Nine game weeks into the 2025-26 Premier League season, the chips have fallen in some very unexpected ways. The contenders have set the pace – though some big names have fallen slightly behind – while the newly promoted sides have shown some real character through the opening nine fixtures.

The unexpected: Newly promoted Sunderland, Bournemouth leading the pack, Liverpool struggles, Nottingham Forest disaster

Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo celebrating a goal against Liverpool. Photo: sports.yahoo.com.

These four teams have produced the most shocking set of nine results among all 20 teams. Newly promoted Sunderland sit FOURTH in the table; in fact, there have only been five newly promoted sides who have scored more points than Sunderland through 9 games – ever. This success can be attributed to the Black Cat’s summer spending; they spent 187 million pounds in the summer window, bringing in 14 players. It will be interesting to see how they continue, with doubts about the long-term reliability of their counter-attacking style of play, but for now, they sit in the top four.

In a similar fashion, Bournemouth shocked everyone – including themselves – by being second in the table through the opening stretch. Led by attacking Antoine Semenyo, Bournemouth’s only loss came in game week one against defending champions Liverpool.

On the other hand, two top teams from last season have underperformed so far: Liverpool and Forest. Whilst they do only find themselves two points outside the top four, Liverpool have lost four Premier League games on the bounce. Star winger Mohamed Salah has been the invisible man, having found the back of the net a mere three times in nine starts. Might there be long-term issues brewing in Liverpool? We will see.

Arguably, the most shocking start to a team’s season is Nottingham Forest’s dreadful set of opening fixtures; they are in a disaster. For a team that qualified for Europe last season, to be on their third manager in nine league games is a terrifying reality for the fans. After sacking manager Nuno Santos, Forest appointed Ange Postecoglou, who managed two points of a possible 24 in his 8 games at Forest, before ultimately getting the sack. Forest has since hired the highly respected manager Sean Dyche in their hunt to stay alive in the Premier League.

The Newly promoted sides: Sunderland, Leeds United, and Burnley.

Newly promoted Sunderland AFC is celebrating after a goal against Brentford. Photo: rocker report.

It has been years since all three promoted sides started a season, and these three have done so as well. As previously mentioned, Sunderland has been outstanding, while Leeds and Burnley have exceeded everyone’s expectations in their own right. All three teams sit outside the relegation zone and have recorded some good results against solid opposition. The promoted sides’ success will make for an enthralling battle to stay alive in the league, as household names such as West Ham and Wolves are now under considerable pressure.

Drama, history, tension, talent, you name it; the NBA’s tip-off night had it. After a long wait through the summer months and the rather unserious preseason games in September, October 21^st rolled around, and with it came the buzz of the NBA.

Shai Gilgeous Alexander (#2) drives to the hoop in his opening night victory against the Rockets. (Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images)

The commissioner definitely knew what he was doing with the schedule because the season tipped off with two matches destined to have fireworks, and they didn’t disappoint. The first match of the night was last year’s NBA Champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, versus last year’s two-seeded Houston Rockets. The match was a shootout between the stars with last year’s league MVP Shai Gilgeous Alexander supplying the Thunder with 35 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists, while up-and-comer Alperen Sengun dumped 39 points and 9 rebounds for the Rockets; effectively one-upping Shai. The match was close throughout the four quarters, but as the clock wound down, the Rockets had the lead and didn’t look like they were going to give it up, that is, until the Thunder put on a heroic team effort and clawed back, eventually tying the match just before the end of regulation. With the game headed into overtime, all fans were on the edge of their seats, the teams traded baskets for what felt like eternity – even stretching into a second period of overtime after the Rockets tied the game up again right before the end of the first overtime. In the end, however, the Rockets’ luck ran out, despite Sengun’s heroic effort. It was Shai Gilgeous Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder who came out on top, starting the season as they mean to continue, as they follow the quest to defend their title.

