BOYS

Archbishop Wood Catholic High School 63, Father Judge High School 58

Berks Catholic 67, Wyomissing 39

Bermudian Springs 46, Kennard-Dale 40

Blue Mountain 60, Tamaqua 30

Carlisle 47, Central Dauphin East 33

Cedar Crest 67, Conestoga Valley 63

Devon Preparatory School 45, Cardinal O’Hara 38

Coventry Christian School 51, Conestoga Christian 40

Eastern Lebanon County High 46, Pottsville 41

Elizabethtown 50, Cocalico 46

Environmental 76, Wilmington 72

Erie 54, Fairview 39

First Christian 78, Iroquois 70

Governor Mifflin 46, Lampeter-Strasburg 32

Halifax 45, Columbia 44

Imhotep 73, West Philadelphia 41

Jersey Shore 49, Wellsboro 47

Juniata Valley 56, Bellwood-Antis 51

Karns City 62, West Shamokin 37

Lebanon 55, Donegal 48

Mercer 56, Greenville 43

Millville 55, Columbia-Montour 44

Mohawk 66, Deer Lakes 59

Monsignor Bonner and Archbishop Prendergast 77, Lansdale Catholic 59

New Covenant 55, Christian School of York 52

Lehighton 73, Northern Lehigh 48

North Schuylkill 56, Palmerton 44

Notre Dame-Green Pond 72, Northwestern Lehigh 70

Old Forge 69, Scranton Holy Cross 48

Philadelphia West Catholic 63, La Salle College High School 47

Pittsburgh Central Catholic 42, Penn Hills 31

Robeson 69, Great Oaks Charter School, Del. 52

Roman Catholic High School of Philadelphia 66, Archbishop Carroll 38

Saints John Neumann & Maria Goretti Catholic High School 93, Archbishop Ryan 80

Science Leadership 52, Masterman 51

South Williamsport 62, Bucktail 35

Southern Lehigh 53, Salisbury 51

St. Joseph’s Prep 69, Conwell-Egan 62

State College 52, Chambersburg 50

Turkeyfoot Valley 68, Hancock, Md. 67

W. Carrollton, Ohio 55, Ringgold 49

Warwick 43, Ephrata 36

Wilson 49, Manheim Township 43

GIRLS

Cocalico 56, Elizabethtown 27

Council Rock South 47, Bensalem 45

Dunmore 51, Western Wayne 27

Eastern York 47, Littlestown 31

Friends Select 61, Martin Luther King High School 37

Governor Mifflin 52, Lampeter-Strasburg 42

Grove City 41, Fort LeBoeuf 34

Hughesville 65, Southern Columbia 53

Lakeview 44, Franklin 37

Lebanon 62, Donegal 35

Lehighton 49, Northern Lehigh 31

Lewisburg 28, Mifflinburg 24

Manheim Central 39, Lancaster Catholic 34

Manheim Township 55, Conestoga Valley 46

Marian Catholic High School 47, Schuylkill Haven 39

Mars 40, Peters Township 31

Mountain Ridge (MD), Md. 71, Chestnut Ridge 41

New Covenant 48, Christian School of York 20

Pottsville 35, Eastern Lebanon County High 17

Red Lion 50, Hempfield 15

Scranton Prep 55, Scranton 46

Selinsgrove 40, Jersey Shore 29

Solanco 47, Garden Spot 36

South Fayette 75, Akr. Hoban, Ohio 65

Southern Lehigh 53, Salisbury 51

Susquehannock 38, Northeastern 28

Tulpehocken 45, Pottsville Nativity 33

Twin Valley 37, Wyomissing 26

Warwick 46, Ephrata 41

Some high school basketball scores provided by the Delaware County Daily Times, The Morning Call, the Reading Eagle and Scorestream.com, https://scorestream.com/

For once, and for a change, the 76ers didn’t need to play through crunch time.

That has been the outlier this season. Given the injury and availability headwinds faced in the first 30-some games of the season, their ability to win tight games bodes well once the rotation stabilizes.

The 76ers have played 22 games that came down to clutch time, defined for NBA stat purposes as “the final five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime when the score is within five points.”

The Sixers are tied with two other teams for the second-most clutch games this season, but they have the edge in total clutch minutes at 101, which is second in the league by itself.

