Rec Sports
Eagles’ A.J. Brown wants more for himself, and for others
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Tim McManus
A.J. Brown pulled up to the “most dangerous gym in America” on a Friday in May, alone in his Honda Accord.
It was just weeks removed from the Philadelphia Eagles’ 40-22 destruction of the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX when Brown reached out to trainer Haddy Abdel on social media. This wasn’t the first time a well-known figure had been captivated by the chaotic, grueling workouts conducted at Diamond Gym in Maplewood, New Jersey.
Most, though, just talk a good game before cooling on the idea of being thrust into an environment where hulking bodybuilders double as drill sergeants, extracting every ounce of effort and discipline from a client list that, according to Abdel, includes men recently out of jail or battling drug addiction. But Brown was different.
“He pulled up … where we train at, in his car by himself, and showed up and said, ‘I’m ready to work.’ It was one of the craziest experiences I’ve had with anybody that’s ever come to train with us before,” Abdel said.
“He’s like, ‘I came here for this. I got all the money now. I have everything I’ve ever wanted in my life.’ And when you get that, and you taste that, it’s easy to get complacent, it’s easy to forget where you came from. He wanted to remember where he came from.”
The closing sequence of the two-hour session looked like something out of Rocky IV. Brown, dressed in black Eagles sweatpants and a black sweatshirt with the hoodie pulled up, lifted a barbell with large chains on either end to his chest and ripped off 10 standing military presses. He released the weight, gripped a block of wood on the floor and did 15 pushups. The crowd circled around him as he rose and walked to the last station. Screams intensified. A boy, maybe 10, commanded Brown over and over to “Lift that s—!” An exhausted Brown stepped to the bar and deadlifted around 600 pounds in one fluid motion, cementing his standing in the room.
“I had to go to a place, I had to go to my childhood, had to think about some s— I went through,” Brown said. “I got everything I ever wanted in life, bro. I had to go back down to my childhood, me living in that trailer, starving bro. Then I thought about [my] son. I’ve got a little boy, he motivated me. I said, ‘I’m not going to give up with my son watching me.'”
The longer Brown stands on the public stage, the more layers he reveals. He is a boxer. A reader. A mental health advocate. A philanthropist. A family man.
He’s part introvert, part performer. A team-first player with the highest of personal ambitions. A leader with style that can be confused for selfish interests. Such complexities make him one of the more captivating, and misunderstood, players in the NFL.
This offseason, he has pulled back the curtain further, opening up about the scars that he carries from his childhood. By tapping into his roots, he is at once bridging the divide between himself and those he wishes to mentor and ensuring he stays close to the flame that fueled his launch to stardom.
Entering his seventh season, the 28-year-old from Starkville, Mississippi, is a three-time Pro Bowl honoree and three-time Associated Press All-Pro. He holds the record for most single-season receptions by an Eagles receiver (106) and is the only Eagle to produce multiple seasons of 1,400-plus receiving yards. He added champion to the resume in February.
The last accomplishment fell short of personal expectation, with the ecstasy of winning a Lombardi Trophy lasting all of two days. “I thought my hard work would be justified by winning it all,” Brown wrote on February 12. “It wasn’t.”
Shortly after that Instagram post, Brown had a conversation with longtime trainer Joey Guarascio that delved deeper into his psyche.
“It almost made him mad because the feeling after the Super Bowl was like, ‘That’s it? Like there needs to be more. We need to make this thing a dynasty. I need to be a Hall of Famer,'” Guarascio said.
“Every time we talk, it’s, ‘I want to leave a legacy that’s memorable. I want people to talk about the Eagles like they do the New England Patriots in the 2000s.’ He always had an idea and a belief that he could do it, and now that he’s starting to get the physical evidence behind it, it’s just, you know, he’s talking it into fruition.”
All indications are that Brown is “hungrier than ever,” as Guarascio put it, as the Eagles begin their title defense against the rival Dallas Cowboys Thursday night (8:20 ET, NBC). “I truly feel like I’m the best in the league,” Brown said, “and I want to put a stamp on it.” But the mission reaches well beyond football.
BROWN TOOK A seat in front of a group of kids inside the Delaware County Juvenile Detention Center in Chester, Pennsylvania earlier this offseason and began to divulge details about his past that he had never shared publicly.
