The Tampa Bay Rays today named INF/OF Dan Johnson their Minor League Player of the Year and RHP Jeremy Hellickson Minor League Pitcher of the Year. The Rays also announced one Most Valuable Player for each of their nine affiliates, as well as organization-wide awards for Best Baserunner, Best Defensive Player and Best Relief Pitcher.

Elliott Johnson was named Most Valuable Player for the Durham Bulls.

OF Desmond Jennings was named the organization’s Best Defensive Player. Jennings, 23, played 90 games in center field for Durham and eight games each in left and right field. He compiled a .988 fielding percentage and had eight outfield assists. Baseball America recently named him the Best Defensive Outfielder and Most Exciting Player in the International League, after earning the same honors in 2009 for the Southern League. He is currently on the Rays active major league roster.,

Dan Johnson, 31, hit .303 (103-for-340) for Durham with 30 home runs, 95 RBI, a .430 on-base percentage and .624 slugging percentage. Despite being recalled to the majors on August 2, he led the International League in home runs, on-base pct. and slugging and was named IL Most Valuable Player and a mid- and postseason All-Star. At the time of his call-up, he led all minor leaguers in RBI. He paced the Rays system in home runs and RBI and ranked fourth in batting. Since his promotion, he has appeared in 25 games for the Rays.

Hellickson, 23, spent most of the season at Durham and has had three stints in the majors. Recently he was named Minor League Player of the Year by Baseball America and USA Today, Minor League Pitcher of the Year by Sporting News, and International League Most Valuable Pitcher. For the Bulls, he went 12-3 with a 2.45 ERA (117.2-IP, 32-ER), allowing only 103 hits and 35 walks while striking out 123. The Bulls went 17-4 in his 21 starts. When he was first recalled on August 1, he led the IL in wins, ERA and strikeouts. Hellickson started the 2010 All-Star Futures Game on July 11 at Angel Stadium and earned the win for the U.S. team. Baseball America also named him the Best Pitching Prospect and Best Change-up in the IL, and at midseason rated him the top pitching prospect in the game.

Elliot Johnson, 26, was a mid- and postseason International League All-Star. His .319 (136-for-427) batting average ranked tied for second in the IL and third in the organization. The switch-hitter totaled 11 home runs, 56 RBI, 30 stolen bases (tied for fifth in the IL), 72 runs scored and a .375 on-base pct., while playing 109 games between shortstop, second base, left and right field. He signed with the Rays as a non-drafted free agent on June 29, 2002 and has spent his entire nine-year career in the Rays organization. He appeared in seven games in the majors in 2008.

Leslie Anderson’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth plated Elliot Johnson with the winning run as the Bulls defeated the Columbus Clippers, 3-2 on Thursday night in Game Three of the Governors’ Cup Finals. With the Bulls winning in their final at-bat for the 16th time on the season, the team forced a Game Four on Friday night at 7:05 PM at the DBAP.

The two teams remained scoreless through the first four innings, as Bulls right-hander Alex Cobb and Clippers righty Yohan Pino combined to allow just four hits through that span. Cobb left after four innings with an injury, as R.J. Swindle came out of the bullpen to work a scoreless top of the fifth.

In the bottom of the inning, Durham’s offense finally broke through after a costly defensive miscue by Columbus. With Angel Chavez on second with one out, Rashard Eldridge singled to center field and the ball skipped under the glove of Ezequiel Carrera for a two-base error as the Bulls went ahead 1-0. A sacrifice fly by Fernando Perez brought home Eldridge, making it a two run lead after five innings of play.

Wes Hodges made it 2-1 with a solo home run off Swindle in the sixth inning, his third home run of the postseason.

It would be Hodges again in the eighth as Columbus tied the game at two with a single tally against Bulls righty Joe Bateman. After a double by Cord Phelps, Hodges hit a line drive off the Blue Monster in left for a double of his own to tie the game. It was Hodges 10th RBI of the Governors’ Cup Playoffs, and he finished the night 2-for-4 to raise his average to .346.

The Bulls offense broke the tie in the ninth, loading the bases with nobody out off against Clippers right-hander Josh Just. Singles by Elliot Johnson and Justin Ruggiano started the inning, before a walk to Chris Richard loaded the bases for Anderson. The Bulls slugger fouled off the first two pitches, before lining a Judy offering into center field which Carrera had to leap for. Johnson slid across safely with the winning run, as the Bulls force a game four tomorrow night at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

Tomorrow’s matchup will pit RHP Paul Phillips (1-0 1.69) for the Bulls against RHP Paolo Espino (3-3 5.62) for Columbus. Game time is set for 7:05 p.m. and the Bulls hope all fans will stick around after the game for fireworks as the Bulls look to tie the series at two games apiece.

Here are 10 football games that are within driving distance in the Triangle area Friday night. In bold is the predicted winner. Most games are at 7:30 p.m. You might want to check with local officials as some games start at 7.
My record last week was a season worst 6-4 for a season total of 28-13.

Apex at Cary

Enloe at Durham Jordan

Fay. Trinity at Ravenscroft

Fuquay-Varina at Panther Creek

Green Hope at Middle Creek

Jack Britt at Broughton

SE Raleigh at Clayton

Southern Durham at Millbrook, 7 p.m.

Southern Lee at Leesville Road, 7 p.m.

WF-Rolesville at Northern Durham

Check the scores in our Sports Roundup on the left navigation bar.

NEWS RELEASE -(Columbus, OH) Aneury Rodriguez was able to keep the Bulls in striking distance, but Columbus now leads the Governors’ Cup Finals 2-0 after a 4-0 win on Wednesday. The series now heads to Durham.

Cord Phelps hit a two-out homer in the first off Rodriguez for a 1-0 Columbus lead. Rodriguez kept Columbus at bay until the fourth when Jared Goedert and Jerad Head homered on back-to-back pitches for a 3-0 advantage. Columbus tacked on another run on a potential strike-him-out throw-him-out double play, scoring a run on a Jose Constanza double steal of home.

Mike Ekstrom, just optioned from the Tampa Bay Rays, followed with three innings of one-hit baseball, striking out three, but Durham couldn’t get on the board against a Columbus team that posted its second post-season shutout.

Zach McAllister (1-0) threw seven shutout innings before giving way to Zach Putnam and Vinnie Pestano. Durham didn’t get a runner to third base until the seventh, when Angel Chavez lined into a double play with runners at the corners. The Bulls outhit Columbus 8-7, but had just one extra-base hit, a Craig Albernaz double. Albernaz, Leslie Anderson and J.J. Furmaniak had two hits apiece.

Durham came back from a 2-1 deficit and won its last series over Louisville, something the Bulls had never done in Triple-A. Now the Bulls will have to bounce back from a 2-0 deficit to win a second straight Governors’ Cup. The Bulls were outscored 23-5 in the two games in Columbus.

Remaining games will be in Durham. RHP Alex Cobb faces fellow righty Yohan Pino on Thursday at 7:05 at the DBAP.

NEWS RELEASE – (Columbus, OH) Justin Ruggiano’s grand slam in the eighth was about the only bright spot in an 18-5 loss on Tuesday night to Columbus in game one of the Governors’ Cup Finals.

Clippers starter David Huff retired his first 12 hitters, and the best hitting the team in the league scored five runs in the first inning off Durham’s Richard De Los Santos (0-2 in the post-season).

De Los Santos was ejected in the third inning after hitting Wes Hodges with a pitch. Hodges had homered in the five-run first off De Los Santos.

Darin Downs did throw two scoreless innings, and Durham got on the board in the fifth on a Columbus throwing error, but the Clippers then put the game away with a seven-run fifth, sending 12 hitters to the plate.

Columbus eventually scored 12 unanswered runs over three innings to take a 17-1 lead before Ruggiano hit a grand slam in the eighth inning, his first homer of the post-season.

Columbus hit four homers, and collected 20 hits, as each starter had at least two hits. It was the most runs allowed by the Bulls this season, and the most lopsided loss since a 20-2 defeat against Scranton in the last game of the 2008 Governors’ Cup Finals.

Durham will try to answer in game two on Wednesday at 6:35 with RHP Aneury Rodriguez takes the mound against Zach McAllister in a matchup of righties.

NEWS RELEASE – (Columbus, OH) Justin Ruggiano’s grand slam in the eighth was about the only bright spot in an 18-5 loss on Tuesday night to Columbus in game one of the Governors’ Cup Finals.

Clippers starter David Huff retired his first 12 hitters, and the best hitting the team in the league scored five runs in the first inning off Durham’s Richard De Los Santos (0-2 in the post-season).

De Los Santos was ejected in the third inning after hitting Wes Hodges with a pitch. Hodges had homered in the five-run first off De Los Santos.

Darin Downs did throw two scoreless innings, and Durham got on the board in the fifth on a Columbus throwing error, but the Clippers then put the game away with a seven-run fifth, sending 12 hitters to the plate.

Columbus eventually scored 12 unanswered runs over three innings to take a 17-1 lead before Ruggiano hit a grand slam in the eighth inning, his first homer of the post-season.

Columbus hit four homers, and collected 20 hits, as each starter had at least two hits. It was the most runs allowed by the Bulls this season, and the most lopsided loss since a 20-2 defeat against Scranton in the last game of the 2008 Governors’ Cup Finals.

Durham will try to answer in game two on Wednesday at 6:35 with RHP Aneury Rodriguez takes the mound against Zach McAllister in a matchup of righties.

NEWS RELEASE – Bring on the face painting, crowd cheering, car-pooling, cookouts, pep rallies, halftime showdowns, hometown pride and mud-slinging battles in the trenches. It is week four of the Great American Rivalry Series, and this year the Series alongside the United States Air Force comes to Cary to cover the action.

For the first time, the Great American Rivalry Series will feature longtime rivals the Cary Imps and the Apex Cougars on Friday, Sept. 17 at 7:30 p.m.

The Cary-Apex Rivalry is one of 30 must-see match ups selected for the Air Force-sponsored Rivalry Series. The winning team not only earns bragging rights but also the coveted Great American Rivalry Champion trophy, presented on field by a member of the United States Air Force. The game’s Most Valuable Player will also be recognized, and the Series will award a college scholarship to the top student-athlete from each school.

In addition to game-night festivities, students from each school are invited to participate in the Great American Rivalry Series “IT Factor Challenge” to determine which school has what “IT” takes! Conducted by the Rivalry Series and the U.S. Air Force, the “IT Factor Challenge” will be held the week prior to the big game and consists of physical, mental, and coordination tests. The winning school will be announced and awarded a trophy during the game.

“The Air Force is proud to be part of the Great American Rivalry Series again,” said Master Sgt. Jeffrey B. Morris, program manager, Events Marketing for Headquarters Air Force Recruiting Service. “This allows us to showcase how teamwork, dedication, and commitment to excellence goes beyond the football field. It helps us connect with fans and emphasize these values are common in both football and the Air Force. We are excited and pleased to be associated with this series, the schools and the student athletes.”

The Great American Rivalry Series emerged from a desire to celebrate the cultural phenomenon of Friday night high school football. The Series shines the spotlight on classic gridiron clashes where expectations are sky high and die-hard fans abound.

For more information, contact 859-225-3399 or visit www.greatamericanrivalry.com.

Maybe it’s time to bring former UNC player Ethan Albright, a long snapper, back into the fold in Washington.

A botched snap from Albright’s replacement Nick Sundberg almost cost the Redskins the game against the Cowboys. A chip-shot field goal in the third quarter never got off the ground because Sundberg snapped high and hard to the holder who couldn’t handle it. Even if he had handled it, the likelihood of the field goal being blocked was great.

The field goal would have made the final score 16-7 and the holding call on the last play of the game would have been a mute point.

Albright, 39, handled long snapper duties for more than a decade. If the new Redskins coaches really wanted to go young, why did they bring in Donovan McNabb, Larry Johnson and Vonnie Holliday, among other older veterans? You normally build for the future with guys who play almost every down, not long snappers.

If Coach Mike Shanahan thinks the Redskins have a chance at making the playoffs, you’d think he would have stuck with Albright’s experience. As one sports journalist wrote, “(Long snapper) has not been an area of concern for the Redskins for years, with Ethan Albright handling the duties perfectly for almost a decade.”

Perfect for a decade and now a botched field goal on his first game gone. It appears than Albright has not hooked up with another team. Bring Albright back.

PANTHERS
The Panthers brought back kicker Rhys Lloyd after Todd Carter, his replacement, had back spasms after a kickoff Sunday.

Lloyd is used as a kickoff specialist and had previously done well for the Panthers but they decided before the year to go with the younger and cheaper Carter. The Panthers reached an injury settlement with Carter.