SPORTS DIGEST || Potesta to speak to Curbstone Coaches

Potesta to speak to Curbstone Coaches

BEAVER TOWNSHIP

Sports Animal 1390 radio talk show host Ron Potesta will be the guest speaker Monday at the weekly luncheon of The Curbstone Coaches at The Avion Banquet Center on Western Reserve Road in Beaver Township.

The event begins at noon and is open to the public. It is the final luncheon of the season.

Bears sign Ex-Browns QB Brian Hoyer

LAKE FOREST, Ill.

The Chicago Bears have agreed to a one-year contract with former Houston Texans quarterback Brian Hoyer, giving them a veteran backup to Jay Cutler.

Hoyer was released nearly two weeks ago — a little more than a month after Houston signed Brock Osweiler to a four-year, $72 million contract.

Hoyer signed a two-year contract before last season. He had 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions before committing five turnovers in a playoff loss to Kansas City.

A seven-year veteran, Hoyer threw for a career-high 3,326 yards with Cleveland in 2014, when Bears offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains was his quarterbacks coach.

Goal in 88th minute lifts Sounders in MLS

SEATTLE

Rookie Jordan Morris scored off a rebound in the 88th minute to give the Seattle Sounders a 1-0 victory over the Columbus Crew on Saturday.

After Oalex Anderson’s shot was stopped by goalkeeper Steve Clark, Morris kicked in the loose ball for this third goal in three games.

In front of a crowd of 39,473 at CenturyLink Field, Seattle (3-4-1) came on strong in the second half with several near-goals. Columbus (2-4-2) dropped to 0-3-2 on the road.

Seattle outshot the Crew 16-13. Clark had seven saves and Seattle’s Stefan Frei finished with four.

Last-place Leafs win NHL draft lottery

TORONTO

Brendan Shanahan’s job of rebuilding the Toronto Maple Leafs got a big boost after the last-place team won the NHL draft lottery, putting it in a position to take U.S. center Auston Matthews with the first pick.

With a 20-percent chance of winning the lottery on Saturday night, the Maple Leafs became the first last-place team to retain the position in the draft order since the Edmonton Oilers in 2010.

The Winnipeg Jets made the largest jump, moving from the sixth to the second selection. The Columbus Blue Jackets moved up one spot to third.

What was also significant is the Oilers didn’t win. Edmonton dropped two spots, and will be picking fourth. The Oilers had the first pick in four of the previous six drafts and won the lottery three times.

The Vancouver Canucks slipped from third to fifth. The Calgary Flames dropped one spot and will be picking sixth.

The draft will be held in Buffalo on June 24-25.

Undefeated Nyquist headlines Derby

LOUISVILLE, KY.

A year after American Pharoah thrilled the sports world by winning horse racing’s first Triple Crown in 37 years, here comes Nyquist.

The colt named for Detroit Red Wings player Gustav Nyquist is looking like a worthy successor to a sport eager to retain the new fans it gained during American Pharoah’s sweep of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes. Nyquist was last year’s 2-year-old champion, capping his season with a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

Now he is expected to be the favorite for the 142nd Kentucky Derby next Saturday. The colt brings a 7-0 career record into Churchill Downs.

No less an expert than four-time Derby-winning trainer Bob Baffert thinks Nyquist is the horse to beat.

“He hasn’t done anything wrong at all,” said Baffert, who oversaw now-retired American Pharoah. “You have Nyquist and you have a lot of horses underneath.”

Staff and wire reports