NFL
Knee injury shelves Jets QB Taylor
Jets quarterback Tyrod Taylor has been ruled out against the Bengals with a knee injury, meaning Justin Fields will remain the starter.
Taylor, 36, a 15th-year pro from Hampton High and Virginia Tech, said he took a helmet to his surgically repaired knee last week in relief of Fields but practiced all week on a limited basis. Taylor didn’t make the trip to Cincinnati, meaning rookie Brady Cook of Missouri will be New York’s backup.
Fields, publicly criticized recently by owner Woody Johnson, was thought to be in danger of losing his job.
Commanders wide receivers Terry McLaurin (quad) and Deebo Samuel (heel) are off the final injury report and will play against the Chiefs on Monday night in Kansas City, Washington coach Dan Quinn confirmed Saturday. Both were full participants in practice all week.
AUTO RACING
Crash dooms ‘Butterbean’ to 35th in Xfinity race at Martinsville
Thanks to a crash, Chesapeake’s Brenden “Butterbean” Queen placed 35th Saturday night among 38 drivers in the NASCAR Xfinity Series playoff race at Martinsville Speedway.
Taylor Gray of Joe Gibbs Racing won by 344-thousandths of a second over Sammy Smith on the paperclip-shaped track. It was the first Xfinity victory for Gray. The championship will go to next week’s highest finisher among Carson Kvapil, Jesse Love, Justin Allgaier and rookie Connor Zilisch.
Queen, who was hit by 36th-place Brennan Poole, made contact with Josh Williams, who got repairs and finished 28th.
Queen, a Hickory High graduate and former Langley Speedway Late Model champion, will race full-time in next year’s NASCAR Truck Series.
COLLEGE MEN’S BASKETBALL
Hokies drop exhibition to Duquesne
Virginia Tech played a home exhibition with a relatively new roster, losing 83-81 to Duquesne at Cassell Coliseum.
Ben Hammond scored 22 points to lead the Hokies, and Tobi Lawal scored 20 on 7-of-9 shooting and added eight rebounds, four assists, two blocks and two steals.
Tyler Johnson had four assists, four steals and three points, and Neoklis Avdalas and Jaden Schutt had 11 points apiece. Schutt grabbed seven rebounds. But Tech was plagued by 19 turnovers and hit just 16 of 29 free throws.
For Duquesne, Tarence Guinyard had 21 points, eight rebounds, six assists and three steals.
COLLEGE WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
Tribe sweeps Northeastern
William & Mary (8-13, 3-7 Coastal Athletic Association) finished a two-match sweep of Northeastern (7-12, 3-7) with a 3-0 (26-24, 25-19, 25-20) victory at Kaplan Arena.
Audrey Brcka had 12 kills, Beatriz Silva had 28 assists and nine digs and Nicole Smith had 11 kills and six digs for the Tribe.
2 wins lift No. 18 Marlins’ record to 26-1
Two more 3-0 victories, this time in Pennsylvania, brought Virginia Wesleyan to 26-1 as the Marlins, ranked 18th in Division III, continued to cruise through their schedule.
In a 25-17, 25-14, 25-20 victory over Elizabethtown, Hannah Smith had 12 kills and 15 digs, Niya Nash had 35 assists and six digs, Breana Brooks had 10 kills, and Skylar Rivers had 17 digs.
Then in a 25-22, 27-25, 25-14 triumph over host Scranton, Smith had 11 kills and 10 digs, Nash had 32 assists and nine digs, and Brooks had five blocks.
COLLEGE MEN’S SOCCER
Charleston beats W&M
The College of Charleston earned a 3-1 victory at William & Mary with goals by Lennon Gill, Stian Bendvold and Julian Jordheim. The Tribe (2-9-4, 1-5-1), which lost 3-1 to Charleston for the second time this year, outshot the Cougars 19-9 but didn’t avert a shutout in its home finale until Damen Burney scored off Noah Hiort-Wright’s assist with 5:59 remaining.
VWU prevails on Senior Day
Virginia Wesleyan (11-4-1, 5-3 ODAC) won 1-0 on Senior Day at home against Roanoke (7-10, 1-7). Ryan McAdams scored in the 30th minute, and Ben Haynes made four saves for a shutout.
COLLEGE WOMEN’S SOCCER
Marlins shut out Roanoke
Virginia Wesleyan (12-3-2, 7-1-1 ODAC) prevailed 1-0 at Roanoke (8-8-1, 5-4-0) with a timely goal by Stephanie Koblish.In the 89th minute, Koblish scored off an Alaina Alston assist. Riley Keefe made five saves for her seventh shutout of the season.
COLLEGE FIELD HOCKEY
No. 1 CNU shuts out Rowan
Lindsey Loar scored a first-half hat trick as No. 1 Christopher Newport (16-0) moved within one victory of an unbeaten regular season, shutting out Rowan 3-0 in Newport News.
Courtney Hughlett had two assists and Avery Mast one. Lily Kerr made four saves for a shutout. CNU will play at Mary Washington on Wednesday in the Captains’ regular-season finale.The Profs, outshot 27-8, fell to 13-4.
Roanoke blanks VWU
Virginia Wesleyan (5-9, 2-4 Old Dominion Athletic Conference) lost 2-0 at Roanoke (5-10, 3-3) on goals by Kaitlyn Robertson in the 14th and 51st minute.
