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Victory served ‘Raw’

Pro boxer Rashield Williams wins by unanimous decision in Guyana

By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

IT took a little longer than he expected but Rashield “Raw” Williams was happy to walk out of the Cliff Anderson Sports Arena in Georgetown, Guyana, with a unanimous decision on Saturday night.

In the co-main event of the night of the Caribbean Boxing Organization’s show dubbed "The Final Showdown," Williams had to go the full eight rounds of their professional boxing match before he succeeded in securing the welterweight win over Jamaican Nico Yeyo.

Known for his early knockout decisions, the 36-year-old Williams had to dig down deep to eventually secure the fight to push his win-loss record to 13-3 and hold onto his National Boxing Association title. Yeyo, 33, fell to 5-3.

"It was a good fight. The guy is a strong guy," said Williams, who came into the fight just a pound (147-146) over Yeyo during Friday's weigh-in session.

"He was a tough opponent. He just stuck in there. I was just doing what I had to do. I had to box him and I came out with the victory."

It was Williams' first fight since he returned home from the IBA Men's World Boxing Championships in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in December where he joined Valentino Knowles and Carl Hield as the only Bahamian boxers to win a bout at the competition.

Geddet Williams, a coach at the Sir Jack Hayward High School in Grand Bahama, also made history as the first Bahamian female coach in the corner for Williams, who eventually got eliminated in the second round.  Williams thanked Champion Spirit for the training session he had before he

left town for the fight.

During the fight, he had fellow Bahamian "Pretty Boy'" Floyd Seymour in his corner.

Seymour, who was a part of the CBO along with Jermaine Gibson from Grand Bahama, said he couldn't ask for a more sensational performance from Williams.

"His performance was excellent. He was good. His endurance was incredible. He didn't have a let down in the entire fight," Seymour said. "He started to get mad at me because I wanted him to sit down. But he was just so eager to go after his opponent."

Seymour, a former boxer turned coach and promoter in Washington, DC, said in scouting Yeyo, they knew they would have a tough fight on their hands.

"After the first round, Rashield said he wanted to play around with him and try to discourage him,"

Athletes book their tickets to CARIFTA Games, and the World Athletics’ Under-20 Championships

By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

GRAND Bahamian

speedster Keyezra Thomas joined Zion Davis,  Alexis Roberts, Janae Johnson and Brion Ward in booking their tickets for both the CARIFTA Games and the World Athletics’ 2026 World Under-20 Championships. Competing at the 23rd Baker/Greco Star Performers Track and Field Classic on Saturday at the Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium, Thomas' feat came in the 200/400 combo, Davis got his mark in the 400/400m hurdles, Roberts came through in the 200m and Johnson and Ward provided a 1-2 punch in the under-17 girls’ 100m.  Grand Bahamian Zion Bradford, along with Devon Davis, J'Keiyah Rolle, Everette Frazer, Aiden Musgrove, Ky'Len Johnson and Kamera Strachan were also CARIFTA qualifiers as the competition intensified with a number of Grand Bahamian athletes in town to compete.

Thomas, of Speed Beginners, emerged as one of two CARIFTA qualifiers in the under-17 girls’ 200m, winning in 23.74 to surpass the

CARIFTA standard of 24.65 and the World Under20 time of 24.35. The 21st edition of the Under-20 Championships is scheduled for August 5-9 at the Hayward Field at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon, and the 53rd CARIFTA Games will be in Grenada, April 4-6. DTSP Wolfpack's Brion Ward joined Thomas in dipping under the CARIFTA standard of 24.65 with her second place finish in 24.49. And in the 400m, Thomas ran a sizzling time of 53.63 to also surpass the CARIFTA standard of 56.27 and the World Under-20 time of 55.20. "It feels amazing, knowing that I was able to execute my race plans today, which was all I was focusing on," said Thomas, who is only 16 years old and in 10th grade.

"I just want to thank God for bringing me through another season and for allowing me to qualify this early in the season." Coming off her bronze medal at CARIFTA in Trinidad & Tobago, Thomas said she would like nothing better than to improve on what she did last year and make her parents and family proud.

And in the girls’ under17 100m, Jazae Johnson of Leap of Faith ran 11.60, followed by Brion Ward of DTSP Wolfpack in 11.77 as they both surpassed the CARIFTA standard of 12.08 and the World Under20 time of 11.78. Roberts of Team Roberts emerged as the first of two qualifiers in the under-20 girls’ 200m in 24.12. The

standard was 24.40 with Deryn Rodgers of Star Elite also qualifying with 24.30. With her performance, Roberts also surpassed the World Under-23 qualifying time of 24.35.

"Going into the race, I knew that the heat was filled with some of the top junior athletes, so I knew I couldn't come out softened up. I just got out and I saw Deryn on my side, so I had to take it home as strongly as I could," Roberts said. Now that she's qualified for two major meets, the 18-year-old SAC 12th grader said the work has just begun.

"I can't get too excited now. This is just the beginning," she insisted.

"So I'm just going to go back to the lab and practice and get faster so, by the time I go to CARIFTA and World Juniors, I could medal."

