Connacht Rugby play their first pre-season fixture of the new campaign this evening when they take on RC Vannes in France.
The game kicks off at 6pm Irish time (7pm local time) at Stade de la Rabine and supporters in Ireland will be able to watch the match live and free on the Rugby Vannes YouTube channel.
How to watch Vannes v Connacht Rugby
Fixture: RC Vannes v Connacht Rugby
Date: Friday, August 28
Kick-off: 6pm Irish time / 7pm local time
Venue: Stade de la Rabine, Vannes
Live stream: Rugby Vannes YouTube channel
The game offers Connacht supporters their first look at Stuart Lancaster’s side in match action ahead of the new season, with a 28-man squad travelling to France.
There is particular interest in the return of Mack Hansen and Byron Ralston, who are both named in the starting XV following lengthy injury layoffs.
Hansen starts on the left wing, with Ralston at inside centre. Sam Gilbert starts at full-back, while Shane Jennings and John Devine complete the outside backs.
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Josh Ioane and Colm Reilly form the half-back partnership.
New signings Jerry Cahir and Thomas Connolly are among the extended replacements, while a number of Connacht Academy players will also get an opportunity to impress.
David Walsh, Max Flynn, Bobby Power, Sean Walsh, Daniel Ryan and Albert Lindner are all included among the replacements.
Connacht have been based on the French west coast since Monday as Stuart Lancaster and his coaching team continue preparations for the start of the competitive season against the Stormers on September 25.
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Connacht Rugby team v RC Vannes
15. Sam Gilbert 14. Shane Jennings 13. John Devine 12. Byron Ralston 11. Mack Hansen 10. Josh Ioane 9. Colm Reilly 1. Jordan Duggan 2. Eoin de Buitléar 3. Fiachna Barrett 4. Niall Murray 5. David O’Connor 6. Sean O’Brien 7. Shamus Hurley-Langton 8. Paul Boyle
Replacements from
Dylan Tierney-Martin Jerry Cahir Thomas Connolly David Walsh Max Flynn Bobby Power Ben Murphy Sean Naughton Sean Walsh Harry West Finn Treacy Daniel Ryan Albert Lindner
Connacht back at Dexcom Stadium next Saturday
Connacht return home next weekend for a double-header at Dexcom Stadium.
The Connacht Eagles get underway at 2pm, before the senior side face Ealing Trailfinders at 5pm in their next pre-season fixture.
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Tonight, however, attention turns to France and the first opportunity to see Lancaster’s Connacht in action, with kick-off against Vannes at 6pm Irish time.
The bronze medalists from the 2020 and 2024 Olympics began their Hockey World Cup campaign with a lot of promise, outclassing Wales in their opening group game. However, since then, apart from a win over Pakistan, India have lost every single match.
In fact, India have not beaten a single team in this World Cup that is ranked above them in the FIH Outdoor Hockey Rankings. Will they be able to end that curse today?
Arsenal got its title defense off to a perfect start Friday with a 3-0 win over newly promoted Coventry City in the opening match of the Premier League.
In France, a second-half double from Amine Gouiri set Marseille on its way to a 4-0 victory over Strasbourg on the first night of this season’s Ligue 1 action.
Elsewhere in Europe, Real Betis beat Real Sociedad 1-0 in the Spanish league while fan trouble overshadowed the first round of the German Cup.
Arsenal sweeps Coventry aside in Premier League opener
Newcomer Christos Tzolis helped set up two goals as defending champion Arsenal opened the Premier League season by dismantling promoted Coventry 3-0 to spoil the visitor’s long-awaited return to the top flight.
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After ending a 22-year wait for the Premier League title, Arsenal showed why it’s favored to repeat as champion by completely dominating Frank Lampard’s side in a game that was one-sided from start to finish.
Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard scored for the Gunners, who spurned chances to pad the scoreline even further.
For Coventry, it was a rude welcome back to the Premier League after a 25-year absence. Having won the second-tier Championship last season by a wide margin, Lampard’s side simply looked outmatched as it was repeatedly taken apart by the marauding Gunners.
