Sloan stars at Girard

GIRARD — Braxton Sloan is still an Indian.

Sloan starred at Southern Local as a freshman last season before transferring to Girard.

Seventh-ranked Girard (7-0) hosts fifth-ranked Poland (6-1) at 7 p.m. today in a game that will be televised live on MyYTV. Sloan wears No. 9.

The game features two of the top three teams in the Division V, Region 17 computer ratings. The Girard Indians average 50.6 points a game and are coming off their first-ever win over South Range, 56-35, last week. Sloan had a touchdown catch and two interceptions against South Range.

Sloan is Girard’s third-leading receiver with 15 catches for 250 yards (16.7). He also has four punt returns for 54 yards (13.5).

At cornerback, Sloan has made 39 tackles, including 29 solos.

Clipper Invitational on Saturday

COLUMBIANA — The 27th Clipper Cross Country Invitational will be held Saturday at the Ward Athletic Complex behind Columbiana High School.

Twenty schools are entered, including host Columbiana, East Palestine, Heartland Christian, Lisbon, Oak Glen, Southern, Springfield and United.

Saturday’s schedule includes fifth- and sixth-grade 2K race at 10:15 a.m., middle school girls 3K race at 10:45 a.m., middle school boys 3K race at 11:15 a.m., high school girls 5K race at 11:45 a.m. and high school boys 5K race at 12:25 p.m.

Lions seek an EBC sweep

ALLIANCE — The Eastern Buckeye Conference Cross Country Meet at Marlington High School on Saturday features some of the top teams in the state.

The two-time defending state champion Minerva girls are going after an eighth straight league title. The Lions are ranked No. 2 in Division III, while Marlington is No. 7 and Salem is No. 8.

The Minerva boys are coming off their first league title since 2004. The Lions are ranked No. 9 in Division III, while the Salem boys are No, 18 in Division II.

Saturday’s schedule includes an 800-meter run for grades 1-6 at 9 a.m., high school girls at 9:30 a.m., high school boys at 10:15 a.m., junior high girls at 11 a.m. and junior high boys at 11:30 a.m.

White named Hilltopper of the Week

WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – West Liberty University sophomore Kyia White has been named the Hilltopper of the Week after delivering standout performances that helped power the volleyball team to a pair of home victories last week.

White, a former East Liverpool High School standout, was a consistent force at the net and on the defensive end as she totaled 16 kills, 21 digs and two aces in wins over Salem University and Fairmont State.

The Hilltoppers are 9-9 overall and 2-1 in the Mountain East Conference.

White has played in 52 sets, serving a team-high 18 aces and ranking third on the team in kills (118),

The Hilltoppers will play at Frostburg State (Md.) at 7 p.m. today.

Potters, Beavers doubles teams fall

COLUMBUS — East Liverpool and Beaver Local’s girls doubles tennis teams were eliminated in the first round of the Div. II district tournament on Wednesday at the Columbus Academy.

East Liverpool’s Lana Le and LaNease Andrews fell to Wellington School’s Dea Singh and Naomi Livits 6-0, 6-0. Beaver Local’s Emily Wain and Kara Wain fell to Columbus Academy’s Sophie Wu and Lara Wood, 6-1, 6-0.

Columbus Academy’s Gabrielle Stewart and Ella Tsao as well as Columbus School for Girls’ Priya Mehta and Victoria Dizon were the finalists who qualified for the state tournament.

West Branch lays down the law

BELOIT — A day after Salem implemented new guidelines for fans, the West Branch athletic department announced Thursday new guidelines for fans attending football and soccer games at the high school for the remainder of the fall season.

• No book bags will be allowed into Clinton Heacock Stadium or the West Branch Soccer Complex. Diaper bags, purses and totes brought in by adults are acceptable.

• Students are not allowed on the opposing side of Heacock Stadium. Home students must sit on the home side (west end) and visiting students must sit on the visitor side (east end).