Shaunae Miller-Uibo returns, Devynne Charlton opens her

By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

AFTER giving birth to her second child, Shaunae Miller-Uibo made a spectacular return to the track, while Devynne Charlton had a great season opener over the weekend to lead the Bahamians in action at various meets in the United States.  At the Alachua County Sports and Event

Center Invitational and Multi-Event in Miller-Uibo, representing Adidas, clocked 36.07 seconds to shatter the 2025 facility record of 36.77 that was established by American Talitha Diggs, who also competes for Adidas.  Gabby Scott, competing for JOMA, was second in 37.77 and Beyonce Defreitas of Empire Athletics came in third in 38.17. Miller-Uibo, 31, moved ahead of Bahamian

20-year-old collegian Quincy Penn, who ran a personal best of 38.86 for a second place in a Florida Gators sweep of the 300m at the Jimmy Carnes Invitational in Gainesville, Florida, last weekend. Miller-Uibo, who gave birth to her second child last year after her dismal performance at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, still has the world's fastest time in the event at 34.41 that she ran in Ostrava in 2019. However,

Mako claims team title by 5 points in New Year kick-off meet

By JONATHAN BURROWS Tribune Sports Reporter

THE 2026 Bahamas

Aquatics New Year KickOff Meet delivered one of the most compelling team races in recent memory, turning what is often a predictable outcome into a genuine fight down to the final events.

Held January 23-24 at the Betty Kelly-Kenning Aquatic Centre, the meet brought together swimmers from across the country and ended with Mako Aquatics Club narrowly claiming the combined team title with 1,036 points, just five points ahead of Blue Waves Swim

Blue Waves’ challenge was built on high-impact individual performances, particularly in the 13-14 and 15-17 age groups where scoring potential is highest.

Tyler Cartwright set the tone early, winning the boys’ 13-14 50 freestyle in 27.30 and adding podium

Club’s 1,031. The margin alone made the result notable as Mako has long been known for dominant team wins, often separating itself from the field by large point gaps. This meet followed a different script with Blue Waves staying within reach from the opening session and refusing to let the standings drift out of hand, turning each final into a points battle.

finishes in the 100 free and 50 fly. In the older division, Kraige Adderley delivered a crucial win in the boys’ 15-17 100 breaststroke, touching in 1:16.22, while also contributing in sprint freestyle events.

Younger swimmers also played a meaningful role.

Five-year-old Aiden Bain competed across the full 8-and-under slate and added points in every event he entered, reinforcing how Blue Waves’ roster depth extended beyond just its top-end swimmers. Those incremental points proved critical in a race decided by a single touch’s worth of scoring.

Mako, meanwhile, leaned on what has historically been its greatest strength - balance. Rather than relying on one or two dominant swimmers, Mako stacked top eight finishes across nearly every age group. Their swimmers repeatedly advanced into finals, collected points through placements, and minimised gaps even when Blue Waves claimed event wins. That approach allowed Mako to absorb losses in individual

races without surrendering control of the overall standings.

“The expectations were to be better than we were last month, obviously we have been in the pool a little longer now with more training, and we were a little more faster and a little more comfortable. We are gearing up for CARIFTA trials in February and CARIFTA in March,” said Mako Aquatics head coach Travano McPhee, pointing to the meet as a progress check rather than a finished product. Behind the top two, the rest of the field was more spread out, but still competitive. Barracuda Swim Club finished third with 502.5 points, buoyed by strong participation numbers and steady results across youth divisions. Ten-yearold Randol Dorsett was a standout, winning the boys’ 9-10 50 freestyle and adding podium finishes in backstroke and the 100 free.

Black Marlins Swim Club placed fourth with 343 points, anchored by several elite individual performances. Grace Nottage

dominated the girls’ 11-12 division, winning both the 100 fly and 200 IM, while Jayda Mackey captured the girls 13-14 200 breaststroke and 200 IM, contributing maximum points in two of the meet’s most demanding events. Those wins helped offset a smaller overall roster.

Alpha Aquatics finished with 197 points, driven by multi-event efforts from swimmers like Madison Moss, who competed across six races in the girls’ 9-10 age group, and Isabelle Delson, who earned wins and personal bests in sprint events.

This meet was the first of many major swim meets for the year and a clear baseline for clubs and swimmers as they transition into the next phase of the season with most teams' next big goal on the horizon being CARIFTA trials.

Performances from the New Year Kick-Off Meet will help give athletes and coaches a concrete sense of where they stand as they head into trials and the championship meet itself later this spring.

Local Sports Calendar

BAHAMAS TRIATHLON

THE Bahamas Triathlon Association will hold an Olympic, sprint and relay triathlon on Sunday, February 1 at Jaws Beach starting at 7am.

The Olympic course will feature a 1.5 kilometre swim, a 40K bike run and a 10K run; the sprint will have a 750m swim, 20K bike and 5K run and the relay will comprise teams of two or three people competing together in both the Olympic and sprint courses.

Interested persons can contact the BTA for more details.

EDRON KNOWLES TOURNEY

THE National Sports Authority will pay special tribute to the late Edron ‘Ed’ Knowles with a Home Run Hitting Showcase at the Bankers Field on February 20.

The top 20 home run hitters in the country will compete for $500 cash plus five cases of beers for first place, $300 and three cases of beers for second and

$200 and two cases of beers for third.

The event is being sponsored by GBall and A Sure Win. 6th RED-LINE

SONJA KNOWLES

CLASSIC

THE Red-Line Athletics Track Club’s sixth annual Sonja Knowles Track Classic will be held over the weekend of January 31 to February 1 at the original Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Classic.

The event will begin at 10am on Saturday, January 31 and continue on Sunday, February 1 at 1pm.

The categories for men and women will begin from under-7 to the masters.

Interested persons can contact coach Tito Moss at 425-4262 for more information.

BBSF FAMILY

FUN RUN/WALK

THE Bahamas Baptist Sports Federation will hold its annual Family Fun Run/ Walk Race on Saturday, February 26, starting at 6am from the Bahamas Baptist College on Jean Street.