Doncic after scoring 3 of his 43 points against the Warriors on opening night. (William Liang-Imagn Images)

Hard to follow that game up, I know, but in the second and final fixture of the night, the Los Angeles Lakers versus the Golden State Warriors somehow managed to live up to the expectations. In a battle between one of, if not the most historic franchises in NBA history, and the most dominant franchise basketball has seen in the last couple of decades, it was the new signings who showed up for their teams. In last year’s mid-year trade window, the Golden State Warriors picked up veteran and journeyman Jimmy Butler, while the Lakers picked up Luka Doncic, a young star who many consider to be the face of the league. The match, while not being as close as the Thunder-Rockets game, was once again a shootout between the two stars. Butler assisted his Warriors with 35 points and 5 assists, which helped his team edge Doncic’s Lakers despite his heroic 43-point, 9-assist night.

Safe to say that this preview for the NBA season will have drawn in viewership from all over the world. Who could watch that and not be intrigued about the rest of the season? The title defense will not be easy for the Thunder this year. That is a fact. With challengers coming from every part of the U.S every week for the next nine months, it will be a near miracle if they can hold them all off. All eyes will most definitely be glued to the NBA this season, keen to see if Shai and the Thunder can retain the title they worked so hard to get, or if the title contenders will knock them off in their ruthless pursuit to be basketball’s number one team.

As the midway point of the season nears, teams are forced to come to terms with their situation; everyone becomes either a buyer or a seller. Over the last 7 weeks, some teams have surprised everyone – In the New England Patriots Case, they have been a pleasant surprise, while others, such as the Miami Dolphins and Baltimore Ravens, have treated fans to ugly performances all season long. This article delves into a few teams that have exceeded expectations and a few that have woefully disappointed their fan base.

On the bright side: New England Patriots (5-2)

Photo: rotoballer.com

New England had itself a modest off-season this year. They made a lot of good, functional signings – but no big splashes. Because of this, most wrote them off before the year started, figuring that a team with a 4-13 record in 2024 would remain an AFC bottom-feeder. Very contrary to expectations, the Patriots are currently top of their division and have a record of 5-2; joint second in the AFC.

What’s gone well?

New England isn’t the fancy caviar that everyone looks forward to on the menu; instead, they’ve been the quality burger that consistently gets the job done. Outstanding quarterback play, along with a “bend but don’t break” defense, has catapulted this franchise to the top of the conference. Through 6 games, Quarterback Drake Maye has averaged 249 pass yards per game, while throwing for 12 touchdowns and only being picked off twice. Those numbers are on par with the likes of Baker Mayfield and Patrick Mahomes. On the other side of the ball, the Patriot defense ranks 5^th best in points allowed per game (19) – they’ve given up more than 20 points only once this season – while ranking 8^th in takeaways (9).

Photo: pewterreport.com

On the Bright side: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-1)

Baker Mayfield is that dude. Through 6 games, Mayfield is 4^th in passing yards, 4^th in passing touchdowns, and has thrown for the fewest interceptions of any quarterback to start five games or more, being picked off just once. Another bright spot for Tampa has been rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, who sits 5^th in receiving yards and joint 3^rd in touchdowns. Though they don’t have a defense capable of keeping teams out of the endzone, they have an offense that opposing defenses can’t stop either.

What’s gone well?

Tampa’s gamble on Baker Mayfield a few years ago is paying huge dividends. The front office deserves a lot of credit for having surrounded Mayfield with pass catchers and an O-line that will keep him upright.

In the bin: The Miami Dolphins (1-6)

Photo: NFL.com

The Miami Dolphins began the season with big aspirations. They have some of the flashiest assets in the NFL, but flashy doesn’t translate to performance. In Many’s eyes, the Dolphins’ makeup was all wrong from the beginning. Those who doubted Miami have been proved right; this team hasn’t produced anything positive—they sit 26th in offensive points per game and 29^th in points allowed per game. They currently have one of the worst records in the NFL and will almost certainly miss the playoffs.

What’s gone wrong?

Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has been inconsistent and turnover-prone all season long. Furthermore, one could mistake the defense for a block of Swiss cheese because there are holes everywhere – and to cap it all off, their best player suffered one of the worst leg injuries we’ve seen since Dak Prescott went down 5 years ago against the Giants. In fairness, the Dolphins have been on the wrong side of some close games—losing three by 6 points—though they have been a bad team overall.

Photo: espn.com

In the bin: The Baltimore Ravens (1-5)

Nobody on earth would have guessed that the Baltimore Ravens would find themselves in danger of missing the playoffs this early in the season. Unlike most teams struggling, the Ravens’ 1-5 record is more attributable to being without two-time MVP Lamar Jackson than to a lack of talent or ability. Through the first three games with Lamar, Baltimore suffered a narrow defeat to the Bills in week one, bounced back in week two, and then lost a one-point game to Detroit. In week 4, they played the Chiefs, where they would lose Lamar midway through the game. Since the absence of Jackson, the Ravens have been trounced by both the Texans and the Rams.

What’s gone wrong?

The Ravens’ only glaring issue that can be attributed to not having Lamar Jackson is their defense. On paper, they have one of the best secondaries in the NFL. Despite this, they have allowed the most points per game of any team in the league and have given up the 5th-most passing yards per game. Essentially, Baltimore is 1-5 because they don’t have a quarterback, and their defense is atrocious.

The 2024-25 Prep Team celebrates its third consecutive championship at South Kent. Photo provided.

The boys’ Prep hockey team recently headed to South Kent School in South Kent, Connecticut, to defend their back-to-back-to-back championships in South Kent’s annual tournament. The layout for this tournament is that there are 4 teams, and each team plays 3 games. The team with the best record at the end of the weekend claims the championship.

Last year, the Prep team swept through the tournament, beating the New Jersey Rockets, South Kent Selects, and Upper Canada College. This year, the boys’ team played the same teams but unfortunately had a different outcome.

Northwood played the 8th-ranked New Jersey Rockets in their first game. This game was quite a battle. After the first two periods, Northwood dominated and took a 2-1 lead in the third. However, the Rockets battled back and scored a late goal to tie the game 2-2. The game would head into overtime, where Northwood would dominate again, but neither team came out on top.  The game went to a shootout, where the Rockets ended up winning after what seemed like an endless shootout.

In Northwood’s second game, the Huskies took on 12^th-ranked South Kent. The Huskies, being hungry from their prior loss, were looking for a victory. However, the game was hard-fought from start to finish. South Kent took a 1-0 lead early in the game, and the game stayed 1-0 until late in the third period. Senior forward Max Stracar made a no-look backhanded pass to his linemate, Peter Amigh; Peter took a one-timer and slid it right past the goalie’s pad to tie the game 1-1. Regulation ended, and that meant another overtime for Northwood. The Huskies made sure they would take this one; in overtime, senior forward Charles Pigeon found, once again, Peter Amigh. Peter made no mistake in this opportunity and put the puck right under the crossbar for the Northwood victory.

In the Huskies’ third and final game, they needed to win in regulation to have a chance at winning the tournament. If the Rockets lost to South Kent and Northwood won, the Huskies would win the tournament. The Huskies took on a familiar opponent in their final game: Upper Canada College. This game was not the Huskies’ strongest showing, and they lost to Upper Canada College 4-2 with an empty net goal at the end of the game.

When asked about the weekend, Captain Parker Thompson ‘26 said, “We played the first two games hard. We should have come out on top against the Rockets, but it is what it is. We had a nice bounce-back game, taking down South Kent, but it sucks that we could not continue that momentum into the final game. This game was big, and we were just too confident against an opponent we had already beaten before. Something we can learn from in the future and prevent from happening as we get deeper into the season.”

Teams in the Prep Hockey Conference. Source: PHC.

The Boys’ Prep Hockey team has its first league games at home this weekend – October 25-26^th. The Prep Team competes in the PHC (Prep Hockey Conference), the premier prep league in North America. The Huskies take on South Kent Selects at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday and at noon on Sunday.

