The conditions were perfect for a big offensive performance Wednesday at Wrigley Field. The heat, paired with a breeze blowing out, could carry would-be long flyouts over the fence.

“It was a day where you were rewarded for putting the ball in the air,” manager Craig Counsell said after the Cubs’ 8-4 loss to the Royals. “And they did that part of the game certainly better than us.”

Standing in the Cubs’ way was Royals starter Seth Lugo.

It was the kind of pre-trade-deadline matchup that perfectly underlined the push-and-pull of this time of year.

The Cubs’ biggest need, with about a week before the July 31 deadline, is starting pitching. Lugo, who held the Cubs to four hits and two runs in six innings, will be highly sought after by contending teams if the Royals make him available. But their trade-deadline direction is unclear.

As of Wednesday afternoon, nine non-division-leading American League teams were within 4½ games of a wild-card spot, including the Royals (50-53). And while the -National League isn’t quite as tightly packed, it still has bubble teams such as the Cardinals. All that uncertainty of direction has pushed back deadline action.

As soon as one of those gray-area teams loses a few games, its head of baseball operations is sure to hear from organizations looking to pick off its players.

“We’ve all been there,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said Friday. “As an example, in ’23, I was really open with everyone: ‘Don’t feel bad. Yes, this is a little bit day-to-day here. We lose two games in a row, we may be selling, and if we win two games in a row, we might be buying.’ Teams are pretty open about that.”

The Royals inched the opposite way at Wrigley Field this week, taking two of three from the Cubs.

On the other side, the Cubs’ loss, paired with a win by the Brewers (61-41) against the Mariners, knocked the Cubs (60-42) out of a tie for the best record in the majors — and the NL Central.

Pitching opposite Lugo, the Cubs had Colin Rea, who has been a regular starter most of the year because of a wave of injuries.

Between Justin Steele’s season-ending elbow injury, Shota Imanaga’s seven-week stay on the injured list for a strained hamstring and Jameson Taillon’s calf strain at the beginning of the month, the Cubs have been without two top starters simultaneously for essentially all but the first six weeks of the season.

Rea, despite allowing six runs (five earned) in five innings against the Royals, has been key in stabilizing the rotation. But the Cubs have used bullpen days to fill the final spot in their rotation this month, further emphasizing their need for starting pitching at the deadline.

Even after surrendering a trio of two-run homers, Rea’s ERA was at a respectable 4.06.

“It’s tough to blame the pitcher,” Counsell said, noting the error that put a runner on base for the first homer and the role the hitter-friendly conditions might have played in the others.

The Cubs’ offense didn’t flash its power until Lugo was gone. Instead, it took advantage of a leadoff walk in the second inning and a leadoff hit-by-pitch in the third.

“He’s got a very expansive pitch mix, and you never really feel like you can sit on anything,” Counsell said. “He pitched well.”

Against the Royals’ bullpen, Cubs rookie Matt Shaw hit a solo homer to extend his post-All-Star-break hot streak, and Pete Crow-Armstrong launched his 27th homer of the season to retake sole ownership of the team lead.

WELLESLEY, Mass. — The Boston Fleet have hired Kris Sparre as the second head coach in the PWHL franchise’s history.

Sparre, a 38-year-old veteran assistant with no experience in the women’s game, replaces Courtney Kessel, who had a 27-19-8 record and a Walter Cup Finals appearance before leaving to take over at Princeton. Her departure leaves only two female head coaches among the PWHL’s eight teams.

“This is a league that has tremendous momentum right now. And to be able to work in a city like Boston, that has such a rich tradition in winning, and building successful teams, is something I don’t take lightly and am tremendously excited about,” Sparre said Wednesday at his introductory news conference. “I want to carry on that tradition. I want to make the Boston Fleet a championship-level program that we can all be proud of.”

A Toronto-area native, Sparre played nine seasons as a forward in the minor leagues and in Germany and coached in the OHL, AHL and Austria’s top league. He was an assistant coach for Red Bull Salzburg from 2019-21 before spending three seasons with the San Diego Gulls, the AHL affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks.

Making the move to women’s hockey gave him the chance to deal with the sport’s elite.

“It was important for me that I wanted to work with the highest level of athletes possible,” he said. “They’re motivated people. They want to get better. That’s my skillset; that’s my wheelhouse. That’s where I want to live. And so when this opportunity came up, I didn’t look at it as ‘men’s (vs.) women’s.’ I looked at as the best option to work with the best in the world.”