The run will leave Jean Street and head north to Bernard Road, turn left onto Bernard Road and head to Village Road, turn left onto Soldier Road, turn left onto Prince Charles Drive, turn left onto Fox Hill Road and turn left onto Bernard Road, heading back to the church.

The registration fee is $10 per person in both the men and women 15-and-under, 20-and-under, 40-and-under, 60-and-under and 60-and-over as well as the Ministers/Pastors.

Interested persons can call Brent Stubbs at 4267265 for more information.

BASEBALL MARIO FORD

CAMP THE annual Mario Ford Baseball Camp at Windsor Park, designed for boys and girls between the ages of 4-16 years, will be staged every Saturday between the hours of 9:30-11:30am until Saturday, April 18.

Interested persons are urged to contact camp director Mario Bowleg at 556-0993.

Rookie ‘VJ’ Edgecombe scores 14 in 112-109 loss to the Knicks

By DAN GELSTON AP Sports Writer

PHILADELPHIA (AP)

— Jalen Brunson scored 31 points, OG Anunoby added 23 and the New York Knicks followed their most lopsided win in franchise history with a 112-109 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday. The Knicks crushed the Nets 120-66 on Wednesday and then exploded with a 30-point third quarter in a stiffer road test that sent them to their first win in three tries this season over the 76ers.

Joel Embiid had 38 points and 11 rebounds, but turned the ball over on the final play of the game after the Knicks seemingly tried to intentionally foul him.

Tyrese Maxey scored 22 points for the Sixers but shot an airball on a late tying 3-point attempt from near halfcourt as he anticipated an intentional foul that didn't come.

Rookie Valdez “VJ” Edgecombe contributed 14 points, four assists and three rebounds in 39 minutes.

The 76ers had pulled within two late until

Anunoby and Landry Shamet followed with consecutive 3s that helped the Knicks stave off the lategame collapse. Led by Brunson, the Knicks opened the quarter on a 21-7 run and made Philly sound a bit like the inside of Madison Square Garden.

The “Let's go Knicks!” chants that had largely been tamped down by boos in a competitive first half, instead filled the arena with each big Knicks bucket. Brunson gave a little wave after he buried a 3 for an 84-72 lead.

Embiid tried to rally the Sixers and his three-point play in the fourth — aided by a sixth foul on Karl-AnthonyTowns — cut it to 98-92. It wasn't enough and a Knicks team that had lost nine of its previous 11 games heading into the Nets game has now won two straight.

Modest, yes, but good enough to ensure the Sixers didn't gain ground on them in the East standings.

Embiid played a season-high 46 minutes in an overtime win over Houston on Thursday and followed

Deandre Ayton and Lakers rally in 4th for 116-110 victory over Mavericks

By SCHUYLER DIXON AP Sports Writer

DALLAS (AP) — Luka

Doncic had 33 points and 11 assists, and the Lakers erased a 15-point deficit in the final seven minutes of a 116-110 victory over the Mavericks on Saturday night in the star guard's second visit to Dallas since his shocking trade to Los Angeles almost a year ago.

LeBron James scored 11 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter, when Rui Hachimura had a fourpoint play before another 3-pointer on the next possession to put the Lakers in front for good as Doncic improved to 4-0 against his former team.

Deandre Ayton just missed another double double with nine points, 11 rebounds and a block in 24 minutes.

Hachimura's 3-pointer for a 108-106 lead started an 11-2 run that Doncic capped with a driving layup for an eight-point edge, prompting the Slovenian star to turn his old bench and declare the game over.

Miller-Uibo returns, Charlton opens her season

TRACK - from Page E1

final of the 400m. She was out of the public’s view until she made her return to the track over the weekend.

Charlton

The 31-year-old Charlton picked up where she left off in 2025 as the reigning two-time World Indoor champion and world record holder with 7.65 that she posted on March 3 in Glasgow, Scotland, at the 2024 World Indoors.

At the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix at The Track at New Balance in Boston, Massachusetts, over the weekend, Charlton finished as the runner-up to Jamaican Danielle Williams in the final of the women’s 60m hurdles.

Charlton clocked 7.92 to trail Williams, who posted the world’s leading time of 7.87 for the win. American Christina Clemons took third place in 7.94. The women’s 60m times all surpassed the 8.02 qualifying standard for the World Championships, scheduled for Pomorze, Poland, March 20-22.

Charlton has her sights set on retaining her title, a feat no other woman has ever achieved in the hurdles and would match that of American Grant Holloway, who won the past three consecutive titles in the men’s 60m hurdles. Also at the meet, Grand Bahamian Terrence Jones posted a fourth-place finish in the men’s 60m in 6.60, just shy of the World Indoors’ qualifying time of 6.59.

Max Christie, who came to Dallas along with injured 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis in the trade for Doncic, scored 24 points. Naji Marshall had 21 points and 11 rebounds as Dallas' season-best four-game winning streak ended.

The Mavericks outscored the Lakers 41-14 from the start of the third quarter until early in the fourth, turning a 13-point deficit into a 14-point lead. Brandon Williams, who scored 20 points, had eight on a 10-2 run to finish the third, which started with a 20-4 Dallas burst.

The lead was 15 points with less than 7 minutes remaining when the Lakers started their rally, sparked by James after a slow start had him with a minus-28 rating early in the fourth. Doncic didn't have to deal with the same emotions as his return to Dallas last season, when we wept on the bench during a tribute video before he was introduced. The NBA's scoring leader was 14 of 15 on free throws.

with 28 points on 10-of12 shooing in the first half Saturday.

He never looked more like his old self this season than when he barreled down the lane and hammered a one-handed dunk that sent the crowd into a frenzy.