The Huskies hope to continue their momentum from last weekend and sweep the Selects, starting league play 2-0. Last year, the Huskies’ record against the Selects in the PHC was 3-1, beating them 3 times and only losing to them once. However, South Kent is not a pushover by any means, being ranked 12^th in the country and taking the Huskies to overtime earlier in the season.

“There really is just nothing like PHC games. The intensity of the game is like no other,” returning goaltender Owen MacLean ‘26 said when asked about the PHC. “All of the teams in the league are not only good, but rivals. There’s a distinct energy to these games, and the desire to win is palpable when watching them. The speed, physicality, and determination are all at another level during these games. It is tough, but it is so much fun!” MacLean added.

Max Stracar, senior forward, is new to the team and has never played in a PHC game before. “I am excited… A little bit nervous but overall excited,” Stracar said. “The PHC is really like no other league in America. The level of play is just different. PHC is one of the reasons why I chose Northwood; the level of competition cannot be matched anywhere else. I am excited,” Stracar added.

Last year, the Huskies were first in their division by the end of the regular season, but ended up losing in the PHC finals to Saint Andrews College. The Huskies hope to return to the position they held last year; however, their goal is to win the PHC. The Huskies are as hungry as ever and are excited to get their league play underway!

Illustration by Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA).

Recently, the best ski jumpers in the country gathered in Lake Placid for the Flaming Leaves Festival. The festival serves as the U.S. Senior National Championships for ski jumping and Nordic combined. All six Husky ski jumpers and nordic combiners competed, including Max Fey ‘28, Islay Sheil ‘28, Duncan Van Dorn ‘28, Eli Larkin ‘27, Henry Loher ‘26, and Jack Kroll ‘26.

The weekend would be a challenge for all as the inconsistent wind conditions led to long delays, making for long days at the hill. “My results weren’t quite what I was hoping for. Throughout the weekend, I had a tough draw with my starting position. I was the first boy to jump each day. Every time there was a delay in the girls’ comp in front of us, I would already be getting ready and had to stop and reset. I also had pretty unlucky wind conditions as it got better later in the round. Considering that, I had alright jumps. Definitely a lot to take away from this one,” Jack Kroll ‘26 said.

“I was happy with the results over the weekend,” Eli Larkin ‘27 said. “I worked hard this weekend. Also, this event prepared me well for our next competition in Colorado that is coming up soon. I can only hope to get better results for the year. Overall, the event was fun, and everyone was having a great time,” Larkin added.

Not only was the Festival a chance to compete, but also a chance to catch up with other ski jumpers from around the country. “My favorite part was being able to see my friends from around the country because I don’t get to see them much,” Islay Sheil ‘28 said. “The event was fun because there were a lot of people and a lot of food trucks and other things happening,” she added.

“It’s rare that all of these athletes are in one place,” Kroll said. ”Many train in Europe, and we only see each other once a year. Also, getting to work with the National Team coaches is always a highlight,” Kroll added.

Nordic Combined USA athletes’ photo. Photo by Seth Rothchild Photography.

Overall, Northwood athletes did pretty well at U.S. Nationals. On Saturday, the highlights were Larkin finishing 10^th and Fey 15^th.  For Nordic combined on Saturday, Fey finished 7^th and Van Dorn 10^th. On Sunday, all athletes finished in the top 30, with Loher in 8^th, and Larkin in 12^th. Additionally, Sheil got 16^th. For Sunday’s 10k in Nordic combined Fey finished 7^th.

2025 World Series logo. Source: MLB.com.

The 2025 Major League Baseball season is winding down, but the action is heating up. Now, just two teams remain: the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are set to face off in the 2025 World Series, which starts Friday, October 24th, in Toronto.

