The Sailor basketball teams and wrestling teams wrapped up their pre-Christmas competition last weekend. The Lady Sailors kept a winning streak going, and boys head coach Dan Dyer talks about how painfully close his team came to cracking the win column. The Sailor grapplers had a fine showing on their home mats as well. Hear all about it in this week’s Sutherland Sailor sports update!
A&M’s Johnny Football is AP’s Player of the Year
Chalk up another major award for Johnny Manziel.
The Texas A&M quarterback became the first freshman to be voted The Associated Press Player of the Year in college football on Tuesday. He also won the Heisman Trophy and Davey O’Brien Award.
Manziel collected 31 votes to 15 for Manti Te’o, Notre Dame’s star linebacker, who finished second.
The 6-foot-1 Manziel threw for 3,419 yards and 24 touchdowns and ran for 1,181 yards and 19 more scores to help the Aggies to 10 wins for the first time since 1998.
What’s even more impressive? Manziel and his teammates did it in their first year in the SEC. Those wins included an upset of Alabama that showcased Manziel’s ability for a national TV audience.
Warriors return home after taming the East
UNDATED (AP) — The Golden State Warriors are back home following a sensational 6-1 road trip that included wins at Brooklyn, Miami and Atlanta. It was the team’s best trip of at least six games since winning four of seven during the 1970-71 season.
The East Coast trek has the Warriors sitting fifth in the NBA’s Western Conference heading into tonight’s game against the New Orleans Hornets, who own the worst record in the West at 5-18. The Hornets will be hard-pressed to end their seven-game losing streak.
The NBA slate begins with Cleveland hosting Toronto and Atlanta at Washington. The Hawks are third in the East at 14-7, one game behind the Southeast Division-leading Miami Heat.
The Heat entertain Minnesota while Utah visits Brooklyn. The Timberwolves enter tonight’s action riding a four-game winning streak that leaves them 12-9.
Boston is at Chicago, Indiana visits Milwaukee and Dallas hosts Philadelphia before the Los Angeles Lakers entertain Charlotte. The Bobcats have lost 11 straight since a surprising 7-5 start.
Yanks’ luxury tax increases $400k to $19.3 million
NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Yankees’ luxury tax bill for this year has gone up by nearly $400,000.
Major League Baseball sent a revised accounting to the team today, raising New York’s payment to more than $19.3 million. The change reflected how one player’s salary was accounted for.
New York is the only team to pay the luxury tax this year. The Yankees’ final payroll for luxury tax purposes climbed to $223.4 million.
The Yankees pay at a 42.5 percent rate on the amount over the $178 million threshold. The luxury tax uses average annual values of contracts and includes benefits.
AP source: Red Sox agree to deal with Stephen Drew
BOSTON (AP) — A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press that shortstop Stephen Drew and the Boston Red Sox have agreed to a $9.5 million, one-year contract.
Drew will take a physical before the deal can be finalized, the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the agreement was not complete.
Drew hit .250 with five homers and 16 RBIs in 39 games for the Oakland Athletics last season after being traded by Arizona on Aug. 20. In 40 games with the Diamondbacks, he hit .193 with two homers and 12 RBIs. Drew, brother of former Boston outfielder J.D. Drew, had been with Arizona for his entire big career until the trade.
NDSU coach honored as national coach of the year
FARGO, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota State University football coach Craig Bohl has been honored as the national coach of the year in the NCAA’s Football Championship Subdivision.
Bohl was awarded the Eddie Robinson Award last night in Philadelphia.
Bohl has led the Bison to a repeat appearance in the FCS title game. He says the honor is recognition of the entire NDSU football program.
The Bison take on Sam Houston State, the team they beat for the title last year, Jan. 5.
Titans get picky against Jets
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The New York Jets’ faint playoff hopes have been picked off by the Tennessee Titans.
Mark Sanchez threw four interceptions among his five turnovers as the Jets lost 14-10 at Tennessee, eliminating New York from the postseason chase. Sanchez gave up the ball twice after the two minute warning to kill the Jets’ chance at a must win.
