friday. Cleveland or New York will start the AL Championship Series at Houston on Wednesday night.

Today
ALDS – Best of 5
Cleveland (Civale 5-6) at New York (Cortes 12-4), 4:07 p.m.                 (Series tied 2-2)

NLCS – Best of 7
Philadelphia (Wheeler 12-7) at San Diego (Darvish 16-8), 8:03 p.m.       (Game 1)

NBA – National Basketball Association – Regular Season Openers
Tonight
Philadelphia 76ers at Boston Celtics, 7:30 p.m.
Los Angeles Lakers at Golden State Warriors, 10:00 p.m.

NBA – NBA ’22-23: Warriors out to defend, amid tons of contenders
The Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics were the final two teams standing last season. And before this season started, both encountered some major issues. The Warriors will get their championship rings Tuesday night when the 77th NBA season opens. It’ll be the fourth time in eight years that the Warriors go into a season as defending champs. But they were rocked in the preseason by Draymond Green punching teammate Jordan Poole. They beat the Celtics in the NBA Finals and Boston has since lost coach Ime Udoka to a team-ordered suspension. If all that wasn’t enough, there are tons of contenders in both conferences to try to take the Warriors and Celtics down.

NBA – Barkley, ‘Inside the NBA’ crew agree to contract extensions
Charles Barkley will not be leaving TNT or the “Inside the NBA” crew for the foreseeable future. Barkley has signed a 10-year extension with Warner Bros. Discovery Sports, which owns TNT. Barkley’s agreement coincides with contract renewals for host Ernie Johnson and analysts Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal. Barkley has been with TNT since retiring as a player in 2000. He had floated the idea of doing commentary for LIV Golf this past summer.

NCAAMBKB – North Carolina No. 1 in preseason AP Top 25
North Carolina is No. 1 in the preseason AP Top 25 men’s basketball poll. The national runner-up from last season returns four of five starters and received 47 of 62 first-place votes. Gonzaga is No. 2, followed by Houston and Kentucky. Kansas and Baylor, the last two national champions, are tied for fifth. Duke, led by new coach Jon Scheyer, is seventh with UCLA, Creighton and Arkansas rounding out the top 10. The Big 12 and SEC lead the way with five teams apiece in the Top 25.

NCAAFB – Fallout from rare Alabama loss
Alabama loses so infrequently it seems to shift the shape of the season when it happens. The Crimson Tide took an L on Saturday at Tennessee that pushed the Volunteers to No. 3 in the AP Top 25. The Vols received 15 first-place votes, the most they have gotten since 1999. After falling on a field goal as time expired, the Crimson Tide slipped three spots to No. 6. Alabama is the highest ranked team that has lost. Reality Check cautions against making any grand proclamations about the Alabama dynasty’s long-term health and is fine with the Tide’s short fall.

NASCAR – Wallace ignored his own mantra in Larson conflict
NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace has a mantra of “Peace, Love and Understanding” that he uses to push back against the negativity so often hurled his way. There was nothing peaceful about his skirmish with Kyle Larson at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Wallace appeared to deliberately crash the reigning NASCAR champion in a dangerous retaliatory move and then he tried to fight Larson. Now NASCAR gets to decide if Wallace was out of line. He could be looking at a suspension.

MCCAA – Junior College Athletics
Yesterday
Women’s Volleyball
Lake Michigan College 3, Marian Ancilla College 0

Today
Women’s Volleyball
Kalamazoo Valley Community College at Southwestern Michigan College, 6:30 p.m.

MHSAA – High School Sports
Yesterday
Volleyball
St. Joseph 3, Berrien Springs 0
Buchanan 3, Our Lady of the Lake 0
Michigan Lutheran 3, Lawrence 0

Boys Soccer – Districts (Semifinals)
Division 2 at Middleville Thornapple-Kellogg
Gull Lake 3, Middleville Thornapple-Kellogg 0
Parma Western 5, Marshall 0

Yesterday
Boys Soccer – Districts (Semifinals)
Division 2 (St. Joseph)
Edwardsburg vs. Sturgis, 5:00 p.m.                  at St. Joseph
St. Joseph vs. Vicksburg, 7:00 p.m.                   at St. Joseph

Division 3 (South Haven)
Allegan at Holland Christian, 6:00 pm.
Delton-Kellogg at Fennville, 6:00 p.m.

