LANDOVER, Md. — All it took for the Detroit Lions to see their offensive problems clearly was head coach Dan Campbell putting on a pair of glasses.

With Campbell and not offensive coordinator John Morton calling the plays at Northwest Stadium on Sunday, the Lions’ offense returned to its potent self, exploding for a 44-22 win over the Washington Commanders.

Detroit totaled a season-high 546 yards of offense (8.0 per play) and scored on all eight of its drives, except the final one running out the clock. Quarterback Jared Goff went 25-for-33 passing for 320 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.

About calling the plays Sunday, Campbell said, “It was just, let’s try something a little different. I know what I want to do, I know how I want to do it. That being said, this is a collaborative effort. I was taking input from John Morton that whole time, and the other coaches.”

Campbell added: “The coaches work together, but I just wanted to change it up a little bit. Maybe a different play-caller can get us a little rhythm, that’s all.”

Nobody benefitted more than wide receiver Jameson Williams and running back Jahmyr Gibbs.

Williams had a game-high 119 receiving yards on six catches with one receiving touchdown, while Gibbs totaled 172 yards from scrimmage (including 142 rushing) for three total touchdowns. Amon-Ra St. Brown, who had 58 receiving yards, added a 9-yard receiving touchdown that put the Lions up 14-3 with 1:54 to go in the first quarter.

Williams made a critical third-down catch to keep the Lions’ opening drive alive, paving the way for Gibbs to give Detroit a 7-0 lead when he broke free on a Texas route to reach the end zone on a 14-yard receiving touchdown.

Gibbs reached the end zone again with 9:41 left in the first half. He found the edge on an outside run before getting dragged into the end zone by teammates St. Brown and Sam LaPorta.

After the play, St. Brown was cold-cocked in the face by Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne, prompting Payne’s ejection from the game. The Lions used the penalty yardage to their advantage by attempting a successful 2-point conversion to go up 22-3 behind a 1-yard run from David Montgomery.

Commanders defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw was assessed a 15-yard personal foul for making contact with an official as players from both teams gathered in a heated exchange after the 2-point attempt.

Williams was activated again as the Lions took over to begin the third quarter, catching three passes for 47 yards on the drive, including a 14-yard receiving touchdown that gave the Lions a 32-10 lead.

Gibbs completed the hat trick early in the fourth quarter. He ran behind right tackle Penei Sewell before accelerating in the open field for a 44-yard rushing touchdown that sent Commanders fans heading for the exits as the scoreboard read 41-16.

It wasn’t a perfect game for Detroit, especially on special teams. The Lions gave up another big kickoff return as Noah Igbinoghene ripped off 46 yards to kickstart the Commanders’ first scoring drive. Kicker Matt Gay cut the Lions’ lead to 7-3 with a 44-yard field goal at 5:43 in the first quarter. After Gibbs’ third touchdown, the Commanders blocked an extra-point try off the toe of Jake Bates.

Detroit was also troubled by an offense led by backup quarterback Marcus Mariota, who finished 16-for-22 and threw for 213 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions with a passer rating of 133.3. The Lions were without starting safety Kerby Joseph and lost starting cornerback Terrion Arnold to a concussion in the second quarter.

After the Lions took a 22-3 lead, Washington got off the mat with a 75-yard touchdown drive, which was sprung by an early 44-yard completion to Jaylin Lane. The Commanders cut their deficit to 22-10 with a 1-yard rushing touchdown by Chris Rodriguez with 3:39 left in the second quarter.

Detroit Lions offense is commanding in 44-22 road win at Washington

Washington’s offense kept fighting after Williams’ second-half touchdown and reached the end zone for the second time with 7:05 to go in the third quarter. Facing fourth-and-3 from Detroit’s 4-yard line, the Commanders called a perfect play to get wide receiver Deebo Samuel open for a 4-yard touchdown catch. Detroit led 32-16 after the Commanders missed a 2-point attempt.

Ultimately, the Lions’ offense had enough gas in the tank to outpace anybody.

Photo gallery from Detroit Lions’ road win over Washington Commanders

The Commanders added another touchdown with 6:57 left in the game, but again failed on the 2-point attempt, helping maintain the Lions’ sizable lead. The Lions’ offensive starters were pulled after the drive.

Bates had three field goals, including a long of 48.

Even though the road game against the Washington Commanders did not have the level of excitement as a playoff game, the Detroit Lions were seeking to get revenge against a team that previously eliminated them from the postseason.

Detroit was seeking to get the bad taste out of their mouth, following a disappointing performance last week at home in loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

“We’ve got to play clean football. We’ve got to clean our stuff up, take care of it,” Dan Campbell told play-by-play voice Dan Miller this week. “We’ve got to find a way to get takeaways. You can’t give them any confidence, and by the way, we just came off a loss so we’ve got to clean our stuff up and get our confidence back. The best way to do it is to go on the road and get a win.”

Early in the game, supporters watching on television quickly noticed that Campbell was acting differently on the sideline.

After 60 minutes of action, the Lions’ offense has been given a new jolt of excitement, led by an apparent change in play-calling duties.

Here are several takeaways from the Lions’ 44-22 victory against the Commanders:

 

Dan Campbell called offensive plays

Early in the game, the television broadcast noticed Campbell was donning glasses and communicating much more prior to plays being run.

While it took a while to be officially confirmed, the offense clearly looked like much more efficient, explosive and involved more players.

At halftime, it was acknowledged by the fifth-year head coach the team wanted a ‘changeup’ in how things operated, but offensive coordinator John Morton still had a role.

Throughout the first half, Detroit’s offense scored at will and was able to run the football.

In the second half, Jameson Williams was involved and found his way into the end zone. Also, the team did incorporate more plays to Kalif Raymond, the third wideout on the depth chart.

Lions offense starts fast

During the week leading up to the game, Campbell indicated he had plenty of ideas to try and get the offense into gear.

