STEUBENVILLE — It is often said that big things come in small packages.

And in the case of the Sycamore Youth Center, big changes for the children of the Ohio Valley are arriving in the form of six colorful bricks.

The center has reached a historic milestone, officially becoming the first certified educator training site in the United States for Six Bricks.

Six Bricks is an innovative, research-based program that uses six brightly-colored LEGO DUPLO bricks as a simple, hands-on tool to help children develop essential life and learning skills.

While the program has long been a staple for educators overseas, Steubenville is now the home base for its growth in America, reflecting a deep commitment to the community. Bobbyjon Bauman, executive director of the Sycamore Youth Center, explained how the center has always been focused on bringing meaningful, practical tools to those who work with children and families.

Bauman shared that becoming the first certified educator training site in the nation reflects a commitment to evidence-based practices that help children thrive socially, emotionally and academically.

The upcoming training sessions, scheduled for the afternoons of 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday at the Sycamore center, are being coordinated by Michelle Clum through a collaborative effort among the nonprofit organizations the Ohio Valley Youth Network and Six Bricks USA.

Workshop certificates will be issued to those who complete the five-hour training program.

This training is organized for faculty, staff, parents and community members.

Until recently, anyone in the United States wanting to be certified in this method had to seek training from facilitators outside the country.

However, following a successful pilot program and a full year of research conducted in the United States, the results spoke for themselves, showing that 95 percent of students improved in what experts call “SNaPCLaP” skills.

These skills represent a child’s total development, including social-emotional growth, numeracy or math skills, perceptual development, creativity, literacy and physical movement. In addition to the gains seen in students, teachers involved in the research reported the lessons were remarkably easy to store, prepare and adapt to the individual abilities of each child.

The lessons fit comfortably within a standard class period, while keeping children excited and engaged in their work.

Theresa Paterra, one of the first six certified facilitators in the country, will serve as the facilitator for the Steubenville training.

Paterra emphasized the program is not just for the classroom, noting Six Bricks opens the door to hands-on learning for people of all ages and abilities.

SYCAMORE BEGINS PILOT PROGRAM IN U.S. — The pilot program for Six Bricks involved members of the Sycamore Stars program and at the Sycamore Youth Center, including adult training. Sycamore has become the first certified educator training site in the country. Students taking part in the pilot program learned through the bricks matters such as fractions and decimals.
— Contributed

Educators, therapists, healthcare workers and youth leaders can all use these strategies with learners, who can range in age from 1 to 101.

Through the partnership with the Ohio Valley Youth Network, 12 participants are expected to complete their certified training during these January sessions, with plans for more advanced Level 4 training already in the works for a future date.

For those who are curious about how six simple bricks can change a learner’s perspective, free “taster” sessions are available.

Whether you are a parent, a teacher, or a community leader, the Sycamore Youth Center invites you to see what all the excitement is about.

For information or to register, contact Clum at (626) 905-0712 or send an e-mail to hello@sixbricksusa.org.

Nate Schimelfenig scored 17 points and Seamus Wallace helped spark a third-quarter surge to lift West Scranton over No. 9 Scranton, 54-41, on Friday night in a Lackawanna Division I boys basketball game.

Wallace finished with 13 points, and he, Schimelfenig and Brian Fried combined for 16 points while making four 3-pointers in a 21-point third quarter for the Invaders.

Cayden Farr contributed 10 points for West Scranton (5-7, 2-2).

Tony Battaglia scored 12 points and Justin Mayers had 10 for Scranton (4-7, 1-3).

Abington Heights 55, North Pocono 36: Jordan Shaffer scored 13 points to lead the sixth-ranked Comets to a Division I win.

Ben Reese contributed 10 points and Andrew Kettel had nine for Abington Heights (7-5, 4-0).

Noah DeSantis scored nine points and Cole West had eight for North Pocono (3-9, 0-4).