Fleet general manager Danielle Marmer said Sparre’s experience in the AHL, where coaches need to balance winning with player development, will make him a good fit. Marmer, who spent time in the Boston Bruins player development department, said Sparre’s lack of experience coaching women did not scare her off.

“I don’t have a concern about the fact that he hasn’t coached women’s hockey,” she said. “These are professional athletes. He’s coached professional athletes. He’s coached the best players in the game. Our players want to be treated like pros, and they want to learn from the best. And I think that’s what we’re doing here with bringing Kris in.”

The Fleet have eight players remaining from the roster that reached finals in the PWHL’s inaugural season. But they are looking to replace 36-year-old captain and league MVP finalist Hilary Knight, who was left unprotected in the expansion draft and is moving to Seattle after a season in which she tied for the league lead with 29 points.

“These are the best players in the world — the best women’s hockey players in the world,” said Sparre, who was headed out for lobster rolls after the media session. “We’ve got to be humble. … We can learn a lot from them, too.”

___

AP Hockey Writer John Wawrow contributed to this report.

BEREA — The Browns quarterback competition resumed in full on July 23 when the team held its first full-squad workout.

Quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders have been in camp since July 18, when the rookies reported. Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett, the experienced due in the four-man race, both came in on July 22 with the rest of the veterans.

The first practice of camp wasn’t an extensive one, as the roughly 70-minute workout had all of the clunkiness of an initial training camp practice. The quarterbacks only had two real practice periods where they went against an actual defense: A modified 7-on-7 period with the Flacco and Pickett on one field and Gabriel and Sanders on the other, and an 11-on-11 team period to end the practice.

Here’s a look at what each of the four quarterbacks did during those group and team periods.

Joe Flacco’s Browns training camp highlights July 23

• Flacco’s only work against a defense came as the first quarterback up on one field in the modified 7-on-7 series against the Browns’ No. 1 back seven.
• The best catch of Flacco’s five throws was a diving out route by Michael Woods II.
• Flacco was mostly a spectator beyond those throws, although he took two plays in an 11-on-air offensive series. Both plays were runs.

Dillon Gabriel’s Browns training camp highlights July 23

• Gabriel was the first quarterback up on the second field for the modified 7-on-7 period.
• None of Gabriel’s five passes in the session fell incomplete.
• Luke Floriea was Gabriel’s favorite target in the period, with three passes going to the former Mentor High School and Kent State product.
• Gabriel, who went second in the 11-on-11, ran what looked like a naked bootleg left on the first play. That was one of three running plays of his five
• The best throw by Gabriel was a deep corner to Gage Larvadian that the rookie wide receiver turned into a touchdown
• Gabriel and wide receiver Diontae Johnson appeared to have a slight miscommunication on one throw. Johnson appeared to cut a deep stop route off just shy of where Gabriel threw it, as it bounced just feet away from him.

Kenny Pickett’s Browns training camp highlights July 23

• It’s was Pickett’s day to mostly be the No. 1 quarterback, at least during 11-on-11. He went second behind Flacco, though, during the modified 7-on-7 on one field.
• Pickett completed all five throws in the 7-on-7 portion of practice.
• Jamari Thrash made a nice diving catch on one crossing pass from Pickett in the 7-on-7s. He was the only wide receiver to get multiple catches during Pickett’s five-play series.
• Pickett’s 11-on-11 started with a handoff before he was forced out of the pocket and had to run due to pressure on his first pass attempt. Rookie defensive tackle Mason Graham was one of the interior defensive linemen to put the pressure on Pickett.
• Pickett completed a short pass to wide receiver DeAndre Carter on a rollout to the right.
• Pickett ended his 11-on-11 series with a deep crossing route to wide receiver Jerry Jeudy.

Shedeur Sanders’ Browns training camp highlights July 23

• Sanders was up second on the field with Gabriel in the modified 7-on-7.
• The first throw from Sanders was low to rookie Luke Floriea, one of three passes that were off-target in the five-pass series.
• Sanders also had a throw across the middle to rookie wide receiver Cade McDonald that was broken up, a play which also nearly got McDonald de-cleated.
• Sanders was wide on a deep throw down the left sideline as well. However, he closed out the series with a quick throw to McDonald.
• Sanders was the third and final quarterback to go during 11-on-11s. As with the other two, multiple plays were handoffs.
• Sanders opened his series with a quick out to the left to McDonald.
• Twice Sanders had to avoid pressure in his face. He was able to throw the ball at the feet on one, then ended practice with a flip to running back Ahmani Marshall, who was a safety valve.

Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ

Note: While the registration link is now closed, anyone still wanting to attend the All-School Summit can register on site.

AURORA – The various agendas for the upcoming All-School Summit have been released with information included for the general All-School Summit, the Activities Directors Meeting, the New Athletic Directors Meeting, the State Representatives Meeting and the Sports Medicine Symposium. The 2025 All-School Summit will be hosted at the Douglas County School District’s Legacy Campus this Sunday through Tuesday, July 27-29. 

Reminder to all attendees, please bring your laptop to each of the meetings with you, as there will be interactive portions and opportunities to fill out forms on site. 

Highlights of the All-School Summit agenda include the CHSAA Kickoff – a presentation around the importance of educationally based activities – and a series of breakouts. The first two breakout sessions will include topics such as Arbiter 101 & 201, Transfer Waivers, Special Olympics, Start-of-the-Year Checklists, and the Importance of your PA Announcer, while the third and fourth breakout topics will include topics such as “If Winning is the First Goal, What is the Second Goal”, CLOC update, Officials Accountability and How to Create Change. The two-day event will also include updates from corporate partners, a panel of school leaders talking about inclusive excellence and a reception at Sporty Pickle. 

The two-day Activities Directors Meeting will not only feature roundtable discussions, breakouts and panel discussions, but there will be a workshop around understanding CHSAA bylaws and Colorado Revised Statutues, a mini-session for new activities directors and a student panel, where activities directors will get to hear directly from students as they share their perspectives on how student voice influences and shapes campus climate. Throughout the two days, there will also be reflection questions, an opportunity for a Q&A session around building inclusive programs with increased student engagement, and more.

On Sunday, new ADs are encouraged to join the CHSAA staff for a New Athletic Directors Meeting, which will be geared specifically for getting them up-to-speed before the start of the year. Highlights of that session will include a First 30 Days Checklist of sorts, information on transfers and waivers from CHSAA Commissioner Mike Krueger, a resources overview to ensure they’re connected throughout the year and an opportunity for questions and discussion. 

There will be a number of speakers during the Sports Medicine Symposium on Monday speaking on topics such as Early Sport Specialization, Preventing Overuse Injuries, Protein Synthesis, Concussions, Best Practices and more.

In conjunction with the summit, the CHSAA State Representatives will also come together for their first meeting of the new school year. The State Reps agenda features breakouts led by former CHSAA State Rep and current CHSAA intern, Brakelle Westphal, in addition to collaboration time, a student leader panel, a meeting with Make-A-Wish, an Activity Director Student Panel and meetings with various members of the CHSAA staff. 

Finally, on Tuesday, the All-School Summit will end with the third-annual Foundation Golf Tournament. Registration is now closed, but you can still make a donation to the Foundation. All proceeds go directly to supporting opportunities that enhance experiences for Colorado students. 

Editor’s note: This is the fourth part of a summer series revisiting the best of “The Prep Zone” sports show at locally owned Sonic Drive-In of Gainesville, featuring interviews with area coaches and players with host Mike Ridaught from the 2024-25 season.

The P.K. Yonge girls soccer team, along with head coach Rebecca Schackow, the Bosshardt Realty Small School Girls Coach of the Year, joined Mainstreet Daily News Sports Director Mike Ridaught on his weekly high school sports show on Feb. 5.

Coming off their first final four berth in program history, the Lady Blue Wave won their sixth straight district title. P.K. Yonge advanced to its fourth straight region final before falling one game shy of a second straight final four appearance with a double overtime home loss to Episcopal (Jacksonville) in the Class 2A-Region 1 Final.

Below are excerpts from the Feb. 5 interview — edited for length and clarity — of The Prep Zone’s interview. You can listen to the full conversation, which is archived online.

Q: It’s been a really good year for you so far against a very difficult schedule and you just won your sixth straight district title.

Rebecca Schackow: We’ve had a wonderful season. I’m so happy for our girls and proud of the team. We won another district championship, which is a very tough thing to do, and we had to work hard to get that victory. We’re excited about that. And then we also ended up getting the No. 1 seed in the regional rankings, which set us up to host the first round and beyond, hopefully the (entire) regional tournament. So, we’re in a good spot, and we’re really pleased with that outcome.

