IN BRIEF
PITTSBURGH — Offensive tackle Willie Colon is returning to the Pittsburgh Steelers after signing a one-year contract with the Super Bowl champions.
The Steelers, who announced the signing Wednesday, tendered a one-year offer of $2,198,000 to the restricted free agent last month. If Colon had signed elsewhere and the Steelers failed to match that offer, they would have received a first-round draft pick as compensation.
The Steelers selected Colon in the fourth round of the 2006 draft out of Hofstra. He entered the starting lineup at right tackle during the final two games of his rookie season and has been the starter since.
Both of the Steelers' starting offensive tackles will return next season. Earlier, they designated left tackle Max Starks as their franchise player, a move that guarantees him a salary of at least $8,451,000.
BUFFALO TWP — FCAGems cheerleading coaches and former Butler High cheerleaders Jennifer Watterson Walton and Beth Watterson Dittmer were chosen for the 2008 American Cheerleader Who's Who of U.S. Cheerleading Coaches.Their profiles will be published in the 2009 U.S, All-Star Federation Coaches Handbook.FCAGems, part of Flo's Gymnastics in Sarver, consists of seven full-time and two half-year competitive cheerleading squads. Since 2005, they have won more than 70 national titles, 20 Grand Championships, 25 state titles, 30 high-point awards, 100 first-place trophies and 13 choreography awards.
JOHNSTOWN — In the first round of the PIHL Class A playoffs, Bishop McCort used a pair of first-period goals to post a 4-0 victory over Knoch at the Cambria County War Memorial Wednesday.Todd Thomas recorded a hat trick and an assist for McCort and Kurtis Straw accounted for the other score.Ryan Naples made 31 saves for the Knights.Clement gets start vs. Tampa BayButler native Matt Clement started and pitched four innings for the Toronto Blue Jays in a Grapefruit League game against the Tampa Bay Rays Tuesday, allowing two runs on four hits.Clement, 34, surrendered both runs in the first inning. He struck out two and walked three.Clement has been scored upon in only one of his last seven innings in spring training.
Seneca Valley graduate Zach Jackson, who is competing for a spot in the Cleveland Indians' starting rotation, is 1-0 with a 3.86 earned run average in seven innings thus far in Cactus League play.Jackson's last outing was Saturday against Kansas City, when he worked three innings, allowing two hits and one run.
ADAMS TWP— Mars varsity hockey coach Tim Coleman was suspended for two years by PIHLCommissioner Ed Sam.The suspension was handed down in the aftermath of a bench-clearing brawl during a game against Somerset. Assistant coach Lynn Sipe was suspended for this season.Steve Meyers, another Planets assistant coach, is running the team for the remainder of the PIHLplayoffs. Meyers wasn't in attendance at the Somerset game.