Delaware Valley 64, Wallenpaupack 59: James Dabney and Trey Newton helped the seventh-ranked Warriors recover from a slow start to post a win in Division I.

Dabney led four players in double figures with 18 points, and Newton added 16 to lead Delaware Valley (9-3, 2-2). Sam Wood and Colin McGarvey each scored 12 points in the win.

Nick VanBuskirk scored nine of his 20 points in the first quarter when Wallenpaupack built a 17-8 lead. JP Yeo added 18 points, which all came on 3-pointers, for the Buckhorns (3-6, 0-3).

Old Forge 50, Western Wayne 33: Cameron Parker scored 20 points to lead the fifth-ranked Blue Devils to a Division II win.

Ryan DeMarco added 15 points, and Cameron Krushnowski had 10 for Old Forge (9-2, 4-0).

Omar Vargas scored 11 points to lead Western Wayne (2-8, 0-3).

Riverside 77, Honesdale 47: Nico Antoniacci scored 26 points and Brayden Rose added 19 as No. 1 Riverside bounced back from its first loss of the season to beat the Hornets in a Division II game.

Michael Schimelfenig contributed 12 points for the Vikings (10-1, 3-1).

Gavin Briggs scored 17 of his 25 points in the second half, and Owen Pender had 11 points for Honesdale (6-6, 2-2).

Dunmore 76, Mid Valley 52: Carter Sload scored 20 points and Nate Aviles scored 17 points, including 10 in the third quarter when the Bucks scored 30 in a Division II win.

Jimmy Clark svored 16 and Brayden Canavan added 13 points for the balanced Dunmore (11-1, 4-0) attack.

Jeremy Cali scored 19 points and Landon Pratt added 12 for Mid Valley (5-7, 1-3).

Holy Cross 59, Lakeland 43: CJ Thompson scored 21 points to lead three Crusaders in double figures in a Division II win.

Colin Farrell contributed 17 points while hitting five 3-pointers, and Colin Rittenbusch scored 15 points for Holy Cross (6-6, 2-2).

Chase Rosenkrans scored 12 points and David Naniewicz added nine for Lakeland (5-7, 0-4).

Susquehanna 50, Lackawanna Trail 46: Griffin Fisk scored 21 points to lead the Sabers to a win in a battle of teams tied for first place in Division III.

Fisk helped Susquehanna hold off a rally by the Lions with 11 points in the second half. Mason Keyes contributed 13 points and Hudson Stengel had eight for the Sabers (9-2, 4-0).

Lucas Filipek scored 11 points, Jimmy Phillips had eight of his 10 points in the third quarter and Hayden Bluhm also scored 10 points for Lackawanna Trail (8-3, 3-1).

Elk Lake 66, Mountain View 36: Chase Pond scored 17 points to lead the Warriors to a win that keeps them tied for first place in Division III with Susquehanna.

John Heitsman added 16 points and Connor Stephens finished with 14 for the balanced attack by Elk Lake (11-1, 4-0).

Hudson Bain led Mountain View (3-8, 1-3) with 14 points.

Blue Ridge 59, Montrose 56: Paxton Pingarelli scored 26 points, including 18 in the first half, to lead the Raiders to the Division III win.

Landon Bishop drilled five 3-pointers for 15 points for Blue Ridge (4-6, 2-2).

Evan McComb scored 13 points and Sawyer Brown added 12 for Montrose (4-8, 2-2).

Carbondale Area 40, Forest City 30: Cole Becchetti scored 12 points to lead the Chargers to a win in Division III.

Cameron Williams added 10 points and Francisco Roman had seven for Carbondale Area (2-10, 1-3).

TJ Collins led Forest City (0-12, 0-4) with 16 points.

Girls basketball

Cora Castellani had 28 points, seven rebounds, six steals, four assists and one block to lead No. 1 Valley View to a 59-35 victory over Wallenpaupack in a Lackawanna League Division I girls basketball game Saturday.

