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Yesterday — 20 November 2024Main stream

Photo gallery from Detroit Country Day vs. North Branch in a D2 volleyball quarterfinal

✇The Oakland Press
By: Drew Ellis
20 November 2024 at 00:57

Birmingham Detroit Country Day defeated North Branch in a Division 2 volleyball quarterfinal at SC4 Fieldhouse in Port Huron on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. The Yellowjackets won by scores of 17-25, 20-25, 25-18, 27-25, 15-6.

  • Birmingham Detroit Country Day defeated North Branch in a Division...

    Birmingham Detroit Country Day defeated North Branch in a Division 2 volleyball quarterfinal at SC4 Fieldhouse in Port Huron on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. The Yellowjackets won by scores of 17-25, 20-25, 25-18, 27-25, 15-6. (DREW ELLIS — For MediaNews Group)

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Birmingham Detroit Country Day defeated North Branch in a Division 2 volleyball quarterfinal at SC4 Fieldhouse in Port Huron on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. The Yellowjackets won by scores of 17-25, 20-25, 25-18, 27-25, 15-6. (DREW ELLIS — For MediaNews Group)

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Birmingham Detroit Country Day defeated North Branch in a Division 2 volleyball quarterfinal at SC4 Fieldhouse in Port Huron on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. The Yellowjackets won by scores of 17-25, 20-25, 25-18, 27-25, 15-6. (DREW ELLIS — For MediaNews Group)

Tigers’ AJ Hinch finishes distant third in AL Manager of the Year voting

✇The Oakland Press
By: Associated press
20 November 2024 at 00:10

Milwaukee’s Pat Murphy won National League Manager of the Year on Tuesday after a stellar debut season with the Brewers, while Cleveland’s Stephen Vogt took the AL honors honor after leading the Guardians to 92 wins and a division title in his first year as a skipper at any level.

The 40-year-old Vogt beat Kansas City’s Matt Quatraro and Detroit’s A.J. Hinch, both AL Central rivals. He’s the first AL manager to win the award in his debut season since Minnesota’s Rocco Baldelli did it in 2019. He’s also the first to go from player to Manager of the Year in just two years.

Hinch, a 50-year-old in his fourth season leading the Tigers, also made the playoffs with a torrid second-half despite losing quality players like right-hander Jack Flaherty at the trade deadline.

Murphy, 65, led the Brewers to an NL Central title, a 93-69 record and is the franchise’s first manager to earn the award since it was introduced in 1983. In the playoffs, Milwaukee lost to the New York Mets in a three-games Wild-Card Series.

Murphy had an unusual career path to big league success — he was a longtime college coach at Notre Dame and Arizona State before moving to the professional ranks in 2010. He worked in the Padres’ minor league system until 2015 when he was hired to be Milwaukee’s bench coach under Craig Counsell, who played for Murphy at Notre Dame.

After Counsell left for the Cubs during the offseason, the Brewers quickly turned to Murphy. The transition was nearly seamless.

Murphy beat San Diego’s Mike Shildt and New York’s Carlos Mendoza,. He received 27 of the 30 first-place votes in balloting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Shildt, Mendoza and Philadelphia’s Rob Thomson each received one vote.

The previous fastest was Joe Girardi from 2003 to 2006, when he won NL Manager of the Year with the Florida Marlins.

Vogt received 27 of the 30 first-place votes. Quatraro got two and Hinch one.

Vogt led the Guardians to a 92-69 record and the playoffs in his first season after replacing three-time manager of the year Terry Francona. The former big league catcher took Cleveland to the AL Championship Series before losing to the Yankees in five games.

Vogt is the third Cleveland skipper to win the honor, joining Francona (2013, 2016, 2022) and Eric Wedge (2007).

Mendoza — in his first year leading the Mets — guided the franchise to an 89-win season and an appearance in the NL Championship Series before they lost in six games to the eventual World Series champion Dodgers.

Shildt guided the Padres to the playoffs in his first season in San Diego, winning 93 games. He won the Manager of the Year award in 2019 when he was in charge of the Cardinals.

The 51-year-old Quatraro, in his second season with the franchise, led the Royals to the postseason one year after a 106-loss season. Kansas City finished with an 86-76 record before beating Baltimore in a Wild Card Series.

Kansas City, led by catcher Salvador Perez young star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., lost to the Yankees in a four-game Division Series.

— By DAVID BRANDT, Associated Press

Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch watches batting practice during a baseball workout in Cleveland, Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in preparation for Game 5 of the American League Division Series. (PHIL LONG — AP Photo)
Before yesterdayMain stream

GAM PLAYER OF THE YEAR: McCoy Biagioli of White Lake tops 2024 men’s points list

✇The Oakland Press
By: Greg Johnson
19 November 2024 at 14:46

FARMINGTON HILLS – McCoy Biagioli of White Lake was just the 11th golfer to pull off the state’s top amateur golf feat by winning the Michigan Amateur Championship and the GAM Championship in the same year.

“All my close friends are not surprised, they are very proud of me, but I know from around golf in Michigan most people were surprised I did it,” he said. “My close friends, my teammates that play with me all the time knew the things I could do. Those who didn’t know me so well just didn’t know what I was capable of.”

His historic two wins in the state’s top two amateur tournaments put him at the top of the GAM Points List for the season and he has been named the 2024 GAM Men’s Player of the Year, Ken Hartmann, senior director of competitions and USGA services, announced today.

Player of the Year point totals can be found on a pull down from the PLAY tab at GAM.org The points lists are presented by Carl’s Golfland.

Later this week the GAM Women’s Player of the Year will be announced and over the next few weeks the GAM will announce more Players of the Year in gender and age categories.

Biagioli, 19 and a Ferris State University golfer, scored 881.5 points, and John Quigley of Sterling Heights and the Michigan Publinx Golf Association, this summer’s GAM Mid-Amateur Champion, finished second with 564.5 points.