The A.J. Brown Foundation is launching an internship program this October to create a pathway for children in the system. Beyond that initiative, Brown wants to serve as a direct mentor to them, and knew he needed to get vulnerable to earn their trust.
“I didn’t want it to look like I’m this celebrity coming in and just telling those guys what to do,” Brown said. “I wanted to let them know, I made mistakes, too.”
He was 11 or 12 when his parents Arthur Brown and Josette Robertson split up, he said, and took the news hard.
“I felt like my mom divorced me, too,” Brown said. “I knew firsthand about losing a first love.”
Brown acted out in the name of getting his parents’ attention. He failed the seventh grade. That same year, he said he joined a gang called Gangster Disciples.
He went on to detail missteps, including transgressions that could have led to his arrest but never did.
“I didn’t get in trouble with the police, God willing, but I made mistakes. And these mistakes that you all have made doesn’t define you,” Brown said. “My path doesn’t define me.”
Brown credits the guiding hand of his father as well as advice from a respected member of the neighborhood for redirecting him. “Go play ball,” he told him while offering his protection. “This s— ain’t for you”.
“I used sports to detach myself,” Brown said.
He threw himself into baseball and basketball. With football, there wasn’t exactly an immediate connection. His former position coach at Starkville, Willie Gillespie, recalls Brown not taking to a Bull-in-the-Ring drill during eighth grade practice, where the player in the middle of a circle of kids crashes into the ball carrier.
“He wasn’t real happy about that. Too much physical stuff going on,” Gillespie said.
Brown declined to play football in ninth grade but gave it another go as a sophomore after not being chosen for the varsity basketball team.
He had grown a couple inches by that point and looked the part in uniform, leading the coaches to agree: “We’ve got to find a way for this kid to play.” Brown was a top-level center fielder — he would go on to be selected in the 19th round of the 2016 MLB draft by the San Diego Padres — so receiver made the most sense since it allowed Brown to use his ball-tracking abilities.
He still didn’t love the contact element of the sport but that started to change when the coaches also began to play him at safety, where he would lead the team in interceptions in 10th grade despite playing the role part time.
But it was on offense where Brown really began to shine. Gillespie remembers a play early in the 10th grade season against West Point where Brown caught a ball on a slant and took it about 40 yards for a touchdown. “I think the confidence at that point really took off,” he said.
Gillespie said Brown and his older sisters Reva and Shareda mainly lived with Arthur, whom he credited with doing “a tremendous job” in raising them. He added that A.J. and Robertson reestablished a connection years ago.
But Gillespie said Brown “carried a lot of baggage” for a long time in respect to his parent’s divorce — an event that Brown said makes him slow to trust to this day.
“He’s such an emotional kid,” Gillespie said. “His emotions run high. I think for a long time, he hid those emotions, and he had so many things that he really didn’t understand and didn’t feel good about it.
“Everybody else was kind of looking at it like football is everything but he was more concerned about family and mom. So, he had those moments where he was really down about those situations. But at the end of the day, he has been truly blessed to play at the top level of football and has been able to change some people’s lives having gone through these experiences. And hopefully it helped to heal him, which I think it has by him opening up and talking about it, mental states and all that type stuff. I think that helped heal him.”
CYNTHIA MILONS’ FIRST interaction with Brown was on a basketball court. She was a referee for the Starkville Athletic Youth Basketball League then and Brown, by her memory, was no more than eight years old.
“I just remember him fouling and getting mad. He would always blame me, that I would foul him out,” she said with a laugh. “I just remember him being so competitive.”
Arthur Brown was the coach, “and let’s say A.J. gets his passion from his dad,” Milons added.
Their paths crossed again at Starkville High School when Milons served as Brown’s 10th-grade English teacher. Milons’ family is full of athletes, including brother Freddie Milons, a former standout wide receiver at the University of Alabama who was drafted by the Eagles in 2002, and the two bonded over sports.
Milons remembers Brown as a shy, sweet kid with a bright smile who wouldn’t hang around many people outside of his sisters. Whatever behavior problems did come up, she said, would be handled by discussing with Arthur, working under the philosophy that it “takes a village” to raise a child.
