LOCAL

LOCAL
STEELHOUNDS
YOUNGSTOWN -- THE YOUNGSTOWN STEELHOUNDS WILL CELEBRATE "FIESTA MADNESS NIGHT" DEC. 22 WHEN THE TEAM PLAYS HOST TO AMARILLO AT THE CHEVROLET CENTRE.
FANS WEARING EITHER OHIO STATE OR NOTRE DAME CLOTHING FOR THE 7 P.M. GAME WILL RECEIVE A SILVER LEVEL SEAT FOR $8 (REGULAR PRICE IS $10).
PHANTOMS
BOARDMAN -- MAHONING VALLEY PHANTOMS GOALTENDER BRYCE MERRIAM WAS NAMED NATIONAL CITY BANK PLAYER OF THE WEEK.
MERRIAM, FROM BETHEL PARK, PA., IS A SENIOR AT CARDINAL MOONEY HIGH.
HE RECORDED HIS FIRST SHUTOUT OF THE SEASON LAST SATURDAY, STOPPING ALL 28 SHOTS IN A 5-0 WIN OVER TRAVERSE CITY.
MERRIAM IS 4-4-0 WITH A 3.88 GOALS AGAINST AVERAGE AND A .887 SAVE PERCENTAGE THIS SEASON.
THE PHANTOMS (16-9-2) PLAY HOST TO THE U.S. NATIONAL UNDER-17 TEAM FRIDAY AND SATURDAY AT THE ICE ZONE. BOTH GAMES ARE SCHEDULED AT 7 P.M.
BOXING
CLEVELAND -- DARNELL BOONE, FIGHTING FOR JACK LOEW AND TANK DICIOCCIO OF THE YOUNGSTOWN SOUTHSIDE BOXING CLUB, WILL BE IN THE MAIN EVENT OF A SIX-BOUT PROFESSIONAL BOXING CARD AT GRAY'S ARMORY FRIDAY NIGHT.
BOONE WILL BE ONE OF TWO LOCAL FIGHTERS ON THE CARD, PROMOTED BY POUND FOR POUND PROMOTIONS.
CHRIS KOVAL, THE HEAVYWEIGHT FROM AUSTINTOWN WHO HAS BEEN IDLE SINCE AUG. 12, IS THE OTHER AREA BOXER ON THE CARD.
BOONE (6-3-1, 4 KNOCKOUTS) FACES A WORTHY CHALLENGE IN CLEVELAND'S RON JOHNSON (6-0, 1 KO) IN A SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT SIX-ROUNDER.
KOVAL (22-2, 17 KOS) WILL BE IN A SIX-ROUND BATTLE AGAINST DEMETRICE KING (10-11, 7 KOS) OF FLINT, MICH. BOTH MEN WILL COME IN AT OVER 250 POUNDS.
PAT NELSON, THE FIGHT MANAGER FROM YOUNGSTOWN, WILL HAVE A SOLID INTEREST IN TWO OF THE BOUTS ON THIS CARD AS HE MANAGES KOVAL AND TOLEDO'S DEVIN VARGAS.
VARGAS, FROM TOLEDO, A 2004 OLYMPIAN, IS UNDEFEATED AT 7-0 HAS KNOCKED OUT FOUR OPPONENTS. HE WILL BE IN A SIX-ROUND HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT AGAINST AKRON'S DAVID POLK (9-5).
THE DOORS WILL OPEN AT 6 P.M. WITH THE FIRST BOUT AT 7:15.
WESTMINSTER FOOTBALL
NEW WILMINGTON, PA. -- THE WESTMINSTER FOOTBALL PROGRAM HELD ITS ANNUAL BANQUET.
SENIOR RUNNING BACK SEAN BUGGEY WAS NAMED TEAM MVP. BUGGEY RUSHED FOR 878 YARDS AND FIVE TOUCHDOWNS AND CAUGHT 17 PASSES FOR 101 YARDS. HE ALSO THREW FOR A PAIR OF TDS.
