Early agate
ON THIS DATE
Dec. 9
1949 – The All-America Conference merges with the National Football League. Three teams from the AAFC — the Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Colts — join the 10-team NFL. The league is called the National-American Football League, but months later the National Football League name is restored.
1960 – Bert Duncan scores 24 points and helps East Washington High School rally in the fourth quarter to beat host Peters Township 48-36. The win improves the Ghosts’ basketball record to 3-0.
1969 – Bob Clites scores 36 points as Mapletown runs its record to 4-0 with a 79-44 win over Beth-Center.
1969 – Peters Township’s Paul Kerr scores 38 points in the Indians’ 86-55 rout of Carnegie in a foul-filled game. The teams combine to shoot 81 free throws.
1970 – Immaculate Conception’s Mary Ellen Boylan breaks the Washington city basketball scoring record by tossing in 53 points in a 74-9 victory over visiting Jefferson-Morgan. Boylan makes 24 field goals.
1980 – The Pittsburgh Pirates trade pitcher Bert Blyleven and catcher Manny Sanguillen to the Cleveland Indians in exchange for outfielder Gary Alexander, pitchers Victor Cruz, Bob Owchinko and Rafael Vasquez.
1988 – Marlon Coleman scores 21 points, including a game-winning three-pointer with seven seconds left in the second overtime, as Canon-McMillan defeats Chartiers-Houston 55-52 in the season opener.
1999 – The Pittsburgh Penguins fire heed coach Kevin Constantine and replace him with former United States Olympic team coach Herb Brooks.
2004 – The Washington Wild Things ownership group announces it has purchased the Pittsburgh Riverhounds professional soccer team and will move it to Washington.
2011 – California University announces that women’s basketball head coach Mark Swasey, who has a 50-19 record with the Vulcans, has been replaced on an interim basis by Jess Strom.
2011 – Eric Ellis, who scores 22 points and grabs 10 rebounds, makes two free throws with 17 seconds left to break a tie and send Washington to a 56-53 victory over Pikeville (Ky.) in the opening round of the EQT Energy Classic at Canon-McMillan.