Early in the game, cameras caught Campbell with a play sheet and communicating into the headset. At the same time, it did not appear from the broadcast that offensive coordinator John Morton was making calls.

On Detroit’s offensive drive, the team got into rythym quite quickly, as they established the run and converted on third-down.

Jared Goff led the team on a 10-play, 78-yard drive that was capped off by a Jahmyr Gibbs 14-yard touchdown grab.

By the conclusion of the contest, Detroit had racked up over 500 yards of offense.

Commanders defensive lineman ejected for striking Amon-Ra St. Brown

Tensions boiled over at the worst possible time for one of the Commanders’ top defensive lineman.

In the second quarter, defensive lineman Daron Payne was ejected for striking Detroit’s top wideout, Amon-Ra St. Brown, after Detroit running back Jahmyr Gibbs scored a 13-yard touchdown.

Gibbs was assisted to the end zone by St. Brown and tight end Sam Laporta, who both gave the extra push needed to force the speedy running back into the end zone.

St. Brown was struck in the facemask as he walked past the veteran defender, prompting the immediate ejection.

The additional penalty yardage was used to assist Detroit successfully complete a two-point conversion, giving Detroit a 22-3 lead.

Dan Campbell calls plays, Lions plaster Commanders with dominant offense

Defense has solid first half, issues arise in second half

With Jayden Daniels sidelined, the Lions were tasked with slowing down Commanders backup quarterback Marcus Mariota. A big kick return set up Washington’s first scoring drive, which ended in a field goal, but the defense largely answered the bell.

Mariota was 7-of-11 for 98 yards in the first half, but the Lions were able to smother Washington’s run game aside from one drive. The Commanders averaged just 2.9 yards per in the first half. Detroit forced two punts on five first half drives, and was able to use its explosive offensive start to build a 25-10 halftime lead.

The Commanders were able to get things rolling offensively in the second half, as they were able to get into the end zone. Mariota led a nine-play, 69-yard drive that culminated in a fourth-down scoring throw to Deebo Samuel to cut the lead to two scores.

Photo gallery from Detroit Lions’ road win over Washington Commanders

Jameson Williams more involved in the offense

Prior to the season, coaches indicated the expectation was for the speedy wideout to have a breakout season.

Prior to the Commanders game, there were growing concerns the former first-round pick was being overlooked.

He was not being utilized as effectively as many would have liked, prompting supporters to call for the former Alabama Crimson Tide wideout to be used better in the offense.

This week, Williams was involved more effectively. By the start of the fourth-quarter, he was targeted six times and recorded six receptions for 119 yards and a touchdown.

This article was produced by the staff at Detroit Lions On SI. For more, visit si.com/nfl/lions

The Detroit Lions bounced back from last week’s lackluster showing against the Minnesota Vikings with an offensive clinic in a 44-22 road win over the Washington Commanders on Sunday.

Here are all the sights from the game:

Detroit Lions offense is commanding in 44-22 road win at Washington

Dan Campbell calls plays, Lions plaster Commanders with dominant offense

SEATTLE (AP) — Lenny Wilkens, a three-time inductee into the Basketball Hall of Fame who was enshrined as both a player and a coach, has died, his family said Sunday. He was 88.

The family said Wilkens was surrounded by loved ones when he died and did not immediately release a cause of death.

Wilkens was one of the finest point guards of his era who later brought his calm and savvy style to the sideline, first as a player-coach and then evolving into one of the game’s great coaches.

He coached 2,487 games in the NBA, which is still a record. He became a Hall of Famer as a player, as a coach and again as part of the 1996 U.S. Olympic team — which he coached to gold at the Atlanta Games.

___

By TIM BOOTH and ANDREW DESTIN

Tim Booth, a former Associated Press sports writer, was the principal writer of this obituary.

 

NEW YORK (AP) — Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz have been indicted on charges they took bribes from sports bettors to throw certain types of pitches, including tossing balls in the dirt instead of strikes, to ensure successful bets.

According to the indictment unsealed Sunday in federal court in Brooklyn, the highly-paid hurlers took several thousand dollars in payoffs to help two unnamed gamblers from their native Dominican Republic win at least $460,000 on in-game prop bets on the speed and outcome of certain pitches.

Clase, the Guardians’ former closer, and Ortiz, a starter, have been on non-disciplinary paid leave since July, when Major League Baseball started investigating what it said was unusually high in-game betting activity when they pitched. Some of the games in question were in April, May and June.

Ortiz, 26, was arrested Sunday by the FBI at Boston Logan International Airport. He is expected to appear in federal court in Boston on Monday. Clase, 27, was not in custody, officials said.

Ortiz and Clase “betrayed America’s pastime,” U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said. “Integrity, honesty and fair play are part of the DNA of professional sports. When corruption infiltrates the sport, it brings disgrace not only to the participants but damages the public trust in an institution that is vital and dear to all of us.”

Ortiz’s lawyer, Chris Georgalis, said in a statement that his client was innocent and “has never, and would never, improperly influence a game — not for anyone and not for anything.”

Georgalis said Ortiz’s defense team had previously documented for prosecutors that the payments and money transfers between him and individuals in the Dominican Republic were for lawful activities.

“There is no credible evidence Luis knowingly did anything other than try to win games, with every pitch and in every inning. Luis looks forward to fighting these charges in court,” Georgalis said.

A lawyer for Clase did not immediately return messages seeking comment. The Major League Baseball Players Association had no comment.

Unusual betting activity prompted investigation

Major League Baseball said it contacted federal law enforcement when it began investigating unusual betting activity and “has fully cooperated” with authorities. “We are aware of the indictment and today’s arrest, and our investigation is ongoing,” a league statement said.

In a statement, the Guardians said: “We are aware of the recent law enforcement action. We will continue to fully cooperate with both law enforcement and Major League Baseball as their investigations continue.”

Clase and Ortiz are both charged with wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy and conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery. The top charges carry a potential punishment of up to 20 years in prison.

