SPORTS DIGEST || Benefit hoops tourney set in Champion

Benefit hoops tourney set in Champion

CHAMPION

The “This Means War” benefit basketball tournament will begin on July 16 at 8 a.m. at Champion High School, 5976 Mahoning Ave. NW.

The tournament will benefit Beth Ann Vanek, 31, of Southington, who is battling a rare form of breast cancer and has exhausted her sick leave from her job as a hospice case manager and will receive weekly chemotherapy treatments until mid-July.

Participants in the tournament must be age 10 to 50. The event also features free-throw, 3-point and half-court challenges, plus a raffle and Chinese auction.

Team registration costs $65. Register or donate by June 30 by calling 330-307-7871.

Field-Warner track gathering is July 2

HANOVERTON

The 9th annual Field-Warner Track and Field Classic will be on July 2 at 10 a.m. at United High School. To register, call 330-223-7102.

Preregisteration cost is $5 for up to three events.

On July 2, registration costs will be $5 for first event and $1 for each additional event.

Canfield club sets tennis tournament

CANFIELD

The Canfield Swim & Tennis Club Tennis Open will be July 9-10.

There will be eight divisions. On July 9, they will be men’s singles, women’s singles, 16-younger singles and 10-younger singles.

On July 10, the divisions are men’s doubles, women’s doubles, mixed doubles and 12-younger mixed doubles. For more information, call 440-385-6141.

Ohio House pushes Schafrath for HOF

COLUMBUS

The Ohio House wants former lawmaker and NFL player Dick Schafrath in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

On a vote of 83-8 Thursday, the chamber adopted a symbolic resolution urging the hall’s selection committee to add the Wooster native to its growing list of honorees.

“He is both a distinguished public servant and football great who is deserving of this high recognition,” said Rep. Jay Goyal, a Democrat from Mansfield who co-sponsored the resolution.

Goyal said Schafrath, nicknamed “The Mule,” was a standout Ohio State University and Cleveland Browns lineman. He also served several terms in the Ohio Senate.

Blue Jackets trade for Flyers’ Carter

COLUMBUS

The Columbus Blue Jackets wanted to make a splash that would get their dwindling fan base buzzing.

Getting Jeff Carter certainly achieved that goal.

After two weeks of rumors, the Jackets dealt promising young forward Jake Voracek and their first- and third-round draft picks in Friday’s draft to the Philadelphia Flyers for Carter — who instantly becomes the best center ever to play for Columbus.

The deal was a big hit in Columbus, which needed a headline grabber to sell tickets. Fan websites and the team site lit up with enthusiastic responses after word of the trade came out.

Flyers’ Richards dealt to Kings

PHILADELPHIA

Mike Richards, a key cog in the Philadelphia Flyers’ run to the Stanley Cup finals a year ago, was traded to the Los Angeles Kings.

That stunning deal plus the one that sent Jeff aCrter to the Columbus Blue Jackets cleaned house and cleared needed salary cap space to sign goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov.

Later in the day, the Flyers announced they signed the franchise goalie to a multiyear contract.

TSN reported it was a $51-million, nine-year deal. The Flyers acquired the rights to Bryzgalov, 31, earlier this month in a deal with the Phoenix Coyotes.

Richards and Carter still had plenty of years remaining on monster contracts — Richards has nine years left on a 12-year extension he signed in 2007, and Carter agreed in November to a $58-million, 11-year pact.

Staff/wire report