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Manning, Colts rally past Jets, reach Super Bowl INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — This is perfect for the Indi- anapolis Colts: They have Peyton Manning and they're back in the Super Bowl. The four-time MVP threw three touchdown passes and the Colts rallied from an 11-point, first-half deficit to beat the New York Jets 30-17 Sunday in the AFC championship game. The Colts (16-2) are now headed back to the NFL title game for the second time in four years and their fourth Super Bowl in franchise history. Better yet, they're heading back to their lucky city — Miami, where they've played all four of those games and won there twice. ''I thought we just kept our mouths shut and went to work this week,'' Manning said. The big-talking Jets, and their equally big-talking coach, Rex Ryan, were all the incentive Indy needed Sunday. A month ago, when the New Yorkers last came to town, Indianapolis coach Jim Caldwell pulled his starters in the third quarter and gave up a chance at a perfect season to focus on a Super Bowl run. Fans booed throughout the fourth quarter and when the Colts left the field, and some spent the past month complaining publicly. That's over now. Manning stayed on the field for every Colts play and instead of blowing a lead, the Colts rallied behind their leader. This time, fans counted down the final seconds while streamers and confetti hung in the air, flash bulbs popped incessantly and when the official announcement was made, roars cascaded from the rafters. ''We talked about being patient against these guys,'' Manning said. ''We knew it would be a four-quarter game.'' The Colts will face either New Orleans or Minnesota in two weeks, giving Manning a chance to play in the same venue where he beat Chicago in the rain and won the MVP award three years ago. Just as special was having the Colts career rushing leader, Edgerrin James, present the team with the Lamar Hunt Trophy, which goes to the AFC champs. He never made it to the Super Bowl with the Colts, though team owner Jim Irsay gave James a ring when the Colts beat the Bears. Players savored every precious moment. Receiver Pierre Garcon, who had 11 catches for 153 yards, both career- highs, and the go-ahead score raised a Haitian flag to honor his family and friends who still live there. Garcon and oth- ers remained on the field long after the official celebration, mingling family, friends and fans as the Colts redeemed themselves for this season's first loss. ''We've been here before, we had seven comeback wins this year. I think the guys were a little rattled at first, I think we took their best shot, but we came back,'' linebacker Gary Brackett said. ''I think we did a great job of being the hunters and imposing our will today.'' Manning finished 26 of 39 for 377 yards. He became the first player in league history with seven 300-yard postseason games. Sports 1B Monday January 25, 2010 Monday Australian Open Quarterfinals, Noon, 6 p.m.,12:30 a.m. ESPN2 NCAA — Georgetown at Syracuse, 4 p.m., ESPN NCAA — Missouri at Kansas, 6 p.m., ESPN NCAAW — Ohio State at Purdue, 4 p.m., ESPN2 Spartans hit slopes Girls Ski The Red Bluff girls alpine ski team opened their 2010 season with hopes of repeating last year's suc- cess. Shelby Foley, a three-time state qualifer, who along with Brianna Ross and Bethany Burch helped lead the Spartans to a North Divi- sion II title in 2009 and 10th place finish at the state finals, led the Spartans Tuesdays with a combined two-race time of 2:01.89. Her runs were good enough to place her second overall, Tuesday and help the Spartans to their sec- ond straight meet win. Christina Tang, who has shown a strong start this season, was second for the Spartnas at 2:06.79 and placed third overall. Shay McCluskey came in fifth overall at 2:13.41 and Chrstina Oliver was seventh at 2:19.34. On Jan. 9 the Spartans won behind a second place finish from Tang and third place finish from Foley. Tang just barely beat out Foley with a time of 1:44.04 to 1:44.06. Oliver came in fourth place at 1:45.05 and McCluskey was in fifth at 1:48.29. Boys Ski Blake Villa was the only Spartan to score points at Tuesday's event, placing fifth overall with a time of 1:04.60. Eric Johnson's run was disqual- fied, one meet after he placed sec- ond with a time of 1:27.69 on Jan. 9 Villa placed fourth at 1:40.81. The team is still waiting for Ryley Gallagher to come back from illness. Snowboarding The Spartan boys placed second, behind strong runs from Curits (Logan) Olson and Ryan Hock. Olson placed fifth with a time of 1:28.74 and Hock recovered from a slip to place seventh at 1:29.21. Nik Kitchell came in tenth place at 1.:34.11 and Eddie Sanders was 14th at 1.38.17. At the Jan. 9 meet, Hock took eighth overall at 1:41.35. Kitchell placed 10 with a time of 1:48.44, Olson was 12th at 1:52.43 and Sanders at 1:56.06 was in 14th place. The