Ironically, first in both categories is Dallas at 26 games and 115 minutes, though Thursday’s 123-110 76ers win never veered into the category.

The 76ers are 13-9 in games decided in the clutch, a 59.1 winning percentage that is eighth in the league. Their 13 clutch wins is second only to East leader Detroit.

No. 1 is percentage is the Lakers, who are 10-0 in clutch games, meaning this season either LeBron James has won them close games or they’ve gotten blown out.

It’s one of the underlying trends that bodes well for the 76ers, who are 2-2 on their holiday road trip heading into Saturday’s finale at the Knicks, the entrée to a stretch of 11 of 15 games at home through the end of January.

The 76ers sit fifth in an Eastern Conference that entering Friday night had four teams knotted within one game from fourth to eighth place.

The 76ers clutch stats are more impressive when you consider the personnel.

Yeah, there’s the raw numbers of Joel Embiid having played only 15 games, Paul George at 16 and Kelly Oubre at 12. But George and Embiid returned with minutes restrictions, meaning they have fewer nights in which they’ve closed games.

They’re starting to gain continuity with both guys available at the end of games to augment Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe and, in many instances, Quentin Grimes.

Edgecombe scored 13 points in the fourth quarter Tuesday at Memphis, then hit the overtime game-winner with 1.7 seconds left. Grimes shook off a protracted shooting slump with 11 points in the fourth quarter against Dallas, his former team.

Maxey, Grimes and Edgecombe are second, fourth and fifth, respectively, in clutch minutes played this season. Edgecombe is shooting 60.7 percent in clutch situations, including 8-for-13 from 3-point range (61.5). Maxey is averaging 42.3 points per 100 possessions in crunch time; his season average per 100 is 37.4.

The trends fit the 76ers’ bizarre second-half splits.

They remain the worst third-quarter team in the NBA, though they’re closing the gap. Their average of 25.8 ppg in third quarters is last in the league, as is their point differential of minus-5.2.

Closest is Indiana at minus-3.4; Oklahoma City has the league’s best third-quarter point differential at plus-5.2.

But the 76ers are the third-best team in the NBA in fourth-quarter point differential at an average of plus-2.2. A more stable rotation that includes more late minutes for George and Embiid can only help that.

• • •

NOTES >> Embiid (right knee management) is listed as probable for the 76ers’ game at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night. Embiid has played in two straight games and four of five. The only miss in that stretch was Dec. 28 at Oklahoma City, with a right ankle sprain that is now off his injury listing. That leaves Oubre (knee) and Trendon Watford (adductor) as the only players out. Oubre will miss his 19th game. Watford is set to miss his 16th in a row.

To report your school’s scores and stats, please complete this SPORTS SCORES FORM.

SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE

Boys Basketball

Catasauqua at Pen Argyl, 11:15 a.m.

Saucon Valley at Wilson, 12:45 p.m.

Northampton at Blue Mountain, 1 p.m.

Allentown Central Catholic at Parkland, 1 p.m.

Palisades at Bangor, 1 p.m.

Kutztown at Northwestern Lehigh, 1:30 p.m.

Pocono Mountain West at Bethlehem Catholic, 2 p.m.

Lehigh Valley Academy at Bethlehem Christian, 3 p.m.

Downingtown West at Liberty, 3 p.m.

Pocono Mountain East at Freedom, 7 p.m.

Girls Basketball

Wilson at Saucon Valley, 12:45 p.m.

Notre Dame–Green Pond at Northwestern Lehigh, 12:45 p.m.

Pen Argyl at Catasauqua, 12:45 p.m.

Bangor at Palisades, 1 p.m.

Blue Mountain at Northampton, 1 p.m.

Liberty at Allentown Central Catholic, 1 p.m.

Northern Lehigh at Kutztown, 1:15 p.m.

Dallas at Pocono Mountain West, 1:30 p.m.

Wrestling

Executive Education at Harrisburg, 12 p.m.

Bethlehem Catholic at Notre Dame-Green Pond, 7 p.m.

FRIDAY’S SCORES

No scores reported before print deadline.

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Coaches and scorekeepers can help ensure their student-athletes are recognized by promptly reporting scores, stats and summaries by using a form that can be found at themorningcall.com/submitascore

Have questions? Email sports@mcall.com

Pennsylvania State Police at Blooming Grove stopped an SUV on Route 507 in Greene Twp. for a traffic violation just after midnight on Jan. 1.

