Category: Saturday Sports Slam

Duck Season has officially begun as the Steelers beat the Cardinals 23-17

Steelers hang on for 23-17 victory over Cardinals
By DAVID BRANDT AP Sports Writer
Diontae Johnson ran for an 85-yard touchdown on a punt return and caught a pass for another score to lead the Pittsburgh Steelers over the Arizona Cardinals 23-17. Pittsburgh’s defense had three crucial interceptions in the second half to secure its seventh win over the past eight games. Arizona has lost six straight games. Rookie free agent quarterback Devlin Hodges completed 16 of 19 passes and threw a touchdown pass in his third career start. Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray threw two touchdown passes, but his three interceptions were very costly.

Central Valley can’t survive a disastrous fourth quarter and come up short of winning a state championship

(Hershey Park, Pa.) The Central Valley Warriors couldn’t survive a rough fourth quarter after dominating the first three quarters of the game. Wyoming Valley scored three times in the fourth quarter with the last coming as time was winding down in the game.

Beaver County Radio’s Bob Barrickman, Tom Hays, and Bruce Frey had the call for 1230 WBVP, 1460 WMBA, and 99.3 FM. After a scoreless first quarter, Central Valley took a 7-0 lead early in the second quarter when running back Jaylen Guy scored on a 1-yard run. The extra point was good.  Central Valley  took a 7-0 lead to the locker room for the half-time intermission. Early in the third quarter Central Valley running back Stephon Hall scored on a 2-yard run and the extra point made it 14-0 Central Valley. After 3 quarters Central Valley led 14-0. On the second play of the fourth quarter, on a  third-and-8,  Dominic DeLuca avoided a sack and threw an 80-yard TD pass to wide receiver Riley Rusyn.  After Rusyn’s score Central Valley failed to score on its last three possessions. Down 14-7 an injured Dominic Deluca led his team back to what would end up being one of the all-time comebacks in PIAA State Championship games.  When Wyoming Valley, also nicknamed the Warriors regained possession of the ball they  scored again knotting the game up at 14 on a 4-yard TD pass from DeLuca to Ambrosino, That then set the stage as Wyoming Valley drove down the field after Central Valley could’t gain any momentum on offense.  DeLuca’s 1-yard plunge was the game winner.

Central Valley finished the season at 14-2 with a WPIAL Championship and runner-ups in the state gaining a silver medal after their loss on Saturday. Check out all of the pictures of the game below courtesy of Bob Barrickman and Mike Lackovich…

Noah Wijnen-Riems Comes On Sports Slam To Discuss His Baseball Career

Beaver County has been the home to many a strong talent in the baseball ranks, including Jack Clark and Doc Medich, as well as new guys such as Brendan McKay–among others. Hoping to join those ranks is Noah Wijnen-Riems, the New Brighton senior who just recently committed to Dayton for baseball.

Wijnen-Riems took some time to talk about his baseball career from the past to the future with Matt Drzik & Greg Benedetti on the Saturday Sports Slam. Noah talked about his regular work ethic throughout summer ball and the offseason, the influences that have brought him to his baseball focus, and the hopes he has for the New Brighton baseball team this 2020 season.

To listen to the Sports Slam interview, click on the player below!

Bob Barrickman Previews 3A Football Championship On Sports Slam

“This might be the most complete Central Valley team that I’ve seen.”

Thus sspoke Beaver County Radio sports director Bob Barrickman, who talked about the 3A PIAA football championship on the Saturday Sports Slam with Greg Benedetti & Matt Drzik hours before the Central Valley Warriors & Wyoming Area Warriors do battle at Hersheypark Stadium.

Barrickman also talked about the difference between Wyoming and Middletown (loser of the last 3 3A title games) and the strengths and weaknesses of Central Valley heading into the game.

To listen to the full preview, click on the player below!

Governor warns of harm from changes to minor league baseball

Governor warns of harm from changes to minor league baseball
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s governor wants Major League Baseball to rethink a restructuring plan that would affect three minor league teams in his state.
Gov. Tom Wolf on Monday wrote to baseball commissioner Robert Manfred to express concern about the impact on the Erie SeaWolves, the Williamsport Crosscutters and the State College Spikes.
The Professional Baseball Agreement between Major League Baseball and the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues expires after the 2020 season. The restructuring proposal would lead to 42 minor league teams being dropped from circuits.
Major league teams say they spend nearly $500 million annually in salary to support the minor leagues but get back only $18 million.
Wolf says the current proposal will put players and employees out of jobs and be economically harmful to host communities.

