IN BRIEF
NEW YORK — New England's undefeated season now includes yet another achievement: Bill Belichick is The Associated Press 2007 NFL Coach of the Year.
The first coach since Don Shula in 1972 to lead his team through a spotless regular season, Belichick won the award Thursday for the second time in four years. In 2003, the Patriots went 14-2 and won their final 12 games. This time, Belichick's team rampaged through the first part of the schedule, then won a handful of close games on their way to 16-0.
WATERFORD, Mich. — The Midwest Sliders, formerly known as the Slippery Rock Sliders, are being bought by a Michigan group known as Baseball Heroes of Oakland County.The transaction, pending final approval by members of the Frontier League, will result in the team being renamed the Oakland County Cruisers. The club will play in a new 3,778-seat ballpark in 2009.The Midwest Sliders will still play all of their games on the road in 2008.
MERCER— The inaugural Jack Frost 150 Enduro and SnowballDemo Derby takes place at 1 p.m. Saturday at Mercer Raceway Park.Area drivers participating include Rich Ridinger of Karns City starting eighth, Mike Pegher Jr. of Wexford ninth, Todd Gabriel of Zelienople 33rd, Dwight Bloice of Prospect 46th, C.J. Loeffler of Butler 67th, Jeff Jeffers of Seven Fields 68th, Ken Walter of Valencia 71st, Ryan Moyer of Harmony 75th, Joe Ziegler of Evans City 76th and John Larkin of Renfrew 100th.
LBUTLER TWP — Butler High grad Jace Lumley scored 16 points, but it wasn't nearly enough as the Butler County Community College men's basketball team fell to Mercyhurst-NorthEast 114-35 Thursday night.The Pioneers (1-11) play at Community College of Beaver County at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
