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For the second straight day, a second-generation rising NASCAR star earned his first career win.

This time it was 22-year-old Layne Riggs claiming the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victory in Sunday’s playoff-opening LiUNA! 175 at the historic Milwaukee Mile.

Riggs, son of former NASCAR competitor Scott Riggs, took the lead from Ty Majeski with 53 laps remaining and pulled away to a solid 1.547-second victory over the Wisconsin native and a super-motivated group of playoff drivers, making the rookie driver’s effort all the more impressive.

Riggs’ victory in the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford comes a day after 23-year-old Harrison Burton — son of former NASCAR star Jeff Burton — earned his first career win in the NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway.

“I don’t even know how to describe it,” said an emotional Riggs, making only his 23rd start in the series, adding that he knew in practice his truck was going to be in contention. “It’s awesome.

“We’ve had a terrible year, it’s been an awful year, but I’ve learned so much though in my rookie season. After the start I thought there’s no way we’re going to get a win, we’ll do the best we can and just learn for next year. But I knew in practice this thing [today] was awesome.”

Riggs was so happy and demonstrative that he dislocated a shoulder pumping his arms high in celebration — his team rushed over to help. And it certainly appeared Riggs was OK by the time he hugged his father trackside.

“Dislocated my shoulder I was celebrating so hard, but it was worth it,” Riggs said, smiling.

Eight of the 10 playoff drivers finished just behind Riggs, including Majeski, the defending race winner and pole sitter who led 45 of the 175 laps in the No. 98 ThorSport Racing Ford. McAnally-Hilgemann Racing’s Christian Eckes was third — leading a race-high 71 laps in his No. 19 Chevrolet. REV Racing’s Nick Sanchez and TRICON Garage’s Taylor Gray rounded out the top five.

McAnally-Hilgemann’s Tyler Ankrum, Tricon Garage’s Corey Heim, McAnally-Hilgemann’s Daniel Dye and reigning series champion, ThorSport Racing’s Ben Rhodes rounded out the top nine finishers — all playoff drivers. Three-time series champion Matt Crafton was 10th.

“I was leading on the bottom and it shot up the racetrack and just couldn’t recover, I was way too tight,” said Eckes, who paced the field for much of the afternoon and collected a series-best ninth stage win. He now holds a 16-point advantage over Majeski atop the playoff standings.

Heim is third, only 19 points back.

“Proud of everybody but a pretty big missed opportunity,” Eckes said.

Among the other two playoff drivers, Grant Enfinger, of the No. 9 CR7 Motorsports Chevy, finished 13th and Rajah Caruth, of the No. 71 Spire Motorsports Chevy, rallied to an 18th-place finish after starting from the rear of the grid.

With two more races remaining in this opening round and eight of the 10 drivers advancing, Rhodes is two points behind Enfinger for that all-important eighth playoff position and Caruth is only four points back.

Round 2 of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season championship takes place Sept. 19 in a special Thursday night edition from Bristol Motor Speedway, where Heim is the defending race winner.

Field Level Media contributed to this story.

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Rich Rod bans Mountaineers from TikTok dancing

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Rich Rod bans Mountaineers from TikTok dancing

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez, like all football coaches, wants his players to show up on time, work hard and play their best.

Oh, and another thing: Don’t dance on TikTok.

“They’re going to be on it, so I’m not banning them from it,” he said Monday. “I’m just banning them from dancing on it. It’s like, look, we try to have a hard edge or whatever, and you’re in there in your tights dancing on TikTok, ain’t quite the image of our program that I want.”

Making TikTok dance videos is a popular activity among high school- and college-age users of the social media platform. Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, Boise State star Ashton Jeanty and Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola are among college football players who have posted dance videos.

Rodriguez is beginning his second stint as Mountaineers coach. He said he has talked to his players about the tendency in society to emphasize the individual rather than the team and that banning TikTok dancing is something he can do to put the focus where he thinks it belongs.

“I’m allowed to do that. I can have rules,” he said. “Twenty years from now, if they want to be sitting in their pajamas in the basement eating Cheetos and watching TikTok or whatever the hell, they can go at it, smoking cannabis, whatever. Knock yourself out.”

As for now, he said: “I hope our focus can be on winning football games. How about let’s win the football game and not worry about winning the TikTok?”

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Battle, DB star at USC and former Jet, dies at 78

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Battle, DB star at USC and former Jet, dies at 78

LOS ANGELES — Mike Battle, an All-American defensive back and a member of USC‘s 1967 national championship team who later played two seasons for the New York Jets, has died. He was 78.

He died of natural causes on March 6 in Nellysford, Virginia, the school said Tuesday.

In 1967, Battle led a USC defense that allowed only 87 points all season. The Trojans were 26-6-1 and won three conference titles during his three-year career. Battle played in the 1967, 1968 and 1969 Rose Bowl games, all won by the Trojans.

Battle was USC’s annual punt return leader in each of his three seasons and still owns the school record for most punts returned in a season. He was the NCAA statistical champion in 1967, when he had 49 returns for 608 yards, a 12.4-yard average. He also holds the school mark for most punts returned, with 99 during his three years.

He was chosen in the 12th round of the 1969 NFL draft by the Jets and played for two seasons in 1969 and 1970.

Battle appeared in the 1970 film “C.C. and Company,” a biker film starring Jets teammate Joe Namath and actor Ann-Margret.

He is survived by his wife Laura and children Christian Michael, Hunter, Frank, Michael, Kathleen, Murphy and Annie.

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Stars forward Hintz out a week with facial injury

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Stars forward Hintz out a week with facial injury

Dallas Stars forward Roope Hintz will be sidelined for a week with a facial injury but avoided a fracture.

General manager Jim Nill said Tuesday that Hintz has to keep his heart rate down for 5-7 days to avoid pressure or swelling.

Hintz, 28, was struck in the face by a puck midway through the second period in Saturday’s 5-4 loss at Edmonton. He did not return.

Hintz is tied for second on the Stars in goals (25) and is fourth in points (52) through 59 games this season.

He has 362 points (172 goals, 190 assists) in 451 career games in seven NHL seasons. Dallas drafted him in the second round in 2015.

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