• Lions fans will have to settle for less this season, but it will be prettier than last year
ATLANTA -- Nobody sells hope like the Detroit Lions.

• Whitecaps' season comes to an end
COMSTOCK PARK -- The playoff fate of the West Michigan Whitecaps was placed in the hands of 19-year-old pitcher Mauricio Robles, who carved up the South Bend Silver Hawks like an seasoned veteran -- for five innings.

• 13,000 see GVSU win in season opener
ALLENDALE -- Grand Valley State has won a record 31 consecutive Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Association football games, and the most recent resembled many of the previous.

• Indiana's Smith wins again at Reeds Lake
EAST GRAND RAPIDS -- Michael Smith chased Greg Reznich, a man less than half his age, throughout the swimming and biking portions of Saturday morning's 25th-anniversary Rhoades McKee Reeds Lake Triathlon.

• Georgia woman takes Grand Cycling Classic
GRAND RAPIDS -- Winning may have gotten old for former world bicycling champion Chris Pic, but it hasn't for his wife, Tina.

• Berlin feature race slowed by six caution flags
MARNE -- Berlin Raceway's 50-lap feature race was slowed by six caution flags Saturday night, and it took approximately 46 minutes to complete.

• GRCC stumbles to second loss
PALATINE, Ill. -- A multitude of mistakes on special teams was too much for Grand Rapids Community College to overcome in a 34-14 loss to Harper College on Saturday afternoon.

• Holland's Gruppen revels in first Berlin feature win
It's a good thing stock cars have seat belts.

• Holland's Kuipers wins 5K
Gayle Kuipers of Holland took top honors in the Holland Rotary 5K Run/Walk on Aug. 30 with a winning time of 19 minutes, 52 seconds.

• Hope golf: New faces, but high expectations
Hope College's men's golf team will try to keep the tradition going this season, while the women's team is hopeful the new year will bring the start of something special.

• Hope hockey tryouts this week
The Hope College hockey club hosts tryouts for the 2008-09 season beginning Monday.

• Hope loses by three, misses three PATs
HOLLAND-- After a heartbreaking 28-25 loss to Illinois Wesleyan, Hope football coach Dean Kreps sighed and said it was taxing.

• Hope men win own soccer tourney
The Hope College men's soccer team captured its own Bergsma Memorial Tournament for the first time in six seasons last weekend.

• Hope runners thrive with longtime coach
The only thing that appears to be quicker than Mark Northuis' runners is his wit.

• Jesky to coach Kuyper College basketball
Stan Jesky dusted off his old playbook and quickly realized it needed to be updated.

• Lakeshore drivers shine on Mears track
Zeeland drag racer Tim Holstege made it to the semifinals of the West Michigan Sand Dragway's Winners Circle Labor Day Weekend shootout in Mears.

• NCAA president Brand visits Grand Valley State
ALLENDALE -- Myles Brand, president of the NCAA, came to help honor Grand Valley State's athletic department at a football game Saturday night, and he liked what he found campus wide.

• Punt, Pass and Kick today in Holland
The Holland Recreation Department is hosting the annual Punt, Pass and Kick competition today at the Holland Municipal Stadium.

• Stumping your friends with trivia the fun part of being a baseball fan
A former major league player gives an "inside" look at the game.

• West Ottawa grad helps Hillsdale football
Hillsdale College linebacker David Bakker of Holland had five tackles when the Chargers opened the 2008 season Aug. 30 with a 49-6 victory against St. Joseph College.

• Scoreboard: College golf
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• Scoreboard: College soccer
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• Scoreboard: College tennis
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• Scoreboard: College volleyball

• CMU plays No. 2 Georgia for money, pride
Central Michigan needed 750,000 reasons to agree to a football game at the University of Georgia but only the number one to get excited about it.

• Whitecaps force decisive Game 3 vs. South Bend
COMSTOCK PARK -- Facing elimination from the Midwest League playoffs, the West Michigan Whitecaps came out swinging.

• Today's local college football games

• Lowell Polo Club hosting MacIntyre tourney
The Meadowview Polo Club in Lowell is hosting the 18th annual Scott MacIntyre Memorial Tournament through Sunday.

• Scoreboard: College soccer

• Scoreboard: College tennis
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• Scoreboard: College volleyball

• Scoreboard: Sports signups

• Brace yourself, Lions are headed to playoffs
GRAND RAPIDS -- If it is faint praise to claim the Detroit Lions are better positioned to win a division title than any time since Brett Favre last wore a uniform other than Green Bay's, then consider it better than no

• Smallmouth bass: Mighty mouths of fishing
Press Outdoors Editor

• CWD rule: If it attracts deer, remove it
You might wonder just what sick deer and Chickadees have in common. The answer isn't obvious unless you live in the country where deer gather under bird feeders.

• GVSU's opening challenge: Stop the run
ALLENDALE -- Jacob McGuckin looks around and sees new faces on defense for Grand Valley State's football team.

• CMU's challenge: Don't beat self at No. 2 Georgia
Casey Droscha will need to be as strong as ever for the Central Michigan University football team Saturday.

• Early deer hunt begins soon
Press Outdoors Editor

• Disabled athletes take on Reeds Lake Triathlon
Running is not Tanis Hooker's favorite thing to do.

• West Ottawa's McDonald finally sees Rosy future at Illinois
CHICAGO -- For three long seasons, center Ryan McDonald and his Illinois teammates were the laughingstock of Big Ten football.

• Few NFL tweaks made by leader Fox
Now that the Summer Olympics are out of the way, networks can focus their full attention on the fall's next ratings juggernaut: the NFL season, which kicks off this weekend.

• 80-year-old runner Jerry Johncock sets record
Gun Lake's Jerry Johncock isn't getting older -- he's getting faster.

• Calvin's Warners earns volleyball milestone
GRAND RAPIDS -- Volleyball coach Amber Warners has a one-word answer for why she's been able to amass a combined 200 wins at Calvin and Hope.

• GVSU tops women's soccer rankings
Grand Valley State has climbed from third to first in the NCAA Division II women's soccer poll after the Lakers' 1-0 win against previous No. 1 Tampa in the season opener and a 5-0 win against Southern Indiana.

• Ohio State joins Crying Towel stag
GRAND RAPIDS -- There's a new team to make fun of at this year's Crying Towel.

• Whitecaps center fielder Peter sets tone for offense
COMSTOCK PARK -- Day one of spring training for the Detroit Tigers, West Michigan Whitecaps manager Joe DePastino was told Kyle Peter would be his starting center fielder this season.

• Scoreboard: College golf
WOMEN

• Scoreboard: College volleyball