OXFORD – The Birmingham Seaholm Maples dominated the Oxford Wildcats 9-1 in Oakland Activities Association Red Division action Thursday night.

It’s the most goals the Maples have scored in a match as far back as MHSAA’s online records go, which is at least a dozen complete seasons.

The Maples started hot and never looked back. Seaholm opened the scoring just under five minutes into the game when Leo Ballini Piedrahita’s corner kick found Maxwell Collins in front, and Collins powered a header home to make it 1-0. Seaholm doubled its lead on a penalty kick goal from Patrick McCarthy with 29:46 to play in the first half then added another goal when McCarthy crossed a ball that Rowan Hanoosh one-timed home. That gave the Maples a 3-0 lead at halftime.

The Maples had been in a similar position on Tuesday when they faced Berkley, only to give up the lead and lose 5-4. This game was different. Seaholm stayed focused, kept the pressure on, and kept pouring in goals. Any thought of an Oxford comeback fizzled out when Bryan Pohl tapped in a loose ball less than two minutes after halftime to extend Seaholm’s lead even further.

Oxford had flashes of offense, including hitting the inside of the post early in the second half. But outside of a late penalty kick goal from Ryan Clark, the Wildcats’ offense did not find the net as they struggled to consistently threaten the Maple goal.

Seaholm, meanwhile, was getting goals from everyone. McCarthy and Collins each added second-half goals to their first-half tallies, and Marco Rodrigues, Carson Wilner, and T. J. Kotila also scored in the second half.

“I didn’t expect that, obviously. I don’t think anybody did. We just needed a reaction because, to be quite honest, they are no worse than Berkley,” Seaholm head coach Greg Perkins said. “We talked the other day just about how anything can happen. You’re up 3-0 and end up losing 5-4, so there is never a time you can rest. It couldn’t be any better.”

With the win, Seaholm stays on the heels of division leading Troy Athens. The Maples (8-2-2 overall, 2-1-1 OAA Red) host second place Clarkston in another key league game on Tuesday.

Photo gallery of Birmingham Seaholm vs. Oxford in OAA Red boys soccer action

“We’ll go in and try to do what we can. It’s going to be a very different kind of team to play against, and we know a bit about them,” Perkins said. “We’ll be ready, and we’ve got a few days to prepare, so we’re looking forward to it.”

Oxford (5-6-1 overall, 2-2 OAA Red) will now attempt to regroup after dropping two straight league games. The Wildcats host Grand Blanc on Monday and then face Berkley on Tuesday in their next league game.

“Everything they (Seaholm) touched turned to goals. They’re a great team,” Wildcats head coach Adam Bican said. “We won’t have any problem with motivation. We’ll be alright. We’re just a brand new team figuring stuff out,” he added.

Birmingham Seaholm defeated Oxford 9-1 in the OAA Red matchup played on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025 at Oxford.

WARREN – Sometimes soccer can boil down to finishing and not finishing scoring opportunities.

It’s that simple.

Novi Detroit Catholic Central only had eight shots on frame Thursday, but scored on four of them and ended up earning a 4-1 victory over host Warren De La Salle in Catholic High School League Central Division play.

The Shamrocks (7-2-2, 6-0-0), listed as honorable mention in the Division 1 polls, led 2-1 at the half before tacking on a pair of insurance tallies in the second half.

“We started off a little bit slow. But once we scored we were alright. We took advantage of a little bit of misfortune on them (with the two rebound goals). Their goalkeeper made the initial save but we followed (the shots) up and were able to score on them” noted Catholic Central coach Gene Pulice. “Thaier still has them doing a good job. And yes we did finish our opportunities tonight. I think it’s one of those things that if you can take the wind out of their sails a little. Bit. The first team to score helps you achieve that. They cut it down to 2-1 but we pulled it back a little bit in the second half with two more goals and started to get things done. “

More importantly, CC now had a two-game lead on Detroit U-D Jesuit and a three-game lead on De La Salle in the seven-school Central Division and are now comfortably in the driver’s seat in terms of winning the division and grabbing the No. 1 seed for the CHSL Bishop Tournament in October.

“We’re doing pretty good so far, and in the Catholic League they always pitch that we are one of the best leagues in the state out there. It’s a tough league and it’s a battle every game,” said Pulice. “Sometimes it’s better lucky than good. You have to respect all the teams in this league.”

Catholic Central scored the first two goals off of rebound opportunities. The first came with 24:12 still left in the first half when Luke Perry was near the doorstep to knock it home after Zachary Zahr’s first shot was knocked away by De La Salle backup goalkeeper Giovanni Vitale.

The Shamrocks scored the next goal in similar fashion when Grant Mooradian’s blast from the top of the box was knocked down by Vitale but this time it was Zahr in the right place at the right time to knock in the rebound with 19:51 remaining in the first half.

Andrew Corder finally got the Pilots untracked when he found some open real estate near the upper left corner of the box and uncorked a banger from 18 yards out with 17:27 left in the first half. It was Corder’s 21st goal of the season just one month into the campaign.

But Catholic Central had four opportunities in the second half and two were converted by Mooradian. The first came with 34:58 remaining in the game when Peters found Mooradian unmarked in the middle of the box and ripped a 14-yard banger into the net.

Mooradian later converted a penalty kick with 28:06 left to cap the scoring and open up a three-goal lead.

Defensively, Catholic Central did a great job on limiting Corder’s chances, allowing him only three shots on goal. Goalkeeper Jake Sievers turned aside a laser shot by Corder midway through the second half and finished with four saves for CC.

