Football rally towels

September 8, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

austintown

There will be a rally towel giveaway on Sept. 17 when the Canton McKinley High School football team plays at Fitch High.

The first 1,000 fans will receive rally towels courtesy of Quaker Steak & Lube of Austintown.

Basketball coaches

columbus

The Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association will have its annual clinic on Sept. 26-27 at The Greater Columbus Convention Center.

Ohio State coach Thad Matta is among the speakers at the function.

To register see djkrauss@embarqmail.com or www.ohiobkcoaches.com.

David Haye to defend heavyweight title

LONDON

David Haye will make the second defense of his WBA heavyweight title against former Olympic champion Audley Harrison.

The all-British fight is set for Nov. 13 at Manchester’s MEN Arena.

Tuesday’s announcement came after Haye failed to line up a unification fight against either of the Klitschko brothers.

Haye retained his title in April by stopping John Ruiz.

The 38-year-old Harrison, winner of the Olympic title in Sydney in 2000, never lived up to his promise. He had been considered washed up after a string of losses to fighters such as Danny Williams, Dominick Guinn, Michael Sprott and Martin Roggan.

Wild center Sheppard fractures kneecap

ST. PAUL, Minn.

Minnesota Wild center James Sheppard has a fractured left kneecap and there is no timetable for his return.

The team disclosed the injury Tuesday. It said Sheppard was hurt in an off-ice accident on Saturday night in Vail, Colo., but did not say what happened.

The timing couldn’t be much worse for Sheppard, a former first-round draft pick who has been slow to develop in the Wild organization. The team signed veteran center Matt Cullen this offseason to provide some depth at the position.

France beats Bosnia in Euro 2012 qualifier

SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina

Karim Benzema and Florent Malouda scored second-half goals to give France a much needed 2-0 win at Bosnia-Herzegovina on Tuesday night as the visitors recovered from their stumbling start to 2012 European Championship qualifying.

Benzema was set up in the penalty area by Gael Clichy and beat a defender before slotting home with a powerful left-footed shot in the 72nd minute.

Malouda doubled the lead six minutes later following a nice collective move.

Coming off France’s first-round elimination at the World Cup, Les Bleus and new coach Laurent Blanc bounced back from an opening 1-0 home loss to Belarus last week.

Gatlin loses 100 but wins 200 in Sardinian

ARZANA, Sardinia

Former Olympic champion Justin Gatlin lost the 100 meters in a photo finish but won his first race at 200 meters since returning from a four-year doping ban.

Gatlin ran the 100 in 10.15 seconds Tuesday at the Terra Sarda meet in Sardinia. It was the same time as winner and fellow American Mike Rodgers. Britain’s Dwain Chambers, also previously banned for doping, was third in 10.26.

Gatlin won the 200 in 20.63, with Oral Thompson of Jamaica next in 20.99. Gatlin had planned to end his outdoor season in Padua, Italy, last week but decided to race again.

Cricket investigation

CARDIFF, Wales

Pakistan’s cricket players were being investigated even before their contentious fourth test against England last month.

The International Cricket Council suspended three players last week. But the ruling body already had written to two players to ask for telephone records as part of an investigation into possible contact with bookmakers.

Vindicator staff/wire reports