BUGGEY WAS ALSO NAMED OFFENSIVE MVP, WHILE SENIOR RYAN CHMURA (MOHAWK) WAS NAMED DEFENSIVE MVP.
SENIOR CHRIS CASTILLO (FITCH) WAS NAMED SPECIAL TEAMS MVP.
CASTILLO WAS 10-OF-15 ON FIELD GOALS AND 14-OF-15 ON EXTRA-POINT ATTEMPTS. HE POSTED A SCHOOL-RECORD 47-YARD FIELD GOAL IN A 34-13 WIN AT BETHANY.
SENIOR TANNER LARSON WAS AWARDED THE TITAN OF THE YEAR ALUMNI AWARD.
OTHER AWARDS WERE: NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR, FRESHMAN JUSTIN DECKER (POLAND); MOST IMPROVED OFFENSIVE PLAYER, SOPHOMORE BRETT MYERS; MOST IMPROVED DEFENSIVE PLAYER, JUNIOR JASON FRIDLEY; OFFENSIVE SCOUT TEAM PLAYER OF THE YEAR, FRESHMAN DENTON SAUERS; DEFENSIVE SCOUT TEAM PLAYER OF THE YEAR, FRESHMAN BRANDON PHILLIAN (WILMINGTON).
NATION/WORLD
NINERS DL YOUNGPROBABLE FOR SUNDAY
SANTA CLARA, CALIF. -- DEFENSIVE END BRYANT YOUNG RETURNED TO PRACTICE WITH THE SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS ON WEDNESDAY, AND THE FOUR-TIME PRO BOWL PLAYER HOPES TO BE BACK IN THE LINEUP THIS WEEKEND JUST FOUR WEEKS AFTER SPRAINING A LIGAMENT IN HIS RIGHT KNEE.
YOUNG, A 12-YEAR VETERAN AND THE ONLY REMAINING MEMBER OF SAN FRANCISCO'S LAST CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM, HAS BEEN REVITALIZED THIS SEASON AFTER MOVING TO END FOLLOWING A CAREER AT TACKLE. HE LEADS THE TEAM WITH EIGHT SACKS DESPITE MISSING THE LAST THREE GAMES AFTER SPRAINING HIS KNEE IN A HOME LOSS TO SEATTLE LAST MONTH.
HE RETURNED TO PRACTICE ON A LIMITED BASIS IN PREPARATION FOR SUNDAY'S GAME AT JACKSONVILLE. HE'S LISTED AS PROBABLE ON THE TEAM'S INJURY REPORT.
THOUGH THE 49ERS (2-11) ARE DOOMED TO ANOTHER MISERABLE SEASON, YOUNG IS DETERMINED TO GET BACK IN ACTION BEFORE IT'S OVER. THAT'S NO SURPRISE FROM A PLAYER WHO MISSED THE FINAL FOUR GAMES OF THE 1998 SEASON WITH A SEVERELY BROKEN RIGHT LEG, BUT RETURNED FOR THE 1999 SEASON OPENER WITH A METAL ROD IN HIS LEG.
"I DON'T WANT TO TAKE THE EASY WAY OUT," SAID YOUNG, WHO WAS TIED FOR THE NFC SACKS LEAD WHEN HE GOT HURT. "YOU'VE GOT TO LOOK AT IT LIKE THIS: WE STILL HAVE THREE GAMES LEFT, AND THERE'S A LOT OF AREAS WE CAN IMPROVE ON."
COLORADO COACH
DENVER -- BOISE STATE COACH DAN HAWKINS WAS CLOSE TO COMPLETING A DEAL THAT WOULD BRING HIM TO COLORADO TO REPLACE GARY BARNETT.
A PERSON FAMILIAR WITH THE NEGOTIATIONS, WHO SPOKE ON CONDITION OF ANONYMITY BECAUSE A DEAL IS STILL PENDING, TOLD THE ASSOCIATED PRESS THAT THE SCHOOL HOPED TO INTRODUCE HAWKINS AS CU'S COACH ON FRIDAY. THE CONTRACT MUST FIRST BE APPROVED BY REGENTS.
VINDICATOR STAFF/WIRE REPORTS