Division 4 (Our Lady of the Lake)
Cassopolis at Howardsville Christian, 5:00 p.m.
Bridgman vs. Brandywine, 5:00 p.m.                  at Our Lady of the Lake

Division 4 (Hartford)
Bangor at Hartford, 5:00 p.m.
Bloomingdale at Holland Black River, 5:00 p.m.

Division 4 (Kalamazoo Christian)
Battle Creek Academy at Kalamazoo Hackett, 7:00 p.m.
Battle Creek Calhoun Christian at Schoolcraft, 7:00 p.m.

Volleyball
Lakeshore, Hopkins, at Dowagiac, 5:00 p.m.
Our Lady of the Lake at Howardsville Christian, 7:00 p.m.
Bridgman, Martin at Schoolcraft, 5:00 p.m.
Otsego at Vicksburg, 6:00 p.m.
South Haven, Delton-Kellogg at Lawton, 5:00 p.m.
Bloomingdale at Cassopolis, 7:30 p.m.
White Pigeon at Comstock, 7:30 p.m.
Marcellus at Hartford, 7:30 p.m.
Bangor at Lawrence, 7:30 p.m.
Decatur at Mendon, 7:30 p.m.
Allegan at Constantine, 5:30 p.m.
Watervliet, Galesburg-Augusta at Kalamazoo Christian, 5:00 p.m.
Coloma, Gobles at Parchment, 5:00 p.m.

Girls Swimming and Diving
St. Joseph at Portage Central, 6:00 p.m.
Kalamazoo Central at Bridgman, 6:00 p.m.

MHSAA – High School Football Rankings
Division 1
1. Belleville (5)                                      (8-0)     50
2. Caledonia                                           (8-0)     44
3. Rockford                                            (8-0)     39
4. Macomb Dakota                                    (8-0)     37
5. Rochester Adams                                 (7-1)     28
6. West Bloomfield                                  (7-1)     24
7. Brighton                                            (8-0)     20
8. Davison                                              (7-1)     12
9. Clarkston                                          (6-2)     5
(tie) Romeo                                            (6-2)     5
Others receiving votes:
Lapeer 3. Detroit Catholic Central 3. Saline 2. Detroit Cass Tech 2. Northville 1.

Division 2
1. Dexter (4)                                          (8-0)     48
2. Warren De La Salle (1)                          (7-1)     46
3. Muskegon Mona Shores                         (7-1)     40
4. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central          (8-0)     34
5. Midland                                              (7-1)     27
6. Livonia Franklin                                   (7-1)     26
7. Battle Creek Central                         (7-1)    17
8. Saginaw Heritage                                 (6-2)     12
9. South Lyon                                         (6-2)     7
(tie) East Lansing                                     (6-2)     7
Others receiving votes:
Temperance Bedford 5. Birmingham Seaholm 3. Byron Center 2. Waterford Mott 1.

Division 3
1. Mason (2)                                           (8-0)     36
2. Mount Pleasant (1)                              (7-1)     33
(tie) Detroit King (1)                               (5-2)     33
4. Muskegon                                           (6-2)     24
(tie) River Rouge                                     (6-2)     24
6. St. Joseph                                         (7-1)    21
7. Walled Lake Western                            (7-1)     18
8. Zeeland West                                      (7-1)     15
9. Grosse Pointe North                            (8-0)     6
10. Gibraltar Carlson                              (7-1)     4
(tie) Trenton                                          (7-1)     4
Others receiving votes:
Fenton 2.

Division 4
1. Grand Rapids South Christian (4)           (8-0)     40
2. Whitehall                                           (8-0)     36
3. Riverview                                           (8-0)     32
4. Redford Union                                     (8-0)     28
5. Edwardsburg                                     (7-1)    18
(tie) Freeland                                         (7-1)     18
7. Goodrich                                            (7-1)     14
(tie) Tecumseh                                        (8-0)     14
9. North Branch                                      (7-1)     8
10. Charlotte                                         (7-1)     7
Others receiving votes:
Fruitport 2. Hastings 2. Dearborn Divine Child 1.

Division 5
1. Grand Rapids Catholic Central (4)          (7-1)     49
2. Frankenmuth (1)                                  (8-0)     46
3. Gladwin                                             (8-0)     36
4. Corunna                                             (7-1)     35
5. Portland                                            (7-1)     30
6. Marine City                                         (7-1)     26
7. Muskegon Oakridge                              (7-1)     11
(tie) Detroit Country Day                         (5-2)     11
9. Armada                                              (7-1)     10
10. Kingsley                                           (6-2)     8
Others receiving votes:
Belding 7. Berrien Springs 6.