Embiid has scored at least 30 points in four straight games and has reached 20 in a season-high 16 straight games.

Up next Knicks: Host Sacramento on Tuesday.

76ers: Visit Charlotte tonight.

Jamaican Ackeem Blake was the winner in 6.53 and Puerto Rico’s Eloy Benitez wss second in 6.56 - both season best times - while American Jordan Anthony came in third in 6.57. Jones, 23, joined Derrick Atkins last year as the co-national record holder of the men’s 100m at 9.91. Atkins first claimed the record at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka, Japan, where he picked up the silver behind American Tyson Gay and ahead of Jamaica’s Asafa Powell. Jones, a 2021 NACAC Under-23 champion in the 100m, closed out his 2025 season at the Kingston Slam where he was sixth in the 100m and eighth in the 200m. Prior to that, he made the semifinals of the men’s 100m at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo.

Pro boxer Rashield Williams wins by unanimous decision in Guyana

Seymour said. “By the third round, I told Rashield to take his will, take all his energy from him. “But in the third and fourth rounds, Raw tried to knock him out, but this kid was so tough, he wasn’t going anywhere. He was aggressive and head butting, fighting dirty. I complained to the referee and he took two points off him.” Despite getting a “nose bleed” as a result of Yeyo’s tactics, Seymour advised Williams to just “beat the brakes off him and show the people just how great you are.”

After the fight, Seymour said Williams had the crowd swarming him for his autograph. The crowd, according to Seymour, loved the way he performed. Seymour, who has worked with Williams during their amateur days, said he will be talking to one of the board members of the World Boxing Council and they will get back in Guyana to fight for a

WBC’s Continental title to help him get ranked in the WBC. As a member of the WBO board, which includes promoters from Guyana, Jamaica, Barbados, St Lucia and Trinidad & Tobago, Seymuor said he will do whatever he can to ensure that Bahamian fighters like Williams and Carl “Flashy” Hield get the opportunities they deserve in the sport. Williams said Seymour has been a staple in his corner for a very long time. He noted that their relationship dates back to their amateur days and they have been closely connected ever since.

“It was a good feeling to have him out there supporting me,” Williams said. “The most important thing is that we came out with the win. We did what we had to do.” Williams’ fight was the co-main event but, after his fight, the main event between two light heavyweights from Guyana didn’t go past the first round after one of the fighters got knocked out. BOXING - from Page E1

Hornets post 119-115 win over young Wizards, whose starting 5 had an average age of 20.64 years

By The Associated Press

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Brandon Miller scored 21 points as the Charlotte Hornets beat Washington 119-115 Saturday, sending the Wizards to their ninth straight loss.

Miles Bridges and LaMelo Ball each scored 20 points, Kon Knueppel added 16 and Moussa Diabate 11 as the Hornets won consecutive games for the first time since January 3-5 against Chicago and Oklahoma City.

Tre Johnson had careerhighs of 26 points and six assists for the Wizards, who, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, fielded the youngest starting lineup, by average age, since the NBA began tracking starters in 1970-71.

Washington's starting five, at an average age of 20.64 years old, beat the previous youngest lineup of 20.74, fielded by Oklahoma City on April 10, 2021 against Philadelphia.

Alex Sarr scored 24 points, reserve Justin Champagnie and Bub Carrington added 15 apiece, while Kyshawn George and Jamir Watkins each added 11 for the Eastern Conference-worst Wizards, who fell to 10-34. Will Riley made his first start for Washington and added seven points in 23 minutes. Champagnie added 11 rebounds.

Washington's losing streak is it's second-longest of the season. The Wizards, who last won on January 6 against Orlando, had lost 14 in a row in a skid in October and November.

CAVALIERS 119, MAGIC 105

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) —

Donovan Mitchell scored 27 of his 36 points in the second half and Cleveland pulled away to a win over Orlando.

Jaylon Tyson added 17 points for the Cavaliers and Evan Mobley had 13 points and seven rebounds.

Paolo Banchero led the Magic with 27 points.

Desmond Bane added 20 points and Anthony Black finished with 16 points, five rebounds and five assists.

Jalen Suggs returned after missing eight games with a bruised right knee and had 9 points and six assists in 24 minutes for Orlando.

Playing without Darius Garland (sore toe) and DeAndre Hunter (sore knee), the Cavaliers won for the fifth time in six games.

After Mitchell scored on four layups and a short bank shot in the third quarter, Cleveland got 3-pointers from Lonzo Ball, Mobley and Tyrese Proctor in the first 3 1/2 minutes of the fourth quarter to take a 97-79 lead, the largest of the game.

Banchero hit three 3-pointers in the final period, but the Magic could get no closer than nine. Mitchell made 15 of 30 shots and had nine assists and two steals.

BULLS 114, CELTICS 111

CHICAGO (AP) — Kevin Huerter made a 3-pointer just before the buzzer, lifting Chicago past Boston before retiring Derrick Rose’s jersey number.

Coby White scored 22 points and hit five of

Chicago’s 21 3s, helping the Bulls win their fourth straight.

Rose entered rarified air after the game when the Bulls sent his No. 1 to the rafters, putting the Chicago product alongside Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Jerry Sloan and Bob Love as the only players with numbers retired by the team.

The Bulls gave their crowd plenty to cheer before they honored the South Side product and former MVP by squeezing out a win over the Eastern Conference’s second-place team, even though Jaylen

Brown scored 33 for Boston.

Chicago led 111-109 when White missed a driving layup and Smith missed the putback with 20 seconds remaining.

Brown got the rebound and drove for a layup to tie it with 14 seconds left.

The Bulls called a timeout and worked the ball to Huerter.

