(File Photo: Source for Photo: Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey (44) breaks up a pass intended for Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf (4) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — A brief hospital visit won’t keep Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf from playing next week against Miami.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said Metcalf was hit in the abdomen at some point during Pittsburgh’s 27-22 victory in Baltimore on Sunday and remained behind when the issue persisted after Metcalf was treated with over-the-counter remedies during the game.

“It got probably progressively worse after the game and and so I’m appreciative of our medical experts,” Tomlin said. “We just exercised an abundance of precaution. We didn’t want to get him in the air without having a complete understanding about what he was dealing with and they did a good job of that.”

Metcalf finished with season highs in receptions (seven) and yards (148) as Pittsburgh regained control of the AFC North. The two-time Pro Bowler also filled in as a gunner on punt coverage late in the game after special teams ace Ben Skowronek exited with an injury, something Metcalf hadn’t done since high school.

“I just think that’s what time of year it is, that’s what type of game it was,” Tomlin said.

Tomlin added that Metcalf is “moving in the right direction” and he doesn’t anticipate the issue jeopardizing Metcalf’s availability when the Steelers try to win their 23rd straight home Monday night game.

The news isn’t as promising at left tackle. Starter Broderick Jones was placed on injured reserve two weeks ago. Andrus Peat, who filled in for Jones, is in the concussion protocol and backup Calvin Anderson is out after getting injured in practice.

Dylan Cook took over for Peat against Baltimore and would get the nod if Peat doesn’t exit the protocol in time.

“He certainly has worked hard and has been professional,” Tomlin said of Cook. “I loved his his mindset when when he went in. Happy for him. Oftentimes one man’s misfortune is another man’s opportunity and he may get another opportunity this week. We’ll see where the week leads us.”

Rookie defensive lineman Derrick Harmon could return after missing two games with a knee injury unrelated to the knee injury that forced him to sit out Weeks 1 and 2.

Linebacker Malik Harrison and tight end Darnell Washington are also in the concussion protocol. Cornerback James Pierre is dealing with a calf injury.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Penguins’ Evgeni Malkin (71) returns to the bench after scoring during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Seattle Kraken in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Penguins placed center Evgeni Malkin on injured reserve Tuesday with an upper-body injury.

The move comes after the 39-year-old Malkin sat out a shootout loss to Dallas on Sunday. Malkin, in the final season of his contract with the Penguins, is off to one of the better starts of his 20-year career.

The Russian has eight goals and 21 assists in 26 games for surprising Pittsburgh, which began the season with modest expectations but is firmly in contention in the competitive Metropolitan Division.

The Penguins also placed forward Blake Lizotte on injured reserve with an upper-body injury. Lizotte has three goals and two assists in 27 games.

The club described Malkin and Lizotte as both week to week.

Pittsburgh recalled forwards Danton Heinen and Sam Poulin from their American Hockey League affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to fill out the roster ahead of Tuesday night’s visit by Anaheim, the start of a five-game homestand.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh quarterback Mason Heintschel (6) throws during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Miami, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025, in Pittsburgh (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Pitt’s college football team will travel to Annapolis, Maryland to take on East Carolina University to play in the Go Bowling Military Bowl at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. That game will start at 11 a.m. on December 27th, 2025 and the 8-4 Panthers will take on the 8-4 Pirates. ESPN will televise the game nationally.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – In this Aug. 9, 2019, file photo, Pittsburgh Steelers Ryan Shazier, center, watches warmups before an NFL preseason football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh Steelers have placed the inside linebacker Ryan Shazier on the reserved/retired list. But the team says the move doesn’t rule out the possibility of Shazier playing again. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Cincinnati, OH) December 4th, 2025, was an emotional day for former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier, who visited UC Medical Center in Cincinnati, Ohio that day, which marked eight years to the day since he suffered a spinal cord injury on December 4th, 2017, during an NFL game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Shazier reunited with members of the multi-disciplinary care team who treated him at UC Medical Center during his visit, and he also spent time with current patients who are going through spinal cord injuries to offer, encouragement, insight and support drawing from his own journey of rehabilitation.