During their investigation, they found Dykstra, 62, of Scranton, a passenger in the vehicle, to be in possession of “narcotics and narcotic related equipment/paraphernalia.”

During an interview with The Times-Tribune of Scranton in October of 2024, Dykstra admitted to abusing drugs, but said he didn’t consider himself an addict.

Dykstra’s 11-year-baseball career was split between the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies, including winning a World Series championship as a member of the 1986 Mets and a successful transition to the Phillies in 1989.

Dykstra played his final game with the Phillies and as a Major League Baseball player in 1996.

State police plan to file charges.

Attempts to reach Dykstra were unsuccessful.

The 36-year-old Lynn was a three-time All-Big Ten honorable mention pick who appeared in 47 games from 2008-11 and started 37 of his final 38 games. He finished his career with 162 tackles, seven tackles for loss, four interceptions and one fumble recovery.

He has spent the last two seasons as defensive coordinator at USC, where the Trojans held opponents to 24.1 points per game in 2024 and 23.0 in 2025 after allowing 34.4 the season before he arrived there.

This season, USC ranks 49th in total defense, 51st in scoring defense, 47th in passing yards allowed and 58th in rushing defense.

In his only season as defensive coordinator at UCLA in 2023, the Bruins went from 89th in total and scoring defense to 10th in total defense and 14th in scoring defense. They ranked second in the country in rushing defense and 19th in pass defense efficiency.

Since 2023, Lynn ranks fifth among defensive coordinators in fewest yards per completion and red zone rushing touchdowns, eighth in fewest fourth quarter points and 10th in fewest rushing touchdowns per season and red zone TD percentage.

Before he arrived at UCLA, he spent nine seasons as an assistant coach in the NFL with Baltimore, Houston, Buffalo and the Los Angeles Chargers.

In a related matter, Penn State has hired Ikaika Malloe as defensive line coach. Malloe was on the UCLA staff with Lynn in 2023 and coached the defensive line, including end Laitu Latu, who led the nation in tackles for loss (1.8 per game) and was fourth in sacks (1.08).

Latu won the Lombardi Award as the nation’s outstanding lineman or linebacker and the Ted Hendricks Award as the nation’s outstanding defensive end. The Indianapolis Colts selected him in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft.

Malloe, a native of Hawaii, was on the University of Washington staff from 2016-21 and coached the defensive line, including 2017 Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year Vita Vea. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers took Vea in the first round of the 2018 draft.

Malloe began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Washington in 1997 and also has coached at Western Illinois, UTEP, Hawaii, Yale, Portland State and Utah State.

In other news, two assistant coaches on James Franklin’s former Penn State staff are leaving for other jobs.

Offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki has returned to Kansas, where he’ll be the associate head coach for Lance Leipold and where he enjoyed much success from 2021-23. He spent the last two seasons at Penn State with mixed results.

Co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Anthony Poindexter is going to Tennessee, where he’ll rejoin defensive coordinator Jim Knowles on the Volunteers’ staff.

Poindexter spent the last five seasons at Penn State and coached such safeties as Jaquan Brisker, Ji’Ayir Brown, Jaylen Reed and Kevin Winston Jr. A College Football Hall of Fame inductee, he served as interim defensive coordinator for the Lions’ 22-10 win over Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl.

PHILADELPHIA — Irene Blair was expected to have another six to eight months to live in June, after her pancreatic cancer rapidly advanced to stage 4 less than a year after her initial diagnosis.

A new drug being tested in clinical trials around the world, including at Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center, was the 59-year-old grandmother from Newark, Del.’s best hope for more time.

The drug belongs to a class of pharmaceuticals long considered the holy grail of cancer research. It is a KRAS inhibitor, capable of blocking a protein that fuels an especially deadly cancer. Only 13% of pancreatic cancer patients are still alive five years after their diagnosis, the highest mortality rate of all cancers.

Called daraxonrasib, the drug is not considered a cure. But the results emerging from clinical trials point to the first major advancement in decades for a devastating cancer usually caught in late stages. Former Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse last week disclosed in a blunt social media post that he was recently diagnosed with metastasized, stage-four pancreatic cancer and is “gonna die.”

In recent months, the federal government has sped up the review timeline for the drug made by California-based company Revolution Medicines, Inc., based on early clinical trial results.

