LOCAL

SOUTHLAND NAMES GRANT DEFENSIVE POW

HOUSTON — Lamar junior middle blocker Chelsea Grant received the honor of Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Monday, two days after the Cardinals won their own invitational tournament to start the season 3-0.

Grant, of Killeen, led all tournament players in blocks with 15 and led a front line that accounted for 29 blocks through the three matches. In the title game against Marist, Grant had two solo blocks and seven total.

Lamar, off its best start since 2001, will play at Rice at 6 tonight at Tudor Fieldhouse in Houston. Rice, which was 23-10 last year, is 2-1 after beating LSU and California-Irvine in the University of Texas tournament.

STATE

BRONCOS TRADE CLARK TO TEXANS FOR PICK

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Chris Clark is joining the superstar he couldn’t beat.

The Denver Broncos traded the sixth-year tackle to the Houston Texans for a 2016 seventh-round draft pick Monday as they trimmed a dozen players in their first round of roster reductions.

In joint practices with the Texans last summer, Clark took exception when J.J. Watt pushed him around during a one-on-one pass-rushing drill and kept right on motoring toward the imaginary QB. Clark finally broke free with a swipe at the Texans star that sent the pass rusher’s helmet bouncing on the ground.

“Don’t get mad when you get beat,” Watt hollered at Clark.

Clark, who started at left tackle in the Broncos’ Super Bowl run in 2013, was supplanted at right tackle early this summer by Ryan Harris. He had been working as a backup to rookie left tackle Ty Sambrailo in recent weeks.

PEARLAND SETTLES FOR THIRD IN LLWS

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) — Issac Garcia hit a three-run homer in the sixth inning to help Pearland beat Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, 6-4 in Sunday’s consolation game of the Little League World Series.

Jarrett Tadlock, who got the win in relief of Garcia, struck out Raul Leon with two on and two outs in the bottom of the inning.

Leon hit his third and fourth home runs of the tournament in his first two at-bats. Gerardo Lujano also homered for Mexico.

Raffi Gross had a two-run homer for Texas, which managed just four hits off Mexican pitchers Jose Reyes and Gerardo Lujano.

This was Pearland’s third appearance in the Little League World Series since 2010, and Mexicali’s fourth since 2005.

Tokyo defeated Lewisberry, Pennsylvania, 18-11 for the world championship later Sunday.

NATIONAL

BILLS NAME TAYLOR STARTER, CUT JACKSON

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who goes by the nickname “T-Mobile,” got the call to be the Buffalo Bills’ season-opening starter.

The Bills also released longtime running back Fred Jackson. The 34-year-old Fort Worth native rushed for 5,646 yards in nine seasons with the Bills.

Though he’s never started an NFL game in four seasons, Taylor’s dynamic dual-threat potential trumped the experience of his two competitors when coach Rex Ryan made his long-awaited decision on Monday.

“It came down to basically that explosiveness that Tyrod brings to us,” Ryan said. “All three guys made it difficult, but at the end of the day, that’s kind of what we went with.”

Taylor won the job over former Bills starter and 2013 first-round draft pick EJ Manuel, and Matt Cassel, a 10-year journeyman who was acquired in an offseason trade with Minnesota.

SERENA MOVES ON AS U.S. OPEN BEGINS

NEW YORK (AP) — Even before Serena Williams set foot in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday night, her path through the U.S. Open to complete a true Grand Slam became a lot easier thanks to losses by other top women.

And when it was the No. 1-seeded American’s turn to play her first-round match, she was not tested one bit by a woman who appeared overwhelmed by the opponent, the occasion and, to make matters worse, an injured left foot.

So Williams moved a step closer to tennis’ first calendar-year Grand Slam since 1988 without much of a workout, reaching the second round when 86th-ranked Vitalia Diatchenko of Russia stopped playing while behind 6-0, 2-0. Williams was out there for only 27 minutes and took 32 of the 37 points that were played.

The only real surprise in men’s action was 2014 runner-up Kei Nishikori’s 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6 (6), 6-4 loss to Benoit Paire, who never before had beaten someone ranked in the top five.