Division 6
1. Clinton (4)                                         (8-0)     47
2. Grand Rapids West Catholic (1)              (7-1)     40
(tie) Standish-Sterling                            (7-0)     40
4. Negaunee                                           (8-0)     35
5. Durand                                              (8-0)     32
6. Boyne City                                          (8-0)     23
7. Warren Michigan Collegiate                  (7-1)     15
8. Millington                                          (7-1)     12
9. Constantine                                      (7-1)    10
(tie) Madison Heights Bishop Foley             (8-0)     10
Others receiving votes:
Ecorse 4. Reed City 4. Almont 2. Buchanan 1.

Division 7
1. Traverse City St. Francis (4)                  (8-0)     40
2. Hudson                                              (8-0)     36
3. Detroit Central                                   (8-0)     32
4. Ithaca                                                            (7-1)     26
5. Elkton-Pigeon Bay Port Laker                (8-0)     24
6. Napoleon                                            (8-0)     21
7. North Muskegon                                  (7-1)     12
8. Jackson Lumen Christi                           (5-3)     11
(tie) Charlevoix                                      (7-1)     11
10. Union City                                         (7-1)     6
Others receiving votes:
New Lothrop 1.

Division 8
1. Ottawa Lake Whiteford (4)                    (8-0)     40
2. Beal City                                            (8-0)     35
3. Ubly                                                  (8-0)     33
4. Iron Mountain                                     (7-1)     27
5. Evart                                                 (7-1)     21
6. Fowler                                               (7-1)     20
7. Frankfort                                           (7-1)     15
8. Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary       (7-1)     14
9. Harbor Beach                                      (7-1)     9
10. Centreville                                     (6-2)    3
Others receiving votes:
St. Ignace LaSalle 2. Marine City Cardinal Mooney 1.

8-Player Division 1
1. Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian (2)  (8-0)     29
2. Merrill (1)                                          (8-0)     26
3. Munising                                            (8-0)     23
(tie) Bridgman                                      (8-0)    23
5. Martin                                              (7-1)    18
6. Adrian Lenawee Christian                      (6-2)     12
7. Newberry                                           (7-1)     11
8. Rogers City                                        (8-0)     10
9. Kingston                                            (8-0)     7
10. Auburn Hills Oakland Christian             (7-1)     3
Others receiving votes:
Norway 2. Lincoln-Alcona 1.

8-Player Division 2
1. Powers North Central (5)                     (8-0)     50
2. Colon                                               (8-0)    45
3. Marion                                               (8-0)     38
4. Climax-Scotts                                   (7-1)    37
5. Morrice                                              (7-1)     24
6. Crystal Falls Forest Park                      (7-1)     23
7. Peck                                                  (7-1)     16
8. Posen                                                 (7-1)     15
9. Au Gres-Sims                                      (7-1)     12
10. Mendon                                           (6-2)    11
Others receiving votes:
Lake Linden-Hubbell 3. Gaylord St. Mary 1.

1

North Carolina(47)

1532

2

Gonzaga(12)

1479

3

Houston(1)

1404

4

Kentucky(2)

1364

5

Kansas

1200

Baylor

1200

7

Duke

1168

8

UCLA

1093

9

Creighton

1060

10

Arkansas

1026

11

Tennessee

880

12

Texas

844

13

Indiana

745

14

TCU

735

15

Auburn

623

16

Villanova

578

17

Arizona

543

18

Virginia

462

19

San Diego State

394

20

Alabama

281

21

Oregon

260

22

Michigan

229

23

Illinois

215

24

Dayton

170

25

Texas Tech

122

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Our Midwest Family Player of the week is Gail Vaikutis of St. Joseph High School Cross Country.   Gail is a junior at St. Joseph, she carries a 3.84 Grade Point Average.

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As heard on News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM, the St. Joseph Bears (6-1) celebrate Senior Night against Mattawan (3-4) from Dickinson Stadium in St. Joseph. G.B. Richmond and Bret Witkowski were there.

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As heard on 97.5 Y-Country, the Lakeshore Lancers (3-4) look to bounce back after their home loss to St. Joseph with a road game with the Portage Northern Huskies (4-3). Al Pscholka and Denny Kniola were there for the call of the game.