Julian Menser of South Lyon, a Michigan State University golfer with 455 points, Drew Coble of Lake Orion, a Grand Valley State University golfer with 400 points, and Drew Miller of East Lansing, a Michigan State University golfer with 370 points, rounded out the top five.

Biagioli, a sophomore at Ferris, said he plans to defend both major titles in 2025, and wants to build on his summer of 2024.

“I set little goals, then once I’ve accomplished them, I find ways to get to bigger goals like Player of the Year,” Biagioli said. “Starting the college season last year (as a freshman) I could tell my game was improving, but consistency was something I was always looking for. I would shoot 68 then 78, but through the year I started putting good rounds together.”

At the Michigan Amateur, Biagioli set a first goal of making match play.

“I had never made match play, and I didn’t know what to expect but I always knew I could win matches,” he said. “My dad told me before I left that week for the tournament to bring home that (Staghorn Trophy). I thought it was possible. I knew I could win. I didn’t play that great in stroke play, but I made it to match play and won a match that wasn’t pretty. But I built on it, gave myself chances and pulled off big shots.”

He said the most memorable shot was a clutch 18-foot putt on hole 18 in the semifinals against Matt Zerbel of St. Joseph to win 1-up and move on to the final match with Jimmy Dales of Northville.

“I’ll remember that one the most I think,” he said. “It was what I needed to win that match, and I came through.”

Hartmann said Biagioli was a surprise and not on anybody’s list of favorites to win the Michigan Amateur.

“I think we all learned about him that week,” he said. “I’m not surprised he is the Player of the Year. He went out and won the two biggest tournaments of the summer, so he definitely deserves it. It’s not an easy accomplishment.”

Hartmann is excited to see what is ahead with Biagioli.

“He doesn’t look like a flash in the pan, especially because he won the Amateur and then won the GAM at (Barton Hills Country Club) on a tough set-up,” he said. “I think he’s a very steady player and this year he was consistent. He’s young so I expect there’s more that we will see from him.”

An action photo of McCoy Biagioli from 2024 tournament play, en route to becoming the 11th golfer to pull off the state’s top amateur golf feat by winning the Michigan Amateur Championship and the GAM Championship in the same year. (Photo contributed by Golf Association of Michigan)

Celebrini scores first career OT goal as Sharks top Red Wings 5-4

✇The Oakland Press
By: Associated press
19 November 2024 at 08:48

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Rookie sensation Macklin Celebrini scored 46 seconds into overtime, and the San Jose Sharks beat the slumping Detroit Red Wings 5-4 on Monday night.

William Ecklund had two goals, and Luke Kunin and Tyler Toffoli also scored for San Jose. who have won two straight and are 3-1-2 in their last six games. Mackenzie Blackwood finished with 16 saves.

Dylan Larkin had a goal and had an assist, and Alex DeBrincat, Marco Kasper and Michael Rasmussen also scored for Detroit, which has lost five of six. Cam Talbot stopped 29 shots.

Detroit trailed 4-3 with 2:06 left in regulation when DeBrincat tied it on a power-lay goal.

Celebrini, the 2024 No. 1 overall draft pick, then won it in the extra period with his fourth goal of the season and first career overtime score.

Takeaways

Red Wings: Detroit led 3-2 midway through the second period when Michael Rasmussen was credited with the score on an own goal, but they were unable to close the game.

Sharks: The rebuilding Sharks are 6-5 since losing nine straight to start the season. They trailed most of the game but played inspired hockey, especially late, as they rallied for the win.

Key moment

DeBrincat sent the game to overtime on a power-play goal that came 1:40 after Ty Dellandrea was assessed a 2-minute penalty for tripping Erik Gustafsson.

Key stat

The Sharks outshot the Red Wings 34-20.

Up Next

Red Wingst host the New York Islanders on Thursday, and Sharks visit Dallas on Wednesday.

— By GIDEON RUBIN, Associated Press

Detroit Red Wings center Andrew Copp, top, falls to the ice over San Jose Sharks center Tyler Toffoli during the second period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Zach LaVine’s 16 fourth-quarter points lead Bulls past Pistons 122-112

✇The Oakland Press
By: Associated press
19 November 2024 at 02:56

DETROIT (AP) — Zach LaVine scored 16 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter and the Chicago Bulls pulled away for a 122-112 win against the Detroit Pistons on Monday night.

The game was tied at 95 with 8:46 left, but LaVine had nine points in a 13-2 run that put the Bulls up by 11 with 5:45 to go. He hit six 3-pointers in the quarter after a slow start.

Nikola Vucevic led the Bulls with 29 points and 12 rebounds while Coby White scored 25.

Cade Cunningham had 26 points and 10 assists for the Pistons and Malik Beasley added 21.

Takeaways

Bulls: LaVine has traditionally given the Pistons a hard time, averaging 21.7 points in 28 career games, including a 51-point game last season. They held him to seven points on 3-for-11 shooting, including 1 for 6 on 3-pointers, in the first three quarters. He came back into the game with 8:46 left and hit five of his first six shots, all 3-pointers.

Pistons: Detroit kept the game close for the first 40 minutes, but lost too many Bulls shooters on the perimeter. Chicago shot 23-46 (50%) on 3-pointers, including 7-15 (47%) in the fourth quarter.

Key moment

Detroit was trailing 80-75 in the third when they got distracted by not getting a call on defense. Before they regained focus, Josh Giddey tipped in a missed shot, LaVine threw down an uncontested dunk and Vucevic hit a 3-pointer to make it 87-75.

Key stat

The Pistons had 16 offensive rebounds to Chicago’s 10 and only committed nine turnovers, but they only hit 34% of their 3-pointers while the Bulls were making half of theirs.