Her influence on Brown first came to light in 2017 when he selected Milons to receive national recognition through the Extra Yard for Teachers initiative, complete with Starkville High School receiving a $10,000 grant. It was seen again in a big way during a wild-card playoff win over the Green Bay Packers in January when cameras caught Brown reading on the sideline while dealing with a quiet day at the office, as he finished with one catch for 10 yards.
“That was just hilarious to me,” Milons said. “It was just one of those things, like, Lord, A.J. is just A.J. It doesn’t matter to him what other people say about it. That’s what I love most about him: He just does this thing.”
Milons and Brown talked earlier this summer about that moment, with Brown explaining to her that reading has a calming, connecting effect on him.
4:26
The story behind A.J. Brown’s sideline book, ‘Inner Excellence’
A.J. Brown sits down with Sal Paolantonio to discuss the impact his sideline reading has had on the Eagles and the NFL community.
The reactions in Starkville were similar to other parts of the country.
“My wife said, ‘What A.J. doing? What are you doing?” said Gillespie. “I don’t know what he’s thinking. I know I ain’t never read a book on no sideline.”
But Gillespie has a unique insight into Brown’s makeup, having known him since he was a child and sharing a sideline with him. He knows when Brown gets animated on the sideline or vents his frustration or, in this case, picks up a book, it’s rooted in being self-critical.
“It’s all about winning. It’s all it’s all about, I could have done more,” he said. “A lot of times he’s upset with himself, not so much with the organization or with the team or teammates. His expectation for himself, sometimes that’s not being met, and that kind of throws him a little bit.”
Plenty of good came from Brown’s sideline reading, including Brown becoming a prominent figure for reading advocacy, complete with his own book list that he circulated online this offseason.
His act encouraged one of the teachers at Starkville High School to put a poster on the wall that still hangs up there today:
“If A.J. BROWN can find time to read,” it says, “YOU CAN TOO.”
“A lot of people here are really proud of what he what he’s accomplished,” Gillespie said. “I think that the biggest thing he does is he just gives a community hope.”
BROWN’S SUMMER DID not go exactly as planned, as he spent the bulk of training camp practices on the sideline while he dealt with a hamstring injury — now since healed.
He contributed in other ways — most notably by taking a special interest in receiver Darius Cooper, an undrafted rookie out of Tarleton State.
Cooper (5-foot-11, 210 pounds) has a similar build to Brown, who was the rookie’s favorite player growing up. Brown, in turn, has poured his knowledge into Cooper. There were even times when Brown would walk up to the huddle with Cooper before a play, offering last-second instructions.
“Just being in my ear in practices, telling me different techniques and things to do,” said Cooper, who beat the odds by making the 53-man roster. “It’s just a blessing being under his wing and I’m just grateful to be here.”
On a Sunday in mid-August, Brown traded his uniform for a white button down and suit pants for his trip to Boys’ Latin Middle School in Philadelphia. The gym was filled with students awaiting his arrival. But it was more than just an appearance. The “Fresh Cuts For Success & Mission For Heart” event put on by his foundation offered free haircuts for children about to go back to school as well as school supplies for both students and teachers. After being introduced by the D.J. and receiving a loud ovation, Brown went around the room shaking hands and taking pictures with Eagles fans who got to see yet another side to the multidimensional talent.
“When I was younger, I wish I had a mentor,” Brown said. “My father did an excellent job but just to see somebody play a professional sport come back in the community, we didn’t really have that growing up. And I said, ‘I’m going to be that person.'”
Brown acknowledges he was more closed off when he first got into the league. He didn’t show his personality, he said, because he didn’t want to be judged.
He has since shed that protection, layer by layer.
“Now I don’t care,” he said. “I’m going to live my life, I’m going to enjoy myself … I just stopped caring about what people say, honestly.”
The game ended, that’s the best thing we say about the Dallas Cowboys final game at home where the L.A. Chargers got an impressive victory. But how did the Cowboys rookie class perform during the defeat. Let’s break it down.