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This week at Full Circle Café & Espresso Bar, we talk St. Joe, Lakeshore, & Twin City Football, and Michigan Lutheran Girls Golf…

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NFL – National Football League – Week 6
Last Night
Washington Commanders 12, Chicago Bears 7

Commanders 12, Bears 7 – Muffed punt, Robinson TD lift Commanders over Bears 12-7
Christian Holmes recovered a muffed punt by Velus Jones deep in Chicago territory to set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Brian Robinson midway through the fourth quarter, and the Washington Commanders stopped a four-game losing streak, hanging on to beat the Chicago Bears 12-7. The Commanders did just enough to come away with their first win since beating Jacksonville in the opener and handed the Bears (2-4) their third straight loss. Washington caught a huge break when it punted on fourth down at its 36. Jones had trouble tracking the ball, then let it hit off his arms. Holmes recovered it in a big pile at the 6, and Robinson scored two plays later.  Chicago came up empty on three drives inside the Washington 10 during an ugly 12-7 loss. Led by Fields and Khalil Herbert, the Bears rushed for 238 yards and outgained the Commanders 392-214 overall. But Chicago still dropped its third straight game. Two more turnovers were costly for the Bears.

Sunday
Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts, 1:00 p.m.
Detroit Lions (bye week)

NHL – National Hockey League – Regular Season Start
Last Night
Vegas Golden Knights 1, Chicago Blackhawks 0

Golden Knights 1, Blackhawks 0 – Paul Cotter scores, Golden Knights beat Blackhawks 1-0
Paul Cotter scored and Logan Thompson stopped 27 shots as the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Chicago Blackhawks 1-0. The victory marked the fourth time in Vegas’ first six seasons in the NHL it opened 2-0-0, while Chicago (0-2-0) has now lost its first two games in four straight seasons. Thompson, making just his 22nd NHL appearance, got his second career shutout. It was his third time facing the Blackhawks and he improved to 2-0-1 against them. Alex Stalock was excellent in net for Chicago, finishing with 36 saves in his first start of the season.

Tonight
Montreal Canadiens at Detroit Red Wings, 7:00 p.m.

MLB – Major League Baseball Playoffs – Divisional Series – Best of Five
Yesterday
Houston Astros 4, Seattle Mariners 2                                             (HOU leads 2-0)
Cleveland Guardians at New York Yankees, PPD Rain to 10/14               (NYY leads 1-0)

Astros 4, Mariners 2 – Alvarez homers again, Astros top Mariners 4-2, lead ALDS 2-0
Yordan Alvarez and his mighty bat did it yet again, launching a go-ahead, two-run homer in the sixth inning off Seattle ace Luis Castillo that lifted the Houston Astros over the Mariners 4-2 for a 2-0 lead in the AL Division Series. Alvarez was the Game 1 hero with his gut-punch, three-run shot off reigning AL Cy Young winner Robbie Ray with two outs in the ninth inning that gave the Astros an 8-7 win. This time, Alvarez sent a drive into the short porch in left field to put the Astros on top 3-2. Game 3 in the best-of-five matchup will be Saturday in Seattle.

Guardians at Yankees – PPD, Rain – Guardians-Yankees ALDS Game 2 rained out, makeup Friday
The second game of the American League Division Series between the Cleveland Guardians and New York Yankees has been postponed because of steady rain in the forecast. It was rescheduled for Friday afternoon. New York won Tuesday’s opener of the best-of-five series 4-1. The rainout followed an unusual scheduled off day between Games 1 and 2. The teams could end up playing four days in a row. Game 3 and a potential Game 4 are scheduled in Cleveland this weekend. If Game 5 is needed, it would be held at Yankee Stadium on Monday night.

Today
Cleveland (Bieber 13-8) at New York (Cortes 12-4), 1:07 p.m.               (NYY Leads 1-0)
Atlanta (TBA) at Philadelphia (Nola 11-13), 4:37 p.m.                          (Series tied 1-1)
Los Angeles (Gonsolin 16-1) at San Diego (Snell 8-10), 8:37 p.m.         (Series tied 1-1)

NBA – National Basketball Association – Preseason
Last Night
Memphis Grizzlies 126, Detroit Pistons 111

Grizzlies 126, Pistons 111 – Morant nets 31, leads Grizzlies to win in preseason finale
Ja Morant had 31 points and eight rebounds as the Memphis Grizzlies closed out their preseason with a 126-111 victory over the Detroit Pistons. Desmond Bane went 1 for 7 from 3-point range and finished with 16 points for Memphis. Brandon Clarke also scored 16 points while playing extended minutes after starting center Stephen Adams left with a sore neck. Saddiq Bey led the Pistons with 17 points and eight rebounds. Isaiah Stewart had 16 points and nine rebounds, and Cade Cunningham had 15 points and six assists. Kevin Knox II finished with 13 points as Detroit went winless in four preseason games.

