Category: Sports

Blackhawk and New Castle battle it out at Taggart Stadium

Story by Keith Walsh – Beaver County Radio

(New Castle, Pa) It was overcast, breezy and gray but there was a beautiful sunset over Taggart Stadium, football weather for a game that didn’t disappoint. Big plays all night on both sides of ball.

The Red Hurricanes onside kick was recovered by the Cougars at the 40, they went right with the wildcat and with 4 different backs rotating them in and out and this was very effective.  Lucas Thompson brings in the play and it goes to him then it’s Ryan Prisuta who gets stopped at the seven yard line.

Hurricanes take over. Marino Graham goes into the shotgun after some runs, they pitch Jermaine Walker and he takes it the 45. Graham fakes a pass and runs to the 39, next play it was Jermaine Walker out around end down the sidelines for a TD.

New Castle squib kick, Blackhawk doesn’t handle the ball and the Red Hurricanes take over.

They move it down to 30 and Marquise Wise gets it down to the fourteen and Kai Cox finished the drive with a TD. 14-0 N.C.

Blackhawk comes out in the wing t offense.  Zach Chevalier passes to Aiden Murphy for for 40 yards and Brayden McCarthy takes it across the goal for 6. Trenton Mauk kicks point 14-7 Red Hurricanes.

New Castle on offense went right to work. Marino Graham on a Quarter Back draw right down the middle of the defense for 6 more.

Blackhawk gets the ball, Jack Chevalier hands off to McCarthy he takes down to the 10 yard line. With a nice fake the wing t they go jet sweep 7 yards into the pay turf was Ryan Prisuta. 20-14 New Castle on top.

New Castle drives again. Abron Dukes takes over at QB and makes a nice run and pass down to the 14. Lucas Thompson made a great gutsy stop to keep the Hurricanes out at the 7 yard line.

McCarthy goes off tackle for a first down next a half back counter to Prisuta for 15 yards. Jack Chevalier hits a receiver to the 45 Cougars ran out of time 20-14.

Blackhawk played it safe and squib kicked it. First play  Jermaine Walker 60 yards and they make the 2 point conversion score is 28-14, New Castle on top.

The Cougars take over on the 40 and back to the wildcat Zach Feeley runs for 6 yards Brayden McCarthy goes right picks up first down.

They get Into a 4th and 11 Chevalier with 3 wide outs to his left and two in the slots on the right and a empty set he completes a pass for a first down over the middle setting up a double reverse down to the two yard line and sneak it in, extra point no good. 28-20.

New Castle went right back down the field Walker takes a picture and right back off to the endzone 34-20. N.C.

The Cougars weren’t done yet using a few different backs moving down the field. McCarthy makes a nice run down to the fifteen but the Canies Keiarie Stewart comes up with a big pass break up which forces the Cougars to go for it on 4th and 6. Ryan Prisuta picks it up right up the middle first and ten at the five, Prisuta again off the to left picks up 5 down to the 3 and Jack Chevalier hits Aiden Murphy in the endzone, extra point good. New Castle 35 Blackhawk 27.

New Castle starts at the 16 and after runs Graham and Wise J.R. it was Jermaine Walker in for a TD.

Blackhawk takes over at mid field they run a counter for a fourth and two and Braydon MaCarthy keeps on his feet dragging would be tacklers along enough for the first down.

Jack Chevalier throws to Aiden Murphy down to the twenty five, they move it down to the 10 and Prisuta takes it inside the five and McCarthy gets it across the goal line. 42 -34 New Castle on top.

NC wasted no time. Next set of downs, Marino Graham fakes handoff and goes down the sidelines for 6, extra point good.

Final score: New Castle Red Hurricanes 50 Blackhawk Cougars 34.

