PHOENIX (AP) — The NFL will have narrower uprights and longer kicks for extra-point tries at the Pro Bowl.
The NFL has discussed changes in extra points to make the kicks more difficult and experimented with longer tries during the preseason.
For Sunday’s Pro Bowl at University of Phoenix Stadium, the uprights will be narrowed from 18.6 to 14 feet on extra-point tries. The kick also will be moved back from the 2 to the 15, making it essentially a 33 1/2-yard field goal.
NFL kickers made 99.6 percent of their PAT tries in 2013 and 99.3 this season.
NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent made the announcement during a Pro Bowl news conference on Tuesday.
KEARNEY, Neb. – The Tri-City Storm will have a special guest at their game against Sioux Falls on Saturday night. Jack Hoffman and his father Andy will make the trip to Kearney from Atkinson, Neb. to watch Tri-City in action at 7:05 p.m.
The Hoffman family will be on the ice for a pre-game ceremony in which Jack will drop the game’s ceremonial first puck.
In addition, the Storm will wear specialty jerseys with the Team Jack Foundation logo. The uniforms will be sold as part of a silent auction during the game, with all proceeds donated to benefit Team Jack.
Another way Tri-City will raise money for the foundation is in the Storm Store. A Team Jack t-shirt is available for purchase, and all proceeds from shirt sales will go directly to the foundation.
Team Jack is committed to raising money for the sole purpose of funding relevant pediatric brain cancer research and works to create national awareness for the disease. As of January 2013, the Team Jack Foundation has committed more than $1.1 million and counting to pediatric brain cancer research.
The Storm have also designated the Team Jack Foundation as a recipient for the month of January in the annual Jerseys For A Cause program, presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield.
Tri-City will have a chance to move into second place on Friday night when they battle Omaha before Saturday’s game. Friday’s contest starts at 7:30 p.m.
For more information and to purchase tickets, contact the Viaero Event Center Box Office at 308.338.8011 or visit www.stormhockey.com.
The National High School Athletic Coaches Association (NHSACA) and the Nebraska Coaches Association (NCA) announced the advancement of 13 coaches and an athletic director as finalists for the National High School Athletic Coaches Association national coach of the year:
Chad
Lyons
McCook
Assistant Coach of the Year – Boys’
Ann
Purdy
Northwest
Assistant Coach of the Year – Girls’
Bill
Fitzgerald
Fremont
Athletic Director
Bob
Greco
Omaha Westside
Baseball
Russ
Ninemire
Sandy Creek
Girls’ Basketball
Jim
Barker
Scottsbluff
Boys’ Cross Country
Todd
Nott
Plattsmouth
Girls’ Cross Country
Mark
Wortman
Elkhorn
Football
Darrel
Hoffman
Beatrice
Golf
Terry
Graver
Elkhorn South
Softball
Steve
Bischof
Elkhorn South
Tennis
Dave
Sellon
Fremont
Boys’ Track & Field
Alan
VanCura
Hastings St. Cecilia
Volleyball
Doug
Denson
Millard South
Wrestling
Eight finalists from across the nation, in nineteen recognized sports categories will be honored during the National Coach of the Year Awards Banquet which will take place at the NHSACA’s national convention at the Kahler Grand Hotel in Rochester, MN on the evening of June 20, 2015. The highlight of the banquet will be the naming of the NHSACA national coach of the year in nineteen recognized sports categories.
All Nebraska coaches were selected for this national honor by the NCA. The selection is based on longevity, service to high school athletics, honors, championship years, and winning parentage. The nominees and finalists are evaluated by experts in the field of coaching using a sport-specific rubrics to assign points in each category. NHSACA is the oldest coaches association in the nation formed by coaches, for coaches, and has been recognizing national coaches of the year since 1978.
DETROIT (AP) — Dominic Raiola’s agent says the Detroit Lions have told the veteran center he is not part of their plans next season.
Raiola has played all 14 of his NFL seasons with Detroit, starting 203 games. Agent Kenny Zuckerman says Raiola would like to keep playing, but he’ll have to do so elsewhere. He signed a one-year deal last offseason that kept him with the Lions for 2014.
Detroit made the playoffs this season for only the second time in Raiola’s tenure, qualifying as a wild card. But quarterback Matthew Stafford was sacked 45 times, and the offensive line will now have a different look next season. The Lions picked center Travis Swanson in the third round of last year’s draft.
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jaden Schwartz had a goal and assist and the St. Louis Blues’ defense stifled the Colorado Avalanche in a 3-1 victory on Monday night.
Brian Elliott made 17 saves, T.J. Oshie scored and defenseman Carl Gunnarsson got his second goal of the season for the Blues. St. Louis has scored in a season-best eight consecutive games, going 7-0-1 in that stretch.
Alexander Steen had two assists, giving him 18 points during a 10-game points streak. Ken Hitchcock won his 153rd game with St. Louis, tied with Brian Sutter for second on the franchise list.
The Blues have won eight of nine at home against Colorado.
