SPORTS digest

Three locals commit to YSU football team

YOUNGSTOWN

The Youngstown State University football team will have some familiar faces joining it.

Former Ursuline quarterback Chris Durkin has transferred from Virginia Tech and is enrolled this semester at YSU. He was a tight end with the Hokies for his sophomore season.

Durkin originally committed to Michigan State before attending Virginia Tech.

Two high school players recently tweeted that they have verbally committed to YSU. Last fall, Warren JFK’s Jacob Coates was a wide receiver and defensive back for the Division VII state champions.

Colt McFadden was a kicker and punter for Poland. He owns the school record for a 55-yard field goal that was booted last fall against East.

Weaver, Daubenspeck win officials award

COLUMBUS

Ron Weaver of Andover and John Daubenspeck of Austintown recently were honored with 2017 Ohio Track and Field and Cross Country Officials Association Contributors Awards at a banquet.

Weaver, who taught at Pymatuning Valley for 35 years, has been a licensed track official for 48 years.

Daubenspeck has been involved in Track & Field in various capacities for more than 30 years. He was head coach for East Palestine for 17 seasons, winning seven track conference championships and one district track title as well as four cross country conference championships and one county title.

Daubenspeck has been a licensed track official for 30 years and is the local rules interpreter. He also is the coordinator for the Suburban Cross Country League which has 41 schools from Mahoning, Columbiana, Trumbull, Ashtabula and Geauga counties.

Southington to hire new football coach

SOUTHINGTON

Pending school board approval, Tom Conrad will replace Bill Bohren as the head football coach for Southington High School, according to Vindicator broadcast partner WFMJ

YSU volleyball to host clinic on Feb. 1

YOUNGSTOWN

The Youngstown State volleyball program will host a clinic on Feb. 1 in conjunction with National Girls & Women in Sports Day. The free event will be at Beeghly Center.

The clinic will run from 6-8 p.m. for girls in grades five through nine. Basic skills such as serving, passing, attacking and drills will be covered at the clinic.

Girls interested in registering should email assistant coach Sarah Smith at slsmith11@ysu.edu. The email should contain the name, grade level and age of the participant.

Michigan football to travel to Italy

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh is taking his team to Italy this spring.

The Wolverines will hold three spring practices at the training facility of Italian league soccer club Roma in Rome. Michigan held part of its spring practice last year at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, during spring break.

Soccer player stable after fracturing skull

LONDON

Hull midfielder Ryan Mason has been able to talk about the clash of heads that left him with a fractured skull during a Premier League match at Chelsea.

The 25-year-old Englishman underwent surgery after the incident, but Hull said Monday that Mason was in stable condition.

Mason was taken to the neurosurgery unit at a hospital close to Stamford Bridge on Sunday after the collision with Chelsea defender Gary Cahill as they went to head the ball.

Mason received treatment for almost 10 minutes on the field before departing on a stretcher while receiving oxygen.

Cahill, along with Chelsea captain John Terry, reportedly visited Mason in the hospital on Sunday evening.

Staff/wire report