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It’s been a dreary week in sports

When you awake to a dreary day, it puts you in a bit of a mood. Especially when you’re a journalist, which for some of us is essentially a synonym for grumpy cynic. Considering we’re still more than four months way from Festivus and the annual Airing of the Grievances, let’s see if there’s room for a new summer tradition. A few things that are bugging me (in no particular order): n Deshaun Watson will return to the football field this season, albeit after sitting out an 11-game suspension, paying a $5 million fine and getting some long-overdue treatment for his shocking ...

Local team shines on grandest of stages

By Neil Rudel nrudel@altoonamirror.com BRISTOL, Conn. — Hollidaysburg is advancing to the Little League World Series — a first for any Blair County team — and boy is it ever deserving. The little guys from the county seat punched their ticket Friday in decisive fashion by beating ...

Middle LB 1 of 2 top priorities

By Neil Rudel nrudel@altoonamirror.com Shaking out the notebook (yes, I still use one) from Penn State football media day: Linebacker U James Franklin’s top priority is replacing punter-kickoff man Jordan Stout, who was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth round. His second mentioned concern is linebacker, particularly in the middle, a position that handles the defensive calls. The leading candidates are underclassmen Kobe King, a redshirt freshman who appeared in four games last year and made three tackles, and sophomore Tyler Elsdon, mainly a special teams player last ...

Clifford needs to prove he’s worthy of trust

When Sean Clifford decided to come back for a sixth season at Penn State, it seemed like a good idea both for the Nittany Lions and for him. He’s not viewed as a high-round NFL prospect, and his experience — he’s started 33 games — would presumably give the Lions their best chance to ...

Annual ‘Blitz’ hits 10th season

JOHNSTOWN — Veteran Central coach Dave Baker shared a laugh with one of his fellow coaches Wednesday at the Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference media day. Upon further prodding, Baker mentioned he was laughing about being contacted in February by the Mirror to discuss the 2022 high school football season. In this case, the coach wasn’t exaggerating. Blitz magazine, now in its 10th year, is a massive project that exhausts every extra hour in many departments of the Mirror. It could never be completed without the help of area coaches, like Baker, who answer our questions about ...

Always on the Mark: Skilled hunter trying to recover from auto accident

Archery season will be upon us before you know it, and a lot of us don’t know how to hunt with bow and arrows except to buy a tree stand and sit in it waiting for a deer to come by. That’s one of the ways to go about it, but I know a man who is just about the most successful still-hunter I ...