High School Sports

Top Alabama High School football recruit declines $750K NIL deal

Cameron Pritchett declined a $750,000 NIL deal to stay at Thompson High School in Alabaster. ALABASTER, Ala. — Cameron Pritchett, one of the top high school football recruits in Alabama, has declined a $750,000 name, image and likeness deal that would have required the sophomore to move out of state, his trainer said Friday. The […]

Published

3 weeks ago

April 20, 2025

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Top Alabama High School football recruit declines $750K NIL deal

Cameron Pritchett declined a $750,000 NIL deal to stay at Thompson High School in Alabaster.

ALABASTER, Ala. — Cameron Pritchett, one of the top high school football recruits in Alabama, has declined a $750,000 name, image and likeness deal that would have required the sophomore to move out of state, his trainer said Friday.

The 6-foot-3 edge rusher will stay at Thompson High School in Alabaster, where he has established himself as a gem of the 2027 recruiting class.

NIL money has changed the recruiting landscape since July 2021, with donor-backed collectives able to broker lucrative deals for college athletes across the country. Approximately 40 states have also cleared the way for high school athletes to strike NIL deals, in part to give in-state universities an assist in landing top recruits. Alabama is not one of them.

Pritchett’s decision, first reported by 5 Star Football Recruiting, was confirmed by his trainer, Isaac Hadac, who said his faith guided him.

“He believes that by the grace of God, he’s going to go far in the game of football, and all of the material things will come down the road,” Hadac told The Associated Press. “It means a lot to him to be able to stay and use his faith in the process to help him make that decision.”

Pritchett isn’t the first Thompson player to turn down a lucrative deal. Quarterback Trent Seaborn reportedly rejected a seven-figure NIL deal from a trading card company in 2024. Hadac said those decisions are a credit to coach Mark Freeman.

“Coach Freeman is a legacy coach. He wants to leave a legacy with Thompson. Seaborn turned down a major NIL deal himself. These kids know that if they buy into the process, all of these things will come one way or another,” Hadac said.

Pritchett finished last season with 78 total tackles, 15 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks in 14 games. Multiple programs have shown interest, including national champion Ohio State.

Pritchett has time to make his decision. In the meantime, he is focused on building a legacy at Thompson High.

“First of all, I am so blessed and grateful to even be considered in that way. It’s really an honor and privilege that I do not take lightly or for granted,” he told 5 Star Football Recruiting. “Having said that, I truly believe that God has a plan for my career and for my life as long as I allow Him to guide my path. It’s important to me that my legacy is built on integrity, hard work, passion, and faith. I want to do that at Thompson.”

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Saturday May 10

Baseball Edmonds-Woodway defeated Monroe 5-2 Lukas Wanke pitched six strong innings and Toshi Gilginas drove in three runs as the Edmonds-Woodway Warriors advanced to the 3A District 1 tournament semifinals with a 5-2 victory at home against the Monroe Bearcats. The Warriors will now play Stanwood in the District semifinals on Tuesday night at 7:00 […]

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6 hours ago

May 11, 2025

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Baseball

Edmonds-Woodway defeated Monroe 5-2

Lukas Wanke pitched six strong innings and Toshi Gilginas drove in three runs as the Edmonds-Woodway Warriors advanced to the 3A District 1 tournament semifinals with a 5-2 victory at home against the Monroe Bearcats.

The Warriors will now play Stanwood in the District semifinals on Tuesday night at 7:00 at Funko Field. The game will be the second of two games played at the same location that night, with Snohomish playing Mount Vernon at 4 p.m. in the other semifinal matchup. The winners of the two games will automatically advance to the state tournament and will play each other in the District Championship on Saturday.

The losing teams will move to the consolation bracket and still have one more chance to advance to the state tournament on Saturday.

