Overtime

High School Basketball

Continue to submit stats to 'Chronicle'

The Augusta Chronicle is now running area leaders in the following statistical categories each Friday: Points per game, rebounds, assists, steals, blocked shots, 3-point percentage and free-throw percentage.

Player of the week nominations will also be accepted at this time. The evaluation period for the player of the week will begin on Friday and run through Tuesday night's games.

Deadlines for stats and player of the week nominations will be Wednesday at 3 p.m. No exceptions.

Player nominations and taem statistics can be faxed to (706) 823-3408. Statistics and player nominations can also be e-mailed to Jeff Sentell at jeff.sentell@ augustachronicle.com.

NFL

Favre now leaning toward retirement

In Green Bay, Wis., Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre says he has not yet made a decision on whether to play next season, but would lean toward retirement if he had to decide right now.

"I wish I knew," he said in an interview that aired Sunday on ESPN. "I still know I can play. I still love to play. But there's just so much more to it than that now. I never thought it would be complicated, never thought I would give out mentally before I did physically.

"If I had to pick right now and make a decision, I would say I'm not coming back."

The 36-year-old Favre threw a career-high 29 interceptions this season and failed to throw for more than 20 touchdowns for only the second time since 1993 as the Packers finished 4-12 for their first losing season since he joined the team in 1992.

- In Denver, the Broncos hired Mike Heimerdinger to replace Gary Kubiak on their coaching staff.

Coach Mike Shanahan hired Heimerdinger as assistant head coach and promoted offensive line coach Rick Dennison to offensive coordinator.

Heimerdinger, who coached the Broncos' wide receivers in 1995-99, spent the past six years as an offensive coordinator with the New York Jets (2005) and Tennessee Titans (2000-04).

Softball

Lady Pacers picked 7th in Peach Belt

USC Aiken's softball team will begin the season ranked seventh in the Peach Belt Conference's preseason coaches poll.

The Lady Pacers tied with UNC Pembroke with 33 points. The team returns five starters off last year's team, which set school records with victories (34) and conference wins (9).

USC Upstate was the preseason No. 1 choice.

College Football

Area standouts get academic honors

The University of West Georgia's Chris Thigpen and Chris Mitchem have been named to the 2005 Academic All-Gulf South Conference football team.

Thomson's Thigpen and Mitchem, of Augusta, are joined by Andre Culpepper, another Thomson native, who was selected to the honor roll.

Olympics

Security for Games increased in Turin

In Turin, Italy, Italian police tightened security at Turin's Olympic venues and said preparations were going smoothly, though some residents complained they were not receiving the same protection given the Winter Games sites.

With the opening ceremony set for Feb. 10, hundreds of police, paramilitary Carabinieri, soldiers and volunteers already were guarding key sites and entrances.

- In London, London 2012 officials have made changes to the Olympic Park, making the site more secure and preventing the removal of 95 businesses.

Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell said security was a top priority at Olympic Park following the suicide bombings that killed 56 people on London's transit system in July.