Sports digest 1/14/02

Football

A power struggle between owner and coach left Marty Schottenheimer without a job and put the Washington Redskins in position to win the Steve Spurrier sweepstakes.

Schottenheimer was fired Sunday night after he refused to renegotiate a clause in his contract that gave him ultimate authority on player moves. That clause was touted by owner Dan Snyder when he gave Schottenheimer the title of director of football operations, but 12 months of debatable decisions made Snyder reconsider his decision.

Spurrier has said he doesn't want to be anything more than a coach. After spurning Snyder's overtures a year ago, the former Florida boss reached an "agreement in principle" on a five-year contract worth about $25 million, a Redskins source said on condition of anonymity.

The Redskins also will hire a general manager.

Schottenheimer will receive the $7.5 million remaining on the four-year contract he signed a year ago. The Redskins went 8-8 in his only season, becoming the first NFL team to go from 0-5 to 5-5.

The Chiefs signed offensive specialist and ArenaBowl XV MVP Terrill Shaw to a two-year deal. The 6-foot, 175-pound Shaw was to return to the Rampage for his first full season before signing with the Chiefs.

Colleges

The Southeast Missouri State University women's track and field team won the five-team Saluki Booster Club Invitational on Saturday thanks to a pair of individual wins. Hannah Stuckenschneider (400m dash) and Anna Verseman (1600m run) each won events. The Southeast men got individual wins by Chaz Brown (600m run), Tyson Brown (800m run), the distance medley team (Jared Tanz, Tyson Brown, Chad Sierman, Adam Shupe) and Jaret Willi (pole vault) and finished third overall.

Golf

Jerry Kelly produced two flawless swings to set up a two-putt birdie on the final hole for a one-stroke victory over John Cook, earning the Sony Open title in Honolulu and his first PGA Tour victory in his 200th career start.

"I'm not going to sleep for a week," said Kelly, who closed with an even-par 70 on a balmy day at Waialae Country Club.

Playing on his 36th birthday, Craig Parry went to the 18th hole in the New Zealand Open in Paraparaumu Beach one shot behind Michael Campbell. When he walked off the final green, Parry had a two-shot lead after his own birdie and Campbell's double-bogey at 17. Parry finished with a 68 for a four-round total of 273, 11-under on the par-71 course. Tiger Woods, thwarted by greens that wouldn't give him a break, shot a 69 to finish in a tie for sixth, six strokes behind Parry.

High schools

Oran is the No. 1 seed for the seven-team Scott Mississippi Conference boys basketball tournament that begins today at Delta High School. The Eagles have a first-round bye.

Two opening-round games will be today (No. 2 Scott County Central vs. No. 7 Kelly at 5 p.m., No. 3 Scott City vs. No. 6 Chaffee at 8 p.m.). The final first-round game at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday pits No. 4 Delta against No. 5 East Prairie.

The semifinals will be Thursday and the championship game at 8 p.m. Friday.

Jackson High finished sixth in the St. Charles West Invitational late Saturday. Individually, the Indians' Brock Howard (112 lbs.), Seth Harrell (215) and Luke Wade (heavyweight) each finished second.

-- Staff, wire reports