Leading off today: The South Jefferson school board voted 5-2 on Wednesday to not restore Pat Bassett as the girls basketball coach,
WWNY-TV reported.
Bassett, who also coaches girls tennis, took a leave of absence last season and sought to return to the basketball role this winter. He had announced the leave of absence last October, citing a one-week suspension he'd received the previous season as a factor in the decision. That disciplinary measure was handed down by an administrator who subsequently left the district, but the awkwardness of the leave of absence was made obvious by the coach and district releasing separate statements.
Bassett coached the Spartans to two NYSPHSAA championships, five trips to the state semifinals and eight Section 3 crowns in 14 seasons of coaching.
Suspensions: Defending NYSPHSAA Class A football champion Indian River has suspended five players for an unspecified violation of team rules, WWNY-TV reported.
AD Jay Brown acknowledged the Warriors' roster will be "different" without identifying the players who were disciplined or how long they will remain out of action.
Superintendent James Kettrick told the TV station that district officials are concluding their investigation but have no additional information. A meeting will be held with the rest of the team members Thursday.
Indian River is ranked No. 2 in Class A in the New York State Sportswriters Association's first set of 2015 football ratings.
Blazing start: Jesse Scanlon has put up three hat tricks in his first four games and has 11 goals overall for Southampton, ranked No. 2 in the state in boys Class B soccer.
He also has three assists during the team's 4-0 start. The senior is coming off an 18-goal 2014 season after which he competed on an under-23 club team on Long Island.
Newsday reports Scanlon is an avid surfer and the school record-holder in indoor track's 55-meter hurdles.
"You have to be able to think quick in soccer," said Scanlon, who is being recruited by Division I and Division II programs. "Surfing, you have to think very quick, or else you get hurt."
People are watching: If you're being recruited by a Division III college coach, he or she is probably monitoring what you say and do on Facebook or Twitter. If you're a Division I or II prospect, it's all but certain you're being watched closely.
Want to know just how close the scrutiny is? Check out this brief story -- complete with supporting documentation -- about the elaborate monitoring being done by the Southern Methodist University football staff.
