SPORTS digest

AAC realigns tiers for 2019 season

The All-American Conference is changing up its tiers for 2019, Vindicator broadcast partner WFMJ reports.

The changes go into effect for all sports in 2019.

In football, the four-tier league has been consolidated into three: the red, blue and white tiers. Austintown Fitch, Boardman, East, Warren Harding and Lakeside occupy the red tier. Newton Falls, Champion, Campbell, LaBrae, Liberty, Brookfield, Jefferson and Edgewood is in the blue tier. Howland, Canfield, Niles, Poland, Girard, Struthers, Lakeview and Hubbard are in the white tier.

Crossover games are no longer mandatory. The changes were decided in an 11-10 vote by AAC principals.

Oldtimers Baseball to plan for golf outing

YOUNGSTOWN

Youngstown Baseball Oldtimers will meet on May 11 at 2:30 p.m. at ARCO Field on Bears Den Road. Members are urged to attend as plans for the June golf outing will be discussed. The Youngstown Baseball Oldtimers will be holding two golf outings this summer. The first will take place on June 7 at Mill Creek Golf Course with a shotgun start at 10 a.m. The other will be on August 16 at Mill Creek Golf Course with a shotgun start at 10 a.m. Coffee and donuts will be available at 9 a.m. and hot dogs will be availble at the turn. There will also be a dinner after play has ended for the day. For any more information call Nick Granito at 330-782-6520.

Poland Stadium to be closed Friday

POLAND

Poland Stadium will be closed on Friday in preparation for Saturday’s 22nd Annual Poland Track and Field Invitational. The stadium will reopen Sunday.

‘Thunder’ kicks off at Sharon Speedway

Hartford

The “Steel Valley Thunder” weekly program will kick-off this Saturday at 7 p.m. as the 88th anniversary season at Sharon Speedway rolls on.

The Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Big-Block Modifieds, HTMA/Precise Racing Products RUSH Sportsman Modifieds, Gibson Insurance Agency Stock Cars, Summit Racing Equipment Econo Mods, and the Mini Stocks (plus 9/16/16 make-up) will be on the program.

Pits open at 4 p.m. with grandstands at 5 p.m. and racing at 7 p.m. Grandstand admission is $10 for those 14 and over. Admission for children under 13, parking, and camping is free. Pit passes are $30.

Marshawn Lynch comes out of retirement

ALAMEDA, Calif.

Marshawn Lynch is coming out of retirement after agreeing on a two-year deal with the Raiders that paved the way for a trade to his hometown team in Oakland.

Lynch passed a physical Wednesday and agreed to a restructured two-year contract. Those were the final steps needed before Seattle could trade his rights along with a 2018 sixth-round pick to the Raiders for a 2018 fifth-rounder.

Lynch also must apply to the NFL for reinstatement from the retired list before he can play with the Raiders.

P&G drops truckload of Charmin on Butt

Michigan tight end Jake Butt doesn’t mind people having fun with his last name. The folks at Procter & Gamble sure are.

The parent company of Charmin toilet paper delivered a truckload of the squeezably soft product to him in his hometown of Pickerington, Ohio, on Wednesday.

The nature of the relationship between P&G and Butt is unclear. A request for comment was emailed to P&G.

Butt has made a name for himself as a football player for being a two-time Big Ten tight end of the year. He’s one of the top players at his position available for the NFL draft, which starts Thursday.

Staff/wire report