Kevin Green mugProgress sports editor Kevin GreenEvery football coach says the same thing this time of year."We've got to play who's on the schedule."That's true. But let's not pretend every schedule is created equal.Some teams catch a break with favorable home-and-road splits and rebuilding opponents. Others seem to draw every state title contender within driving distance.So, in the spirit of preseason debate, I decided to rank Rogers County's seven 11-man football schedules from easiest to hardest.Before anyone grabs a pitchfork, here is the methodology. This is about as scientific as a napkin at a sports bar.Each opponent was assigned its final 2025 MaxPreps Oklahoma ranking. If that game is at home, it counts for the full value.If it is on the road, it is cut in half, reflecting the added challenge of winning away from home. The lower the total score, the more difficult the schedule.Final placement also considered the combined 2025 win-loss records of each team's opponents.With that out of the way, here is how I see it.7. Verdigris [Easiest]Schedule score: 1,036.5Opponents' 2025 record: 47-62 [43.1%]Hardest game: at Heritage Hall [Class 3A state semifinalist]At first glance, Verdigris' schedule score looks intimidating, but the Cardinals' opponents actually combined for the lowest winning percentage of any Rogers County team on this list.Much like last season, however, the schedule is backloaded.Verdigris' toughest four games come in the final four weeks, with road trips to Bristow, Perkins-Tryon and Heritage Hall surrounding a rivalry showdown against Inola at home.It is a challenging finish, but compared to the rest of Rogers County, the Cardinals have the most favorable overall slate.6. ChelseaSchedule score: 986Opponents' 2025 record: 56-50 [52.8%]Hardest game: Adair [Class 2A-II state champion]Chelsea once again faces a difficult district, highlighted by defending Class 2A-II state champion Adair and quarterfinalists Salina and Wyandotte.Those three programs combined for 33 wins last season.The Green Dragons also play three of their final four games on the road, making the stretch run especially demanding.5. ClaremoreSchedule score: 1,040Opponents' 2025 record: 61-53 [53.5%]Hardest game: at Bishop McGuinness [Class 5A runner-up]Claremore technically owns the highest schedule score in the county, but the overall layout lands it in the middle of my rankings.The marquee challenge is a road trip to Class 5A runner-up Bishop McGuinness, the same team that ended the Zebras' playoff run last season. Claremore also closes the regular season with consecutive rivalry road games against Pryor and Collinsville.There won't be many easy Fridays, so the Zebras should be battle-tested by November.4. SequoyahSchedule score: 942Opponents' 2025 record: 59-52 [53.2%]Hardest game: Rejoice Christian [Class A-I state champion]Dropping to Class 2A-I should improve Sequoyah's playoff outlook, but the Eagles won't exactly coast into district play.Road trips to Inola and Wyandotte headline the nondistrict slate before district home games against Holland Hall and reigning Class A-I state champion Rejoice Christian.It is a balanced schedule that should reveal exactly where the Eagles stand before the postseason begins.3. InolaSchedule score: 824Opponents' 2025 record: 55-55 [50%]Hardest game: at Adair [Class 2A-II state champion]Aside from opening the season at defending Class 2A-II champion Adair, much of Inola's schedule is manageable.Then comes a brutal closing stretch.The Longhorns finish with Heritage Hall, Verdigris and Perkins-Tryon, meaning they'll face two Class 3A semifinalists and a Cardinals squad expected to contend for a district title.2. OologahSchedule score: 747.5Opponents' 2025 record: 54-56 [49.1%]Hardest game: Cushing [Class 4A semifinalist]Oologah owns the lowest schedule score of any Rogers County team, and six road games make this slate even more difficult than the numbers suggest.Three of the first five contests are away from home, and three of the final four are as well. Add in a matchup with Class 4A semifinalist Cushing, and the Mustangs won't have much room for error.1. Catoosa [Hardest]Schedule score: 838Opponents' 2025 record: 59-51 [53.6%]Hardest game: Jones [Class 2A-I state champion]Catoosa may have dropped to Class 3A, but its path arguably became even more difficult.Three of the first four games are on the road, including trips to Verdigris and Berryhill. While the Indians get defending Class 2A-I state champion Jones and Metro Christian at home, those two teams combined for a remarkable 25-1 record in 2025.When you combine the quality of the opponents with how the schedule is laid out, I think Catoosa has the toughest road among Rogers County's 11-man programs this fall.

