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Nuggets’ Zeke Nnaji agrees to four-year contract extension, source says

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:01:58 GMT

Zeke Nnaji and the Nuggets have agreed to a four-year, $32 million contract extension, a league source confirmed to The Denver Post.The deal, which was first reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, includes a player option for 2027-28, a league source said.Nnaji, 22, is entering his fourth season in the league, the last of his rookie scale deal with a cap figure of $4.3 million. Monday is the deadline for 2020 first-round picks entering the last year of their rookie deals to sign contract extensions. The Nuggets, who begin their 2023-24 season Tuesday against the Lakers, selected Nnaji 22nd overall out of Arizona.The 6-foot-9 big man is expected to take on a larger role this season, leading the way in backing up center Nikola Jokic as the Nuggets attempt to repeat as champions. Nnaji has averaged 5 points and 2.6 rebounds in 13.4 minutes per game across the first three years of his career. Nagged by various injuries, he hasn’t appeared in more than 53 games in a season ye...

San Fernando politician, environmental justice advocate Cindy Montañez dies

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:01:58 GMT

San Fernando Councilmember and former California State Assembly member Cindy Montañez died on Saturday in her San Fernando home at the age of 49, officials confirmed. “It is with inconsolable grief and deep sadness that we announce the passing of Councilmember Cindy Montañez, current CEO of TreePeople, and former California State Assembly Member,” San Fernando officials said in a statement. The cause of death was not released, but Montañez had recently been diagnosed with aggressive and terminal cancer.Montañez set historical records as a public official including being the youngest person elected to the San Fernando City Council at the age of 25, the youngest woman ever to serve in the state legislature at 28, and Chair of the Assembly Rules Committee at age of 30.To honor her legacy and commitment to service and education, the Los Angeles Unified Board of Education announced the renaming of a local elementary school. Gridley Street Elementary will become Gridley-Montañez...

Total domination: Serra sends message that it’s still the best in WCAL

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:01:58 GMT

SAN MATEO — Serra’s seniors have played in championship games – section and state – in each of the past two seasons. The San Mateo school has speed and dynamic playmakers on the outside, but the bedrock of its impressive run at the top of the Bay Area has been Serra’s battle-tested front seven.Facing upstart Archbishop Riordan, with its dazzling passing attack and a mammoth offensive line that averaged over 300 pounds per starter, Serra wasn’t phased by its imposing West Catholic Athletic League opponent.Padres starters such as linebacker Danny Niu, who had a sack and interception, had faced staunch challengers before. And just as the Padres had done for the previous 11 league games, Serra controlled the line of scrimmage in a 53-7 running clock victory. “We know that size-wise, we might be underestimated,” Niu said after the Padres extended its WCAL winning streak to a dozen. “But we have a bunch of dogs in the trenches and backfield.”Serra’s Danny Niu (1) reacts after ...

Luke Bailey throws TD pass to Trey Radocha with no time remaining to lift Drake past San Diego 25-20

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:01:58 GMT

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Luke Bailey threw two touchdown passes, including a 38-yarder to Trey Radocha with no time remaining, and Drake beat San Diego 25-20 on Saturday. The right-handed Bailey scrambled to his left before heaving his game-winning TD pass into the end zone to Radocha, who jumped for the ball between two defenders. Isaiah Williams scored on a 1-yard touchdown run that gave San Diego a 20-19 lead with 42 seconds to play before Bailey’s final toss capped a 7-play, 75-yard drive.Bailey was 18-of-43 passing for 287 yards for Drake (4-3, 4-0 Pioneer League). He lofted his first touchdown pass from near midfield to Mitchell January, who made an over-the-shoulder catch and stumbled into the end zone for a 49-yard touchdown. Williams had 65 yards rushing on 16 carries. Dom Nankil was 10-of-18 passing for 180 yards for San Diego (1-6, 1-3). Ja’seem Reed made five catches for 125 yards and Re-al Mitchell added 10 for 80. ___Get alerts on the latest AP Top 25 poll througho...

McIvor-to-Taylor pass makes the difference as Abilene Christian tops Stephen F Austin 34-27

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:01:58 GMT

NACOGDOCHES, Texas (AP) — Blayne Taylor made a leaping catch of a Maverick McIvor pass in the back of the end zone with 6:20 to play and Abilene Christian held on to defeat Stephen F. Austin 34-27 on Saturday night.Darius Moore and Colt Cooper combined for a 9-yard sack and Luke Gambs and Colby Warkentin combined for a 1-yard sack before Preston Weeks threw incomplete on 4th-and-6 with 40 seconds to go on SFU’s last possession.The last touchdown produced the largest lead of the game. The Lumberjacks (3-5, 0-3 United Athletic Conference) led 7-3 after one quarter and 17-13 at the half but the Wildcats (4-3, 2-1) were up 27-24 after three quarters.McIvor was 13-of-25-passing for 140 yards and two touchdowns, his 6-yarder to Cooper McCasland making it 27-24 late in the third. Jay’Veon Sunday had 147 yards on 16 carries, including an 82-yard burst up the middle for a 10-7 lead early in the second quarter.Weeks was 24 of 40 for 278 yards with two touchdowns and two intercepti...

