Leading off today: The Upstate squad broke to a three-touchdown lead in the first half and went on to a 31-7 win in the New York State Upstate vs. Downstate All-Star Football Game on Sunday at Ithaca College.
The winners held the Downstate offense to 17 yards rushing and 55 through the air, and Upstate defenders piled up seven sacks, an interception and a fumble recovery.
The Shenendehowa combination of quarterback Ryan VanGalen (5-for-7, 100 yards) and receiver Jordan Zlogar connected on five catches for 105 yards and scores covering 28 yards in the second quarter and 54 yards in the third quarter.
The Upstate quarterbacks finished 15-for-21, accounting for 249 of the team's 279 yards of offense. The big blow was an 82-yard scoring strike from Indian River QB Densel Barnes -- on his only attempt -- to Pittsford receiver Zuril Hendrick.
Repeat performance: Auburn freshman Lindsay May defended her NYSPHSAA girls golf championship Sunday with a 1-under-par 68-75--143 on the College Course at SUNY Delhi.
May was one shot better than Carmel freshman Lauren Peter (72-72--144), who bogeyed the 17th hole after pulling into a tie for the lead. It was another three strokes back to third-place finishers Sarah Godfrey-Singleton of Depew and Syosset senior Elizabeth Choi.
May is the second two-time New York State Public High School Athletic Association champion. Suzie Lee of Commack won in 2008-09.
A blow for Irondequoit: One of the most impressive young athletes in the state has possibly played his last football or lacrosse game for a New York school.
Irondequoit freshman John Lombardi, who made an impact in both sports in the just-concluded school year, will leave this summer for The Salisbury School to concentrate on lacrosse, his father said over the weekend.
Lombardi, a midfielder/attack, committed to the University of Michigan lacrosse program before the season. He was second for the Eagles this spring with 38 goals and 53 points; Lombardi scored 26 goals as an eighth-grader after his transfer from Aquinas, where his brother Billy Lombardi was a star football and lacrosse player before signing with Penn State lacrosse.
John Lombardi visited the Salisbury, Conn., prep school this spring. The 115-year-old school has a reputation for strong sports programs -- three of its 2012 grads were selected in last week's Major League Baseball draft and eight seniors from the lacrosse team will be heading to Division I college programs in the fall.
In football, Lombardi was a linebacker and running back who distinguished himself on both sides of the ball last fall, playing bigger than his 5-foot-5, 165-pound stature. He rushed 63 times for 498 yards and five TDs and also piled up 51 tackles, three sacks and a fumble recovery.
Showcase event invites Sec. 5 star: Jake Zembiec was kept in suspense for several days after 17 of the 18 spots had been filled, but the Aquinas rising senior learned
