Sports

Extra Points: Viva USA!

Thursday, 16 August 2012 08:07 Written by Staff Reports

MEXICO CITY – Team USA beat Mexico 1-0 in an international friendly men’s soccer match Wednesday at Estadio Azteca. The Americans’ record south of the border is now 1-23-1.

“I think it’s huge. It’s huge for all American fans and it’s huge for the team. It’s historic,” U.S. head coach Jurgen Klinsmann said. “We were well aware we’ve never won here at Azteca, and this is an amazing experience for all the players. We told them before the game, ‘This moment is for you, go and grab it.’ We are aware that it was a lot of work and it was a fantastic team performance.”

Michael Orozco Fiscal scored his first international goal in the 80^th minute for the U.S. and goalie Tim Howard saved three Mexican shots on goal, two in the game’s final minutes.

The USA returns to 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying when it faces Jamaica at 8:30 p.m. CT on Friday, Sept. 7, at National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica. Four days later, the teams square off again at 7 p.m. CT on Tuesday, Sept. 11, at Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. That match will be broadcast live on ESPN2, ESPN3 and Univision.

(From U.S. Soccer news release)

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Booster club greets new baseball coach

Tuesday, 14 August 2012 16:40 Last Updated on Friday, 17 August 2012 08:13 Written by Ken Garner

David “Bubba” Meredith pledged last week to restore stability to Navarre High School’s baseball program.

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Olympic medalist coaches Navarre swimmers

Tuesday, 14 August 2012 16:32 Last Updated on Friday, 17 August 2012 08:15 Written by Ken Garner

Swimmer Beth Barr-Bullard won a silver medal at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea, as a member of the 4 x 100-meter medley relay team.

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Demps seeks NFL job

Tuesday, 14 August 2012 13:47 Written by Staff Reports

Former Florida Gator Jeff Demps is giving up track for football.

Demps, a 5-foot-8, 190-pound running back, told NFL teams before this year’s draft that he planned to be a full-time track athlete. But after winning a silver medal with Team USA’s 4 x 100-meter relay team at the Olympic Games in London, he’s changed his mind. According to Ian Rapoport, a reporter for NFL.com and the NFL Network, Demps has signed with an agent and hopes to sign as a free agent in time to play football in 2012.

Demps won NCAA track titles in the 60-meter dash indoors and the 100-meter dash outdoors. In football, he rushed for 2,470 yards and scored 23 touchdowns. He also averaged 28.8 yards on kick returns.

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Hamilton six steals short of new record

Tuesday, 14 August 2012 11:27 Written by Staff Reports

Barring injury, Billy Hamilton should smash the 29-year-old record for stolen bases in a single professional baseball season in the next few weeks.

With 20 games left in the season, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos’ shortstop needs just seven steals to top Vince Coleman’s mark of 145, set in 1983.

Hamilton is hitting .288 in 31 games for the Blue Wahoos with an on-base percentage of .410, an inside-the-park homerun, 24 runs scored, 11 runs-batted-in, and 35 stolen bases. The 6-foot, 160-pound Hamilton started the season at Class A Bakersfield, where he hit .323 with a .413 on-base percentage, a homerun, 30 RBIs, 79 runs scored and 104 stolen bases in 82 games for the Blaze.

Dusty Baker, manager of the Blaze’s and Blue Wahoos’ parent club, the Cincinnati Reds, told the Chillicothe (Ohio) Gazette that Hamilton could be promoted to “the show” in September, when Major League Baseball teams are allowed to expand their rosters.

“Speed’s always an asset. Speed kills. I remember the Cardinals with Willie McGee, Vince Coleman and Ozzie (Smith). That was their slogan, speed kills.”

The Blue Wahoos’ star isn’t the only Billy Hamilton making a mark on the base paths. On Aug. 31, 1894, William Robert “Sliding Billy” Hamilton stole seven bases in a single game for the Philadelphia Phillies, tying the record set 13 years earlier by George Gore of the Chicago White Stockings.

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