HARRISBURG, Pa. — Spring sports student athletes and coaches don’t need to wear masks when outside as long as they can keep 6 feet apart according to new PIAA guidelines.
The board met Wednesday and approved the new rules for baseball, softball, track and other spring sports. Preseason practices could start statewide on Monday.
Spring sports were shut down last year because of the pandemic, meaning athletes had no season.
Other rules include:
If a baseball pitcher wears a mask, it must be a solid, dark color. Softball pitchers cannot wear optic yellow. Pitchers are encouraged to not lick fingers or blow into their hands, but that’s not a mandate.
Umpires are required to wear a face covering behind the plate.
Races of 800 meters or longer are considered moderate risk activities, so the PIAA recommends they be “run in alleys or minimally one turn staggers.”
Relay runners may wear disposable gloves
Lacrosse players are not required to wear a mask during competitions since they already wear a helmet and mouth guard.
Despite their first loss of the season, the Pirates had many fans, mostly starters…and a little rest after all.
The Bucs lost to the Tigers after only 5 innings, and Pirates broadcaster Greg Brown joined Matt Drzik to talk about it on A.M. Beaver County from Bradenton. Brown also talked about how the Pirates have several battles within the field of play, and that the team will be playing longer games heading into the meat of March.
To listen to the Spring Training Report, click on the player below!
Byron gives NASCAR another surprise winner at Homestead
By MARK LONG AP Sports Writer
HOMESTEAD, Fla. (AP) — William Byron gave NASCAR its third surprise winner in three weeks, this one not quite as stunning as the first two at Daytona International Speedway. Byron controlled most of the final two stages at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday and won for the second time in 111 Cup starts. His first one came at Daytona last August and landed him one of the final spots in the playoffs. No one saw that one coming. And few had this one on the radar, either. Byron entered the weekend as a 28-1 shot to win the race.
Pitt F Toney to transfer, second high-profile exit in 2 days
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh junior forward Au’Diese Toney is transferring, the second high-profile departure for the Panthers in as many days. The decision came a day after teammate Xavier Johnson announced he was entering the transfer portal. Toney averaged 14.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists and is considered among the better defenders in the Atlantic Coast Conference. He missed Pitt’s last game, a loss to Florida State last Saturday, while recovering from a concussion.
Jared Hughes retires after pitching 10 major league seasons
NEW YORK (AP) — Jared Hughes says he is retiring after 10 years of pitching in the major leagues. Hughes made his announcement on Instagram. “It was time,” he wrote. The 35-year-old right-hander was 1-2 with a 4.84 ERA in 22 1/3 innings over 18 relief appearances for the New York Mets last year. Hughes went 30-26 with a 2.96 ERA in 542 relief appearances for Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, Cincinnati, Philadelphia and the Mets.
(Pittsburgh, Pa.) Today marks the 20th Anniversary of the implosion of Three Rivers Stadium on Pittsburgh’s North Shore. Three Rivers was the home of the Pirates, Steelers, and even the Pittsburgh Maulers at one point during its history.
Both the Steelers and Pirates played there from the time the $55 million multi use stadium opened on July 16, 1970 when the Bucs donned a new style uniform to take on the The Reds until its implosion in 2001. The Bucs lost to the Reds 3-2 that day. The stadium’s capacity was 59,000 people.
The Final game ever played at was on Dec 16, 2000 as Steelers Legends Jack Lambert, Franco Harris, Jack Ham, and Mel Blount twirled Terrible Towels as they walked out for the coin toss, which was the only thing to go the Redskin’s way that afternoon.
Coach Bill Cowher started quarterback Kordell Stewart who, combined with Jerome Bettis, steamrolled over the Redskins to a massive 24-3 victory.
The Steelers did not qualify for the play-offs that year.
Thousands of people watched the implosion from Point State Park, Mount Washington and at home on TV.
