LOCAL

LOCAL
Phantom Rocketslose twice
BOARDMAN -- The Phantom Rockets Junior A ice hockey team lost twice this weekend at the Ice Zone.
Friday, the Rockets were defeated by the Dayton Gems, 11-1.
Saturday, the Traverse City Enforcers tripped up the Rockets, 6-1.
Today at 4:30 p.m., the Rockets are at home at the Ice Zone to play the Detroit Lightning
REGION
Penguins sendwinger to affiliate
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Penguins assigned right wing Alexandre Daigle to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League on Saturday.
The 27-year-old Daigle has seven points and eight penalty minutes in 30 games with the Penguins this season.
The 6-foot, 204-pound Daigle retired for two years after disappointing seasons with Ottawa, Philadelphia, the New York Rangers and Tampa Bay. He came out of retirement and was signed by Pittsburgh as a free agent in October.
Daigle has 248 career points and 160 penalty minutes in 489 NHL games.
NATION
Fresno St. players ineligible for game
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Six Fresno State players are ineligible for Tuesday's Silicon Valley Football Classic because of academic problems.
A new Western Athletic Conference rule requires athletes to pass at least six credits to play in a bowl game.
Six players fall short of that requirement, the school said. The Fresno Bee reported that they are defensive end Nick Burley, linebacker Sam Williams, wide receiver Marque Davis, cornerback Demorieux Reneau, left guard Fitu Tu'ua and linebacker David Adamo. All but Adamo are starters.
"It is unfortunate that the actions of a few players will tarnish what the majority of our team believes and has accomplished," coach Pat Hill said in a written statement.
Burley and Williams traveled to San Jose with the team Friday but were sent home. The other four players did not make the trip. Another player is awaiting the results of his fall semester grades, but the newspaper reported that he's not a starter.
A message left for a team spokesman was not immediately returned.
Burley, an all-Wester```n Athletic Conference player, leads the Bulldogs in sacks and tackles for loss. He will be replaced by freshman Garrett McIntyre and sophomore Claude Sanders, defensive coordinator Dan Brown said.
Notre Dame LBcharged in Fla.
JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. -- Notre Dame linebacker Chad DeBolt was charged with trespassing after he was accused of causing a disturbance at a nightclub and refusing to leave.
The 22-year-old player was asked several times to leave the club early Friday but refused. The club manager then asked a police officer to remove DeBolt, according to an arrest report by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.
An officer told DeBolt to leave, but the player again refused and was arrested about 2 a.m., according to the report.
The Florida Times-Union reported that authorities placed DeBolt in a restraint chair when he arrived at the Duval County Jail because he was disruptive.
DeBolt's face was bruised and his eyes were swollen shut in his mug shot, the newspaper reported. Club manager John Blackwelder said DeBolt didn't have the bruises when he was arrested.
Jail spokesman Greg Field told the newspaper the case was under investigation.
The 11th-ranked Irish are in Jacksonville to play No. 17 North Carolina State in the Gator Bowl on New Year's Day.
Notre Dame coach Tyrone Willingham offered few details about the arrest Friday.
"I really can't tell you anything about that situation," Willingham said. "There has been an incident, but at this time I'm not able to elaborate any more than that."
DeBolt, a 6-foot, 202-pound senior, played in 11 games this season and made one tackle.
Report: Brooks getsKentucky job
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Former NFL coach Rich Brooks was in Kentucky on Saturday night amid a report the Wildcats had asked him to become their football coach.
CBS Sports said Kentucky had picked Brooks, who guided the St. Louis Rams in 1995-96.
Reached at the couple's home in Oregon, his wife, Karen, told The Associated Press that he was in Kentucky, but would not say whether the job was his. A call to Brooks' cell phone was not immediately returned.
Kentucky relations director Brooks Downing said that he couldn't confirm or deny the CBS report. He also didn't know Brooks' whereabouts.
Williams, a former Super Bowl MVP as quarterback of the Washington Redskins, was in the running for the job. He said Barnhart told him the school had chosen another person.
Bobby Williams getscontract settlement
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Former Michigan State football coach Bobby Williams will receive $490,000 next week as part of his termination agreement.
The settlement agreement of $550,000, approved last month, includes compensation Williams would have received through June 2003, and a termination payment included in his contract.
Williams was fired on Nov. 4, after the Spartans' 49-3 loss to Michigan, the school's worst in 55 years, and the suspensions of captains quarterback Jeff Smoker and tailback Dawan Moss.
Williams, hired in 1999, was 16-17 at Michigan State.
Williams received $60,000, the first installment of the settlement, on Nov. 27.
John L. Smith was hired as coach of the Spartans on Dec. 19.
Bad left ankle sidelines Grant Hill
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Tendinitis in Grant Hill's balky left ankle sidelined him for the Orlando Magic's game against the Boston Celtics on Saturday night.
Hill played just four minutes in Orlando's 99-86 loss at Memphis on Friday, failing to record a point, rebound or assist for the first time in his career. He will undergo testing Monday.
Since signing with Orlando as a free agent in August 2000, Hill has played in 44 of the Magic's 196 regular-season games.
The Celtics also were coping with health issues.
Got Koko wins La Brea Stakes
ARCADIA, Calif. -- Got Koko rallied to beat Spring Meadow by 3 1/4 lengths Saturday in the $200,000 La Brea Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Santa Anita.
Ridden by Alex Solis, Got Koko ran seven furlongs in 1:22 3-5 and paid $36.60, $16.60 and $10.40. Spring Meadow returned $15.60 and $9.20. Erica's Smile paid $10.60 to show.
You, the 4-5 betting favorite, battled Erica's Smile for the early lead, but faded in the stretch.
It was the fourth win in eight starts for Got Koko, trained by Bruce Headley for owners Aase Headley and Paul Leung. The $120,000 winner's share pushed her career earnings to $242,946.
The La Brea is the opening leg of the three-race La Canada Stakes.
wire reports