Scores From Across the Valley: 10/02/26

Friday, October 02, 2026:

 

               Pond-Lehocky Beaver County Radio Broadcast Game 

Blackhawk
New Castle

 34
50  Final
                        WPIAL Class 6A Quad County Conference      
Seneca Valley
Hempfield		 14
41 Final
                        WPIAL Class 5A Allegheny Six Conference      
Bethel Park
West Allegheny		 13
33 Final
                        WPIAL Class 5A NorthEast Conference      
Moon
Pine Richland		 7
56 Final
                        WPIAL Class 4A Parkway Conference      
Montour
Central Valley		 49
7 Final
                        WPIAL Class 3A Western Hills      
Hopewell
Beaver		 62
14  Final
Ambridge
Aliquippa		 17
48  Final
Olsh
Ellwood City		 32
15 Final
                        WPIAL Class 2A Mac Conference      
Western Beaver
New Brighton		 35
12  Final
Neshannock
Freedom		 52
6 Final
Beaver Falls
Mohawk		 30
20 Final
                        WPIAL Class 2A Century Conference      
Chartiers Houston
Quaker Valley		 60
0 Final
                        WPIAL Class 1A Big Seven Conference      
Northgate
Rochester		 21
14  Final
Shenango
Southside		 36
15 Final
Summit Academy
Cornell		 6
59   Final

Steelers defensive tackle Derrick Harmon carted off with foot injury in team’s recent “Thursday Night Football” loss to Browns

(Credit and Caption for Photo: Oct 1, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Derrick Harmon (99) is taken off the field for an injury against the Cleveland Browns in the first half at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Cleveland, OH) Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Derrick Harmon was carted off of Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland to the locker room after he suffered a foot injury during the Steelers’ “Thursday Night Football” game against the Cleveland Browns last night.

Harmon was transported to the locker room with just over 12 minutes to go in the second quarter of that game.  

He was ruled out of the game after initially being ruled questionable. 

The Browns defeated the Steelers in that game by a score of 27-24.

Harmon was selected by the Steelers as the 21st overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft out of Oregon. 

The next game for the Steelers is in Pittsburgh on Sunday, October 11th at 1 p.m. against the Indianapolis Colts at Acrisure Stadium.

Ex-NFL star Antonio Brown appears in Miami court but judge delays hearing on expected plea deal

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Former NFL player Antonio Brown speaks with his attorney Mark Eiglarsh before a court hearing Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

MIAMI (AP) — Former NFL star wide receiver Antonio Brown’s court hearing where he was expected to accept a plea deal and avoid prison time in an attempted murder case was postponed Wednesday.

Brown arrived in a Miami courtroom Wednesday morning and was ready to plead no contest to aggravated assault and be sentenced to probation, his lawyer said. But a Florida judge said she was in the middle of another trial and not ready to go forward. The hearing was pushed back to Oct. 28.

Brown is accused of grabbing a handgun from a security staffer after a celebrity boxing match in Miami on May 16, 2025, and firing two shots at a man he had been in a fistfight with earlier, according to an arrest warrant. Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu told investigators one of the bullets grazed his neck.

Defense attorney Mark Eiglarsh said Brown was looking forward to putting the case behind him. Eiglarsh said the plea deal offered by prosecutors was too good to turn down and that it says Brown would not be considered a convicted felon.

“It’s a setback because it’s another month that my client has an ankle monitor on and doesn’t have closure, which everybody in this case wants,” Eiglarsh said. He said he was “cautiously optimistic” the judge would agree to the terms.

Brown could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted of the original attempted murder charge. He has said on social media that he was defending himself from an attack and others were trying to steal jewelry from him.

Florida’s Stand Your Ground law allows people who believe they face death or serious injury to use deadly force to defend themselves without a duty to retreat.

Nantambu said after Wednesday’s postponement that he hopes Brown will take advantage of the deal to “become a better person and be there for his family.”

“We want him to get the healing that he needs,” he said.

Richard Cooper, an attorney for Nantambu, said Nantambu forgave Brown and would not cooperate with law enforcement.

At one point in the court’s hallway, Brown slipped on a dark mask while talking to his attorney and then pulled it off before going into the hearing.

