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Sam Mayer saves NASCAR season with Xfinity Series playoff win at Charlotte

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:51 GMT

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Sam Mayer rallied from the verge of elimination into the next round of the Xfinity Series playoffs with a season-defining win Saturday on The Roval at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It was the third career win for the 20-year-old driver for JR Motorsports, who was ranked 12th and last in the standings as four drivers vied for the five open slots in the round of eight of the playoffs for NASCAR’s second-tier series. All three of Mayer’s wins this season are on road courses. “Our car was so fast, it really felt unbeatable,” Mayer said. “We kicked their tails today and it just feels so great. Winning solves everything, that’s the name of the game. This is our second-chance moment, I think we can make something out of this.”Mayer called it the biggest win of his career. He led a race-high 51 of the 67 laps in his Chevrolet.Justin Allgaier, John Hunter Nemechek and Cole Custer had already locked themselves in to the round of eight before the race on Char...

Stanton scores twice and Samford topples Wofford 31-10

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:51 GMT

SPARTANBURG, S.C. (AP) — Jay Stanton rushed for 104 yards and two touchdowns and Samford defeated Wofford 31-10 on Saturday.Stanton’s scores came on runs of 1 and 9 yards as the Bulldogs (3-3, 2-2 Southern Conference) built a 24-3 halftime lead. Damonta Witherspoon’s 1-yard run finished a 15-play, 97-yard drive for a 31-3 lead late in the third quarter.Ryan Ingram scored Wofford’s only touchdown, his 2-yard run making it 31-10 with under six minutes left in the game.Witherspoon finished with 95 yards rushing as he and Stanton combined for all but 6 of Samford’s 205 yards on the ground. Michael Hiers completed 30 of 42 passes for 239 yards. He had one touchdown and one interception.Wofford (0-6, 0-3) was held to 251 yards, with Pauly Seeley throwing for 114 yards and J.T. Smith Jr. running for 67.It was Samford’s ninth consecutive win in the series.—-AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college...

Luke Bailey throws 2 TD passes and Drake holds off Valparaiso 20-14

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:51 GMT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Luke Bailey threw for 257 yards and two touchdowns and Drake held off Valparaiso for a 20-14 victory on Saturday. Valparaiso took over possession at its 23 with 41 seconds to play, but the game ended with the Beacons stranded near midfield. Bailey threw a 57-yard score to Mitchell January in the first quarter and his 2-yarder to Gage Vander Leest in the third stretched the Drake lead to 17-0 midway through the third. Bailey completed 16 of 35 passes and January made two catches for 102 yards for Drake (2-3, 2-0 Pioneer League). Jeffrey Jackson came off the bench and led Valparaiso (1-4, 0-2) on a pair of fourth-quarter scoring drives. Jackson’s 15-yard touchdown pass to Moise Tezzo capped the scoring with 1:50 to play, and the Beacons forced a three-and-out on Drake’s next possession.Jackson finished 5-of-14 passing for 62 yards. Michael Appel Jr. completed 11 of 25 passes for 78 yards for the Beacons. ___ AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/col...

Von Miller set to make season debut after Bills activate him from PUP list for game against Jaguars

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:51 GMT

Buffalo Bills edge-rusher Von Miller is set to play against Jacksonville on Sunday in what would be his first game since tearing a ligament in his right knee 10 months ago.The Bills (3-1) activated the NFL’s all-time active sacks leader from the reserve-physically unable to perform list on Saturday, a day after arriving in London for their “home” game against the Jaguars (2-2) at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. And it comes after Miller on Friday called it a “safe bet” that he would play following three straight days of practicing on a limited bases.The 34-year-old has been sidelined since being hurt a 28-25 win at the Detroit Lions on Nov. 24. He was cleared for practice in late August, but the Bills elected to provide him more time to recover by placing him on PUP to start the season, guaranteeing he would miss the first four weeks.Miller is expected to be eased in and limited to playing in obvious pass-rushing situations. His activation coincides with Buffalo already ruling out ...

The North Dakota defense holds winless Western Illinois to just 206 total yards in 49-10 victory

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:51 GMT

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) — Ted Mullin returned an interception for a 33-yard touchdown and the North Dakota defense held winless Western Illinois to just 206 total yards in a 49-10 victory on Saturday.Mullin’s touchdown was North Dakota’s only score of over 10 yards. The Fighting Hawks scored on runs of 1, 5, 6, 10, 8 and 4 yards. Gaven Ziebarth had a team-high 78 yards rushing and Simon Romfo scored twice. Luke Skokna, Grant Romfo, Tommy Schuster and Quincy Vaughn also scored on the ground as nine rushers combined for 28 carries and 224 yards.Schuster was 17-of-23 passing for 206 yards for North Dakota (3-2, 1-1 Missouri Valley Conference Football). Trey Feeney and Simon Romfo also completed two passes apiece.Matt Morrissey threw for 145 yards for Western Illinois (0-5, 0-2). The Leathernecks were limited to just 2 yards in the opening quarter.North Dakota was coming off a 42-21 loss to top-ranked South Dakota State last weekend after being limited to just 234 yards of to...

