LOCAL
LOCAL
Rayen freshmanbasketball tournament
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Rayen School will play host to a freshman tournament for the third year, but this year's tournament is a different format.
The tournament will consist of the eight schools in the Steel Valley Conference and the event will determine the league champion.
The tournament begins Saturday with four games. Ursuline, the No. 1 seed, plays No. 8 seed Wilson at 9:30 a.m., followed by No. 2 seed Warren Harding against No. 7 seed Beaver Local at 11 a.m.
At 5 p.m., No. 4 seed Mooney plays No. 5 seed Warren JFK, followed by No. 3 seed Rayen against No. 6 seed Chaney at 6:30 p.m.
The tournament continues through March 4.
Bowling roundup
*YOUNGSTOWN -- The 2006 Senior Doubles Tournament will be March 18 at West Side Lanes and March 19 at Wedgewood Lanes.
Bowlers must be 55 or older. Cost is $54 per team.
Entry blanks can be picked up at area bowling centers or by calling Ted Bundy at (330) 545-6217.
*BOARDMAN --The Ervin Dodge Memorial Sweeper will be March 4 at Boardman Lanes.
In the event open to men and women, five games will be bowled across 10 lanes. The entry fee is $40 per division (handicap and scratch).
All proceeds will benefit the Ervin "Magic" Dodge Memorial Scholarship Fund at YSU.
*NEW CASTLE -- The fifth Michael "Mickey" Michalojko Memorial Scratch Bowling Tournament is Feb. 26 at Colonial Lanes.
The tournament matches some of the best bowlers in the tri-state area competing for a first prize of $1,600.
Michalojko was the longtime proprietor of Colonial Lanes and Shenango Bowl-A-Way, who established a 50-plus year career in the industry. He was elected to the New Castle Bowling Association Hall of Fame in 1973 and was recently inducted into the Lawrence County Sports Hall of Fame's hall of honor.
The Michalojko format consists of two four-game qualifying squads. Qualifiers will then compete in a finals format. Space for each qualifying squad is limited to 55-60 bowlers. Entry fee is $75.
For more, contact Colonial at (724) 654-5000.
REGION
Indians on TV
CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Indians' new regional television network finally has a name.
Now, the network just needs to find its way into the homes of Indians fans.
SportsTime Ohio will show 130 Indians games and eight spring training games, including high definition broadcasts of all home games, said Jim Liberatore, president of Fastball Sports Productions.
But several Ohio cable companies and two major satellite companies have yet to agree to carry the network.
As of now, only 900,000 subscribers of Time Warner Cable, the only cable company that has agreed to pay the network's fee, will see games on SportsTime Ohio.
Liberatore said Thursday that the team sent contract terms out just 2 1/2 weeks ago and is making up ground with the cable and satellite companies.
An additional 20 regular-season games will be shown on Cleveland station WKYC, returning the Indians to free TV for the first time since 2001.
Browns moves
CLEVELAND -- The Browns terminated the contract of Kenard Lang, whose sack totals diminished in his switch to linebacker last season, and waived defensive back Michael Lehan on Thursday.
Penguins arena
PITTSBURGH -- The NHL remains committed to helping the Penguins find an arena and stay in Pittsburgh, the league's deputy commissioner said Thursday.
The league supports a Penguins' plan for Isle of Capri Casinos to build a $290 million arena at no taxpayer cost as long as the company is awarded a state license to build a downtown slot machines parlor.
But the license may not be granted until late this year, and the Penguins are already 15 months away from the end of their lease at Mellon Arena, the NHL's smallest and oldest arena.
NATION/WORLD
Davis Cup
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- Captain Patrick McEnroe likes his team's chances on grass when the United States hosts Chile in the Davis Cup quarterfinals in Rancho Mirage, Calif.
The April 7-9 matches will be played at Mission Hills Country Club, the U.S. Tennis Association said Thursday.
Golf roundup
*TUCSON, Ariz. -- Mark Wilson shot an opening-round 64 to take the lead at the Chrysler Classic of Tucson, two shots ahead of Doug Barron, Gabriel Hjertstedt, Jerry Kelly, John Riegger and Duffy Waldorf.
*CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand -- Jason Dufner was atop the leaderboard when play was suspended in the first round of the New Zealand PGA tournament.
Dufner overcame strong winds, a 23-degree wind chill.
Vindicator staff/wire reports