Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2016: Aquinas' Edwards commits to Maine

   Leading off today: Fresh off his selection as state Class AA co-player of the year earlier in the week, Aquinas senior Earnest Edwards committed on Monday to the University of Maine.

   Edwards made a weekend recruiting visit to the university, which had success in the past with former Aquinas stars Kevin McMahan and Arel Gordon.

   He held only one scholarship offer by the time Aquinas captured the NYSPHSAA championship at the end of November but then quickly accumulated nine more offers. Edwards finished the season with 28 TDs, including four in the first half of the state final at the Carrier Dome vs. Saratoga.

   Former assistant Joe Harasymiak was promoted to head coach at Maine in December. The staff includes Jeff Ambrosie, a former offensive coordinator at the University of Rochester.

   Quite a duel: Long Island Lutheran needed every one of Indiana recruit Devonte Green's 39 points Monday, especially with 6-foot-5 Auburn commit Mustapha Heron going off for 41.

   LuHi beat Waterbury (Conn.) Sacred Heart 73-72 on Charles Manning's layup with 11 seconds left in the Big Apple Basketball Invitational at Baruch College.

   Green and Heron have known each other for several years and played AAU basketball together. They spent part of Monday's game defending each other. They scored 15 points apiece in the third quarter.

   "It's hard not to get caught up in the moment and stuff," Green told Newsday. "but you've got to keep your mind on the objective, and that's to win."

   After Heron's two free throws with :56.8 left gave Sacred Heart a 69-68 lead, Green responded with a challenging jumper and Sacred Heart regained the lead on Raheem Solomon's two free throws. Green then set up Manning's winning bucket.

   "He's a great player right now, and in three years, I think he's a pro," Heron said. "I hope to play against him in the NBA in three years."

   Sunday action: Danielle Rauch posted a triple-double to lead Bishop Ludden past Binghamton Seton Catholic 69-61 in overtime in the championship game of the Jugglers Classic in Utica.    Seton Catholic was ranked first and Ludden sixth in the state in Class B according to the New York State Sportswriters Association.

   Rauch finished with 28 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists. She also had six steals and four blocks. Rauch scored seven of Ludden's 13 overtime points.

    Gutter ball: I'll guess Athletic Director Jim Zumbo already had 10 or 15 things on his to-do list for Monday, even though it was a holiday. And then a volunteer coach added to the load.

   I haven't spoken to anyone in the Fairport administration or Section 5 but reliable sources say the Red Raiders girls bowling team inserted a fifth-grader into its lineup for a Martin Luther King Jr. Day tournament at Clover Lanes.

   For the uninitiated, fifth grade is two years too soon for a student to take part even in modified sports under New York State Education Department and NYSPHSAA rules, so varsity sports obviously are also off the table. It's a rule every AD, principal and superintendent can recite with the same ease as their phone number or the names of their

children. For that, the school district can probably expect a reminder from Section 5 but no disciplinary action.

   From what I gather, Fairport wasn't even officially entered in the tournament and did not requisition a bus to transport the team, so the episode had to have caught Zumbo off guard. The volunteer assistant coach apparently entered the team in the event, but only four competitors from their very strong roster were able to attend, setting off the chain of events resulting in the fifth-grader being slipped into the lineup.

   The ruse fell apart when another coach asked the youngster her age and realized that a 10-year-old probably isn't in junior high just yet.

   Compounding the issue, the Fairport girls were wearing their varsity shirts, creating the appearance that it was school-sanctioned participation. Thankfully, bowling isn't a contact sport. Otherwise the incident could have been more than just embarrassing.

   Record book: Neil Kerr has updated out list of winningest New York high school football coaches. Take a look at it and let me know if we appear to be missing anyone.