Vikings

For most of Friday night's clash with Archbishop Wood, it looked as if St. Joseph's Prep had left its offensive rhythm and efficiency back at 17th and Girard. Through 21/2 quarters, the Hawks managed just 72 yards rushing, 27 passing, and five first downs. But the Prep overcame those offensive woes, tightened the clamps on defense in the late going against the mistake-prone Vikings, and triumphed, 23-10, in a Catholic League cross-division matchup at Plymouth Whitemarsh. The still-unbeaten Hawks, ranked No. 3 in Southeastern Pennsylvania by The Inquirer, improved to 5-0 overall.

A WISE MAN once said a man's got to have a code. Of course, that man also had a double-barreled shotgun, which always makes it easier to abide by one's code. Me? All I had was a putrid Jaguars team getting one point against the Bengals and a chorus of oddsmakers begging me to bet the road favorite. So I took the Jaguars, thereby violating the one principle that guides my life, which is to never bet on a quarterback as ill-suited for the professional game as Blaine Gabbert was, is and always will be. The Bengals rolled, Slappy McHappyfeet played check-down Charlie, and, somewhere in the Great Vacant in the Sky, Omar Little shook his head.

Archbishop Wood has been steadily gaining steam since a Week 2 loss to North Penn. St. Joseph's Prep has raised eyebrows in winning its first four games by an average of 20 points. So Friday night's clash, set for 7:30 at Plymouth Whitemarsh, has the potential to be a midseason classic. Here is a closer look at the Catholic League cross-division matchup. Records. The Vikings, ranked No. 4 in Southeastern Pennsylvania by The Inquirer, are 4-1 overall. The third-ranked Hawks are 4-0. Coaches.

Maxine Turchin said it was half of a shot and half of a serve. It added up to all of a goal. "I couldn't believe it went in," said Turchin, a junior back for the Eastern girls' soccer team. "I was speechless. " Turchin's goal set off a scoring surge for the Vikings, who are ranked No. 1 in South Jersey by The Inquirer. Eastern scored three goals in a span of 2 minutes, 38 seconds of the first half and cruised to a 3-0 victory over No. 2 Lenape on Monday in an Olympic American game.

Playing goalie against the field hockey team that is ranked No. 1 in the nation, Alex Pecora knew she would be in the middle of the action. That was the good news. "No pressure, no fun," said Pecora, Bishop Eustace's standout senior. The bigger news on Monday night was that both goalies were busy as Bishop Eustace and Eastern, which is No. 1 in the topofthecircle.com national rankings, played a fast-paced game with lots of scoring chances at both ends of the field. Pecora, who is headed to Iowa on a scholarship, made 14 saves - including a spectacular diving deflection of a penalty stroke and several sliding stops.

MINNEAPOLIS - Christian Ponder didn't flinch, even against that swarming San Francisco defense. Minnesota's quarterback has come a long way from his rough rookie season. Ponder threw two touchdown passes to tight end Kyle Rudolph and ran for another score to help the Vikings hand the 49ers their first defeat, 24-13, on Sunday. After a dominant start to their NFC North tour by decisively beating playoff teams Green Bay and Detroit, the 49ers (2-1) were beaten in every way by the team least likely to do so. The Vikings (2-1)

The Eastern football team just can't seem to lose to Cherry Hill East. Ryan Delaney and Gino Dugan returned blocked punts for touchdowns Saturday, and the Vikings overcame a 14-point, first-quarter deficit to defeat East for the 20th consecutive time since 1994, 31-20. Tom Flacco threw two touchdown passes, and Ed Kehoe kicked a 22-yard field goal for Eastern, which won the WJFL American Division game despite finishing with negative rushing yards. Cherry Hill East led by 14-0 and 20-7 before the Vikings (2-1 overall, 2-0 league)

For North Penn, next in line in murderer's row is defending PIAA Class AAA state champion Archbishop Wood. The Knights, ranked No. 4 in Southeastern Pennsylvania by The Inquirer, are coming off a 20-7 loss to top-ranked La Salle. They will face No. 3 Wood at 7 p.m. Saturday at William Tennent. No. 9 St. Joseph's Prep awaits in Week 3. The Vikings, who come in with a 15-game win streak, are looking to build on an opening 44-7 romp over Bensalem. Here is a closer look at the North Penn-Wood showdown.

For North Penn, next in line on murderers' row is defending PIAA Class AAA state champion Archbishop Wood. The Knights, ranked No. 4 in Southeastern Pennsylvania by The Inquirer, are coming off a 20-7 loss to top-ranked La Salle. They will face No. 3 Wood at 7 p.m. Saturday at William Tennent. No. 9 St. Joseph's Prep awaits in Week 3. The Vikings, who come in with a 15-game win streak, are looking to build on an opening 44-7 romp over Bensalem. Here is a closer look at the North Penn-Wood showdown.

HOUSTON - Minnesota Vikings star running back Adrian Peterson was arrested on a charge of resisting arrest after an early morning incident where police say it took three officers to subdue him. Houston Police Department spokesman Kese Smith said Peterson was at a downtown nightclub early Saturday morning when an off-duty Houston police officer working security asked Peterson and a group of people he was with to leave because it was closed....