Edmonds-Woodway pitching highlights:
Lukas Wanke: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 4 K
Finn Crawford: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB

Edmonds-Woodway offense highlights:
Toshi Gilginas: 2 for 3, R, 3 RBI, 2 SB
Andreas Simonsen: 1 for 2, BB, 2 R, SB
Finn Crawford: 1 for 3, RBI
Erik Alsdorf: 1 for 3, R, RBI
Trevelyan Podawiltz: 1 for 3
Alex Archie: HBP, R

Monroe pitching highlights:
A.J. Welch: 5 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
Maddox Bingham: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Monroe offensive highlights:
Braden Sheppard: 2 for 3, 2B, RBI
A.J. Welch: 1 for 2, BB, R
Caleb Campbell: 1 for 4, R

Records: Edmonds-Woodway 16-6; Monroe 8-13
Edmonds-Woodway next game: District semifinals vs Stanwood; Tuesday. May 13, 7 p.m. at Funko Field

Stanwood defeated Mountlake Terrace 6-3

The Mountlake Terrace Hawks lost their District Quarterfinals game against Stanwood. The Hawks will move over to the consolation bracket of the double elimination tournament and need to win two games in order to qualify for the state tournament, beginning with a game against the Monroe Bearcats on Tuesday at Monroe High School.

Stanwood pitching highlights:
T.J. McQuery: 6 IP, 12 K

Stanwood offense highlights:
Gavin Gehrman: 3 for 4, 2 R
Connor Clifton: 2 RBI
Brayden Wammack: 2 RBI

Records: Stanwood 17-4; Mountlake Terrace 11-11
Mountlake Terrace next game: District consolation bracket (loser out) at Monroe; Tuesday, May 13, time TBD

Mount Vernon defeated Meadowdale 6-3
See story here.

Records: Mount Vernon 19-4; Meadowdale 10-13
Meadowdale next game: District consolation bracket (loser out) vs Shorewood; Tuesday May 13, 4 p.m. at Meridian Park in Shoreline.

Boys Soccer

Edmonds-Woodway defeated Mount Vernon 3-1
See story here.

Records: Edmonds-Woodway 11-5-2; Mount Vernon 10-3-3
Edmonds-Woodway next game: District semifinals vs Shorewood; Tuesday May 13, 7 p.m. at Shoreline Stadium.

Monroe defeated Lynnwood 3-1
No details reported

Records: Monroe 15-1; Lynnwood 6-11-1
Lynnwood next game: District consolation bracket (loser out) at Sedro-Woolley; Tuesday, May 13, 7 p.m.

High School Sports

High school sports roundup

Published

6 hours ago

May 11, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Baseball

Edmonds-Woodway defeated Monroe 5-2

The Warriors will now play Stanwood in the District semifinals on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. at Funko Field. The game will be the second of two games played at the same location that night, with Snohomish playing Mount Vernon at 4 p.m. in the other semifinal matchup. The winners of the two games will automatically advance to the state tournament and will play each other in the District Championship on Saturday. The losing teams will move to the consolation bracket and still have one more chance to advance to the state tournament on Saturday.

Edmonds-Woodway pitching highlights:
Lukas Wanke: 6 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 4 K
Finn Crawford: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB

Monroe pitching highlights:
A.J. Welch: 5 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
Maddox Bingham: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Monroe offensive highlights:
Braden Sheppard: 2 for 3, 2B, RBI
A.J. Welch: 1 for 2, BB, R
Caleb Campbell: 1 for 4, R

Records: Edmonds-Woodway 16-6; Monroe 8-13
Edmonds-Woodway next game: District semi-finals vs Stanwood; Tuesday, May 13, 7:00 p.m. at Funko Field

Stanwood defeated Mountlake Terrace 6-3

Stanwood pitching highlights:
T.J. McQuery: 6 IP, 12 K

Stanwood offense highlights:
Gavin Gehrman: 3 for 4, 2 R
Connor Clifton: 2 RBI
Brayden Wammack: 2 RBI

Records: Stanwood 17-4; Mountlake Terrace 11-11
Mountlake Terrace next game: District consolation bracket (loser out) at Monroe; Tuesday, May 13, time TBD

Mount Vernon defeated Meadowdale 6-3
See story here.

Records: Mount Vernon 19-4; Meadowdale 10-13
Meadowdale next game: District consolation bracket (loser out) vs Shorewood; Tuesday, May 13, 4 p.m. at Meridian Park in Shoreline.