Catholic Central held a 12-11 overall shots advantage in the somewhat evenly- game and also had a 8-5 shots on goal advantage in the contest. De La Salle held a 4-2 edge off corners.

De La Salle, ranked third in the state in Division 2, slipped to 10-3-0 overall and 3-3-0 in league play. Although the Pilots are essentially out of the Central Division race and only Detroit U-D Jesuit can possible catch the Shamrocks.

“Hats off to CC. The better team won tonight. They outplayed us and scored on their opportunities,” said Thaier Mukhtar, whose team in the defending Division 2 state champion and reached the state semifinals in 2023. “They should win the (Central) and we can’t catch him. But there is still a lot for us to play for. We have to get better and get ready for the state tournament and try to go as far as we can. The ultimate goal is to win the state championship.

“This wasn’t one of our better games,” added Mukhtar. “We just got outplayed by CC tonight. We’ll bounce back.”

NEW YORK (AP) — Aaron Judge hit two home runs to tie Hall of Fame outfielder Joe DiMaggio for fourth place in Yankees history as New York beat the Detroit Tigers 9-3 on Thursday night to avert a three-game sweep.

On the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, President Donald Trump attended the game and watched from a suite on the third base side.

Judge homered off Tyler Holton (5-5) in the first inning and matched DiMaggio by launching his 361st career homer with a 434-foot drive to the back of the Detroit bullpen off Sawyer Gipson-Long in the third.

Judge had his sixth multihomer game this season and pulled even with DiMaggio two nights after passing Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra for fifth on the franchise list.

The two-time AL MVP had three hits and ended the night with a major league-best .322 batting average, three points ahead of Athletics rookie shortstop Jacob Wilson.

Giancarlo Stanton followed Judge’s second solo shot with his 449th homer, tying Hall of Famers Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Jeff Bagwell for 41st on the career list.

Including the postseason, it was the 56th time Judge and Stanton homered in the same game and fifth time this season.

Ben Rice hit an RBI double and José Caballero, Austin Slater, Cody Bellinger and Jazz Chisholm Jr. had run-scoring singles as the Yankees moved a half-game ahead of Boston for the top American League wild card heading into a three-game series at Fenway Park this weekend.

New York rookie Cam Schlittler (3-3) bounced back from his worst start and allowed one run on three hits in six innings.

Dillon Dingler homered and hit an RBI single, but the Tigers were unable to complete their first sweep of the Yankees in New York since 2008.

Key moment

After allowing Dingler’s tying single, Schlittler ended a 26-pitch second inning by striking out Parker Meadows and retiring Javier Báez on a groundout.

Key stat

The Yankees are 49-7 when Judge and Stanton homer in the same game.

— By LARRY FLEISHER, Associated Press

EAST LANSING — Usually college football coaches have all the answers. At Michigan State, they’ve got all the questions.

Though the money and attention paid to college sports has professionalized the sport, college football is still, at its root, about player development. The vast majority of players come to campus either eyeing a future in professional football or needing to improve to touch the college field. From the perspective of Michigan State’s coaches, getting players there starts with their own ears.

“We believe that a smarter player is a better player, right?” safeties coach James Adams said Wednesday. “And so part of teaching and coaching and developing these young people is figuring out how they learn.”

Not only how players learn, but what they know in the first place. In order to develop better players, coaches deconstruct the framework of how they think about football, then fill the gaps. Players are different these days. The Spartans (2-0) have made a deliberate effort to recruit the sorts of players who want to learn and grow, who can handle themselves with intention.

“Kids are changing, you know,” offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren said in August. “And it’s not the kids’ fault, it’s not the parents’. It’s just what’s around them. So you try to find those right kids.”

When the right type of kids get on campus, though, they’re all at various levels of football understanding. Before coaches can teach them anything, they must learn where players are at in their understanding of the game.

In the past, there’d be that caricature of an old-school coach who would rip into a player and tell them exactly what they needed to do, and the player’s success depended on how well they applied the lessons. These days, more young players are inquisitive. They want to, or even need to, understand “why” before they act. Their grasp of purpose dictates their chance of success.

Michigan State’s coaches are well equipped to handle those questions of “why.” In fact, they prefer it that way. Purpose is central to the development of players, getting down to the nitty-gritty details to elevate players’ football IQs.

It works like this: Aidan Chiles goes to a film session and watches back his tape. Before a coach lays into his ball placement, or his footwork, or his decision of when to scramble, they first ask what he sees. And through direct communication developed by trust, Chiles shows where he’s at.

“I have to have that with him,” quarterbacks coach Jon Boyer said Tuesday. “And so for me, everything, I try to pose questions rather than giving him the answers so that I know exactly what he’s thinking. We have to have that open line of communication, and that’s the way that we’re building the room together with all the quarterbacks.”

The same goes with defensive players. Adams, for example, will ask his defensive players what they see in the film room or even on the sideline. It’s what makes the difference between Armorion Smith miscommunicating on a touchdown play and making the game-saving pass breakup in double overtime, like he did Saturday.

“My question is always what happened?” Adams said. “If they can tell me what happened, right, we can work through the hows and the adjustments.”

By developing smarter players — especially on defense — Michigan State’s coaches can accelerate growth.

“We give them a clear way to learn and a process to learn,” Adams said. “The game of football hasn’t changed in 100 years, so we’re still teaching Cover 2 and Cover 3 like everybody else. But making sure the guys understand the why of what we’re doing and what we’re calling it, and then situationally how that may change.”

