Wednesday, July 23, 2014: The New York high school year in review

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   "It was the greatest athletic event I've ever been a part of," Obermayer said. "It could be one of the great basketball games in Section 2 history."

   A number of other notable names also bowed out of the basketball coaching scene. Among them was Charles Granby, 79, who exited Campus Magnet (formerly Andrew Jackson High) having won a PSAL-record 719 games, gracefully noting "It's always a better idea to leave later rather than earlier. This way there are no regrets."

   "He was the king of Queens in those years," said Cardozo coach Ron Naclerio, who becomes the winningest active coach in the state with 681 triumphs.

   One of Granby's trademarks over his career was the "ugly life" speech he gave to players to drive home the importance of an education.

   "Without a college degree, you will have an ugly life," he often said. "Your job will be ugly. Your house will be ugly. Your car will be ugly. Your wife will be ugly."

   Elsewhere, Peekskill coach Lou Panzanaro, the owner of five state championship plaques and No. 2 among active NYSPHSAA coaches with 576 triumphs in 38 seasons, also called it a career, bowing out with a loss in the Section 1 tournament.

   Panzanaro said the demands of coaching as the successor to 410-game winner John Moro while also serving as AD have finally caught up to him. He'd like to stay on as AD for at least two more years.

   "I still love it, but doing the AD thing and coming over here, I feel I don't have the same intensity in practice," he told The Journal News. "When I lose that, I don't want to do it anymore."

   PSAL standard-bearer Abraham Lincoln will also have a new face in charge next winter. Veteran assistant coach Kenny Pretlow has been appointed to replace Dwayne "Tiny" Morton, who joined the Seton Hall University staff after eight PSAL city championships and three Federation titles in 19 years coaching the Railsplitters.

Also on the move

   On the administrative front, NYSPHSAA football coordinator Dick Cerone, who navigated the bureaucracy to make the state football tournament a reality, officially stepped down this month after 33 years. Girls soccer coordinator Chuck Goehring resigned after 16 years in that role.

   In Section 1, John Orlando resigned after more than 40 seasons as the ice hockey coordinator. His career in the sport began with a 456-99-14 record as a coach, and Orlando also won 284 games in boys lacrosse.

   In wrestling, Chaminade's George Dlugolonski departed as the head coach before the season, having won 536 duals in 40 years. Many in the sport refer to him as Coach Dugo, though Joe Bena could refer to him as "kid."

   Bena, 75, who had already announced his 48th season in coaching would be his last at Duanesburg, was on hand at the state tournament in Albany just nine days after he suffered a stroke at his home. He mentored 13 NYSPHSAA tournament champions and owns the state record with 675 dual-meet wins.

   Another 48-year veteran also retired. Dave Kelly, who coached Delhi to 272 football wins, including the 2001 state final, turned in his papers after a 4-4 season in the fall.

   "After somebody provides a service to your district, your kids and your community for that long, we were kind of speechless. We didn't say anything," AD Jeff Ferrara told The Daily Star. "My immediate thought was how do you thank a man for that many years of service? I don't know how to at this point."

   Said Walton coach Jim Hoover, himself a 298-game winner: "I can't imagine talking about Delhi football without talking about Dave Kelly. From my first year here, it's Coach Kelly in Delhi -- that's the team you've got to beat. If you only win one game per year, that's the game you've got to win."

   What Marcus Hughes' resume lacked in quantity was compensated for with quality. The Cornwall coach, 34, resigned to take a position in California after going 67-13 with won six Section 9 Class A football titles in his seven seasons.

   In boys volleyball, Walt Stefani retired before the season to take a job as a women's assistant at Canisius College. He led Orchard Park to a 559-159 record, 17 league championships and nine Section 6 Class A titles.

   Per usual, some departures were less smooth than others.

   Byron Abraham resigned as football coach at Utica Notre Dame after going 55-37 in 10 seasons, having run afoul of administrators who suspended him for a week for not allowing four players to participate in a game after they missed a week of practice due to Naval Junior ROTC obligations. He'll be back this fall as the offensive coordinator at Utica Proctor.

   Eighth-year Irondequoit boys lacrosse coach Craig Whipple abruptly stepped down four games into the season, citing "philosophical difference" that sources indicated was rooted in player parents undermining his authority with complaints to administrators. Whipple was 81-24 and guided the Eagles to four sectional championships.

   Peekskill girls basketball coach Rodney Headley Jr. was reassigned to duties away from coaching on the eve of the state tournament. Headley, 29, who coached the team to three Section 1 championships in four years, was subsequently cleared by an investigation into unspecified accusations but nevertheless submitted a letter of resignation from his teaching job at Peekskill Middle School, The Journal News reported.

   At John Jay East Fishkill, Bonnie Schilling, whose teams won 11 sectional and two state championships, was placed on administrative leave from her positions as guidance counselor and softball coach following allegations by the district that she may have changed grades on her son's transcript, Hudson Valley Sports Report reported.

   Pearl River's softball team made it to the NYSPHSAA Class A semifinals despite the resignation one game into the season by second-year coach Carisa Gaylardo, who cited intense national publicity over her lawsuit seeking reinstatement as a New York City teacher, The Journal News reported.

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