Across 38 patients in a phase 1 trial, the drug appeared to double the survival time for at least half of patients compared to standard chemotherapy, from roughly seven months to 15.6 months.

“In pancreatic cancer, for too long, we haven’t had effective therapies beyond just chemotherapy,” said Mark O’Hara, Blair’s oncologist who leads multiple clinical trials testing KRAS inhibitors at Penn.

Blair started the therapy through a phase 3 trial in July. Within three weeks, her cancer-associated pain went away.

In October, her tumors looked stable or decreasing on scans. Her most recent December scan showed her cancer had not progressed.

Aside from occasional facial rashes, she feels normal. It’s a big improvement from how she felt previously on chemotherapy, which caused her to lose 35 pounds and become so weak she couldn’t walk.

The question now is how long the therapy can remain effective. Blair seeks extra time to “start living life.”

She officially retired from her job in real estate in May and wants to travel, with trips planned to see family in California and Florida.

Holidays have been especially hard for her.

“You just wonder, ‘Will I be here next year?’” she said.

How does the therapy work?

Cancer researchers have worked to design a drug targeting KRAS, a protein that acts like a “gas pedal” for cancer growth when mutated, since its discovery in 1982.

The mutant protein is like a pedal stuck in the down position, driving uncontrolled proliferation — which tumors thrive on. These mutations are found in a quarter of human cancers, mostly aggressive cancers of the pancreas, lung, and colon.

Scientists finally succeeded in 2021, when the first drugs capable of blocking KRAS were approved by the FDA for lung cancer. Dozens of KRAS inhibitors are now in various stages of development.

Daraxonrasib is one of the first tested for pancreatic cancer, a tumor type where nearly 90% of cases have these mutations. Also called a ‘pan-RAS inhibitor,’ it not only targets KRAS, but two other related proteins that drive cancer when mutated, HRAS and NRAS.

More than 90% of the 83 patients in a phase 1 trial saw their pancreatic cancer stall during treatment, and roughly 30% saw shrinkage.

While taking the drug, at least half of patients gained more than eight months before the cancer started progressing again.

The drug comes in the form of three pills, taken daily at home.

The most prevalent side effect is a rash — 91% of patients in a phase 1 trial experienced this symptom, with 8% having severe cases. It often shows up on the face or scalp and is similar to acne, O’Hara said.

Diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and mouth sores are other common symptoms.

O’Hara said these are manageable with medications for most patients and still allow them to have a better quality of life than chemotherapy.

“I want to be able to give KRAS inhibitors to all my patients right now,” he said.

Looking forward

O’Hara runs multiple trials of KRAS inhibitors at Penn.

Some of them are testing the inhibitor as a treatment for patients with metastatic cancer after other options have stopped working. Another is evaluating its use in combination with chemotherapy as an initial approach.

“I’m looking for more tools to put in that toolbox, and I think this provides a new tool,” O’Hara said.

Ben Stanger, a gastroenterologist and scientist at Penn, has led experiments in mice that showed combining a KRAS inhibitor with immunotherapy may be more effective than using the former alone.

If this approach makes it into clinical trials as well, it could still take years to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the combination.

He believes KRAS inhibitors could be “a game-changer” for pancreatic cancer if approved, particularly if paired with other anti-cancer drugs.

“Goal number one would be to make pancreas cancer, instead of a death sentence, into a more ‘chronic’ disease that is treated over time,” he said.

The federal government has granted the drug Breakthrough Therapy and Orphan Drug designations.

In October, the drug was also one of the first selected for a new program that aims to accelerate review times for drugs from one year to as short as a month, potentially putting it on a faster path to approval.

Limited options

When Blair first started having back pain around May 2024, she thought it was a pulled muscle from kickboxing.

She put a heating pad on the back of her chair and went on with life.

After her father had a stroke that July, she got it checked out at the hospital where he was admitted.

A day later, she was diagnosed with stage 2B pancreatic cancer.

“My first thought is, ‘I’m dying,’” she said.

Had she been diagnosed earlier, she would have retired early, instead of worrying about saving money.

Instead, she spent her final working year undergoing surgery to remove part of her pancreas, spleen, and several lymph nodes, followed by 12 difficult sessions of chemotherapy.

When she finished her last session in March, Blair’s scans showed no evidence of the cancer. But by late April, her back pain returned.

