SPORTS digest

YSU’s Davis earns MVFC honor

YOUNGSTOWN

Youngstown State quarterback Ricky Davis has been named the Missouri Valley Football Conference’s offensive player of the week.

In his first start of the season, Davis accounted for six touchdowns and had career highs in passing yards and rushing yards in the Penguins’ 66-24 win at Indiana State on Saturday.

Davis completed 10-of-12 passes for 349 yards and four scores. His yardage total was the fourth-most in school history and the most by a YSU QB since 1983.

He also added 98 yards rushing and two scores on 14 attempts.

Girard High to sell football tickets

GIRARD

Tickets for Friday’s Girard-Perry high school football playoff game in Twinsburg will be on sale at Girard High School beginning Tuesday.

Sale hours at the school will be from 7-10 a.m. weekdays. Tickets also will be sold at the M&S Pizza Parlor. Hours are 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on Friday.

Crew advances to conference final

NEW YORK

The Columbus Crew advanced to the Eastern Conference finals on Sunday, beating New York City FC 4-3 in the two-leg series after falling 2-0 in the second game.

The Crew will host the Supporters Shield winner Toronto FC in Game 1 of the conference finals on Nov. 21. Toronto will be without stars Jozy Altidore and Sebastian Giovinco. Altidore and New York Red Bulls captain Sacha Kljestan were sent off after a tunnel melee at halftime in the other semifinal game earlier Sunday and Giovinco received his second yellow card in two games.

NYC’s David Villa opened the scoring in the 16th minute on a penalty kick as Zack Steffen dove the wrong way. It came after Josh Williams tripped Rodney Wallace in a non-threatening position at the corner of the 18-yard box.

Andraz Struna made it 2-0 in the 53rd on a deflected shot off the head of Crew defender Jonathan Mensah.

In the first leg Tuesday night, Artur started a three-goal outburst for Columbus in the second half, shortly after NYC went down a man, and the Crew won 4-1.

Flanagan ends marathon drought

NEW YORK

Shalane Flanagan thought about the seven years building to this race, possibly her last. She thought about the running star striding next to her. She thought about her family. She thought about Meb.

With one hellacious holler at the finish, it all poured out.

Flanagan dethroned Mary Keitany on Sunday and became the first American woman to win the New York City Marathon since 1977, potentially ending her decorated career with her first major marathon victory.

Flanagan’s breakthrough came in the last career race for American great Meb Keflezighi. The 2009 New York winner collapsed at the finish line, his 42-year-old body pushed to its limit in his 26th marathon. Keflezighi finished 11th, about five minutes behind 24-year-old winner Geoffrey Kamworor of Kenya.

This may have been Flanagan’s final race, too, although the four-time Olympian wasn’t ready to commit. But she likes the idea of her and Keflezighi going out together.

“I was thinking of Meb, and I was thinking of how I wanted to make him proud,” Flanagan said.

St. Pierre wins in MMA return

NEW YORK

Georges St. Pierre returned from a four-year layoff and peered through the river of blood that flowed down his face to choke out Michael Bisping and win the middleweight championship at UFC 217 on Saturday night.

St. Pierre’s win in the main event made it 3 for 3 for the championship challengers at Madison Square Garden in what was easily UFC’s card of the year. T.J. Dillashaw won the bantamweight championship and Rose Namajunas won the strawweight title on the pay-per-view card.

Staff/wire report