Barcelona pass up chance to sign Serie A forward who is close to completing 50 million Turkey moveFC Barcelona, and Joan Laporta in particular, have a great relationship with super-agent Jorge Mendes, which means a number of his clients are offered to the Catalan club.Among the many Mendes clients offered to Bara this summer, one of them is AC Milan star Rafael Leao.While the Portuguese is not directly represented by Mendes, he has been offered to the Blaugrana on a number of occasions, including this summer.However, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Catalan club have chosen not to pursue a move for the Portuguese star this summer.Mendes tried to present Leao to both Barcelona and Manchester United, but neither club decided to move forward with a deal.He is now closing in on a 50 million deal to join Turkish side Fenerbahce.Barcelona were not convincedBarcelona were offered chance to sign Leao. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)It does seem like Barcelona were comfortable looking elsewhere rather than committing significant resources to Leao.The deal being discussed with Fenerbahce would include a 50 million transfer fee and a salary package worth 8 million per season in guaranteed wages, plus performance-related bonuses.For the Blaugrana, those financial figures are likely to have played an important role.Even if Leao is a player with undeniable quality, the club continue to operate with strict financial considerations when planning the squad.Deco and Flick appear to have other prioritiesPassing on Leao does not necessarily reflect a lack of appreciation for his talent. Instead, it may indicate that Deco and Hansi Flick have different priorities for strengthening the attack.The club have already signed Karim Adeyemi and Anthony Gordon, who add enough attacking firepower and the quality that Hansi Flick needs off the ball.Barcelona have signed Adeyemi. (Photo courtesy: FC Barcelona official website)Barcelonas recruitment in recent windows has focused on finding players who fit the tactical structure while remaining financially sustainable.Leao is capable of changing matches with his pace and dribbling, but consistency and a lack of off-the-ball work have often been part of the discussion around his performances.All things considered, this is a very sensible decision for Barcelona. The last thing the club need is a talented player who might not be a great stylistic fit.That said, it comes as quite a surprise that there are not more clubs queuing up to sign the Portuguese forward from Milan.It remains to be seen whether he secures his move to Fenerbahce and how his career progresses.

West Indies head coach Darren Sammy has said fast bowler Alzarri Joseph made himself unavailable for the two-Test home series against Pakistan, claiming the pacer declined selection despite being picked in the squad.Cricket West Indies had earlier announced that Joseph would miss the series because of personal reasons. Ahead of the opening Test, Sammy gave more details about the situation."Yeah, it is a big loss. Mr Joseph has declined selection. That's the reality of the situation," Sammy said at a press conference on the eve of the series opener."He was selected. I mean, he's now coming back from injury. And for reasons since, he has declined the selection. That is a decision that is way over my head. I leave that with the directors to come up with whatever solutions where contracted players get to decline selection," said the coach.Joseph featured in both Tests against Sri Lanka in June-July, taking six wickets across the two matches. He also played the five-match ODI series against New Zealand, claiming 4 for 41 in the opening game.Joseph has played 42 Tests for the West Indies and taken 130 wickets. He has represented the Caribbean side across all three formats.Despite missing one of his frontline fast bowlers, Sammy said he remains confident about the attack available for the Pakistan series.The bowling unit includes Shamar Joseph, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales and all-rounders Justin Greaves and Keemo Paul. Spin duties will be handled by Jomel Warrican, rookie Joshua Bishop and captain Roston Chase."What I could tell you (is that) we have a bowling line-up that we've seen that could take 20 wickets. That's the first start to winning Test matches," Sammy said when asked whether the West Indies had the bowling strength to challenge Pakistan."We saw it in New Zealand. We saw it in the Australia series. We matched Australia with the ball. We matched New Zealand with the ball as well. And the confidence and the work that the batters have put in, you could see it bearing fruit in the Test series against Sri Lanka."You know, much more consistency is coming through. So once we match these two batsmen scoring runs, we know we have the bowling line-up to take 20 wickets and help us win Test matches," Sammy said.The first Test begins on Saturday (July 25), while the second Test will be played in Port of Spain from August 2.