HIGH SCHOOLS
The Fitzpatrick Trophy Award dinner will be held this Sunday.
Originally scheduled for Jan. 16, the dinner was postponed when Maine was dealing with a surge in COVID-19 cases, particularly among high school populations. It begins at noon at the Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland.
The three finalists were announced on Dec. 15 – Bonny Eagle offensive guard/defensive tackle Thomas Horton, Windham quarterback Will Ledbetter and Cape Elizabeth quarterback Caden McDuffie. Horton has a chance to join 1977 winner Gerry Raymond of Lewiston as the only linemen to win the Fitzpatrick Trophy.
All three finalists intend to play football in college. Horton committed to the University of Maine, Ledbetter to the University of New England and McDuffie to Louisiana Christian University. Coaches and media members vote for the Fitzpatrick Trophy winner from a group of semifinalists selected by the Fitzpatrick Trophy Committee.
The Fitzpatrick Trophy, named in honor of former Portland High athlete and coach James J. Fitzpatrick, has been awarded to the top senior football player in Maine since 1971. This will be the 50th presentation. There was no award given for the 2020 season when Maine’s high schools did not play tackle football.
Colonel Dustin Ireland, the 1996 winner, is expected to be the guest speaker. Ireland was a quarterback at Mt. Blue in Farmington and went on to play wide receiver for four seasons at the Air Force Academy, where he graduated in 2001.
HOCKEY
ECHL: The Maine Mariners scored three goals in the third period to tie it and Nick Master scored in overtime as they beat the Worcester Railers 4-3 in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Maine trailed 3-0 to start the third period. Patrick Shea scored the first Mariners goal 1:40 into the third. Keltie Jeri-Leon made it a one-goal game 16:19 into the period and Nick Jermain tied it just 28 seconds later.
Worcester took a 3-0 lead in the second period on goals by Jacob Hayhurst, Mike Cornell and Liam Coughlin.
BASKETBALL
WNBA: Brittney Griner has been arrested in Russia on suspicion of illegally bringing drugs into the country after being searched at the airport and found with hash oil in her luggage, according to Russian new agency Tass.
The report states that Griner was stopped by customs control at Sheremetyevo International Airport in February upon arrival in Moscow from New York when a service dog reacted to the presence of drugs. The two-time Olympic gold medalist’s luggage was searched and run through X-ray equipment and vape cartridges of liquid cannabis oil was found.
SOCCER
MLS: Earl Edwards Jr. delivered a one-save shutout while Carles Gil scored a pivotal goal in the New England Revolution’s 1-0 win over Dallas in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
Gil’s game-winner came on a penalty kick in the second minute of first-half stoppage time to secure the win for the Revolution (1-0-1).
Both the Revolution and Dallas (0-1-1) had nine shots. The Revolution had four shots on goal and Dallas had one.
SKIING
WOMEN’S WORLD CUP: After a stressful and surprisingly tough Beijing Olympics, Mikaela Shiffrin is happy just to enjoy her skiing again. That approach paid off Saturday as Shiffrin took a clear lead in the World Cup overall standings by placing second in a tricky super-G in Lenzeheide, Switzerland, won by the unheralded Romane Miradoli.
It was an impressive return to form on a steep, twisting course for the American star in her first race after poor results at the Winter Olympics, taking home no medals from six events.
Shiffrin and Petra Vlhova, the defending overall champion, started the race tied on points after 29 World Cup events this season and eight left this month. Vlhova finished 18th, a massive 3.31 seconds back, skiing immediately before Shiffrin, who took advantage with a clean run to be just 0.38 behind the French leader.
MEN’S WORLD CUP: Dominik Paris dominated the penultimate men’s World Cup downhill of the season Saturday in Kvitfjell, Norway, to keep his slim chance alive of winning the discipline title.
The Italian skier mastered the Olympiabakken course to beat home crowd favorite Alexander Aamodt Kilde by 0.55 seconds.
The result left four racers in with a shot at the crystal globe at the season-ending race in France on March 16: Paris and Kilde, as well as Switzerland’s Beat Feuz and Austria’s Matthias Mayer.
TENNIS
FEDERER COMEBACK: Roger Federer said any tournament comeback from his knee surgery last year will not be until at least the late summer. The 40-year-old tennis great confirmed his comments in November that he would not return in time for Wimbledon in June, though he did not specify Saturday his plans for the U.S. Open which starts Aug. 29.
Federer told SRF his rehabilitation was progressing well enough that he was now thinking in terms of playing again. Previously, he said the motivation for undergoing surgery last August was to protect his future quality of life with his family rather than return to competitive tennis.
Federer’s 20 Grand Slam singles titles are tied with Novak Djokovic and now one fewer than Rafael Nadal who won his 21st in January at the Australian Open.
AUTO RACING
FORMULA ONE: Russian driver Nikita Mazepin was dropped by Haas F1 despite the FIA ruling he could compete in Formula One races under a neutral flag.
Haas also ended its sponsorship with Uralkali, the Russian fertilizer company owned by Mazepin’s father. Dmitry Mazepin is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his son’s contract to drive was linked to the team sponsorship.
GOLF
PGA TOUR: Billy Horschel got a rare break at Bay Hill in Orlando, Florida on a day that punished so many others, leading to a birdie on the 18th hole for a 1-under 71 that gave him a share of the lead with Talor Gooch in the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Horschel was buried in deep rough behind the 18th green and facing a fast chip down the hill. His foot was on a sprinkler head and he received a free drop. From the collar, he was able to use putter and his 30-foot putt trickled into the cup.
Scottie Scheffler managed to make a charge. After missing three straight par putts from 6 feet or closer to cap off his front nine, Scheffler made three birdies and a 20-foot eagle for a 31 on the back for a 68, matching the low score of the day.
He started the day eight shots behind. He ended it two shots out of the lead. The final group was making the turn when Scheffler finished and he was asked if his round put him back into the tournament.
Gooch, the Oklahoman who won his first PGA Tour title in the final event of last year, was up to the task He rolled in a 35-foot birdie putt on the tough 15th, followed with a 15-foot birdie on the next hole and was in the lead until a tee shot into ankle-deep rough on the final hole kept him from reaching the green.
Gooch and Horschel were at 7-under 209.
LPGA: In Gee Chun shot a 6-under 66 Saturday to lead a trio of South Korean golfers at the top of the leaderboard after three rounds of the LPGA Tour’s HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore.
Chun had a 54-hole total of 12-under 204 for a one-stroke lead over Jeongeun Lee6 (65) and No. 1-ranked Jin Young Ko, who shot 69. American Danielle Kang (68), Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand (70) and another South Korean player, Amy Yang (71), were tied for fourth. Canadian Brooke Henderson was seventh after a 71, four strokes behind In.
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