Q: You were dominant in the district championship game. I think you had eight different players who had a shot on goal in the first half, and then for the whole game, your opponent had zero shots on goal.

Rebecca Schackow: We have definitely been working on our attack, all players becoming great attackers and combining and making good choices in the final third. And I just feel like that is an area we’ve tried to improve in, and it is showing, so it makes me very pleased and feeling confident and proud of our team that we’re working on something and seeing some results. Now, our shot percentage is not always great when we play some of the really hard teams, so we’re going to try to make even smarter decisions and make our shots even better. But it is good to see more players contributing, not just one center forward or one or two players, but having eight girls taking smart shots is pretty cool to see and a lot of fun to watch. It’s a good game when you see that happening.

Q: Your two losses this season have come against really tough competition…and the one tie came on the road against Lakeland Christian, which had won three straight state titles, and it ended up in a scoreless tie.

Rebecca Schackow: We love that experience. That was a top-notch experience. Lakeland Christian is a beautiful school, great facility. We made a whole day out of it. We had a huge crowd follow us down there. It just felt different than a regular season game. It was very special. And then they’re an excellent, excellent soccer program. So, we gained a lot just going up against them. They’re very fit, very strong, they’re aggressive, they’re smart. We love getting the opportunity to play teams like that.

Q: Faith, congratulations on getting an opportunity to go to the next level. You’ve signed with Palm Beach Atlantic. How much does or did it take pressure off you now that you’ve gotten that out of the way, and just focus on high school?

Faith Hardy (SR): Oh, so much pressure. The recruiting process was a lot of work, and especially since we had to travel to Jacksonville to get on a pretty good team, it was just so much pressure taken off my back and I could just actually focus on my love for the sport, rather than looking to impress so many college coaches.

Q: Congratulations on a hat trick in the district championship game. How does it feel for you personally to have been a part of five straight district titles?

Faith Hardy (SR): It was awesome because we got to play a new opponent (Newberry). My last four years we played Keystone, and then I think the year before was also Keystone, and so just to have a new competitor, it’s just awesome.

Q: Emma, it was your sixth straight district title. What was it like to be a part of another one?

Emma Mansfield (SR): It’s great. Obviously, we work hard every year to get to this point, so our hard work has been showing up these past six years. Obviously, my sixth-grade year, a little baby, ended up losing, but just from that point on, just being consistent and working hard every year.

Q: You’ve known Coach Schackow for a long time. What has she been like?

Emma Mansfield (SR): She’s great. She’s always encouraged us to be the best on and off the field. Just teaching me how to be a part of a great team, and respect, how to respect people on and off the field. It’s been great.

Q: Congratulations on signing with the University of South Carolina Aiken. You’ll get a chance to play at the next level. What was it about USC Aiken?

Mae Dodd (SR): Thank you. So I went on campus, and it just felt similar to what they had said. I loved the culture, and when I went there, I kind of felt like I knew it was the right place for me. I loved the coaching staff and the girls, and it just seemed like a good fit.

Q: How much of a motivator was it after the loss to Montverde Academy (2024 state semifinals) to get better and get back?

Mae Dodd (SR): You have no idea. I mean, it was really great being able to taste that Final Four, but I think losing it, we held them for so long, and then losing it, it made us want it so much more this year, which I think is awesome that we have the most of the same core group of girls that were able to experience it to want it again.

Q: Elliot Pancoast has signed with Clark University. Tell us a little bit about Clark University.

Elliot Pancoast (SR): Clark University is in Worcester, Massachusetts, which is right outside Boston. I signed with them earlier this year after getting to go on a visit in September, and I really just fell in love with the team, and the coaching staff were phenomenal. I really just thought it was a place where I could see myself being able to thrive. And it’s, go on an adventure, get to explore a new area of the country a little bit. So I think it will be fun.

The 2025 North Carolina high school boys soccer season is upon us.

Schools belonging to the N.C. High School Athletic Association will have their first practice on July 30.

HighSchoolOT has dived into last year’s statistics to give you a look a the top returning players in each of the new classifications this fall.

