Helmick runs in PAC meet

MEADVILLE, Pa. — Geneva College captured its first Presidents’ Athletic Conference men’s cross country championship in program history.

Geneva had six of the top 15 finishers to claim the title with 38 points. Grove City was a distant second with 71 points.

The Golden Tornadoes won after falling one point short of the championship last year.

Washington & Jefferson junior Collin Helmick was 45th out of 100 runners in the men’s race. Helmick, a former Salem High School standout, completed the 8K course at the Robertson Athletic Complex in 30 minutes, 16.2 seconds.

For the first time in the 42 years of the PAC Women’s Cross Country Championships, there was a tie for first place. Geneva and Washington & Jefferson both scored 59 team points to finish as co-champions. It is the first PAC cross country title for both programs.

The teams will compete in the NCAA Regionals on Nov. 15 at various sites.

Pitt drops YSU in opener

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Cameron Corhen scored 23 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, Brandin Cummings added 18 points and Pittsburgh opened the season with a 74-59 win over Youngstown State on Monday night.

Nojus Indrusaitis had 13 points for the Panthers. Corhen was 8-of-11 shooting from the field.

Youngstown State scored the first points of the game and led by as many as eight. Pitt ended the first half on a 7-0 run to lead 34-28.

Cris Caroll led the Penguins, who were within four midway through the second half, with 18 point and Jason Nelson added 15.

After closing within 54-50 on a Carroll basket, Youngstown State was 4 of 15 over the final 10 minutes, including a string of eight-straight missed inside the last five minutes.

Pitt was dominant from the free throw line, going 22 of 27 compared to Youngstown’s 5 of 9.

Oak Glen rescheduled for Wednesday

NEW MANCHESTER, W.Va. — Oak Glen’s volleyball team will play its Class AA, Region 1 final match on Wednesday at Oak Glen High School.

The Golden Bears were originally scheduled to play on Monday, but Tyler and Williamstown were playing a semifinal. The Bears will play the winner of that match on Wednesday at a time to be determined.

The winner will go to the state tournament.

Golden Bear takes 19th at state

ONA, W.Va. — Oak Glen freshman Amelia Kampmeyer finished 19th in the West Virginia Class AA girls cross country state championship race on Saturday at Cabell Midland High School. She finished in 22:34.54.

Ravenswood senior Riley Sotomayor won in 20:15.14.

Frankfort was the team champion with 66 points.

Stefanski can’t fire himself

BEREA (AP) — Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator Tommy Rees will be calling plays, beginning with Sunday’s game at the New York Jets.

Coach Kevin Stefanski made the announcement on Monday as the Browns (2-6) resumed practices following their bye week.

Stefanski had been calling plays, but said during the past three weeks that he was considering ceding those duties to Rees.

“Certainly, the bye week gives you an opportunity to look at everything and bottom line is we have to be better — we have to be better in a lot of facets on the offensive side, and I just felt like Tommy is somebody that I believe in,” Stefanski said. “Hired him here a couple years back because I really believe in Tommy as a coach, and he’s done everything that we’ve asked and I just feel like this is the right time for this.”

Rees is in his second season on the Browns staff. He was hired last year as a tight ends coach and pass game specialist before being promoted to offensive coordinator during the offseason.

The 33-year old Rees was the quarterbacks coach at his alma mater, Notre Dame, from 2017 though ’19 before being promoted to offensive coordinator and QBs coach in 2020. He went to Alabama for the same positions in 2023 before coming to Cleveland after Nick Saban’s retirement.

Stefanski had called plays from the time he was hired in 2020 until midway through last season, when then-offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey took over. Stefanski then resumed calling plays for the first eight games of this season.

Rees will be tasked with trying to revive a Browns offense that is ranked next to last in total offense (263.5 yards per game), 28th in rushing (89.5 ypg), 29th in passing (174.0 ypg) and 30th in scoring (15.8 points per game).

Joe Flacco was benched and traded to Cincinnati after starting Cleveland’s first four games. Flacco had an NFL-low 60.3 passer rating, the league’s second-worst completion rate (58.1%), and six interceptions when the Browns gave Dillon Gabriel a chance.

Gabriel’s numbers haven’t been much better. He had the third-lowest passer rating (75.8) and the fourth-worst completion rate in October (59.4%). He has thrown for four touchdowns and has a pair of interceptions.

Stefanski added that Gabriel will remain the starter. Backup Shedeur Sanders did not practice on Monday and is still being hampered by back tightness.

“It’s never about one person. So, whether you’re talking about a player or a coach, it’s not about one person. But, obviously I think Tommy’s going to be himself, and that’s what I’m asking him to do,” Stefanski said. “I’ll be there every step of the way to help him in any way I can, like you should with any play-caller. But, bottom line is he understands what we need to do, which is stay on the field and score some points.”