Up next

The Bulls play Wednesday in Milwaukee. The Pistons visit Charlotte on Thursday.

— By DAVE HOGG, Associated Press

Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine (8) drives as Detroit Pistons forward Tim Hardaway Jr. (8) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Burnett, Donaldson key Michigan with season-highs as Wolverines roar past Miami (OH) 94-67

✇The Oakland Press
By: Associated press
19 November 2024 at 02:53

ANN ARBOR, Mich, (AP) — Nimari Burnett scored a season high 18 points and Auburn transfer Tre Donaldson matched his career high with 16 as Michigan roared away from Miami (OH) in the second half to post a 94-67 win in an opening-round game in the Fort Myers Tipoff tournament Monday night.

Michigan is one of four teams in the Beach Division, joining South Carolina and Xavier and the Wolverines take on Virginia Tech on Monday. Miami (OH) is in the Palms Division, joining Jacksonville and Mercer and will face Siena on Monday.

Michigan held an eight-point lead, 44-36 at intermission and opened the second half with an 8-0 run kicked off by a Burnett jumper and a Roddy Gayle Jr. 3-pointer, the first of eight treys the Wolverines knocked down in the final 20 minutes. The team finished shooting 58.3% from the field (35 of 60) and 48.3% from long range (14 of 29).

Michigan is now 3-1 to start the Dusty May era in Ann Arbor and is 3-0 at home. Donaldson scored 16 points in his debut and has scored in double figures in all four games. Burnett hit 7 of 10 shots, including 4 of 7 from beyond the arc, and added four of the Wolverines 23 assists on 35 baskets. L.J. Cason had 11 points off the bench and Gayle chipped in 10 points with five assists. Vladislav Goldin finished with eight points, six rebounds and two assists, topping 1,200 points in his career.

The RedHawks (2-2) hit 26 of 65 from the field (40%) and knocked down 11 of 32 from 3-point range. Eian Elmer led the effort with 14 points with three steals. Kam Craft added 13 and Peter Suder 12.

Michigan completes its three-game homestand when it hosts Tarleton State on Thursday.

Michigan head coach Dusty May yells during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against TCU, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Lions haven’t taken any opponent lightly on way to 9-1 record

✇The Oakland Press
By: Associated press
19 November 2024 at 02:42

By DAVE HOGG
The Associated Press

DETROIT — The Detroit Lions were on the verge of their first Super Bowl appearance, but couldn’t finish off the San Francisco 49ers in last season’s NFC championship game.

This year, they have developed a killer instinct.

Entering their matchup Sunday with Mac Jones and the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Lions were favored by two touchdowns for the first time in 47 years. In the past, they might have taken a win for granted.

They didn’t overlook the Jaguars.

The Lions (9-1) set franchise records for margin of victory (46 points) and yards gained (645) in a 52-6 rout. They scored touchdowns on their first seven possessions, a field goal on the eighth and took a knee to end the game on the ninth. Defensively, they held Jacksonville to two field goals and 170 yards of offense — their 475-yard advantage was the NFL’s biggest margin since 1979.

“When you score seven touchdowns and hold the opponents to two field goals, you obviously had a number of guys who played very, very well,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “Man, they finished today. They started it and they finished it. That’s awesome.”

The Lions are only seven-point favorites for Sunday’s visit to Indianapolis, but they know they should win, especially if they play like they did against the Jaguars.

“We’ve got to go to Indianapolis and play a team that is very much in the playoff race,” Campbell said. “They are going to be ready to go. So are we.”

What’s working

The Lions are leading the NFL in scoring at 33.6 points per game on the 80th anniversary of the last time they finished first in that category.

They are fourth in passing touchdowns (22) and second in rushing touchdowns (18), so teams can’t load up their defenses to take away their strengths.

“It all starts with our offensive line,” Campbell said. “When they play the way they played yesterday, it doesn’t matter what (plays) we call. We can do anything.”

What needs help

DE Za’Darius Smith made his Lions debut after being acquired at the trade deadline. Campbell has stressed that Smith isn’t expected to fill Aidan Hutchinson’s shoes — no one could reasonably be expected to do that — but he can be part of Detroit’s attempt to replace the league’s best pass rusher in the aggregate.

It wasn’t a spectacular debut. Smith combined with Jack Campbell on Detroit’s only sack, but only assisted on one tackle in a game where the Lions registered three quarterback hits.

Stock up

After throwing five interceptions against Houston, Jared Goff only had five incompletions against the Jaguars. He finished 24 of 29 for 412 yards, four touchdowns and a perfect 158.3 passer rating.

Goff became the first quarterback in NFL history to have multiple games with a perfect rating, 400-plus yards and four-plus touchdowns — he also did it for the Rams in 2018 — and his 82.8% completion percentage made him the first to have five games over 80% in the same season.

Stock down

P Jack Fox is having a great season — his net average is over 45 yards and he’s put 45.2% of his punts inside the 20 — but, through no fault of his own, he only got on the field Sunday to hold for extra points and field goals. It was the second time the Lions haven’t punted this season. Fox wasn’t needed in the 47-9 win in Dallas on Oct. 13.

Injuries

LB Alex Anzalone will miss 4-to-6 weeks with a broken right forearm, adding to a depth problem at linebacker. Derrick Barnes and Jalen Reeves-Maybin are on injured reserve, along with both starting defensive ends — Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport.

Key number

8.5 — Detroit’s average yards per play against the Jaguars, the second highest in team history. The Lions were at 8.8 in the final minute — good enough to break a 43-yard-old record of 8.6 — but backup quarterback Hendon Hooker took a knee on the last two plays.

Next steps

If the Lions have one weakness, it is defending mobile quarterbacks, so Anthony Richardson could be an issue on Sunday.

