Monday, Jan. 25, 2016: Clock counting down toward football NLOI Day

   Leading off today: Time is running short, and it's once again not looking like a breakout year for New York in terms of Football Bowl Subdivision scholarship offers.

   With National Letter of Intent Day for the sport coming up Feb. 3, only 16 seniors from around the state have locked in their plans for next fall and it appears that no more than four other players might be holding offers or receive one early in the signing period as schools seek to plug late gaps.

   The two most recent decisions came over the weekend from Elias Reynolds, a Poly Prep linebacker who picked Pittsburgh, and Elijah Riley, a Newfield cornerback heading to the U.S. Military Academy.

   The list looks like this at the moment:

• Brandon Barlow (Shaker), DE, Boston College
• Conrad Brake (Aquinas), LS, Pittsburgh
• Leon Flanagan (Curtis), DL, UMass
• Jake Fuzak (Williamsville South), DL, Buffalo
• Jamir Jones (Aquinas), LB, Notre Dame
• Adam Korutz (Johnson City), DL, Boston College
• Zac Lefebvre (Victor), TE, Buffalo
• Taysir Mack (Grand Street Campus), WR, Rutgers
• Ray Marten (Poly Prep), TE, Boston College
• Justin Morgan (Poly Prep), OL, Pittsburgh
• Mike Palmer (Maine-Endwell), Ath, Boston College
• Elias Reynolds (Poly Prep), LB, Pittsburgh
• Taylor Riggins (Aquinas), LB, UMass
• Elijah Riley (Newfield), CB, Army
• Jahsen Wint (Erasmus Hall), S, Ohio State
• Jake Zembiec (Aquinas), QB, Penn State

   A year ago, New York had 16 signings. That was down from 22 players signing for scholarships in February 2014.

   Coaching moves: Iona Prep has hired longtime Stepinac assistant Joe Spagnolo as its new football coach. Spagnolo, 36, succeeds Vic Quirolo, who resigned in

December.

   The former Iona Prep quarterback assisted for 10 seasons at Stepinac.

   Also in football, Jordan-Elbridge coach Tim Hawkins stepped down after a 16-10 mark in three seasons after inheriting a program that had gone 1-7 in 2012.

   And Solvay assistant Todd Lisi was promoted to head football coach in place of Matt Shutts, who stepped down after five seasons.

   More football: The schedule has been firmed up for the 16th annual New York State High School Football Coaches Association Clinic, set for Feb. 4-6 at the Turning Stone Resort.

   The full agenda is available here in PDF format. Registration details can be found on the NYSHSFCA website.

   Stopped in their tracks: Organizers made the best of the situation, but the high school portion of the popular

and highly regarded New Balance Games indoor meet was more or less blown up by the winter storm that made New York City one of its last stops on the East Coast this weekend.

   What started with an entry list of 5,300 athletes from 320 schools in the U.S. and Canada ended with meet director Tim Fulton repeatedly revising schedules in order to best accommodate not quite two dozen teams that were actually able to make in to The Armory on Sunday after the previous day's action was wiped out.

   Some of the athletes made the most of the opportunity. Fordham Prep senior Conor Lundy was invited to compete in the elite men's field in the mile and ran 4:08.25 for the season's best national mark and the No. 3 performance in state scholastic history.

   Rush-Henrietta junior Sammy Watson pulled off another of her ambitious doubles -- remember her 400/1,500 winning performances at the state outdoor meet last spring? -- by winning the girls' 300 and 600 meters just half an hour apart. Her 1:32.25 was a meet record for the 600.

Thanks everyone for being so supportive lol especially the ones that have given me food

— Sammy Watson (@Sam_wats17) January 24, 2016

   Coming up: Friday's meeting of the NYSPHSAA Executive Committee will include votes on the requests by the boys and girls lacrosse committees to expand to four state tournament classes beginning in 2017 based upon the continued growth in the number of schools sponsoring the sport.

   The baseball committee's request to split its semifinals and finals onto consecutive days beginning in 2017 will also be brought to a vote.