BROOMFIELD TEAM HEADED TO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
First they dominated Colorado. Next, the world?
The Broomfield Blitz, a third-grade tackle youth football team, is heading to the World Youth Championship in Canton, Ohio, this week. The Blitz went undefeated in the Jeffco Midget Football Association and kept their record perfect in Mountain West regional games, including the division championship in Albuquerque, N.M., on Dec. 1.
Touted as the “Little League World Series” of youth football, the event operates in conjunction with the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Blitz, comprised of 17 third-graders from the Denver area, will participate in a 10-team, double -elimination tournament beginning Wednesday.
“As our team continues to reach new milestones this season, it has been nothing short of amazing to watch how the league and the leaders of our community have supported us,” Blitz coach John Carranco said. “We are honored and excited beyond words to represent our community and region in the World Championship.”
More than 2,500 teams across the country were considered for competition, and only the winners of regional tournaments were invited. All games will be played at the new Hall of Fame Village in Canton, a new facility that cost nearly $900 million to build.
KU retakes No. 1 ranking.
Kansas is back where it started the season.
The preseason No. 1, the Jayhawks are again the top-ranked in The Associated Press Top 25 despite struggling to get past New Mexico State at home. Kansas received 57 first-place votes from a 65-person media panel in the poll, sliding into the top spot after previous No. 1 Gonzaga lost to Tennessee.
No. 2 Duke moved up a spot and received four first-place votes. No. 3 Tennessee, No. 4 Gonzaga, No. 5 Michigan and No. 6 Virginia received the other first-place votes.
No. 7 Nevada, Auburn, Michigan State and Florida State rounded out the top 10.
The Jayhawks were the preseason No. 1, but dropped a spot after Duke decimated then-No. 2 Kentucky to open the season.
Gonzaga moved to No. 1 after beating Duke in the Maui Invitational title game, lasting two weeks before losing 76-73 to the Vols on Sunday in Phoenix.
Blues waive goalie Johnson.
The struggling St. Louis Blues have placed backup goaltender Chad Johnson on waivers and called up Jordan Binnington to take his place.
The Blues put Johnson on waivers after recalling Binnington and sending forward Sammy Blais down to the American Hockey League’s San Antonio Rampage. Johnson is 2-6-0 with a 3.54 goals-against average and .884 save percentage in 10 appearances this season.
Hawks center Plumlee out at least a week.
A T LANT A
» Atlanta Hawks center Miles Plumlee will be out for at least a week because of an injured left knee.
The team said in a release that Plumlee began experiencing pain before a practice last week. He underwent an MRI at Emory Sports Medicine Complex, which led to a nonsurgical procedure on Monday.
Plumlee will be re-evaluated Dec. 18. He has played sparingly for the Hawks, averaging 4.8 points in 16 games.
Texas Tech’s Wesley going pro.
» Receiver Antoine
L U BB O C K, TEX A S
Wesley is skipping his final season at Texas Tech to enter the NFL draft, marking the third straight year an offensive star of the Red Raiders left early to turn pro.
Wesley ranks second nationally in yards receiving with 1,410 and in yards per game at 118 while finishing with nine touchdowns on 88 catches.