The Dodgers had a relatively easy path to the World Series and have lost only one game in the postseason.  They went 2-0, winning the wild card against the Cincinnati Reds 3-1, knocking out the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS, and then sweeping the Milwaukee Brewers, who had the best regular-season record, in the NLCS. Most teams would celebrate even making it to the World Series, but after the game four win against the Brewers, critics noticed a distinct lack of celebration. For the Dodgers, merely getting to the World Series isn’t enough; they have to win.

For the Blue Jays, the road to the World Series was much bumpier. They had a bye in the wild card before playing the Yankees in the ALDS. The Jays won the series 3-1. Then, they had the tough draw of playing the Seattle Mariners in the ALCS. Lucky for the Blue Jays, the Mariners went to game 5 in the ALDS and won in the 15^th inning, meaning virtually all their pitchers got used, leaving very few options for game 1 of the ALCS. Against the odds, the Mariners won both games in Toronto and took a 2-0 series lead heading back home to Seattle. The Jays responded by winning games 3 and 4 in Seattle, tying up the series 2-2. Seattle would win game 5, making game 6 in Toronto a win-or-go-home game for the Jays. They would win and force the words every sports fan dreams of: game 7—a winner-takes-all instant classic.

George Springer celebrates as he rounds the bases after his go-ahead 3-run homer. Photo by CNN.

Both teams scored 1 in the first inning. By the 5th, the Mariners took a 3-1 lead. The Blue Jays had men in scoring position almost every inning but failed to cash in with the big hit. Then, in the bottom of the 7^th, the Blue Jays would find their big hit when George Springer hit a 3-run bomb to give the Blue Jays a 4-3 lead. From there, the Blue Jays’ pitching did the rest and shut down the Mariners, sending the Blue Jays to their first World Series in 32 years.

The World Series is a best-of-7 series with the first two games in Toronto, followed by 3 in LA, and 2 in Toronto if needed. It is expected to be one of, if not the most, viewed World Series in history, with the entire country of Canada poised to tune in.

The Blue Jays celebrate after securing their first trip to the World Series in 32 years. Photo by MLB.com.

On paper, the Dodgers have the advantage with multiple MVPs in their lineup, the second-highest payroll in baseball, and a team loaded with postseason experience, not to mention they are the defending World Series champions. They have the best pitching staff in baseball. One of their pitchers is also their best hitter. In Game 4 of the NLCS, Shohei Ohtani struck out 10 batters as the starter while hitting three home runs. Many are calling this one of the single greatest sporting moments and achievements of all time.

The Blue Jays are coming in hot, and they have the “homefield advantage.”  Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is having one of the best postseasons ever, batting .442 with a 1.440 OPS. George Springer has hit clutch home runs every time his team needed him to. Additionally, offensive reinforcements are on the way as Bo Bichette has announced he will be back from injury for the World Series. During the regular season, the star shortstop batted .311.

Shohei Ohtani rounding the bases on one of his three home runs in Game 4 of the NLCS. Photo by Bleacher Report.

The Dodgers are the favorites to win, but that’s not to say the Blue Jays don’t have a shot. Game 1 in Toronto is essential to the Jays. If they can win game one or game 2, they have a chance. They can’t lose both games at home as momentum is key. The Blue Jays also cannot give free outs to the Dodgers. Their defense has to be on point because if you provide the Dodgers with a chance, they will pounce on it. The Blue Jays also have to be aggressive and try to knock out the Dodgers’ starters early. When the series heads west to LA, the Blue Jays need to find a way to win at least one game and two if they want to have a real shot at the championship. If the series makes it back to Toronto, the Dodgers may be in trouble. The Blue Jays will have the momentum and home-field advantage, and, for the first time, the Dodgers will be under threat of elimination. They won’t be able to cruise like normal, and if they tighten up, we may see the Blue Jays take the win.

Now for my predictions. I’m going with the Blue Jays in 7, in what I hope to be one of the best matchups of all time. For individual games, here are my predictions: game-1 Jays, game-2 Dodgers, game-3 Dodgers, game-4 Jays, game-5 5-Dodgers, game-6 Jays, and game-7 Jays.