(File Photo of New Brighton Area School District Logo and Rochester High School Athletics (Ram) Logo: Credit for Photo: Photo Provided with Release Courtesy of New Brighton Area School District and Rochester Area School District)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Rochester, PA) After the Rochester school board reconvened during its meeting on December 1st, 2025 with four new board members getting sworn in, it decided to table discussions of a potential co-op for sports between the Rochester School District and the New Brighton School District again to a later date and to not move forward with it. The boards met on November 17th, 2025 about this agreement and the Rochester board voted 6-1 in favor of tabling to both receive input and to gather more information, while the New Brighton board voted unanimously in a 9-0 vote to move forward. 

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell looks to the scoreboard during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Kansas, Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025, in Ames, Iowa. Iowa State won 38-14. (AP Photo/Matthew Putney)

(AP) Matt Campbell was hired as Penn State’s coach on Friday night, ending a two-month search by the Nittany Lions to find James Franklin’s successor.

The 46-year-old Campbell heads to Happy Valley after going 72-55 in 10 seasons at Iowa State to become the winningest coach in the history of that program.

Terms of Campbell’s contract were not released, pending approval by a committee of the school’s Board of Trustees. That committee is scheduled to meet on Monday, after which Campbell will be introduced.

“Coach Campbell is, without a doubt, the right leader at the right time for Penn State football,” athletic director Pat Kraft said in a statement. “He is a stellar coach with a proven track record of success and his values, character and approach to leading student-athletes to success on and off the field align perfectly with the traditions and values of Penn State.”

Penn State advanced to the College Football Playoff semifinals last season and began this season ranked No. 2 in the AP poll, but Franklin was fired on Oct. 12 after the Nittany Lions started 0-3 in Big Ten play.

Before Campbell’s arrival at Iowa State in 2016, the Cyclones had a record of 489-622-45 with just three bowl wins in their 133-year history. His 10-year tenure in Ames included eight winning seasons, three bowl wins and the program’s only 11-win campaign last year, when Iowa State reached the Big 12 championship game.

Iowa State went 8-4 this season and awaits a bowl bid. Washington State coach Jimmy Rogers was named as Campbell’s replacement on Friday.

Campbell spent five years as Toledo’s coach before joining the Cyclones and is 107-70 overall. He signed a contract extension at Iowa State in August worth $5 million per year until 2032, with a buyout of $2 million.

An Ohio native, Campbell becomes Penn State’s 17th full-time coach. He takes over a program that missed big during the early signing period that began on Wednesday.

Penn State, the second Power Four program to fire its coach this season, signed only two players toward its 2026 recruiting class this week. The Nittany Lions have no commitments in the 2027 class.

Many of those who had previously committed to Penn State flipped to Virginia Tech, where Franklin was hired last month. In addition to last year’s CFP run, Franklin won a Big Ten title and a Rose Bowl during his 11-plus seasons in Happy Valley.

Franklin, however, struggled to win big games, going 4-21 against teams ranked in the top 10.

Now, current Nittany Lions players will have to decide whether to stick around and play for Campbell, who’s done a lot with a little in Ames while reportedly passing on other job offers, including overtures from the NFL.

Numerous names were linked to the Penn State opening, and some potential candidates signed extensions at their current schools, including BYU’s Kalani Sitake.

Penn State went 3-3 this season under interim coach Terry Smith, winning its final three games to finish 6-6 and become bowl eligible.

As Kraft conducted his search without the aid of a search committee, a large contingent of players campaigned for the blunt-talking Smith to be named the permanent coach.

After the Nittany Lions’ win over Nebraska on Nov. 22, players held up “HIRE TERRY SMITH!” signs on the sidelines. A handful flashed the signs to Kraft, who walked off the field with an arm around Smith, a Penn State alum who played for Joe Paterno and is a veteran of Franklin’s staff.

Campbell already has one staff member in place. Kraft confirmed on Friday that Smith is sticking with the program.

“I want to express my deepest gratitude to coach Terry Smith for stepping up when we needed him the most and for rallying our team to finish this season with three straight wins,” Kraft said. “Coach Smith bleeds blue and white and pours his entire heart and soul into Penn State football. I’m deeply grateful for his commitment to our university, and I am excited that he will continue to be a part of this program.”

A fan base and athletic department accustomed to seeing the same coach roaming the Penn State sideline for 46 years as Paterno did has never gone this long without a gridiron leader.