Two months later, more scans showed that the cancer was now considered stage 4, as it had metastasized to her liver, forming 10 to 15 new tumors.

Her best option was to enter a clinical trial of daraxonrasib at Penn.

Much to her relief, she was chosen to receive the drug in July upon enrolling in a study in which half of patients are randomized to receive chemotherapy.

“It’s enabled me to start living again,” she said, but knows eventually the therapy will likely stop working.

In that case, doctors may try the standard chemotherapy — which usually works for three to four months — or test a different therapy based on her cancer’s genomic profile, O’Hara said.

For now, she described herself as “living scan to scan,” seeking as much time as possible with her son, grandchildren, and husband.

Blair’s next evaluation is in February. She hopes it shows her disease remains stable, and she can stay in the trial.

“The alternative, honestly, is death,” she said.

©2026 The Philadelphia Inquirer, LLC. Visit at inquirer.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

But the Flyers defenseman is a realist. At 31, he realizes this could be his first and last Olympics. Which is why he wants to make the most of this opportunity at Milano Cortina when the world’s best hit the ice.

“Very special,” he said of the appointment during a media Zoom call. “Missed the last one because the NHL didn’t go, and now you never know what’s going to happen in four years. So this could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. So very excited.”

The native of Turku has played in 242 games for the Flyers, with 10 goals and 61 points. For his career, the 6-foot-4, 208-pounder has accumulated 784 games, 56 goals and 306 points.

Ristolainen, 31, was acquired from the Buffalo Sabres on July 23, 2021. The trade sent defenseman Robert Hagg to the Sabres along with a first-round pick (13th overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft.

Surgery had kept him out of the Flyers lineup from February to mid-December. He has played in eight games since his return, with two assists and an even plus-minus.

There might have been some doubt if Ristolainen would be ready to play in the Olympics. But he’s erased any concerns about his readiness.

“I really tried hard to make sure I get healthy,” Ristolainen said. “And to get some games in before that, too. So we have been going well and I feel healthy. It means a lot to be named.”

Paired with Nick Seeler for much of the 2024-25 season, Ristolainen was enjoying one of his best years prior to the injury. The pairing was often used in key defensive situations.

In his eight games back, Ristolainen looks like his old self. His physical play can bring fans out of their seats, and he shows no signs of letting up in that department.

He was injured for the 4 Nations Face-off Tournament in February. This Olympic appearance will help make up for any regrets.

“Injuries happen when you play a long time,” he said. “You can’t do anything about that. I was excited about 4 Nations and ended up watching it on TV. It looked pretty fun and exciting. It kind of felt bad that I couldn’t make the team.

“I’ve been working my butt off for nine months trying to get healthy and then getting in some games.”

Ristolainen believes his style fits in well with the intense Olympic tournament, especially his physical play.

“(The Olympics) are kind of like (Stanley Cup) playoff games, almost,” he said. “One winner takes it all type thing. That kind of makes it for me.”

Finland is a threat for a medal. Just about everyone has their eyes on teams like Canada, the U.S. and Sweden, but Finland is a legitimate dark horse candidate.

“A very good team,” Ristolainen said. “We have a lot of good players. Finland always has a chance and now, hopefully, we’re going there to take it all home.”

Ristolainen likes the Flyers’ chances the rest of the season.

“When we get back, that time of year, the games get even harder,” he said. “A lot to play for. The games have a lot of speed, playoff-like hockey. Coming back, feeling pretty good about myself. Getting into the playoffs with the Flyers a big goal for myself.”

Ristolainen joins fellow Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim, named last week to the Canadian Olympic team, and Latvian forward Rodrigo Abols as Flyers named to Olympic rosters.

There was speculation that Flyers goaltender Samuel Ersson might be named to Team Sweden’s roster, but that did not happen. Ersson has experienced a sub-par season so far with Philadelphia.

Ersson had been on Team Sweden for 4 Nations. Only one goalie from that team – Minnesota’s Filip Gustavsson – made the Olympic roster. He’s joined by Wild backup Jesper Wallstedt and New Jersey’s Jacob Markstrom.

Markstrom was unavailable due to injury for last February’s tournament. Linus Ullmark, currently on a personal leave of absence from the Ottawa Senators, also was on the 4 Nations roster but not the Olympic team.

