YSU

YSU

Football aide goes to Miami

YOUNGSTOWN — Assistant football coach Antoine Smith, who coached the defensive line for Youngstown State, has accepted a position on the Miami (Ohio) staff under new coach Mike Haywood.

Smith, a graduate of Maine, coached with the Penguins for three seasons.

local

Hockey teams to play Jan. 19

BOARDMAN — The Canfield and Ursuline/Mooney hockey clubs will play Jan. 19 at the Ice Zone in the “Steel Valley Cup.”

The developmental squads meet at 6:30 p.m. and the varsity game is at 7:45 p.m.

For details call (330) 702-0123 visit rjboniface@zoominternet.net.

Two victories

The Mooney/Ursuline Hockey Club registered a pair of wins over the weekend — a 5-2 victory over Riverside and a 9-1 win over Wooster.

Scoring for M/U (11-11-1) were Cory Timmings, Dean Macklen, Ryan Demyen, Vince Fornes, Louie Morocco, Josh Charleton, Sesti Boniface, Alex Sieman and Bryan Styers.

Game-time change

YOUNGSTOWN — Ursuline High will play host to Boardman tonight in a girls basketball game.

Because of the Fiesta Bowl, the junior varsity game will begin at 5 p.m. with the varsity to follow at approximately 6:30.

Coonelly to highlight Pirate caravan

YOUNGSTOWN — Frank Coonelly, President of the Pittsburgh Pirates, will appear as part of the team’s annual caravan at the Butler Institute of American Art.

The caravan will appear on January 28 for a noon luncheon.

Also scheduled to appear are third baseman Andy LaRoche, outfielder Nyjer Morgan, pitcher Jeff Karstens and hitting coach Don Long.

Pirate broadcasters Greg Brown and Steve Blass and the Pirate Parrot will accompany the players.

For tickets call (330) 743-1107 ext. 122.

Tickets available

NORTH LIMA — Tickets for the Jan. 16 South Range-Lisbon basketball game at the Chevrolet Centre are on sale at the South Range athletic office from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

nation

Smith edges Sparano for AP Coach of Year

NEW YORK — Mike Smith and Tony Sparano performed so brilliantly as rookie head coaches it was almost impossible to separate them.

Atlanta’s Smith edged Miami’s Sparano by one vote Sunday for The Associated Press 2008 NFL Coach of the Year award.

Both coaches oversaw sensational turnarounds, leading their teams from last-place finishes in 2007 to playoff berths this year. Their achievements were reflected by the closeness of the balloting, with Smith getting 231‚Ñ2 votes and Sparano 221‚Ñ2 from a nationwide panel of 50 sports writers and broadcasters who cover the NFL.

After improving from 4-12 to 11-5 and making the NFC playoffs as a wild card, the Falcons fell 30-24 at Arizona on Saturday night.

That should not detract from a memorable season.

Sprint races postponed

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Races at the U.S. Cross Country Championship have been postponed for the second straight day by temperatures that neared 11 degrees below zero.

Organizers said on Sunday that they are unsure whether they could reschedule the sprint events. They were meeting to determine a schedule for holding the rest of the championship today through Thursday.

The cutoff for running a race is 4 degrees below zero.

Old Hat Stakes

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. — Gemswick Park won the $100,000 Old Hat Stakes on Sunday, holding off even-money favorite Elusive Heat and Frolic’s Dream at the wire.

The 3-year-old filly, ridden by John Velazquez, ran the six furlongs in 1:09.77, finishing a nose ahead of previously unbeaten Elusive Heat. Frolic’s Dream, another unbeaten filly, was another nose back in third.

Gemswick Park, the homebred daughter of Speightstown, paid $11, $4.20 and $2.60. Owned by Melnyk Racing Stables Inc., she won for the second time to push her career earnings to $171,400.

Bobsled Challenge

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. — Boris Said is no longer king of the mountain. Todd Bodine and Morgan Lucas have taken his place.

Bodine laid down a fast first run, then held on to edge Joe Gibbs Racing phenom Joey Logano on Sunday and capture the first race at the fourth annual Geoff Bodine Bobsled Challenge. Lucas beat Bodine in the spectacular second race.

Said, who had won all but one of the first six races since the unique event’s inception, finished sixth in the first race and was eliminated in the second.

“First, we’ve got to keep in mind what it’s for. It’s a great cause,” said Todd Bodine, who also was fastest in qualifying Saturday.

Vindicator staff/wire reports