This philosophy has advantages on the financial side, too. The Spartans’ roster may not be laden with blue-chip talent, but head coach Jonathan Smith and his staff squeeze everything out of — and give every opportunity to — their players in order to maximize success. As Michigan State continues building its war chest to compete with the big spenders, Smith’s strategy gets a lot of bang for a smaller buck.

This strategy comes with responsibility for players, too. They have to be honest, first and foremost, about what they see on the field. Players almost have to be coaches themselves, something that favors older players who’ve played a lot of football. It’s a slow process, but the results can be strong, as Smith’s latter years at Oregon State showed.

“We’ve got a veteran group that they do a great job of coaching themselves and correcting themselves,” Adams said of this year’s team.

After one more tuneup against Youngstown State on Saturday (3:30 p.m./BTN), Michigan State will enter Big Ten play, where the margin for error shortens and there’s less time for learning. But don’t expect coaches to stop asking questions. Because it’s there where the key to this program’s success lies.

Two-point conversion

Aidan Chiles had a rowdy celebration after Saturday’s win over Boston College. He climbed into the student section to dance, hugged teammates, coaches and even commentators on the field. And he scooped up a child on the field and swung him around with a big hug.

That child was Boyer’s son. He and Chiles have known each other since Boyer was on Smith’s Oregon State staff that recruited Chiles in the 2023 class.

“Moments like that, (Chiles) earned the opportunity,” Boyer said. “And then for me to be a part of that and my son to be a part of that at the end of the game with a big hug, that’s what it’s about.”

ALLEN PARK — John Morton is in lockstep with his head coach: The Detroit Lions aren’t panicking.

The offensive output in Sunday’s season-opening loss at the Green Bay Packers fell well below expectations. But Morton, in his first year as offensive coordinator, insisted Thursday his unit’s issues are fixable, and he’s assured the overarching problems present at Lambeau Field will be taken care of by the time the Chicago Bears visit Ford Field for Week 2.

“We have great players,” Morton said. “That’s why I’m confident.”

Particularly, the run game must improve. The Lions averaged a measly 2.1 yards per carry against the Packers, their worst since October 2023, when they beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a game Jahmyr Gibbs missed with a hamstring injury. Gibbs and David Montgomery have never been less productive in a game both participated in than they were against the Packers.

Much of Detroit’s struggles can be connected to miscommunication. On a number of plays, at least one member of the offensive line was not mentally in line with his teammates. Sometimes, it was multiple players at fault. And it wasn’t just a youth issue. Rookie right guard Tate Ratledge and left guard Christian Mahogany, playing in the first and third career games, respectively, had their fair share of concerns. But so did some of the veterans, according to Morton.

Take the near safety at the start of the fourth quarter as an example. Ratledge allowed defensive tackle Colby Wooden to come through unblocked, drawing the ire of those who watched the replay. Left tackle Taylor Decker revealed Wednesday he was also incorrect on that rep, as he ran the same play Ratledge did. Mahogany, center Graham Glasgow and right tackle Penei Sewell were on a different page.

Those are the type of correctable mistakes Morton identified on tape.

“It’s addressed,” Morton said. “It’s going to be fixed.”

Asked why he’s confident in the run game improving, Morton said, “Because we’re doing plays that they’ve done. Now, there’s some young guys, right? We’ve just got to make sure we give them the right looks, all the different type of right looks, and to make sure they know exactly what they’re doing. And that’s what we’ve done.”

Head coach Dan Campbell said Monday there may have been too much put on the players’ plates too early, and dialing things back some against the Bears could be beneficial. It’s about getting back to the fundamentals. The meat and potatoes, if you will.

“We did an extra period in the runs this week, and I think it’s going to help,” Morton said. “I think that’s what you’ve got to do. It’s an easy fix. Again, we’re not in panic mode. But 2.1 (yards per carry), that ain’t gonna cut it. It should never happen.”

Chicago’s defense doesn’t posses the talent of Green Bay’s, especially so if some starters who missed Week 1 (cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon, and linebacker T.J. Edwards) aren’t available. Johnson (calf/groin) returned to practice Wednesday. Edwards (hamstring) was limited and Gordon (hamstring) did not practice.

Morton and Campbell are also familiar with the scheme, having worked with defensive coordinator Dennis Allen in New Orleans. It’s similar to what the Lions run defensively, with an emphasis on man coverage. That’s different than the Packers, who often play zone and drop seven defenders in coverage.

“Last game, the best thing about that is it’s the first game of the season. Nobody’s in panic mode,” Morton said. “The players have been awesome, great attitudes. We’ve had great preparation, just like we did last week. The bottom line is it’s just about execution and the details of everything. … How do we fix this? We’re in the fix-it business, as coaches. Dan’s been awesome, players have been awesome. We had a good practice yesterday, and we’re moving on to Chicago.”

ALLEN PARK — Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard admitted he was “pissed” after his defense gave up 27 points in Sunday’s opener against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.

But like a lot of the chatter coming out of the team facility this week, Sheppard emphasized he’s not as discouraged after having some time to digest the performance. According to Sheppard, the metrics out of Sunday’s game were encouraging — even if the Lions‘ offense couldn’t match them, resulting in a 27-13 loss to begin the season.

Sheppard acknowledged some necessary areas of improvement while making the case his defense truly did buckle down in the second half of Sunday’s game.