OG Tyler Booker
(Game stats- Snaps: 58, Pass Blocks: 38, Pressures: 1, Sacks: 1, Penalties: 0)
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Booker quietly put another piece of solid tape in the loss to the Chargers, even while the offense stalled out around him. Dallas allowed just nine total pressures all game and one sack on 30 dropbacks, compared with the 14 pressures surrendered by Los Angeles, which tells you the Cowboys’ protection wasn’t the primary reason the game got away from them.
On the field, Booker’s night looked like what we’ve come to expect, a mostly clean performance. Inside, Booker and Cooper Beebe did a reasonable job keeping the A and B gaps from collapsing. There were no penalties on Booker, the key holding call that stalled a promising Cowboys drive was charged to Tyler Smith on the left side, which knocked off an unbelievable catch by Flournoy in the endzone.
The fairest conclusion is that Booker played well in a mediocre offensive performance. The Cowboys didn’t leak much pressure overall, but Booker was charged with the sole sack during the game. Against the Chargers he wasn’t the problem, instead he looked like a long-term answer at right guard in a game where the scoreboard makes everything else look worse than his individual tape.
DE Donovan Ezeiruaku
(Game stats- Snaps: 39, Total Tackles: 2, Pressures: 3, Sacks: 0, TFL: 0)
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Ezeiruaku’s night against the Chargers was more about flashes than full-game impact, and it came inside a defensive performance that never really got Justin Herbert uncomfortable, which is most concerning. On the stat sheet he finished with two combined tackles, one QB hit, zero sacks, zero tackles for loss and no takeaways, contributing one of Dallas’ five quarterback hits in a game where the defense failed to register a single sack. Herbert went 23-of-29 for 300 yards and two touchdowns and was never sacked, while the Chargers piled up 152 rushing yards at 4.6 per carry, underlining how little consistent disruption the front managed overall.
His best moment came on a third-down sequence where Ezeiruaku and Markquese Bell collapsed the edge and chased Herbert into a hurried, off-platform throw that ended in an incompletion and a field goal instead of a touchdown. That rep showed exactly why Dallas is excited about him with his good get-off, disciplined pursuit and enough closing speed to finish the play even when he doesn’t get the sack. Outside of that, though, his impact was muted. The Chargers’ quick passing game and efficient run script meant Ezeiruaku spent most of the night squeezing the pocket and setting the edge rather than producing splash plays.
Through this week, PFF has Ezeiruaku at a 77.7 overall grade with 34 total pressures on 554 snaps, ranking third on the team in defensive grade, not bad for a rookie. Against the Chargers Ezeiruaku was active and technically sound, but not a game changer. He added a notable pressure on a key drive and one of the few clean shots on Herbert, stayed out of the penalty column, and continued to look like a high-upside rookie.
CB Shavon Revel Jr.
(Game stats- Snaps: 55, Total Tackles: 9, PBU: 1, INT: 0, TD Allowed: 2, RTG Allowed: 145.4)
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Revel’s night against the Chargers was really rough, and it showed up both in the box score and in how the game felt. He was effectively a full-time starter on the outside, logging 55 defensive snaps, tied with Malik Hooker for the most on the team. On paper he finished with nine total tackles, which led the team which is telling on how the game script went. But that volume says as much about how often the ball found him and the issues that went on up front in the trenches.
The defining play was the first-quarter touchdown to Quentin Johnston. Revel was in tight coverage down the right sideline, but never truly played the ball. Johnston went up and made a spectacular one-handed grab for a 23-yard score. Revel looked in phase on the play but never got his head around quickly enough to contest the catch point. Later, he was singled out again for two more costly moments – failing to force Tre’ Harris out of bounds, allowing extra yards after the catch, and missing a tackle on KeAndre Lambert-Smith on third down, extending what turned into a 16-play, eight-minute Chargers drive. When you layer that on top of Johnston’s final line of four catches on five targets for 104 yards and a touchdown, with Herbert posting an insane 132.8 passer rating
All of this, however, has to be viewed through the lens of his health and development. Revel is less than a year removed from a torn ACL that ended his final season at East Carolina, and he missed the first 10 weeks of his rookie year rehabbing before being activated in mid-November. Even this week, he only cleared the injury report on Friday after being limited earlier in the week with a knee issue.
