Sportshorts for Friday, Oct. 5, 2012

Rhodes inducted into Hall of Fame

Jay Rhodes, a former assistant football coach at Sterling, was inducted into the Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley High School Hall of Fame last Friday. Rhodes graduated from the school in 1960.

He was a four-sport letterman in track and field, football, baseball and basketball. He was a state qualifier and school record-setter in the shot put and discus. He went on to earn six letters at Western Illinois University while participating in football and track. He spent 37 years as a coach at Sterling.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Aquin star commits to Arizona St.

Aquin senior Sophie Brunner verbally committed to play basketball at Arizona State, according to the Freeport Journal Standard. The 6-foot-1 guard led the Bulldogs to the Class 1A state title last season.

She had 34 points, 16 rebounds and six steals in the state title game against Cowden-Herrick.

NHL

First 2 weeks of
season canceled

With the NHL season scheduled to begin in a week and no progress in talks on a new collective bargaining agreement, the league on Thursday canceled the first block of 2012-13 regular-season games.

Games through Oct. 24 were axed, as the NHL and players’ association haven’t been able to come to terms and the lockout by the owners continues with no end in sight. The sides are not meeting and currently have no formal plans to return to the
negotiating table.

MLB

Grace, Sutton fired by Diamondbacks

The musical chairs in the announcing booths could start soon after Arizona Diamondbacks president Derrick Hall told reporters Thursday that neither TV play-by-play announcer Daron Sutton nor analyst Mark Grace will return.
Sutton hasn’t worked for the Diamondbacks since mid-June, although he did continue to work on telecasts for Fox. Grace hasn’t worked since late August after being charged with his second DUI offense in 15 months, driving with expired license plates and driving without an interlock device.