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell talks to the media after an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Detroit, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)

Cunningham’s 4th triple-double of the season lifts Pistons to 124-104 rout of Washington

✇The Oakland Press
By: Associated press
18 November 2024 at 02:18

By NOAH TRISTER
The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Cade Cunningham had 21 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds to lead the Detroit Pistons over the Washington Wizards 124-104 on Sunday night.

Jaden Ivey scored 28 points and Malik Beasley added 26 for Detroit. Cunningham has four triple-doubles this season, two behind league leader Nikola Jokic.

It was the eighth straight loss for Washington, which was home after a five-game trip. Jordan Poole and Kyle Kuzma scored 22 points apiece for the Wizards.

Detroit held Washington to 18 points in the first quarter and led 65-53 at halftime. The lead was never in single digits after that, with the Pistons going on a 12-3 run to take an 85-64 advantage on a dunk by Jalen Duren.

Wizards center Alex Sarr, the No. 2 pick in this year’s draft, had four points on 1-of-7 shooting.

Takeaways

Pistons: These were the bottom two teams in the league last year, and although Washington got a higher draft pick, it’s Detroit that looks further along in its rebuild. After dropping their first four games, the Pistons (7-8) have battled back to within a game of .500.

Wizards: This skid could go on a while for Washington, which faces New York and Boston in its next two games. The Wizards ended up shooting well (12 of 27) from 3-point range, but couldn’t recover from their ragged first quarter.

Key moment

Washington began to click offensively during the second quarter and trailed 52-47 after a dunk by Bilal Coulibaly, but it was never that close again after Beasley answered with a 3-pointer.

Key stat

Washington had 17 turnovers compared to Detroit’s nine, and the Pistons had a 27-11 edge in points off turnovers.

Up next

Both teams play again Monday night. Detroit hosts the Chicago Bulls, while Washington plays at New York.

El entrenador J.B. Bickerstaff, izquierda, entrenador de los Pistons de Detroit, observa a su jugador Cade Cunningham (2) robarle el balón a Bilal Coulibaly, derecha, de los Wizards de Washington, durante la segunda mitad del juego de baloncesto de la NBA, el domingo 17 de noviembre de 2024, en Washington. (AP Foto/John McDonnell)

Akins has 13 points, 12 rebounds 6 assists; Michigan St. uses 17-0 run to beat Bowling Green 86-72

✇The Oakland Press
By: Associated press
17 November 2024 at 04:17

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Jaden Akins had 13 points, 12 rebounds and six assists to lead seven Michigan State players scoring in double figures Saturday night and the Spartans scored the final 17 points to beat Bowling Green 86-72.

Frankie Fidler, who went 1 of 6 from the field but made 10 of 10 from the free-throw line, and Carson Cooper scored 12 points apiece for the Spartans. Tre Holloman and Coen Carr each added 11 points and Jeremy Fears Jr. and Jaxon Kohler scored 10 points apiece.

Michigan State (3-1) rebounded from a 77-69 loss to No. 1 Kansas on Tuesday at the State Farm Champions Classic in Atlanta.

Bowling Green used a 14-2 run to take an eight-point lead with about 11 minutes to play and Marcus Johnson made a jumper and a layup before Javontae Campbell added a layup and made two free throws as the Falcons used an 8-2 spurt to take a 72-68 lead with 7:11 to play. Cooper responded with a dunk before Carr made 1 of 2 from the free-throw line, scored in the paint and then threw down a put-back dunk off a miss by Akins spark a 17-0 closing run.

Akins sandwiched a 3-pointer and two foul shots around a layup by Fears before Fiddler made 4 of 4 from the free-throw line in the final minute to cap the scoring.

Bowling Green (1-3), which was coming off a 103-47 win over NAIA-member Taylor, is winless against NCAA-affiliated programs this season.

Johnson led the Falcons with 23 points but made just 1 of 11 from 3-point range. Campbell scored 14 and Youssef Khayat 13.

BGSU went 0 for 9 from the field, 0 for 1 from the free-throw line and committed four turnovers in the final 7 minutes.

Michigan State forward Coen Carr (55) reacts after a dunk during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Bowling Green, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in East Lansing, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Jeannot scores in return from suspension, Kings roll to 4-1 win over Red Wings

✇The Oakland Press
By: Associated press
17 November 2024 at 03:55

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mikey Anderson and Tanner Jeannot scored 22 seconds apart in the first period, Adrian Kempe scored twice in the third, and the Los Angeles Kings beat the Detroit Red Wings 4-1 on Saturday night.

Anderson got his third goal of the season with 1:55 left in the first, and Jeannot followed it up by scoring in his return from a three-game suspension for an illegal check to Canucks forward Brock Boeser on Nov. 7.

Kempe had two goals for the second straight game, including an empty-netter, David Rittich made 17 saves, and the Kings avoided their first three-game regulation losing streak of the season.

Dylan Larkin broke up the shutout bid with 1:27 remaining, Cam Talbot made 37 saves, and the Red Wings lost for the fourth time in five games.

Takeaways

Red Wings: Detroit followed its highest-scoring loss of the season, a 6-4 defeat at Anaheim on Friday, by being held to one goal or less for the fifth time this season.

Kings: Alex Turcotte returned from a five-game absence because of a head injury, returning to the top line with center Anze Kopitar and Kempe.

Key moment

Red Wings defenseman Erik Gustafsson lost his balance while misplaying the puck in the offensive zone, setting up an easy three-on-one break the other way that Jeannot finished for the 2-0 lead.

Key stat

Kings forward Trevor Moore extended his point streak to eight games with the secondary assist on the first goal. He has two goals and eight assists during the longest point streak of his seven-year career.

Up Next

The Red Wings wrap up their three-game California swing at San Jose on Monday night, and the Kings host Buffalo on Wednesday night.

