Projo Sports Blog

November 30, 2007 Archives

AP photo / Luis M. Alvarez
Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett defend Penny Hardaway, who was called for traveling on this play in the first quarter.

MIAMI (AP) - Paul Pierce scored 18 of his 27 points in the first quarter, Kevin Garnett added 23 and the NBA-leading Boston Celtics wasted most of a 28-point lead before beating the Miami Heat 95-85 on Friday night. Click here to read more about the game.

The Celtics, who are now 13-2, host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday afternoon at 12:30.

| Categories Celtics

The two Rhode Islanders competing in qualifying school for the PGA and LPGA Tours both continued moving forward today.

Point Judith’s Anna Grzebien, the former NCAA champion at Duke, jumped from a tie for 14th into a tie for 8th in the LPGA finals at Daytona Beach, Fla. She had a 2-under 70 to stand at 4-under 212 through three rounds of the five-round event. The top 17 finishers earn full LPGA cards and the next 17 earn non-exempt status.

Jane Park, the leader throughout, had 71 to maintain her lead at 10-under. Those ahead of Grzebien include her former Duke teammate, Connecticut’s Liz Janagelo, who had 70 for 211

At the PGA Tour finals at Orange County National outside Orlando, Cumberland’s Brad Adamonis kept moving up the leaderboard. He had four birdies and two bogeys for a 2-under 70 to stand at 6-under 210. He began the day in a tie for 59th and finished in a tie for 46th.

Adamonis now is within two shots of the cutline in the 108-hole event. The top 25 players, and ties, will earn PGA Tour cards. Adamonis already is assured of fully exempt status on the Nationwide Tour.

Tour veteran Frank Lickliter continued on the lead although he settled for a 71 after two straight 62s. Among those making big jumps today were Northeast Amateur champion Dustin Johnson who had a 67 to vault into a tie for 10th at 10-under.

| Categories Paul Kenyon on Golf

CHICAGO — In its third decade of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in partnership with RISE Magazine, today announced Bobby Bentsen of Warwick Veterans High School as its 2007-08 Gatorade Rhode Island Football Player of the Year

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also meeting high standards of academic achievement while demonstrating exceptional character on and off the field, distinguishes Bentsen as Rhode Island’s best high school football player. Bentsen is now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Football Player of the Year award to be announced in mid-December.

The 5-foot-11, 195-pound junior quarterback broke the state’s single-season passing yardage record, completing 151-of-261 passes for 2,542 yards and 24 touchdowns against just 10 interceptions this fall. He also rushed for 315 yards and five scores on 72 carries. Bentsen led the Hurricanes (8-3) to the Division II quarterfinals, where he threw for 372 yards and three scores on 26-of-41 passing in a losing cause against South Kingstown.

Bentsen has maintained a 3.06 GPA in the classroom. Bentsen volunteers as a local youth football and boxing coach in addition to donating his time to the Pilgrim Senior Center in Warwick.

“He sees the field well, and he’s very accurate,” said Warwick Veterans Head Coach Mike Nappa. “He finds the hole. He finds the open receiver. He’ll stay in the pocket, he’ll complete the pass and he’ll make sure he makes something happen.”

Bentsen will begin his senior year of high school next fall and remains undecided upon a collegiate destination.

The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field. The selection process is administered by RISE Magazine, which works with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport.

Bentsen joins recent Gatorade Rhode Island Football Players of the Year Matt Hansen (2006-07, La Salle Academy), Joe Goniprow (2005-06, Barrington HS), and A.J. Kizekai (2004-05, Saint Raphael Academy) among the state’s list of former award winners.

| Categories High School

On today's sports cover, Bill Reynolds reminisces about the mean old days of the PC-URI rivalry, Sean McAdam reveals the latest on the Johan Santana talks and Shalise Manza Young discusses the latest controversy involving the Patriots.

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