Boys Soccer

Edmonds-Woodway defeated Mount Vernon 3-1
See story here.

Records: Edmonds-Woodway 11-5-2; Mount Vernon 10-3-3
Edmonds-Woodway next game: District semifinals vs Shorewood; Tuesday, May 13, 7 p.m. at Shoreline Stadium.

Monroe defeated Lynnwood 3-1
No details reported

Records: Monroe 15-1; Lynnwood 6-11-1
Lynnwood next game: District consolation bracket (loser out) at Sedro-Woolley; Tuesday, May 13, 7 p.m.

High School Sports

Prom Promise reenactment at SC high school highlights dangers of distracted, impaired driving

Published

7 hours ago

May 11, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Prom Promise reenactment at SC high school highlights dangers of distracted, impaired driving

High School Sports

Three area athletes earn top seeds in WPIAL Track & Field Championships

Southmoreland’s Megan Mehall (right) battles Trinity Christian’s Eilidh Edgar in the final 50 meters of the 800 during the WPIAL Class 2A Individual Track & Field Championships at Slippery Rock University. Mehall won the silver medal with a time of 2:17.22. She is the top seed in the event this year. California’s Lee Qualk will […]

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8 hours ago

May 11, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Three area athletes earn top seeds in WPIAL Track & Field Championships

California’s Lee Qualk will be looking for back-to-back WPIAL championships, while Beth-Center’s Deakyn DeHoet and Southmoreland’s Megan Mehall are seeking their first when they compete in the WPIAL Individual Track & Field Championships on Wednesday at Slippery Rock University’s William C. Lennox Track.

Qualk, a senior, won the boys long jump in Class 2A last year. He enters this year as the No. 1 seed after jumping 23-5.50 to win the Baldwin Invitational on May 2.

Qualk has also qualified for the district meet in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.23, which puts him as the 13th seed. Qualk qualified for the state championships last year after meeting the state-qualifying-standard in the 100.

DeHoet, a junior who attends Jefferson-Morgan High School where he plays baseball, competed for the Bulldogs this year because the Rockets don’t have a track & field program.

DeHoet has made the most of his first season in track & field, as he qualified as the top seed in the boys 200-meter dash in Class 2A with a time of 22.28. DeHoet is the second seed in the 100 at 10.95.

Beth-Center qualified for the 1,600-meter relay, which is an event DeHoet has run this season.

Mehall ran a season-best time of 2:15.60 to earn the top seed in the girls 800-meter run in Class 2A. The junior was second in the WPIAL and sixth in the state last year.

The top 24 performances in each event in Class 3A (boys and girls) this season earned a spot in the WPIAL championships. In Class 2A, the top 16 were awarded a berth in the District 7 meet.

The top five finishers in each event in Class 2A (boys and girls) and the top four in Class 3A (boys and girls) will qualify for the state meet on May 23 and 24 at Seth Grove Stadium on the campus of Shippensburg University.

The fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth finishers in Class 3A can qualify for states if they meet the state-qualifying-standard in their respective events. The sixth, seventh and eighth place winners in Class 2A will also advance to the state meet if they hit the state-qualifying standard.

The standards differ across all four divisions, with Class 3A usually demanding higher standards in boys or girls.

Laurel Highlands will be well represented in Class 3A on the girls side with four individual qualifiers and one relay team in seven events.

Diondra Brown will compete in the 400-meter dash and long jump at Slippery Rock. Brown qualified for the state meet in the 400 last season. She is the 10th seed in the 400 after posting a season-best time of 58.98. She is the No. 5 seed in the long jump at 17-11.5.

Neela Hill earned the ninth seed in the high jump at 5-3.

Isabella Baker is seeded 13th in the 1,600-meter run with a time of 5:22.62 and 22nd in the 800 at 2:24.89.

The Fillies’ Shayla Dues is the 14th seed in the 100 hurdles (15.68).

Laurel Highlands’ 3,200 relay team grabbed the last spot in Class 3A after running a season-best 10:22.61.

