(Reuters) - Chad Ochocinco, one of the NFL's top wide-receivers, will have a trial with Major League Soccer's Sporting Kansas City next week, the team said on Wednesday.

Six-time Pro Bowl selection Ochocinco, who plays for the Cincinnati Bengals, responded to news of the NFL's lockout of players on Saturday by suggesting on twitter he would like to switch sports and play for Sporting.

The team have responded by inviting him for a four-day trial starting on Tuesday.

"Due to the NFL lockout I am excited to be able to follow my childhood dream of playing for a Major League Soccer team," the 33-year-old said in a statement released by Sporting KC.

Ochocinco has previously posted pictures of himself with top soccer players such as Brazilians Ronaldinho and Kaka on the internet, visited Real Madrid and regularly comments on soccer games.

Sporting coach Peter Vermes said he was interested to see how Ochocinco would turn his athleticism into ability on the soccer field.

"We are always searching for players who can help our team and bringing in new talent. We know that Chad is an exceptional athlete and loves the sport of soccer and he did play a lot when he was younger.

"We are excited to see how his skills will translate once he arrives next week and begins training with our team," he said.

The team said they would decide after the trial whether or not to extend Ochocinco's time with the club.

He was born in Miami as Chad Johnson but changed his name in 2008 to reflect a Spanish language version of his shirt number 85.

The NFL and the players' union are heading to court on April 6 where an anti-trust case will be heard following the breakdown in talks over a new collective agreement.

(Editing by Ken Ferris)

By Jon D. Gaede –

Led by senior guard Janae Sharpe (23 points), the Rialto Lady Knights girls team accomplished something that no Rialto High School basketball team has before, a coveted CIF Championship, 55-53.

Rialto earned the No. 1 seed in the CIF Southern Section 2AA Division. The 30-3 Lady Knights disposed of Santa Margarita, Norco, and Inglewood to reach the CIF final. They drew Buena High School of Ventura on Saturday night for the title.

The girls from Buena were taller at forward and center, but Rialto’s up tempo game exposed a weakness in their defense. Aggressive play from Brittani Walker and Janae Sharpe put the Lady Knights up 14-8 and left the Buena Bulldogs blinded by Rialto’s team speed.

The game remained close when Rialto’s Janae Sharpe (Northridge) decided to will her team on. Sharp, who averages 24 points per game is the ultimate play-maker. Like another coach on the floor, she handles the ball well, makes good decisions and is fearless.

Trailing 50-46, late into the fourth quarter, the Lady Knights needed something special. Summer Webb (18 points) made a long three point shot to tie the game at 49. The back and fourth final minute was punctuated by another Janae Sharpe steal and a poetic coast to coast lay-up to break a 53-53 tie.

Sharp’s basket, as time ran out, put the Lady Knights up by two, securing their first CIF title 55-53.

By virtue of their victory, the Rialto Lady Knights will host the next round of the State playoffs at home on Thursday night.

By Gary Montgomery, Sports Editor –

Corona Centennial’s Boys Basketball Team represented the Inland Empire with dignity and the level of competitive fire we have come to expect from the area’s top high school sports programs. But, in the end, the task was just too great for the Huskies when Long Beach Poly’s Ryan Anderson pulled down 21 rebounds and scored 18 points to give Poly its 18th Southern Section Title and spoiled the Huskies’ bid for their first.

After knocking off perennial powerhouse Mater Dei on Thursday, Centennial Head Coach Josh Giles needed to dialup the best game plan of his career to keep the Jackrabbits from their 29th win of the season.

“Basketball is about taking something away, so we wanted to take away the inside and make them have to take the outside shots. But, they were making those outside shots and that made it almost impossible for us,” said Giles after the Game. “We wanted to make them into a jump shooting team,” continued Giles.

Poly’s front line was just too big for the Huskies. Led by Boston College bound Ryan Anderson, Poly’s domination on the glass was simply the difference. The 6’8” Senior forward had 8 offensive rebounds giving his team an 18 to 6 advantage on the offensive boards.

On the defensive end, Ryan’s 13 boards gave the Jackrabbits a 25 to 10 advantage on that end of the floor.

Huskies Senior Point Guard, Michael Caffey led all Centennial scorers with 17 points along with 7 assists.

“I had some opportunities to get into the lane and kick it out early. I thought we might build on that but they tightened up their defense and that wasn’t there anymore,” said Caffey.

Although Caffey, the Long Beach State bound senior point was the engine that drove the Huskies, Gelaun Wheelwright had 13 points and Dominique Dunning had 10 points. The Huskies were undersized and short-handed, playing only six players.

With 11 seniors on the team it could take a while to regroup but given the recent history of Centennials sports program, it’s a safe bet that they will be back.

G. Montgomery can be reached at sports@blackvoicenews.com

(Reuters) - Serena Williams was recovering at her Los Angeles home after undergoing emergency treatment for a blood clot in one of her lungs, the former world number one confirmed on Wednesday.

"This has been extremely hard, scary, and disappointing," Williams said in a statement. "I am doing better, I'm at home now and working with my doctors to keep everything under control."

The 29-year-old Williams was photographed on Sunday at an Academy Awards party in Hollywood but fell ill the following day and was admitted to the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles where she underwent surgery.

Doctors discovered the blood clot after Williams travelled to New York last week for a treatment on a foot injury that has sidelined her for eight months, according to her spokeswoman Nicole Chabot.

"Serena did indeed suffer from a pulmonary embolism last week and the hematoma was another unexpected scare," Chabot said. "Thankfully everything was caught in time. With continued doctor visits to monitor her situation, she is recuperating at home under strict medical supervision."

Williams has not played competitively since winning last year's Wimbledon championship. Shortly after the victory she cut her foot on broken glass at a restaurant in Germany.

The American has had two operations on her foot since then and was preparing to return to training soon in the hope of making a comeback in Miami later this month.

Williams has won 13 grand slam singles titles but has slipped from number one to 11th on the world rankings during her extended absence and now faces an uncertain future.

"I know I will be OK but am praying and hoping this will all be behind me soon," she said. "While I can't make any promises now on my return, I hope to be back by early summer. That said, my main goal is to make sure I get there safely."

Belgium's Kim Clijsters, the new world number one, posted a message of support to Williams on her Twitter account shortly after landing at a New Jersey airport with her daughter Jada. "Just read about Serena!!!! Very scary, hope she is ok!fingers crossed!" she tweeted.

Embolisms, often caused when blood clots form in the legs or arm then travel toward the leg and hearts, are usually treated by blood thinners.

"Athletes travel a lot. Air travel and prolonged sitting in one spot can lead to blood clots," said Dr Mark Adelman, director of Vascular Surgery and member of the Cardiac & Vascular Institute at NYU Langone Medical Center.

"If a person has a pulmonary embolism they would need to be on an anti-coagulant like Coumadin for six to 12 months.

"They would be able to play sports and be back on the court with an anti-coagulant. If the clot comes back the patient may need an implanted filter device to catch future blood clots."

(Additional reporting by Matt Cronin; Editing by Frank Pingue)