Here are some of the big stories from week 4 of the NFL season.

Dolphins win despite losing wide receiver Tyreek Hill for the season.

Hill, pictured being carted off the field. Photo: Sports Illustrated

The Jets and Dolphins – both winless after three games – battled it out on Monday Night Football. Though both teams were searching for their first win, it wasn’t due to a lack of talent, making for a great game. The way the game unfolded was rather emblematic of both teams. By and large, the Jets’ offense had several convincing drives down the field; however, the Jets did Jet things, and by the end of the fourth quarter, they recorded three fumbles, all of which the Dolphins recovered. The Dolphins executed rather well in this game, relative to their play so far this season. Their defense made big plays, and their run game was effective.

Tyreek Hill Injury:

Despite the game being mildly entertaining, the news of this game is the injury to star Tyreek Hill. In the third quarter, the Fins’ wide receiver went down with a gruesome leg injury. He was carted off the field, put in an air cast, and transported to the hospital. It has since been confirmed that he suffered a dislocated knee and multiple ligament tears, including a torn ACL. It is not an overreaction to say that the Fins’ outlook beyond this game is very uncertain. Their best player has been ruled out for the season; Miami has an option to get out of his current contract next season, and at 31 years old, he will only regress going forward. Needless to say, this injury is catastrophic for the Dolphins.

Trouble in Bengal land – Where do they go from here?

Bengals QB Jake Browning being sacked vs the Broncos. Photo: Yahoo Sports

The week 4 Bengals were identical to the week 3 Bengals: They were without Joe Burrow, and they got destroyed. They walked into the Mile High and left with 3 points for and 28 against. Their defense was Swiss cheese; they gave up 326 yards passing, 186 yards rushing, and a whopping 29 first downs. The offense didn’t perform much better. The most concerning department in this team is the offensive line; it is dreadful. The O-line is a culmination of the managerial mishaps the Bengals have made in recent years – they covered it up for a while, but everything comes to light at one point or another.

The question is, what do the Bengal’s do? Their franchise quarterback is out for the next 3 months, and their playoff hopes will continue to plummet each week they do not have him. In my eyes, they need to make some deals to restructure their team and their salary cap. To some, trading wide receiver Tee Higgins away may be controversial; however, dealing him away would be their best chance to acquire an impact defensive player and get some salary cap relief.

Jaxson Dart and the Giants.

Malik Nabers was injured in the game. Photo: NBC Sports Boston.

After week 3, head coach Brian Daboll made a change that many had been clamoring for: start Jaxson Dart. The first-round rookie shows the type of flash and execution that you see in many of the league’s top quarterbacks. In his first NFL start, Dart performed very well. While he only threw for 111 yards and a touchdown, he ran for 54 yards and a touchdown. Additionally, he dealt with pressure well enough, despite being sacked five times. Though they are unlikely to make the playoffs this year, the New York Giants are on the come-up.

Unfortunately for the Giants, they lost star wide receiver Malik Nabers to injury, who has now been ruled out for the season due to a torn ACL. Nabers’ injury is a big blow to New York, and we will see how significantly that will impact them going forward.

The Chiefs are… Back?

Jones, pictured, during the national anthem ahead of Ravens’ matchup. Photo: People.com

Social media’s negative buzz surrounding the Chiefs can be discarded. Kansas City outclassed the Ravens in week 4. Sure, Lamar Jackson came out of the game in the third quarter, but the Chiefs had been controlling the game up to that point. Chiefs’ QB Mahomes threw for 4 touchdowns on the day, and the return of Xavier Worthy was huge for KC. A notable contributor to this game was Chris Jones, who came directly from a funeral before the game, touching down in Kansas City 45 minutes before kickoff. He was escorted by police to the stadium and missed warmups, but suited up and played.

The Ravens fall to 1-3, now in a bit of a hole. Though they are behind the proverbial “8-ball,” they will be fine and will be in the playoffs come week 17.