(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh quarterback Mason Heintschel (6) celebrates with teammates after they defeated Florida State in an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025 in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP Photo/Colin Hackley)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) The University of Pittsburgh college football team made it into the initial 2025 College Football Playoff Rankings Top 25 released yesterday. Pitt earned the #24 spot after a five-game winning streak since going 2-2 in their first four games. Pitt is now 7-2 overall and 5-1 in Atlantic Coast Conference play. Since making the switch to freshman quarterback Mason Heintschel on October 4th, 2025 for their game that afternoon against Boston College, Pitt has not only won five games in a row, but also during that winning streak, they lead college football with scoring 200 points, they are second in the nation with 2,229 total yards and they have put up 24 touchdowns.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling looks on before the first half of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints, Sept. 14, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Butch Dill, File)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers signed wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling to the practice squad on Tuesday, reuniting him with former teammate Aaron Rodgers.

The well-traveled Valdes-Scantling played alongside Rodgers from 2018-21 when they were both in Green Bay.

The 31-year-old Valdes-Scantling, who won a pair of Super Bowls with Kansas City in 2022 and 2023, was most recently with the San Francisco 49ers, catching four passes for 40 yards before being released last month.

Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin downplayed Valdes-Scantling’s arrival, which came a week after reports that Valdes-Scantling’s signing was imminent, only for him to hold off while waiting for a chance to join a 53-man roster instead of taking a practice squad spot.

That opportunity did not materialize, and now Valdes-Scantling finds himself on his fifth team since 2023. His most productive stop during that stretch came in New Orleans, where averaged 22.6 yards per catch and scored four touchdowns in eight games with the Saints.

“He is a really special guy, and I think MVS can still really play,” Rodgers said last week. “You saw last year when he was in New Orleans, he had opportunities. He had a lot of big touchdowns. He can still run.”

Valdes-Scantling caught 123 passes for 2,153 yards and 13 touchdowns during his four seasons alongside Rodgers in Green Bay and has averaged 17.3 yards per reception in his career.

The Steelers are in first place in the AFC North at 5-3, but have struggled to get consistent production out of their wide receivers outside of DK Metcalf. Metcalf leads the team with 29 receptions. Their next four top pass catchers are either running backs or tight ends.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes delivers during the second inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds in Pittsburgh, Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes was voted by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America yesterday as one of three finalists for the 2025 National League Cy Young Award, which is given to the best pitcher in that league. This is the second year in a row that Skenes became a finalist for this award and he joins fellow finalists Cristopher Sánchez of the Philadelphia Phillies and Yoshinobu Yamamoto of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Skenes finished this year with statistics including a 10-10 record, a 1.97 ERA and 216 strikeouts through 32 starts and 187 and 2/3 innings, with one start as a complete game. Skenes’ 2025 ERA along with his 0.95 WHIP, 2.36 FIP and 217 ERA+ this year were all first among pitchers in the National League. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, if Skenes wins the 2025 National League Cy Young Award, he would be the fifth-youngest Cy Young Award winner. The Baseball Writers’ Association of America Awards’ broadcast for the Cy Young Award to announce the winners of that award for both leagues will be on the MLB Network on Wednesday, November 12th.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – The Nittany Lion logo taken before an NCAA college football game between Penn State and Delaware, Sept. 9, 2023, in State College, Pa. (AP Photo/Barry Reeger, File)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Monaca, PA) According to a recent release from Penn State Beaver Athletics, the Penn State Beaver Athletics Department announced the addition of four new varsity sports: men’s golf, women’s golf, men’s cross country and women’s cross country: with competition officially set to begin in the Fall 2026 academic/athletic season. The expansion underscores the commitment that Penn State Beaver has for providing opportunities for student athletes that are robust, strengthening its footprint for athletics, and enriching both engagement for its community and life on campus.

Story by Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio. Published October 31, 2025 9:15 P.M.

(Washington, Pa) The Aliquippa Quips travelled to Washington Friday night to visit the Trinity Hillers for the quarterfinal round of 2025 WPIAL playoffs.

Both teams got off to a fiery start with Aliquippa scoring on the opening drive to lead the game 7-0. Trinity soon answered on their possession marching down the field to knot the game at 7-7.

As the end of the first half was approaching Aliquippa marched down the field to 1st & Goal. With seconds left until the half, Trinity held Aliquippa at the goal line until time ran out, ending the half tied at 7-7.

Trinity started the second half with the ball. As a result, the Hillers managed to drive down the field and score 7 more making it a 14-7 game.

Aliquippa’s first possession in the second half was similar to the last in the first half. They marched down the field only to be halted by big Trinity stops.

With 6 minutes left in the game, Aliquippa managed a big run play to score and tie the game.

As the end of the game approached with the score still tied, Quip made a big pass play to grab a 21-14 lead with 20 seconds left.

Aliquippa held Trinity for the last 20 seconds and made a sack at the yard line to end the game and take the playoff victory.

FINAL SCORE: Aliquippa 21 Trinity 14 

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton walks to the dugout before a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians in Pittsburgh, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins have picked former bench coach Derek Shelton as their new manager, a person with knowledge of the decision confirmed Wednesday night.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team had not announced the hire. Major League Baseball encourages clubs to avoid spotlighting big moves during the World Series.

Shelton served as manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates for five-plus years with an overall record of 306-440 before he was fired on May 8, just 40 games into this season. The 55-year-old was the bench coach for the Twins in 2018 and 2019 under two different managers, Paul Molitor and Rocco Baldelli. With the under-funded Pirates, Shelton never finished higher than fourth place in the NL Central or better than 76-86.