Brown, 38, spent 12 years in the NFL and was an All-Pro wide receiver who last played in the 2021-22 season for Tampa Bay and won a Super Bowl with quarterback Tom Brady the previous season.

Over the course of his career, much of it spent with Pittsburgh, he had 928 receptions for more than 12,000 yards and accounted for 88 total touchdowns, including punt returns and one pass.

During a January 2022 game with Tampa Bay against the New York Jets, Brown took off his jersey, shoulder pads and gloves and ran off the field, leading to his release by the Buccaneers and effectively ending his career.

Brown has dealt with several legal problems over the years. He previously was accused of battery of a moving truck driver, several domestic violence charges, failure to pay child support and other incidents.

Brown was extradited in November 2025 from Dubai, where he has business interests, after an arrest warrant on the attempted murder charge was issued in June of the same year.

Mc Donald’s High School Football Preview: Week 6

McDONALD’S BEAVER COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PREVIEW

It’s time for our weekly look around the area at this week’s high school football games involving Beaver County teams.

Our high school football preview is brought to you by Tri- County McDonald’s (mmm I’m Lovin It!).

And we start with our Pond Lehocky Game of the Week — Blackhawk at New Castle. This could be one of the best games of the night. Blackhawk puts its perfect 5-and-0 record on the line against a New Castle team coming off its biggest win of the season. The Cougars have been an offensive machine, scoring 228 points through five games — better than 45 points per game. Last week, Blackhawk survived its closest test of the year, beating Shaler 40-31. But New Castle just sent a message of its own by knocking off Aliquippa 42-21. So we’ve got an undefeated Blackhawk team against a New Castle team playing with a ton of confidence. I expect points, and I expect Blackhawk to get one of its toughest tests of the season.

We’ll have the Pond Lehocky Game of the Week Friday night. Pregame at 6:30, kickoff at 7:00 on Beaver County Radio.

Now let’s get to the rest of the games.

Western Beaver travels to New Brighton.

Both teams are 1-and-4 and desperately need a win. Western Beaver has shown flashes, including that impressive 28-10 upset of Riverside. New Brighton lost to Riverside 33-22 last week, but the Lions showed improvement offensively. Keep an eye on Heath Lewis for New Brighton. If the Lions can get him into the open field, he can change the game quickly.

Hopewell travels to Beaver.

The Vikings are 4-and-1 and rolling right now. They’ve beaten Central Valley 34-6 and Western Beaver 47-6 in consecutive weeks. Quarterback James Armstrong gives Hopewell a dangerous threat with both his arm and his legs. Beaver is 1-and-4 and trying to bounce back from a 49-6 loss to Avonworth. We know quarterback Jaivin Peel can put up huge numbers, but Hopewell is playing too well for me to pick against the Vikings.

Ambridge travels to Aliquippa.

Aliquippa is coming off that surprising 42-21 loss to New Castle, and I expect the Quips to come out with something to prove.

How about Beaver Falls at Mohawk?

Don’t look now, but the Tigers have won three straight. And last week’s was the biggest — Beaver Falls handed previously unbeaten Freedom its first loss, 24-13. Mohawk was beaten 48-6 by Neshannock last week. Beaver Falls is getting better as the season goes along.

Montour visits Central Valley.

The Warriors are 2-and-3 and have lost two straight, including a heartbreaking 16-14 loss to Hampton last week. Montour is 3-and-2 and is coming off a 34-29 loss to Thomas Jefferson. Central Valley needs to establish the running game and avoid falling behind early.

Neshannock travels to Freedom.

Freedom started the season 4-and-0 before Beaver Falls handed the Bulldogs their first loss. Now they get a Neshannock team that’s 4-and-1 and has won three straight. Freedom is dangerous at home, but right now Neshannock has the momentum.

Northgate visits Rochester.

Rochester is 1-and-4, while Northgate comes in at 3-and-2 after barely escaping South Side last week, 21-20. That’s why I’m going with my upset pick here. Rochester is at home, and if the Rams protect the football, I think they can steal one.

Shenango travels to South Side.