In one example cited in the indictment, Clase allegedly invited a bettor to a game against the Boston Red Sox in April and spoke with him by phone just before taking the mound. Four minutes later, the indictment said, the bettor and his associates won $11,000 on a wager that Clase would toss a certain pitch slower than 97.95 mph (157.63 kph).

In May, the indictment said, Clase agreed to throw a ball at a certain point in a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, but the batter swung, resulting in a strike, costing the bettors $4,000 in wagers. After the game, which the Guardians won, Clase sent text messages to one of the bettors with images of a man hanging himself with toilet paper and a sad puppy dog face, the indictment said.

Clase, a three-time All-Star and two-time American League Reliever of the Year, had a $4.5 million salary in 2025, the fourth season of a $20 million, five-year contract. The three-time AL save leader began providing the bettors with information about his pitches in 2023 but didn’t ask for payoffs until this year, prosecutors said.

The indictment cited specific pitches Clase allegedly rigged — all of them first pitches when he entered to start an inning: a 98.5 mph (158.5 kph) cutter low and inside to the New York Mets’ Starling Marte on May 19, 2023; an 89.4 mph (143.8 kph) slider to Minnesota’s Ryan Jeffers that bounced well short of home plate on June 3, 2023; an 89.4 mph (143.8 kph) slider to Kansas City’s Bobby Witt Jr. that bounced on April 12; a 99.1 mph (159.5 kph) cutter in the dirt to Philadelphia’s Max Kepler on May 11; a bounced 89.1 mph (143.4) slider to Milwaukee’s Jake Bauers on May 13; and a bounced 87.5 mph (140.8 kph) slider to Cincinnati’s Santiago Espinal on May 17.

Prosecutors said Ortiz, who had a $782,600 salary this year, got in on the scheme in June and is accused of rigging pitches in games against the Seattle Mariners and the St. Louis Cardinals.

Ortiz was cited for bouncing a first-pitch 86.7 mph (139.5 kph) slider to Seattle’s Randy Arozarena starting the second inning on June 15 and bouncing a first-pitch 86.7 mph (139.5 kph) slider to St. Louis’ Pedro Pagés that went to the backstop opening the third inning on June 27.

Dozens of pro athletes have been charged in gambling sweeps

The charges are the latest bombshell developments in a federal crackdown on betting in professional sports.

Last month, more than 30 people, including prominent basketball figures such as Portland Trail Blazers head coach and Basketball Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, were arrested in a gambling sweep that rocked the NBA.

Sports betting scandals have long been a concern, but a May 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling led to a wave of gambling incidents involving athletes and officials. The ruling struck down a federal ban on sports betting in most states and opened the doors for online sportsbooks to take a prominent space in the sports ecosystem.

Major League Baseball suspended five players in June 2024, including a lifetime ban for San Diego infielder Tucupita Marcano for allegedly placing 387 baseball bets with a legal sportsbook totaling more than $150,000.

_____

By MICHAEL R. SISAK, Associated Press

Associated Press reporters Eric Tucker in Washington, D.C., and Ron Blum in New York contributed to this report.

DETROIT (AP) — Connor Bedard had a goal and two assists to lead the Chicago Blackhawks to a 5-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday.

Teuvo Teravainen, Tyler Bertuzzi and Oliver Moore also scored and Andre Burakovsky added an empty-net goal for the Blackhawks, who have won three straight. Arvid Soderblom made 45 saves and Artyom Levshunov had two assists, giving him four assists in his last three games.

Bedard scored on the power play 59 seconds in after Dylan Larkin was penalized for tripping. Bedard has three goals in his last three games.

Bertuzzi has six goals in three games after getting a hat trick in the third period against the Canucks on Wednesday.

Larkin scored at 4:19 of the first period for the Red Wings, losers of three straight, and John Gibson made 15 saves.

Up next

Blackhawks: Host the Devils on Wednesday.

Red Wings: Host Anaheim on Thursday.

EAST LANSING (AP) — Rashunda Jones, Grace VanSlooten and reserve Jalyn Brown scored 15 points apiece and No. 23 Michigan State coasted to a 92-60 win over Eastern Michigan on Sunday.

Theryn Hallock added 14 for the Spartans (2-0), who forced 30 turnovers.

Sis Eleko scored 18 points for the Eagles (1-2), Fernanda Ovalle added 15 and Peyton Hill 10.

The Spartans led 19-15 after one quarter but used a 15-0 burst in the second for a 37-20 lead and closed the half with 11 straight points to go up 48-26 at the break.

Jones had 11 points and VanSlooten 10 as Michigan State made 10 of 11 shots inside the arc and 9 of 11 free throws. Eastern Michigan shot 3 of 9 with 13 turnovers in the second quarter. The Eagles had four 10-second violations by halftime.

The Spartans, who had a school record 125 points in their season opener against Mercyhurst, stretched the lead to 74-45 after three quarters.

Michigan State continues its six-game season-opening homestand on Wednesday against Youngstown State.

ANN ARBOR (AP) — Olivia Olson scored 18 points, Mila Holloway added 17 and No. 13 Michigan used a strong first quarter to cruise to an 84-55 win over Harvard on Sunday.

Syla Swords had 14 points for the Wolverines (2-0), who shot 55%.

Abigail Wright scored 17 points to lead the Crimson (1-1). Karlee White scored 12 of her 15 in the second half, making 9 of 11 from the foul line, and Olivia Jones added 11.

Michigan broke away from a 7-7 tie with 17-straight points, the first four from Olson, who also hit a 3-pointer. Swords also contributed a pair of baskets and the lead was 24-8 after one quarter. The Wolverines hit 10 of 15 shots, the Crimson 3 of 12 with 10 turnovers.

Harvard missed its last nine shots in the first quarter and first two of the second, finishing the first half 9 of 27 to trail 40-24. Michigan had eight turnovers in the second quarter and but shot 58% for the half.