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Gouiri leads Marseille to dominant win over Strasbourg
Gouiri, who scored eight goals in 22 league matches last season, has been linked with a move to Everton in recent days, but the speculation clearly did not hinder his concentration in the Ligue 1 opener.
He slotted home from close range a minute after the break and then doubled his tally from the penalty spot midway through the second half, just minutes after Strasbourg was reduced to 10 men following Samir El Mourabet’s dismissal for a bad tackle.
Keyliane Abdallah added a third in the 89th minute before Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg completed the scoring in stoppage time to give new Marseille coach Bruno Genesio the perfect start to the season.
Rodrigo Riquelme gives Real Betis a winning start in SpainBetis kicked off its La Liga campaign with a 1-0 win over Real Sociedad in Seville.
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Riquelme’s volleyed goal after 63 minutes separated two evenly matched teams and extended Betis’ unbeaten home run in Friday night games to 18.
The win takes the Seville club into joint second place in La Liga, one of four teams on three points, behind Alaves, which has four.
It’s a stuttering start to the league season in Spain, with some teams having played twice before others have even kicked off their campaign.
Rowdy fans and startling scoreline in the German Cup
Police had to intervene in the German Cup match between Waldhof Mannheim and Kaiserslautern as fans threw flares and other objects and some Mannheim supporters invaded the pitch. The trouble started as the game was heading into extra time with the score tied at 0-0.
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The match was halted for nearly 30 minutes as officers in riot gear and mounted police pushed fans back into the stands before the players could return.
Ibrahim Kanate scored in the last minute of extra time, giving second-division Kaiserslautern a 1-0 win to advance to the second round.
Eintracht Frankfurt cruised into the second round of the competition with a staggering 11-0 win away at fifth-tier St. Tonis. Ten of the goals came before half time, three of them from Jonathan Burkardt.
Karlsruhe beat Munster 2-1 and Dzenan Pejcinovic scored a hattrick as VfB Stuttgart beat Hansa Rostock 4-0 away from home.
Sep 14, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) speaks with Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell during the first half against the Atlanta Falcons at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
What a difference a pair of years can make.
Kevin O’Connell was riding high going into 2024. Kirk Cousins had walked for a gigantic payday in Atlanta but Minnesota was set up with Sam Darnold alongside J.J. McCarthy. The Vikings were therefore working with the best of both worlds due to the upside veteran and raw but developing young fella. O’Connell was pleased.
Of course, the great issue with that plan was the upcoming injury for J.J. McCarthy. The Michigan alumnus would need to spend his rookie season in the infirmary. O’Connell, though, was quite brash and bullish in public praise, declaring the kid as the Vikings’ long-awaited franchise quarterback.
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No longer, it would seem.
Kevin O’Connell Has Lost Confidence in J.J. McCarthy
“I think to me,” O’Connell began, “it’s making an assessment on what we think is best for the team.” Afterwards, O’Connell ventured into various thoughts about other roster battles and how Max Brosmer is still around. None of that chatter, though, can mask how far McCarthy has fallen over these past two years in O’Connell’s assessment. Not a declared franchise quarterback, McCarthy isn’t even a locked-in QB2.
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Dec 14, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) slaps hands with Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell after a made field goal against the Dallas Cowboys during the second half at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images
In August of 2024, O’Connell felt so good about McCarthy that he was willing to proclaim the kid as Minnesota’s franchise quarterback to the media. Doing so came after seeing him lose his debut season to his knee injury. Still, though, O’Connell was confident.
Will Ragatz sent along the quote in a piece for Sports Illustrated: “As excited as I was to draft him, he’s confirmed everything that I hoped to see. Our fan base and everyone should be excited about the fact that we’ve got our young franchise quarterback in the building.”
Fast forward into August of 2026 and things are quite a bit different. Already, McCarthy has been the backup for a couple of weeks. He appears to be hanging on by a thread to remain as the main backup rather than sinking down to being the QB3.
Sep 8, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell reacts against the Chicago Bears during the second half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images
These past several weeks and months have involved Kevin O’Connell repeating himself. Over and over again, Minnesota’s skipper has insisted that the Vikings were conducting a true passer battle. Most didn’t believe what he had to say; seeing things go to Kyler Murray so early in training camp didn’t help the coach to retroactively persuade people.