— By DAN GREENSPAN, Associated Press

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Jeff Petry, front left, vies for the puck against Los Angeles Kings left wing Warren Foegele, center, and right wing Quinton Byfield, right, during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Bela Karolyi, gymnastics coach who mentored Nadia and Mary Lou and courted controversy, dies at 82

✇The Oakland Press
By: Associated press
17 November 2024 at 01:20

Bela Karolyi, the charismatic if polarizing gymnastics coach who turned young women into champions and the United States into an international power, has died. He was 82.

USA Gymnastics said Karolyi died Friday. No cause of death was given.

Karolyi and wife Martha trained multiple Olympic gold medalists and world champions in the U.S. and Romania, including Nadia Comaneci and Mary Lou Retton.

“A big impact and influence on my life,” Comaneci, who was just 14 when Karolyi coached her to gold for Romania at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, posted on Instagram.

The Karolyis defected to the United States in 1981 and over the next 30-plus years became a guiding force in American gymnastics, though not without controversy. Bela helped guide Retton — all of 16 — to the Olympic all-around title at the 1984 Games in Los Angeles and memorably helped an injured Kerri Strug off the floor at the 1996 Games in Atlanta after Strug’s vault secured the team gold for the Americans.

Karolyi briefly became the national team coordinator for USA Gymnastics women’s elite program in 1999 and incorporated a semi-centralized system that eventually turned the Americans into the sport’s gold standard. It did not come without a cost. He was pushed out after the 2000 Olympics after several athletes spoke out about his tactics.

It would not be the last time Karolyi was accused of grandstanding and pushing his athletes too far physically and mentally.

During the height of the Larry Nassar scandal in the late 2010s — when the disgraced former USA Gymnastics team doctor was effectively given a life sentence after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting gymnasts and other athletes with his hands under the guise of medical treatment — over a dozen former gymnasts came forward saying the Karolyis were part of a system that created an oppressive culture that allowed Nassar’s behavior to run unchecked for years.

Still, some of Karolyi’s most famous students were always among his staunchest defenders. When Strug got married, she and Karolyi took a photo recreating their famous scene from the 1996 Olympics, when he carried her onto the medals podium after she vaulted on a badly sprained ankle.

— By WILL GRAVES, Associated Press

Bela Karolyi, right, congratulates Dominique Moceanu, left, after the United States captured the gold medal in the women's team gymnastics competition at the Centennial Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, July 23, 1996. (AMY SANCETTA — AP Photo, file)

No. 1 Kansas beats Oakland 78-57 as Storr scores 16 off the bench

✇The Oakland Press
By: Associated press
17 November 2024 at 01:16

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — AJ Storr had a season-high 16 points off the bench and three starters also reached double figures as No. 1 Kansas easily handled Oakland 78-57 on Saturday.

KJ Adams scored 10 of his 12 points in the first half, Rylan Griffen added 11 and Hunter Dickinson finished with 10. Dickinson led the Jayhawks with nine rebounds.

Kansas (4-0) pulled away methodically in the first half, leading by 22 at halftime. The Grizzlies never got closer than 18 in the second half. Kansas played the final 4:32 with only reserves in the game.

Allen Mukeba led Oakland (1-3) with 19 points, and Tuburu Naivalurua added 12.

Oakland struggled from 3-point range, shooting 6 of 23 (27%), and was woeful at the free-throw line (3 for 12). The Grizzlies went 1 of 6 on foul shots in the first half.

— By DAVID SMALE, Associated Press

Kansas forward KJ Adams (24) dunks the ball as Oakland guard Jayson Woodrich, bellow, defends during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Lawrence, Kan. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)

Josh McCray runs for three TDs to lead Illinois to a 38-16 win over slumping Michigan State

✇The Oakland Press
By: Associated press
16 November 2024 at 23:37

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Josh McCray ran for three touchdowns and Luke Altmyer threw two TD passes, leading Illinois to a 38-16 victory Saturday over Michigan State.

McCray had nine carries for 61 yards, Altmyer completed 19 of 32 passes for 231 yards and Pat Bryant caught four passes for a career-high 135 yards and a TD in his final home game as the Illini (7-3, 4-3 Big Ten) ended a two-game losing streak.

Aidan Chiles was 23-of-40 passing for 256 yards and two TDs and Aziah Johnson and Nate Carter caught TD passes for the Spartans (4-6, 2-5), who have lost six of seven.

Michigan State didn’t have a sack for the fifth straight game. Illinois sacked Chiles five times.

The Illini finished 6-1 at home. It’s the first time they’ve won six home games in a season since 2001, when they captured the Big Ten title and played in the 2002 Sugar Bowl.

After falling behind 21-9 at halftime, the Spartans closed within 21-16 on a 5-yard TD pass from Chiles to Carter.

Illinois’ David Alano responded with a 37-yard field goal in the third quarter, and McCray scored on a pair of 1-yard dives in the fourth quarter.

Altmyer threw a 57-yard TD pass to Bryant and a 4-yard TD pass to Zakhari Franklin, and McCray ran 11 yards for a TD for the Illini in the first half.

It was Bryant’s eighth TD reception of the season, and his career-long catch. It also was Altmyer’s career-long pass completion.

Michigan State scored on a 52-yard TD pass from Chiles to Johnson in the first quarter and a 38-yard field goal by Jonathan Kim with 1:02 left in the half.

Kim missed the PAT after the Chiles-to-Johnson TD pass. It was the first time he’d missed a PAT in his college career. He was 3 of 3 at North Carolina and is 34 of 35 at Michigan State.

The takeaway

Illinois: The Illini will hit the road to play at Rutgers and Northwestern in their final two regular-season games. Illinois is 1-2 away from Champaign, with all three games against ranked teams. Two road wins would give the Illini a final 9-3 record and an opportunity to play in a major bowl game.

