LOCAL

LOCAL
Game change
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Ursuline-Austintown Fitch boys high school basketball game Jan. 3 will be played earlier than scheduled that day to accommodate fans wishing to watch the Fiesta Bowl game between Ohio State and Miami. The junior varsity game will start at 4 p.m., followed by the varsity contest at 5:30.
Pascarella namedall-conference
HIRAM -- John Pascarella, a senior defensive back and kickoff returner for the Hiram College football team from Ursuline High, was selected to the All-North Coast Athletic Conference team as an honorable mention for the second straight year.
Pascarella was the Terriers' second-leading tackler with 94 total stops, including a team-best 51 solo stops; and he broke up two passes. Pascarella also averaged 16.2 yards for 24 kickoff returns.
Pascarella was one of four Hiram players to make All-NCAC. The others were freshman running back Tim Anderson, who made the second team; senior middle linebacker Brad Maguth and senior defensive end Ryan Cecchini, both honorable mentions.
Maguth led Hiram in tackles for the second straight year with a career-high 116. Anderson rushed for 757 yards on 191 attempts and two touchdowns. His 757 yards were the most by a first-year player at Hiram since Bobby Starks ran for 780 yards in 1985. Cecchini had 46 total tackles despite missing the Wabash game with a knee injury.
Todd Roweto be inducted
CANTON -- Todd Rowe, a 1988 LaBrae High graduate, is among four former Malone College athletes to be inducted into the Malone Athletics Hall of Fame.
Other inductees are Dinah (Garrott) Gonzalez, Marty Meyer and Brian Ries. A ceremony will be held Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. in the Stewart Room of the Randall Campus Center.
Rowe, who resides in Leavittsburg, graduated from Malone in 1992 with an accounting and business administration degree before earning his teaching certificate in mathematics from the school.
He is the vice president of National Auto Recovery Inc.
Rowe was a three-year letterman in basketball and two-year letterman in baseball at Malone.
Kennard Davison all-region team
GREENVILLE, Pa. -- Kennard Davis, sophomore defensive back for the Thiel College football team from Farrell High, has been selected to the 2002 Football Gazette All-South Region Third Team Defense.
Davis also was named to the All-Presidents' Athletic Conference First Team for the second straight year.
Davis was Thiel's fourth-leading tackler this season with 60 stops, and had five interceptions, two of them going for touchdowns.
Phantom Rockets'Sognet recognized
BOARDMAN -- For the third time this season a Phantom Rockets player has been recognized by the Continental Elite Hockey League as player of the week.
Nick Sognet was honored after turning away 59 shots on goal in a 3-2 win over Traverse City last week. Signet, of Sewickley, Pa., is the youngest player in the league at age 16.
Brooks Harvey and Justin Cassel are the other Rockets who have honored as player of the week by the league.
McDonald hiresspring coaches
McDONALD -- The board of education Thursday hired these coaches: Lee Evans and Ken Suich, assistant baseball, $759 each; Randy Riccitelli, junior high boys track, $1,264; Donna Haworth, junior high girls track, $1,264, Jen Moore, Travis Presco, assistant track, Ryan Witkoski, and Geoff Presco, assistant track and Mark Green, assistant softball, all volunteer; Joe Krumpak, assistant softball, $1,517; Josh Krumpak, assistant boys track, $1,517, and Chris Rupe, assistant track, volunteer.
NATION
Richardsonsues Arkansas
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Former Arkansas basketball coach Nolan Richardson sued the university in federal court, claiming its chancellor and athletic director discriminated against him because he is black and violated his free-speech rights.
Richardson asked a federal judge to return him to his old job.
Arkansas Chancellor John A. White fired Richardson on March 1 after the longtime basketball coach complained that he was being treated differently because he was black.
Richardson coached the Razorbacks to an NCAA championship in 1994 and the title game in 1995. He was coach at the Fayetteville campus for 17 years -- until White fired him with one game left in the 2001-02 regular season.
Coaches named
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, Dayton's Oliver Purnell and Kansas coach Roy Williams were chosen as the assistant coaches for the 2003 USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team.
'Skins re-signRT Jansen
ASHBURN, Va. -- Right tackle Jon Jansen, who has missed just one play in four seasons, agreed to a six-year, $25 million contract to stay with the Washington Redskins.
Vindicator staff/wire reports