Hamas surprise attack out of Gaza stuns Israel and leaves at least 250 dead in fighting, retaliation

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:51 GMT

JERUSALEM (AP) — Backed by a barrage of rockets, dozens of Hamas militants broke out of the blockaded Gaza Strip and into nearby Israeli towns, killing dozens and abducting others in an unprecedented surprise early morning attack during a major Jewish holiday Saturday. A stunned Israel launched airstrikes in Gaza, with its prime minister saying the country is now at war with Hamas and vowing to inflict an “unprecedented price.”In an assault of startling breadth, Hamas gunmen rolled into as many as 22 locations outside the Gaza Strip, including towns and other communities as far as 15 miles (24 kilometers) from the Gaza border. In some places, they roamed for hours, gunning down civilians and soldiers as Israel’s military scrambled to muster a response. Gunbattles continued well after nightfall, and militants held hostages in standoffs in two towns and occupied a police station in a third.Israeli media, citing rescue service officials, said at least 250 people were killed and 1,500 w...

Airlines cancel flights to Israel amid attacks

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:51 GMT

New York (CNN) — Airlines scrambled to cancel flights into Israel early Saturday after Palestinian militants launched a surprise attack, firing thousands of rockets from Gaza into nearby Israeli towns during a Jewish holiday.As of Saturday afternoon, about 16% of flights were canceled and 23% were delayed to Ben Gurion International Airport, Israel’s international hub, located just outside of Tel Aviv.Some Israel-bound flights were diverted to other airports around the globe. United Airlines flight 954 left San Francisco International Airport on Friday night and diverted over Greenland about seven hours into the more than 13-hour-long journey, according to flight tracking site FlightAware. The flight would later return to San Francisco.“The safety of our customers and crews is our top priority,” the airline said in a statement. “We are closely monitoring the situation and we are adjusting flight schedules as required.”FlightAware data also show Delta Air Lines and American Airl...

Israel’s Netanyahu vows ‘mighty vengeance’ against Hamas after attack

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:51 GMT

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed “mighty vengeance” against Hamas after the Palestinian militant group launched a massive surprise attack on Saturday, killing more than 250 Israelis and taking numerous captives.In a brief video address late Saturday, Netanyahu said Hamas would be held responsible for the well-being of the captives and said Israel would settle the score with anyone who harmed the country or its citizens. Israel already started launching retaliatory air strikes on targets in Gaza early Saturday.“We will take mighty vengeance for this black day,” Netanyahu said. “All the places where Hamas hides, operates from — we will turn them into cities of ruins.” He said Israel is preparing for a long conflict. The massive assault unleashed by Iran-backed Hamas early Saturday combined a barrage of rockets fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel and dozens of heavily armed gunmen attacking the country’s south from Gaza. It came a da...

Mass. state trooper injured in crash with suspected DUI driver released from hospital

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:51 GMT

Massachusetts State Trooper Matthew McRae was released from the hospital Saturday as he continues to recover after being critically hurt while visiting family in Salt Lake City in August when a suspected drunken driver slammed into a rideshare car he was in.McRae was flanked by several state police officials as he left Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston.McRae broke several bones in the crash, including a broken neck and a spinal injury.McRae has only been with the Massachusetts State Police since 2020.The union is currently working to make sure McRae and his family are financially taken care of during his recovery.There is a GoFundMe campaign set up to help McRae’s family. Learn more here.

Orioles drop ALDS opener to Rangers, 3-2, as bats go cold in first playoff game at Camden Yards since 2014

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 15:24:51 GMT

Baltimore fans on Saturday witnessed their first postseason game at Camden Yards since 2014. They’ll have to wait at least one more day to celebrate.In front of a sold-out crowd, the Orioles lost to the Texas Rangers, 3-2, in Game 1 of the American League Division Series, as Baltimore’s bats mustered only five hits and couldn’t come through in the clutch late. The loss puts the Orioles in an early hole in the series, now needing to win three of the next four games to advance to the AL Championship Series.Aside from Ryan Mountcastle’s RBI double in the fourth and Anthony Santander’s solo homer in the sixth, the Orioles couldn’t break through on offense. Kyle Bradish was dominant through three innings but ran into trouble in the fourth as the Rangers gained a 2-0 lead.The Orioles went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and grounded into two double plays, including a back-breaking one by Santander in the eighth. With the Orioles trailing ...