The Jets reached the Tennessee 23 just before Michael Griffin picked off Sanchez at the two yard line with under two minutes left. And when Titans punter Brett Kern shanked a punt that landed out of bounds at the Tennessee 25 with 47 seconds left, Sanchez promptly fumbled the ensuing snap and watched Zach Brown pounce on the ball to clinch the outcome.
Chris Johnson carried 21 times for 122 yards, including a 94-yard touchdown run that put the Titans ahead in the second quarter. Griffin had two interceptions for the 5-9 Titans, who dropped the Jets to 6-8.
Boeheim gets 900th
UNDATED (AP) — First came Bob Knight, then Mike Krzyzewski, and finally, Jim Boeheim.
Third-ranked Syracuse escaped with a 72-68 home win over Detroit to make Boeheim the third Division I men’s basketball coach with 900 career wins. Boeheim was presented a jersey encased in glass with 900 emblazoned on it, 36 years after coaching his first game at the school.
James Southerland had 22 points as the 10-0 Orange extended the nation’s longest home winning streak to 30 games. Michael Carter-Williams added 12 points and 10 assists for his sixth straight double-double.
Thunder top Spurs to stay atop NBA West…Lin wins in return to Gotham
UNDATED (AP) — The Oklahoma City Thunder have an 11-game winning streak and the NBA’s best record at 20-4 following a victory over a fellow Western Conference division leader.
Serge Ibaka tied his career high with 24 points and grabbed a season-high 17 rebounds in a 107-93 win against San Antonio. Russell Westbrook had 22 points and nine assists for the Thunder, who scored 11 straight points to take a 71-56 lead late in the third quarter.
Kevin Martin scored 20 and Kevin Durant had 19 while the Thunder held Tony Parker and Tim Duncan to a combined 26 points.
Jeremy Lin made a triumphant return to Madison Square Garden, although he had a lot of help from James Harden.
Lin had 22 points and eight assists as the Houston Rockets downed the New York Knicks 109-96. It was Lin’s first game in New York since he left the Knicks last summer for a free-agent deal with the Rockets.
Lin received a warm ovation as the starting lineup was announced, but he got a mixed reception when he left the game with 2:25 remaining and the Rockets leading by 16.
Harden added 28 points and 10 rebounds in the Rockets’ second blowout win over the Knicks.
New York had a four-game winning streak stopped despite a season-high 29 points from rookie Chris Copeland.
Elsewhere in the NBA, The Los Angeles Clippers picked up their 10th consecutive win as Jamal Crawford and Blake Griffin each scored 15 points in an 88-76 win at Detroit. Chris Paul added 14 points and seven assists as the Clippers improved to 8-3 on the road.
Memphis was an 80-71 winner over Chicago behind Mike Conley’s 17 points. Zach Randolph added 10 points and 15 boards for the Grizzlies, who outrebounded the Bulls 51-39.
Glen Davis scored 29 points and Orlando ended Minnesota’s four-game winning streak by beating the Timberwolves 102-93. J.J. Redick had 18 points and seven assists to help the Magic overcome Kevin Love’s 23 points and 15 rebounds.
Shannon Brown scored 14 of his 22 points while Phoenix outscored Sacramento 31-14 in the third quarter of a 101-90 win over the Kings. Jared Dudley finished with 20 points and helped the Suns roar back from a 19-point deficit.
Dickey confirms deal with Jays
NEW YORK (AP) — R.A. Dickey has announced that he and the Blue Jays have agreed on a new contract, clearing the way for the New York Mets to trade the Cy Young winner to Toronto. The Blue Jays will also get catchers Josh Thole and Mike Nickeas, who have experience catching Dickey’s knuckleball. The Mets will get catcher John Buck, catching prospect Travis d’Arnaud and two other minor leaguers for the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner.
The 38-year-old knuckleballer must pass a physical before he joins the Blue Jays, who will pay him $29 over the next three years. Dickey was 20-6 with a 2.73 ERA last season, three years after the Mets signed him to a minor league contract.
Elsewhere in baseball:
— The Tigers have finalized their five-year contract with right-handed pitcher Anibal Sanchez, who helped Detroit reach the World Series this year. He had a 1.77 ERA in 20 1-3 innings over three postseason starts, but was 1-2 as the Tigers were shut out in each of his losses.