The Wolverines pushed the lead to 61-41 after three quarters. Reserves pushed the lead to 29 as Harvard was 2 of 10 with seven turnovers in the fourth quarter. The Crimson finished with 26 giveaways and Michigan had 20.

Michigan goes to Detroit on Saturday to play No. 15 Notre Dame in the Shamrock Classic.

NEW YORK (AP) — Paul Tagliabue, who helped bring labor peace and riches to the NFL during his 17 years as commissioner but was criticized for not taking stronger action on concussions, died Sunday from heart failure at 84 years old.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said Tagliabue’s family informed the league of his death in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

Tagliabue, who had developed Parkinson’s disease, was commissioner after Pete Rozelle from 1989 to 2006. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of a special centennial class in 2020. Current Commissioner Roger Goodell succeeded Tagliabue.

“Paul was the ultimate steward of the game — tall in stature, humble in presence and decisive in his loyalty to the NFL,” Goodell said in a statement. “I am forever grateful and proud to have Paul as my friend and mentor. I cherished the innumerable hours we spent together where he helped shape me as an executive but also as a man, husband and father.”

Tagliabue oversaw a myriad of new stadiums and negotiated television contracts that added billions of dollars to the league’s bank account. Under him, there were no labor stoppages.

During his time, Los Angeles lost two teams and Cleveland another, migrating to Baltimore before being replaced by an expansion franchise.

Tagliabue implemented a policy on substance abuse that was considered the strongest in all major sports. He also established the “Rooney Rule,” in which all teams with coaching vacancies must interview minority candidates. It has since been expanded to include front-office and league executive positions.

When he took office in 1989, the NFL had just gotten its first Black head coach of the modern era. By the time Tagliabue stepped down in 2006, there were seven minority head coaches in the league.

Tagliabue certainly had his detractors, notably over concussions. The issue has plagued the NFL for decades, though team owners had a major role in the lack of progress in dealing with head trauma.

In 2017, Tagliabue apologized for remarks he made decades ago about concussions in football, acknowledging he didn’t have the proper data at the time in 1994. He called concussions “one of those pack-journalism issues” and contended the number of concussions “is relatively small; the problem is the journalist issue.”

“Obviously,” he said on Talk of Fame Network, “I do regret those remarks. Looking back, it was not sensible language to use to express my thoughts at the time. My language was intemperate, and it led to serious misunderstanding. I overreacted on issues which we were already working on. But that doesn’t excuse the overreaction and intemperate language.

“Bottom line, it sounded like I was shooting the messenger, which was the concussion issue. My intention at the time was to make a point which could have been made fairly simply: that there was a need for better data. There was a need for more reliable information about concussions and uniformity in terms of how they were being defined in terms of severity.”

Tagliabue is survived by his wife Chandler, son Drew, and daughter Emily.

— By BARRY WILNER and ROB MAADDI, Associated Press

On the first weekend snow started to fall, red kettles have also begun making an appearance at locations around southeast Michigan.

The Salvation Army of Metro Detroit officially launched its 2025 Red Kettle Christmas Campaign with a goal to raise $7.1 million across Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties.

The donations go toward helping families and seniors have food, a warm place to sleep, toys under the Christmas tree and other care throughout the year.

According to a press release from The Salvation Army, nearly 70% of Detroit households experience food insecurity and more than 1,700 people in Detroit, Hamtramck and Highland Park are unhoused, which is a 16% increase from last year.

“For many families, the holidays bring tough choices – between keeping the heat on or putting food on the table,” said Major Dawn Worthy, metro Detroit area commander for The Salvation Army Great Lakes Division. “When our community comes together and gives with joy, those worries can be replaced with warmth, nourishment and hope. Every dollar dropped in a red kettle, every gift under an Angel Tree and every act of kindness helps remind our neighbors that they are not forgotten, and love still shines brightest at Christmas.”

The red kettles started appearing outside of metro Detroit storefronts Nov. 7 and will stay there every day except Sundays until Christmas Eve (Dec. 24). The Salvation Army is also looking for volunteers. Those interested can sign up at RegisterToRing.com.

By Black Friday (Nov. 28), kettles can be found at Kroger, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Bass Pro Shops, Busch’s, Emagine Theatres, JCPenney, Hobby Lobby, Hollywood Market, Rite Aid, Spartan Nash, Walgreens and other participating retailers.

Last year, funds raised through the Red Kettle Christmas Campaign helped provide nearly 6,800 meals each day, more than 1,100 nights of shelter to individuals and families and more than 10,000 gift cards to help households purchase holiday meals.

Standing 56-feet-tall and illuminated by 26,000 LED lights, the world’s tallest red kettle will be lit at 6 p.m. Nov. 21, during the Detroit Tree Lighting Ceremony at Cadillac Square.

The Salvation Army will also host an Angel Tree kickoff event with a special ribbon cutting ceremony at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 13 at the Royal Park Hotel in Rochester.

The Salvation Army’s Angel Tree Program ensures that every child receives a gift on Christmas morning. Anonymous donors can “adopt” an angel online at SAMetroDetroit.org/AngelTree to purchase gifts for children in their local community. Donors can shop online and have items shipped directly to their local Salvation Army, or drop gifts at participating Walmart locations beginning Nov. 15.

Those who prefer an in-person experience can select a tag from a physical Angel Tree located at participating Walmart locations or Salvation Army corps community centers. Each tag lists a child’s age, gender and wish list.

Last year, The Salvation Army provided more than 73,000 toys and gifts to local children and shut-in seniors.

Today is Saturday, Nov. 8, the 312th day of 2025. There are 53 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Nov. 8, 2000, a statewide recount began in Florida, which emerged as critical in deciding the winner of the 2000 presidential election between Republican George W. Bush and Democratic Vice President Al Gore. The recount would officially end on Dec. 12 upon orders from the U.S. Supreme Court, delivering Florida’s electoral votes and the presidency to Bush.

