SPORTS digest

Columbiana’s Wilson shoots 28 at Valley

COLUMBIANA

Jared Wilson shot a 7-under 28 to lead the Columbiana Clippers to a 146-188 victory over Toronto on Monday at Valley Golf Club.

Wilson had an eagle-birdie-eagle finish. Wilson carded a 7-under par 28 to set the Clipper golf scoring record and the Valley Golf Club course record.

The previous Columbiana record of 30 was set by Jeff Jackson, the current Clippers coach, in 1997. Few players have fired rounds of 29 throughout Valley Golf Club’s history, including owner Ted Ossoff, Jr.

Keller, Hallapy tie for second with 76

AURORA

Ken Keller of Boardman and Justin Hallapy of Hubbard each shot a 76 to tie for second place in the Northern Ohio PGA Collegiate Preview for boys ages 17-22 on Monday at Barrington Golf Course.

Sean Croell of Newton Falls shot an 80 to tie for sixth while Buster Thoma of Cortland was 8th with an 81.

In the girls division, Kaylee Neumeister of Cortland tied for third with a 78.

Chelios, Leetch to coach hockey prospects’ game

BUFFALO, N.Y.

Chris Chelios and Brian Leetch will be facing off once more, this time as opposing coaches.

USA Hockey has appointed the two Hall of Fame defensemen to serve as coaches at the sixth annual All-American Prospects game in Buffalo on Sept. 21. The game will feature 42 of the top U.S.-born prospects eligible for the 2018 NHL draft.

Chelios and Leetch are both American and have combined to play 44 NHL seasons plus five Winter Games.

Chelios is a three-time Stanley Cup champion and already making the shift to coaching. He was recently named an assistant for the 2018 U.S. Olympic men’s national team.

Leetch is among seven defensemen to score more than 1,000 points, and only the NHL’s second player to win the Calder (rookie of the year), Conn Smythe (playoff MVP) and Norris (top defenseman) trophies.

The Youngstown Phantoms are members of the USHL, whose players are invited to play in the game.

Goodell defends right to protest

GLENDALE, Ariz.

Asked about players who did not stand for the national anthem before preseason games, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Monday that while the playing of the anthem is a special moment to him, “we also have to understand the other side.”

Goodell made the comments at University of Phoenix Stadium during a 45-minute question-and-answer period with Arizona Cardinals club seat holders. One season ticket-holder, Bruce Olson, asked the commissioner whether players were going to continue to protest during the anthem and if anything could be done about it.

“It’s one of those things where I think we have to understand that there are people that have different viewpoints,” Goodell said. “The national anthem is a special moment to me. It’s a point of pride. But we also have to understand the other side, that people do have rights and we want to respect those.”

Goodell, without mentioning any of the players, said other players are taking the platform they have into local communities to create dialogue toward positive change.

“Protest to progress is what I call it, and we all have to recognize that if we want to see change, let’s go out and try to make that change happen in a peaceful and important way,” Goodell said.

Olson, who described himself as a season-ticket holder “since Day 1,” said the commissioner “beat around the bush” on the issue. He said he’d like Goodell to take a tougher stance.

“He makes rules and, ‘You do this, you do that,’ why can’t he just say ‘You stand up. You can believe what you want or do what you want. Just stand up like a man.’” Olson said.

Staff/wire report