From fight to Fox: NASCAR rivals play nice as TV teammates
By MARK LONG AP Sports Writer
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Jeff Gordon and Clint Bowyer were once ready to throw down following an intentional crash at Phoenix Raceway in 2012. They eventually made up. These days, all is forgiven. But far from forgotten. Nearly nine years after Gordon, a four-time NASCAR champion, and Bowyer, the funniest guy in the garage, were involved in one of the most infamous on-track paybacks in NASCAR history. The former rivals are now good friends and eager to share the Fox broadcast booth in 2021. As they begin their first season on the same team, they’re not shying away from their past.
Marty Schottenheimer, NFL coach with 200 wins, dies at 77
By BERNIE WILSON AP Sports Writer
The longtime NFL coach Marty Schottenheimer has died. Family friend and former Kansas City Chiefs publicist Bob Moore says Schottenheimer died late Monday night in Charlotte, North Carolina. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2014. He was moved to a hospice on Jan. 30. Schottenheimer won 200 regular-season games with four NFL teams thanks to his “Martyball” brand of smash-mouth football but regularly fell short in the playoffs. He was the eighth-winningest coach in NFL history. He went 200-126-1 in 21 seasons with the Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, Washington and San Diego Chargers. His success was rooted in “Martyball,” a conservative approach that featured a strong running game and tough defense. Marty Schotenheimer was 77.
Namath. Law. Revis. Ditka. Dorsett. The names that have gone from playing football on the grass of Beaver County to hoisting the Lombardi Trophy is full of icons.
And you can now add Whitehead to that list.
Beaver County Radio sports director Bob Barrickman joined Matt Drzik on A.M. Beaver County on February 9, less than 24 hours after Central Valley graduate Jordan Whitehead started at safety for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their 31-9 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 55.
“He’s a good kid and he’s a gentleman,” Barrickman said of Whitehead. “You just have to be happy for him.”
Jordan Whitehead, pictured here at a December 2014 episode of Coaches Corner, started for the winning Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl 55.
“What a story for Central Valley,” Barrickman added. “Couple of months ago they win the state championship in football, and now their favorite son–Jordan Whitehead–wins the Super Bowl.”
The ring is the first for Whitehead, but seventh for his teammate in quarterback Tom Brady. Five of Brady’s seven titles, according to Barrickman, were won alongside Beaver County teammates…along with Whitehead, one with Darrelle Revis (2015) and three with Ty Law (2002, 2004, 2005).
BASKETBALL TALK
Barrickman also talked about the high school basketball regular season nearing its close, with February 27 being the tentative date for the WPIAL Playoffs to begin. The playoffs are open-invitation due to the pandemic, but as one door opens…another closes.
“You have to win the WPIAL championship to move on to the state playoffs,” Barrickman told Matt Drzik. “So it puts more emphasis on the WPIAL playoffs, because it’s a single-elimination tournament.”
Bob also mentioned that much like the 2020 WPIAL football playoffs, higher seeds will be getting home playoff games with few exceptions for the basketball tournament.
“The only time that there will be a neutral-site game would be a WPIAL Championship game, and they haven’t decided where they’re gonna be yet,” Bob said. “It definitely will not be at the Petersen Events Center–in fact, for the first time in nearly 40 years, the finals will not be at a college or professional arena.”
To hear the full interview between Bob and Matt, click on the player below!
Grant Jackson, winning pitcher in ’79 WS Game 7, dies at 78
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Grant Jackson, the winning pitcher in Game 7 of the 1979 World Series for the Pittsburgh Pirates and a reliable left-hander for 18 seasons in the majors, has died from COVID-19 complications. He was 78. The Pirates said Jackson died on Tuesday at Canonsburg Hospital in Pennsylvania. Jackson was 86-75 with 79 saves and a 3.46 ERA in 692 games from 1965-82. He was 3-0 with a 2.55 ERA in 13 postseason appearances. Jackson was an NL All-Star in 1969 with pitched in the World Series with Baltimore in 1971, the New York Yankees in 1976 and the ’79 Pirates.
