For Vince Young, there's no place to go but pro

Football and basketball are supposedly team sports.
You've heard that age-old bit of philosophy since you were knee-high to a grasshopper. But two young men recently dispelled that seemingly iron-clad theory by turning in efforts that not only raised the eyebrows but brought acclaim and honor to their respective schools.
As sports announcer Keith Jackson put it, "I've never seen a more impressive performance by an individual athlete" than the one he witnessed in the Rose Bowl in the BCS title game. Keith was referring to Texas' quarterback Vince Young who put on a one-man show in the late stages to lift the Longhorns to a thrilling 41-38 hair-raising victory over USC.
It was if Young had everything under control in the late going and did everything that was expected of him as he scored the final touchdown of the game, lifting his teammates to a perfect 13-0 campaign and a win over the previously undefeated Trojans who closed with a 12-1 mark.
His performance was gut-wrenching, a work of art, a science that the Trojan defense just couldn't contain. He was poetry in motion while running and passing a football. It was if he had written the book and closed the cover on it game night. What an ending!
It was announced earlier this week that Young will forego his senior year at Texas to join the NFL draft in April.
Strong performance
Hundreds of miles away in a little town here in Western Pennsylvania (New Wilmington) another young man was turning in a remarkable performance of his own.... on the hardwood of Westminster College at Buzz Ridl Gymnasium.
Although his performance was perhaps not as eye-catching as Young's, the one turned in by 6-2 sophomore guard, Craig Hannon, was equally as enthralling.
Westminster's young sharpshooter turned in his career-high shooting performance when he canned 45 points in the Titan's 117-100 victory over Thiel in the Presidents' Athletic Conference opener.
Craig went 14-26 from the field, including 9 of 18 from 3-point range, and 8 of 9 from the free-throw line. His 45-point night was the highest single game total by a Titan since current senior marksman Mark DeMonaco (New Castle High School) scored 47 points against Case Western Reserve as a sophomore during the 2003-04 season. Hannon also fell just five points shy of the Titan single-game record of 50 points set by John Fontanella in 1967.
DeMonaco added 22 points in helping to secure the win but the night belonged to Hannon, who has been figuring rather heavily in the Titans' attack of late.
Hannon, is a product of Union High School, located near New Castle. Despite the high-scoring tactics of the Titans this season, they have found the win column rather elusive. The victory over Thiel was only the fourth in 12 starts on the season.
Hall of Fame weekend
The 59th Mercer County Hall of Fame banquet and induction ceremonies will be held this coming weekend at the Radisson in Shenango Township.
An ice-breaker will be held Friday evening to acquaint the new inductees with the media and the board of directors. The banquet, which will take place before a crowd of close to 500, will be held Saturday evening along with the induction ceremonies.
This year's inductees include Mickey Alexander, Steve Banjack, John Bolivar, Mike Connell, Terry Karsonovich, Nick Marnejon, Keith Miller, James Morrison, Sally Ward, Dale Redfoot, and Marion Lampkins.
Lanny Frattare, radio and television voice of the Pittsburgh Pirates, will be the master of ceremonies, and Wally Bell, American League umpire from Austintown, will be one of the featured speakers.
Carr lauded
The Presidents' Athletic Conference has once again came up with its Player of the Week.
Acquiring honors was basketball standout for Grove City College, Shawn Carr.
Carr, a 6-1 sophomore guard from Mohawk High School, scored a team-high 22 points, including a game-tying 3-pointer with 28 seconds left in regulation, while adding team-high totals of seven rebounds and three assists to lead the Wolverines to a 77-76 double overtime victory at Hiram.
Carr was 4 of 9 from 3-point range in the victory.
His hat's in the ring
It came as no surprise.
Lynn Swann had been kicking it around for months and on Jan. 4, he decided to throw hit hat into the political ring. He's starting out by shooting at a big position: governor of Pennsylvania.
Swann, 53, made the announcement at Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh, the city where he made his name in professional football.
As a wide receiver, and a great one, Swann helped Pittsburgh win four Super Bowls during his nine-year stint with the team. He retired from pro football in 1983 and has been employed by ABC Sports since.
A Hall of Famer, Swann is running on the Republican ticket and if successful in the May 16 primary, he could run up against present governor Ed Rendell, who is expected to make a run for his second four-year term.