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Alex Bowman considered walking away from NASCAR after this season. A series of discouraging results convinced him to give racing one more shot.One day after the 33-year-old Arizona native announced he'll retire after the 2027 season, Bowman arrived at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the first Brickyard 400 practice and explained why he decided to embark on one final farewell tour with Hendrick Motorsports."I think I really want to end on a more positive note than kind of how this year's been, he said Friday. I've had my fair share (of concussions), but this really isn't a physical thing. I think if I would have had no injuries over the last 10 years, this time frame would still be this time frame. This is kind what I wanted.Bowman has spent the past 10 years driving for one of NASCAR's top teams, first in the No. 88 car before switching to the No. 48. He enters this weekend with eight career wins, 114 top 10 finishes and seven pole wins in 371 career Cup starts.In recent years, though, he battled health issues.Bowman missed four races this season because of vertigo and, in addition to the concussions, also suffered a back injury in a 2023 sprint car race. He then re-injured his back in a big crash at Michigan in 2025.Somehow, though, Bowman managed to make seven playoff appearances in the previous eight seasons. This year, he's 29th in points well below the 16-driver postseason cutline.It has been a journey for sure, and it hasn't gone the way I had hoped, I guess, in some ways," he said. It's been a lot of fun even though the stat sheet might read what I want it to read. It's still been great in a lot of ways.Bowman's impending departure means Hendrick will have a rare full-time opening in 2028. But finding a successor for Bowman's seat was not a priority on Friday's agenda.Instead, teammates and team officials offered their support to Bowman about his decision and the 53 races remaining on his schedule.I really enjoyed my time with him, two-time Cup champ Kyle Larson said. He made us all better. I really enjoyed having him around, the debriefs and all that, even tried to make it something bigger that we all enjoyed. And he can drive the heck out of a race car. So he brings a lot to the race team, and I'm happy that he's able to do it on his own terms."Bowman wasn't the only driver talking about his future plans.JR Motorsports announced last week that 40-year-old Justin Allgaier, the O'Reilly Series points leader, will return for 2027 and beyond. The announcement ended speculation about Allgaier retiring this year as he chases his second series title in three years.I had a pretty good thought that (retirement) was the direction we were going to go and there's still some things that we have to work through to finalize all that before it's official, Allgaier said. For me, it was entrusting some of the groups around me, the conversation with my wife, probably most importantly my kids, just trying to discuss what that looked like and even then the partners, right? It was making sure we were able to put funding together to be able to race."Bowman also has plans outside of racing.He announced on Instagram in December that he and longtime girlfriend Chloe Henderson had gotten engaged, and though he's not considering a broadcasting career at the moment, he didn't rule it out in the future as he chases other aspirations.I think for me, much more of it is things I want to do outside the race car, other goals I have in life and stuff I want to do," Bowman said. "If it was straight up like I can't do this anymore, it probably would have been this year. But I do feel like I can continue to (race) at a high level.___AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

McClenaghan scored 14.500 to finish third in qualifying [Getty Images]Olympic champion Rhys McClenaghan qualified for the Commonwealth Games pommel horse final as he posted a score of 14.500 after an almost flawless display with his new routine.All eyes in the Emirates Arena were on McClenaghan and he delivered, even celebrating with a jig after stepping off the apparatus.The 27-year-old finished third in the qualifying standings, with Scotland's Reuben Ward and Canada's Jordan Carroll (both 14.550) coming in ahead of him."It's amazing to get him back out there, brand new routine, he smashed it with one of the best executions, we'll take that it's extremely positive and we have an upgraded routine to do for the final," said his coach Luke Carson.McClenaghan, who missed the entirety of 2025 after shoulder surgery, earned an difficult score of 5.500 and an execution score of 9.000, the highest in qualifying.He is aiming to win his third Commonwealth Games medal on the pommel horse after picking up gold in 2018 and silver in 2022. The Newtownards man also competed in floor qualifying for the first time since 2018, but failed to reach the final.He scored 12.350 for his routine as he stumbled at the end when trying to land from a triple somersault.Team-mate Eamon Montgomery faces an anxious wait to see if his score of 13.000 will be enough to qualify for the final after he received a 0.100 penalty.Ewan McAteer reached Tuesday's vault final as he finished fifth in qualifying with a score of 13.650."I definitely performed to the best of my ability, so very happy with how today has gone," he said."It's been a bit of a turbulent time for me out here, I've pulled a muscle in my stomach that extends down to my groin which has really flared so that was the first bit of gymnastics I did out there but a pulled groin wasn't stopping me today."