South Side nearly picked up its first victory last week before losing to Northgate by one. But now the Rams face an undefeated Shenango team that just hammered Rochester 49-8.

And OLSH travels to Ellwood City.

Somebody is getting its first win because both teams enter at 0-and-5. Ellwood City showed some offensive improvement last week in a 27-13 loss to Shady Side Academy. With the Wolverines playing at home, I’ll give them the slight edge.

And finally, Riverside has the week off.

The Panthers enter their bye at 4-and-1. They started 3-and-0 before losing to Western Beaver, then bounced back last Friday with a 33-22 win over New Brighton. Riverside returns next week against Freedom.

But the spotlight Friday night is on Blackhawk at New Castle.

Blackhawk is 5-and-0. New Castle just knocked off Aliquippa. And the Cougars are averaging better than 45 points per game. It’s the Pond Lehocky Game of the Week.

Pregame coverage begins at 6:30, with kickoff at 7:00, right here on Beaver County Radio.

That’s your McDonald’s Beaver County High School Football Preview.

Cowboys acquiring cornerback Joey Porter Jr. from the Steelers for 2 draft picks, AP sources say

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. during warmups before an NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — The Dallas Cowboys are acquiring disgruntled cornerback Joey Porter Jr. from the Pittsburgh Steelers, two people with knowledge of the deal said Wednesday night.

Pittsburgh will receive two draft picks from Dallas, a sixth-rounder in 2027 and a second-rounder in 2028, one of the people told The Associated Press. Both people spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the teams hadn’t announced the deal.

Porter has been inactive all three games this season for the Steelers. The fourth-year pro has been dealing with a back issue and had also been in the middle of a stalemate with the Steelers over a new contract.

The 26-year-old Porter, a second-round pick out of Penn State in the 2023 draft, was seeking an extension as he entered the final year of his four-year rookie deal.

The Cowboys are getting Porter after earlier Wednesday putting safety Jalen Thompson (hamstring) on injured reserve with a designation to return. They also signed three defensive backs to their practice squad.

Safety P.J. Locke (torn plantar fascia) was already on injured reserve. He and Thompson were offseason acquisitions by the Cowboys as a part of retooling the secondary.

It’s the second major trade between the Cowboys and Steelers in two years.

Before the 2025 season, Pittsburgh sent receiver George Pickens to Dallas for draft picks. He made the Pro Bowl in his Dallas debut, setting career highs with 93 catches for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns last season.

Pickens is playing this season on a $27.3 million franchise tag and has 16 catches for 150 yards without a score.

The Steelers took Pickens out of Georgia in the second round in 2022. While his talent was on display during three seasons with the Steelers, so were enough instances of petulant or indifferent behavior for then-coach Mike Tomlin to question his maturity.

Dallas and Pittsburgh also made a lower-profile trade during the preseason this year. The Cowboys acquired offensive tackle Broderick Jones and a fourth-round pick in next year’s draft for third- and sixth-round choices.

Not only is Dallas suddenly seeking reinforcements in the secondary, but the defense as a whole is off to another rough start after being one of the NFL’s worst in 2025.

The Cowboys are second-to-last in rushing defense and one of four teams without an interception. Dallas had a franchise-worst six picks on defense last season.

In a 34-31 loss to Baltimore in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday, the Cowboys let Lamar Jackson complete a 27-yard pass to Zay Flowers when the Ravens had just 7 seconds on the clock after a tying field goal by Dallas. Jackson got a timeout called with a second remaining, and Tyler Loop kicked a winning 56-yard field goal.

While the Cowboys had hopes of a quick turnaround with 34-year-old Christian Parker as a first-time defensive coordinator, the first three weeks have shown otherwise. In a season-opening loss to the New York Giants, Dallas had just two possessions in the second half because the defense couldn’t get a stop.

Porter was among the top 20 in the NFL in pass breakups over his first three seasons with 31. He had two seasons of double-digit passes defended. Last season, DaRon Bland was the leader for Dallas with six as the Cowboys finished last in the league in passing defense.