The search to find Paterno’s permanent successor during the most tumultuous season in program history took 40 days in 2011. Paterno was fired on Nov. 9 of that year, shortly after the arrest of his longtime assistant Jerry Sandusky on child sexual abuse charges. Then-acting athletic director Dave Joyner announced a six-person search committee on Nov. 28, and the program introduced Bill O’Brien on Jan. 7.

Two years later, O’Brien informed Penn State that he was taking the Houston Texans job, and Penn State introduced Franklin nine days later.

(File Photo of Western Beaver’s Football Stadium (Rich Niedbala Field) in Industry)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Midland, PA) Former Western Beaver High School quarterback Jaivin Peel has now transferred from the Kiski School in Saltsburg, Pennsylvania and went back to Lincoln Park during his junior year. Peel transferred to Lincoln Park for the second time because the first time he did that was back on July 23rd, 2024 after he was enrolled at Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh. Lincoln Park athletic director Mike Bariski confirms that Peel re-enrolled at the charter school based in Midland during the middle of the 2025 high school football season. Bariski also noted that Peel is making plans to play football for Western Beaver in 2026 during his senior season. This Monday, December 8th, will be when the WPIAL Board of Directors will hold an eligibility hearing for Peel, who has a postseason eligibility restriction for football which he can appeal. Peel owns the WPIAL single-season record for most passing yards by a freshman when he threw for 2,898 yards in 2023. Peel will join a Western Beaver High School football team in 2026 that is coming off of an incredible 2025 season, in which they finished with a 10-2 record and won the Midwestern conference championship outright for the first time since 2007. However, Steel Valley High School defeated Western Beaver 34-7 in the WPIAL 2A semifinal on November 14th, 2025 at Dormont Stadium in Dormont, Pennsylvania.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Johan Oviedo delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays Wednesday Aug. 20, 2025 in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Red Sox acquired right-hander Johan Oviedo from the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday night as part of a five-player trade.

Boston also got left-hander Tyler Samaniego and minor league catcher Adonys Guzman from Pittsburgh in exchange for outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia and minor league right-hander Jesus Travieso.

Oviedo, a 27-year-old from Cuba, had Tommy John surgery in December 2023 and missed the 2024 season. He returned last season and went 2-1 with a 3.57 ERA in nine starts.

In 2023, he made 32 starts and went 9-14 with a 4.31 ERA with 158 strikeouts in 177 2/3 innings for the Pirates and ranked eighth among National League starters with a .237 opponent batting average. Oviedo is 15-26 with a 4.24 ERA in 81 appearances, including 67 starts, for St. Louis and Pittsburgh.

Boston designated right-hander Cooper Criswell for assignment to make room on its 40-man roster.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, right, visits with Hall of Fame running back Tony Dorsett before an NCAA college football game between Pittsburgh and Notre Dame in Pittsburgh, Nov. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Brook Park, OH) According to a release yesterday, former University of Pittsburgh running back Tony Dorsett is one of nineteen people that will be inducted into the National High School Football Hall of Fame on July 11th, 2026, in Brook Park, Ohio, during a special ceremony. Dorsett is the only player in Pitt college football history to win the Heisman Trophy as the best college football player in the country when he won it in 1976. Dorsett also played football at Hopewell High School and he will be part of the fourth induction class for the National High School Football Hall of Fame. All nineteen inductees are as follows:

• Brian Bosworth – (LB) MacArthur High School
• Henry Butler – (HB) University School
• Channing Crowder – (LB) North Springs High School
• Randy Crowder /P – (DL) Farrell High School
• Tony Dorsett – (HB) Hopewell High School
• Charles Follis – (HB) Wooster High School
• Lou Groza /P – (OL) Martins Ferry High School
• John Heisman/P – (OL) Titusville High School
• Jim Kelly – (QB) East Brady High School
• Vince Marrow – (TE) Cardinal Mooney High School
• Terrence Metcalf – (OL) Clarksdale High School
• Ozzie Newsome – (TE) Colbert County High School
• Drew Pearson – (WR) South River High School
• Greg Pruitt – (HB) B.C. Elmore High School
• Sports Stars of Tomorrow – (Media)
• Andrew Stockey – (Media) / (HB) Simsbury High School
• Lee Tressel /P – (Head Coach) Mentor & Massillon High School
• Joe Vadini /P – (Head Coach) Brecksville High School
• Vince Young – (QB) Madison High School