Cross country awards

The Columbiana County Cross Country Coaches Association has named seniors Maddox Roach of East Liverpool and Rebeca Geiss of Heartland Christian as its athletes of the year.

Both won their respective races at the Columbiana County Meet on Sept. 23.

County coaches of the year are Brian Grant of the East Liverpool boys and Crystal Siembida Boggs of the Columbiana girls.

Stokes plays for YSU

YOUNGSTOWN — Wellsville High School graduate and Youngstown State University freshman Presley Stokes completed her first regular season with the Penguin volleyball program.

Stokes played 24 sets for the Penguins with 56 kills, 46 digs, three blocks, three aces and an assist.

Senior Abbie Householder from Canfield was named the National Player of the Week by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.

YSU is 16-13 and will play Green Bay in the quarterfinals of the Horizon League volleyball tournament on Friday at Northern Kentucky.

Janis earns OVAC award

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Columbiana’s Madison Janis was named the Ohio Defensive Player of the Match as West Virginia won a shootout at Ohio Valley Athletic Conference Senior Showcase on Sunday.

Wheeling Park’s Hailey Hastings scored in the 69th minute to tie the match at 1-1 and then outscored Ohio 3-1 in the shootout for a victory at Red Devil Stadium. Oak Glen’s Macy Hartung sealed the win with a goal on the final shot.

Steubenville’s Bailee Beall gave Ohio a 1-0 lead in the 20th minute and was named Ohio’s Offensive Player of the Match.

The boys match also was tied 1-1 heading into a shootout with Union Local’s Brady Roe scored in the fifth and final round as Ohio outscored West Virginia 4-3 in the shootout.

Ohio’s boys player of the match were Steubenville Catholic Central’s Santiago Descalzo on offense and St. Clairsville’s Talan Rice on defense.

Three Golden Bears are All-West Virginia

NEW MANCHESTER, W.Va. — Oak Glen’s girls soccer team had a strong foundation this season and for that three Golden Bears were named to the West Virginia High School Soccer Coaches Association’s All-West Virginia teams in Class AA/A.

Senior defender Macy Hartung was named to the first team for the second straight season. The team captain had seven goals and three assists in the 9-8-5 campaign.

“Macy is a true leader and an outstanding role model,” Oak Glen coach Bill Watts said. “She’s been the heart of our team will be greatly missed.”

Junior midfielder Angelinia Polly led the Golden Bears with 15 goals and 16 assists and was named to the second team. She was an All-West Virginia honorable mention as a sophomore.

“Polly is a game changer for us,” Watts said. “She’s our most skilled player, directly contributing to over 55% of our offense this season. We’re excited to have her back next year.”

Freshman forward Ashtyn Tharp was an emerging offensive threat for the Golden Bears even though she had her season cut short after 14 games due to injury. She was named to the second team after a campaign with seven goals and five assists.

“Tharp is our most dynamic forward,” Watts said. “She’s incredibly athletic, and our team is always better when she’s on the field.”

Oak Glen junior Addyson Wells and freshman Amelia Kampmeyer were named honorable mentions.

Wells had three goals and three assists.

“Wells played all over the field for us this season,” Watts said. “Her versatility was a huge asset–she was not only one of our top defenders but also regularly matched up against the opposition’s best attackers. She was a key player for us, and we’re looking forward to her senior year.”

Kampmeyer bagged two goals and three assists in her first season.

“Amelia started all 22 games at center midfield as a freshman, primarily in a defensive role,” Watts said. “Her nonstop energy made a huge impact for us this season.”

Bowl season opens Saturday in Canton

CANTON — The second Opendorse Bowl Series will be held Saturday at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.

Saturday’s schedule includes the ForeverLawn Bowl at 1 p.m. with Ohio Northern (8-2) vs. Wabash (8-2) and the Extra Points Bowl at 6 p.m. with Westminster (7-3) vs. Mount St. Joseph (6-4).

Tickets are $20 for general admission and are good for both games. Gates open one hour before game time.

Georgia climbs into fourth spot

(AP) — Georgia nabbed the fourth and final projected first-round bye in the College Football Playoff rankings released Tuesday, while undefeated Ohio State, Indiana and Texas A&M held onto the top three positions. The Bulldogs rose one spot thanks to Alabama’s loss to Oklahoma over the weekend — a result that dropped the Crimson Tide six spots to No. 10 and lifted Oklahoma three notches to eighth.

The top four teams in the rankings released Dec. 7 will receive byes in this season’s playoff, which starts Dec. 19 with the 5-8 seeds hosting first-round games on campus and concludes with the title game a month later.

This ranking, along with those coming out the next two Tuesdays, are all about positioning. Two teams outside the committee’s top 12 would be in a bracket that assures spots for the five best-ranked conference champions.

Injured Giant defends his WWE appearance

NEW YORK (AP) — While Cam Skattebo has not played football for the New York Giants since undergoing season-ending surgery in late October, the rookie running back still has plenty of people around sports talking about him.

Skattebo attended WWE’s “Monday Night Raw” at Madison Square Garden, along with teammates Abdul Carter and Roy Robertson-Harris. After some back-and-forth banter during a skit, Skattebo shoved wrestler JD McDonagh from behind a barrier and got pushed back, with the clip going viral.

A handful of local radio hosts blasted Skattebo for risking his health by taking part in the show. Skattebo took to social media to defend himself.

Skattebo, who wore a jersey of Rangers enforcer Matt Rempe at the event, is recovering from a broken right fibula and dislocated right ankle after getting hurt in gruesome fashion Oct. 26 in a loss at Philadelphia. In a video interview with Complex Sports over the weekend, Skattebo showed how well the injury was healing, and he was wearing a protective boot at the Garden.

The 23-year-old also was on the sideline Sunday at the Meadowlands on a scooter and sporting the boot.

Cavaliers fined for resting All-Stars

NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA fined the Cleveland Cavaliers $100,000 on Tuesday for violating the league’s player participation policy by resting both Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley against the Miami Heat on Nov. 12.

The league noted the policy adopted before the 2023-24 season was designed to promote participation in the NBA’s regular season.

Cleveland beat Miami 130-116 without Mitchell, a six-time All-Star, and Mobley, a first-time All-Star last season. The Cavaliers also were without All-Star Darius Garland, who aggravated his surgically repaired left toe in a game on Nov. 10.

Mariners give Naylor $92.5 million

SEATTLE (AP) — First baseman Josh Naylor and the Seattle Mariners finalized a $92.5 million, five-year contract on Monday.

Naylor gets a $6.5 million signing bonus payable within 120 days of the deal’s approval by the commissioner’s office and salaries of $10 million next season, $16 million in 2027, $18 million in 2028, $20 million in 2029 and $22 million in 2030. He has a full no-trade provision, requiring his approval to be assigned to any other team.

Seattle made its third-largest free agent contract commitment behind a $240 million, 10-year deal through 2023 for second baseman Robinson Cano and a $115 million, five-year contract through 2026 for pitcher Robbie Ray, who was traded to San Francisco after the 2023 season.

The 28-year-old became a free agent following a season in which the Mariners lost to the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series.

“Ensuring that Josh remains a Mariner for the long haul was a priority for us,” president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said in a statement. “Josh’s intelligence, intensity, toughness, and competitiveness show up every day. He’s simply a winner.”

In 54 games with the Mariners, Naylor hit .299 with nine home runs, 33 RBIs and 19 stolen bases. In 12 postseason games, Naylor batted .340 with three home runs, five RBIs and two stolen bases. Over the season, Naylor hit .295 with 20 home runs, 92 RBIs and a career-high 30 stolen bases.