2/1/24 Hometown Broadcasting Sports Thursday
1 February 2024 Sports
From Wayne Mausser
The Packers will hire Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley as their new defensive coordinator.
“We are excited to welcome Jeff, his wife, Gina, and their daughters, Hope and Leah, to the Packers and the Green Bay community,” said head coach Matt LaFleur in a press release from the team. “Jeff has had success at every stop of his coaching career with an impressive track record of developing players at every level. We look forward to him leading our defense”
Hafley coached Boston College to a 22-26 record, and was bowl eligible in three of his four seasons. The Eagles defense finished third in the nation in passing yards allowed in 2021 at 175 yards per game. They were also top-30 nationally in total defense, red-zone defense, and passing efficiency.
His only experience as a defensive coordinator came with Ohio State in 2019. That season, the Buckeyes were ranked in the top ten nationally in yards per play, passing yards allowed, rushing defense, and number one in red-zone.
Hafley does have seven years of experience in the NFL as an assistant. Working with former Packers defensive coordinator Mike Pettine as the defensive backs coach in Cleveland between 2014-15. From there, he went to San Francisco to work for Chip Kelly in 2016, and stayed with the 49ers when Kyle Shanahan took over a year later.
While Hafley has never worked with Matt LaFleur directly, he does have plenty of connections to those with close ties to the Packers head coach. Including working under good friend and former 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh.
The Portland Trailblazers spoiled Damian Lillard’s return with a 119-116 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. Lillard spent his first 11 years in the NBA with the Trailblazers before being picked up by Milwaukee prior to the season.
Giannis Antetopounmko led the Bucks with 27 points and 11 rebounds along with four assists while Lillard scored 25, Khris Midlelton 21 and Brook Lopez added 19. The Bucks lost their second straight under new coach Doc Rivers and drop to 2 and 16 while Portland improves to 15-33. Anfernee Simons led the Trailblazers with 24 points while Deandre Ayton added 20.
Milwaukee is Dallas to take on the Mavericks on Saturday.
In men’s basketball tonight #6 Wisconsin is at Nebraska in Big Ten action. Tipoff is at 7:30.
Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark added to her growing collection of milestones Wednesday night at Northwestern, moving into second place on the NCAA women’s all-time scoring list during her team’s 110-74 win.
Clark, the Naismith women’s college player of the year for the 2022-23 season, passed former Ohio State star Kelsey Mitchell (3,402) on a layup with 4:58 left in the second quarter. She entered Wednesday’s game fourth on the career scoring list — four points behind Missouri State’s Jackie Stiles and 13 behind Mitchell. Clark’s second 3-pointer of the first quarter pushed her past Stiles.
Clark, who also overtook Mitchell as the Big Ten’s all-time leading scorer, finished with 35 points for her fifth straight 30-point game, matching the longest streak of her career. Now at 3,424 career points, Clark will set her sights on the NCAA’s all-time scoring record of 3,527, held by Washington’s Kelsey Plum.
Clark also had 10 assists, six rebounds, two steals and a block. She finished just 3 of 12 from 3-point range but made all 10 of her free throws in 32 minutes.
Clark, a senior from West Des Moines, Iowa, has reached a series of milestones, becoming Iowa’s all-time leader in points, assists and 3-pointers made. She needs 18 field goals to set the Big Ten record held by Ohio State’s Jantel Lavender.
Clark is averaging 32.1 points per game, putting her on pace to break Plum’s scoring record on Feb. 15 against Michigan.
The Seahawks have hired Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald as their next head coach, it was announced Wednesday.
Macdonald is receiving a six-year contract, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Macdonald, 36, becomes the NFL’s youngest head coach and brings to Seattle a reputation as one of the league’s brightest defensive minds, having led the Ravens to No.1 in points allowed, sacks and takeaways in 2023, his second season as Baltimore’s coordinator.
The WIAA is expanding its state volleyball tournament, held at the Resch Center in Green Bay. A 5th division is being added on the girls side. To make room in the schedule, the boys quarterfinals will be moved to Wednesday, expanding the tournament to a 4-day event.
In a release, the WIAA provided the following details:
“The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Board of Control authorized the Tournament Series format to accommodate a fifth division of girls volleyball in 2024 and approved plans for a student leadership program at its January meeting today.
The Board approved four recommendations originated and advanced by the Volleyball Coaches Advisory Committees, including two that revamps the Tournament Series that expands to five girls’ divisions next fall. Following a review by the executive staff, Sports Advisory Committee and the Advisory Council, the Board supported a plan that places the largest 116 enrollments of schools sponsoring girls volleyball in Division 1, and Divisions 2, 3, 4 and 5 will consist of the remaining schools divided equally.
To accommodate the addition of four teams and three games, the State Tournament will expand to Wednesday afternoon and evening with the boys volleyball quarterfinals. The boys’ semifinals games will be played Thursday afternoon with the championship game scheduled for Friday evening. The girls’ Division 5 and the Division 4 semifinals are scheduled for Thursday at 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., respectively, with the girls’ Division 1 quarterfinals to be played Thursday at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The girls’ Division 1 semifinals are slated for Friday at 1 p.m. The girls’ Division 3 and Division 2 semifinals will be played Friday at 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., respectively. The girls’ championships Saturday will begin with Division 5 at 9 a.m. followed by Division 4 at 11:30 a.m., Division 3 at 2 p.m., Division 2 at 5 p.m. and Division 1 at 7:30 p.m.
One of the other two volleyball changes approved adds a fifth day (Sunday-Thursday) to the window that seed meetings may be scheduled, and the other requires teams to wear contrasting colors at the State Tournament for the ease of identifying teams unless the schools do not have uniforms of contrasting colors.”
Beloit College 60, Ripon College 56. The Red Hawks fall to 6-14 overall and 4-7 in the conference.
UW-Whitewater 68, UW-Oshkosh 66. The Titans drop to 9-11 overall and 2-7 in the conference.
Tthe Ripon College women’s basketball team stayed unbeaten in conference play, defeating Beloit College 88-41. Ripon won its 16th straight game in a row against Beloit, as they had four players in double figures.
Ella Ten Pas and Anna Fahrney each had 15 points. They are now one win away from at least a share of the conference title.
UW-Oshkosh 57, UW-Whitewater 46. The Titans improve to 16-4 overall and 7-2 in conference play.
Boys and Girls Schedule 2/1/2024
Boys:
Plymouth at West Bend East
Berlin at Waupun
Kettle Moraine Lutheran at Kewaskum
New London at Green Bay East
West De Pere at Xavier
Seymour at Menasha
Watertown at Beaver Dam
Marinette at Clintonville
Fox Valley Lutheran at Wrightstown
Little Chute at Freedom
Oconto Falls at Waupaca
Luxemburg-Casco at Denmark
White Lake at Westfield
Lourdes Academy at Central Wisconsin Christian
Girls:
Ripon at Winneconne
Berlin at Waupun
Kewaskum at Kettle Moraine Lutheran
Menasha at Plymouth
St. Mary’s Springs at Campbellsport
Omro at Laconia
Mayville at Winnebago Lutheran
North Fond du Lac at Lomira
Neenah at Oshkosh North
Freedom at Oconto Falls
Wautoma at Nekoosa
Westfield at Mauston
Wisconsin Dells at Adams-Friendship
Lourdes Academy at Central Wisconsin Christian
Hustisford at Oakfield
Dodgeland at Valley Christian
Cambria-Friesland at Pardeeville
Markesan at Randolph
Princeton/Green Lake at Montello
Rio at Fall River
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