— The Houston Astros have signed veteran Carlos Pena to be their designated hitter as the club prepares for its first season in the American League. The 34-year-old Pena spent last season with Tampa Bay, hitting .197 with 19 home runs and 61 RBIs. His most productive year came in 2007 when he hit 46 homers with 121 RBIs.
— The Chicago Cubs have signed third baseman Ian Stewart to a one-year contract. He batted .201 in 55 games this season before season-ending surgery on his left wrist.
— The Athletics have reportedly come to terms on a contract with shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima of Japan’s Seibu Lions. Nakajima is a seven-time Pacific League All-Star who hit .302 with 149 home runs, 664 RBIs and 134 stolen bases over 11 seasons with Seibu.
A pair of undefeated local basketball teams are on the hardwood tonight. The St. Patrick’s Lady Irish are hoping to run their season-opening winning streak to seven as they head north to take on a tough Sandhills/Thedford team as part of a girls and boys doubleheader. In the boys game, the Irish will be hoping to start a brand new winning streak after losing their last time out. Also still among the ranks of the unbeaten are the Wallace Wildcat boys, at 4-0. The Wildcats and Lady Wildcats host Medicine Valley tonight. In other doubleheader action, Mullen makes a trip to take on Garden County. In girls basketball the Gothenburg Lady Swedes will try and get back on the winning track on their home floor against McCook. And in boys action, Paxton hosts Maywood in the opener of Paxton’s Pre-Holiday tournament.
The Husker football program completed their non-conference schedules for 2014 and 2016 yesterday. They announced that McNeese State, a Division I FBS program, will come to Lincoln on September 6, 2014, and that they will play Northern Illinois in a three-game series in 2016, 2017 and 2019. Nebraska’s game against the Huskies on September 24, 2016 will be held at Soldier Field in Chicago. The other two meetings will be played in Lincoln.
The Husker men’s basketball team tries to snap a two-game losing skid tonight as they host Jacksonville State at the Devaney Center. After a 6-1 start, the Huskers have lost consecutive games by lopsided margins to Creighton and Oregon, averaging 40 points and shooting just 31 percent in those two contests. The visiting Gamecocks are 8-2 and coming into Lincoln on a five-game winning streak. It’s the first ever meeting between the two programs. Tipoff tonight is scheduled for 8:06.
The Denver Nuggets hope to stretch their winning streak to three games as they host the San Antonio Spurs tonight. It’s just the eighth home game of the season for the Nuggets, by far the fewest of any NBA team. Denver is 6-1 at the friendly confines of the Pepsi Center. San Antonio is coming off a road loss at Oklahoma City last night. These two teams have already met once this season, with the Spurs rolling to a 126-100 win in San Antonio on November 17. Tipoff in Denver is set for 8 PM.
The Brady Eagles and Lady Eagles are off to outstanding starts to their basketball seasons. Boys head coach David Jacobs talks about the key to his team’s strong start. For the Lady Eagles, it’s a true team effort so far. Hear all about it in this week’s Brady Eagle sports update!
Important outing for the Jets
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The New York Jets will be trying to keep playoff hopes alive tonight when they take the field in Nashville to face the Tennessee Titans.
The 6-7 Jets can climb within a game of the AFC’s sixth and final playoff seed. They finish against three teams with losing records starting with Tennessee.
The 4-9 Titans already are eliminated and trying to keep jobs.
New York has won two straight and three of four to remain in the hunt.
Best in the West clash
UNDATED (AP) — There is an early season NBA showdown tonight in Oklahoma City, where the league-leading Thunder await the second-place San Antonio Spurs. The home team has won 10 straight and sports a 19-6 record. That’s good for a six-game lead over Minnesota in the Northwest Division race. The visitors from the Lone Star State sit 19-6 and are two games ahead of second place Memphis in the Southwest Division race.
Also tonight, the New York Knicks will be trying to improve their Eastern Conference-leading 18-5 record when they host Houston, the L.A. Clippers take a nine-game winning streak onto the court at Detroit, Memphis will host Chicago and Sacramento plays at Phoenix.
Duke moves to No. 1 in AP poll after Indiana loss
Duke is back in a familiar place — No. 1
The Blue Devils advanced one spot to replace Indiana at the top of The Associated Press’ Top 25 on Monday, drawing closer to UCLA’s record for most No. 1 rankings.
