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In an astonishing turn of events, Botafogo overcame a red card shown to midfielder Gregore within the first 30 seconds to defeat Atlético Mineiro and clinch the Copa Libertadores final. The Brazilian teams faced off in Saturday's final at Buenos Aires' Estadio Mâs Monumental. Former Manchester United player Alex Telles, along with Luiz Henrique and Junior Santos, scored goals that led Botafogo to victory. This marks their first-ever win in the Copa Libertadores, South America's equivalent of the Champions League. Their victory was hard-fought, especially after Gregore was sent off in the opening minute. The incident occurred when one of Botafogo's defenders tried to clear the ball forward, only reaching halfway. Gregore attempted to control the ball but ended up catching Mineiro's Fausto Vera on the head with his raised studs. The game was paused for several minutes as Vera received medical attention. Ricardo Pepi, Malik Tillman make statement to Mauricio Pochettino in Champions League win Luis Suarez makes big decision to quell Lionel Messi, Inter Miami doubts Meanwhile, referee Facundo Figueroa showed Gregore a red card. Despite Gregore's 'calm down' gesture post-tackle, Chelsea legend Pat Nevin insisted it was the correct call. In his BBC Sport commentary, the announcer expressed shock at the intensity on display during the Copa Libertadores final, remarking: "Wow. I'm immediately thinking there are certain referees that will be reaching for the red for that. "It's the Copa Libertadores final, you suspect a yellow but if he goes for a red you will not be shocked. The players are whipped up, I get that. "Less than a minute in, so whipped up. The thing is you do worry about players being injured. Look, he's going off, but you're talking about someone who's got a head injury." Highlighting the gravity of an injury, he added: "A player who rolls about, you don't worry so much about. He's hasn't moved and that's a horrible kick there. The fact he looked up just after it is something. But that is a red with bells on it." He tried to rationalize the situation while stressing caution, noting: "I mean I do understand to some degree, you're so whipped up and excited about it but that. There will be an argument that the head was down, but there is a duty of care, when yu're studs up down. A full speed it's a horrible looking one." As the match progressed, Gregore was sent off the field, and Vera continued playing until halftime before being substituted. Despite Henrique's early goal and Telles' penalty putting Mineiro two goals behind, Vargas managed to score, but ultimately Mineiro couldn't overcome Santos' defense, who sealed the victory with a late goal, ensuring a historic win for Botafogo.
ANT McPartlin left his I'm A Celebrity co-stars open-mouthed as she made a VERY racy joke about Britain's Got Talent's Amanda Holden He was being grilled by Unpacked presenter Joel Dommett alongside Dec Donnelly when he made the shock comment. 3 3 Amanda Holden was cheekily ribbed by Ant Credit: instagram/@noholdenback Asked how the Britain's Got Talent judges would fare in an eating trial, Ant said: Who would be worst at a Bushtucker trial? Oh Simon Cowell, absolutely. He wouldn't do it. "Alesha's quite game." He then quipped: "Amanda will pop anything in there, so that's fine." Dec said: "I'm saying nothing." READ MORE ON I'M A CELEB JUNGLE MATE Jane Moore reveals I'm A Celeb secrets as she tells of friendship with Coleen Pete's plea Strictly's Pete Wicks backs Maura Higgins on I'm A Celeb with plea to fans Ant then added: "Food, Joel." Amanda has previously thrown shade at Ant - whose wedding she skipped in favour of a Greek holiday in 2019. Previously asked who is her favourite of the Geordie duo, Amanda said: “Oh Dec. Me and Alesha [Dixon] always say that.” Ant and Dec are returning to host a new series of Britain's Got Talent in the New Year after wrapping filming on I'm A Celeb. Most read in I’m A Celebrity 2024 bad egg I'm A Celebrity fans furious over 'new low' on show during gruesome eating trial JUNGLE MATE Jane Moore reveals I'm A Celeb secrets as she tells of friendship with Coleen 'untenable' situation I'm A Celeb's Dean 'forced off BBC radio show amid bullying row' lovebirds I’m a Celeb’s GK Barry sends sweet message to girlfriend Ella Rutherford It comes after social media star and boxer KSI was a sensation as he made his debut on the Britain’s Got Talent judging panel. As he took to the stage at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, he bounced into the theatre like he was about to have a bout in the ring. Britain's Got Talent line-up CONFIRMED after tug of war over Bruno Tonioli The star, who is a temporary replacement for Bruno Tonioli, was given a rapturous response when he was announced after fellow judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon. It left hosts Ant and Dec stunned, with Ant commenting: “Everyone’s thinking, ‘Bruno who?’