“Coming off the field, you guys know, ultra-competitive nature of the game. My temperament and things, I was pissed,” Sheppard said. “And I’m ready to scowl at everybody, but then you sit back and look at it and after the second time and after the third time, you go, ‘There’s a lot of good football on this tape.’”

He started with the passing defense, which allowed 188 yards and two touchdowns from Packers quarterback Jordan Love, who went 16-for-22 through the air for a passer rating of 128.6. Love was efficient and hit on big plays when the Lions’ defense presented him with opportunities to do so. Sheppard said he’s more than happy to give up just 188 yards of passing, which tied for 18th among all quarterbacks in Week 1.

Sheppard was upset by the two-play drive that gave Green Bay a 17-3 lead in the second quarter. Cornerback Terrion Arnold was the closest defender on both a 48-yard completion to Romeo Doubs and a 17-yard touchdown pass to Michigan State product Jayden Reed. Outside of that, he was satisfied by the passing defense — but it’s worth noting Green Bay threw the ball just six times in the second half.

“We went into the game saying, ‘You’ve got to make these guys beat us,’ Sheppard said. “You cannot give them things because that’s when they thrive. You have to make them beat us, and we did not do that on back-to-back plays. Inexcusable, and that’s been addressed.”

Asked about the team’s lack of consistent pass rush, Sheppard said the team wasn’t given many opportunities to get home, and also praised its ability to keep Love in the pocket.

It’s the second part that’s worth paying attention to: The Lions seemingly put more effort into containing Love as a rusher than disrupting his flow in the passing game. On second-and-9 in the red zone on the Packers’ opening drive, Aidan Hutchinson got the one-on-one he wanted after Roy Lopez stunted to eat a double team, only for Hutchinson to hover at the line of scrimmage like a point guard defending the perimeter as Love threw an incompletion to Doubs.

“Go back with your stopwatch and turn on the pass plays, they weren’t going to allow it. But more importantly I thought — I want to give credit to our guys of not letting this guy out of the pocket. That’s things that we’ve struggled with in years past,” Sheppard said. “Jordan Love has burned us in years past with his legs. He had one run, I think, for four yards. So, I want to look at the positives in that.

“Yeah, we could’ve done things and things like that, but we had a specific gameplan and for the most part, the guys went out and executed the gameplan.”

Ultimately, Sheppard expects the pass rush to be better this weekend, especially from Hutchinson — but it’s worth noting the Lions’ opponent at quarterback, Caleb Williams, has a similar tendency to escape from the pocket and extend plays with his legs.

“When you’re the elite of the elite, people are going to plan for you and that’s why he’s the caliber player that he is. We will counter that and Hutch will counter that. He’s an ultra-aware player, he knows how to manipulate things and move himself around,” Sheppard said.

“We’re working off a one-game sample size, people.”

And, in fairness, the run defense was excellent — no caveats needed. The Lions gave up 78 yards on 25 carries, an average of 3.1 per carry.

“We should’ve been at 2.2 (per carry),” Sheppard said. “Why do I say that? Because one of those was a 15-yard explosive run that should’ve never happened. That’s been addressed as well.”

Statewide boys soccer rankings from the Michigan High School Soccer Coaches Association

For the week of Sept. 7, 2025

 

DIVISION 1

1 Portage Central

2 Ann Arbor Huron

3 Clarkston

4 Okemos

5 Hartland

6 Holland West Ottawa

7 Hudsonville

8 Traverse City West

9 Byron Center

10 Grand Haven

11 Ann Arbor Skyline

12 Detroit U-D Jesuit

13 Royal Oak

14 Troy Athens

15 Saginaw Heritage

HONORABLE MENTION: Berkley, Detroit Catholic Central, Livonia Stevenson, Birmingham Seaholm, Troy, Utica Eisenhower

DIVISION 2

1 Hudsonville Unity Christian

2 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central

3 Warren De La Salle

4 New Boston Huron

5 Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood

6 DeWitt

7 Holland

8 Allendale

9 Mason

10 St. Joseph

11 Orchard Lake St. Mary’s

12 Dearborn Divine Child

13 Holland Christian

14 Edwardsburg

15 Marquette

HONORABLE MENTION: Muskegon Reeths-Puffer, Cedar Springs, Haslett, Fruitport

 

DIVISION 3

1 Detroit Country Day

2 Pontiac Notre Dame Prep

3 Flint Powers Catholic

4 Frankenmuth

5 Elk Rapids

6 Grand Rapids West Catholic

7 Paw Paw

8 Ann Arbor Greenhills

9 Williamston

10 Grosse Ile

11 Saginaw Swan Valley

12 Alma

13 Ovid-Elsie

14 Grand Rapids Catholic Central

15 Kingsford

HONORABLE MENTION: Fennville, Hartford, Milan, Grand Rapids NorthPointe Christian, South Haven, Tawas Area

 

 

DIVISION 4

1 Plymouth Christian

2 Grosse Pointe Woods University-Liggett

3 Lansing Christian

4 North Muskegon

5 Grandville Calvin Christian

6 Royal Oak Shrine

7 Muskegon Western Michigan Christian

8 Wyoming Potter’s House Christian

9 Harbor Springs

10 Clarkston Everest Collegiate

11 Detroit Cristo Rey

12 Bloomfield Hills Roeper

13 Maple City Glen Lake

14 Hillsdale Academy

15 Leland

HONORABLE MENTION: Kalamazoo Hackett Catholic Prep, Kalamazoo Christian, Brighton Livingston Christian

NEW YORK — The Detroit Tigers on Wednesday responded to an investigative article in The Athletic that detailed alleged incidents of sexual misconduct toward female employees and portrayed the organization as being a “boys club” where some women felt unsafe.

