Weekday Morning Sports Report – Tuesday 10/1/19

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sportsreport-300x207-112

NFL – National Football League – Week 4
Last Night
Pittsburgh Steelers 27, Cincinnati Bengals 3

Steelers 27, Bengals 3 – Steelers get first win
Mason Rudolph was outstanding in helping the Pittsburgh Steelers get their first win of the season. Rudolph was 24 of 28 for 229 yards and two touchdowns as the Steelers whipped the Cincinnati Bengals, 27-3. Most of his passes were quick hitters that allowed Pittsburgh to control the clock and continue long drives. The Bengals led 3-0 until Rudolph connected with James Conner on a delayed screen for a 21-yard touchdown in the second quarter. Pittsburgh broke the game open with Rudolph’s 43-yard heave to rookie Diontae Johnson midway through the third. Jaylen Samuels added new wrinkles to Pittsburgh’s offense, running for 26 yards and a touchdown and grabbing eight passes for 57 yards. Samuels also was credited with three completions on “pop” passes to teammates in motion that traveled all of three feet. The Steelers sacked Andy Dalton eight times, picked him off once and forced a second-quarter fumble of the Cincinnati quarterback. Dalton was 21 of 37 for just 171 yards. The Steelers avoided their first 0-4 start in 51 years and beat the Bengals for the ninth straight time. Cincinnati is 0-4 under new coach Zac Taylor.

NFL – NFL suspends Raiders’ Vontaze Burfict for rest of season
Oakland Raiders linebacker Vontaze Burfict has been suspended for the rest of the season for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Indianapolis Colts tight end Jack Doyle.  NFL Vice President of football operations Jon Runyan announced the suspension Monday. The league says Burfict is suspended without pay for the remaining 13 weeks of the season and any playoff games for "repeated violations of unnecessary roughness rules."  Burfict was flagged for unnecessary roughness and ejected from the Raiders’ game against the Colts on Sunday after a blow to Doyle’s head early in the second quarter. Runyan in a letter to Burfict called the contact "unnecessary and flagrant" and added that his "extensive history of rules violations is factored into this decision regarding accountability measures." Burfict during his time in Cincinnati was repeatedly suspended by the NFL for egregious hits and violating its policy on performance-enhancers. He was fined regularly for hits that crossed the line, most notably the one to Antonio Brown’s head that helped the Steelers rally for an 18-16 playoff win in the 2015 season. Burfict can appeal in the next three days.

MLB – Major League Baseball – Wild Card
Tonight
Milwaukee Brewers (Woodruff 11-3) at Washington Nationals (Sherzer 11-7), 8:08 p.m.

MLB – Angels fire Ausmus
Another major league team is in the market for a manager. Angels skipper Brad Ausmus has been dismissed after going 72-90 in his lone season at the helm. He took over for Mike Scioscia, who led Los Angeles to its only World Series title in 2002 and lasted 19 years at the post.  The Angels have made the playoffs just once since 2009 and struggled this year despite the presence of star outfielder Mike Trout, two-way player Shohei Ohtani and others. The dismissal has sparked speculation that former Angels bench coach Joe Maddon will take over. Maddon and the Cubs parted company on Sunday. Six big league ballclubs are currently looking for managers.

NCAA – California defies NCAA, will let college athletes make money
California will defy the NCAA and will let college athletes hire agents and make money from endorsements. The move is likely to set up a legal challenge that could reshape amateur sports in the U.S. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom says he has signed the law that will let athletes at California universities make money from their images, names or likenesses. The law also bans schools from kicking athletes off the team if they get paid. The law will take effect on Jan. 1, 2023. It does not apply to community colleges and bans athletes from accepting endorsement deals that conflict with their schools’ existing contracts. California is the first state to pass such a law. The NCAA Board of Governors had asked Newsom to veto the bill, saying it “would erase the critical distinction between college and professional athletes.“ The board also warned that the law would give California universities an unfair recruiting advantage, which could prompt the NCAA to bar them from competition.

MCCAA – Junior College Athletics
Tonight
Women’s Volleyball
Lake Michigan College at Glen Oaks Community College, 6:30 p.m.

MHSAA – High School Athletics
Last Night
Girls Volleyball
St. Joseph 3, Three Rivers 2
Michigan Lutheran 3, West Michigan Academy of Environmental Science 0

Boys Soccer
Lake Michigan Catholic 1, Lawrence 0 (Lawrence forfeits)
Berrien Springs 7, Michigan Lutheran 1
Covert 2, New Buffalo 1
Edwardsburg 1, Vicksburg 1 – TIE
Otsego 1, Sturgis 0
Plainwell 2, Paw Paw 1
Dowagiac 2, South Haven 1
Allegan 3, Three Rivers 1
Bloomingdale 4, Cassopolis 1
Bangor 8, Eau Claire 1
Hartford 8, Marcellus 0
Kalamazoo Christian 5, Delton-Kellogg 5 – TIE
Kalamazoo Hackett 7, Coloma 0
Constantine 1, Lawton 1 – TIE
Fennville 6, Saugatuck 0
Watervliet 3, Schoolcraft 3 – TIE

Tonight
Boys Soccer
Gull Lake at St. Joseph, 6:30 p.m.
Niles at Mattawan, 6:30 p.m.
Allegan at Kalamazoo Central, 6:30 p.m.
Portage Northern at Battle Creek Lakeview, 6:30 p.m.
Battle Creek Central at Portage Central, 6:30 p.m.

