Kelce scores twice and Chiefs beat Bills 27-24 to advance to face Ravens in AFC championship

By JOHN WAWROW

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Travis Kelce caught two touchdown passes from Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs advanced to their sixth straight AFC championship game with a 27-24 win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night.Isiah Pacheco scored the...

Nick Dunlap becomes 1st amateur winner on PGA Tour since 1991 with victory at The American Express

By GREG BEACHAM

LA QUINTA, Calif. — Nick Dunlap doesn’t possess a false confidence, and he doesn’t project a supernatural calm. The University of Alabama sophomore fully understood just how crazy it was to be fending off a field of professionals Sunday while he tried...

UMass basketball: George Mason uses second-quarter surge to run away from Minutewomen 73-52

A 22-8 edge in the second quarter helped power the George Mason women’s basketball team to a 73-52 victory over UMass in an Atlantic 10 Conference game on Sunday at the Mullins Center in Amherst.It was the fifth loss in a row for the Minutewomen,...

UMass hockey: Nick VanTassell’s first career goal lifts Minutemen past Northeastern 2-1

By GARRETT COTE

Nick VanTassell picked the perfect time to score his first career goal.The No. 12 UMass hockey freshman forward tallied the game winner on Saturday night against Northeastern to give the Minutemen a 2-1 win on the road at Matthews Arena in...

UMass basketball: Rahsool Diggins keys second-half charge as Minutemen run away from George Washington 81-67

By GARRETT COTE

AMHERST — UMass freshman guard Jayden Ndjigue stripped George Washington’s Zamoku Weluche-Ume, Jaylen Curry picked up the loose ball, and sprinted the other direction – leading a four-on-two fastbreak.Instead of taking it himself, which he certainly...

H.S. Roundup: Big second half powers Pioneer boys basketball past Greenfield

The Pioneer boys basketball team flipped the script with three minutes to go in the third quarter against Greenfield on Friday in a massive Hampshire League South showdown. The Green Wave held a narrow 23-22 lead at the half and extended it to 34-28...

Wrestling: Franklin Tech earns win over South Hadley in tightly-contested dual (PHOTOS)

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

TURNERS FALLS — It’s not often these days that a dual high school wrestling meet is competitive from start-to-finish. That was the case on Friday though, when South Hadley traveled to Franklin Tech. Of the 14 weight total classes, 11 were filled and...

Mahar School Committee OKs naming snack shack after longtime Booster, coach

By DOMENIC POLI

ORANGE — The Mahar School Committee voted this month to name the football field concession stand after longtime varsity girls basketball coach and Booster Club member Larry Fisher.Booster Club President Charles “Joey” Verheyen approached the committee...

Keeping Score: Tabulating the totals

Good morning!Nobody researches local high school sports like Turners Falls’ Mike Cadran, aka The Tabulator. Cadran’s latest effort reveals the top five winningest schoolboy basketball coaches. The all-time wins leader according to Cadran is South...

Ohio State hires Bill O’Brien, ex-Texans coach and Alabama assistant, as offensive coordinator

By RALPH D. RUSSO

Ohio State has hired former Houston Texans and Penn State head coach Bill O’Brien as its offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, the program confirmed in a statement Friday.“He is an excellent and experienced offensive coach who has run NFL and...

High schools: Hot-shooting Frontier pulls away from Greenfield 48-33 (PHOTOS)

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

SOUTH DEERFIELD – It wasn’t going to come easy for the Frontier girls basketball team on Thursday against Greenfield. The Redhawks led 32-20 going into the fourth quarter but the Green Wave stormed back, with Amber Bergeron and Tayler Bergeron each...

Alpine ski: Mohawk Trail’s Addie Loomis, Weston den Ouden capture victories at PVIAC Meet No. 3

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

CHARLEMONT — Following back-to-back state championships, it would be easy for the Mohawk Trail girls alpine ski team to take its foot off the gas during the regular season.That has been far from the case this winter.The Warriors have looked every bit...

Indoor track: Athol, Frontier, Mohawk Trail, Pioneer compete in late session on Wednesday

The fourth PVIAC indoor track meet of the season took place on Wednesday at Smith College, with Athol, Frontier, Mohawk Trail and Pioneer competing in the late session. Here’s how each team fared: AtholThe Bears boys fell to Frontier (85-8) and Pope...

The Real Score: Busy Times for Hockey Fans, New Fans and PWHL Boston

Hockey fans — are you ready for a busy few months? The Bruins sit in first place in the Eastern Conference. UMass continues its quest for a top seed in Hockey East – plus a spot in Springfield’s NCAA DI Men’s Ice Hockey Regional. And PWHL Boston...

High schools: Greenfield indoor track has three top 5 finishers at PVIAC Meet No. 4 (PHOTOS)

The Greenfield indoor track team competed in the early portion of the PVIAC’s fourth meet of the season on Wednesday at Smith College, with a trio of Green Wave athletes earning top five finishes. On the boys’ side, Jackson Caron earned a third place...

UMass basketball: Philip Alston’s last-second three-point play lifts Loyola Chicago past Minutemen 79-78

By GARRETT COTE

Josh Cohen stepped to the line with his UMass men’s basketball team tied against Loyola Chicago on Wednesday night. The Minutemen were trying to avoid consecutive losses for the first time this season, and despite free throws being the weakest link in...

Girls basketball: Williston holds off Deerfield Academy late for 43-36 NEPSAC win (PHOTOS)

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

DEERFIELD — The Williston Northampton School girls basketball team controlled the majority of Wednesday’s NEPSAC contest against Deerfield Academy, but the Big Green didn’t go down without a fight late.The Wildcat defense held the Big Green to just...

Earl Lorden, 1942 Turners Falls baseball team to be inducted into Western Mass. Baseball Hall of Fame

By THOMAS JOHNSTON

The 1942 Turners Falls High School baseball team, and its head coach, continue to be recognized for their accomplishments. The Western Massachusetts Baseball Hall of Fame announced its 11th Hall of Fame class this week and the 1942 team was selected...

Youth basketball: JJ Bones, Turners Falls Suburban League grades 5 and 6 improve to 7-1 on season

It was a perfect weekend for the Turners Falls grades 5 and 6 boys basketball team, as the club defeated Frontier (55-47) on Sunday and Belchertown (43-34) on Saturday to improve to 7-1 overall.On Sunday against Frontier, JJ Bones led all scorers with...

UMass basketball: Loyola Chicago ahead for both Minutemen, Minutewomen 

By GARRETT COTE

The UMass men’s basketball team hits the road for its second consecutive Atlantic 10 Conference road contest on Wednesday night against Loyola Chicago. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. and the game will air on CBS-Sports Network.Entering Wednesday’s game,...