In a statement released through Ilitch Sports and Entertainment CEO Ryan Gustafson, the Tigers didn’t dispute the seven reported incidents against former employees. They took accountability for it, saying each was investigated promptly and each employee was terminated.

But the general culture of the organization, the club felt, was mischaracterized.

“We are committed to a culture of respect, safety, and inclusion,” the statement read. “We do not tolerate discrimination or harassment, and when concerns are raised, we investigate promptly and take decisive action, which has included terminating employees for misconduct, regardless of seniority or tenure.

“We are committed to accountability and to upholding the standards essential to our workplace.”

As the article mentioned, the seven employees cited for misconduct have either resigned, were fired or did not have their contracts renewed.

• Sam Menzin, former assistant general manager, cited for sending lewd photos to a female co-worker.

• Michael Lienert, former vice president of premium sales, accused of a number of things, including undisclosed dating of employees, bullying female employees, including an allegation of pushing a female down a flight of stairs.

• Josh Bullock, former vice president of business in Lakeland, cited for verbal and vulgar verbal attacks on men and women.

• Rob Gehring, former video content producer, cited for inappropriate conduct toward women.

• Peter Soto, former vice president of game presentation, accused of making inappropriate comments toward women.

• Also, former players and analysts Cameron Maybin and Craig Monroe were not brought back because of allegations of sexual misconduct.

More: Craig Monroe taken off Tigers’ TV minutes after sex-abuse claims came to light

“We are grateful to the employees who have spoken up here,” the statement read. “And to the more than 3,000 full- and part-time colleagues who contribute every day to ensuring a safe work environment.”

The Tigers contested one of the charges in the article, which claimed that Ben Fidelman, who is the vice president of communications and broadcasting, yelled at an employee and called her “stupid.”

The Tigers, like they did all the others, investigated the charges against Fidelman and found them unfounded.

“It is inaccurate and unfair to group Mr. Fidelman within a story about accusations of sexual harassment or related misconduct,” the statement read. “A concern unrelated to either was raised, and consistent with our process, it was investigated thoroughly, and no wrong doing was found.”

Ilitch Sports and Entertainment employs more than 3,000 people. The statement reiterated that each incident was taken seriously, investigated thoroughly and dealt with.

“We work hard every day to improve our workplace culture,” the statement read. “We encourage open dialogue and feedback, celebrate the contributions of our colleagues, and continue to invest in programs that support growth, well-being, and inclusion.

“Our colleagues have multiple channels to share input, supported by a strong human resources team that responds quickly to concerns. We also provide ongoing, company-wide training and education to prevent and address inappropriate behavior.”

The article also said Detroit is one of three MLB franchises that doesn’t offer maternity leave to pregnant employees. The Tigers were putting a 12-week maternity leave benefit in place before the article came out.

It is expected to be available before the end of the year.

By JAKE OFFENHARTZ, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, who won the Democratic nomination on a platform of making the city more affordable, is now calling on soccer’s global governing body to make it cheaper for New Yorkers to attend the World Cup.

In a petition released Wednesday, Mamdani demanded FIFA reverse its plan to set ticket prices for next year’s tournament based on demand, likening the practice to “price gouging.”

The Democratic socialist, who dubbed his campaign “Game Over Greed,” also called for 15% of tickets to be set aside at discounted prices for residents.

“As a lifelong football — sorry, I mean soccer fan, I couldn’t be more excited,” Mamdani said in an accompanying social media video, affecting a faux-British accent as he juggled a soccer ball in his dress shoes. “But are any working-class New Yorkers actually going to be able to watch any of the matches?”

The tournament will be played across 16 cities in North America. Eight matches, including the final, will be held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, a short train ride away from New York City.

“So many of our neighbors will not be able to afford to be there,” Mamdani added, accusing FIFA of “pricing working people out of the game that they love.”

A spokesperson for FIFA did not respond to an emailed request for comment.

In recent days, FIFA’s plan to adopt a “variable pricing” model for ticket sales — similar to the one used by airlines or hotels — has sparked controversy among some fans.

Tickets will start at $60 for group-stage matches and increase to $6,730 for the final, officials said last week, but could fluctuate under the demand-based pricing model. Mamdani also called on the governing body to implement a cap on resale ticket prices — something it has agreed to do in Mexico, but not in the United States or Canada, he said.

Mamdani, who surged to victory in the primary based on promises such as freezing rent for New Yorkers and making buses free, situated the World Cup fight as part of his larger battle against rising costs for working people.

“Pope John Paul II said, ‘Of all the unimportant things, football is the most important,’” he said at a press conference Wednesday. “This is part and parcel of a larger affordability crisis in this city. Once again, it will be working people who will be left behind.”

ORCHARD LAKE – Henry Dezler won the race to a loose ball and slammed a rebound into the open net with 2:40 to play, giving the Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood Cranes a 3-2 win over the Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Eaglets in a key Catholic High School League game Tuesday night.

“We knew it would be like that going in, especially after the history we had with this team last year,” said Cranes head coach Jake Nunner, referring to three one-goal games. “Keith runs a great program. They have a lot of good players.

“We prepared for that. The boys were just mentally switched on. They weren’t getting too high by the highs, too low by the lows. Then we just tried to do what we do best and enjoy it. They deserved it, and I’m really happy for them.”