Also on this date:

In 1864, President Abraham Lincoln won reelection as he defeated Democratic challenger George B. McClellan.

In 1889, Montana was admitted to the Union as the 41st state.

In 1923, Adolf Hitler launched his first attempt at seizing power in Germany with a failed coup in Munich that came to be known as the “Beer-Hall Putsch.”

In 1942, the Allies launched Operation Torch in World War II as U.S. and British forces landed in French North Africa.

In 1950, during the Korean War, the first air-to-air combat between jet warplanes took place as U.S. Air Force Lt. Russell J. Brown shot down a North Korean MiG-15.

In 1960, John F. Kennedy won the U.S. presidential election over Vice President Richard M. Nixon.

In 1974, a federal judge in Cleveland, citing insufficient evidence, dismissed charges against eight Ohio National Guardsmen accused of violating the civil rights of students killed or wounded in the 1970 Kent State shootings.

In 2012, Jared Lee Loughner was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the January 2011 shootings in Tucson, Arizona, that killed six people and wounded 13 others, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.

In 2013, Typhoon Haiyan, one of the most powerful storms ever recorded, slammed into the central Philippines, leaving more than 7,300 people dead or missing, flattening villages and displacing more than 5 million.

In 2016, Republican Donald Trump was elected America’s 45th president, defeating Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton in an astonishing victory for a celebrity businessman and political novice.

In 2018, tens of thousands of people fled a fast-moving wildfire in Northern California that would become the state’s deadliest ever, killing 86 people and nearly destroying the community of Paradise.

Today’s Birthdays:

• Racing Hall of Fame jockey Angel Cordero Jr. is 83.
• Singer Bonnie Raitt is 76.
• TV personality Mary Hart is 75.
• Actor Alfre Woodard is 73.
• inger-songwriter Rickie Lee Jones is 71.
• Nobel Prize-winning author Kazuo Ishiguro is 71.
• Filmmaker Richard Curtis is 69.
• Chef and TV personality Gordon Ramsay is 59.
• Actor Courtney Thorne-Smith is 58.
• Actor Parker Posey is 57.
• Actor Gretchen Mol is 53.
• News anchor David Muir is 52.
• Actor Matthew Rhys is 51.
• Actor Tara Reid is 50.
• TV personality Jack Osbourne is 40.
• Actor Jessica Lowndes is 37.
• Baseball player Giancarlo Stanton is 36.
• R&B singer SZA is 36.

The Tigers have two more postseason award winners.

Left fielder Riley Greene and utility man Zach McKinstry won American League Silver Sluggers Awards on Friday night. The awards go to the best hitter at each position and are voted on by MLB managers and coaches.

Greene hit .258 with 36 homers, 111 RBI and 31 doubles. His slugging percentage was .493 and his OPS was .806. Greene set career-highs in homers and RBI in his fourth MLB season.

McKinstry had 23 doubles, 12 homers and a .259 batting average. His OPS was .771 and his WAR was 2.8 – both career bests.

Both Greene and McKinstry made the AL All-Star team at midseason.

Last week the Tigers’ Dillon Dingler won the AL Gold Glove Award for catcher. The Cy Young will be awarded next week and Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal is one of three finalists. Skubal won the Cy Young in 2024.

The National League Silver Slugger winners were announced Thursday night.

AL winners

C – Cal Raleigh, Seattle

1B – Nick Kurtz, Athletics

2B – Jazz Chisholm Jr., New York

3B – Jose Ramirez, Cleveland

SS – Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City

OF – Riley Greene, Detroit

OF – Aaron Judge, New York

OF – Byron Buxton, Minnesota

DH – George Springer, Toronto

UT – Zach McKinstry, Detroit

NL winners

C – Hunter Goodman, Colorado

1B – Pete Alonso, New York

2B – Ketel Marte, Arizona

3B – Manny Machado, San Diego

SS – Geraldo Perdomo, Arizona

OF – Juan Soto, New York

OF – Corbin Carroll, Arizona

OF – Kyle Tucker, Chicago

DH – Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles

UT – Alec Burleson, St. Louis

BIRMINGHAM – Oftentimes, high school football playoffs games can be decided on a couple of key plays.

Birmingham Groves picked up two major plays Friday night and a lot of little ones in recording a 36-22 Division 2 district finals triumph over visiting Warren Cousino.

Jeremiah Whitley had an 85-yard rushing touchdown and Dominic Taylor added a 62-yard pick-six to go along with a sack and eight tackles in leading the Falcons to their sixth district title in program history.

It was Taylor’s interception returned to the endzone that broke the camel’s back, as Cousino was trying to put together a game-tying drive. 

“So basically we have been going over that all week about there passes. We have a great scout team – the whole team played great defense. And I just baited him (the quarterback) on that interception,” said Taylor, one of just three returning starters this season. “I just stayed there in the middle, caught the ball here, brought the ball to my chest and took it to the house. That was a game-changer.

“We might have lost a lot of guys that graduated. But our seniors have been together since we were sophomores and we had to realize the great guys leave – great classes leave and we knew we had to step up as seniors,” added Taylor. “We’ve been playing football long enough to step up. We want to make a name for ourselves and we wanted to win another district championship and go even further this season.”

After starting 2-3, the Falcons (8-3) have now won six straight games.

Veteran Groves coach Brendan Flaherty saw his young team really start to mature by mid-season and the Falcons have taken flight this year into the regional finals.

“Judah Skobie got that huge block (on the long) touchdown run by Whitley and Dominic had that interception returned for a touchdown. You talk about guys making big plays,” smiled Flaherty. “This was a tight football game and we knew they had some players. They are a great team. It’s the second round of the playoffs and there’s no weak teams at this stage. They’re all good teams now. Cousino tested our mettle a little bit and they are well-coached and I have a ton of respect for what they’ve been able to do.