He nailed a 3 from the corner with less than a saecond remaining. Huerter arrived at United Center wearing a No. 1 jersey in honor of Rose.

Nikola Vucevic scored 16 for Chicago, and Smith

and Matas Buzelis added 14 points apiece.

HEAT 147, JAZZ 116

SALT LAKE CITY (AP)

— Bam Adebayo had 26 points and 15 rebounds to lead Miami to a victory over Utah. Nikola Jovic added 23 points and Pelle Larsson had 20 as the Heat matched their most points in a game this season. Miami beat Denver 147-123 last month. The Heat, who are 2-2 on their five-game West Coast road trip, narrowly ended its streak of nine straight games allowing 117 points or more.

Jusuf Nurkic had 17 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds to become the first player in Jazz history with three consecutive triple-doubles. He had only one triple-double in his career before this streak, and the last came on Jan. 16, 2019, while playing for Portland.

Brice Sensabaugh scored 23 points for the Jazz, which has lost six of seven. Keyonte George finished with 19 points. The Heat took the lead for good with 6:44 remaining in the first quarter and cruised to a 73-52 lead at halftime.

Sam Darnold and Seahawks advance with thrilling 31-27 win over Rams in NFC title game

By ANDREW DESTIN AP Sports Writer

SEATTLE (AP) — Sam Darnold threw for three touchdowns, the Seahawks' “Dark Side” defence came up with a critical fourthdown stop, and Seattle advanced to the Super Bowl, beating the Los Angeles Rams 31-27 in an electrifying NFC championship game last night. Led by second-year coach Mike Macdonald and Darnold — an eightyear veteran playing for his fifth team — the Seahawks (16-3) reached the fourth Super Bowl in franchise history and first in 11 years. Seattle lost that most recent appearance to New England, its opponent in two weeks at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. With Los Angeles (14-6) facing fourth-and-4 at the Seattle 6, coach Sean McVay elected to go for it and Matthew Stafford's pass was broken up in the end zone by Devon Witherspoon. The Rams didn't get the ball back until there were 25 seconds left, and Puka Nacua was tackled inbounds near midfield on the final play.

Stafford threw for 374 yards and three touchdowns, but the Rams were undone by critical errors, including a muffed punt by Xavier Smith in the third

quarter. On the next play, Darnold connected with Jake Bobo for a 17-yard touchdown and a 24-13 lead.

Darnold, who flopped in his playoff debut last season with the Minnesota Vikings, played through an oblique injury and completed 25 of 36 passes for 346 yards with no turnovers. Jaxon Smith-Njigba had 153 yards receiving — the second-most in a playoff game in franchise history — and a touchdown on 10 catches.

“It’s amazing,” Darnold said.

“To be able to do it with these guys in this locker room, though, with this coaching staff, that’s why it means the world to me.”

The Seahawks led 31-20 late in the third quarter on Darnold's 13-yard TD pass to Cooper Kupp.

But the Rams got back into the game when Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen was flagged for taunting after breaking up a pass to Nacua on thirdand-12, giving Los Angeles a first down.

On the next play, Stafford threw at Woolen again, and Nacua beat him in the corner of the end zone for a 34-yard touchdown.

The Rams forced a punt on Seattle's next possession and went on a 14-play, 84-yard drive that came up empty thanks

to Witherspoon's pass breakup.Seattle stayed aggressive on its final possession, with Darnold throwing for three first downs to run out most of

Patriots punch ticket to 12th Super Bowl with gritty 10-7 win over Broncos in snowy Denver

By ARNIE STAPLETON AP Pro Football Writer

DENVER (AP) — Drake Maye handled the sloppy, snowy conditions better than the home team and he scored New England’s only touchdown on a 6-yard keeper, propelling the Patriots to their 12th Super Bowl with a 10-7 win over the Denver Broncos in the AFC championship yesterday.

Maye threw for just 86 yards, but ran for 65 and iced the win with a 7-yard keeper on third-and-5 in the waning minutes to send the Patriots (17-3) to the Super Bowl in Mike Vrabel's first year as coach.

The Patriots will play the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl on February 8 in Santa Clara, California.

“I’m just proud of this team,” said the 23-yearold Maye, who's the second-youngest starting quarterback to reach the Super Bowl, behind only Miami's Dan Marino. “Don’t have many words. Just thankful for this team. Love each and every one of them. It took everybody.” Christian Gonzalez intercepted Jarrett Stidham, starting in place of an injured Bo Nix, with 2:11 remaining for New England’s second takeaway. The first set up the Patriots with a short field and led to Maye’s touchdown scamper that tied it at 7 heading into halftime. With Nix looking on from a suite following ankle surgery Tuesday in Alabama, Stidham made his first start in more than two years. His first completion since

the 2023 regular-season finale was a 52-yard dart to Marvin Mims Jr. to the New England 7 that set up Courtland Sutton’s 6-yard touchdown catch.

That was Stidham’s highlight as he turned the ball over twice and finished 17 of 31 for 133 yards with the TD.

“I was super excited for the opportunity and just hate that we fell short,” Stidham said.

New England, which went 4-13 last year under Jerod Mayo, became the third team in the Super Bowl era to win a conference championship with 10 points or less. Buffalo beat Denver 10-7 in the 1991 AFC title game, and the Los Angeles beat Tampa Bay 9-0 in the 1979 NFC championship game.

Vrabel, who won three Super Bowls as a playmaking linebacker for the Patriots, could become the first person in NFL history to also win as a head coach for the same franchise.