girls team consist of only member this season, Haley Keaton, who is just taking up the sport. Keaton finished her first race with a time of 3:01.46. The Spartans compete at Mt. Shasta today and then on Feb. 1 at Northstar and return to Mt. Shasta on Feb. 8. The championships, scheduled for Mt. Shasta, will be March 8-12. Courtesy photo Eric Johnson, a state qualifer for the Spartans last season, takes to the slopes. Chico Starz tryouts Tryouts for the Chico Starz traveling softball team will be held Jan. 30 at Hooker Oak Park in Chico with the following schedule: • Under-16 and Under-18, 9 a.m. • Under-14, 11 a.m. • Under-12, 1 p.m. • Under-10 3 p.m. Those with questions or players who would like to play, but can not make the tryouts should call Tim Drury at 567-0028. More information is availalbe at chicostarz.com. Bowling scores for the week of Jan. 18 at Lari- at Bowl in Red Bluff: Monday Mixed Nuts Kory Gunderman 258 - 725 Desiree Goff 206 - 567 Wednesday Mens Commercial Bill Clark 278 - 640 Kory Gunderman 268 - 717 Ed McFadyen 268 - 685 Ken Hartman 265 - 755 Friday Adam & Eve Mark Bell 245 - 556 Rudy Casados 233 - 530 Paula Grossman 198 - 455 Diane Funkhauser 198 - 504 Bowling scores Saints beat Vikings in OT NEW ORLEANS (AP) — They sure ain't the Aints anymore. The New Orleans Saints are heading to their first Super Bowl after battering Brett Favre and beat- ing the Minnesota Vikings 31-28 in overtime Sunday on unheralded Garrett Hartley's 40-yard field goal. Favre threw away Minnesota's best chance to win, tossing an inter- ception deep in New Orleans terri- tory in the closing seconds of regu- lation. Then the Saints won the coin toss and soon it was over. The team that had no home five years ago after Hurricane Katrina ravaged its city and the Superdome overcame a slew of mistakes in the biggest game the Big Easy has ever seen. ''This is for everybody in this city,'' said coach Sean Payton, the architect of the Saints' turnaround. ''This stadium used to have holes in it and used to be wet. It's not wet anymore. This is for the city of New Orleans.'' Forget the paper bag masks and that long history of losing that start- ed in 1967. Moments after Hartley's kick, they were toasting their home- town winners on Bourbon Street. And in the Superdome, once a squalid refuge after Katrina, they boogied in the aisles as confetti covered the field. ''It's a moment I've been waiting for for a long time and obviously we're not done yet,'' said Drew Brees, Payton's hand-picked quar- terback for the Saints' renaissance. The Saints (15-3) will meet Pey- ton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts (16-2) in the Super Bowl in two weeks in Miami. The Colts opened as four-point favorites. It's the first time the top seeds in each conference made the big game since the 1993 season. ''Brett prepared us, but now we've got another challenge in Pey- ton,'' safety Darren Sharper said. There were nine fumbles and two interceptions, and the biggest mistake belonged to Favre. Flushed from the pocket in the final minute, he seemed to have room to run to set up a field goal. But hampered by a left leg injured in the third quarter, he threw cross-field and was inter- cepted by Tracy Porter at the 22. That finished off Minnesota's chance for its first Super Bowl trip in 33 years — and opportunity to win it for the first time after four defeats. The Vikings have lost five straight NFC title games. ''I've felt better,'' said Favre, who looked every bit his 40 years. ''It was a physical game. A lot of hits. You win that and you sure feel a lot better.'' New Orleans won the coin toss, Brees guided it to the Minnesota 22 after converting a fourth-and-1 on Pierre Thomas' leap over the line, and Hartley — suspended at the start of the season for using a banned stimulant — split the uprights 4:45 into OT. ''Just helping my team get to Miami,'' Hartley said. ''Just doing my part.'' ''It was as loud as I have ever heard it in the dome,'' Brees added. ''It feels so good to know we have given our fans an NFC champi- onship. We have another champi- onship to go after in two weeks.'' It was anything but easy for the Saints, in only their second confer- ence championship game; they lost at Chicago three years ago. They had to withstand yet one more comeback by Favre, who returned to the NFL with the Vikings (13-5) after another brief retirement. He was alternately spec- tacular and pedestrian Sunday, finally betrayed by his gambling style and, perhaps, an aging body. MCT photos New Orleans cornerback Tracy Porter celebrates hisinterception of a pass by Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre pass during the fourth quarter Vikings quarterback Brett Favre sits on the field for a few seconds to compose himself during the second quarter. MCT photo Indianapolis Colts reciever Pierre Garcon (85) pulls in a touchdown pass over New York Jets defender Dwight Lowery in the third quater