“But our guys have matured a lot this season. We did start 2-3,” continued Flaherty. “I just think that these guys mostly had new roles this season and it took some time. But we made plays tonight that we might not have early in the season. We had those two long scores, had some nice drives, tipped some passes (in the secondary) and just did a lot of the little things it takes to win a great football game.”

Groves racked up 350 total yards in the slugfest Friday – 310 on the ground and 40 through the air – and had three rushing touchdowns, one passing touchdown and one interception for another score in downing the high-powered Patriots, who came in averaging 33.1 points a game.

The Falcons never trailed and advanced to the regional finals for the second straight year and sixth time since 2016. Groves – which won regional championships in 2016, 2018, 2022 and 2024 – will visit fellow powerhouse Detroit King for the regional title next weekend.

Groves went ahead for good when Whitley scored on a 6-yard run with 6:12 left in the third for a 29-22 advantage in the tight game.

With Cousino (7-4) driving as part of a 12-play series, it was Taylor who leapt in front of a Cousino receiver while quarterback Brick Sandridge was being hit and picked off the pass before racing 62 yards for the score and a commanding 36-22 lead with 1:46 still left in the third quarter.

The Groves defense made that 14-point lead stand down the stretch, as Cousino had its last two drives stall out on downs.

Cousino finished its best season in several years with a 7-4 record and a berth in the district finals. Coach Brandon Genette and his staff have quickly turned the program around with a respectable 24-16 record over four seasons (2022-2025).

Before then, Cousino finished 0-9 during the 2021 season and actually forfeited their last four games and scored just 42 points that season.

“The seniors were freshman when we started the rebuild and they stuck around to help us make the district finals this year,” said Gennette. “The previous four years before I got here, Cousino was just 3-31 in that time span. I can’t thank these seniors enough, really all four senior classes, for relaying our foundation and helping us become a very competitive team again. It’s been a long time.

“We lost to a very good Groves team with a lot of tradition. They were a play away from getting to the state finals last season and they are always making runs it seems,” added Gennette. “We knew this would be a tight game and I think it just boiled down to them making a couple of more plays than we did tonight. Hats off to them.”

On just the second play from scrimmage, Whitley broke a tackle at the line of scrimmage and also picked up a huge block from Scobie and raced 85 yards for the score and a 7-0 advantage, as Groves never trailed in the game.

After Cousino countered with a swift four-play drive capped by Daniel Carter’s 38-yard touchdown sprint, Groves went ahead again on its next drive.

The Falcons jolted ahead 15-7 with 6:10 still left in the first quarter when quarterback LeVelle Shannon hit Joshua Hammonds on a 15-yard strike down the middle and Whitley scored on the ensuing two-point conversion run.

The conversion was set up by an offsides call against Cousino.

The Patriots did claw to with 15-14 with 2:15 left in the first stanza when Sandridge scored on a 1-yard plunge.

Groves again took the lead when Whitley scored on a 5-yard touchdown sweep around left with 10:02 remaining in the second quarter and Gage Watters drilled his second extra point for the 22-14 halftime lead.

Cousino finally evened the score in the third quarter after a nine-play drive ended with Sandridge connecting with Julian Hayes with a 15-yard scoring toss where Hayes displayed his best version of shake and bake around a pair of defenders along the left since to tie the game at 22-22 with 9:42 remaining in the third frame.

That would be the last time the Patriots would score this season, as Cousino finished with a 353-212 scoring edge this season – the third time in four seasons the Patriots reached the postseason after years of misery.

Whitley finished with 25 carries for 238 yards and his three rushing touchdowns. Shannon finished 3-of-7 for 40 yards passing with six carries for 25 yards on the ground and his one touchdown run.

Hammonds had two catches for 35 yards and also recorded six tackles and two sacks for the Falcons. Taylor added a pass breakup to aid his strong night. Connor Eldredge and Kam Smith both chipped in with four tackles apiece for Groves.

Cousino still racked up 340 total yards on the night. LJ Hayes had eight catches for 101 yards and Sandridge was 17-for-36 passing for 204 yards, but his receivers dropped five passes and the Groves defense did a great job breaking up several passing plays in the secondary. Carter had 19 carries for 127 yards to lead Cousino’s running game.

ROCHESTER HILLS — Senior quarterback Ryland Watters threw for four touchdowns and ran for another as Rochester Adams dispatched Stoney Creek 43-18 in Friday’s district finals.

“We worked hard for this one. We knew it was a battle, especially last game,” Watters said. “It feels great to be Rochester champions, beating them twice. They’re a great football team, and beating Rochester (High) twice as well is a great feeling.”

Early on, the Cougars’ offense was moving the ball. Stoney Creek took the opening kick off and drove 53 yards in 14 plays before coming up short on fourth-and-goal.

Adams, by comparison, needed only three plays to score. Watters hit Matt Toeppner on a screen pass to the short side, and Toeppner picked up a couple of blocks, racing down the left sideline for a 93-yard touchdown. A 2-point conversion gave Adams an 8-0 lead, and the Highlanders would never trail.

Stoney Creek finished its next drive, a 12-play possession capped by a 13-yard TD pass from Brandon Gergics to Jake Lantzy that made the score 8-6.

But Adams would roll after that. The Highlanders kept hitting big plays, including a 57-yard touchdown from Watters to Cameron Dawood on their next possession that made it 14-6. That was the first of three touchdown catches on the night for Dawood.

“That was the game plan going in,” Adams head coach Tony Patritto said. “They were trying to guess what we were doing and taking some gambles, and we made some good checks and made some really nice plays.”

 

Adams finished the game with 15 plays going for 10 or more yards. Meanwhile, the longest play for Stoney Creek covered just 14 yards until the Cougars finally hit for several big gains on their final drive. By that time, though, the visitors were down 43-12. Once the Highlanders got dialed in on defense, Stoney Creek’s offense ground to a halt. After running 26 plays on their first two drives and gaining 118 yards, the Cougars generated just one first down on their next six trips.