Cranbrook and St. Mary’s came in occupying first and second in the CHSL Central Division. The Cranes were unbeaten and ranked No. 5 in Division 2 while St. Mary’s was unbeaten in the league and ranked No. 11. Add in a developing rivalry fueled by some close games and both teams up near the top of the division the last few years, and on paper this looked like a fantastic matchup.

The game itself lived up to the billing – and then some. Big goals, big saves, big tackles – this one had a little bit of everything.

Trailing 1-0 at halftime, St. Mary’s dominated the early part of the second half. Evan Porter tied the game for the Eaglets with 24:56 to play when he found a loose ball on the back side for a tap-in after a cross had deflected through a crowd. Barely five minutes later, St. Mary’s would take the lead when Owen Shippy’s shot from 30 yards out on the left wing hit the inside of the right post and went in.

The teams would trade chances the rest of the way, but it was Cranbrook who would find a way to convert.

Jackson Ober’s free kick with just under eleven minutes to play found its way to the back post where Wyatt Smith redirected it into the net, tying the game at 2-2.

St. Mary’s nearly scored a carbon copy of Shippy’s goal just moments later, but this time, the ball hit the post and spun along the goal line long enough for the goalkeeper to reach back and snatch it off the line, preserving the tie and setting the stage for Dezler’s game-winner.

“We played a much better second half. We weren’t passive at all. We were more aggressive,” Eaglets head coach Keith Jeffery said. “But at the end of the day, kudos to them (Cranbrook). You can’t give up goals early or late in the half, and that’s what happened.”

The Cranes had been the better team for much of the first half. In fact, Cranbrook dominated the early going, but it was to no avail as St. Mary’s goalie Mason Lafnear was outstanding, robbing Cranbrook outright on multiple occasions, including a fantastic leaping save on a shot through traffic that few goalies would have even seen in time to make a play on.

Photo gallery of Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood vs. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s in CHSL boys soccer action

“Mason is a heck of a goalie. We’re lucky to have him. He’s only a sophomore, so he’s only going to get better,” Jeffery said.

St. Mary’s would play better as the half wore on and started to create some chances of their own, but eventually Cranbrook found a goal late in the half. Apolo Markus fired a long switching ball from the left side of midfield near the center stripe that landed on the right wing for Charlie Gold to run onto and slot past the charging goalkeeper with just 3:59 left in the half.

With the win, Cranbrook (6-0 overall, 6-0 CHSL Central) takes firm control of the divisional race and stays unbeaten in the early season. The Cranes put their winning streak on the line Thursday when they travel to face Toledo Central Catholic in another league test. The Cranes last won the division in 2022 and finished second in each of the last two years.

“Honestly, it was a team effort from front to back. Everyone that came in, the entire program just guys were supporting each other, performing on the field,” Nunner said. “I’m really proud of everybody.”

St. Mary’s (4-3-1 overall, 3-1-1 CHSL Central) still sits in second place. The Eaglets will try to get back in the win column on Thursday in a road match against Ann Arbor Greenhills.

Orchard Lake St. Mary’s stormed back in the second half to take a 2-1 lead, but Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood didn’t roll over, scoring the final two goals of the night to take home a 3-2 victory in a crucial CHSL contest Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025.

Waterford Mott football dropped from 2-0 back to .500 with a change in its initial result from opening weekend.

The Michigan High School Athletic Association required the Waterford School District to forfeit the Corsairs game on Aug. 28 according to a release by the district on Tuesday.

It stated that the WSD discovered that it was provided false residency information to both its athletic and enrollment offices regarding one of its players.

“Unfortunately, the district was made aware of this falsification after the student had played in the Waterford Mott vs. Walled Lake Northern football game,” the release stated.

Committed to CMU as a WR, Mott QB Geno Seets filling his predecessor’s shoes admirably

That game was originally a 45-0 home victory in favor of the Corsairs, who had looked off to back-to-back wins to start the year after pulling out a 28-27 win over Milford in Week 2.

Tuesday's release from Mott assistant athletic director Shane Hynes via district stated that WSD notified MHSAA immediately, is fully cooperating with the investigation and is appealing the decision. It concluded, "We believe our students and athletic programs should not be penalized for the falsified actions of a third party. WSD is committed to upholding the integrity of our academic and athletic programs and will work with the MHSAA to resolve this matter."

The Corsairs will hope that regardless of the appeal's result, it won't impact postseason eligibility. When asked about the importance of starting with wins knowing its next pair of games would be against formidable opponents in Walled Lake Western and Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, Mott first-year head coach Tra'Jan Seay said, "We wanted to start out hot. We know who we have the next few weeks. We're just taking it one week at a time and doing what we can do."

Detroit could generate tens of millions of dollars each year with a tax on tickets to sports and entertainment events, raising revenue that could reduce property taxes, fund city services, and help attract national events, according to a new study. The Citizens Research Council of Michigan released the study Wednesday, pointing out that “Detroit is […]

The post Detroit could raise up to $50M a year with admissions tax on sports, entertainment events, study finds appeared first on Detroit Metro Times.

One of the coldest days of January gets even harsher. The Detroit Lions, the NFL’s version of Charlie Brown trying to kick a football, were the NFC’s one seed. The city of Detroit was buoyant with high hopes. Fans had no stress about the game’s outcome. The Divisional Round versus the Washington Commanders would be […]

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One of the winningest coaches and most revered leaders in Michigan prep sports, former Birmingham Brother Rice coach Al Fracassa, died Sunday morning, the school announced on social media.