Throwing a rehabbing rookie corner into full-time duty against a hot quarterback and big, explosive receivers is exactly the kind of trial that can either accelerate his growth or dent his confidence if the staff aren’t careful.
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LB Shemar James
(Game stats- Snaps: 50, Total Tackles: 5, TFL: 0, Sacks: 0)
James finally got a real defensive workload against the Chargers after DeMarvion Overshown went out, and he looked like exactly what he is right now, a young, fast linebacker who’s still learning but didn’t look out of his depth. Once Overshown left, James’ snap count climbed sharply compared with Minnesota, where he was exclusively a special-teams body. You could see Matt Eberflus trust him more as the game went on, rotating him into the nickel and dime looks rather than just keeping him for base or obvious run downs.
On the field he did the things you want from a backup suddenly pushed into a bigger role. He flowed to the ball, triggered downhill quickly against the run and finished a couple of tackles in space that easily could’ve turned into extra yards. In coverage he was mostly asked to handle underneath zones and running backs out of the backfield. The Chargers completed some short stuff in front of him, but he kept a lid on explosive plays and didn’t have a clear “that’s on James” bust on any of the big gains.
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Overall, it was a promising, if unspectacular, step. For a rookie who’d been living on special teams the last few weeks, that kind of steady, next-man-up performance is exactly what you want as a foundation going into next year.
DB Alijah Clark
(Game stats- Snaps: 13, Total Tackles: 0
*Snap count are all special team snaps*
Clark’s night against the Chargers was as low-impact as it gets, simply because he never got a chance to affect the game. He didn’t play a snap on defense and logged 13 snaps on special teams, where he finished without a tackle and without showing up on any of the major special teams swing plays. In one sense that’s neutral rather than negative, but in a game where Dallas needed a spark in the third phase, he was essentially anonymous. For a depth safety still carving out his role, this was more of a placeholder outing than any kind of statement.
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CB Trikweze Bridges
(Game stats- Snaps: 26, Total Tackles: 1)
*Snap count include special team snaps*
Bridges had a low-key but meaningful rotational outing against the Chargers, splitting his work between defense and special teams. He logged 17 snaps on defense, which is enough to count as part of the game plan but still very much in a depth role, coming on as an extra defensive back rather than a full-time starter. With that kind of snap count, his job is mostly about being assignment-sound and holding up in zone landmarks.
On special teams he added nine snaps and made his one contribution with a tackle on a kick return, a classic do-your-job play for a back-end corner trying to cement a role on game day. Taken together, 17 defensive snaps and nine on special teams with a solid kick-coverage tackle paints the picture of a depth defensive back who handled his assignments and quietly justified his place on the active roster, even if his name never showed up in the headline moments of the night.
RB Jaydon Blue
Inactive
OT Ajani Cornelius
Inactive
DT Jay Toia
Inactive
RB Phil Mafah
Injured reserve
WR Traeshon Holden
Practice squad
TE Rivaldo Fairweather
Practice squad
LB Justin Barron
Practice squad
Rec Sports
Chelsea missed opportunity to sign Antoine Semenyo for just £2m six years ago – Paper Talk | Football News
The top stories and transfer rumours from Wednesday’s newspapers…
PREMIER LEAGUE
Manchester United are hopeful that Bruno Fernandes will return from injury before their clash with Manchester City on January 17, meaning the captain would miss only five matches – The Times.
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Ruben Amorim believes Bruno Fernandes has suffered a soft tissue injury and feels the Man United captain will be out for a while
Chelsea could have signed lifelong Blues fan Antoine Semenyo for just £2m six years ago – The Sun.
Antoine Semenyo’s release clause at Bournemouth is only active for the first 10 days of the January transfer window – BBC.
Roma want to sign Chelsea defender Axel Disasi on loan – BBC.
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Sky Sports’ Dharmesh Sheth and Kaveh Solhekol discuss whether Bruno Fernandes’ injury will provide an opportunity for Kobbie Mainoo to perform at Manchester United
Manchester United are set to appoint Newcastle’s head of youth recruitment Paul Midgley to the same role at Old Trafford – Daily Mail.
EUROPEAN FOOTBALL
Robert Lewandowski will sit down with Barcelona manager Hansi Flick at the beginning of 2026 to discuss his future – Sport.