“I won’t win it. It’ll be the players that’ll win the game,” Vrabel said. “I promise you, it won’t be me that’ll win it, and I promise you that I’ll do everything I can, and our staff, to have them ready for the game.”

The Broncos (15-4) finished one step shy of fulfilling Sean Payton’s preseason prediction of a trip to Super Bowl 60, and he pointed the finger right at himself.

He said he regretted his call on fourth-and-1 from the New England 14 in the second quarter when a chip-shot field goal before the snow came in would

have given Denver a double-digit lead. Stidham’s throw to running back R.J. Harvey was incomplete and the Broncos' early momentum vanished.

“There’s always regrets,” Payton said.

“Yeah, I mean, look, I felt like here we are, fourthand-1. We felt close enough ... So, yeah, there’ll always be second thoughts.”

The Broncos were left clinging to a 7-0 lead that was short-lived. Elijah Ponder recovered Stidham’s backward pass at the Denver 12, setting up the

tying touchdown two plays later.

“I thought I threw it forward and obviously the replay said differently.,” Stidham said. “Probably should have just eaten the sack and let (Jeremy) Crawshaw punt the ball and flip the field.”

Both kickers missed two field goals in the frigid conditions with Denver’s Wil Lutz and New England’s Andy Borregales wide on long tries just before the snow came in at halftime. Lutz also had 45-yard attempt late in the fourth

quarter tipped by Leonard Taylor III.

The Patriots’ victory was their 40th in the playoffs, breaking a tie with the San Francisco 49ers for the most in NFL history. It was sunny at kickoff with a temperature of 26 degrees, but by halftime the snowflakes began falling and grounds crews had to use snowblowers to mark the hashmarks and yard lines by the fourth quarter, when it was 16 degrees.

“What an atmosphere out here,” Maye said. “Battle of the elements. Love

this team. How about the defense? I love each and every one of them.”

The Patriots have allowed 26 points across three playoff games. The only team to allow fewer points over three playoff games before a Super Bowl appearance was the 2000 Ravens, who allowed just 16 points.

After gaining just 72 yards in the first half, the Patriots opened the second half in swirling snow with a 16-play, 64-yard drive that ate up 9 1/2 minutes and ended with a 23-yard field goal by Borregales that proved the difference.

Stidham, who was drafted by the Patriots in 2019, made his first start since the 2023 regular-season finale. The Broncos were the only team in the league that didn’t give their backup QB any snaps or handoffs the last two seasons. Nix, who had 11 game-winning drives in his first two NFL seasons, got hurt on Denver’s final drive in overtime against Buffalo last week.

But he didn’t come out of the game and the extent of his injury — a broken right ankle — wasn’t known until he went for X-rays after the 33-30 win. The Patriots have averaged 18 points per game in the playoffs, the fewest by any team to make the Super Bowl since the 1979 Rams, who averaged 15.

“I'll take an ugly win before I take a pretty loss,” Diggs said. "Nobody's satisfied. Happy, but not complacent. We’re blessed to be where we are, but we know there’s more out there for us.”

Cunha’s winner for Manchester

United against Arsenal blows Premier League race wide open

By JAMES ROBSON AP Soccer Writer

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Matheus

Cunha blew the Premier League title race wide open with a stunning winner as Manchester United beat Arsenal 3-2 yesterday.

The Brazil international curled a long-range shot past goalkeeper David Raya in the 87th minute to decide a thrilling game at the Emirates Stadium that leaves Arsenal just four points clear of Manchester City and Aston Villa at the top of the standings.

Cunha said it was “100%” his best moment since joining United last summer.

“These are the kind of games we dream to play in,” he told Sky Sports. “The games that we watch on television and we want to be part of.”

United is up to fourth after back-to-back wins under head coach Michael Carrick, who is increasingly strengthening his case to be given the job on a longterm basis, having beaten City last week.

“I’m enjoying it. It’s a fantastic position to be in," Carrick said. “What happens next? I’m not going to be answering it every week. I’m enjoying it and I’ll continue to do what I can.”

Two games in, Carrick has beaten the top two in England's top flight.

“He's been brilliant with us. He's brought a fresh energy and the group has really galvanised,” said United defender Harry Maguire. “Two tough

games and everyone probably thinks we are going to come away with not many points. But to win both is magnificent.”

For Arsenal it's three games without a win in the league to give hope to its title rivals. This was its first home loss this season and came despite taking the lead in the 29th through Lisandro Martinez's owngoal when trying to block Martin Odegaard's shot.

If that was a gift, so was United’s equaliser in the 37th. Martin Zubimendi’s loose pass played Bryan Mbeumo through on goal and the Cameroon forward rounded Raya to fire into the empty net. It was his second goal in as many games since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations, having also scored against City last week.

Patrick Dorgu was also on the score sheet against City and he crashed in a spectacular long-ranger off the underside of the bar five minutes into the second half to put United in front.

Mikel Merino looked to have salvaged at least a draw for Arsenal when he bundled in an equaliser in the 84th until Cunha’s outrageous winner.

“The performance wasn’t good enough and we should have done better. Now it is time to stick together more and to keep working and bounce back,” said Arsenal captain Odegaard.

Carrick's flying start

Carrick is only contracted until the end of the season while United weighs up its long-term plans. But he

could put himself into contention for a longer deal if he carries on like this.

Wins against City and Arsenal have put United in a strong position to qualify for the Champions League. And the thrilling performances have brought smiles back to the faces of fans.

“I give a lot of credit to the staff and the players, in terms of what they have invested and the way they have bought into it,”

Carrick said. “It is a really collective feeling and it’s great when it comes together and everyone is in it.

“We said two weeks ago when we came in that we make every decision for the greater good for the football club. My job is to keep improving the team and not getting carried away with two massive results.”

