SPORTS DIGEST || Liberty football players make commitments

Liberty football players make commitments

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Two former Liberty High School football players have made college commitments.

Capone Haywood and Chris Edmonds announced their commitments to play college football. Haywood will play slot receiver at Malone and study business while Edmonds will play linebacker at Walsh and is undecided on a major.

Trivia night to benefit Potential Development

YOUNGSTOWN

The Lake Club in Poland will host the fourth annual Mahoning Valley Sports Trivia Challenge to benefit Potential Development Schools for Students with Autism. This year’s event will be held July 19, from 6-10 p.m. The unique charity event features sports trivia, sports celebrities, classy and endless pub fare as well as a $15,000 purse for the winners. A limited number of four-person ($1,000) and eight-person ($2,000) team entries are still being accepted. Corporate sponsorships are also available.

Sports celebrities who have committed to attend include Austin Carr, John Hirschbeck, Mike Tomczak, Jim Tressel and former Ohio State linebacker teammates Bobby Carpenter, Anthony Schlegel and A.J. Hawk.

Limited to only 36 teams on a first come, first served basis. For more information, please visit www.mvsportstriviachallenge.com.

Red Wings hire Bylsma as assistant coach

DETROIT

The Detroit Red Wings have hired Dan Bylsma as an assistant coach.

The team announced the move Friday. The 47-year-old Bylsma worked as an assistant alongside Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill at this year’s world championship in Denmark, helping the United States to a bronze medal. Bylsma was Pittsburgh’s coach when the Penguins won the Stanley Cup in 2009, beating Detroit in seven games in the final. He won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s Coach of the Year in 2011.

Bylsma is 320-190-55 as a head coach in the NHL. He took over the Penguins during that 2008-09 season and was with them until 2014. He also coached the Buffalo Sabres for two seasons from 2015-2017.

Kupchak, Hornets plan to keep Kemba Walker

CHARLOTTE, N.C.

General manager Mitch Kupchak wants point guard Kemba Walker to end his NBA career right where it started — with the Charlotte Hornets.

Kupchak said Friday that Walker is “revered” in the Charlotte community, and that he and owner Michael Jordan look at the two-time All-Star as “the focal point of this franchise going forward.”

The 28-year-old Walker has been the subject of possible NBA draft talks as he prepares to enter the final year of his contract with the Hornets. That speculation has amped up recently because it is a practical impossibility for Charlotte to sign Walker to an extension before he becomes a free agent in July of 2019 since the Hornets are so tight under the salary cap.

Still Kupchak is hoping the Hornets can keep him next summer.

Spurs admit Leonard is unhappy with team

SAN ANTONIO

General manager R.C. Buford acknowledges star forward Kawhi Leonard is unhappy with the Spurs.

He remains optimistic the relationship can be salvaged.

Leonard has requested a trade from San Antonio because he is unhappy after missing most of last season with a right quadriceps injury. Buford would not comment on “speculation” of a trade demand, but agreed there is a fractured relationship between Leonard and the only franchise he has played for.

Leonard missed the first 27 games of the season but returned to play in nine games. He complained of discomfort and pain in the leg in his final game. Leonard sought an outside opinion after the Spurs cleared him to play, working with his own medical team in New York in an attempt to return to the court.

Staff/wire reports