Monaco will not convert Ansu Fati’s loan move from Barcelona into a permanent deal – El Nacional.
SCOTTISH FOOTBALL
Celtic goalkeeper Tobi Oluwayemi is attracting interest from clubs in England and Europe – The Scottish Sun.
Hearts are set to sign defender Jordi Altena is set to be their first January signing after beating off competition from the MLS – The Scottish Sun.
(Photo Illustration – MetroCreativeConnection)
CHARLESTON — Westbrook Health Services in Parkersburg was awarded two of 76 grants announced Tuesday from the West Virginia First Foundation.
The WVFF named the recipients of the Momentum Initiative Grant (MIG), which is nearly $18 million, to support high-impact initiatives addressing substance use disorder, prevention, recovery, and workforce and system capacity across West Virginia, according to a press release issued Tuesday.
WVFF Grant Awards
Approved by the WVFF Board of Directors earlier this month, MIG represents a landmark opioid abatement investment and reflects a revolutionary, nationally distinctive model for stewarding settlement dollars, one that combines objective evaluation and local expertise. Funding was awarded to 76 projects spanning statewide and regional target areas, reflecting both community-driven priorities and statewide needs.
Wood County is a part of District 3 within the WVFF which also includes Tyler, Pleasants, Ritchie, Wirt, Calhoun, Roane and Jackson counties.
Westbrook Health Services received a $125,000 grant focusing on Youth Prevention through the Westbrook Health Services Thrive Together Project and a $250,000 grant focused on the Westbrook Health Services Workforce Development Project to help with Behavioral Health & Workforce Development.
Other recipients in Region 3 include: $224,000 to Hope House Ministries Inc. for Recovery Housing; $58,329 to TEAM for West Virginia Children Inc. for Youth Prevention; and $113,554 to The Bomar Club Inc. for its On the Road to Success: Expanded Wraparound and Reentry Services as part of its Day Report Centers & Reentry Programs.
There were four statewide awards given to help with foster care and non-parental caregivers. Those awards include: $954,469.45 to the National Youth Advocate Program Inc. for the Foster RISE (Recruitment, Intervention, Support and Expansion) program; $974,751 to Pressley Ridge for the Pressley Ridge Treatment Kinship Care Statewide Services program; $975,000 to the West Virginia CASA Association Inc. for its Continuum of Care for Children & Families Impacted by the Opioid Crisis program; and $947,916 to West Virginia Wesleyan College for its WVWC & WV CASA Capacity Building Initiative program.
MIG investments will support a broad range of efforts, including foster care and non-parental caregiver initiatives, youth prevention, recovery housing, behavioral health and workforce development, and reentry and diversion programs, the press release said. Collectively, these investments are designed to strengthen systems of care, expand access to services, and promote long-term, sustainable impact for West Virginians, the release added.
“We were intentional in building a structure that reflects both feedback and best practices,” said Greg Duckworth, WVFF Board Chairman. “What emerged is a landmark opioid abatement model, distinct from any other foundation of its kind, made possible by volunteer board members and expert panelists dedicated to serving West Virginia.” To support consistency and objectivity, the WVFF review process followed a structured, multi-step approach, the press release stated. This first-of-its-kind model engaged local expert panelists, statewide leaders in their fields, neutral and objective data-driven specialists, and the full Board of Directors (both locally-elected and appointed). Independent, outcomes-based scoring was conducted and focused on program design, feasibility, and potential impact, the release said.
“The Momentum Initiative Grant reflects a new way of responding to the substance use crisis; one grounded in evidence, shaped by local expertise, and guided by accountability,” said Jonathan Board, WVFF Executive Director. “We traveled the state, listened to those holding the line in their communities, and answered the call to honor the lives lost by putting these resources into the hands of those ready to create real, lasting impact for West Virginia.”
For more information about the Momentum Initiative Grant, visit wvfirst.org/MIG.
Compiled by Matt Haraden
• The Hull High Boys Basketball team’s next game is on the road against the Academy of the Pacific Rim in Boston at 2 p.m. on Friday, January 2, followed by a return to the home gym on Monday, January 5 against Falmouth Academy at 5 p.m.