“We just didn’t make enough plays tonight, and that was the frustrating part for us. We had a couple of good drives early on to put the ball close to the end zone and just couldn’t capitalize on it,” Cougars head coach Rick Powell said.

Photos of Rochester Adams vs. Stoney Creek in a D1 district football championship

With the win, Adams improves to 9-2 and will take a six-game winning streak into next week’s regional matchup against Romeo. The Highlanders and Bulldogs met on opening night with Adams winning 39-7. But after dropping its first two games, Romeo has now won eight of its last nine contests, including a 56-0 destruction of Macomb Dakota on Friday.

“Romeo is just crushing people,” Patritto said. “We’re going to have to be at our very best to beat them. They’ve got to come here, but the first game means nothing. They have us on film, we have them on film, so it’s really just about execution now.” He added that, “High school football is a momentum sport, and it’s really what the kids believe in. Our kids are starting to believe in themselves a little bit more, and I think that’s the difference.”

Stoney Creek finishes 7-4 in Year 2 under Powell.

“We’re just trying to take it one step at a time,” Powell said. “Last year, we made the playoffs and lost to these guys in similar fashion. This year, we challenged our seniors. What were our seniors going to do? What would they make for the program and for the team? And they really stepped up. Our motto and our goal was '1% better,' and if you look at the season overall, as a whole, we got 1% better as a program, and the seniors did it all. They lead the way. They were true to who they were, and I thank them for everything they did."

The Cougars will graduate 24 seniors, but also return many key pieces from this year’s team.

Rochester Adams defeated Stoney Creek 43-18 to win the D1 district title on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025 at Adams. The Highlanders host Romeo next week in regionals.

CLARKSTON — When Clarkston was forced to settle for a 42-yard field goal from Aidan O’Neill in the last 10 seconds of the first half, it seemed consequential considering Grand Blanc’s offense was also thriving up to that point.

That turned out to not be the case.

The Wolves’ offense continued to feed many mouths Friday night, which ended in hoisting a D1 district championship following their 44-22 win over the No. 4 Bobcats.

It’s a stark contrast to the Wolves’ 41-0 loss in the district final last year to Rochester Adams, who then beat the Bobcats 21-14 in regionals.

“Last season was tough, and we had a horrible game (against Adams), not gonna lie,” Wolves senior Griffin Boman said. “But this just shows where we can be and we’re gonna try to make it to Ford Field.”

Though Boman and his brother, Lukas, tend to get plenty of due praise for their offensive accomplishments, the spotlight was big enough for many others in Friday’s triumph, which never saw the sixth-ranked Wolves punt.

Signs of a shootout began when Clarkston junior quarterback Alex Waszczenko spun out of a tackle and dove across the pylon on a 17-yard touchdown run with 8:49 on the clock in the opening quarter. Within the next 1:50, a tipped pass from Grand Blanc senior quarterback Jake Morrow fell into the hands of Angelo Chapman for a 60-yard gain, then Jeremiah Coleman’s 24-yard completion down the left sideline tied the game, 7-7.

The Wolves quickly chunked down the field in response, and Waszczenko, who had three receivers lined up right, opted to go over the middle to Hank Hornung. It resulted in a 27-yard touchdown, the first of a few significant plays by Clarkston’s senior receiver.

Morrow, who threw for over 300 yards in the loss, orchestrated the Bobcats down the field on their next drive, but Griffin Boman got his hands on a fumble recovery when Grand Blanc was approaching the end zone and ran it back roughly half the length of the field to the Bobcats’ 27-yard line. Clarkston handed the ball to Griffin on fourth-and-2 for a 4-yard gain, and several plays later he turned a 12-yard run around the left edge, making it 20-7 with 8:01 to go in the second quarter after Grand Blanc blocked the extra point.

Aided by a 41-yard completion to Micah Kemp and a roughing the passer penalty against the Wolves, Morrow finished off Grand Blanc’s next possession with a 1-yard keeper that cut the lead back to one score with 3:41 remaining in the first half, which preceded Clarkston’s drive that resulted in the field goal that made it 23-14.

After halftime, a sack by Gabe Mansour and a penalty against the Bobcats on their drive to start meant their punt only pushed Clarkston back to start at the Bobcats’ 42-yard line. Griffin Boman converted on fourth-and-2 from the 34 for a 12-yard gain, and on the next play Waszczenko went untouched on a run into the end zone that made it 30-14 less than five minutes into the third.

“I see what I can on the field,” said Waszczenko when asked how much of his rushing production was by design. “When we’ve got reads, I take what I can and I can use my legs. It helps our offense a little bit, having us three in the backfield, me and (the Bomans).”

Despite a sack by Hunter Kauth early in the corresponding drive by Grand Blanc, Morrow ended up throwing a 28-yard TD pass to Kemp, and then connected on a crossing route with an open Caseton Sendry for the 2-point conversion that made it 30-22 with 2:40 left in the penultimate quarter.

It only stayed a one-score contest for 19 seconds, however, as Hornung took an end-around 70 yards to the house.

“Honestly, it was great,” Hornung said. “I got great blocks. Without Cam (Love) and that block (from him), I wouldn’t have been able to get down there.”

Photos of No. 6 Clarkston vs. No. 4 Grand Blanc in a D1 district football championship

The Bobcats looked as if they might bite back yet again when their first play of the next drive resulted in a 44-yard catch by Kemp to continue his big night, but after a 14-yard catch by Daylin Taylor that got it to the Wolves' 3-yard line, Clarkston's defense stiffened. Kauth broke up a pass intended for Kemp, then Love was in on coverage on the fourth-down attempt in the corner of the end zone for Sendry, handing the ball back to Clarkston just 13 seconds into the fourth.

Clarkston then effectively put the game to bed with a 74-yard completion on third-and-6 to Hornung and a 3-yard rushing TD by Griffin Boman the next play for the game's final score with 7:25 remaining.