• Students must either be in the student section or sitting with an adult during the game. Students can visit the concession stand or restroom. Students found loitering will be asked to return to the stands or asked to leave the facility.

Hunter education classes

GEORGETOWN, Pa. — Two hunter education classes will be held at the Chester-Newell Sportsmen Club, 131 Gas Valley Road.

One will be held from 1-4 p.m. Oct. 26 for those who took an online course but still needs the safe gun handling and test.

The other from 1-6:30 p.m. Nov. 15-16 is the traditional two-day class with study material, gun handling and test.

Register online at www.register-ed.com. For more information, call or text (304) 374-5587.

A concealed carry class will be held at 9 a.m. Nov. 1. Cost is $75. To register, call or text James at (757) 288-4772.

Turkey shoots are held at 10 a.m. Sunday. Signups start at 9:30 a.m. Cost is $30 for nine rounds and includes the money shoot.

Giants’ Skattebo hurts Eagles

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Cam Skattebo ran for three touchdowns as he and fellow rookie Jaxson Dart shined in prime time, and the New York Giants defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 34-17 on Thursday night to hand the defending Super Bowl champions their second consecutive loss.

Skattebo bulldozed his way into the end zone from 4 yards out and twice from the 1-yard line. Dart scampered in untouched on his 20-yard TD run and connected with Wan’Dale Robinson on a 35-yard catch-and-run to the end zone.

The rookies who each fumbled on Sunday in a turnover-heavy loss at New Orleans responded the way coach Brian Daboll expected. Dart finished 17 of 25 for 195 yards passing and 13 carries for 58 yards after getting a concussion test following a big hit, while Skattebo rushed 19 times for a career-high 98 yards.

The Giants (2-4) also sacked Jalen Hurts three times and picked him off. Brian Burns got to the Eagles quarterback twice to tie for the NFL lead in sacks this season with seven.

Hurts overthrew a wide-open DeVonta Smith on a play in the third quarter almost certainly would have been a touchdown if it was on the mark and in the fourth was intercepted by Cor’Dale Flott, who returned it 68 yards. It was Hurts’ first interception of the season and just his second, the other being in the Super Bowl, over his past 15 games.

The Eagles (4-2) ran the tush push four consecutive times in the second quarter, with Hurts scoring on the final try, and he had a shovel-pass TD to Dallas Goedert. But Hurts’ miscues combined with the defense faltering contributed to their first back-to-back losses since three in a row to end the 2023 regular season, then eliminate them from the playoffs.

That stretch from Dec. 31, 2023-Jan. 15, 2024 also included the only time New York beat Philadelphia over the NFC East rivals’ seven previous meetings. This was just the Giants’ fourth victory in their past 18 games against the Eagles.

Dodgers in NLCS for seventh time in 10 years

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers didn’t blink as the pressure built, inning after scoreless inning. Both teams pushed a single run across, forcing extra innings. Then came one of postseason baseball’s craziest endings.

Orion Kerkering made a wild throw past home instead of tossing to first after mishandling Andy Pages’ bases-loaded comebacker with two outs in the 11th inning, and the Dodgers escaped with a 2-1 win Thursday for a 3-1 NL Division Series victory.

“That was a nail-biter,” beer-soaked Dodgers catcher Will Smith said in the postgame celebration. “They cracked. We didn’t.”

Kerkering hung his head and put hands on knees after his throw sailed past catcher J.T. Realmuto as pinch-runner Hyeseong Kim crossed the plate, advancing the Dodgers to the NL Championship Series against the Chicago Cubs or Milwaukee.

“I was surprised he threw it home,” Kim said through a translator. “I just ran as hard as I could.”

Realmuto had pointed to first when the broken-bat, two-hopper hit off Kerkering and rolled just in front of the mound.

“Just hit off my foot,” Kerkering said. “Once the pressure got to me, I just thought there’s a little faster throw to J.T., little quicker throw than trying to cross-body it to Bryce (Harper at first). So just a horse—-throw.”