Boardman’s Zidian on first team all-NEC

November 30, 2014 at 12:05a.m.

Seven Duquesne University football players, including Boardman High graduate Zach Zidian, received all-Northeast Conference honors this season.

Zidian recorded 61 tackles with 31 of them solo. A 2013 NEC second team all-conference choice, Zidian also finished the season with seven tackles for loss, one sack, two pass break-ups and a blocked kick.

Joining him on the first team were teammates Nathan Stone, Chris King (Crofton, Md./DeMatha Catholic) and Devin Rahming (Miami, Fla./Coral Reef).

Referee injured and stretchered off court

NEW YORK

Referee Rick Crawford was stretchered off the court shortly after he was inadvertently struck in the face by LaSalle’s Steve Dack following the opening tipoff of the consolation game of the Barclays Center Classic. A Barclays Center spokesperson said Crawford was being taken to Brooklyn Hospital, and could move his fingers. He had bruising over his right eye, and his neck was in a brace. Both eyes were open.

Crawford threw the ball up for the opening tipoff and as Dack came down, it appeared as if his arm struck the 19-year official flush on the face. Crawford immediately fell to the court, and was tended to by trainers and medical professionals for roughly 10 minutes before being stretchered off the court.

S. Dakota St. defeats Montana St. in playoffs

BOZEMAN, Mont.

Zach Zenner rushed for 252 yards in light snow and scored a career-best five touchdowns as South Dakota State produced a 47-40 win against Montana State in the opener of the FCS playoffs.

The Jackrabbits will face No. 2 seed and three-time defending national champion North Dakota State Dec. 6 in Fargo, North Dakota.

Montana State (8-5) scored with 1:10 left and Dakota Prukop passed for the two-point conversion to make it 47-40. The Jackrabbits (9-4) fumbled the onside kick, but Connor Landberg recovered to save the game.

Zenner, a Walter Payton Award candidate, broke free for 45 yards and a TD on the second snap of the game, and added scoring runs of 7, 60 and 69 yards to go with a 69-yard TD catch from Austin Summer. Chad Newell rushed for five TDs for the Bobcats. Newell and Zenner swapped third-quarter TDs, the latter’s 60-yarder putting SDSU up for good 31-26.

Indiana St. roars back, beats E. Kentucky

RICHMOND, Ky.

Mike Perish threw for 379 yards and three touchdowns as Indiana State rallied back and pulled away from Eastern Kentucky 36-16 in the first round of the FCS playoffs.

The Sycamores (8-5) trailed 16-0, but stormed ahead with 36-straight points. Perish threw a 3-yard touchdown to Robert Tonyan Jr. right before halftime. Eric Heidorn kicked a 47-yard field goal, and Perish threw scoring passes to Kyani Harris and Gary Owens to surge ahead 24-16 in the third quarter.

Mark Sewell intercepted Bennie Conney’s pass on the ensuing drive and returned it 48 yards for a score. Eastern Kentucky’s next three drives ended with a failed fourth-down conversion, an interception and a safety.

Dy’shawn Mobley scored on an 18-yard run and Andrew Lloyd’s three field goals provided the early advantage for the Colonels (9-4).

Indiana State moves on to face eighth-seeded Chattanooga in a second round game on Dec. 6.

Cricket umpire dies after struck by ball

JERUSALEM

Israeli police says a 60-year-old man has died after being struck in the face by a ball while working as an umpire at a cricket match in the coastal city of Ashdod.

Police spokeswoman Luba Samri says the man was hit by a ball during a league game Saturday and that no foul play was suspected. He was evacuated to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Staff/wire reports