Going into the Vikings’ final preseason game, many think the Carson Wentz is going to become the Vikings’ main backup. Based purely on the on-field play in the preseason, Wentz should be the QB2. The issue, though, is that he’s a 33-year-old journeyman who is well respected but not viewed as a world beater. How high is his ceiling?
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At this point in time, Wentz could have more upside for 2026 alone even if the long-term edge goes to the young fella.
The thorn in the Vikings’ side: McCarthy hasn’t progressed nearly as much as desired. My theory is that the kid’s confidence is shot, meaning he reverts to old habits and struggles to scan the field.
For a long time, I argued that Kyler Murray would start in Week 1 but that J.J. McCarthy would start more games overall in 2026. That thesis was always unpopular but is now on life support.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) celebrates after throwing a touchdown during the first half against the Dallas Cowboys on Dec. 14, 2025 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. McCarthy continued his strong rookie-season momentum while leading Minnesota’s offense in a high-profile road matchup against one of the NFC’s most recognizable franchises. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Kevin O’Connell is entering his fifth season as the Vikings’ head coach. He’s 43-25 in the regular season since taking over, working out to a sizzling .632 winning percentage. He has won the NFC North title a single time (2022), was honored as NFL Coach of the Year (2024), and been to the playoffs twice.
Ayyoub Bouaddi is set to go straight into the City squad for the trip to Crystal Palace.
“Yeah, he’s ready,” said Maresca of Bouaddi. He was working with his former club so he is fit. We will see how long it is in terms of adaptation but for sure he is ready to go.
City remain without Doku but Anderson is fit having come off against Bournemouth with cramp. Nunes is still not 100 per cent fit and may have to settle for a place among the substitutes.
Aug 21, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale (51) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
Atlanta Braves veteran pitcher Chris Sale tossing a complete game shutout against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday night was pretty cool.
But the 37-year-old’s son stole the show, as he was animatedly fired up to see his dad coming back out to pitch the ninth inning.
It was a highlight worthy outing for Sale, who topped the Dodgers 1-0 in a pitching duel against LA’s Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Sale struck out superstar slugger Shohei Ohtani on a 100 mile per hour fastball, proving that even in his later years, he still has some of the most unhittable stuff in the entire sport. Thursday night was his first time touching triple digits on the radar gun in eight seasons, and was the seventh-fastest pitch of his career.
Sometimes in sports, guys are just feeling it. And that’s the groove that Sale found himself in on Thursday evening. His kid’s raw emotion watching his dad come back out in the ninth to attempt the full game shutout proves just how much this means to the veteran, even though he was a man of few words after the performance.
The Braves will need this version of Sale – or something close to it – if they want to keep this up throughout the month of September and into the postseason. At the deadline, the Braves gambled on their own starting pitching, including Sale, by not aggressively buying starting pieces, only adding right-hander Tyler Mahle from the San Francisco Giants.
Atlanta’s next four games are against the Colorado Rockies and a makeup game against the Giants. After that, they have two games against the struggling Washington Nationals. If they can add some cushion to their five-game lead in the National League East, the first week of September’s series against the Philadelphia Phillies might not matter much.
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That’s what made Atlanta’s victory against the Dodgers on Thursday night so cool.
Sale did that against baseball’s most vaunted juggernaut. Even though the Dodgers have been struggling, this has to be a massive feel-good victory for the Braves.
Months ago, they bet on a starting rotation headlined by an aging Sale. While putting the finishing touches on a postseason push, Sale rewarded the Braves, and saved their offense on a day where Yamamoto was really good, too.
Gilas Pilipinas celebrates after beating Jordan in the Fiba World Cup 2027 Asian qualifiers at Mall of Asia Arena. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines–Gilas Pilipinas escaped Jordan, 82-81, in overtime to open its second round campaign with a much-needed win in the Fiba World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers on Friday at Mall of Asia Arena.
