LOCAL

January 3, 2009 at 12:00a.m.

LOCAL

Game change

YOUNGSTOWN — Monday’s Boardman-Ursuline girls basketball games have earlier starting times because of the Ohio State football game.

The junior-varsity game will tip off at 5 p.m., followed by the varsity game at 6:30 p.m.

Tickets available

CORTLAND — Ticket’s for Tuesday’s Lakeview-Champion basketball game at Youngstown’s Chevrolet Centre will be on sale Monday and Tuesday at Lakeview High during school hours.

Tickets for the 7:45 p.m. game cost $4 for students and $6 for adults. All tickets at the arena will cost $7.

Also, tickets for the Jan. 16 South Range-Lisbon 6 p.m. game at the Chevy Centre will be on sale at South Range from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Jungle Bell run

CANFIELD — There were 301 runners who competed in the Canfield Jingle Bell 5K race Wednesday.

Sam Deskin (17:31.0) of Boardman edged Jake Lape (17:31.6) to capture overall male laurels, while Kayla Witmer (19:38.4) was the overall female runner with Lauren Blase (19:52.5) of Youngstown in second.

state

Raiders win at the Q

CLEVELAND — The Mount Union College women’s basketball team registered a 66-52 victory over Case Western Reserve Friday at Quicken Loans Arena.

The Purple Raiders (8-2) are winners of five of their last six and three straight.

There were 12 different Mount Union players to crack the scoring column.

Ashleigh Tondo (McDonald) scored a game-high 20 points to lead Case Western.

nation

Peyton Manning voted AP’s NFL MVP

NEW YORK — Peyton Manning took a different approach to earning a record-tying third Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player award.

The Indianapolis Colts quarterback got hurt, struggled when he came back, then lost a bunch of games. Hardly vintage Manning.

But when he rediscovered the touch that has made him one of football’s dominant players for a decade, Manning and the Colts were virtually unstoppable.

Now Manning can tell Brett Favre to move over and make room for him atop the roster of MVPs.

Ocean Downs suspends simulcasting

BERLIN, Md. — Ocean Downs Racetrack has suspended simulcast wagering at the track and its off-track betting location until it resolves differences with horsemen.

The track said in a statement on Thursday that the horsemen have refused to continue contract negotiations and have withdrawn their consent for the simulcasting.

Consent is required by law.

The horsemen are represented by Cloverleaf Standardbred Owners Association.

Ocean Downs chief operating officer William Fasy says Cloverleaf refused a request for a brief extension of the existing contract.

The track says employees at Ocean Downs and Cambridge Turf Club, the off-track location, will continue to be paid while the parties work out their differences.

Couch potato champ

NEW YORK — He’s the king of couch potatoes.

A Manhattan man has won his second couch potato contest.

Stan Friedman, a 47-year-old research librarian, needed 18 hours, 48 minutes and 17 seconds of sports-watching time to outlast the competition at the second annual ESPN Zone Ultimate Couch Potato Competition.

The participants, sitting in recliners in front of dozens of televisions, weren’t allowed to sleep or leave their recliners except for restroom breaks once every eight hours.

Friedman, like any good athlete, improved on his time. Last year, he needed 29 hours to win.

world

Gerrard to play

LIVERPOOL, England — Steven Gerrard will be in Liverpool’s lineup against Preston in the FA Cup today despite being charged with assault for a nightclub brawl.

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez said Friday that playing in the third-round game at Deepdale would keep his captain’s mind on soccer rather than the court proceedings on the assault charge.

“He will play in the match, he is ready and is a great professional and it is best for him to be focused on (soccer),” Benitez said.

Gerrard was arrested after a brawl at a nightclub in Southport just hours after he had scored twice in Liverpool’s 5-1 victory at Newcastle on Sunday.

A disc jockey was hospitalized after losing a tooth and needing treatment for a cut forehead.

Gerrard spent 20 hours in police custody before he was charged and released. The 28-year-old player is to appear before a court on Jan. 23.

A conviction on assault and affray carries a maximum five-year prison sentence.

Vindicator staff/wire reports