Matt Duchene scored for the Avalanche, who finished 1-2-2 on a five-game road trip.
MaKenna Ketter Signs her National Letter of Intent
The North Platte Community College Lady Knights Volleyball team added MaKenna Ketter from Chase County High School to their 2015 recruiting class.
Ketter, the daughter of Tonja Barry and Mike Ketter both of Imperial, is a 5’ 10″ outside hitter from Chase County High School. The Lady Longhorns were 26-3 on the season and won the South Platte Valley Association (SPVA) tournament.
“What caught my eye is that Makenna is a good student, aggressive player, competitive, comes from a good program, and knows how to win,” Vicki Hopping, assistant volleyball coach for the Lady Knights, said.
North Platte Community College Lady Knights head volleyball coach Alexa Hopping added: “I’m really excited for Makenna. She will make an impact on our team. She is very athletic and a good jumper.”
Ketter played four seasons on the Lady Longhorns volleyball team and was a first team selection on the All-SPVA teams both her junior and senior years.
The signing of Ketter raises North Platte Community College Volleyball Coach Alexa Hopping’s 2015 recruiting class to five. The others include: Megan Chintala from Fleming, Colorado, Shelby Wolever from Brush, Colorado, Josie Palmer from Brady, Nebraska, and Jessica Lovitt from Mullen, Nebraska.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Rachel Theriot made all seven of her free throw attempts and finished with 16 points to help No. 16 Nebraska beat Purdue 69-59 on Monday.
Hailie Sample scored 15 points for Nebraska (14-3, 4-2 Big Ten), Brandi Jeffery had 13 and Tear’a Laudermill added 10. Emily Cady grabbed 13 rebounds and had five assists to help the Cornhuskers win their fourth consecutive conference game.
Nebraska scored 15 first-half points off of 12 Purdue turnovers on its way to a 33-24 halftime lead.
Whitney Bays recorded her ninth straight double-double for Purdue (9-9, 3-4) with 14 points and 14 rebounds. April Wilson added a career-high 20 points as the Boilermakers lost their fourth game in a row for the first time since 2010.
Bays hit two free throws to cut Purdue’s deficit to 53-49, but Theriot started an 8-0 spurt with a 3-pointer and capped it with a three-point play with 3:04 left.
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Klay Thompson scored 22 points, Stephen Curry had 20 points and eight assists, and the Golden State Warriors matched a franchise record with their 16th consecutive home win in impressive fashion, whipping the Denver Nuggets 122-79 on Monday.
The NBA-leading Warriors (33-6) out did Denver (18-23) in nearly every major category, including shooting percentage (54.3 percent to 34.5 percent), rebounds (53 to 39), assists (30 to 17), blocks (six to three) and steals (10 to nine).
Ty Lawson had 19 points and six assists, and Jameer Nelson had 14 points and five assists for the Nuggets, who have lost three in a row.
KEARNEY, Neb. – Tri-City Storm goalie Alec Dillon was named the USHL’s Goaltender of the Week by the league office Monday after recording his third shutout of the season on Saturday night in a 1-0 victory over the Bloomington Thunder.
The Victoria, B.C. native made a total of 25 saves in the game while keeping the Thunder off the board in the Storm’s first ever contest against Bloomington.
Dillon’s three shutout performances are the most of any goaltender in the league this season.
A 5th round draft pick of the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings, Dillon has been enjoying a successful season in his first year with the Storm and currently has a 13-5-4 record with a 2.22 goals against average and a save percentage of .918.
Dillon is among the league leaders in all goaltending categories. The RPI-commit is currently second-best in goals against average and fifth in save percentage, wins, and minutes played.
The honor is the second of the season for Dillon, who was also named Goaltender of the Week on Oct. 13.
Tri-City is now in third place in the USHL’s Western Conference, two points behind second-place Omaha. The Storm will have a chance to make up that difference on Friday night when the Lancers come to Kearney for the second time this season. Game time is 7:30 p.m.
On Saturday night, Tri-City will take on Sioux Falls at 7:05. The game will be Star Wars Night, as well as Team Jack Foundation night. The Storm will wear specialty jerseys that will be auctioned off throughout the game, will all proceeds to be donated to the Team Jack Foundation.
For more information and to purchase tickets, contact the Viaero Event Center Box Office at 308.338.8011 or visit www.stormhockey.com.
NEW YORK (AP) — The number of college players granted special eligibility for the NFL draft has dropped from a record 98 last season to 74 this year.
An additional 10 players, including Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota of Oregon, became eligible for the draft after notifying the league that they have graduated.
The record number of underclassmen who declared early for last year’s draft also led to a record 36 early-entry players going undrafted.
Among the early entries this year are Florida State quarterback and 2013 Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston, Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon, Alabama receiver Amari Cooper and Washington linebacker Shaq Thompson.
The NFL Draft is April 30 through May 2 in Chicago.
PHOENIX (AP) — The NFL will have narrower uprights and longer kicks for extra-point tries at the Pro Bowl.
