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The Newport Plain Talk
CCHS grows in ‘belief factor’ in Powell 7-on-7
POWELL — Colton Sane ripped off his helmet, bounced toward his teammates and let out a scream last Thursday night at Powell High School. The Fighting Cocks had just taken down Knox Catholic, led by 4-star wide receiver Tyreek King, by a score of 17-14 — and Sane was ready to let loose with his feelings. The moment was arguably the biggest for Cocke County in two days at the...
QB Carson Beck brings calm to storm awaiting Georgia in 2024
There is comfort knowing what you have at quarterback, and Georgia coach Kirby Smart can only smile at just how settled the Bulldogs are at the position entering the 2024 season. Carson Beck started every game last season, ending an apprenticeship behind Stetson Bennett, and went undefeated in the regular season to establish himself as the No. 1 quarterback for the Bulldogs. "The day and age when you go somewhere and you jump school to school, it's a popular trend. This kid stuck it out," Smart said at SEC Media Days in Dallas on Tuesday. "He didn't get the starting...
Gambling charges dropped for Pats WR Kayshon Boutte
Louisiana has dropped the underage gambling and computer fraud charges filed against New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte last January, his attorney confirmed Tuesday with ESPN. Boutte, now 22, was arrested in Baton Rouge, La., on Jan. 25 on charges related to illegal online wagering while he attended LSU. Authorities alleged that Boutte created a fraudulent online account, using an alias to get around the age requirement, and placed nearly 9,000 bets -- including at least 17 wagers on NCAA football games, including six on LSU contests, from 2022-23. Boutte turned himself in on a felony charge of computer...
Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea embracing new role, clean slate
Vanderbilt is confident that better days are ahead after failing to win a single Southeastern Conference game for the third time in four seasons. The Commodores went 0-8 in SEC play last season, finishing with the same record during the 2021 campaign after an 0-9 showing a year earlier. They went 2-6 in league play in 2022. Defense was what held Vanderbilt back the most, with the Commodores allowing the fifth-most points per game (36.2) among 130 qualifying FBS teams. Vanderbilt held an opponent under 28 points just once, and that opponent was Alabama A&M, an FCS program. But Commodores...
Purdue, Auburn to square off in each of next 2 seasons
Two of college basketball's recent titans finalized a two-year series that will begin this December. Purdue and Auburn, two likely preseason Top 25 teams, will face off Dec. 21, 2024 in Birmingham, Ala. The return game comes Dec. 20, 2025, as part of the Indy Classic in Indianapolis. Purdue may not have national player of the year Zach Edey going forward, but the 2023-24 NCAA runner-up Boilermakers are still formidable competition against the Bruce Pearl-led Tigers. "I am grateful to Matt Painter and the Purdue Boilermakers for agreeing to a two-game series to be played this year in Birmingham and...
NCAA Basketball: NCAA Tournament First Round-Auburn vs Yale
Mar 22, 2024; Spokane, WA, USA; Auburn Tigers forward Johni Broome (4) drives to the basket against Yale Bulldogs guard Bez Mbeng (2) during the first half of a game in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Report: Browns agree to 3-year, $15.9M extension with K Dustin Hopkins
The Cleveland Browns and kicker Dustin Hopkins agreed to a three-year, $15.9 million extension, according to multiple reports on Monday. The deal puts Hopkins under contract with the Browns through the 2027 season. The $5.3 million average will tie Hopkins for fifth among kickers with Ka'imi Fairbairn of the Houston Texans. In 2024, Hopkins' base salary will be $2.875 in the final season of a three-year contract he signed in 2022. Hopkins, 33, made 33 of 36 field-goal attempts for a career-best 91.7 percentage last season for the Browns. He finished with 123 points. Hopkins made all eight of his field-goal attempts from 50 or more yards. Cleveland obtained Hopkins shortly before the start of the 2023 season from the Los Angeles Chargers for a 2025 seventh-round pick. In nine NFL seasons, Hopkins has made 223 of 260 field-goal attempts (85.8 percent) and 245 of 260 extra points (94.2), scoring 914 points in 124 career games with Washington (2015-21), Los Angeles (2021-22) and Cleveland. --Field Level Media
NFL: Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns
Nov 19, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns place kicker Dustin Hopkins (7) walks off the field after the Browns beat the Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Hopkins kicked the game winning field goal. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
No deal? Bears No. 1 pick Caleb Williams unsigned on eve of training camp
Training camp begins Tuesday for Chicago Bears' rookies, but No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams is trending toward an unexcused absence. Williams is unsigned and operating without an agent. He asserted that his team of lawyers and the Bears' brass are working out the terms of his first NFL contract, but the NFLPA confirmed clubs cannot negotiate directly with third parties, including attorneys. Typically, contracts for first-round picks are hammered out using basic framework established under terms of the collective bargaining agreement but the boilerplate deals aren't always without tension. Contracts for each of the past three No. 1 picks...
NCAA Football: Peach Bowl-Mississippi at Penn State
Dec 30, 2023; Atlanta, GA, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin runs on the field before a game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Lane Kiffin remembers late father Monte at SEC Media Days
Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin will be moving forward with a heavy heart this season after the recent passing of his father, distinguished NFL coach Monte Kiffin. Monte Kiffin died Thursday at age 84, leaving behind a legacy in the "Tampa 2" defense that he pioneered during a football career spanning several decades. That defense helped the Tampa Bay Buccaneers win Super Bowl XXXVII while Monte Kiffin was the coordinator. He had one three-year stint as a head coach, 1980-82 at North Carolina State, and otherwise made his mark as a coordinator and position coach. "Really grateful and thankful...
Bengals WR Tee Higgins does not receive extension by deadline
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins will play 2024 on the franchise tag after the team and player did not agree to a long-term deal by Monday's 4 p.m. ET deadline. It was long expected that Higgins would not receive a new contract extension by the deadline. Of eight franchise or transition tag players in the NFL, Higgins is the only one who did not get a deal in time. That includes edge rusher Brian Burns and cornerback L'Jarius Sneed, who were traded to the New York Giants and Tennessee Titans, respectively, before reaching new deals. Higgins reportedly requested a...
Syndication: USA TODAY
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) reacts after completing a catch in the fourth quarter during a Week 9 NFL football game between the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023, at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati.
Texas lands 4-star ATH recruit Nick Townsend
Four-star recruit Nick Townsend, the No. 3 athlete prospect in the nation in 247Sports' composite rankings for the Class of 2025, verbally committed to Texas on Monday. Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian landed Townsend over finalists Alabama, Texas A&M, Southern California and Arizona State. Townsend, a 6-foot-3, 235-pound tight end and defensive lineman, is rated the No. 114 recruit in the country and No. 21 in the state of Texas in the composite rankings. He caught 18 passes for 431 yards and seven touchdowns in 10 games as a junior last season at Houston's Dekaney High School. He also rushed six times for two TDs. On defense, Townsend tallied 76 tackles with eight sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss as well as three fumble recoveries. He could play tight end, linebacker or defensive end at Texas. --Field Level Media
Fresno State's Jeff Tedford steps down for health reasons
Fresno State football coach Jeff Tedford announced Monday he is stepping down due to health concerns. Tedford, 62, compiled a 44-22 record over five seasons with the Bulldogs from 2017-19 and 2022-23. "It is with sad emotions that following my recent medical check-up, it is clear that due to health concerns, my family and I have made the decision to step aside as Fresno State's head coach and allow someone else to lead the football program," Tedford said in a statement. Assistant head coach and linebackers coach Tim Skipper will be the interim head coach for the 2024 season, which...
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