Carrick previously took temporary charge of United for three games when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was fired in 2021.

He is unbeaten over his two spells - winning four of his five games - including two victories against Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, with both ending 3-2.

Arsenal stumbles again Arsenal remains at the top and in contention for a clean sweep of trophies.

More dropped points, however, raise fresh questions about Arteta’s team, having finished runner-up three years running.

Arsenal has picked up just two points from a possible nine and despite slips from City and Aston Villa in recent weeks, it holds only a slender lead.

“If you want to win, you have to go through those moments,” said Arteta.

“The margins are very small and we made them even smaller in the manner we did certain things. Now it is time to react and see what we are made of.

“We want to play with those demands and we know that today we were

not at our level and we paid the price.”

Villa on the march Aston Villa kept up its unlikely title challenge with a 2-0 win against Newcastle.

Emiliano Buendia and Ollie Watkins scored in each half at St. James' Park to move third-place Villa level on points with Manchester City in second on 46 points and four behind Arsenal. Buendia fired Villa ahead with a dipping shot from outside of the area in the 19th minute and Watkins doubled the lead in the 88th. Villa has not won the title since 1981 and seven years ago was playing in the second-tier Championship. But under coach Unai Emery, the Midlands club has been transformed. And it is firmly in the race for the title after its 13th win in its last 16 league games. City is ahead of Villa on goal difference after a 2-0 win against lastplace Wolves on Saturday.

Goals

Forest eases relegation worries

At the bottom of the standings Nottingham Forest picked up a crucial 2-0 win at Brentford to reopen a five-point gap to the relegation zone. West Ham's 3-1 win against Sunderland on Saturday saw the London club move to within two points of 17th-place Forest. But an unlikely win for Forest at high-flying

its survival

Carlos Alcaraz advances to the Australian Open quarterfinals

By JOHN PYE AP Sports Writer

MELBOURNE, Aus-

tralia (AP) — No sooner had Carlos Alcaraz advanced to the Australian Open quarterfinals with a win over Tommy Paul, than attention turned to his serve.

The top-ranked Alcaraz, in Australia trying to complete a career Grand Slam at the age of 22, has been remodeling it a little bit.

It worked well for him yesterday in a 7-6 (6), 6-4, 7-5 win over No. 19-seeded Paul. There were no double-faults, he got 70% of his first serves into play and won 79% of those points. He also won 68% of points on his second serve.

The retooled start of his service motion has a familiar look, and hasn't escaped the attention of Novak Djokovic.

The 24-time major winner joked earlier in the tournament that he'd sent Alcaraz a message asking for a copyright fee.

Alcaraz was asked about it in an on-court TV interview on Rod Laver Arena, and played along, too.

“Yeah. I heard that. I have the contract over there, but I haven’t seen him yet!” the Spaniard said of his exchange with Djokovic.

Expanding on the theme,

he said when videos of the service motion emerged in the pre-season he checked on his phone and had a message from Djokovic which, more or less, said:

“Alright, you have to pay!”

Alcaraz said the locker room jokes keep it fun.

Seeking an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam title, Djokovic has been blocked in the last two years by Alacaraz and Jannik Sinner, who have split the eight titles evenly.

The 38-year-old Djokovic got a walkover into the quarterfinals when Jakub Mensik withdrew from their fourth-round match because of injury.

One missing element on Alcaraz's tennis CV is a trophy at Melbourne Park. He has never gone past the quarterfinals. He'll also likely have the crowd against him against local favourite Alex de Minaur, who advanced with a 6-4, 6-1, 6-1 win over No. 10 Alexander Bublik.

“I understand, nothing personal, but the crowd is going to be for him,” Alcaraz said.

“Looking forward to it. I’ve got to be ready for that.”

Medical break

Paul reached the Australian Open semifinals in 2023,

so had that in his favour going into the fourth-round match with Alcaraz.

The pair were going shot-for-shot in the first-set tiebreaker when a medical episode paused their match for more than 14 minutes. It was 3-3 when chair umpire Marija Cicak informed them that a spectator at Rod Laver Arena needed urgent medical attention.

The delay lasted so long that the players got to hit up again for a couple of minutes before play resumed, and after the spectator had been helped away from the arena by medical and ambulance staff.

Alcaraz was always in front after that. He broke serve in the pivotal 10th game of the third set and finished off the match in 2 hours and 44 minutes.

The pair hugged at the net, Alcaraz did a little dance move on the court to entertain the crowd, and then applauded the 28-yearold American as he walked off the court.

“Overall, a really high level of tennis from both sides,” Alcaraz said. “Really happy I got it in straight sets.” Alcaraz said he was aware of his service stats.

And, in a kind of humble brag, added:

“Yeah, it’s impressing myself to be honest” across his first four matches at Melbourne Park.

“After every set I try to check it out – checking on the screens,” he said.

“In general, I think the four matches that I've played (here), the serve has been an important weapon for me.”

BLTA holds its first tournament of season

THE Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association successfully concluded its first tournament for the 2026 tennis season. The U14/U16

New Year's Tournament was held at the National Tennis Centre (NTC) this weekend.

Juniors in the U14 and U16 categories had an opportunity to compete and showcase their tennis skills.

The matches were exciting and the following players emerged victorious:

GS14

Champion: Rebecca

Bitan

Runner Up: Victoria

Sandi-Aguilar

BS14

Champion: Harrison Van Onselen

Runner Up: Kingson

Rees

BS 16

Champion: Ayai Bethel

Runner Up: Synaj

Watkins

G16

Champion:  Rebecca

Bitan

Runner Up: Caitlyn Pratt

In a press release, the BLTA extended congratulations to all the players in the U14 and U16 divisions.