Luis A. Carlo, 32, was attending to a disabled vehicle on the side of the road on Interstate 476 northbound when he was hit by a passing vehicle, according to the Carbon County Coroner’s office. The crash happened about 3:20 a.m. at mile marker 76 in Franklin Township.

Carlo was pronounced dead at the scene about an hour later.

His cause of death was multiple blunt-force trauma, with the manner accidental.

State police said Carlo was helping a tow company load a disabled a vehicle on to a tow truck at the time.

A 27-year-old Allentown man driving an SUV was approaching the vehicles when he swerved from the left lane to the shoulder, hitting Carlo, according to a state police news release. The SUV overturned after hitting Carlo, police said.

The driver was not injured, while three of his passengers suffered injuries, police said. All were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.

State police and the Carbon County District Attorney’s office are investigating the crash.

Yet, with the budget delayed by months, the state saw many of its institutions in precarious positions, while higher ed costs and big changes from the feds made headlines all year long.

Tuition trouble

Ballooning expenses for everyday families were a central focus in the world of higher education. One report found that the state faces the steepest costs for higher education in the country.

For the first time in years, the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education was forced to raise its tuition rate, this time by $139 per semester. Nevertheless, the system graduated 21,000 students in the spring and introduced course-sharing across campuses to continue streamlining activity between its 10 universities. The schools still face declining enrollment.

At the same time, the state’s private and state-related institutions took heat from the federal government for their soaring costs. Penn was among Ivy League schools called by Congress to answer for alleged tuition-fixing.

A poll found that the majority of Pennsylvanians, 69%, would support a tuition grant system for students attending community colleges and PASSHE schools. Bills were introduced that would give tuition to indigenous students and out-of-state foster students, respectively, and to offer in-state tuition to long-term residents regardless of citizenship.

Higher ed fed-aches

As the federal government slashed research budgets in its efforts to root out waste and DEI, or diversity equity and inclusion, The Center Square dove deep into Pennsylvania’s higher education landscape. A series of articles examined the nature of federal funding and school spending at major research institutions like Penn State and the University of Pennsylvania.

The reports found that the state’s wealthiest schools, like Penn, receive the most funding but still struggle with the publish-or-perish grant cycle. Meanwhile, state-funded schools are a world away from their state-related counterparts.

As dust settled from pulled funding, the Trump administration extended an offer to a select group of schools: enter a compact committing to its policies and receive grant opportunities and special consideration. Penn politely declined, with liberals and conservatives alike supporting the decision.

In other areas, Pennsylvania schools were more willing to work with federal priorities. Penn acquiesced to demands from the Department of Education regarding perceived Title IX violations, and schools worked to bolster their defenses against antisemitism with encouragement from U.S. Sens. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., and John Fetterman, D-Pa.

Basic education funds

The state’s K-12 schools ultimately received an increase in basic education funding, but in the months before the budget passed, many sounded the alarm that they were running out of money — and time. For immediate relief, the Treasury offered low-interest loans.

A major pain point for the state’s nearly 3,000 schools are their aging facilities. Legislators continue to seek out ways to approach the daunting task of maintenance and repairs.

To pay for it, and to continue closing the funding adequacy gap, some lawmakers have proposed ending the current system of local property tax-based funding for the system. They aim to replace it with an education trust fund.

It’s likely still too soon to tell if the increases to basic education made in the last budget season are having their desired effect. This year’s state standardized assessment scores showed decline in several areas with increases in a few, including attendance.

Funding for certain schools, however, was reevaluated in the new budget and promises to deliver money back into the pockets of districts who have been sending tuition out to cyber charters. The reform follows a damning report from the Pennsylvania Auditor General Tim DeFoor. Meanwhile, an AI charter proposal was roundly dismissed by the state.

Policy points

At the federal level, Secretary of Education and former professional wrestling executive Linda McMahon worked to “put herself out of a job.” The Democratic co-chair of the state senate’s education committee, Sen. Lindsey Williams, D-Pittsburgh, voiced strong opposition, even proposing a state-level agency to replace the cuts.

State policies also came under the microscope, with bipartisan talk around the topic of school cell phone bans. Recognizing that even with bans in place, students are subject to misinformation, disinformation, and AI-generated content, some lawmakers discussed media bias and information literacy.