Here are the top statistical leaders in the new 7A classification. Note: Teams must have posted season stats to MaxPreps or sent them to us to be featured in this article

See stat leaders from the other classifications and other sports below:

Returning 7A Soccer Leaders: Total Goals

• Joseth Banegas, senior, Southern Durham — 37
• Blake Oxendine, senior, Jack Britt — 25
• Christopher Serrano, senior, Clayton — 24
• Cole Capps, senior, Heritage — 21
• Robinhio Tanis, senior, Lumberton — 20
• Payton Popp, senior, Mooresville — 18
• Brendan Rayworth, senior, Smithfield-Selma — 16
• Robbie Reeves, senior, Grimsley — 16
• Collin Mckee, junior, Marvin Ridge — 14
• Brandon Martinez, junior, A.L. Brown — 14
• Facundo Rivera, sophomore, Jack Britt — 14
• Brian Valencia, senior, Parkland — 13
• Isaac Congleton, senior, D.H. Conley — 13
• Jahleel Green, junior, Pine Forest — 13
• Sean Lackey, senior, Overhills — 11
• Ethan Hancock-Arroyo, senior, Clayton — 11
• Deyson Castillo, senior, New Hanover — 11
• Alex Kuhner, junior, R.J. Reynolds — 11
• Colton Perkins, junior, Marvin Ridge — 11
• Henry Blackburn, senior, Sanderson — 10
• Clark Marriott, senior, Ashley — 10
• Warren Mountford, junior, Fuquay-Varina — 10
• Spencer Goodwin, junior, New Bern — 10
• Miles Bickel, junior, New Hanover — 10

Returning 7A Soccer Leaders: Total Assists

• Jacob Gibson, senior, Holly Springs — 15
• Tate Peel, senior, Grimsley — 14
• Noah Guzman, senior, Jack Britt — 13
• Carlos Figueroa, senior, Southern Durham — 13
• Nicholas Acevedo, senior, Pine Forest — 11
• Cesar Ramirez, senior, Cuthbertson — 10
• Blake Oxendine, senior, Jack Britt — 10
• Gustavo Ramos, senior, Southern Durham — 10
• Jacolby Locklear, junior, Purnell Swett — 10
• Cassias Mckinnon, senior, Marvin Ridge — 9
• Carter Macey, senior, Cardinal Gibbons — 9
• Joseth Banegas, senior, Southern Durham — 9
• Facundo Rivera, sophomore, Jack Britt — 9
• Brian Valencia, senior, Parkland — 8
• Robbie Reeves, senior, Grimsley — 8
• Brandon Martinez, junior, A.L. Brown — 8
• Alexis Ocampo-Ayala, senior, Reagan — 7
• Alexander Maure, senior, East Forsyth — 7
• Joshua Badillo, senior, Lumberton — 7
• Robinhio Tanis, senior, Lumberton — 7
• Cohen Wertz, senior, Cary — 7
• Deyson Castillo, senior, New Hanover — 7
• Tavalis Parker, senior, Clayton — 7
• Keinner Martinez, sophomore, New Hanover — 7

Returning 7A Soccer Leaders: Total Points

• Joseth Banegas, senior, Southern Durham — 83
• Blake Oxendine, senior, Jack Britt — 60
• Christopher Serrano, senior, Clayton — 54
• Robinhio Tanis, senior, Lumberton — 47
• Cole Capps, senior, Heritage — 43
• Robbie Reeves, senior, Grimsley — 40
• Payton Popp, senior, Mooresville — 40
• Brendan Rayworth, senior, Smithfield-Selma — 37
• Facundo Rivera, sophomore, Jack Britt — 37
• Brandon Martinez, junior, A.L. Brown — 36
• Brian Valencia, senior, Parkland — 34
• Collin Mckee, junior, Marvin Ridge — 31
• Tate Peel, senior, Grimsley — 30
• Jahleel Green, junior, Pine Forest — 30
• Deyson Castillo, senior, New Hanover — 29
• Isaac Congleton, senior, D.H. Conley — 28
• Alex Kuhner, junior, R.J. Reynolds — 28
• Carlos Figueroa, senior, Southern Durham — 25
• Sean Lackey, senior, Overhills — 25
• Nicholas Acevedo, senior, Pine Forest — 25
• Colton Perkins, junior, Marvin Ridge — 25
• Ethan Hancock-Arroyo, senior, Clayton — 24
• Clark Marriott, senior, Ashley — 24
• Miles Bickel, junior, New Hanover — 24

Copyright 2025 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.