. I’m joking!” Bruno is in the US filming Dancing With The Stars and, though he’ll be back soon to continue auditions in Blackpool, KSI is filling in this week. And it didn’t take him long on his first day to get into the swing of things, posing for a selfie with the audience — using a filter to put a pair of orange shades over his eyes, just like Simon’s. Commenting online, KSI said: “The audience in Blackpool are absolutely amazing and I’m really glad I’m part of the band.” The YouTuber, who has 80million followers across a variety of platforms from Facebook to TikTok, even got to hit his golden buzzer on the first day. Read more on the Scottish Sun SIP SIP HOORAY Exact time Coca-Cola truck arrives in Scotland tomorrow for Xmas tour FESTIVE CHEER Scots Xmas market tops London's Winter Wonderland as 'most stunning' in UK Without giving away what the act was, the audition — which will hit screens in spring next year — came from a woman called Stacey who cooks chickens inside a Morrisons supermarket. KSI was quickly followed by Simon and Amanda, who also pressed their golden buzzers. 3 KSI was a sensation as he made his debut on the Britain’s Got Talent judging panel Credit: PAWASHINGTON (WLS) -- Guided by a giant gold star, visitors cross the threshold of the White House and enter a literal "Season of Peace and Light." That's the theme First Lady Dr. Jill Biden chose for her last holiday in office. "I thought about the values that are important to all of us, you know, family, faith, kindness, community," said Biden. "And so I thought, what would families most like? And I thought, you know, I think they would like peace and light. And I hope you see that reflected in all the decorations." In the East Wing shines this year's Gold Star Tree, honoring the nation's fallen heroes. "The families come every year, and we have the stars that have the names of their loved ones who have given the ultimate, ultimate sacrifice of their lives for our country," said Biden. "And we know what it's like to have that empty seat at the table during the holidays and how painful it is." This year, 165,000 holiday lights were strung and more than 28,000 ornaments were hung. And it was all made possible by hundreds of volunteers from across the country. "This year, 300 [ volunteers ] were chosen, they came and worked for days on end and created all this beauty that you see around you," said Biden. In the diplomatic reception room, trees are decorated with handmade paper pomegranates, pinwheels and oranges - an homage to a Biden family tradition. "My grandma grew up during the Depression, and she would always tell us that they would put an orange in the toe of the stocking, because it was so prized to have a piece of fruit. So, I kept up that tradition, and I've taught that tradition to my children and hope that they carry it forth as well," said Biden. In the China Room, a baker's bench and artisanal bread set the scene. It is a reminder to guests of the peaceful, patient and loving process of baking and breaking bread together. And Biden said she'll stick with tradition when her family breaks bread together this Christmas. "We have our dinner planned and every year we have the same thing. You know an Italian meal, because I'm Italian. And so I do the pasta in the brasciole and the meatballs and the same things that the kids love and look forward to every year," said Biden. And as Biden celebrates Christmas one last time at the White House, she will have certainly left her mark on the American people. "I think it's for others to determine my legacy, but I hope when they think about me, they think about education, which is very important to me," she said. Biden also acknowledged the many American women who work, and hopes she'll be a good role model to them, being that she was the first woman to work a job as First Lady. And as she reflects on her four years in office, she had this one last holiday message as First Lady. "I hope that all the our families in our country find peace and light and a sense of joy," said Biden. "So, thank you for coming and visiting the White House, and I hope I can see say to all of your viewers, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and may you find peace." Click here for Biden's tour of last year's decorations.
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Blue Line Pest Police Expands Reach with Very First Franchise TerritoryHappy holidays everyone! The has kicked off, with a ton of top-end prospects taking part. Here's our third 2025 NFL mock draft to unwrap as a present, stuff your stocking, or do whatever else you want. Ward seeks explosive plays and will bring a calmness to the QB position, both traits that have been desperately missing in recent years in New York. Ward has things to clean up, namely his heat check moments that can get him in trouble, but pairing Ward with the electric Malik Nabers would bring explosive plays in bunches even as Ward continues to refine his game. Travis Hunter might be the best overall player in the class, and the Patriots need help at skill positions on offense and defense. Hunter would make a lot of sense as a shutdown cornerback across from Christian Gonzalez and can step in on offense here and there as needed. — Campbell plays like a veteran even at just 20 years old. He can consistently bend and move defenders in the run game and has the footwork, awareness and hand technique to consistently win in pass protection, even without ideal arm length. Whether he stays out at OT (I think he can) or has to move inside, I think Campbell is the best overall offensive lineman in this class and a winning player who would boost a Jags line with his maturity no matter where he ends up starting. The Titans need a quarterback desperately, but they could also use a topflight cornerback to pair with some of the front seven talent that they already have accumulated. Will Johnson, step on down. Here's the pass rusher with the most upside in this draft. Carter is twitchy and can bend around the corner. He still has to work on his overall consistency, especially against the run, where he can take himself out of too many plays. The at QB and even the future of their OL beyond 2025, but the thought of pairing Carter with Myles Garrett is exciting. And terrifying for offenses. Another team with a dire quarterback situation, the Raiders opt to take Sanders to shore up that position for them. They can’t walk into another season with Aidan O’Connell as their best option, even though he’s a good backup option to have moving forward. After battling an ankle injury at the beginning of the year, Williams has started to ramp up his play — and the production has followed. Williams has an excellent combination of length, strength and explosiveness. With the added bonus of being able to affect the game from multiple spots along the line. His best ball is ahead of him and would be a fun fit next to Derrick Brown for a Panthers defense needing needle-movers. Gang Green’s defense still has some of the top players in the NFL, but their depth was lacking this season as their defensive performance took a nosedive following the firing of Robert Saleh. Graham is a solid reinforcement for Quinnen Williams on interior defensive line. Banks is explosive, plays balanced and can have impact snaps in the run and pass games. He’d be best at guard as a pro, which would be a great fit for the Bears who desperately need a boost on the inside and at right guard. The Bears targeting positional versatility doesn’t hurt at all, though. The Saints can’t be picky at this point in their roster building journey. They’ll need help just about everywhere as they try to rebuild while staying cap compliant. Starks is a strong player to add on the backend of their defense who can play any safety position. Conerly has light feet and can get to the second level in a hurry. His strength was a big question mark heading into this season and even over the first month. But he has really put it together over the second half of the season, showing off the ability to anchor and sustain blocks with much more consistency and playing with much better awareness for post-snap movement. Conerly is athletic enough to stay on the outside, but I could see his skill set translating across the offensive line. Perfect for a 49ers offense that needs to inject talent up front, and possibly start thinking about a Trent Williams succession plan. Miami found a hit last year when they picked Chop Robinson out of Penn State to bolster their pass rush, and they dip in the well again here. Walker can be an all-around weapon for the Dolphins' front seven, but he’s at his best when he’s moving forward and wreaking havoc against opposing offensive lines. The Colts' defense has actually stepped up in recent weeks. They could still use a player at outside cornerback to pair with JuJu Brents when he returns from injury. Enter Revel, a cornerback with a prototypical build and the easy movement ability to develop into a true outside one-on-one defender. Revel suffered a season-ending ACL injury in September, but his aggressive play when he was on the field should keep him high on boards. Plus he has the length and other traits that make sense for what general manager Chris Ballard and defensive coordinator Gus Bradley prefer at the position. Cincinnati needs to get more stout and physical up front to get back to being a real contender in the AFC — there might not be a better player to do that than the 330-pound Grant. He might not be a stat-stuffer in the NFL, but he can plug holes and has some real upside. This would be a huge get for the Cowboys. McMillan is my easy WR1 in this class and offers true X-receiver upside at the next level. His size (6-foot-5, 212 pounds), catching range, and surprisingly easy bend for such a big receiver gives him matchup-wrecking potential. Pairing McMillan’s ability to win outside with CeeDee Lamb operating from the slot and Dallas would have ideal synergy between two pass-catchers. Ashton Jeanty is exciting, but McMillan would supercharge this offense and passing attack and has the added boost of fitting their personnel, even down to what Dak Prescott likes. Arizona needs to shore up its defensive line if it wants to get serious about winning the NFC West. Harmon from Oregon is a talented player who can help the Cardinals get better up front immediately. It makes sense that Stewart was a former big-time recruit with how easy of a mover he is. Stewart can line up across the defensive line and his size, athleticism and do-everything style fits with what head coach Todd Bowles likes to do up front that changes based on the situation. It might be a bit of a hat-on-a-hat situation with what the Buccaneers have currently on their roster, but the other position that I looked at, inside linebacker, might be a reach here. No team has a need for offensive line help more than the Seahawks. Booker is a stout interior player who will be able to get them moving in the right direction again — and could be one of the missing pieces they need to beat some of the tougher teams in the NFL. Even with the Falcons starting to pick up some sacks in recent weeks, injecting their defensive front with more talent seems like their obvious near-term plan (I feel like I could have written this every year for the past decade). I actually like where the Falcons sit with their offensive personnel, but adding a talented player like Nolen, a more dynamic interior player than what Atlanta currently has, would give head coach Raheem Morris and defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake a fun player to work with and move around on their front. And his physicality would help the Falcons out on all downs. The Chargers' offense clearly has a vision and a plan, but they need more talented (and physical) players to make that happen. Warren might be one of the best players in the class, but falls to this pick due to that pesky positional value argument. Texans. Offensive line. Texans. Offensive line. We will see this pairing for the next hundred-plus days and thousand-plus mock drafts that happen. Justifiably so! C.J. Stroud is constantly under duress and the Texans' run game is one of the least efficient in the league, despite Joe Mixon’s best efforts. Mbow is a very good athlete who springs out of his stance. He could look to add some lower body strength, but he plays tough and is able to bend and stay balanced in space, while also already showing off the ability to cut off defenders on the backside. He would boost the Texans' offensive line no matter what spot he’d end up at. The quest to continue building around Bo Nix continues for the Broncos. The cupboard might not be as empty as previously thought on offense for the Broncos, but if they’re going to make this Nix thing work, they’ll need a few more wide receivers. The Rams' ever-revolving offensive line actually gets a first-round pick to plop in. Alaric Jackson is a free agent after this season and Rob Havenstein is another year older. Ersery would give the Rams a player with dozens of college starts under his belt, with still more to tap into and develop. Ersery has a large frame and plays with some pop on contact, while also being a solid mover in such a big frame and flashing improving hand placement (something that he could still clean up). Ersery would fit the Rams' preference and give them the best of both worlds of having the experience to potentially play early and a player who could have more to develop for the future. Campbell is the first true linebacker off the board, and he goes to a team that could stand to get a smidge faster on the second level of the defense. In a world where college football isn’t producing many true first-round talents at the position, the Crimson Tide product could be one of them. I know the Steelers don’t typically (or mostly ever) draft wide receivers in the first round. But this Steelers offense has been lethargic when George Pickens isn’t on the field. And while players at other positions could be intriguing here for the Steelers — another cornerback opposite Joey Porter Jr., swapping out Najee Harris for Ashton Jeanty, possibly even a tight end like Colston Loveland — I went with the dynamic Burden, whose production was up and down in 2024 but his explosiveness was still apparent. Burden lined up mostly in the slot during college as Missouri liked to move him around the formation, but he showed off the ability to win from the outside and has the YAC and big-play potential to add to any offense. He fits perfectly opposite Pickens and in Arthur Smith’s offense. A big, heavy-handed pass rusher for a team that loves big, heavy-handed pass rushers, Jackson had a solid year for Arkansas off the edge and projects well to the next level for defenses that like their pass rushers to be well-rounded players. The FBS leader in sacks, Green is a riser among prospects. Green plays hard every snap and will even be disruptive against double teams. He's only a redshirt sophomore but has already flashed secondary pass rush moves. It’s not all perfect and Green can get washed out when he doesn’t connect. Green’s athleticism, hard playing style, and flashes of advanced play remains an intriguing profile for the Packers to include. The Eagles always love drafting ahead for future needs on the offensive line, and Simmons could fill that role as an eventual replacement for Lane Johnson. Simmons has the talent to be a starting offensive tackle in the NFL, but needs some refinement. The Bills look to constantly add to their defensive line and do so again with Pearce. While Pearce can be up and down against the run, he has upside as an impactful pass rusher. Pearce is long and can be a handful for offensive tackles right at the snap of the ball. He can be easily taken out of the play a bit too often, especially against the run. Pearce could continue to develop his consistency for a Bills franchise that prefers to have a deep rotational line under head coach Sean McDermott. A dynamic interior presence would really take the Vikings' defense to the next level. Williams could be that guy for the Vikings as he’s shown some real penetrative ability at Ohio State. A team built through the trenches is exactly where my eyes went to to keep the good times rolling in Detroit. The Lions have remained one of the best offenses in the NFL despite signing new guards this offseason. The Lions keep the assembly line going with Savaiinaea, a guard who has a good thick build and plays consistently balanced. Savaiinaea is smart and knows how to use his hands. He plays right tackle for Arizona, but I like him best on the inside at the next level. A steal! Ashton Jeanty is one of the two or three best players in the class but winds up in the hands of the Chiefs, who should be thrilled about being able to add him to the offense. Jeanty has a rare combination of strength, balance and speed that will make him a nightmare for NFL defenses.
COLEEN Rooney has wowed I'm A Celebrity fans with her washboard stomach after stripping off for a jungle shower. The WAG, 38, headed straight to the waterfall after getting covered in thousands of critters during the latest Bushtucker Trial. The Arcade Of Agony trial was so horrific that Coleen needed help from a medic to get a lodged bug out of her ear with a syringe. The star tried to remain calm as the insect was washed away with a fast shot of saline. Once her ordeal was over, Coleen gathered up a towel and some clean clothes before visiting the waterfall shower. She was then shown washing her hair while wearing a black tankini. READ MORE ON COLEEN ROONEY As she tilted her head backwards, the mum-of-four wowed viewers at home with her impressive figure. Once washed and clean, Coleen then sat in camp and chatted to her jungle pals in red shorts and a fresh, black bikini top. Writing on X, one fan said: "#Coleen in the shower and sitting in her bikini top 😍." Another added: "What a woman Coleen Rooney is." Most read in I’m A Celebrity 2024 And a third penned: "I love Coleen, love her." This is the second time Coleen has wowed I'm A Celeb viewers with her impressive body in the shower since the series begun. In the early days of jungle life, the star was the only famous face in camp willing to wash in the freezing water. The weather in camp had been awful and the other celebrities were refusing to strip off to get clean. Coleen's campmate Danny Jones even said: "Since it’s rained I’ve not washed. Don’t fight it, just stink! What do spiders do? "They don’t get up and shower, do they? They just go, ‘I’m gonna go out for the day'." I'm A Celebrity continues tomorrow at 9pm on ITV1/ ITVX i'm A Celebrity is back for its 24th series, with a batch of famous faces living in the Aussie jungle. The Sun's Jake Penkethman takes a look at the stars on the show this year.. Coleen Rooney - Arguably the most famous name in the camp, the leading WAG, known for her marriage to Wayne Rooney , has made a grand return to TV as she looks to put the Wagatha Christie scandal behind her. The Sun revealed the mum-of-four had bagged an eye-watering deal worth over £1.5million to be on the show this year making her the highest-paid contestant ever. Tulisa - The popstar and former X Factor judge has made her triumphant TV comeback by signing up to this year's I'm A Celeb after shunning TV shows for many years. Known for being a member of the trio, N-Dubz , Tulisa became a household name back in 2011 when she signed on to replace Cheryl on ITV show The X Factor in a multi-million pound deal. Alan Halsall - The actor, known for playing the long-running role of Tyrone Dobbs on ITV soap opera Coronation Street , was originally signed up to head Down Under last year but an operation threw his scheduled appearance off-course. Now he has become the latest Corrie star to win over both the viewers and his fellow celebrities. Melvin Odoom - The Radio DJ has become a regular face on TV screens after rising to fame with presenting roles on Kiss FM, BBC Radio 1 and 4Music. Melvin has already been for a spin on the Strictly dancefloor and co-hosted The Xtra Factor with Rochelle Humes in 2015 but now he is facing up to his biggest challenge yet - the Aussie jungle . GK Barry - The UK's biggest social media personality, GK, whose real name is Grace Keeling, has transformed her TikTok stardom into a lucrative career. Aside from her popular social media channels, she hosts the weekly podcast, Saving Grace, and regularly appears on ITV talk show, Loose Women . She has even gone on to endorse popular brands such as PrettyLittleThing, KFC and Ann Summers. Dean McCullough - A rising star amongst this year's bunch of celebs , Dean first achieved notability through his radio appearances on Gaydio and BBC Radio 1. He was chosen to join the BBC station permanently in 2021 and has featured prominently ever since. He has enjoyed a crossover to ITV over the past year thanks to his guest slots on Big Brother spin-off show, Late & Live. Oti Mabuse - The pro dancer has signed up to her latest TV show after making her way through the biggest programmes on the box. She originally found fame on Strictly Come Dancing but has since branched out into the world of TV judging with appearances on former BBC show The Greatest Dancer as well as her current role on ITV's Dancing On Ice . Danny Jones - The McFly star was drafted into the programme last minute as a replacement for Tommy Fury. Danny is the second member of McFly to enter the jungle , after Dougie Poynter won the show in 2011. He is also considered a rising star on ITV as he's now one of the mentors on their Saturday night talent show, The Voice , along with bandmate Tom Fletcher . Jane Moore - The Loose Women star and The Sun columnist is braving the creepy crawlies this year. The star is ready for a new challenge - having recently split from her husband . It will be Jane's first foray into reality TV with the telly favourite having always said no to reality shows in the past. Barry McGuigan - Former pro boxer Barry is the latest fighting champ to head Down Under following in the footsteps of Tony Bellew and Amir Khan . It comes after a tough few years for Irish star Barry, who lost his daughter Danika to bowel cancer . He told The Late Late Show in 2021: "She was such an intrinsic part of the family that every day we ache." Maura Higgins - The Irish TV beauty first found fame on Love Island where she found a brief connection with dancer Curtis Pritchard . Since then, she has competed on Dancing On Ice as well as hosting the Irish version of the beauty contest, Glow Up. Since last year, she has been working on building up her career in the US by being the social media correspondent and host of Aftersun to accompany Love Island USA. She even guest hosted an episode of the spin-off, Love Island Games, in place of Maya Jama last year. Rev. Richard Coles - Former BBC radio host the Rev Richard Coles is a late arrival on I’m A Celebrity , and he's ready to spill the beans on his former employer. The former Communards and Strictly star , said the BBC did not know its a**e from its elbow last year. An insider said: "Rev Coles will have a variety of tales to tell from his wild days as a pop star in the Eighties, through to performing on Strictly and his later life as a man of the cloth."Navy QB Blake Horvath's 95-yard TD run in Armed Forces Bowl win is longest play in school history
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LAMAR, Mo. — Lamar and Bowling Green fought literally to the last minute before the Tigers nailed down the 27-26 win and their chance to win a tenth state football championship in the last 13 years. The Lamar Tigers (10-4) advanced to play 14-0 Fair Grove at 3 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6, at Faurot Field at the University of Missouri in Columbia. Lamar sophomore Terren Williams led the Tigers' running attack with 55 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries while senior Carson Sturgell had 34 yards and a touchdown on four carries. The Bobcats outran the Tigers on the ground with 329 yards to Lamar’s 171. Through the air, Lamar quarterback Alex Wilkerson completed six of 10 passes for 79 yards, including a 31-yard touchdown to junior Trent Torbeck in the third quarter. Bowling Green quarterback Jace Eskew completed four passes for 50 yards including a 24-yard touchdown to freshman wideout Tyler Obenhaus in the third quarter. Eskew also had an 89-yard rushing touchdown and completed a two-point pass for the Bobcat’s only lead in the game, of 20-14 in the third quarter. Lamar dominated the scoring in the first half with two touchdowns coming off Bowling Green mistakes. Bowling Green fumbled on the first play of their first possession of the game after forcing Lamar to punt in its opening possession. Lamar got the ball on the Bobcats' 32 yard line and scored on a 30-yard run by the Tigers' Carson Sturgell just three minutes into the contest. Bowling Green responded with a touchdown on its first possession of the second quarter capping a 10-play 54-yard drive. They failed to convert the two-point try and trailed 7-6 with 5:08 left in the second quarter. Lamar stopped Bowling Greene’s next drive and the Bobcat punter kicked the ball into the back of his own player giving Lamar the ball at the Bobcats' 18-yard line. Two holding penalties on the Tigers set them to first down and 30 yards at the Bobcats 38. Facing second and 26 at the 34-yard line, Wilkerson lost the handle of the ball on the snap but recovered to run for more than 20 yards and set up a third and 2 from the Bobcats 13. A 10-yard pass to Terren Williams, then a three-yard run by Williams put the Tigers up 14-6 at halftime. The Bobcats rallied in the third quarter for a 24-yard passing touchdown but missed the two-point conversion to cut Lamar’s lead to 14-12 with 6:24 left in the quarter. Bowling Green forced Lamar to punt on its next possession and the punt pinned the Bobcats at their own 11-yard line. Eskew took the first snap and ran around the Tigers left end to score on an 89-yard scamper. The Bobcats converted their first and only two-point conversion of the night going up 20-24 on Lamar but that didn’t last long. After a good kickoff return by Lamar’s special teams setting the Tigers up at the Bobcats' 32-yard line, Wilkerson converted the second play of this drive to a 30-yard touchdown to Torbeck and the Tigers took the lead back at 21-20. Lamar stopped Bowling Green’s next drive with a turnover on downs at Lamar’s 49-yard line and went 51 yards in 11 plays to score on a two-yard run by Williams. Lamar tried to go for two and the two-score lead over the Bobcats with 6:13 left in the fourth quarter but the conversion failed. Bowling Green started its final drive of the night at its own 28 and drove 72 yards in 18 plays, convening two fourth downs along the way to pull to within 27-26 with 58 seconds left in the game. Bowling Green’s runner was held short of the end zone by Lamar’s defense and the game ended with a 27-26 Lamar win in the Class 2 state semifinals.CUBA: Cubans march against blockade, inclusion on terrorist list
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In fact, he argued, it could have been a culinary conspiracy concocted by criminals, whose actions led to the cooking wine used to prepare the noodles being laced with a banned heart drug that found its way into an athlete's system. This theory was spelled out to international anti-doping officials during a meeting and, after weeks of wrangling, finally made it into the thousands of pages of data handed over to the lawyer who investigated the case involving 23 Chinese swimmers who had tested positive for that same drug. The attorney, appointed by the World Anti-Doping Agency, refused to consider that scenario as he sifted through the evidence. In spelling out his reasoning, lawyer Eric Cottier paid heed to the half-baked nature of the theory. "The Investigator considers this scenario, which he has described in the conditional tense, to be possible, no less, no more," Cottier wrote. Even without the contaminated-noodles theory, Cottier found problems with the way WADA and the Chinese handled the case but ultimately determined WADA had acted reasonably in not appealing China's conclusion that its athletes had been inadvertently contaminated. Critics of the way the China case was handled can't help but wonder if a wider exploration of the noodle theory, details of which were discovered by The Associated Press via notes and emails from after the meeting where it was delivered, might have lent a different flavor to Cottier's conclusions. "There are more story twists to the ways the Chinese explain the TMZ case than a James Bond movie," said Rob Koehler, the director general of the advocacy group Global Athlete. "And all of it is complete fiction." Something in the kitchen was contaminated In April, reporting from the New York Times and the German broadcaster ARD revealed that the 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for the banned heart medication trimetazidine, also known as TMZ. China's anti-doping agency determined the athletes had been contaminated, and so, did not sanction them. WADA accepted that explanation, did not press the case further, and China was never made to deliver a public notice about the "no-fault findings," as is often seen in similar cases. The stock explanation for the contamination was that traces of TMZ were found in the kitchen of a hotel where the swimmers were staying. In his 58-page report, Cottier relayed some suspicions about the feasibility of that chain of events — noting that WADA's chief scientist "saw no other solution than to accept it, even if he continued to have doubts about the reality of contamination as described by the Chinese authorities." But without evidence to support pursuing the case, and with the chance of winning an appeal at almost nil, Cottier determined WADA's "decision not to appeal appears indisputably reasonable." But how did the drugs get into the kitchen? A mystery remained: How did those traces of TMZ get into the kitchen? Shortly after the doping positives were revealed, the Institute of National Anti-Doping Organizations held a meeting on April 30 where it heard from the leader of China's agency, Li Zhiquan. Li's presentation was mostly filled with the same talking points that have been delivered throughout the saga — that the positive tests resulted from contamination from the kitchen. But he expanded on one way the kitchen might have become contaminated, harkening to another case in China involving a low-level TMZ positive. A pharmaceutical factory, he explained, had used industrial alcohol in the distillation process for producing TMZ. The industrial alcohol laced with the drug "then entered the market through illegal channels," he said. The alcohol "was re-used by the perpetrators to process and produce cooking wine, which is an important seasoning used locally to make beef noodles," Li said. "The contaminated beef noodles were consumed by that athlete, resulting in an extremely low concentration of TMZ in the positive sample. "The wrongdoers involved have been brought to justice." New information sent to WADA ... eventually This new information raised eyebrows among the anti-doping leaders listening to Li's report. So much so that over the next month, several emails ensued to make sure the details about the noodles and wine made their way to WADA lawyers, who could then pass it onto Cottier. Eventually, Li did pass on the information to WADA general counsel Ross Wenzel and, just to be sure, one of the anti-doping leaders forwarded it, as well, according to the emails seen by the AP. All this came with Li's request that the noodles story be kept confidential. Turns out, it made it into Cottier's report, though he took the information with a grain of salt. "Indeed, giving it more attention would have required it to be documented, then scientifically verified and validated," he wrote. Neither Wenzel nor officials at the Chinese anti-doping agency returned messages from AP asking about the noodles conspiracy and the other athlete who Li suggested had been contaminated by them. Meanwhile, 11 of the swimmers who originally tested positive competed at the Paris Games earlier this year in a meet held under the cloud of the Chinese doping case. Though WADA considers the case closed, Koehler and others point to situations like this as one of many reasons that an investigation by someone other than Cottier, who was hired by WADA, is still needed. "It gives the appearance that people are just making things up as they go along on this, and hoping the story just goes away," Koehler said. "Which clearly it has not."
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