The Mustangs have two boys competing in four events in Class 3A, as Matt Schwertfeger earned a spot in the 1,600 and 3,200. The senior’s time of 4:18.16 in the 1,600 puts him as the No. 5 seed. He ran a 9:50.06 in the 3,200, and will be the 19th seed.

Teammate Grant Brambley is seeded 11th in the javelin (163-2) and pole vault (13-10).

Uniontown’s Grace Trimmer earned the fifth seed in the girls 3,200 in Class 3A with a time of 11:02.66.

The Red Raiders’ Cooper Gilleland earned a berth in the district meet with a season-best time of 4:34.45 in the boys 1,600. He will be the 24th seed.

Albert Gallatin’s Mia Medved is the 22nd seed in the girls 1,600 in Class 3A with a time of 5:32.59.

Geibel Catholic’s Emma Larkin is the third seed in two events in Class 2A, as she ran season-bests of 46.75 in the 300 hurdles and 58.67 in the 400-meter dash.

Brownsville freshman Aijanae Foster is the second seed in the girls high jump in Class 2A at 5-6.5. Foster is a member of the Lady Falcons’ 400-meter relay team that earned the eighth seed in 44.47. Jersey Feick-White, Ta’Veonna Harris and Amya Wilson have been the normal quartet in the event.

Brownsville’s Alexa Lewandowsky qualified as the ninth seed in the discus at 106-10. Teammate Caitlin Miske is 12th in the triple jump (34-1).

Levi Grogan will represent the Falcons after qualifying as the 10th seed in the long jump (21-3) in Class 2A.

Frazier’s Elisabeth Keaton is the 14th seed in the triple jump (33-9) in Class 2A.

Connellsville’s Glen Strickler is the eighth seed in the shot put at 47-9. Teammate Zachary Franks has qualified for the pole vault as the 12th seed. He has a season-best of 13-10. The Falcons compete in Class 3A.

Madelynn Johnson will represent the Lady Falcons in Class 3A as the 11th seed in the discus (113-5). Teammate Sophia Morrison is the 19th seed in the 100 hurdles at 16.23.

Belle Vernon’s Ryan Kent qualified in all three throwing events in Class 3A. The junior is the fifth seed in the discus (155-3), seventh in the shot put (47-10) and ninth in the javelin (165-3). Kent qualified for states last year in the discus.

The Lady Leopards’ Brooklyn Steeber qualified in the 1,600-meter run and the 3,200 in Class 3A. Teammates Courtney Martin (100 hurdles) and Skylar Salay (javelin) also earned a spot in the district meet.

California’s Carter Kent (800, 1,600), Christian Ross (javelin/triple jump), Andrew Typovsky (javelin), Landon Abercrombie (javelin), Niamh McClaffin (1,600), Alan Dennis (200) and its 400 relay team have qualified for the WPIAL meet.

The Lady Trojans’ Ella Neil (high jump), Hayley Gibson (shot put) and Ella Fike (100 hurdles) earned berths in Wednesday’s competition.

Waynesburg Central’s Zack Andrews (110/300 hurdles), Landon Darr (300 hurdles), Caden Fowler (discus), Mason Schroyer (pole vault), Jackson Brunell (pole vault) and Duncan Barto (shot put) qualified in Class 2A.

The Lady Raiders’ Emily Bochna (high jump), Jaden Tretinik (javelin) and Madison Blair (pole vault) had a season-best distance in the top 16 in Class 2A.

Mount Pleasant’s Jarett Garn (100/200), Damien Ohler (800), Bryson Bankosh (high/long jump), Aiden Johnson (long/triple jump), Gage Sowers (pole vault) and its 1,600 relay team will compete at Slippery Rock University.

The Lady Vikings’ Rylin Buhosh is the 11th seed in the 400-meter dash in girls Class 2A in 1:00.89. Mount Pleasant’s 3,200 relay team is the ninth seed with a time of 10:53.16.

Southmoreland’s Addie Billheimer (shot put), Kate Campbell (800), Morgan Riddle (triple jump) and Olivia Aumer (discus) have qualified for the district meet.

