— Shallotte Middle School took a 48-14 football win over visiting Town Creek on Wednesday in the semifinals of the Brunswick County playoffs. The Pirates will take on Leland in the championship at North Brunswick on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
— West Brunswick is the No. 16 seed for the NCHSAA 6-A girls tennis playoffs and will host No. 17 White Oak in the first round. The winner will play at top-seeded Greenville Rose in the second round.
— Cleveland forced a deciding game in the MLB divisional playoffs on Thursday night with a 9-5 win over the host Chicago White Sox, scoring six runs in the sixth inning. The series will be decided as the Guardians host game five on Saturday night (TBS, 8 p.m.).
— Previously winless Tampa Bay topped host Dallas, 24-16, on Thursday night as Bucky Irving ran 21 times for 165 yards and a touchdown.
— College football games tonight include Florida State at Louisville (ESPN, 7 p.m.), No. 20 Iowa at Washington (FOX, 8 p.m.), Wyoming at San Jose State (CBS Sports Network, 9 p.m.), Washington State at Utah State (CW, 9 p.m.) and Iowa State at No. 8 Brigham Young (ESPN, 10:15 p.m.).
— Houston defeated Dallas, 135-117, in an NBA preseason game in China today. Cooper Flagg (Duke) had 19 points for the Mavericks.
— Jacob Bridgeman and Keith Mitchell share a 2-stroke lead at 13-under par in the PGA Tour event in Japan going into the third round today (Golf Channel, 11 p.m.).