Safety continued to be a major topic. The governor signed into law new policy that requires schools to report to all parents any infringement of weapons policies, even those that are unintended. The Safe2Say program continued to improve, giving students an anonymous venue to voice concerns about issues like suicide or school violence. Still, one analysis from the conservative policy organization, the Commonwealth Foundation, found that 40% of the state’s schools were “persistently dangerous.”

The perennial fight for school choice, which is popular amongst voters, continued, once again left off the table by Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget proposal. Scholarship programs for students in low-performing schools were floated in a bipartisan senate bill. The state’s existing tax credit program turned students away from lifeline scholarships.

Safety King Mack, who started eight games after returning to the Nittany Lions, is the latest and most surprising player to enter the portal. He emerged as a team leader after James Franklin was fired as head coach and Terry Smith was named interim coach.

A junior from Miami, Fla., he began his career at Penn State in 2023, transferred to Alabama for the 2024 season and came back to the Lions for this season. One report said that he might be headed to Tennessee, where he would join defensive coordinator Jim Knowles and safeties coach Anthony Poindexter, who’s leaving Penn State for the Volunteers.

Mack is one of several front-line Penn State players who plan to transfer, joining quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, offensive lineman T.J. Shanahan, tight end Luke Reynolds, defensive ends Zuriah Fisher, Jaylen Harvey and Chaz Coleman, defensive tackle Xavier Gilliam, linebacker Keon Wylie and cornerbacks A.J. Harris and Elliot Washington II.

Ryan Barker, the most accurate kicker in school history, announced early Friday morning that he’s returning to Penn State, along with linebacker Tony Rojas, cornerback Audavion Collins, safety Dejuan Lane and others.

The Penn State roster tracker below will be updated frequently.

Players returning

Owen Aliciene: offensive lineman, freshman

Ryan Barker: kicker, redshirt sophomore

Henry Boehme: offensive lineman, redshirt sophomore

Audavion Collins: cornerback, redshirt junior

Cooper Cousins: offensive lineman, sophomore

Daryus Dixson: cornerback, freshman

Anthony Donkoh: offensive lineman, redshirt sophomore

Finn Furmanek: tight end, redshirt sophomore

Max Granville: defensive end, redshirt freshman

Koby Howard: wide receiver, freshman

Yvan Kemajou: defensive end, freshman

Dejuan Lane: safety, sophomore

Quinton Martin Jr.: running back, redshirt freshman

Chimdy Onoh: offensive lineman, redshirt sophomore

Andrew Rappleyea: tight end, redshirt sophomore

Tony Rojas: linebacker, junior

Garrett Sexton: offensive lineman, redshirt freshman

Alex Tatsch: linebacker, freshman

Vaboue Toure: safety, redshirt freshman

Players in the transfer portal

Alex Birchmeier: offensive lineman, redshirt sophomore

Eagan Boyer: offensive lineman, redshirt freshman

Josiah Brown: wide receiver, redshirt freshman

Chaz Coleman: defensive end, freshman

Aaron Enterline: wide receiver, redshirt freshman

Jeff Exinor Jr.: wide receiver, freshman

Zuriah Fisher: defensive end, redshirt senior

Xavier Gilliam: defensive tackle, redshirt freshman

Ethan Grunkemeyer: quarterback, redshirt freshman

A.J. Harris: cornerback, junior

Jaylen Harvey: defensive end, redshirt freshman

Anthony Ivey: wide receiver, redshirt junior

Kari Jackson: linebacker, redshirt freshman

Daniel Jennings: defensive end, freshman

Karson Kiesewetter: safety, redshirt sophomore

Bekkem Kritza: quarterback, freshman

King Mack: safety, junior

Lamont Payne Jr.: safety, redshirt sophomore

Luke Reynolds: tight end, sophomore

Kaden Saunders: wide receiver, redshirt junior

Joey Schlaffer: tight end, redshirt sophomore

T.J. Shanahan: offensive lineman, redshirt sophomore

Sam Siafa: defensive tackle, redshirt junior

Corey Smith: running back, redshirt freshman

Jaxon Smolik: quarterback, redshirt sophomore

Anthony Speca: linebacker, redshirt freshman

Cam Wallace: running back, redshirt sophomore

Elliot Washington II: cornerback, junior

J’ven Williams: offensive lineman, redshirt sophomore

Keon Wylie: linebacker, redshirt junior