Penguins sign F Noesen to 1-year deal

Penguins sign F Noesen to 1-year deal
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed former New Jersey and Anaheim forward Stefan Noesen to a two-way contract.
Noesen previously agreed to a minor league deal with the Penguins but earned a promotion to the NHL after collecting 14 goals and eight assists in 22 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL. The one-year deal has a prorated annual average value of $700,000.
The 26-year-old Noesen played 159 games combined for New Jersey and Anaheim from 2015-19, scoring 24 goals and dishing out 21 assists.
The Penguins announced the signing shortly after forward Patric Hornqvist left practice on Monday with what coach Mike Sullivan described as a lower-body injury. Pittsburgh is off until Wednesday, when it hosts the defending Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues.
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More AP NHL: www.apnews.com/NHL and www.twitter.com/AP_Sports

Browns, Steelers wear feelings before rematch

The Latest: Browns, Steelers wear feelings before rematch
By The Associated Press undefined
The Latest on 12:25 p.m. (all times local):
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The war of words between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns has spilled into their wardrobes.
After Browns coach Freddie Kitchens was spotted wearing a T-shirt that read “Pittsburgh started it” — a reference to the brawl that marred the end of Cleveland’s 21-7 win over the Steelers on Nov. 14 — Cleveland wide receiver Jarvis Landry rocked a sweatshirt emblazed with “Revenge” walking to the visiting locker room at Heinz Field hours before kickoff in the rematch.
Several Steelers responded with provocative T-shirts of their own.
A handful wore shirts that screamed “Free Pouncey,” a nod to starting center Maurkice Pouncey, who is serving the second game of a two-game suspension for kicking and punching Browns defensive end Myles Garrett after Garrett ripped off Pittsburgh quarterback Mason Rudolph’s helmet and smacked him with it on the next-to-last snap of the first meeting.
Pittsburgh cornerback Cam Sutton took a cruder approach, sporting a sweatshirt of a child in a Steelers helmet urinating on someone dressed in Browns gear.
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A rivalry already steeped in ill feelings got a lot uglier last month with the brawl between the Steelers and Browns in Cleveland.
On Sunday, the teams meet again in Pittsburgh, with both on the outskirts of playoff contention and needing a victory.
But the focal point, at least heading into the rematch a mere 17 days after the massive fight that resulted in Garrett being suspended indefinitely, is on how high the level of animosity might be. And whether it will impact the performances of the Steelers (6-5) and Browns (5-6).
“I know that it is going to be a lot of trash talking out there and a lot of guys are going to try and get into your head and do things to try and get you out of character,” Browns defensive back Denzel Ward said. “You just have to think about the betterment of the team and just go out there and win the game, but do not do any stupid penalties or anything toward the other team that could hurt this team.”
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More AP NFL coverage: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL

Charges filed in stabbing of ex-Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryor

Charges filed in stabbing of ex-Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryor

PITTSBURGH (AP) — A woman was charged with attempted homicide in a Pittsburgh stabbing that critically injured former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who is also facing a charge, police said.
Pryor was taken to the hospital just after 4:30 a.m. Saturday following a dispute with “mutual combatants” in an apartment on the city’s North Side, police said.
Allegheny County prosecutors and police said 24-year-old Shalaya Briston of Munhall was charged with attempted homicide and aggravated assault, while Pryor, 30, faces a charge of simple assault.
Gregory Diulus of Vantage Management Group, which represents Pryor, said family members had been told Pryor is expected to make a full recovery. Another call to Diulus was made seeking comment on the charge. Court documents don’t list an attorney for Briston and a listed number for her couldn’t be found Saturday. Diulus said he expects to see Pryor on Sunday.
After Pryor’s illustrious Ohio State career ended in 2011, he spent time with nine NFL teams including the Buffalo Bills, New York Jets, Washington Redskins and Cleveland Browns. He most recently signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars but was waived in September after a hamstring injury.
Pryor, a product of Jeannette, Pennsylvania, was a national star in high school — considered one of the top high school football players in the country when he signed with the Buckeyes in 2008. His recruitment drew national attention because he took the unusual step of waiting until mid-March to make his final decision. Most prospects sign in early February.
At Ohio State, Pryor started as a freshman and was the Rose Bowl MVP during his sophomore season in 2009.
Late in the 2010 season, Pryor and some of his teammates were found to have broken NCAA rules by trading their equipment, memorabilia and autographs for tattoos at a shop in the Columbus area.
That NCAA investigation led to the revelation that Ohio State coach Jim Tressel had lied to investigators seeking information on Pryor and his teammates. Tressel, who had won a national championship at Ohio State, was forced to resign on Labor Day weekend 2011.
With allegations of more possible violations mounting and the possibility of a being ruled ineligible, Pryor decided to skip his senior season and leave Ohio State in June 2011. He was selected in the NFL’s supplemental draft later that month by the Oakland Raiders.
Pryor was tied for the most touchdown passes in school history at 57 and second-most wins with 31 total victories at the end of his career, according to the university’s athletics department.
He was never punished in college for the NCAA violations but began his NFL career with a suspension of five games.