OVAC will go to four-team soccer tournament

WHEELING, W.Va. — The Ohio Valley Athletic Conference has decided to eliminate the six-team soccer tournaments for all classes. All classes will now have four team soccer tournaments starting in fall 2026. Class 1A/3A boys and girls will play their finals at one site as will Class 4A boys and girls and Class 5A boys and girls. The final sites are Wheeling Island, St. Clairsville and Weir High. Final game times will be 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

Potters edge Weir

WEIRTON, W.Va. — East Liverpool’s boys bowling team was a 2,178-2,112 winner over Weir High on Thursday at Holiday Lanes.

Hunter Estell led the winners with a 223 high game and a 424 series. Grady Rudibaugh added a 219 high game and a 366 series.

Wellsville bowlers roll

STRUTHERS — Wellsville twins Makayla and Madelyn Landess both rolled 200 games as the Tigers doubled up Youngstown East, 1939-932, Thursday at Holiday Lanes.

Makayla Landess had a 212 game and 415 series and Madelyn Landess a 214 game and 407 series. William Lockhart added a 162 game and 311 series.

Wellsville (1-1) will play Southern Local today at Forest Lanes.

Avon retains title

CANTON — The Elders gave the Avon Eagles their second straight state championship.

First-year starting quarterback Blake Elder, the son of head coach Mike Elder, threw four touchdown passes in the first half to guide the fifth-ranked Eagles to a 37-20 victory over top-ranked Cincinnati Anderson in the Division II state title game Thursday night at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.

Mike Elder is a former Warren JFK and Mount Union standout and his son, Blake, was born a month after he coached his first game for Avon.

It was a rematch of last year’s Division II state final that Avon won 20-13.

Avon scored twice in the opening 9 1/2 minutes to lead for good. Finn Jerdonek had a 14-yard touchdown catch after a snap went over the Anderson punter’s head and Caden Clapham had a 22-yard catch to put the Eagles ahead 14-0 with 2:39 left in the first quarter.

Blake Elder was 12-of-18 passing for 216 yards and four touchdowns, which ties a Division II state championship record. Quiante Smith ran for 180 yards and a touchdown.

Anderson quarterback Owen Scalf was 32-of-47 passing for 376 yards with two touchdowns and a scoring run.

Both teams finish at 13-1.

Penguins sneak past Lightning

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Evgeni Malkin scored his second goal of the game with 2:43 left and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3 on Thursday night for their fourth victory in five games.

Tristan Jarry stopped 36 shots, Ville Koivunen scored his first career goal for Pittsburgh, and Ben Kindel had a power-play goal. Malkin also had an assist.

Brandon Hagel scored twice in the third period for Tampa Bay. He has 10 goals in the past seven games.

Nikita Kucherov had a goal and an assist, and Darren Raddysh had two assists. Jonas Johansson finished with 26 saves.

Tampa Bay has dropped consecutive games in regulation for the first time since Oct. 18-23.

Malkin scored the winning goal off a one-timer feed from Tommy Novak.

Kucherov appeared to tie it with 55.4 left in the third but the goal was overturned after a league initiated review determined there was a missed stoppage for a hand pass.

Pittsburgh’s top-ranked power play scored twice to help the Penguins build a 3-0 lead.

Koivunen converted on Pittsburgh’s first chance at 6:12 of the first period with a shot from the left circle, snapping Tampa Bay’s streak of consecutive penalty kills at 24.

Malkin stole a Hagel pass inside the Pittsburgh blue line and converted a breakaway at 7:53 of the second period. Kindel tipped Erik Karlsson’s shot for another power-play goal at 9:49 to make it 3-0.

Kucherov put Tampa Bay on the board with 1:14 left in the second period and Hagel cut the deficit to one 1:17 into the third. Hagel scored his second goal of the third period with 8:16 to go as the Lightning erased a three-goal deficit.

Up next

Penguins: At Dallas on Sunday night.

Lightning: Host the New York Islanders on Saturday night.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl