BRIEFS

Wildcats open season with big win

Nick Hames scored 20 points and Treyvon Parker added 10 to lead the Blacksburg Middle School boys basketball team to a seasonopening 52-12 victory over Landrum on Monday.

Alex Ross was voted the team's defensive player of the game with six steals.

The Wildcats will play at Jonesville on Thursday.

Team Indian to battle Byrnes

Team Indian Wrestling, a local youth wrestling team sanctioned by the Amateur Athletic Union, will face a youth wrestling squad from Byrnes today at 5:30 p.m. at Limestone College. The Saints' match with Anderson will follow at 7:30 p.m.

Gaffney Middle tops Whitlock

Gaffney Middle started the season 1-0 after defeating Whitlock on Tuesday night 69-15. The Chiefs were led by Thomas Hardy with 24 points and O'Bryant Davidson who had 14. Marcellus Sims and Bryson Sarratt each added 11 points a piece as well.

Gaffney Middle hosts Ewing on Thursday.

Clemson coordinator resigns Tuesday

Clemson defensive coordinator Vic Koenning resigned Tuesday, one day after the Tigers officially hired Dabo Swinney as head coach.

Koenning said in a statement released by the school his role with the team next season was in question so he decided to leave before Clemson's bowl game to have more job options.

Koenning had been defensive coordinator and secondary coach for the past four seasons. Clemson's defense led the ACC in scoring defense and ranked ninth in the nation allowing just 16.6 points per game.

Swinney was chosen as interim head coach after Tommy Bowden stepped down midway through his tenth season. Swinney was promoted Monday after leading the Tigers to a 31-14 win over in-state rival South Carolina.

Embattled Weis to remain ND coach

Charlie Weis will return for a fifth season at Notre Dame despite another disappointing year, several media outlets reported Tuesday night.

WNDU-TV in South Bend, The South Bend Tribune and several other media outlets, citing anonymous sources, reported Weis will be back next year.

Athletic director Jack Swarbrick did not respond to repeated phone messages and e-mails from The Associated Press on Tuesday night. University spokesman John Heisler declined to address the reports.

NFL suspends six players for doping

Unless the courts intervene, the Minnesota Vikings will have to make their stretch run at the NFC North title without their two stalwart defensive tackles.

Kevin and Pat Williams, who have anchored a Minnesota defense ranked second in the NFL against the run, were among six players suspended by the league on Tuesday for violating the league's anti-doping policy. New Orleans Saints Deuce McAllister, Charles Grant and Will Smith also were suspended along with Bryan Pittman, the Houston Texans' long snapper.

All six were punished for using a diuretic, which can serve as a masking agent for steroids.

The punishment means all six will miss the end of the regular season, an especially harsh blow to Minnesota, which relies heavily on the Williamses in its run defense.