High School Sports

'Frightening' report highlights massive loss of birds – Pottsville Republican Herald

Marrying the use of cutting-edge technology with expert ecology researchers and community scientist input is providing us with “precision conservation” – and a very clear and accurate picture of bird health across North America. A groundbreaking study published in the reputable journal Science found that bird populations are drastically dropping most severely in areas where […]

Published

10 hours ago

May 11, 2025

Your Sports Nation

'Frightening' report highlights massive loss of birds – Pottsville Republican Herald

A groundbreaking study published in the reputable journal Science found that bird populations are drastically dropping most severely in areas where they should be thriving.

Researchers from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology analyzed 36 million bird observations shared by birdwatchers to the Cornell Lab’s eBird program, alongside multiple environmental variables derived from high-resolution satellite imagery for 495 bird species across North America from 2007 to 2021.

One major finding? Birds are disappearing fastest in the places where there are usually the most of them — places where they should be doing well. In fact, 83% of the bird species studied are shrinking the most in the areas where they are most common. (Grassland and Arctic tundra birds show particularly troubling trends.)

Population trends of American Robin. Red dots indicate population decreases, blue dots indicate population increases, and the size of the dots indicates relative abundance. The darker the red and the larger the dot indicate strong declines in places where American Robins are most abundant. COURTESY OF CORNELL LAB OF ORNITHOLOGY

“It’s pretty frightening — the sheer number of birds that have disappeared is kind of hard to fathom,” said Luke Redmond, PhD, associate professor of biology at Penn State Schuylkill. “I hope the Cornell data opens people’s eyes about what is going on in so many systems — not just in North America, but likely across the entire planet.”

Alison Johnston, a lead author of the study and ecological statistician, added, “Locations that once provided ideal habitat and climate for these species are no longer suitable. I think this is indicative of more major shifts happening for the nature that’s around us.

Redmond said the decline is likely not just confined to birds.

“Since birds are relatively easy to observe, their popularity means there are lots of eyes out there looking for them,” he said. “I would not be surprised if other [animal] species are exhibiting the same decline, and that makes this all the more worrying.”

Not all bad news

There is some hope. Nearly every species had some spot on the map where populations actually increased, even if those spots were few and far between. These tiny spots of success for some bird species could be due to conservation efforts, and because of the precision of the new detailed mapping, scientists will be able to dig deeper to better understand what’sworking best where. This can inform future conservation projects and smart governmental policy to reverse the The data included in the new map would not be possible without dedicated birders entering their sightings in the eBird program. With all of that data in hand, statisticians used modeling and novel methodologies to ensure reliability of the data. Using cutting-edge technology, they were able to run simulations that would have taken 85 years on a standard personal laptop!

What you can do

On the small scale, Redmond recommends making your yards more dependable to wildlife and volunteering your time to conservation efforts like monitoring and clean up. You can do this by reducing the size of your turf lawn and integrating more native plant species into your yard – birds rely on the berries (and bugs!) that live on these species. As you transitionyour yard to more natives, be sure to avoid using harmful pesticides, too.

Supporting and volunteering with groups like the Schuylkill Headwaters Association, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, Delaware Riverkeeper, Schuylkill County Conservancy and other land preservation groups is another way to tap into important work.

On a larger scale, you can make dietary changes that reduce environmental impacts, such as shifting to a more plant-based diet to reduce your carbon footprint. You can also choose more organic foods to keep harmful chemicals out of the farming areas that birds often visit. As always, supporting politicians who fight for strong environmental laws and programs is absolutely essential for a livable future for the birds and us. You can find out more information about this at the League of Conservation Voters’ website.

High School Sports

MHSAA Highlights

LANSING, Mich. (WILX) – News 10 was at a high school baseball and softball game on Saturday afternoon. Lansing Catholic softball won a battle over Grand Ledge and Okemos baseball split a doubleheader with Hartland. Okemos baseball split a doubleheader battle on Saturday afternoon against Hartland Subscribe to our News 10 newsletter and YouTube page […]

Published

11 hours ago

May 11, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Okemos baseball split a doubleheader battle on Saturday afternoon against Hartland

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