• The Girls Varsity Basketball team is 0-3 on the season after falling to the Carver Crusaders, 59-29, on Friday, December 19. Gianna Thorne scored 10 points, while Addison Littlefield had 6 points and 5 rebounds, and Bella Walsh scored 6 points, grabbed 8 rebounds, and blocked 2 shots. During the holiday break, the team will play in the Scituate Holiday Tournament on Tuesday, December 30 at 12:30 p.m. and Wednesday, December 31 at 11 a.m., then travels to the New Heights Charter School in Brockton on Monday, January 5 at 4:30 p.m.
• The Cohasset-Hull Cooperative Hockey team’s next games will be on Saturday, January 3 against Boston Latin Academy. Puck drops at 4 p.m. The team then heads down the Cape to take on Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School at the Tony Kent Arena in South Dennis on Monday, January 5 at 6 p.m.
• The Hingham-Hull Cooperative Gymnastics squad is 1-0 on the season, winning its opening matchup over Marshfield, 130.4 to 121.3, on December 19. The next competition will be against Whitman-Hanson Regional High School at the Massachusetts Gymnastics Center in Hingham on Wednesday, January 7 at 8 p.m.
• The next meet for the Boys and Girls Indoor Track teams will be against Carver on Monday, January 5 at 4 p.m. at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston.
• For the full schedule for each Hull High team, visit www.arbiterlive.com/Teams?entityId=10611.
• Registration is under way for Hull Pirates In-Town Youth Basketball. Programs include a skills and drills co-ed session for grades 1 and 2, a co-ed program for grades 3 and 4, as well as an open gym program (also co-ed) for grades 5-8. The season runs from January 10-March 14 on Saturdays at the Jacobs School gym. For more information, visit http://hullbasketball.leagueapps.com/camps.
• A combined Girls 3/4 travel basketball team is on the court this season, competing at the fourth-grade level, and has a record of 1-2. The team’s most recent game was a 36-5 loss to Weymouth on Saturday. Next up is Hingham on Sunday, January 4 at 3 p.m. All games are played at Indian Head Elementary School in Hanson, so fans have to travel to take in a game. The full schedule of game times and weekly opponents is at this link: www.oldcolonybasketball.org/team/hull/4/1.
• Registration is open for Hull Youth Lacrosse – two travel teams and the in-town programs – through January 22. For more information, visit www.hulllax.com or email hullyouthlax@gmail.com if you have any questions.
• Coaches, league organizers, and superfans – We need your help to report the scores and results of the latest events in Hull’s sports world! Please send local sports news and photos to sports@hulltimes.com. Deadline is Wednesday at noon. When providing details of the games or races, please be sure to include the sport/team, the players’ full names, and the final scores. When sending photos, names of those pictured are greatly appreciated, as well as who should get credit for taking the photo.
Thank you for your help!
The 2026 Seahawks NFL FLAG Regional Tournament has been awarded to Everett, the Snohomish County Sports Commission announced. The regional tournament will be on Saturday, June 6, 2026, at Kasch Park. Youth and high school flag football teams from across Western United States will have the opportunity to win their division and advance to the NFL FLAG Championships Presented by Toyota.
This regional tournament is the last “ticket” for flag football teams to qualify for the NFL FLAG championships. YMCA and Pop Warner Football teams are eligible to participate in the regional tournament. There are scholastic entries for high school teams. The 14U boys and high school girls’ teams have the largest number of flag football teams participating in the tournament. The tournament divisions are from 8U coed to high school girls.
Registration is open. Learn more here.
“Everett is the perfect host for the Seahawks NFL FLAG Regional Tournament,” said Ramon Nunez, tournament manager at RCX Sports. “This event represents a critical pathway to the NFL FLAG Championships, and we’re excited to bring teams together from across the region in a community that’s deeply invested in youth sports. Hosting in Everett allows us to deliver an exceptional experience for athletes, families, and coaches while continuing to build a clear, competitive pathway within the NFL FLAG ecosystem.”
“We are excited to be hosting the Seahawks NFL FLAG Regional Tournament next June and look forward to welcoming the teams and their families to Everett,” said Tammy Dunn, Snohomish County Sports Commission executive director. “With the growth of flag football recently, especially with the high school girls, hosting this regional tournament will create more exposure for flag football in the Pacific Northwest.”