Tonight
Houston Rockets at Indiana Pacers, 7:00 p.m.       End NBA Preseason, Regular Season starts Tuesday 10/18

NCAAFB – College Football – Week 7
Saturday
(10) Penn State at (5) Michigan, 12:00 p.m.                   News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM 11:00
Central Michigan at Akron, 12:00 p.m.
Northern Illinois at Eastern Michigan, 3:30 p.m.
Ohio at Western Michigan, 3:30 p.m.
Wisconsin at Michigan State, 4:00 p.m.                         Superhits 103.7 Cosy-FM 2:30
Stanford at Notre Dame, 7:00 p.m.

Saturday – NCAA Division II
(2) Grand Valley State at (1) Ferris State, 1:00 p.m.

NCAAFB – No. 5 Michigan, No. 10 Penn St meet with Big Ten, CFP stakes
No. 5 Michigan hosts No. 10 Penn State with Big Ten championship race and College Football Playoff stakes. The winner Saturday at the Big House will be in a position to compete for championships and the loser will need some help to reach its goals. How Michigan running back Blake Corum fares against Penn State’s run defense may prove to be pivotal. Corum has run for 500 yards and four TDs over three Big Ten games. The Nittany Lions are giving up just 79.6 yards rushing per game, ranking fifth in the country.

NCAAFB – Struggling Michigan State desperate for win vs. Wisconsin
Wisconsin’s interim coach Jim Leonhard will be going for his second straight win following the firing of Paul Chryst. The Badgers, who had lost two straight, were solid on offense and defense in a 42-7 rout of Northwestern. It was Wisconsin’s first road win against the Wildcats since 2016. Michigan State is looking to snap a four-game losing streak after losing 49-20 to No. 3 Ohio State. It is the longest winless streak for MSU since 2019 when they lost five straight games.

Golf – LIV/PGA – Mickelson says LIV on rise and PGA Tour trending downward
Phil Mickelson is back in Saudi Arabia for the first time since his disparaging remarks about the Saudis were published. And he’s doubling down on his support of Saudi-funded LIV Golf and his criticism of the PGA Tour. Mickelson says he’s glad he’s on the winning side of the divide in golf. He says LIV Golf with its 48-man fields is trending. And he says the PGA Tour is on a downward trend. Mickelson also says he never had an interview with Alan Shipnuck. He had said in February his comments to Shipnuck about the Saudis were off the record.

NCAAMBB – Bates reinstated at Eastern Michigan after charges dropped
Emoni Bates has been reinstated to the Eastern Michigan basketball team and as a student after prosecutors agreed to drop felony charges against him. The 18-year-old Bates was a top prospect out of high school who transferred to Eastern Michigan in August after playing his freshman season at Memphis. He was charged after police found a gun in a car he was driving last month. Defense attorney Steve Haney said the vehicle and the gun didn’t belong to Bates. The school says Bates was “immediately reinstated to all athletic and campus activities” because of the agreement between prosecutors and his attorneys.

MCCAA – Junior College Athletics
Last Night
Women’s Volleyball
Lansing Community College 3, Lake Michigan College 1
Southwestern Michigan College 3, Marian Ancilla 2

AHL – American Hockey League
Tonight
San Diego Gulls at Grand Rapids Griffins, 7:00 p.m.

ECHL – ECHL Hockey League
Tonight
Toledo Walleye at Kalamazoo Wings, 7:00 p.m.

MHSAA – High School Sports
Last Night
Boys Soccer – Districts – 1st Round
Division 4 at Our Lady of the Lake (first round at local sites)
Howardsville Christian 2, Michigan Lutheran 1
Cassopolis 3, New Buffalo 2 – Shootout
Bridgman 9, Our Lady of the Lake 1
Brandywine 2, Covert 1 – Shootout

Division 4 at Hartford (first round at local sites)
Bangor 6, Saugatuck 1

Division 4 at Kalamazoo Christian (first round at local sites)
Kalamazoo Hackett 3, Kalamazoo Christian 0
BC Calhoun Christian 4, Comstock 0