Girls Volleyball
Dowagiac at Edwardsburg, 6:00 p.m.
Hartford at Bangor, 7:00 p.m.
Centreville at Bloomingdale, 7:00 p.m.
Decatur at Cassopolis, 7:00 p.m.
Mendon at Eau Claire, 7:00 p.m.
Marcellus at White Pigeon, 7:00 p.m.
Fennville at Coloma, 6:30 p.m.
Schoolcraft at Galesburg-Augusta, 6:30 p.m.
Martin at Gobles, 6:30 p.m.
Constantine at Lawton, 6:30 p.m.
Delton-Kellogg at Kalamazoo Hackett, 6:30 p.m.

Division 1
School Total Points
1. Chippewa Valley (4) (5-0) 49
2. Belleville (1) (5-0) 45
3. Rockford (5-0) 41
4. Dearborn Fordson (5-0) 33
5. Grandville (5-0) 27
6. Davison (5-0) 25
7. West Bloomfield (4-1) 23
8. Lake Orion (4-1) 13
9. Brownstown Woodhaven (5-0) 9
10. Saline (4-1) 8
Others receiving votes: Plymouth 2.

Division 2
School Total Points
1. Midland (4) (5-0) 46
2. Oak Park (4-1) 44
3. Livonia Franklin (1) (5-0) 38
4. Muskegon Mona Shores (4-1) 37
5. Walled Lake Western (4-1) 29
6. South Lyon (5-0) 26
7. Birmingham Groves (4-1) 22
8. Detroit King (3-2) 18
9. Grosse Pointe South (4-1) 9
10. Traverse City Central (4-1) 3
Others receiving votes: Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central 2. Battle Creek Lakeview 1.

Division 3
School Total Points
1. Muskegon (5) (5-0) 50
2. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (5-0) 43
3. Edwardsburg (5-0) 41
4. Mt. Pleasant (5-0) 34
5. Byron Center (5-0) 26
6. Chelsea (5-0) 23
7. St. Joseph (5-0) 17
8. Zeeland West (4-1) 10
9. Mason (5-0) 8
9. Birmingham Brother Rice (4-1) 8
Others receiving votes: River Rouge 8. East Lansing 7.

Division 4
School Total Points
1. Detroit Country Day (2) (5-0) 47
(tie) Paw Paw (3) (5-0) 47
3. Muskegon Orchard View (5-0) 40
4. Grand Rapids Catholic Central (4-1) 36
5. Milan (5-0) 30
6. Pontiac Notre Dame Prep (5-0) 25
7. Fowlerville (5-0) 19
8. St. Clair (5-0) 13
9. Escanaba (4-1) 11
10. Hudsonville Unity Christian (4-1) 4
Others receiving votes: Goodrich 2. Ludington 1.

Division 5
School Total Points
1. Muskegon Oakridge (4) (5-0) 40
2. Portland (5-0) 35
3. Frankenmuth (5-0) 33
4. Montague (4-1) 23
5. Kingsley (5-0) 22
6. Marine City (5-0) 14
6. Olivet (5-0) 14
8. Lansing Catholic (4-1) 13
(tie) Hopkins (5-0) 13
10. Saginaw Swan Valley (3-2) 6
Others receiving votes: Clare 5. Almont 2.

Division 6
School Total Points
1. Ithaca (2) (5-0) 38
1. Glen Lake (2) (5-0) 38
3. Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central (4-1) 30
4. Flint Hamady (5-0) 26
5. Grass Lake (5-0) 24
6. Montrose (4-1) 18
7. Brandywine (5-0) 17
8. Menominee (4-1) 13
9. Ravenna (4-1) 9
10. Warren Michigan Collegiate (4-1) 6
Others receiving votes: Calumet 1.

Division 7
School Total Points
1. New Lothrop (3) (5-0) 48
2. Pewamo-Westphalia (1) (5-0) 41
3. Jackson Lumen Christi (1) (5-0) 39
4. Clinton (5-0) 34
5. Schoolcraft (5-0) 33
6. Cassopolis (5-0) 23

7. Iron Mountain (5-0) 18
8. Sand Creek (4-1) 14
9. Beal City (5-0) 9
10. Riverview Gabriel Richard (5-0) 7
Others receiving votes: Beaverton 5. Cass City 3. Royal Oak Shrine 1.

Division 8
School Total Points
1. Reading (4) (4-1) 49
2. Harbor Beach (1) (5-0) 44
3. Saginaw Michigan Lutheran Seminary (4-1) 39
4. White Pigeon (5-0) 33
5. Johannesburg-Lewiston (5-0) 29
6. Fowler (5-0) 18
7. Saginaw Nouvel (4-1) 17
8. Ubly (4-1) 12
9. Breckenridge (4-1) 10
10. Clarkston Everest Catholic (4-0) 9
Others receiving votes: Adrian Lenawee Christian 6. Mendon 4. West Iron County 3. Mount Clemens 3. Ottawa Lake Whiteford 1. Ishpeming 1.

Division 8 Player
School Total Points
1. Morrice (5) (5-0) 76
2. Powers North Central (3) (5-0) 72
3. Colon (5-0) 57
4. Pickford (4-1) 55
5. Crystal Falls Forest Park (4-1) 19
Others receiving votes: Climax-Scotts 15. Deckerville 8. Brimley 6. Portland St Patrick 6. Onekama 6.