3 Valley softball teams earn mention in poll

3 Valley softball teams earn mention in poll

Three Mahoning Valley high school softball teams received mention in this week’s State Softball Coaches Poll.

In Division I, Canfield was voted ninth. In Division III, Champion has the number-three ranking. In Division IV, Mathews is fourth.

Lakeview tabs Falconi as new football coach

STONEBORO, PA.

Lakeview High School has hired John Falconi Jr., 29, to be its head football coach.

Falconi, the nephew of Farrell’s long-time coach Lou Falconi, was an assistant at Lowellville from 2011-15 and at Lisbon in 2010. The Farrell graduate attended Bethany for his undergraduate degree.

OHSBCA honors Canfield’s Dove

CANFIELD

Nancy Dove will be honored by the Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association on Friday at Otterbein University.

Dove is the long-time scorekeeper for the Canfield High School boys varsity basketball team and has been selected as an honoree for her service.

Pens’ goalie Murray returns to practice

PITTSBURGH

Penguins goalie Matt Murray returned to practice Monday morning for the first time since sustaining an injury in the team’s regular season finale April 9 against the Flyers.

Coach Mike Sullivan, however, did not provide an estimate for Murray’s return to play. The Penguins face the Rangers tonight in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series, which is tied at one game apiece.

Sullivan had no update on goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, who has been sidelined since March 31 with a concussion. Fleury participated in practice Monday morning, but Sullivan said his status is still “day-to-day.”

With those two out, Jeff Zatkoff was in net for the Penguins’ first two playoff games. Game 1 marked Zatkoff’s first NHL start since Feb. 20.

Spurs’ Leonard named Defensive POY

SAN ANTONIO

Kawhi Leonard tends to shrug off all the accolades for his defensive prowess. He will almost always credit his teammates and coach for any praise he receives.

It was no different Monday as Leonard won his second straight NBA Defensive Player of the Year award after helping the San Antonio Spurs have the league’s best defense.

Leonard beat out Draymond Green in voting Monday to become the first noncenter to win the award in consecutive seasons since Dennis Rodman in 1989-90 and 1990-91.

The 6-foot-7 Leonard received 84 first-place votes and 547 points from a panel of 130 sports writers and broadcasters throughout the U.S. and Canada. Green, the All-Star forward for Golden State, was runner-up for the second straight year with 44 first-place votes and 421 points. Miami center Hassan Whiteside was third with 83 points and two first-place votes.

Ex-Orange player pleads not guilty

SYRACUSE, N.Y.

A former Syracuse University football player has pleaded not guilty to stabbing two current Orange players with a pocket knife.

City Court Judge Ross Andrews entered the plea for Naesean Howard on Monday because Howard didn’t have an assigned lawyer.

Howard is accused of repeatedly stabbing Chauncey Scissum and Corey Winfield, redshirt juniors who play defensive back for Syracuse. The alleged attack happened Saturday evening on the university’s South Campus. Howard is charged with assault and criminal possession of a weapon.

Scissum was listed in stable condition Monday at a Syracuse hospital. Winfield was treated and released.

Howard, a former Orange defensive back who grew up in Syracuse, left the program in September 2014 before re-enrolling this year with the hope of rejoining the team. He has never played in a game for Syracuse.

Staff/wire report