Kevin Quiambao nailed a go-ahead three with 13 seconds left in overtime and Kai Sotto came up with a huge block on Abdullah Olajuwon’s game-winning attempt for Jordan as the Philippines got back on the winning track in these qualifiers.
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Sotto, who played for the Nationals for the first time since 2024, led with 18 points and 14 rebounds while CJ Perez, who scored crucial baskets that helped Gilas Pilipinas force overtime, added 16 points.
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Gilas Pilipinas ended a four-game losing skid dating back to February and breathed life into its World Cup hopes.
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Estacado hosts Lubbock High volleyball to open 2026 season | Photos
Estacado’s Debriyah Britt hits the ball against Lubbock High in a non-district volleyball match Monday, Aug. 10, 2026, at Estacado High School.
(Stephen Garcia/Avalanche-Journal)
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Estacado hosts Lubbock High volleyball to open 2026 season | Photos
Estacado’s Debriyah Britt hits the ball against Lubbock High in a non-district volleyball match Monday, Aug. 10, 2026, at Estacado High School.
(Stephen Garcia/Avalanche-Journal)
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Estacado hosts Lubbock High volleyball to open 2026 season | Photos
Lubbock High’s Addi Moser hits the ball against Estacado in a non-district volleyball match Monday, Aug. 10, 2026, at Estacado High School.
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(Stephen Garcia/Avalanche-Journal)
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Estacado hosts Lubbock High volleyball to open 2026 season | Photos
Estacado’s Aa’Zaerius Riddle serves the ball against Lubbock High in a non-district volleyball match Monday, Aug. 10, 2026, at Estacado High School.
(Stephen Garcia/Avalanche-Journal)
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Estacado hosts Lubbock High volleyball to open 2026 season | Photos
Lubbock High’s Gracen Brown (7) and Nayeli Taylor attempt a block against Estacado in a non-district volleyball match Monday, Aug. 10, 2026, at Estacado High School.
(Stephen Garcia/Avalanche-Journal)
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Estacado hosts Lubbock High volleyball to open 2026 season | Photos
Lubbock High celebrates an ace against Estacado in a non-district volleyball match Monday, Aug. 10, 2026, at Estacado High School.
(Stephen Garcia/Avalanche-Journal)
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Estacado hosts Lubbock High volleyball to open 2026 season | Photos
Estacado’s Jada Phea sets the ball against Lubbock High in a non-district volleyball match Monday, Aug. 10, 2026, at Estacado High School.
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(Stephen Garcia/Avalanche-Journal)
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Estacado hosts Lubbock High volleyball to open 2026 season | Photos
Lubbock High’s Nora Crago hits the ball against Estacado in a non-district volleyball match Monday, Aug. 10, 2026, at Estacado High School.
(Stephen Garcia/Avalanche-Journal)
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Estacado hosts Lubbock High volleyball to open 2026 season | Photos
Lubbock High’s Lincoln Scheppler hits the ball against Estacado in a non-district volleyball match Monday, Aug. 10, 2026, at Estacado High School.
(Stephen Garcia/Avalanche-Journal)
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Estacado hosts Lubbock High volleyball to open 2026 season | Photos
Estacado’s Jada Phea digs the ball against Lubbock High in a non-district volleyball match Monday, Aug. 10, 2026, at Estacado High School.
(Stephen Garcia/Avalanche-Journal)
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Estacado hosts Lubbock High volleyball to open 2026 season | Photos
Lubbock High’s Cameron Herring hits the ball against Estacado in a non-district volleyball match Monday, Aug. 10, 2026, at Estacado High School.
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(Stephen Garcia/Avalanche-Journal)
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Estacado hosts Lubbock High volleyball to open 2026 season | Photos
Estacado’s Aa’Zaerius Riddle hits the ball against Lubbock High in a non-district volleyball match Monday, Aug. 10, 2026, at Estacado High School.
(Stephen Garcia/Avalanche-Journal)
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Estacado hosts Lubbock High volleyball to open 2026 season | Photos
Lubbock High volleyball coach Matthew Leesman talks to Jazline Astorga in a non-district volleyball match against Estacado on Monday, Aug. 10, 2026, at Estacado High School.
(Stephen Garcia/Avalanche-Journal)
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Estacado hosts Lubbock High volleyball to open 2026 season | Photos
Lubbock High’s Akaia Martinez digs the ball against Estacado in a non-district volleyball match Monday, Aug. 10, 2026, at Estacado High School.
(Stephen Garcia/Avalanche-Journal)
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Estacado hosts Lubbock High volleyball to open 2026 season | Photos
Lubbock High’s Lincoln Scheppler hits the ball against Estacado in a non-district volleyball match Monday, Aug. 10, 2026, at Estacado High School.
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(Stephen Garcia/Avalanche-Journal)
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Estacado hosts Lubbock High volleyball to open 2026 season | Photos
Estacado volleyball coach Gloria Maestas talks to her team against Lubbock High in a non-district volleyball match Monday, Aug. 10, 2026, at Estacado High School.
(Stephen Garcia/Avalanche-Journal)
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Estacado hosts Lubbock High volleyball to open 2026 season | Photos
Estacado’s Kalani Inthisan-Johnson digs the ball against Lubbock High in a non-district volleyball match Monday, Aug. 10, 2026, at Estacado High School.
(Stephen Garcia/Avalanche-Journal)
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Estacado hosts Lubbock High volleyball to open 2026 season | Photos
Lubbock High’s Cameron Herring hits the ball against Estacado in a non-district volleyball match Monday, Aug. 10, 2026, at Estacado High School.
(Stephen Garcia/Avalanche-Journal)
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Estacado hosts Lubbock High volleyball to open 2026 season | Photos
Lubbock High’s Jazline Astorga passes the ball against Estacado in a non-district volleyball match Monday, Aug. 10, 2026, at Estacado High School.
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(Stephen Garcia/Avalanche-Journal)
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Estacado hosts Lubbock High volleyball to open 2026 season | Photos
Lubbock High’s Addi Moser hits the ball against Estacado in a non-district volleyball match Monday, Aug. 10, 2026, at Estacado High School.
(Stephen Garcia/Avalanche-Journal)
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Estacado hosts Lubbock High volleyball to open 2026 season | Photos
Estacado’s Kalani Inthisan-Johnson sets the ball against Lubbock High in a non-district volleyball match Monday, Aug. 10, 2026, at Estacado High School.
(Stephen Garcia/Avalanche-Journal)
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Estacado hosts Lubbock High volleyball to open 2026 season | Photos
Estacado’s Adriana Hinojos digs the ball against Lubbock High in a non-district volleyball match Monday, Aug. 10, 2026, at Estacado High School.
(Stephen Garcia/Avalanche-Journal)
High school volleyball is back. The first matches of the 2026 season are Monday, with district play beginning as soon as the following week for local Class 5A teams.
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Here are the top returning players from the Lubbock area. Stats and accolades are from 2025, unless otherwise noted.
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LUBBOCK-AREA PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2026
Lexie Allgood, Jr., OH, Lubbock-Cooper Liberty
The District 5-4A co-offensive player of the year, Allgood notched 313 kills with a .271 hitting percentage. She added 121 digs, 24 blocks, seven aces and five assists.
Brown made the all-District 3-5A first team with 720 digs, 109 assists, 40 aces and four kills.
Austyn Flowers, Sr., MB, Seminole
Flowers recorded 286 kills, 93 blocks, 336 digs and 32 aces to earn District 3-4A blocker of the year.
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Natalie Garcia, Sr., S/OH, Denver City
Garcia, a first-team all-District 3-3A selection, posted 752 assists, 322 kills, 383 digs, 40 blocks and 83 aces.
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Jade Guetersloh, Sr., OH, Plains
Guetersloh was the District 2-2A MVP, notching 359 kills, 347 digs, 44 aces, 30 assists and 12 blocks. She also posted a 2.03 serve-receive rating.
Makenzie Ivy, Jr., OH, Frenship Memorial
Ivy earned District 5-4A co-offensive player of the year with 304 kills, 178 digs, 63 aces, 13 blocks and 13 assists. She had a 1.93 serve-receive rating.
Broox Lopez, Sr., S, Lubbock-Cooper
Lopez, the District 3-5A setter of the year, totaled 955 assists, 124 kills, 170 digs, 86 aces and 21 blocks.
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Ashley Martinez, Sr., L, Denver City
Martinez recorded 942 digs, 74 assists and 48 aces to earn District 3-3A defensive MVP.
Reese Roberts, Sr., OH, Frenship
Roberts, a first-team all-District 2-6A selection, finished with 389 kills, 366 digs, 67 aces and 38 blocks.
Elbrus Osmanov will return to kickboxing to face Denis Souza Jr. at ONE Fight Night 48.
A bantamweight kickboxing matchup that fight fans have been waiting on is finally getting its moment. A bout between Elbrus “The Samurai” Osmanov of Russia and Brazilian technician Denis “Denizinho” Souza has been rescheduled for ONE Fight Night 48 on Prime Video on October 2 at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
The two were first booked to meet at ONE Fight Night 46 in August, but a fight-week injury above Osmanov’s eye pulled the plug before either man threw a punch.
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The 25-year-old Dagestani carries a 15-1 professional record and nine promotional victories spanning both kickboxing and Muay Thai. His six-fight promotional kickboxing winning streak came to an end against Yuki Yoza.
Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
Osmanov then pivoted to Muay Thai and went 3-0, finishing the run with a US$100,000 bonus-earning TKO of Ratchasiesan Laochokcharoen. Now he steps back into kickboxing, recovered and focused, with a title shot in his long-term sights.
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When Osmanov pulled out, Souza accepted a last-minute booking against Dmitrii Kovtun without hesitation.
The multiple-time South American Champion imposed his technical game from the opening bell and earned a unanimous decision with a controlled, high-output performance.
The 28-year-old Dutch-style kickboxer arrives at ONE Fight Night 48 in sharp form with something to prove against a higher-profile name.
ONE Fight Night 48 broadcasts live in U.S. primetime and is free for Prime Video subscribers in North America.
If you held a spring ticket on the first player to 40 homers this season and wagered on Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber, well, congrats! You cashed on Wednesday. This is the fourth time in five seasons with the Phillies that Schwarber has hit at least 40 after never doing so with the Cubs. Those four 40-homer seasons are tied with Ryan Howard for the most in franchise history and tied with Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani for the most among active players — Ohtani might get a fifth in 2026. But we still have no one on track for 50 with Schwarber on pace for around 48 and leading the field by three. He is your -295 leader to win the home run title in MLB prop betting.
Speaking of home run prop betting, there are no games Friday at hitter-friendly parks in Denver or Cincinnati but one in Sacramento. Alas, there aren’t any home run props I like much for Orioles-Athletics matchup even with winds blowing out per usual at the minor-league park.
Those who want to get into MLB betting, particularly home run prop betting, need to take a look at what I’m playing for Friday’s games. Over the past four MLB seasons, I’m up $1,681 on MLB picks. You can find more of my picks at SportsLine, and in the member-exclusive SportsLine Discord server, a community of sports betting enthusiasts and SportsLine experts.
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Last Friday, my home run picks were the Rays‘ Yandy Diaz (+507) and White Sox’sRandal Grichuk (+320). Diaz was a dud in Baltimore at 0-for-4 with a strikeout. But Grichuk paid as he went yard at home off Mets pitcher Sean Manaea — and Grichuk’s career splits vs. Manaea were the only reason for that pick. Surprised New York let Manaea face Grichuk in the sixth inning, but that’s just one of many reasons why the Mets are a disaster and under an interim manager. As usual, all of my home run prop picks mean I like Over 1.5 total bases at the best sports betting apps even better.
Kansas City visits Cleveland in an AL Central series opener at matchup at 7:10 p.m. ET. The Guardians have one advantage in that they were off Thursday, while the Royals finished a series in Toronto and had to travel late. Winds will be blowing in Friday at Progressive Field but only slightly so it shouldn’t matter.