Ava Gazoo added 11 points, and Ali Mauro chipped in six points for the Cougars (11-1, 4-0).

Abby Cykosky and Ashley Vanderputten each had seven points for the Lady Buckhorns (6-6, 1-3).

Boys wrestling

Mason Mitchell (215 pounds) and Apollo Kazmierski (285) had back-to-back pins to rally Valley View past Montrose, 42-36, in a nonleague boys wrestling match Friday at Montrose.

Cooper Rawlings (139) and Tywone Giles (172) also had pins for the Cougars.

Sawyer Brander (107), Delos Stone (133), Carl Nolt (145), Wyatt Steele (152) and Jeffrey Kany (189) had pins for the Meteors.

107: Brander (MON) pinned Lopez, :32; 114: Healey (VV) by forfeit; 121: Loureiro (MON) by forfeit; 127: Scagliotti (VV) by forfeit; 133: Stone (MON) pinned Venia, 3:42; 139: Rawlings (VV) pinned Carter, :28; 145: Nolt (MON) pinned Klem, 1:05; 152: Steele (MON) pinned Kamora, :14; 160: Smalls (VV) by forfeit; 172: Giles (VV) pinned Hobbs, :28; 189: Kany (MON) pinned Sprague, 1:21; 215: Mitchell (VV) pinned Anderson, 5:09; 285: Kazmerski (VV) pinned Fraiser Jr., 1:53.

© 2026 The Times-Tribune (Scranton, Pa.). Visit thetimes-tribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

It was an emotional day inside Mitchell Hall as UW-La Crosse played host to UW-Platteville for a WIAC matchup on Saturday.

Festivities began at noon with “Charlie’s Kids fest” where kids could come play games and do other activities in the Mitchell Hall Fieldhouse.

Admission was free for everyone with donations being accepted for “Bubba’s Fund” after head coach Moran Lonning’s son Charlie died at just three months old in 2024. 

Special jerseys were worn by Eagle players honoring 19 infants who have passed away raising awareness for pregnancy and infant loss. 

In the game, UW-La Crosse came out of the gates on fire with a 9-2 run to begin the game forcing a timeout by the Pioneers. 

From that point, UW-Platteville settled in and would grab the lead 32-31 at halftime. 

The visitors would outscore the hosts in the second half 34-32 and go on to win the game 66-63. 

With the loss the Eagles fall to 8-6 and they’ll look to get back in the win column next Wednesday at UW-Whitewater. 

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Ignacio wins 45-28 at Del Norte

Ignacio’s Rance Rathjen floats past Del Norte’s Graesyn Coulson while driving into the paint during non-league play Friday night at DNHS. Rathjen scored a team-high 10 points as the Bobcats beat the Tigers 45-28. (Joel Priest/Special to the Herald)

RIO GRANDE COUNTY – With as many close-range shots as his Bobcats clanked Friday night, Ignacio head coach Trae Seibel chose to limit, by emphasizing ball movement as precise as possible during the fourth quarter, not only his team’s misfires but, indirectly, opposing Del Norte’s opportunities.

In the end, the hosting 2A Tigers couldn’t get slippery senior Noah Bailey enough chances, nor deny IHS senior Trace Crane vital rebounds down the stretch as the 3A ’Cats ultimately came out ahead, 45-28.

DNHS (1-5 overall) led just once, via netting the game’s first basket, but Ignacio (4-3 overall) snapped a 6-6 tie when junior reserve Joseph Atencio cashed a 3-pointer, assisted by a seated Crane, from the wing right in front of the Tigers’ bench.

He then completed a fast break moments later with a layup assisted by senior Stoney White Thunder-Lucero, who’d just collected a defensive rebound and alertly scanned the open court, and IHS’ advantage grew to 14-6 via a White Thunder-Lucero trey. Bailey at last answered with his first triple, but Atencio set up senior Rance Rathjen for a 2-pointer before Del Norte senior Calvin Quintana concluded the quarter with a straight-on 15-footer.