Michigan State: The Spartans have no margin for error if they want to play in a bowl game in Jonathan Smith’s first season as coach. They need to win their final two regular-season games, home games vs. Purdue and Rutgers, to be bowl-eligible.

Up next

Illinois: At Rutgers next Saturday.

Michigan State: Hosts Purdue on Friday.

— By STEVE STEIN, Associated Press

Illinois running back Ca’Lil Valentine (5) scores a touchdown ahead of Michigan State defensive back Jaylen Thompson (16) during the first half in an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Matt Marton)

Adams beats Grand Blanc on Mateo Humbert’s TD run, game-ending INT to reach semifinals

✇The Oakland Press
By: Bryan Everson
16 November 2024 at 12:55

ROCHESTER HILLS — After several giveaways and failing to score for over two-and-a-half quarters, Rochester Adams could have been counted out of Friday night’s game against Grand Blanc.

After all, this is the team that was picked to finish last in the OAA Red. And that was before losing its starting quarterback to a season-ending injury midway through the year. It wouldn’t be the first time they’d be discounted.

The final seven-and-a-half minutes of the Highlanders’ 21-14 win over the Bobcats for a Division 1 regional championship served as the latest proof that they shouldn’t be underestimated.

“This is sweet,” Highlanders quarterback Nolan Farris said. “I always hoped that we’d get to this point,  but I could never see it in my mind. Now that it’s here, it’s amazing.”

With the game tied when Adams got the ball at its own 35-yard line and 7:27 left, Farris and running back Mateo Humbert each moved the chains to get the ball into enemy territory, but the Bobcats stuffed the run to put the Highlanders in a fourth-and-6 situation.

Running out of the slot left, Farris hit fellow junior Cameron Dawood as he was cutting inside for a crucial 16-yard gain and the conversion.

“We ran that play a lot in practice this week expecting a situation like this,” Farris said. “I saw the 1-on-1 coverage and I knew he’d come down with that ball. I had a lot of faith in him.”

When the Highlanders needed to convert again on third-and-4, Farris used his legs to get six yards and advance to the 8-yard line. From there, Humbert, a two-way star on the evening, drove through a gap for the go-ahead touchdown, his second score of the night, with 1:11 remaining.

Following the corresponding kickoff, Grand Blanc, impressive and efficient in the passing game for most of the night despite just two scores, got the ball into Adams’ territory on a catch by leading receiver Caseton Sendry with its back against the wall, but the Highlanders ended the game on a pair of big defensive plays. First, Matt Toeppner sacked Bobcats junior quarterback Jake Morrow, and Lachlan Tillotson sealed it with an interception downfield on the final play of the game.

Football player
Highlanders running back Mateo Humbert (13) rumbles into the end zone for Adams’ game-winning touchdown with 1:11 remaining in Friday night’s D1 regional championship. (BRYAN EVERSON – MediaNews Group)

It was a gritty ending after it appeared Adams (10-2) might gradually pull away judging by the first quarter or so of action.

The Highlanders were methodical on the opening drive and cashed in on Humbert’s first rushing TD from a yard out to take a 6-0 lead after the extra point was blocked with 5:25 left in the first quarter.

When the Highlanders got the ball again, they leaned on the running of Humbert and Dawood, then advanced the ball to the Bobcats’ 14-yard line after a defensive pass interference penalty on third-and-9. The following play, Toeppner veered toward the right sideline and used an extended dive to break the pylon for a 14-yard score, and Humbert’s successful run on the conversion put Adams up 14-0 with 10:15 to go in the half.

That’s when Morrow, who was a mix of elusive, unorthodox and crafty throughout the game, began to find his rhythm despite operating under frequent pressure. Grand Blanc mostly moved the ball through the air on its first scoring drive, finished off on a five-yard TD grab by Sendry with 5:42 to go in the half.

A fumble recovered by the Bobcats gave them a chance at tying the game prior to intermission, but it proved harmless when Adams’ pass defense held strong in a third-and-long situation, then a 40-yard field-goal attempt came just short, hitting the crossbar.

Humbert record his second sack of the night on fourth-and-1 to end the Bobcats’ opening drive of the second half, but the Highlanders didn’t fair much better with the ball, stopped short themselves by about a foot on fourth down. Grand Blanc was more dangerous when it got the ball back again, settling for modest gains through the air before Morrow gained eight yards on a keeper, then a handful more to stride into the end zone untouched, making tying the game with a little over two minutes remaining in the third.

“Their offensive line man, they were pretty good, not gonna lie,” Humbert said. “(Morrow) is pretty fast, he can honestly throw that thing.”

On the difficulty of stopping Grand Blanc’s QB, Adams head coach Tony Patritto added, “He’s made huge plays all season. He’s really good at extending plays and making throws late and he’s got really good receivers. We had to play really sound team defense to keep him contained. To hold them to 14 points is a testament to our defensive staff and our players.”

With the game deadlocked, both team’s defenses forced a punt each — Patritto credited Grand Blanc for bringing an additional defender into the box as the game went along, slowing his team’s offense — then the Bobcats (9-3) recovered their second fumble of the game for what seemed like a backbreaker of a turnover. However, that aforementioned defense, which also saw senior Liam Kania reach Morrow several times, held up on a fourth-and-4 that got the Highlanders the ball back to start their victory drive.

Photo gallery from Rochester Adams vs. Grand Blanc in D1 football regional championship action

After the game, Patritto talked about the way his team has been viewed on this march to the semifinals.

"We're one of the smallest schools in the division, picked last or second-to-last every year, that's just what it's been like," Patritto said. "We play such great teams. I kind of understand it. There's not a bunch of four, five-star kids here. These are all Adams kids from Rochester. So we're used to it and kind of use it as a badge of honor."