He was 92 years old.

Fracassa won 430 of his 554 career games at Royal Oak Shrine (1960-68) and Brother Rice (1969-2013), winning nine state titles in 13 title-game appearances. He was the winningest coach in Michigan football history at the time of his retirement, later passed by Farmington Hills Harrison’s John Herrington (443 wins).

The post from the school read:

“We are heartbroken to announce the passing of Coach Al Fracassa, a legendary leader, mentor, and unwavering champion of the Brother Rice community.

For over five decades, Coach Fracassa was much more than just a coach; he was a cornerstone of our school. With a record that ranks among the best in Michigan and nationwide, he not only built winning teams but also shaped young men. His legacy is defined not just by championships, but by the character he instilled in his players.

He taught us to ‘do it better than it’s ever been done before’ and to ‘do it right all the time.’ Not because it was easy, but because excellence demands it.

May he rest in peace. Let us honor him by practicing the values he instilled in us: hard work, integrity, and faith, both on and off the field.”

An all-state football player at Detroit Northeastern, and the president of his class in 1951, Fracassa earned a scholarship to play quarterback at Michigan State University, and was a member of the Spartans’ 1952 national championship team, and 1954 Rose Bowl team.

His coaching career started in 1955 at Flint’s Mandeville High School, and was interrupted by a two-year stint in the U.S. Army (1956-57). After a two-year stint as an assistant at Rochester, Fracassa took over at Shrine, going 44-19-5 in nine seasons.

He was a four-time Michigan high school coach of the year, national coach of the year in 1997, and was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 1999. He sent more than 300 players on to college football, with 13 making it to the NFL.

The Eastside Diamond Hoppers rolled past the Westside Woolly Mammoths with a 16-5 victory to secure the 2025 USPBL championship Saturday night.

The Hoppers had 18 hits, scoring early and often before delivering a decisive seven-run rally in the eighth inning. Myles Beale shined brightest on the championship stage, going 3-for-3 with a home run, three RBI, four runs scored, and two walks. Sam Schner added four hits and two RBI, while Marcus Judd delivered a clutch triple and drove in three runs. Eight different Hoppers recorded hits.

On the mound, Dylan McCall set the tone with five solid innings, striking out five while earning the win. The bullpen trio of Angelo Agro, Mike Sokol, and Jaylen Smith closed the door, allowing just two runs across the final four innings to preserve the championship-clinching win.

— Macomb Daily staff

DETROIT — He’s not ready to use the R word just yet.

But on Saturday, 37-year-old right-hander Alex Cobb notified the Tigers that he was going to shut it down for the remainder of the year and prepare to have a surgical procedure to alleviate the pain in his right hip.

“I’ve talked to some family about it and I can’t quite utter those words quite yet,” Cobb said of announcing his retirement. “Obviously, I realize that’s a big possibility.”

Cobb, who has valiantly tried to fight his way back from inflammation and pain in both his right and left hip all season, said he had his moment of clarity walking off the field Tuesday in Lehigh Valley, Pa.

After being shut down for seven days, he was scheduled to pitch two innings for the Toledo Mud Hens, his fourth Triple-A rehab outing. He made it through one.

“After the seven days I had off, I had a clear answer walking off the mound that it wasn’t going to work,” Cobb said. “I’d done everything I could and that was the best it was ever going to get and it wasn’t an acceptable product to put on the field or something where I could look to AJ (Hinch) or Scott (Harris) and tell them, ‘You can count on me.’”

Cobb talked to the media via zoom from his home in Arizona Saturday, his voice choking with emotion throughout. He was asked if he could take solace in the fact that he did everything humanly possible to get back — including getting multiple injections, platelet-based and steroidal.

“At some point I will,” he said. “I don’t have that right now. I’m disappointed. I knew with my mind the uphill battle I was going to have this year once I had (the inflammation) early in spring. But in my heart, I have envisioned being on the that mound pitching in the postseason and I just didn’t do it.

“It’s just been more of a gut punch not being able to do it and coming to that realization and knowing what comes next in my career and life.”

The next step, Cobb said, is to have a procedure called hip resurfacing. He had a more traditional surgery on his left hip in 2024.

“Guys who I’ve talked to who have had it, their eyes light up and they get a smile on their face,” Cobb said. “They say it’s the best thing you can ever do when you are in that type of pain and your hip isn’t working and you just want not to be in that pain and there is a solution.

“It’s very exciting to know that is going to be available to me.”

Cobb, who pitched 13 seasons in the big leagues and was an All Star in 2023, signed a one-year, $15 million contract with the Tigers in the offseason and went through his normal offseason training regimen without even a hint of an injury.

“Working out, throwing, I had zero pain,” he said. “I signed with the Tigers, passed the physical, everything looked great. Three or four weeks later, I was ramping up (for spring training), I was getting off the mound, full-go.

“Then I literally woke up one day and couldn’t walk.”

The surgeon who worked on his left hip had forewarned him that he would likely have similar issues with his right hip.

“When I sent him the images (of his right hip), I could hear it in his voice,” Cobb said. “He just said, flat-out, he told me, ‘I’m so sorry, the pain you are in.’ I told him I was fine but you could tell he knew I wasn’t going to be fine.”

Cobb said, unbeknownst to him, he had arthritis in the right hip all along. It wasn’t debilitating at first but the cartilage eventually collapsed and he was left with the ball joint scraping on bone.

