LOCAL

LOCAL
Gerberry selectedfor award
MUNCIE, Ind. -- Austintown Fitch High graduate Dan Gerberry, a freshman on the Ball State University football team, received the Bill Meitzler Scout Team Player of the Year awards at the team's postseason banquet.
Gerberry received the award for offense.
An offensive lineman, Gerberry (6-foot-3, 275 pounds) earned two letters at Fitch. He helped the Falcons to a 6-4 record as a senior and was named All-Federal League as a senior, All-Northeast Ohio Inland District and All-Ohio honorable mention.
As a junior, Gerberry was named All-Steel Valley Conference second team.
He is the son of Ron and Kathy Gerberry of Canfield.
Two Titansnamed to team
NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. -- A pair of Westminster College football standouts were selected 2004 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Southwest all-stars.
Senior running back Scott Froelich and senior defensive end Don Waldron (Cortland/Lakeview) were each named to the first team.
Mineral Ridgenames coaches
MINERAL RIDGE -- The Weathersfield Board of Education Wednesday named Doug Watkins as head baseball coach for the 2005 season, pending the completion of his Sports Medicine certification.
Watkins will replace Randy Cameron, who moved up to athletic director this year. Other coaches hired were Roger Buckner, fifth and sixth grade girls' basketball coach, and Edith Brown, assistant softball coach.
Mooney banquethonors athletes
BOARDMAN -- Nearly 800 were in attendance Wednesday evening at Mr. Anthony's when Cardinal Mooney High honored its fall sports teams.
Six teams -- football, soccer, volleyball, girls tennis, girls soccer and boys cross country were honored for winning Steel Valley Conference titles.
The boys soccer team was recognized for earning state runner-up honors and the football team was honored for winning the state Division IV championship.
Mooney soccer standout Kiki WIllis was singled out for special honors when coach Len Krispinsky announced that his jersey number 17 was being retired.
Athletic Director Don Bucci noted that Willis was the most honored athlete in Cardinal Mooney history.
REGION
James leadsAll-Star vote
CLEVELAND -- LeBron James was disappointed when he wasn't picked as an All-Star as a rookie, but he shouldn't have any problem this year.
James leads Eastern Conference guards with 557,538 votes and Philadelphia's Allen Iverson is second with 521,245 in early voting.
James is fifth in the league in scoring with a 25.1 average and has led the Cavaliers to a 14-8 record and first place in the Central Division.
Center Shaquille O'Neal leads the conference overall with 854,930 votes as of Thursday.
NATION
Darchinyan winsIBF flyweight title
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. -- Vic Darchinyan scored an 11th-round technical knockout of defending champion Irene Pacheco to win the IBF flyweight title Thursday night.
Darchinyan (22-0, 17 KOs), a native of Armenia now living in Australia, controlled the pace for most of the bout and finally knocked down Pacheco in the 10th round with a right to the head.
Darchinyan didn't let up in the 11th. He unloaded a series of unanswered shots near the ropes and then dropped Pacheco a second time with another right to the head 44 seconds into the round.
Pacheco's cornermen had seen enough, asking referee Jorge Alonso to stop the fight.
For Pacheco, of Colombia, it was his first career loss in 31 professional fights and seventh title defense.
No charges filed against Cal receiver
SAN FRANCISCO -- The San Francisco Police Department decided to drop weapons charges against California receiver David Gray, who was arrested last week after a fight outside a nightclub.
Coach Jeff Tedford said Gray has rejoined the team and would return to practice Friday. The fourth-ranked Bears play Texas Tech in the Holiday Bowl on Dec. 30.
Gray has seen limited playing time for Cal. Hobbled by a foot injury, he played only one game this season, making one catch for 24 yards against Stanford.
Horse industrydevelops code
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- A group of horse industry officials announced a code of ethics Thursday for thoroughbred auctions.
The 22-member group, dubbed the Sales Integrity Task Force, did its work at the request of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association. The task force's membership included owners, veterinarians, consignors and officials from sales agencies including Keeneland and Fasig-Tipton.
The new code includes several measures to help protect buyers from potential fraud during auctions.
Vindicator staff/wire reports