Malkin scores, Silovs stops 19 shots as Penguins pile on in 7-0 win over Flyers in teams’ 2026-2027 season opener

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Penguins’ Filip Hallander (11), Ville Koivunen (41), Kaedan Korczak (6) and Samuel Girard (49) celebrate after a goal by Koivunen during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Philadelphia Flyers Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Evgeni Malkin, Hendrix Lapierre and Filip Hallander scored in the second period and Arturs Silovs stopped 19 shots to help the Pittsburgh Penguins steamroll the Philadelphia Flyers 7-0 on Wednesday night.

Silovs posted his third career shutout in his 57th start. Nick Robertson scored two goals and Ville Koivunen and Egor Chinakhov also scored for the Penguins. Sidney Crosby added an assist.

The Penguins’ season ended on the same Philadelphia ice in April when the Flyers won a first-round playoff series in six games.

The Flyers left the clincher to a roaring ovation on Cam York’s winner. Five months later, the Flyers were soundly booed off the ice – reaching a crescendo after the second period – and the opening night festivities were spoiled for a team trying to become a force in the Eastern Conference.

The Penguins are trying to run it back at least one more time between the longtime core of Crosby, Malkin and Kris Letang. Malkin signed a one-year deal to remain in Pittsburgh, and the hope is there’s enough magic left to help put the Penguins in position to win a playoff series for the first time in nearly a decade.

The 40-year-old Malkin ripped a one-timer from the slot early in the second period for the 3-0 lead that also gave him 100 career points against the Flyers. He became the sixth player with at least 100 points against the Flyers. Crosby’s assist on Robertson’s game-opening goal extended his record with 140 career points against Philly.

The Penguins scored five goals on their first 18 shots against Dan Vladar. Vladar didn’t play a full period in the preseason as he battled an unspecified injury, and with the Flyers in the first game of a back-to-back set, he was left in the game to take the beating.

Vladar knocked Robertson’s second goal of the game into the net with the back of his skate in a gaffe that made it 6-0.

Up next

Penguins play their home opener Saturday against Montreal.

Flyers play Thursday at New Jersey.

2026 Pirates earn winning record, first time for the team since 2018

(Credit and Caption for Photo: Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe celebrates an RBI single against the Boston Red Sox next to first base coach Tarrik Brock on Aug. 16 at PNC Park. (Christopher Horner | TribLive))

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) The 2026 Pittsburgh Pirates finished their season with a winning record of 82-80 after their 4-2 win yesterday against the Detroit Tigers in Detroit.

The Pirates have not finished an MLB regular season with a winning record since 2018, which was when they finished with a record of 82-79.

Even though the Pirates did not make it to the 2026 MLB playoffs, they head into the 2026 offseason with several improvements from their 2025 season.

The 2026 Pirates had 11 more wins than all of last season, and they broke several franchise records in this year’s campaign.

These include the most home runs ever hit by a Pirates team with 186, and the most strikeouts by Pirates pitchers with 1,496.

The 2026 Pirates also had a major improvement on offense from last season, because they scored 767 runs this year, compared to 583 runs in 2025. 

Pitt college football breaks two school records in 59-0 blowout win over Bucknell

(Credit and Caption for Photo: Pitt wide receiver Bryan Hamilton scores a touchdown during the second half of a college football game against Bucknell at Acrisure Stadium, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (Matt Freed, Post-Gazette))

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Pitt’s college football team improved to 4-0 on the 2026 season and broke two school records in their 59-0 blowout win against Bucknell on Saturday at Acrisure Stadium.

Pitt had 579 passing yards and 766 total yards in that game, which are both school records.

Sophomore quarterback Mason Heintschel also tied an Atlantic Coast Conference record with his second game of the season with six touchdowns.

Heinstchel had six touchdowns and threw for 403 yards in that game.

The Panthers will travel to Blacksburg, Virginia to play Virginia Tech on the road this Friday, October 2nd at 7 p.m. Eastern Time for their next game.