Guggenheim runs for 2 TDs as Nicholls beats Texas A&M-Commerce 27-7

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:01:58 GMT

COMMERCE, Texas (AP) — Collin Guggenheim had 16 carries for 76 yards and two touchdowns, Jaylon Spears added a 17-yard rushing touchdown and Nicholls scored the final 27 points Saturday to beat Texas A&M-Commerce 27-7. Spears finished with 69 yards rushing on 12 carries. Pat McQuaide was 16-of-26 passing for 240 yards with a touchdown and an interceptions for Nicholls (3-3, 3-0 Southland Conference). Josh Magana threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to Keith Miller III to cap a nine-play, 75-yard opening drive but the Commerce offense stalled from there. McQuaide threw 35-yard scoring strike to make it 7-all going into the second quarter before Guggenheim and Spears added touchdown runs of 14 and 17 yards, respective to give Nicholls a 21-7 lead at intermission. Magana was 17-of-20 passing for 120 yards in the first half but did not play (coach’s decision) in the second half for for Texas A&M-Commerce (1-6, 1-2). Lake Bennett replaced Magana to begin the third quarter and com...

AP Top 25 Takeaways: James Franklin and Penn State still chasing elite; Big 12 race takes a twist

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:01:58 GMT

Penn State is still chasing elite under coach James Franklin.The seventh-ranked Nittany Lions lost a seventh straight game to Ohio State on Saturday, needing more than 59 minutes to finally get into the end zone against the third-ranked Buckeyes.Defense mostly ruled the day in first of three games matching the Big Ten’s three top-10 teams. The difference? Ohio State has All-American Marvin Harrison Jr., who set a career high with 11 catches for 162 yards and a touchdown.It was 2018 when Penn State, for the second straight season, let a second-half lead get away against the Buckeyes and lost a 27-26 heartbreaker. Two years removed from Franklin’s only victory against Ohio State and Big Ten title, he made a comment that still hangs over his program.“We’ve gone from an average football team, to a good football team, to a great football team,” Franklin said then. “But we’re not an elite team yet.”Five years later, that’s still the case.Penn State hoped things would be ...

Gordon romps for 282 yards, 4 TDs, Oklahoma State outlasts West Virginia 48-34

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:01:58 GMT

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy wants emerging star Ollie Gordon II to stay humble. The sophomore running back says his coach has nothing to worry about.Gordon rushed for a career-high 282 yards and scored four touchdowns to lead Oklahoma State to a 48-34 victory over West Virginia on Saturday night.“I’ll always stay humble. You’ve got to stay hungry,” Gordon said. “I could act like the world is mine, or I can just be humble, stay hungry and keep playing great with my teammates. As they keep progressing, we keep progressing.”Gordon, who had 29 carries, now has four straight 100-yard rushing performances and surpassed his previous single-game high of 168 yards set a week ago in a 39-32 win over Kansas. Three of his TDs came in the fourth quarter.His 282 yards were the most for an Oklahoma State player since Chuba Hubbard had 296 yards against Kansas State in 2019. And they were the most against West Virginia at its 43-year-old stadium, surpassin...

Dominique Badji and Luciano Acosta each score to help Cincinnati tie Atlanta United 2-2

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:01:58 GMT

CINCINNATI (AP) — Dominique Badji and Luciano Acosta each scored in the first half to help Cincinnati tie Atlanta United 2-2 on Saturday night.Cincinnati (20-5-9) reached 69 points this season after securing just 20 in 2021. The 49-point increase in a two-year span is the largest in league history. D.C. United’s 36-point leap from 2010-12 was the previous record.Atlanta (13-9-12) is 4-17-13 in last 34 road matches in all competitions. Acosta has 30 goal contributions (17 goals, 13 assists). Acosta needed two assists to become be fifth player in league history with a 15-goal, 15-assist season.Giorgos Giakoumakis scored goals in the 12th and 32nd minutes for Atlanta.Roman Celentano finished with four saves for Cincinnati. Brad Guzan stopped one shot for Atlanta.___AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccerSource

NYCFC edges Fire 1-0 as both clubs eliminated from postseason play

Published Wed, 25 Dec 2024 18:01:58 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Julián Fernández scored in the second half to lead New York City FC to a 1-0 victory over the Chicago Fire in a regular-season finale on Saturday that saw both teams eliminated from postseason play.Fernández’s second goal of the season for NYCFC (9-11-14) came in the 64th minute with an assist from Santiago Rodríguez. Matt Freese totaled four saves for NYCFC. Chris Brady saved three shots for Chicago (10-14-10).NYCFC has now won eight straight at home against the Fire, improving to 8-0-2 all-time. NYCFC failed to win 10 matches in a season for the first time since joining the league nine years ago.Neither team had a player score double-digit goals. NYCFC had never had its leader score less than 13 goals through its first seven full seasons. The Fire have not had a player score at least 10 goals in three straight seasons.___AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccerSource