But if Fuchs is considering his next managerial move, he is certainly playing his cards close to his chest. In fact, he says work has already begun on preparations to improve upon County’s position of 20th, after a season mostly spent in and around the relegation zone.

“That’s the goal, right? We’ve definitely got to review the whole season, not only the period when I was here, but from the very beginning, to see what mistakes have been made, definitely,” he said.

“But then also, you have those two games that finished the season [that has put the club] in a good place and to push forward.

“We cannot just sit around and see what will happen next season, we need to push forward and need to better the team, need to use that momentum that we just created to push forward.”

Whatever happens in the next campaign, it will certainly be a new-look County squad, with as many as 17 players either out of contract or returning to parent clubs after loan deals.

For Fuchs, keeping key players like Kamwa – who scored vital goals in the final two games of the season – and captain Matt Baker, will be vital. Not to mention stalwarts such as Courtney Baker-Richardson and Cameron Evans.

Loan stars Sven Sprangler, Ryan Delaney, Harrison Biggins and Ben Lloyd have also played their part.

When asked when the recruitment strategy starts for the new season, Fuchs said: “It’s immediately, yes. All that has started already but I’m also looking forward now to a few days off my phone. You cannot really turn it off all the time, but I’m actually really looking forward to after a couple of days.

“To go through those ups and downs – and too many downs for my taste – then at the end to come out on top has just been incredible.

“I like to be in the background and do my job and be humble, but it also felt good, to be honest.”

Most County fans will be hoping that feel-good factor continues next season, with Fuchs in charge.

Winner of the Country Championships Final, Chidiac has transitioned effectively into stakes racing via a gritty close win in the Group Three Hawkesbury Crown.

She thereby delivered apprentice Braith Nock his 300th win overall and a prompt double on the lone-day program post his success with Bella Khadijah in the Midway Handicap (1500m).

Under the colours of magnate Gerry Harvey, Chidiac has forged a formidable record of seven wins across 12 runs, with her Saturday performance likely the pinnacle owing to its impact on her stud value.

“This was stepping over the line for me (Group race) as I like to keep them graded,” winning trainer Brett Cavanough said.

“But with mares, you have to step them out of their zone for black type, and now she has got the job done she is very valuable.

“She was worth $25,000 when I got her, but Gerry will probably discount her for $1 million now.”

Cavanough, who shares the training duties with his daughter Georgie, was equally excited about gifting Nock a milestone moment.

Sydney’s apprentice champion from last term, Nock leads anew with 25 city strikes and perfectly tallied his 300th for his Scone handler.

“I had that in mind all the time, I wanted to give him his 300th winner,” Cavanough said.

“It’s a great result for Braith, the stable, our staff. Everyone involved.”

Cavanough has no firm plans for Chidiac’s path ahead but noted consideration for the Group 3 Dark Jewel Classic (1400m) at Scone in two weeks’ time.

“But it is job done for the time being. We will see how she pulls up and go from there,” he said.

“The Dark Jewel is 1400 metres, and she gets that, so a bit to think about.”

Chidiac ($4.80) scraped home by the barest margin from Surfin’ Bird ($5), as Arriving Home ($20) clung to third spot.

Check the racing betting markets for the Hawkesbury Crown at leading sites.

A runner at the 2026 Cocodona 250 experienced a medical emergency during the event and died Wednesday, organizers announced.

In a social-media post, organizers said a participant experienced a “serious medical emergency,” which resulted in their death. Organizers did not reveal the identity of the participant “out of respect for the runner’s family and loved ones.”

Advertisement

They also announced that the ultramarathon would continue, and urged other participants to “carry the memory of this runner with you on the trail.”

The event’s full statement read:

“We are deeply saddened to share that a participant experienced a serious medical emergency today during the event and has passed away. The runner’s family and crew have been notified.

“Out of respect for the runner’s family and loved ones, we are not sharing additional personal details at this time. Our team is supporting those directly involved and will share more only when appropriate.

“Please keep the runner’s family, friends, fellow runners, volunteers, and first responders in your thoughts. We are deeply grateful to this beautiful community.

“The race is going to continue in their honor. We ask all participants and crew to carry the memory of this runner with you on the trail.”

Advertisement

Runners began the ultramarathon Monday. The event, which covers 253.3 miles, runs through Saturday.

What is the Cocodona 250?

The Cocodona 250 is an annual ultramarathon held in Arizona. The event, which started in 2021, “links together some of the most iconic trails and towns in Arizona,” per Aravaiparunning.com.

The event stretches over 250 miles and contains stark changes in elevation. The ultramarathon takes days to complete. Last year’s top finisher on the men’s side, American Dax Hock, completed the event in over 79 hours. The top finisher on the woman’s side last year, American Jesse Morton-Langehaug, took over 92 hours to complete the marathon.

Advertisement

Runners who wish to compete in the Cocodona 250 must pay an entry fee of over $1,600 to take part in the event.

Brian Barber has stepped down as boys basketball coach at Monrovia after one season.

Barber, the longtime coach at Danville, led the Bulldogs to a 14-9 record in his only season at Monrovia. Jon Regashus, the athletic director for several years at Danville during Barber’s tenure there, was hired last week as Greencastle’s AD after one year at Monrovia.

Barber, who owns a 515-201 record overall in 30 seasons, coached 26 seasons at Danville, where he won 462 games, 12 sectional championships and four regional championships. He started his head coaching career with three seasons at Riverton Parke.

Advertisement

“I’ve officially stepped down at Monrovia to pursue other career interests,” Barber said. “We want to thank the administration, coaches, parents, fans, trainers managers, maintenance and custodian workers and especially the players for a great season.”

It was Monrovia’s first winning season since 2019-20.

Monrovia joins Park Tudor and Zionsville as programs with boys’ basketball jobs to come open this week.

Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649. Get IndyStar’s high school coverage sent directly to your inbox with the High School Sports newsletter. And be sure to subscribe to our new IndyStarTV: Preps YouTube channel.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: High school basketball: Brian Barber steps down at Monrovia after one season

The World Cup is one of the most famous and storied sporting competitions in history and is up there with the Olympics when it comes to greatness and competitive integrity. This summer the tournament will take place in the United States, Mexico and Canada and fans everywhere are excitedly counting down the days to the big kick-off. While Nigeria may not appear at the competition, many enthusiasts across the nation will be tuning into the feast of football.

Some followers will look to place wagers during the World Cup in order to boost the ways in which they engage with each game. If you are keen to look for betting opportunities during this summer’s tournament, this article will provide guidance on strategies to follow in order to make smart and informed decisions throughout the competition.

Get to Grips with the Odds

As a football follower, it can be tempting to dive straight into the matches but it’s imperative that you first develop a strong understanding around the betting requirements. Take the time to conduct thorough research around online betting odds and get to know the process of placing wagers if you are a beginner. Learning which nations are the favourites and the countries who are relative underdogs will help you to find value based on the odds for each team.

With the Premier League, Champions League and MLS among hundreds of competitions currently being played domestically and abroad, this could provide you with an opportunity to practice following the odds and placing bets. However, it’s imperative you gamble responsibly by setting a budget and not chasing losses. Look out for promotions and offers like welcome bonuses as these can allow you to make a practice move without the usual financial risks associated with online soccer gambling.

Learn about every Nation

Once you have developed a strong grasp on betting requirements, then comes the time to boost your learning around the teams competing in the World Cup. Building an encyclopaedic knowledge of the nations, players and fixtures will put you in a position of authority when it comes to making decisions. Being in the know should allow you to make educated guesses as opposed to making blind picks based merely on assumptions.

Start by checking out online resources to start profiling each nation. Gather information about the country’s previous World Cup appearances while focusing in on the manager, the starting eleven, squad and possible match-ups. It’s also a smart move to assess statistics as this reveal the strengths and weaknesses of each player and assist you in building a picture of how each side might perform during the tournament.

Assess the Group Stage

While there are play-off games still to be played on each continent, the group stage draw for the World Cup has already been conducted and so it’s possible to start comparing sides and picking out possible winners and losers. Be sure to note the new format, with 48 teams in 12 groups as opposed to 32 in eight as this could impact the route for sides when it comes to the knockout stages.

Brazil, the nation with the most World Cup victories in history after lifting the famous trophy five times, will face Morocco, Haiti and Scotland while Germany are set to take on Ecuador, Ivory Coast and Curacao. History, team quality and recent standings suggest Brazil and Germany will top their respective groups but it is important to research the opponents in order to properly assess their chances before wagering.

Don’t Miss Team News

As nations must must pick 23 to 26 players in their World Cup roster, knowing which players make the grade is crucial when it comes to analysing the squads during the tournament. During the competition, managers likely won’t make major changes to their side from game to game which makes it even more important to focus on the main eleven when making your picks.

World Cup coaches will never reveal their starting line-up but that’s not to say you can’t gather clues during the tournament. Ahead of each game, managers will address the media at a pre-match press conference and confirm which players are absent due to suspensions or injury. With this information, you can then start to assess the likely possible team by looking at the squad list and working out which player is likely to deputise. Knowing the team will allow you to make an educated guess which wouldn’t be possible if you were unaware that a star man, for example, had been ruled out.

Explore Different Markets

While the obvious bets to place on the World Cup are match results and the eventual winners, there are a number of markets available which can offer value. The Golden Boot, awarded to the top scorer, is a popular choice while picking out first scorers in individual matches can also prove a clever move.

Looking deeper into the options, fans can wager on the number of shots a team records in a game while also betting on the amount of corners in a match. Yellow and red cards are also available to predict and so it’s always worth assessing the choices during the tournament.

Wrapping Up

Overall, devising strategies when betting on the World Cup will help you to make savvy decisions and ensure you are not making picks based on zero information. In the build-up to the tournament, taking time to conduct research can help you to build your knowledge before wagering.

Sidelined with a hamstring injury, Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe has sparked anger among a section of the club’s supporters after a holiday in Sardinia, triggering a fresh media storm ahead of Sunday’s Clasico against Barcelona.

Macau Black Knights’ Jenning Leung during a game against Phoenix Fuel Masters in the 2026 PBA Commissioner’s Cup. –PBA IMAGES

MANILA, Philippines—Macau Black Knights didn’t have the best campaign in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup, but that didn’t stop them from making noise in their final game of the conference.

The eliminated Macau stunned the playoff-hungry Phoenix, 105-98, at Ninoy Aquino Stadium on Wednesday to shake up race for quarterfinals positioning.

“I’m feeling like we just ended on a great note,” coach Marcus Elliott said. “Everybody was hyped, everybody was cheering on each other, our morale is high and we’re looking forward to seeing what’s next but to end on this note is perfect.”

With the Black Knights’ victory, the Fuel Masters dropped to a 6-5 record for a three-way tie at fifth place alongside TNT and Magnolia.

After leading by as much as 20, the Black Knights found themselves trailing in the fourth quarter, 89-83.

Macau, though, pulled the rug out from under Phoenix with an 18-4 run capped by layup from Jenning Leung with  2:40 to play for a decisive 101-93 lead.

Leung top-scored for the guest team with 32 points, five assists, three rebounds, two steals and two blocks. Ramon Cao fired 23 while import Tony Mitchell tallied a double-double 13 points and 24 rebounds.

Elliott said they will be more than happy to participate again if invited again by the PBA.

“We’re looking forward to the future, we’ll see what happens, we’ll build a strong relationship with management and see what happens next, really,” the player-turned-coach said.

Phoenix played without star Ricci Rivero due to a hand injury.

Ken Tuffin led the Fuel Masters with 27 points. Johnathan Williams III had 20 points and 22 boards while Jason Perkins registered 20 and 10.

Away-game victories are what set the best college football program apart and often correlate with championship teams.

The tables below show the wins, losses, and win percentages for the region’s top programs over the last five seasons.

They are preceded by a breakdown of those stats by program.

Breakdown of Away Win-Loss Records by Program from 2021-2025

2025 Away Win-Loss Records

2024 Away Win-Loss Records

2023 Away Win-Loss Records

2022 Away Win-Loss Records

2021 Away Win-Loss Records

Latest posts by Publisher (see all)

Steven Pateman had trainer Ciaron Maher’s pre-race guidance resounding as he rode Stern Idol to the bottom of the incline in the Brierly Steeplechase at Warrnambool.

On Tuesday’s $2.10 elect at the Tozer Road double, Pateman handled the 3450m steeplechase, the marquee attraction on day one of the three-day Warrnambool Carnival.

“When I’m in a race, I can hear Ciaron’s instructions in the back of my mind,” Pateman told racing.com.

“And Ciaron actually said, don’t be dragging him around that turn, a big horse and with that recent rain on the ground.

“He did slip a little bit on the ground, and it was probably lucky that Aaron Lynch booted up (on Castrofrancaru), and I didn’t start pulling him around.”

Tuesday saw Stern Idol pack a current record 75kg to secure the win, exceeding his 73kg carry from the victorious 2024 edition.

Having led to the hill’s base before being headed, Stern Idol seized control again with 1000m to go and held on for a 4-½ length margin over Hit The Road Jack ($2.60), followed by Castrofrancaru ($15) another 2-½ lengths adrift in third place.

Pateman explained that the gelding got a surge when overtaken beyond the Tozer Road double.

“Once they headed him, he said ‘hang on a minute’,” Pateman said.

“He felt like he had 55 kilos on his back, not 75 (kg). He’s a big unit and I’m just lucky.

“He’s super special.”

Maher has a special affinity for Warrnambool returns yearly, having developed there first as a jumps pilot and then managing a compact group at the beach town.

His stable ranks among Australia’s elite in size, but his fondness for jumpers persists, evidenced by Stern Idol delivering his fifth Brierly Steeplechase victory.

Maher owned up to nerves watching the placers dart inside Stern Idol onto the true course but applauded Pateman’s steadiness.

“I was a bit nervous at the bottom of the hill, but Steve was cool, calm and collected,” Maher said.

“He’s been such a good horse over a number of years, and it is a credit to the entire team and the owners as well.”

Discover leading racing betting markets for the Brierly Steeplechase at trusted sites.