Indiana (9-1) held the top spot from the preseason poll through the first five weeks of the season. Butler beat the Hoosiers 88-86 in overtime Saturday. The Blue Devils (9-0), who were off last week, received 62 first-place votes from the 65-member national media panel.
This is the 123rd week Duke has been No. 1, 11 weeks behind UCLA.
Michigan (11-0), which received the other No. 1 votes, and Syracuse moved up one place each to second and third. They were followed in the top 10 by Arizona, Louisville, Indiana, Ohio State, Florida, Kansas and Illinois.
Tigers announce 5-year deal with Anibal Sanchez
DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Tigers have agreed to a five-year contract with right-handed pitcher Anibal Sanchez.
Sanchez will be at a news conference Monday afternoon. The team didn’t disclose financial terms, but a person familiar with it told The Associated Press last week on condition of anonymity that the deal is worth $80 million.
Sanchez helped Detroit reach the World Series this year. He had a 1.77 ERA in 20 1-3 innings over three postseason starts, but was 1-2 because the Tigers were shut out in each of his losses.
Detroit acquired the 28-year-old Venezuelan in July from Miami along with second baseman Omar Infante for right-hander Jacob Turner and two minor leaguers. He is 48-51 with a 3.75 ERA since making his major league debut with the Marlins in 2006.
Kaepernick leads Niners win at New England…Texans, Packers clinch divisions
UNDATED (AP) — An opposing team had not won at New England in December since 2002. But Colin Kaepernick and the San Francisco 49ers have done it, holding on for a 41-34 victory.
Making just his fifth NFL start, Kaepernick passed for 216 yards and four touchdowns to help the Niners clinch a playoff berth. San Francisco is 10-3-1.
The Patriots had won 20 straight home games in December. They fall to 10-4 but had already clinched the AFC East.
Kaepernick’s fourth touchdown pass of the night came with 6:25 left — a 38-yard strike to Michael Crabtree. The winning play was set up by LaMichael James’ 62-yard kickoff return.
New England had tied the game seconds earlier, rallying from a 28-point deficit on Danny Woodhead’s one-yard run.
Tom Brady passed for 443 yards and a touchdown, but threw two interceptions and was sacked three times.
Seattle is keeping the heat on the 49ers in the NFC West race.
Quarterback Russell Wilson ran for 92 yards and three touchdowns and also passed for a score as the Seahawks trounced the Buffalo Bills in Toronto 50-17. Seattle became the third NFL team to score 50 points on consecutive weekends.
The Seahawks are 9-5 and host the division-leading 49ers next Sunday night.
The Houston Texans are AFC South champions for the second straight year after beating Indianapolis 29-17.
Andre Johnson had 151 receiving yards and a touchdown and Bryan Braman scored on a blocked punt as the Texans improved to 12-2. Houston will have home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs if they win out.
There’s a three-way tie for the NFC East race between Washington, the Giants and Dallas.
Atlanta moved closer to clinching home-field advantage in the NFC by blanking the Giants 34-0. Matt Ryan threw for three scores and the defense handed New York its first regular-season shutout since 1996. The 12-2 Falcons have already clinched the NFC South.
Washington grabbed a share of first place in the NFC East by beating the Browns in Cleveland 38-21. Backup quarterback Kirk Cousins started in place of the injured Robert Griffin III and passed for 329 yards and two TDs.
The Dallas Cowboys made it a three-team division race by beating Pittsburgh in overtime 27-24. The Steelers won the overtime coin toss, but on their first possession, Ben Roethlisberger was picked off by Brandon Carr, who returned it 36 yards to the 1. After Tony Romo took a 2-yard loss for better field goal position, Dan Bailey kicked the winning 21-yarder.
The Steelers have dropped four of five to fall to 7-7. They trail Cincinnati by a game for the second AFC wild card spot.
Green Bay clinched its second straight NFC North title with Aaron Rodgers passing for three scores in a 21-13 win at Chicago.
The Bears were limited to 190 yards in losing for the sixth straight time to the Packers. Green Bay is 10-4 while the Bears are 8-6 and in danger of missing the playoffs.