Baldelli was fired the day after the regular season ended with a 527-505 record over seven years, plus 3-8 in the postseason. The Twins won three AL Central titles under Baldelli, including their 101-61 finish in 2019 when the rookie skipper won the AL Manager of the Year award, but they made the playoffs only once in his last five seasons and frequently struggled to shepherd their top prospects into becoming consistent contributors.

New York Yankees hitting coach James Rowson, who held that role for the Twins under both Molitor and Baldelli before leaving to become bench coach of the Miami Marlins in 2020, was also one of the finalists. According to multiple reports, former Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais and current Chicago Cubs bench coach Ryan Flaherty were in the mix, too. The Twins are one of nine MLB teams who have changed managers this year.

Shelton, who was well-regarded within the Twins organization and a close friend to Baldelli, will take over a team that spiraled to a 70-92 finish after the front office decided to use the leverage of the deadline to maximize the incoming talent and traded 10 players off the major league roster in a stunningly aggressive teardown.

The Twins traded their five best relievers, from closer Jhoan Duran on down, and left the final 54 games to a ragtag group that had eight blown saves in 18 opportunities during that span. The conversion rate of 44.4% ranked second-worst in the majors over the final two months.

The Twins are 82-119 over their last 201 games for a .408 winning percentage, and that includes a 13-game winning streak this season.

Attendance has swooned at Target Field. The Twins finished with their lowest total for 81 home games (a little more than 1.7 million tickets sold) in a non-pandemic season since 2000 when they played at the cramped and dingy Metrodome and went 69-93.

Fans mostly have directed their disdain toward ownership, with deep frustration over cost cutting that came after the 2023 breakthrough Baldelli led with the end of a record 18-game postseason losing streak and the club’s first win of a playoff series in 21 years.

Executive chair Joe Pohlad and his family members put the franchise up for sale in 2024, but decided in August to keep control and bring on two new investment groups for an infusion of cash to help pay down debt.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – ARCA driver Marco Andretti looks out of the garage before a practice run for an ARCA Mendards Series auto race Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara, file)

(AP) Marco Andretti said Wednesday he is retiring from racing, a decision that likely means the “Andretti Curse” at the Indianapolis 500 will never end.

The 38-year-old grandson of Mario Andretti announced on social media he will not attempt to enter the Indianapolis 500 next season and will instead turn his attention to his daughter, business ventures outside of racing, and a memoir in process called “Defending the Dynasty.”

Next year’s Indianapolis 500 will not have an Andretti in the field for the first time since 2005.

“I have had some really fun times behind the wheel in a lot of different types of racing cars — a lot of great memories as well, mostly at the Indy 500,” Marco Andretti wrote in his announcement, noting his start this year was the 20th of his career, good enough for 12th all-time.

“I am very much at peace with the next chapter in my life after dedicating three decades to the sport,” he added.

Marco Andretti also reflected on the Indy 500, his performances there and when he and his father battled for the lead in the closing laps of the 2006 race.

Marco Andretti was an IndyCar rookie, his father, Michael, came out of retirement to race against him, and Marco’s late pass of Michael should have been enough for the victory. Sam Hornish Jr. ended up chasing down Marco Andretti and the curse that dates to 1970 — the year after Mario Andretti gave the family their only Indy 500 win — continued.

“I am proud of my overall stats at the Indy 500. I had six very legitimate shots at victory with Andretti Autosport and ended up with 20% top-3 finishes at the Speedway,” Marco Andretti wrote. “It feels accomplishing to me to be able to retire having more podium finishes than my father Michael and the same as my grandfather Mario at the biggest race in the world.”

He added to his Indy 500 memories nearly being bumped from the field in 2011 and winning the pole in 2020.

“That is what the Indianapolis 500 produces: extremes on both ends. That is why I love and appreciate it so much,” he wrote.

Marco Andretti won two times over 253 IndyCar starts spanning 20 years. He debuted at the age of 19 driving for his father’s team, which is now known as Andretti Global but Michael Andretti was bought out of the ownership group at the end of last season.

Marco Andretti scaled back in 2021 to run only the Indianapolis 500 as he dabbled in NASCAR and other racing series. With Michael Andretti no longer an official part of the team, new owner Dan Towriss is under no obligation to enter Marco Andretti at Indy.

Marco Andretti’s final Indy 500 will go down as one of his worst — he crashed on the fourth lap as both Mario and Michael Andretti dropped their heads at another Indy disaster.

Despite the heartbreak at Indianapolis, the Andretti name is one of the most globally respected in racing. Mario Andretti won the 1978 Formula 1 championship, IndyCar titles in 1965, 1966, 1969 and 1984, and the 1967 Daytona 500 in NASCAR.

Mario Andretti is the only driver to win Indy, Daytona and an F1 championship. He is the only driver to win IndyCar races in four different decades and his 52 career victories rank third on IndyCar’s all-time list.

Michael Andretti ranks fourth all-time with 42 wins in IndyCar, just never at Indianapolis. He won the 500 as a team owner five different times. He won one title, was runner-up in the standings five times and ran 13 of the 16 races in the 1993 F1 season.

Marco Andretti only began trying other racing series after he stepped away from full-time IndyCar competition. The pressure on him to live up to his last name was enormous, especially at Indianapolis.

He reflected on his two decades in IndyCar as “competing at the top level of North American motorsport is and has been an honor for me, even in the tough times.”

“That is where I can look back and say I have made my best progress in life as a man,” he said. “Learning to navigate very difficult dynamics at times, and others doubting me, made me realize that my opinion of myself is the one that should matter the most.”