Two prep players

face rape charges

COLUMBIA, Tenn. (AP) — Prosecutors in Columbia have asked a judge to transfer the case of two juvenile football players charged with rape to adult court.

Assistant District Attorney Kyle Dodd told the Columbia Daily Herald (http://bit.ly/WoNnhI ) his office filed a petition Wednesday to try the Mount Pleasant players, ages 16 and 17, as adults. Their names haven’t been released because they are juveniles.

The two players and the team quarterback, 18-year-old Princeton Harlan, were charged with rape last week over a sexual encounter with a 12-year-old girl. Authorities say it’s not alleged that force was involved, but rape charges were filed because of her age.

Police said the girl became pregnant and had an abortion.

Harlan has been a top recruiting prospect, drawing interest from Auburn, Cincinnati, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Tennessee and Vanderbilt.

 

ND quarterback

cleared to practice

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Notre Dame quarterback Everett Golson has been cleared by doctors to practice after he sustained a concussion in the Stanford game.

The school announced Wednesday that the sophomore successfully completed concussion testing Tuesday. Now that he’s cleared to practice, Golson is expected to start Saturday when the fifth-ranked Fighting Irish play BYU at home.

Golson left Notre Dame’s 20-13 overtime victory against Stanford on Saturday late in the fourth quarter when he took a helmet-to-helmet hit.

Tommy Rees relieved Golson and helped the Fighting Irish remain unbeaten.

 

Ohio football player

arrested for assault

ATHENS (AP) — A football player for No. 25 Ohio University has been arrested after police say he and four other men attacked a freshman who had been sitting on a bench.

Nineteen-year-old Mike Lucas was charged with felonious assault on Monday following the incident early Sunday morning.

The redshirt freshman offensive lineman from Chicago has a hearing set for Oct. 25 in Athens County Municipal Court. A judge will decide whether there’s probable cause to refer the case for prosecution in common pleas court.

Team spokesman Tom Symonds says Lucas has been suspended pending the investigation.

 

NFL doesn’t want

courts involved

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The NFL is again urging a federal judge to avoid interfering in Commissioner Roger Goodell’s efforts to discipline four players for the Saints’ cash-for-hits bounty pool.

In a response Wednesday to papers the players filed earlier this week, the NFL says its labor agreement gives Goodell the power to handle discipline involving conduct detrimental to football “at his discretion.”

U.S. District Judge Ginger Berrigan is considering the players’ request to overturn varying suspensions to Saints linebacker Jon Vilma, Saints defensive end Will Smith, free agent defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove and Cleveland linebacker Scott Fujita.

The players have argued Goodell’s public comments prove he cannot be impartial, but the NFL says when “all of the circumstances” are considered, no one can conclude Goodell’s rulings resulted only from bias against the players.