WPPA/T102 SPORTS-SATURDAY DECEMBER 12TH

IN PIAA PLAYOFF ACTION, THE TRI VALLEY BULLDOGS RUN TO A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP ENDED LAST NIGHT AT THE HANDS OF THE BISHOP MCCORT CRUSHERS, 42-27. THE FIRST HALF WAS HIGHLIGHTED WITH ALOT OF OFFENSE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE AND THE CONTEST WAS TIED 21 ALL AT HALFTIME, BUT COSTLY TURNOVERS IN THE SECOND HALF COST THE DAWGS DEARLY, WITH MCCORT TACKING ON ANOTHER 21 POINTS. IN SPITE OF THE LOSS, TRI VALLEY QB MATT MCGINLEY THREW FOR TWO TD'S, AND WAS 15 OF 24 FOR 284 YARDS. WYATT STRAUB RAN FOR ONE TD AND CAUGHT ANOTHER. THE CRUSHERS JOSH SEIDEL PICKED UP 178 YARDS ON 23 CARRIES. MCCORT FACES CLAIRTON, WHO DEFEATED FARRELL IN THE OTHER SEMI FINAL, 13-7, IN THE STATE CLASS A CHAMPIONSHIP NEXT FRIDAY AFTERNOON AT HERSHEYPARK STADIUM.

IN OTHER LOCAL SPORTS...THE MT CARMEL RED TORNADOES WILL BE LOOKING FOR A NEW HEAD FOOTBALL COACH, AS BOB CHESNEY WAS FIRED LAST NIGHT AT SPECIAL MEETING OF THE SCHOOL BOARD. THE REPUBLICAN HERALD REPORTS THAT THE BOARD VOTED 6-2 TO DISMISS CHESNEY AFTER JUST ONE SEASON. MT CARMEL HAD A 7-5 RECORD THIS PAST SEASON, CO CHAMPS OF THE HEARTLAND CONFERENCE IN DIVISION TWO AND AN EASTERN CONFERENCE CLASS AA CHAMPIONSHIP.

JOEPA, NO. 11 PENN ST. RARING TO GO BOWLING

STATE COLLEGE, PA. (AP) - NO. 11 PENN STATE CAN PUT A NICE BOW ON A 10-2 SEASON WITH A VICTORY OVER NO. 13 LSU AT THE CAPITAL ONE BOWL. THE NITTANY LIONS ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF PRACTICE FOR THE NEW YEAR'S DAY GAME. THEY HAVEN'T BEATEN A RANKED OPPONENT ALL SEASON, AND SOME PLAYERS SAY THEY HOPE TO CROSS THAT GOAL OFF THEIR LIST AFTER THEY PLAY THE TIGERS. LSU FIGURES TO GIVE PENN STATE ONE OF ITS TOUGHEST TESTS OF THE YEAR. COACH JOE PATERNO SAYS HE HASN'T SEEN VIDEO OF THE TIGERS YET, BUT PLANS TO START WATCHING NEXT WEEK WHILE HIS PLAYERS TAKE A BREAK FROM DRILLS TO CONCENTRATE ON FINAL EXAMS. PENN STATE'S FIRST PRACTICE IN FLORIDA WILL BE DEC. 20 - THE DAY BEFORE PATERNO CELEBRATES HIS 83RD BIRTHDAY.

VILLANOVA, PA. (AP) - VILLANOVA RALLIED FROM A 10-POINT HALFTIME DEFICIT TO BEAT WILLIAM & MARY 14-13 ON FRIDAY NIGHT IN THE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SUBDIVISION SEMIFINALS. THE SECOND-RANKED WILDCATS ADVANCED TO PLAY THE WINNER OF SATURDAY'S SEMIFINAL
BETWEEN APPALACHIAN STATE AND NO. 1 MONTANA NEXT WEEKEND IN CHATTANOOGA, TENN.

AKRON, OHIO (AP) - POLICE SAY PITTSBURGH STEELERS STAR JAMES HARRISON'S MOTHER HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH ASSAULT FOLLOWING A BRAWL AT A GAME-WATCHING PARTY IN OHIO. AKRON POLICE SAY 62-YEAR-OLD MILDRED HARRISON WAS ONE OF THREE PEOPLE CITED AFTER THE FIGHT AT A VFW POST THURSDAY. SHE DECLINED TO COMMENT TO THE AKRON
BEACON-JOURNAL WHEN REACHED BY PHONE AT HER HOME FRIDAY.

UNDATED (AP) - TIGER WOODS SAYS HE'S TAKING AN INDEFINITE LEAVE OF ABSENCE FROM PROFESSIONAL GOLF IN ORDER TO FOCUS ON BECOMING WHAT HE CALLS "A BETTER HUSBAND, FATHER AND PERSON." THE ANNOUNCEMENT COMES TWO WEEKS AFTER A CAR ACCIDENT THAT SET IN MOTION A SHOCKING DOWNFALL FOR THE WORLD'S NO. 1 PLAYER, WHICH HAS INCLUDED SORDID ALLEGATIONS OF NUMEROUS EXTRAMARITAL AFFAIRS.

SOUTH BEND, IND. (AP) - ADMITTING HE HAS "CHALLENGES" IN TRYING TO RESTORE NOTRE DAME'S PAST FOOTBALL GLORY, NEW IRISH COACH BRIAN KELLY SAYS NEVERTHELESS HE HAS JUST ONE GOAL - THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP. THE FORMER UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI COACH DECLINED TO SPECULATE ON HOW FAR AWAY NOTRE DAME IS FROM REACHING THAT GOAL, BUT THE IRISH ARE JUST 16-AND-21 THE LAST THREE SEASONS.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - TODAY'S 110TH RENEWAL OF THE ARMY-NAVY CLASSIC IN PHILADELPHIA WILL MATCH A PAIR OF RUN-ORIENTED, TRIPLE-OPTION OFFENSES. NAVY HAS WON SEVEN STRAIGHT VICTORIES IN THIS SERIES BY A COMBINED SCORE OF 274-TO-71 BUT THE BLACK KNIGHTS IMPROVED FROM 3-AND-9 LAST SEASON TO 5-AND-6 THIS YEAR.
　
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION

FINAL ATLANTA 111 TORONTO 89
FINAL HOUSTON 96 PHILADELPHIA 91
FINAL INDIANA 107 NEW JERSEY 91
FINAL DALLAS 106 MIAMI 93
FINAL OT CHICAGO 96 GOLDEN STATE 91
FINAL NEW YORK 113 NEW ORLEANS 96
FINAL OKLAHOMA CITY 102 MEMPHIS 94
FINAL CLEVELAND 104 PORTLAND 99
FINAL SAN ANTONIO 104 CHARLOTTE 85
FINAL L-A LAKERS 104 MINNESOTA 92
FINAL PHOENIX 106 ORLANDO 103

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE

FINAL OT WASHINGTON 4 CAROLINA 3
FINAL FLORIDA 4 NEW JERSEY 2
FINAL OT DETROIT 3 ANAHEIM 2
FINAL BUFFALO 2 CHICAGO 1
FINAL EDMONTON 5 ST. LOUIS 3
FINAL OT MINNESOTA 2 CALGARY 1
FINAL 2OT COLORADO 2 TAMPA BAY 1
FINAL 2OT DALLAS 3 SAN JOSE 2

TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL

FINAL ( 9) TENNESSEE 75 MIDDLE TENNESSEE 54