In desperation mode but also in Wolves' territory, Morrow went deep on third-and-15, but Love picked it off and ran it back roughly 30 yards with 5:36 left in the game. Clarkston got all the way down inside the 10-yard line and likely could've tacked on another TD, but instead knelt the rest of the time away, the only possession in which the Wolves didn't score on all night.

"(A shootout) was definitely a possibility, especially the way that the game started," Clarkston head coach Justin Pintar said. "I just thought the offense did a great job. The offensive line gave our guys opportunities to run the  ball, and when our playmakers got the ball in space they showed what they could do. I thought Alex played an outstanding game running and throwing the ball. He showed what he's capable of doing. Our offense started the season really well -- maybe had a little bit of a lull in the middle -- but I think we've played great football on that side of the ball the last couple months."

Previously unbeaten Grand Blanc finishes the season with a record now identical to the Wolves (10-1), who remain in their own backyard for next week's regional game against No. 2 Detroit Catholic Central. The Shamrocks beat Hartland 45-7 in their district final.

TROY – Down a set and facing a 24-20 deficit in the second set of its Division 1 district final with Birmingham Marian, it’s like a light went off in the head of Bloomfield Hills senior Kayla Nwabueze on Friday night.

She had to remind herself that she was the best player on the floor and it was time for her to prove it. And prove it she did.

Nwabueze would spark a 6-point rally with four kills to push the Black Hawks to a 26-24 win in the second set and completely shift the momentum of the game.

From there, the Black Hawks took the next two sets behind a match-high 29 kills from their Miss Volleyball finalist, as No. 2 Bloomfield Hills topped No. 4 Marian 18-25, 26-24, 25-20, 25-21 at Troy Athens High School.

“I was just telling myself that this could possibly be my last game, and I need to just go out hard, and I need to go out with the bang,” Nwabueze said of her mindset to close the second that. “My mental space just changed.”

Bloomfield Hills (39-6-1) didn’t hide its strategy once it started to work. They set Nwabueze everywhere on the floor and challenged the Mustangs to stop her.

“I think everybody saw that Kayla got a little bit hot. I think the setter found the hot hitter for sure,” Bloomfield Hills coach Brian Kim said. “We were fortunate to be able to come back in that second set and then just ride that momentum into sets three and four.”

Nwabueze, a Harvard commit, put down another eight kills in the third set, then nine in the fourth to wrap up the match. Her final two kills came from the back row to push the Black Hawks to a 24-21 advantage.

“She is by far the best hitter in the state. Honestly, she’s the best hitter I’ve ever seen in the state,” Marian coach Mayssa Cook said of Nwabueze. “In all the years I’ve coached, nobody, in my opinion, that we’ve ever played, even touches her as far as talent goes.”

Marian (44-6) started fast, taking a 5-1 lead in the first and never trailed to pick up a 25-18 win. In the second set, the Mustangs would lead 8-1, but eight service errors in the frame opened the door for Bloomfield Hills to rally, which it did.

“It didn’t help that we missed eight serves. In the second set, we missed eight serves. We had a seven-point lead twice. We were still up 24-20 and missing those serves at critical moments got (Nwabueze) to the front row quickly,” Cook said.

Nwabueze felt the momentum shift after that second set, as it seemed to put the Mustangs on their heels, while her teammates started to play with more confidence.

“I definitely did,” Nwabueze said on if she felt the momentum changed after the second set. “I was really happy that my team started riding behind me, and our whole energy just flipped.”

It wasn’t just Nwabueze’s play on the court that helped turn the tide. She was the first to speak in each huddle, and she was coaching up her teammates following the first set, telling them to remain confident. To Kim, that just defines why she’s more than just an on-court leader.

“Her leadership really shows, and everybody on the team, I think even spectators, everybody can see what kind of leader that she really is,” Kim said of Nwabueze. “As hard as she plays, everybody else follows her lead. So, she’s really something special.”

When the match concluded, Nwabueze and her teammates collapsed to the floor in joy. When the district trophy was handed out to Kim, he immediately walked it toward his senior star.

“It was definitely a feeling of relief that we didn’t have to keep fighting anymore,” Nwabueze said of seeing the final point. “We didn’t have to take it further than we needed to, and that we got the job done.”

Aiding Nwabueze and the Black Hawks in the win was junior setter Brynn Wilcox, who recorded 43 assists. Freshman Emily Nwabueze, the sister of Kayla, added seven kills while sophomore Allison Stakoe had four.

Photo gallery from the D1 volleyball district final between Bloomfield Hills and Marian

Marian was led by senior setter Allie Davison, who had 34 assists and five aces. Junior Sophia Smith recorded 15 kills, while sophomore Quinn Nelson had 10 kills with four aces.

The Mustangs will graduate four from their 2025 roster, but will return a loaded roster once again for the 2026 season.

“Wanting it is one thing, showing it is another thing,” Cook said of her team. “I know we wanted it. We've worked hard all season. We've been a top-five, maybe even top-four, team all season. It sucks that we saw them in districts, for sure, because we are better than a team that loses in districts. But ultimately, you have to show up and play who is in front of you. Bloomfield Hills brought their A+ game against us.”

The Black Hawks will now head to Marian next week for regional play. They open up with a regional semifinal against Grosse Pointe South at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

“There are a lot of players on the team that had to step up in different moments. So, every player on the team contributed throughout the season,” Kim said. “We’re excited to see how this season goes.”

Grand Blanc’s offense was formidable, but Clarkston’s was even better in the Wolves’ 44-22 district title win Friday, Nov. 7, 2025 in Clarkston.

Bloomfield Hills defeated Birmingham Marian 18-25, 26-24, 25-20, 25-21 in a Division 1 district volleyball final at Troy Athens High School on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025.

Nwabueze wills Bloomfield Hills to 4-set district championship win over Marian