In other NFL games:
— Tampa Bay’s playoff hopes are fading after Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints routed the Buccaneers 41-0. Brees passed for 307 yards and four touchdowns as the Saints recorded their first shutout in 17 years. Both teams are 6-8.
— Minnesota improved to 8-6 with Adrian Peterson rushing for a season-best 212 yards in a 36-22 win over St. Louis. Peterson has a career-best 1,812 yards rushing, which leaves him 294 shy of breaking Eric Dickerson’s mark of 2,105 set in 1984.
— Ryan Tannehill completed 22 of 28 passes for 220 yards and two TDs as Miami dumped Jacksonville 24-3. The Jags had a go-ahead touchdown taken off the board because of an illegal substitution penalty in the second quarter. The Jaguars are 2-12 and tied their franchise record for losses in a season.
— Greg Toler ran back an interception 102 yards for a fourth-quarter touchdown, the longest return in franchise history, to seal Arizona’s 38-10 victory over Detroit. The win snapped the Cardinals’ nine-game losing streak.
— Mike Tolbert scored a pair of touchdowns against his former team as the Carolina Panthers drubbed San Diego 31-7. The loss eliminates the Chargers from playoff contention for the third straight season.
— Sebastian Janikowski kicked five field goals and Darren McFadden rushed for 110 yards in a 15-0 win over Kansas City. Oakland shuts out Kansas City for just the second time ever.
Moments of silence around NFL for shooting victims
UNDATED (AP) — The New England Patriots silenced their “End Zone Militia” Sunday night, taking the muskets away from the Revolutionary War re-enactors who fire in the air to celebrate every score.
The memory of the Connecticut school shootings was still too fresh for the sight of weapons and the smell of gunpowder.
Two days after 20 children and six adults were shot to death at Sandy Hook Elementary School, NFL stadiums fell silent before the day’s games to honor the victims’ memory.
Some teams darkened their scoreboards and lowered their flags to half-staff, while others wore helmet decals or black ribbons.
New York Giants receiver Victor Cruz took the field with the name of one victim inscribed on his shoes. Cruz called the family of Jack Pinto after hearing the 6-year-old boy was a Giants fan and was told the family planned to bury the boy in one of Cruz’s No. 80 jerseys. Cruz said he didn’t even know how to put it into words.
Blue Jays trying to close deal for Mets ace
NEW YORK (AP) — The Toronto Blue Jays are trying to close a trade for New York Mets ace R.A. Dickey, with the deal hinging on whether the NL Cy Young winner could work out a new contract.
The Mets would get prized catching prospect Travis d’Arnaud. There was speculation Toronto also would receive catcher Josh Thole while sending catcher John Buck and minor league pitcher Noah Syndergaard to the Mets.
Dickey, a 38-year-old knuckleballer, was 20-6 with a 2.73 ERA last season. He is signed for $5.25 million next year, and the Mets started exploring trades after they couldn’t agree to a contract adding two years.
A rare Lakers winning streak
UNDATED (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers can celebrate consecutive wins for the first time in nearly a month. Sunday night in Philadelphia Kobe Bryant scored 34 points and Metta World Peace added 19 points and a career-high 16 rebounds in a 111-98 win over the 76ers.
Elsewhere, Jose Calderon had a triple-double and the Toronto Raptors beat Houston 103-96. Calderon finished with 18 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds as the Raptors won their second straight.
Damian Lillard hit the go-ahead three-pointer 0.3 seconds left and the Portland Trail Blazers held off New Orleans 95-94. J.J. Hickson scored 24 to lead the Blazers who handed the Hornets their sixth consecutive loss. New Orleans trailed by as many as 16 points but tied the game at 92 on a three-pointer by Austin Rivers with just under a 51 seconds remaining.
Przybilla suspended for throwing ball that hit ref
NEW YORK (AP) — Milwaukee Bucks center Joel Przybilla has been suspended one game without pay for throwing a basketball that hit a referee during a game against the Los Angeles Clippers.
The incident occurred with 1:36 remaining in the fourth quarter of Milwaukee’s 111-85 loss to the Clippers on Saturday night.
The 7-foot-1 center will serve his suspension Tuesday when the Bucks host the Indiana Pacers.