A non-contact program available to girls and boys ages 5-17, NFL FLAG is an NFL-licensed property of more than 2,000 locally operated leagues and over 765,000 youth athletes across all 50 states.
Maribeth Miller Browne passed away peacefully in her sleep on December 18, 2025, at Kobacker House in Columbus, Ohio. On Thursday evening before her passing, her entire family gathered around her, and the room was filled with love and peace. Her husband fell asleep holding her hand, and she slipped away quietly before midnight—surrounded by love, comfort, and care.
Maribeth faced large B-cell plasmablastic lymphoma with courage and resolve. In her final weeks, her fight was reignited with the news that her family would be growing in early 2026 with the addition of her second grandchild. Though the illness ultimately claimed her life, hope never left her, and it spoke to the deep devotion she carried for her family until the very end.
Born in Connecticut, on November 6, 1960, Maribeth spent part of her childhood in Rochester, New York, before eventually making her way to Marietta, Ohio—where her roots ran deep and where she truly found home. When her family first moved to Marietta in 1968, they lived for several months at The Lafayette Hotel while searching for a permanent home. During that time, the restaurant staff there lovingly made her lunches for school, a small kindness she remembered fondly.
Maribeth was the eldest daughter of five children and carried that role with strength and responsibility. She was preceded in death by her father, John Miller—who co-founded the Marietta Girls Youth Basketball League in 1973; her mother, Carol Miller—who played a pivotal role in bringing Montessori education to St. Mary’s School in Marietta; and her beloved sister, Laura Jeanne Miller. Surviving siblings are Andrew Miller, Susan Baker, and David Miller.
Maribeth shared a devoted and enduring 39-year marriage with her husband, David Browne, whom she married on October 11, 1986. The two met while working summer jobs at Cedar Point in Sandusky, OH in 1980 between college years at Bowling Green State University. Maribeth had never been to Cedar Point and only attended the on-campus interviews after tagging along with her sorority sisters—she was the only one not hoping to get a job. True to form, she was the only one who received an offer, a testament to her bubbly personality and unmistakable can-do spirit. Cedar Point would remain a meaningful place throughout their lives. Maribeth and David later enjoyed many summer trips there with their children, and both Kyle and Abby would go on to work there themselves during summers of their college years. Cedar Point will always hold a special place in the Browne family’s heart.
A devout Catholic, Maribeth’s faith was a guiding force throughout her life. She was a longtime and dedicated member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Marietta and often attended multiple services each week, both there and at other parishes in the area. Her days were frequently accompanied by the sound of EWTN radio, which she listened to faithfully and drew comfort from. Her belief was not only practiced, but lived—through kindness, service, perseverance, and love.
Chances are, if you’ve walked through downtown Marietta, you’ve met Maribeth. Some people lovingly called her “Maribeth of Marietta.” She was known for her warmth, excitement, and the way she made people feel seen and cared for without asking for recognition in return. Maribeth was a great friend, especially to those who needed one, and dedicated much of her life to caring deeply for those who were lonely.
Maribeth is survived by her devoted husband, David Browne, and the family she cherished so deeply: her children – Chelsea Browne (fiancé, Kyle Boker); Kyle Browne; and Abby Browne (partner, Caleb Brown). She adored her granddaughter, Alessandra “Ali” Browne, and was joyfully anticipating the arrival of her second grandchild, a grandson, in 2026.
Arrangements for visitation at Cawley & Peoples Funeral Home, as well as a Mass at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, will be scheduled for early 2026.
The family wishes to express profound gratitude to the staff at Kobacker House. Their compassion, professionalism, and humanity made an immeasurable difference, providing comfort not only to Maribeth, but to all who loved her during her final days.
Maribeth’s legacy lives on in her family, in the countless lives she touched, and in the enduring kindness and exuberant zest for life she carried with her everywhere she went.
CAWLEY & PEOPLES FUNERAL HOME OF MARIETTA is honored to serve the Browne family and offers online condolences as well as many other resources by visiting www.CawleyandPeoples.com or by following their Facebook page.
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