The Highlanders defeated Grand Blanc 40-20 in the semifinals three years ago. Now, they'll have a chance to reach the D1 title game again, and will go through either Hudsonville or Howell. Those teams play a regional final in Howell Saturday afternoon.

"When you're at this point in the season, the final eight, the final four, everybody's really, really good," Patritto said. It comes down to execution, health, playing well and preparing. I trust our stuff to get our kids ready to play next week."

Rochester Adams senior Liam Kania (50) holds up the Division 1 regional championship hardware from beating Grand Blanc 21-14 Friday night in Rochester Hills. (BRYAN EVERSON - MediaNews Group)

Photo gallery from Rochester Adams vs. Grand Blanc in D1 football regional championship action

✇The Oakland Press
By: Bryan Everson
16 November 2024 at 08:51

Rochester Adams found the end zone with 1:11 remaining for the game-winning touchdown to defeat Grand Blanc 21-14 in a Division 1 regional championship Friday, Nov. 15, 2024 in Rochester Hills.

  • Rochester Adams found the end zone with 1:11 remaining for...

    Rochester Adams found the end zone with 1:11 remaining for the game-winning touchdown to defeat Grand Blanc 21-14 in a Division 1 regional championship Friday, Nov. 15, 2024 in Rochester Hills. (BRYAN EVERSON - MediaNews Group)

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Rochester Adams found the end zone with 1:11 remaining for the game-winning touchdown to defeat Grand Blanc 21-14 in a Division 1 regional championship Friday, Nov. 15, 2024 in Rochester Hills. (BRYAN EVERSON - MediaNews Group)

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Rochester Adams found the end zone with 1:11 remaining for the game-winning touchdown to defeat Grand Blanc 21-14 in a Division 1 regional championship Friday, Nov. 15, 2024 in Rochester Hills. (BRYAN EVERSON - MediaNews Group)

Nimari Burnett scores 16 and Danny Wolf secures a double-double to lead Michigan past TCU 76-64

✇The Oakland Press
By: Associated press
16 November 2024 at 08:09

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Nimari Burnett scored 16 points, Danny Wolf had 14 points, 14 rebounds and four assists, and Michigan beat TCU 76-64 on Friday night.

Wolf gave Michigan a 53-43 lead with 12 minutes left but the Wolverines only made two field goals over the next six minutes to have their lead trimmed to 63-60 with 6:16 remaining.

TCU didn’t make its next field goal until the 2:19 mark when Trazarien White converted a fast-break layup to make it 72-64. Michigan secured two offensive rebounds on its next possession, ending in Vladislav Goldin’s layup for a 10-point lead.

Auburn transfer Tre Donaldson also scored 14 points for Michigan (2-1). Sam Walters added 10 points.

White scored 16 points and Brendan Wenzel added 15 for TCU (3-1). Frankie Collins, who played for the Wolverines during his freshman year (2021-22), returned to Ann Arbor and finished with seven points.

Michigan led 34-31 at halftime despite having more turnovers (16) than made shots (12). Donaldson made a half-court shot at the end of the first half but it came just after the buzzer and didn’t count. The Wolverines finished with 21 turnovers.

The only other meeting in the series came in 1962, won by Michigan 82-60.

UP NEXT

Michigan continues a three-game homestand against Miami (Ohio) on Monday. The Wolverines also play Tarleton State on Thursday before a game against Virginia Tech at the Fort Myers Tip-Off on Nov. 25.

TCU returns home to host Alcorn State on Tuesday after playing its earliest true road game since Nov. 10, 1998, at Providence.

Michigan head coach Dusty May yells during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against TCU, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Cutter Gauthier puts Ducks ahead with his 1st NHL goal, and Anaheim rallies past the Red Wings 6-4

✇The Oakland Press
By: Associated press
16 November 2024 at 08:03

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Cutter Gauthier scored his first NHL goal to put the Ducks ahead with 8:51 to play, and Anaheim rallied from a two-goal deficit for a 6-4 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Friday night.

Ross Johnston scored Anaheim’s fourth consecutive goal 38 seconds after Gauthier’s goal, and Ryan Strome added an empty-netter after Alex deBrincat scored for Detroit on a power play with 3:44 left.

Olen Zellweger had a goal and two assists, and Trevor Zegras and Troy Terry scored power-play goals for Anaheim.

John Gibson stopped 21 shots for Anaheim, which won twice on its six-game homestand.

Austrian rookie Marco Kasper scored his first career goal for Detroit, which has lost three of four. Jonatan Berggren scored on a two-man advantage for Detroit, and Lucas Raymond also scored.

Alex Lyon made 23 saves.

Ducks forward Robby Fabbri didn’t get to face Detroit, his team for the previous five seasons, after having knee surgery Friday. Fabbri will be out for six to eight weeks, while defenseman Cam Fowler will be out for two to four weeks with an upper-body injury.

Takeaways

Red Wings: The 20-year-old Kasper finally broke through 19 months after his NHL debut with his first multi-point game. After spending last year in the AHL, the eighth overall pick in 2022 has stuck with Detroit this season despite a personal 10-game scoreless drought.

Ducks: Zellweger was outstanding in his second career multi-point game. Zegras’ goal was his second in 16 games.

Key moment

Gauthier finally found the net in his 17th game for Anaheim, which acquired the fifth overall pick in 2022 from Philadelphia in January.

Key stat

The Ducks’ two power-play goals matched their total in their previous six games combined. Anaheim began the night 31st in power-play percentage.

Up next

The Ducks are at Dallas on Monday night. The Red Wings visit Los Angeles on Saturday.

— By GREG BEACHAM, Associated Press

Anaheim Ducks left wing Cutter Gauthier, left, vies for the puck with Detroit Red Wings left wing Lucas Raymond during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Anaheim, Calif., Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)

Detroit Catholic Central slows Bryce Underwood, Belleville for 35-21 regional championship victory

✇The Oakland Press
By: Ben Szilagy
16 November 2024 at 06:49

NOVI — Three weeks ago in the KLAA Championship, the entire state of Michigan learned that Belleville was beatable when Howell used a last-second play to beat the Tigers by a single point.

On Friday night, a record crowd of over 7,800 packed the campus of Detroit Catholic Central and saw the Shamrocks beat Belleville 35-21.

Catholic Central will play Cass Tech in the Division 1 state semifinals on Saturday, Nov. 23.

“I believed in our team, and they believed in our process, our habits and our goals,” Catholic Central coach Justin Cessante said. “I’m so proud of our football team and our staff. We earned this victory from day one. We do things the right way. We take no shortcuts, and we finished the job today.”

Two years ago, the Tigers handed Catholic Central a 33-10 loss in the regional final. It was a loss that festered throughout a program that hangs its hat on championships.

“We knew what we wanted two years ago, they sent us home at their place, so we knew it was personal all week,” Shamrocks senior quarterback Skylar Hunter said. “We made sure everyone knew how personal it was. We all remember that pain we felt when we went home that night. So now, fast forward, two years later, at our place, we wanted to replicate that pain.”

The Shamrocks’ opening drive stalled and the CC defense stood up and picked off a tipped Bryce Underwood pass that set up its first scoring drive of the night. A five-play, 64-yard drive was capped on an impressive 48-yard touchdown run by Jaden Pydyn for a 7-0 lead.

Underwood, the No. 1 recruit in the country and Mr. Football candidate, was given a short field thanks to a failed onside kick attempt, and answered with a 40-yard touchdown pass that was caught with an acrobatic catch at the goal line by Trey Graham for a 7-7 game late in the first quarter.

From then on, it was all Catholic Central who scored on its next two offensive possessions. After a Sam Gash score for a 14-7 lead, Belleville faced a 4th-and-34 from its own 1-yard line that Gash returned to the six.

Pydyn extended the lead with a 4-yard touchdown out of the wildcat formation for a 21-7 lead with 4:25 to play in the half.

“We just wanted to block out the noise all week, and trust in ourselves. Every time we’re in the wildcat, our offensive line has some extra juice and opened up running lanes for me,” the senior said.

Pydyn finished the game with 24 carries for 141 yards, two touchdowns, and a fumble. He also had two receptions for 37 yards.

Football players
Detroit Catholic Central’s Jack McHugh (right) applies the pressure to Belleville’s Bryce Underwood (left) leading to an interception on Underwood’s final high school pass during a 35-21 Shamrock victory Friday night in Novi. (TIMOTHY ARRICK – For MediaNews Group)

Just before the half, Underwood stopped the bleeding for Belleville with a 9-yard touchdown run that cut into the lead, 21-14.

The Shamrocks changed the script in the second half when they began to face a loaded box to stop their traditional run game. That’s when CC went to its passing game for two straight touchdowns.

“We knew when we established the line of scrimmage they were gonna stack the box, and Coach Lusky just dialed up the right plays. They were just over-aggressive,” Cessante said.

After a big stop again by the Shamrock defense, Hunter hit Gash down the seam and in stride for a 46-yard touchdown pass. After a three-and-out by the CC defense, Hunter found senior Casmer Moir on a 60-yard wham pass that blew the game open 35-14 with 3:10 to play in the third quarter.

Forcing Belleville to rely on the arm of Underwood and be one-dimensional the rest of the game put pressure on the Shamrock secondary, but they stood up to the challenge, as did CC’s defensive line.

Under duress, Underwood did find the end zone one more time on a 20-yard touchdown run that pulled the Tigers within two scores, 35-21. But the Shamrock defense forced two turnovers to keep Belleville at bay.

Photos from No. 1 Detroit Catholic Central vs. No. 3 Belleville in D1 football regional final action

The first turnover was on a 35-yard pass from Underwood to Graham that the Shamrock defense hunted down at the 8-yard line and punched the ball out. The other was on Underwood’s final pass of his high school career that was picked off by Luca Genrich with 2:05 to play in the fourth quarter.

Underwood finished the game 11-of-22 for 196 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. He carried the ball 11 times for 31 yards and two touchdowns. He was sacked three times.

Catholic Central advanced to the state semifinals for the first time since 2017, ending a seven-year drought. It hasn’t won a state title since 2009, a fact that isn’t lost on Cessante.

“We didn't come here to get this far,” he said, holding the regional championship trophy. “This is a great step, but the job isn’t done."

Detroit Catholic Central head coach Justin Cessante hoists the wooden mitten for the Shamrocks' regional championship after a 35-21 victory over Belleville Friday night in Novi. (TIMOTHY ARRICK - For MediaNews Group)

Photos from No. 1 Detroit Catholic Central vs. No. 3 Belleville in D1 football regional final action

✇The Oakland Press
By: Tim Arrick
16 November 2024 at 06:33

Detroit Catholic Central took its next step towards the program’s first Division 1 championship since 2009 by defeating a potent Belleville team 35-21 Friday, Nov. 15, 2024 in Novi.

  • Football players

    Detroit Catholic Central took its next step towards the program's first Division 1 championship since 2009 by defeating a potent Belleville team 35-21 Friday, Nov. 15, 2024 in Novi. (TIMOTHY ARRICK - For MediaNews Group)

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Detroit Catholic Central took its next step towards the program's first Division 1 championship since 2009 by defeating a potent Belleville team 35-21 Friday, Nov. 15, 2024 in Novi. (TIMOTHY ARRICK - For MediaNews Group)

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Detroit Catholic Central took its next step towards the program's first Division 1 championship since 2009 by defeating a potent Belleville team 35-21 Friday, Nov. 15, 2024 in Novi. (TIMOTHY ARRICK - For MediaNews Group)
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