It would be the Tiger big’s only bucket in defeat, and the home side began struggling to stay within five points after Rathjen nailed a corner three, assisted by junior Thunder Windy Boy, with 3:10 left until halftime. The Bobcats then outscored the Tigers 5-1 and took a 27-16 lead into their locker room after Crane cleaned up a free throw missed by junior William Mendoza-Lechuga moments before the buzzer.

Back-to-back Crane putbacks offset DNHS senior Damon Ledford-Vigil’s ‘and-one’ three-point play early in the third quarter, and increased IHS’ lead to 35-19 with 4:07 left, and White Thunder-Lucero all but iced the outcome with a Crane-assisted three making the score 38-21 with 1:49 remaining.

Bailey buried his second trey just before the quarter expired, but the ’Cats began the final frame with five unanswered points – a White Thunder-Lucero three-point play, plus a Windy Boy layup assisted by Rathjen – in inflating their lead to 43-24 with 5:14 left in regulation.

All told, Bailey finished with a game-high 14 points.

Rathjen totaled 10 points for Ignacio, while White Thunder-Lucero and Crane were right behind with nine apiece. Crane collected 13 boards and Rathjen reeled in eight. IHS ended up 7-of-15 from the free-throw line; DNHS was 2-of-3.

Ignacio will host 2A Sargent on Tuesday Results from the Bobcats’ Saturday home game versus 2A Dove Creek (1-6 overall) were unavailable at press time.

RESCHEDULED: Due to wintry road conditions Friday, 4A Aztec’s slated trip to 3A Bayfield (5-3 overall) on Friday was postponed until 7 p.m. on Monday. The Wolverines were to host 3A Telluride (2-4 overall) on Saturday as well, but results were unavailable at press time.

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The oldest team in the NBA gave the youngest a lesson. 

The tanking Nets — deep into a youth movement — got spanked by the venerable Clippers 121-105 on Friday at Barclays Center. 

With a record five first-round rookies — all but one of whom played — the Nets learned some valuable lessons against Los Angeles. They just weren’t easy ones. 

James Harden put on a show with a game-high 31 points on 10-for-13 shooting, getting to the rim at will. The future Hall of Famer had 15 points in the first quarter alone, when he helped put the Nets in a 16-point hole. 

Kawhi Leonard, who was questionable with a sprained right ankle, added 13 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter. And even with 40-year-old Chris Paul sent home, the Clippers put on a clinic in cutting up what had been a stout Brooklyn defense. 

“The reality is you can explain the game plan, but until you don’t go through it, that’s how you learn,” said Jordi Fernández. “Those minutes were very valuable because you see those guys and sometimes you guard and you’re like ‘Oh, that was good defense.’ But for us, because we’ve seen them do it, it’s like that’s not good defense because they’re going to keep scoring, because they’ve done it all their careers and they’re going to keep doing it. So it’s good. That’s how you learn.” 

The Nets were found wanting. 

They coughed up 59.2 percent shooting and 58.3 from deep, diced up by the Clippers. 

The rebuilding Nets average a league-low 23.7 years old, per NBAage.com, while the Clippers are the only team in the league at 30. 

Lottery pick Egor Dëmin led the Nets with 19 points and three steals on 5-for-10 from deep. Michael Porter Jr. added 18 points, six assists, five rebounds and four steals, but had a rare off night, shooting 0-for-9 from behind the arc. 

“It’s very rare. It’s going to happen once every five years that Mike just misses nine 3s,” Fernández said. 

The Nets (11-24) are fifth in the lottery standings, but are closer to ninth than they are to fourth. Brooklyn stayed two games behind the fourth-seeded Wizards, who lost to the Pelicans. The Nets are half-game ahead of the Hornets, and one ahead of the Jazz. 