Cleveland right-hander Tanner Bibee is a good pitcher who won double-digit games in each of his first three big-league seasons, but that’s going to end in 2026 as Bibee is 5-13 despite pretty solid overall numbers with a 3.97 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 123 strikeouts in 156.1 innings. Bibee has just been very unfortunate from a run support standpoint — he’s getting a league-low 3.02 runs per nine innings this year. Thus, he has been the second-worst pitcher in the Show this season in terms of money lost for bettors. You’d be down $1,064 if you bet on Cleveland to win each of his starts with the Guardians 8-19 in his 27 outings.
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And I’m not sure things will go all that well tonight because several Royals have good career splits off Bibee, led by All-Star infielder Bobby Witt Jr. The 26-year-old is having a typically fine year, although his power is down slightly with 16 homers and a .459 slugging percentage that would be Witt’s worst since his 2022 rookie season when he hit a career-low 20 dingers.
The Royals are one of the hottest teams in the majors — it’s too late for this season — and Witt has been a big part of that in August with a .934 OPS and three homers. He is 9-for-24 off Bibee with three homers, good for a 1.233 OPS. Bibee is 0-1 with a 5.19 ERA in two starts this year vs. the Royals. Also consider lefty slugger Vinnie Pasquantino (+500), who is 10-for-17 off Bibee with two homers, two doubles and at triple, good for a 1.808 OPS.
You know we are reaching the end of the MLB regular season when the Cubs play their penultimate Friday matinee at Wrigley, which is the case today with a 2:20 ET first pitch in an NL Central matchup against Cincinnati. Winds are blowing out slightly. Normally, I’d preview this game separately but there’s a lot going on this weekend with college football kicking off.
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I do like the Cubs to win against struggling Rhett Lowder (5-8, 5.13 ERA), although the only Chicago batter with a career homer off him is part-time player Michael Conforto. Lowder has allowed 15 homers this season and has 6.92 ERA overall on the road and 7.71 in all day starts. So while I expect a few Cubs to go yard, there’s really none with great career splits off Lowder, who is in his first full big-league season. Ian Happ is having a good run with three homers in his past six and is +421 to go yard but has a single in five at-bats off Lowder.
So while I will be playing the Cubs in some form today and it thus pains me to recommend a Cincinnati player to homer, I nonetheless have to do it with outfielder JJ Bleday, who is hitting just .219 but already has surpassed his career high with 21 dingers. He’s a bit due as since a four-hit game including a homer on Saturday at Arizona, Bleday is 1-for-13.
He is a career 6-for-12 with a homer off Cubs lefty starting pitcher David Peterson (7-7, 5.17 ERA). The veteran has been quite a bit better since coming over in trade from the Mets in late June but still is prone to the gopher-ball with 12 total homers allowed. Peterson hasn’t faced the Reds since the trade but pitched twice against them while with New York (one start) and was 0-1 with a 10.13 ERA, one homer allowed and a .382 opponents’ batting average.
Also consider Cincinnati catcher Tyler Stephenson (+640) as like Bleday he’s 6-for-12 career off Peterson, but Stephenson hasn’t homered with two doubles. He has hit 12 out this year but not since a pinch-hit shot vs. Miami on Aug. 16.
1 min read Last Updated : Aug 22 2026 | 11:20 AM IST
Football legend I M Vijayan has expressed his excitement over the upcoming India-Brazil international friendly on October 3 in Kolkata, saying the visit to the country by the five-time World Cup-winning team will be a lifetime memory for young players.
He said the Brazil team’s visit would be a major positive development for Indian football and will bring global attention to the country, according a release from the All India Football Federation (AIFF).
“The young players will play and gain experience, which is a very big thing. It will become a memory for them for the rest of their lives,” said the former captain Vijayan who is regarded as one of the greatest footballers India has produced.
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“My football career ended a long time ago. Whatever I played, I played wholeheartedly. Now our players should enjoy the game,” he said in the release, adding that hosting a team of Brazil’s stature could help generate greater interest in football among people across the country.
He also said, according to the AIFF, hosting a world-class team involves considerable expenditure, but it also demonstrates that the people in India are willing to invest in and spend money on football.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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