Manchester City midfielder Rodri will undergo back surgery next week, coach Enzo Maresca confirmed Friday. Rodri, who sustained an ACL damage in 2024 endured an injury disrupted campaign last season before winning the World Cup with Spain. Maresca did not say how long it would take for him to recover from his latest setback, but confirmed he wanted the former Ballon d'Or winner to stay at the club amid speculation about his future. "Around a big player, there are always speculation so Im not worried about that. I think its normal also because they won the World Cup. He was one of the best players and I think every manager wants to have Rodri because hes a top player," Maresca said. "But now (he has) surgery on, I think Monday, and he needs holiday. He needs to rest, he needs to recover and then he will be back here with us." Maresca was speaking at his unveiling as City coach after iconic former manager Pep Guardiola stepped down at the end of last season. The Italian, who has previously part of Guardiola's coaching staff, said he felt like he was back home after spells at Leicester and Chelsea and embraced the challenge of following in the steps of one of the greatest managers of all time. In an unprecedented period of success Guardiola won 17 major trophies at City, including six Premier League titles and a first Champions League crown in 2023. He has won 35 major titles across his coaching career including at Barcelona and Bayern Munich. "First of all I want to say that its a privilege because the reason why the club decided to go for me, that means that for me its a privilege," he said. "I said many times that I consider Pep probably the best coach in the world in the last 20-25 years, but again, its a challenge. Its nice. Its a privilege." The 46-year-old Maresca is in his third stint at City, where he was academy coach in the 2020-21 season and then Guardiolas assistant in 2022-23 the year the team won the Premier League-Champions League-FA Cup treble. "Probably the reason why the club decide for me is because they can see some similar concept with the previous manager and we always try to be aggressive on the ball, control the game, try to be the ones that impose our idea," he said. "And try to do the most important thing in football, that is to win games at the end." Reporting by The Associated Press.

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Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope yells on the sidelines during a NCAA basketball game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Kentucky Wildcats at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center in Knoxville, Tenn., on Jan. 17, 2026. | Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesIt may be July, but there are still plenty of options for Kentucky Basketball to fill that 15th and final roster spot.This is typically the time of the year when we see reclassifications happen now that the bulk of the summer AAU season is complete. International recruiting is another avenue Kentucky has landed several players from since Mark Pope arrived in Lexington.And we cant forget the emergence of fifth-year seniors who were set to have their eligibility expire but are now getting one more year thanks to ongoing lawsuits. All of this is to say Kentucky still has time to add one more guy, and Pope discussed just that during his Friday meeting with local media.We have a spot open, and so were actively, every day, in conversations with everything from international guys, reclass guys, still transfer portal guys, and then of course this looming fifth-year eligibility, which would bring a huge influx of talent into the recruitable pool right now, Pope told reporters. Some guys that could be game-changers.The most recent big-name player to be granted a fifth year of eligibility is Auburn forward Keyshawn Hall, who averaged 19.3 points and 7.1 rebounds per game last season.Other notable players who could gain one more season of eligibility if their lawsuits are successful include Michigan State forward Jaxon Kohler, UCLA point guard Donovan Dent, Texas guard Jordan Pope, UCLA guard Skyy Clark, and UC Santa Barbara guard Aidan Mahaney.Will he manage to get it filled? With the start of the fall semester looming, we wont have to wait long to find out.