The Clippers are 8-2 since a 6-21 start. 

Harden, who broke up the Nets’ Big 3 when he was the first to ask out, led the way. 

“Some great memories. We had an opportunity to do something special,” Harden said of his stint in Brooklyn. “Me personally, I was just injured. And that was the first time in my entire career that I wasn’t able to stay on the court and be effective like I can be, like I am. So for that part, it was a little frustrating. But some great experiences those two years or whatnot, obviously it was COVID, so the world was in a crisis. But, this organization has helped me and I appreciate them.” 

The Nets coughed up a 16-2 run to fall behind by 16 midway through the first quarter. Then they conceded 14 unanswered points in a Clippers blitz that spanned from the end of the first well into the second. 

Even Brooklyn’s all-time leading scorer came back to haunt them. Rookie Danny Wolf drove the baseline late in the third, but got his shot blocked by 37-year-old former Nets center Brook Lopez. 

“They just made it tough for us. They were loading up, doubling Mike, doubling [Cam Thomas]. They had a real good game plan, they were locked in on our sets and we weren’t able to generate a whole bunch of clean looks and get into a really good flow offensively,” Nic Claxton said. 

“They just came out and were hitting shots. You need to start off better, especially playing against such a talented team like the Clippers.”

Jazlyn Frieson (Photo Provided)

BELPRE – The Boys & Girls Clubs of Washington County has announced the appointment of Jazlyn Frieson as unit director for the Belpre club.

“Jazlyn brings a strong combination of experience, passion, and proven leadership to the Belpre Club,” said Justin Clark, chief executive officer of Boys & Girls Clubs of Washington County. “Her ability to build relationships, lead teams, and keep youth at the center of every decision makes her an excellent fit for this role and for the Belpre community.”

Frieson began working with school-age youth during the COVID-19 shutdown, an experience that sparked a lasting passion for mentorship and youth advocacy, according to a release from the club. She joined Boys & Girls Clubs in 2023 and was promoted twice within her first year in the Parkersburg organization.

Her background includes serving as a youth development professional and club director, as well as completing the Club Directors Academy in Louisville, equipping her with the skills needed to lead high-quality programming and build strong teams, Clark said.

“The Belpre Club appeals to me because it’s rooted in the school and has a close-knit community,” Frieson said in the release. “As someone who started in Belpre preschool, this is a meaningful opportunity to give back to the community where I began.”

At the heart of her leadership philosophy is creating a space where youth feel safe, accepted and empowered, the release said.

“It’s about creating a supportive environment where young people can discover their strengths, develop life skills, and become positive community members,” Frieson said. “They can be whoever they want when they walk in, and we’ll accept them. It’s about giving them tools to succeed — and opportunities to just be a kid.”

Frieson emphasized the importance of out-of-school programming for families in Belpre, noting the club provides a safe, structured environment that supports academic and social growth while giving families peace of mind and strengthening the community as a whole.

As unit director, Frieson’s goals include continuous improvement in programming, strengthening relationships with families and partners, and maintaining a strong focus on club quality, the release said.

Frieson prides herself on engaging families during club events and encouraging youth to give back through community service.

“We’re committed to being a valuable resource for families and a positive force in the community,” she said. “We are much more than after-school care.”

Outside of work, Frieson enjoys spending time with her family and embracing her new journey into motherhood — a role that further deepens her commitment to supporting children and families.

“The reason I’m excited to lead the Belpre Club is the opportunity to create a positive and lasting impact on the lives of young people in our community,” she said. “When kids walk through our doors, I want them to feel welcomed, safe and inspired — knowing they belong.”

Frieson’s vision aligns closely with the Boys & Girls Club promise of Great Futures.

“Great Futures means empowering every child with the resources, opportunities and courage to pursue their dreams,” she said. “It’s about equipping youth with support to dream boldly and develop into resilient leaders for a brighter future.”