LOCAL

Memorial teams struggle at GR

BAYTOWN — The freshman White team for Port Arthur Memorial suffered its first loss of the season against Richmond George Ranch, 6-0, on Thursday.

It didn’t get any better for Memorial’s Black team, who fell to 2-2 after after a 26-8 defeat to George Ranch. Memorial White is now 2-1 after its loss.

The Memorial teams open district play at Channelview next week.

 

STATE

Patriots pick up Martin from Texans

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — The New England Patriots acquired wide receiver Keshawn Martin from the Houston Texans on Thursday for an undisclosed draft pick.

The 25-year-old Martin was in uniform but didn’t play in the Texans’ season-opening loss to Kansas City on Sunday. In 48 NFL games, all with the Texans after being drafted 121st overall out of Michigan State in 2012, he had 38 receptions for 416 yards and three touchdowns. He returned 68 kicks for 1,707 yards, and returned 86 punts for 766 yards — including an 87-yard touchdown return in 2013.

New England also released defensive lineman Khyri Thornton, and signed rookie wide receiver Chris Harper to the practice squad.

Thornton was claimed off waivers from Green Bay on Sept. 6 and was inactive for the Patriots’ opening victory over Pittsburgh. Harper, a free agent from the University of California, was released Tuesday after playing against the Steelers.

Palmeiro joins son in Sugar Land

NEW YORK (AP) — Rafael Palmeiro has signed with the Sugar Land Skeeters of the independent Atlantic League and plans to play alongside his son Patrick for the remainder of this season.

Palmeiro, 50, was a four-time All-Star who played for the Chicago Cubs (1986-88), Texas (1989-93, 1999-03) and Baltimore (1994-98, 2004-05). He hit .288 with 569 homers and 1,835 RBIs, but his career was tarnished by a 10-day suspension in 2005 for a positive steroids test — after he testified at a congressional hearing that he had never taken the performance-enhancing drugs.

Palmeiro never received more than 12.6 percent of the vote for the Hall of Fame ballot and was dropped after the 2014 vote, when he fell below 5 percent.

Patrick Palmeiro, 25, signed with the Chicago White Sox organization in June 2012 and was released last October.

NATIONAL

Furyk drops out of BMW Championship

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — Jim Furyk’s status for both the Tour Championship and the Presidents Cup were uncertain after a left wrist injury forced him to withdraw from the BMW Championship on Thursday after just six holes.

“I’m very concerned,” Furyk said. “I have only two more events to finish out the season.

“I would like to be ready for both of them, and if I can’t get ready next week, I would like to be ready for the Presidents Cup.”

Furyk, a former U.S. Open champion and the FedEx Cup winner in 2010, is in ninth place in golf’s playoff race. Despite pulling out, he has locked up a spot in next weekend in the Tour Championship at East Lake in Atlanta, which includes the top 30 players in the standings after the BMW.

Furyk had a streak of 477 straight tournaments without a withdrawal. The last time he pulled out of a tournament was at the 1995 Western Open. He had surgery on the wrist in 2004, but “in a different area.

“It’s beyond sore. I’m in pain out there and trying to manage it is — I’m not near 100 percent,” Furyk said. “Right now, being out here, I have no chance to compete.”