Division 2 at Hamilton (first round at local sites)
Holland 3, Plainwell 2 – OT  

Volleyball
Berrien Springs 3, Benton Harbor 0
Buchanan 3, Dowagiac 0
Niles 3, Otsego 0
Three Rivers 3, Plainwell 1

Girls Swimming and Diving
St. Joseph 97, Plainwell 89

Cross Country
Dowagiac Rock N Run, at Dowagiac Middle School

Friday
Football – All games start at 7:00
SMAC
Mattawan (3-4) at St. Joseph (6-1)                                      News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM 6:35
Lakeshore (3-4) at Portage Northern (4-3)                          97.5 Y-Country WYTZ 6:45
Kalamazoo Central (0-7) at Portage Central (2-5)
Battle Creek Lakeview (1-5) at Battle Creek Central (6-1)

Lakeland
Buchanan (6-1) at Benton Harbor (4-3)
Brandywine (4-3) at Berrien Springs (5-1)

Wolverine
Niles (3-4) at Otsego (0-7)
Vicksburg (4-3) at Paw Paw (3-4)
Plainwell (3-4) at Three Rivers (4-3)

SAC
Watervliet (4-3) at Parchment (4-3)
South Haven (2-5) at Constantine (6-1)
Allegan (3-4) at Kalamazoo United (3-4)
Schoolcraft (4-3) at Delton-Kellogg (4-3)
Galesburg-Augusta (2-5) (bye)

Non-Conference
Chelsea (5-2) at Edwardsburg (6-1)
Sturgis (5-2) at Adrian (3-4)
Cassopolis (0-7) at Dowagiac (1-6)
Muskegon Catholic (5-2) at Centreville (6-1)
Lake Odessa Lakewood (5-2) at Decatur (5-2)
White Pigeon (4-3) at Kent City (6-1)    

8-Man
Bridgman (7-0) at Twin Cities (1-6)
Red Arrow (4-3) at Lawrence (3-4)
Bloomingdale (0-7) at Bangor (2-5)
Gobles (5-2) at Eau Claire (5-2)
Mendon (5-2) at Marcellus (5-2)
Fennville (3-4) at Martin (6-1)
Wyoming Tri-Unity (3-4) at Wyoming Lee (0-7)

Boys Soccer – Districts – 1st Round
Division 2 at St. Joseph (first round at local sites)
Vicksburg at Coldwater, 6:00 p.m.                   *Winner plays St. Joe on Tuesday

Saturday
Football
Lawton (6-1) at Traverse City St. Francis (7-0), 1:00 p.m.

Volleyball
St. Joseph Invitational, 8:30 a.m.
St. Joseph, Lakeshore, Bridgman, Watervliet, Brandywine, Dowagiac, Kalamazoo Central

Coloma, Delton-Kellogg, Galesburg-Augusta at Constantine, 9:00 a.m.

Boys Individual Top 10

Girls Team Results

Girls Individual Top 10

1. St. Joseph              55
2. Berrien Springs      56
3. Paw Paw                 69
4. Buchanan               100
5. Edwardsburg          116
6. Lakeshore              176
7. Our Lady                212
8. Niles                     220
9. White Pigeon          233
10. Eau Claire           257

1. St. Joseph             18
2. Lakeshore             68
3. Edwardsburg          121
4. Paw Paw              123
5. Buchanan             133
6. Niles                  142
7. Our Lady             150
8. Berrien Springs      202
9. White Pigeon         273

1

Luke Morrison

BSPR

16:30.8

2

Aiden Kruger

NIL

16:54.7

3

Will Vanderbor

PAW

16:59.4

4

Austin Williford

PAW

17:02.6

5

Dane Bailey

EDW

17:08.7

6

Noah Jarvis

BSPR

17:18.9

7

Will Fiesbeck

STJ

17:23.1

8

Owen Saylor

DOW

17:28.2

9

Shay White

STJ

17:32.8

10

Sam Markle

BSPR

17:42.8

1

Gail Vaikutis

STJ

19:08.9

2

Elena Figueroa

STJ

19:11.7

3

Olivia Ippel

STJ

19:31.1

4

Allison Glendening

OLL

20:06.5

5

Cecilia Ruchti

STJ

20:07.4

6

Madison Johnson

PAW

20:07.8

7

Jade Murdoch

STJ

20:26.9

8

Preslee Perkins

LKSH

20:44.4

9

Claire Ritchey

EDW

20:58.5

10

Kaylee Sprague

LKSH

21:02.3

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