“Continue to work hard and you will reap the fruits of your labour.

“We also congratulate the champions and the runners up, continue to shine and excel.

“We make special mention and congratulate our double crown champion of the New Year's tournament, Rebecca Bitan, who captured the Girls U14 and U16 championship titles.

Perry Newton, president of the BLTA, thanked the officiating team who made sure the tournament ran smoothly and efficiently.

“The first tournament of the year sets the stage for more great tournaments to follow. The next sanctioned tournament for juniors  will

Athletes book their tickets to CARIFTA and World Under-20 Championships

Davis of Star Elite ran

51.70 in the under-20 boys’ 400m to surpass the CARIFTA standard of 51.70m. That time also surpassed the World Under-23 Championship standard of 53.00. The 18-year-old graduate of Queen’s College finished well ahead of his nearest rival, Reonardo McKenzie of the T-Bird Flyers, who ran 56.00.

And in the 400m, Davis clocked 52.08 to easily dip under the CARIFTA-qualifying time of 54.43 and the World Under-20s time of 53.00.

“It was a good opener. That’s the fastest that I’ve ever opened up,” Davis said. “I almost opened up with some PRs, so I feel good. It’s January, so I’m grateful to come out here and put my all into the track.” Davis, who also qualified in the 200m at the DTSP Track Meet a week ago, said he felt blessed by God to allow him to use his talent. He said he will be focusing on the 400 and 400m hurdles this year.

Two other Grand Bahamians, Zion Bradford and Avonte Lotmore, along with Nikolye Ward qualified in the under-17 boys’ 200m, surpassing the standard of 22.08. Bradford, of the Golden Eagles, clocked 21.70, Lotmore of the Heats Athletics

followed him in 21.98 and Ward of 90 Degree clocked 22.00 for third.

“This was just my opener, so I feel very good about the performance,” said Bradford, who turned 16 on January 5.

“I know I still have a lot more in the tank. But I’m grateful for the PB and for qualifying for CARIFTA so far this year. But I’m looking forward to it.”

The Sunland Baptist 11th grader said his ultimate goal right now is making the CARIFTA team and then going to Grenada and returning home with the “gold medal.”

In the under-20 boys’ 200m, Everette Fraser of Fast Forward was the lone qualifier in a winning time of 21.30 to surpass the standard of 21.40. Three athletes ran past the CARIFTA standard of 1:09.86 in the under-17 girls’ 400m hurdles. Trinity Rolle of 90 Degrees led the way with 1:07.00, Inaye Nesbitt of the Grand Bahama Heats did 1:07.22 and Tylen Musgrove of Upward Performance finished in 1:08.50. Aiden Musgrove of Bahamas Speed ran 10.75 and Ky’Len Johnon of GB Spinners did 10.89 as they both surpassed the under-17 boys’ 100m CARIFTA standard of 10.92. Alexander Coleby of GB Spinners also ran 10.56 to win the under-20 boys’ 100m to surpass the CARIFTA standard of 10.60. Field competitors Davon Davis, a member of Leap of Faith, cleared 7.37 metres in the under-20 boys’ long jump to ink his name past the CARIFTA standard of 7.14m.

“It was good. I trained hard all year, so to come out here and PR and qualify, it was expected,” Davis said.

“It feels great. I just need to be consistent with it and try to get through the season healthy.”

Having made the 2024 CARIFTA in Grenada, the

17-year-old Davis said he has decided to skip playing basketball for his Queen’s College Comets senior boys’ basketball team to concentrate on track and field in his final year in high school.

J’Keiyah Rolle, a 16-yearold 12th grader at Queen’s College, is excited about qualifying for her second CARIFTA team, having first made it in 2024. She did 5.70m to surpass the standard of 5.51m. “I almost PBd, but I’m very satisfied with my performance,” Rolle stressed.

“I just focused on what my coaches told me and I approached the board very well and I went for it.”

Kamera Strachan, representing St Augustine’s College, had a winning heave of 41.84 metres in the under20 girls’ javelin to surpass the CARIFTA standard of 40.10m.

Wyatt Cartwright of Air Assaults turned in another CARIFTA-qualifying performance in winning the under-17 boys’ javelin with 62.54m and was joined by his teammate Ahkeel Williams, who did 51.50m. The standard is 44.95m. Obadiah Cherizar of the T-Bird Flyers continued to soar in the under-20 boys’ high jump as he matched the standard of 2.00m, while T’Arjahnaye of Blue Chips Athletics surpassed the under-17 girls’ discus of

34.85m with her heave of 35.80m.

Deante Joseph of Swift Athletics also came close to qualifying in the under17 boys’ high jump with his leap of 1.85m. The standard is 1.87m. Ahnae Smith, of Blue Chips Athletics, won both the under-20 girls’ shot put with 10.62m, but fell shy of the CARIFTA standard of 12.60m and she also won the discus, but also missed the qualifying standard of 41.23m.

“It went relatively well. I just have to work on staying in the circle,” said Smith, the versatile Queen’s College softball player who turns 17 in November.

The 11th grader promised that by her next meet at the Red-Line Athletics Classic, she will “achieve the CARIFTA standard. That’s a promise. That’s a declaration.”

Star Trackers’ head coach and meet director Dave Charlton said they accomplished their goal of starting and finishing the meet on time.

“I think it was a fantastic experience for the athletes and the officials. They did an excellent job,” Charlton said. “We had a number of CARIFTA qualifiers and one or two World Junior qualifiers, so that’s very impressive so early in the season.”