“I can handle the pain, easily,” he said. “But it’s when the pain and stuff aren’t matched up and you are unable to overcome the pain and have quality outings. For me to be in a position to earn the right to be on this team, I would need to be reliable and I’d need to be effective. And I wasn’t.

“I wasn’t ever going to get to that point. But I wasn’t going to give up.”

He thanked the Tigers’ medical staff and the trainers for all the efforts they put in on his behalf.

“We didn’t leave any stone unturned,” he said. “We did a lot. We did some stuff that isn’t the norm of the baseball world and they went out on a limb and took care of me and tried to make it happen. It got me to a point where I was pitching again.”

Cobb said he plans to be back in Detroit before the end of the season to line things up for the surgery.

“It’s an exciting time to be in that organization and to be a fan of that organization,” Cobb said. “What they’ve done is such a short period of time, it’s why I wanted to sign there. I believe in Scott and I believe in AJ and what they’re creating

“The hardest part is not being able to put that uniform on and go out on that field be a part of what I’ve been watching for the last five months.”

EAST LANSING — A lot of words were said at halftime of Michigan State’s 42-40 double-overtime win over Boston College. A lot of tough truths. Probably some words not to be repeated in front of strangers. Some of the most important came from Nick Marsh.

The sophomore wide receiver had three catches on five targets for 22 yards and a touchdown in the first half, but he felt like he could’ve had more against a secondary that gave him space. Down 21-14, it was time to make a play. He let Michigan State coach Jonathan Smith know it.

“I told him coach, I got one-on-one coverage, give me the damn ball,” Marsh said.

Smith did, and it was Marsh who scored a tide-turning 41-yard touchdown to kickstart the Spartans’ comeback. He added one more catch, on six targets, for a 68-yard night.

How did Smith take his star speaking up?

“If that’s the case, he’s probably right, if it’s one-on-one,” Smith said. “Nick’s a competitor, I thought that was huge. Talk about his first touchdown, he’s carrying guys into the end zone on a slant like that. He is a competitive kid, talented and so, yeah, we gotta continue to find ways to get him the ball.”

Marsh has already tied his career high in touchdowns in a season — three — two games into the season. He had a quiet Week 1 against Western Michigan with just five catches for 32 yards.

A performance like Saturday’s flashes the kind of spark Marsh can ignite, both within himself and within his team.

Marsh was one of eight different players to catch a pass in the win and one of four with multiple touches, including fellow receivers Omari Kelly and Chrishon McCray.

“All these guys are great receivers,” quarterback Aidan Chiles said. “And if it’s their day, it’s their day. If they’re open, they’re open. And we’re going to get them the ball.”

Spencer crucial to the defense

Chiles’ apparent injury in the fourth quarter made Spartan Stadium hush to silence, but there was an equally important one in the first half. Safety Malik Spencer went down near the Michigan State sideline without putting weight on his right leg.

With Spencer gone, Boston College’s offense struck. The Eagles rattled off three straight scoring drives, with the majority of the yardage coming up the middle of the secondary where his absence created a hole.

“He’s a pretty big piece,” Smith said. “He is a good player, experienced out there. … He’s one of our better players on defense. And so again, we miss him when he’s (not) out there.”

In Spencer’s absence until late in the second half, Justin Denson Jr. and Devynn Cromwell played often. Cromwell got beat for a 56-yard sideline throw from Boston College quarterback Dylan Lonergan to receiver VJ Wilkins. That drive tied the game at 7, with 83 of 88 yards coming through the air.

Boston College scored two more touchdowns through the air in the second half, with Lonergan racking up 217 passing yards on 18-for-22 passing in the first half. By game’s end, he had 390 yards and another touchdown (scored in overtime). Nine of his passes went for more than 15 yards.

Not all of Michigan State’s secondary woes can be ascribed to that first-half spell without Spencer, but it exacerbated a talent problem in a secondary riding depth above star power. Spencer’s health, as well as that of fellow safety Nikai Martinez (out for the first two games of the season with an offseason injury) are two of the biggest questions facing this defense early.

Elsewhere in the defense, cornerback Joshua Eaton got beat a few times in coverage, and so did the linebackers over the middle. It’s an area Michigan State must clean up, because it’s part of the reason this game nearly went off the rails before halftime.

Ball security a problem for Kelly

Before he’d said anything at his postgame press conference, Kelly had something to get off his chest:

“I would like to shout my teammates out for not giving up on me,” Kelly said.

Saturday’s game started as a disasterclass from Kelly. After the defense forced a three-and-out to begin the game, Kelly fumbled away the punt return trying to strain for extra yards. The Spartans got the ball back off a fumble by Boston College running back Turbo Richard, but Kelly nearly gave it back later in the ensuing drive when he tried to hurdle a defender, knocking the ball loose with his knee before it bounced out of bounds.

“Something I live by is ‘don’t flinch,’” Kelly said. “Like whatever happens, however things go — good or bad — don’t flinch, because things are changing in a second.”

How quickly Kelly shook off his performance when he made a 30-yard catch out of halftime to set up Marsh’s touchdown, or when he fell on a Makhi Frazier fumble in the fourth quarter to prevent a vital drive from slipping away. And when the second overtime forced Michigan State to go for two, Chiles found Kelly on the left side of the end zone for the win.

Kelly’s punt returns showed a lot of risk, though, beyond his fumble. His decision-making under pressure faltered, like when he tried to corral a ball with one hand while surrounded by Boston College players in the second half. He’s not one to call a fair catch when he can avoid it, an area of unpredictability.