SPORTS digest

WKBN broadcast moves to Internet

BERLIN CENTER

Radio 57 (WKBN-AM 570) will broadcast today’s Boston Red Sox-Cleveland Indians playoff game, with coverage beginning at 4:07 p.m.

WKBN’s radio broadcast of the McDonald-Western Reserve football game will be carried on 570wkbn.com and iHeartRadio, with coverage beginning at 6:30 p.m.

When coverage of the baseball game ends, Radio 57 will switch to the football game.

YSU men picked ninth in preseason poll

indianapolis

The Youngstown State men’s basketball team was picked to finish ninth out of 10 teams in this year’s Horizon League preseason poll. Junior guard Cameron Morse was named to the first team All-Horizon League.

Valparaiso took 35 of the 39 first-place votes with Oakland and Green Bay rounding out the top three.

The rest of the standings included UIC, Wright State, Detroit, Northern Kentucky, Cleveland State in spots four through eight. Milwaukee was picked to finish in last place.

Joining Morse on the preseason first team are Valpo’s Alec Peters, Oakland’s Jalen Hayes, UIC’s Dikembe Dixson and Green Bay’s Charles Cooper.

Florida & LSU trying to reschedule game

gainesville, fla.

The SEC postponed this week’s Florida-LSU game scheduled for Saturday because of Hurricane Matthew, which was bearing down Thursday on Florida’s east coast. The league said it will work with both universities to reschedule the game later in the season, if possible.

The schools have different opinions on how it should be handled, and ultimately the league will have to decide.

The 18th-ranked Gators (4-1, 2-1 SEC) want to play the game Nov. 19 in Gainesville and offered that scenario during conversations Wednesday and Thursday, but the Tigers balked.

Florida and LSU each play nonconference games at home that Saturday and would need to buy out those opponents. LSU (3-2, 2-1) would be on the hook for $1.5 million to South Alabama, and Florida would have to pay $500,000 to Presbyterian.

Newton still in NFL concussion protocol

charlotte, n.c.

Derek Anderson is preparing as if he will start Monday night against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with Cam Newton still in the league’s concussion protocol.

The 33-year-old Anderson took reps with Carolina’s first-team offense for the second straight day, while Newton did not attend the team’s outdoor practice.

Panthers coach Ron Rivera said he won’t make a decision on the 2015 MVP until later this week.

“We are not forcing players to get onto the football field,” Rivera said emphatically Thursday. “We will do exactly as the protocol tells us and what the doctors and experts tell us.”

The NFL is still investigating how the Panthers handled a helmet-to-helmet hit Newton took in the fourth quarter of a Week 1 loss to the Denver Broncos.

Newest Falcon, Hawk, making quick impact

flowery branch, ga.

A.J. Hawk’s passion for working out could have him in position to make a quick impact with the Atlanta Falcons, who badly need help at linebacker.

Hawk said he never stopped working out after being released by Cincinnati in April and would have continued his routine even if there was no chance of extending his career.

“I never really stopped doing anything,” Hawk said. “Whether or not a team called, I was going to be ready. I enjoy working out.”

The Falcons signed Hawk, 32, on Tuesday. The team hopes he can be ready to play in Sunday’s game at Denver.

That’s a short time to pick up a defensive scheme. Hawk insisted it’s not an unrealistic request.

“Why not?” Hawk asked Thursday before his second practice with the team. “Everyone here is a football player. It’s what we do. It’s what I’ve done since I was in the second grade.”

Staff/wire report