Leading off today: Longtime Queensbury football coach John Irion is making quite the change.
The Post-Star reports his name is on the school board agenda Monday for approval as the new coach at Granville.
He'll be leaving behind 20 seasons, a 136-61 record (including 8-1 this fall) and a 2013 NYSPHSAA crown at Queensbury. Irion, 56, inherits a Granville program that went 1-8 and saw coach Mario Torres dismissed early in the season over the handling of an incident in which three players were accused of smoking marijuana on school grounds.
"I'm sure people will ask, 'Why leave now, when you have Queensbury going so well?'" Irion told the paper. "It's hard, it's a good question. But I like the challenge. ... I don't shy away from challenges, but I'm also realistic. It'll take time to get things turned around. Not too long, I hope."
The retired teacher and his wife live a short distance from Granville.
"We do our grocery shopping there, we go to Tractor Supply. I like the community," Irion said. "I've been totally happy at Queensbury. We've had a great time, we've been there 20 years, our kids grew up there. ... I think I needed a new challenge."
Irion said he plans to bring his trademark double-wing offense to Granville. His staff likely will include Brian Bowe, a former Queensbury assistant who served as co-interim coach this fall.
Sayville star honored: Wisconsin-bound quarterback Jack Coan has been selected New York's football player of the year by Gatorade.
The Sayville standout threw for 2,162 yards and 31 touchdowns with just four interceptions this fall. He also ran for 766 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Coan set Long Island single-season records for touchdown passes (40) and passing yards (3,431) in 2014 and Long Island career records of 128 and 9,787, respectively.
• Syracuse University running back Jordan Fredericks, who was Gatorade's award recipient in 2014, will transfer, his mother told The Daily Orange Monday.
The former Lawrence star led the team in rushing as a true freshman in 2015 with 607 yards. This fall, he carried 28 times for 148 yards and slid to third on the depth chart under new coach Dino Babers.
He ran for 2,158 rushing yards and 35 touchdowns during his senior season at Lawrence en route to NYSSWA Class A player of the year honors.
Girls basketball: Jamesville-DeWitt rode a 22-point final quarter to a 60-54 win over Cardinal O'Hara in the championship game of the inaugural Best of New York Basketball Tournament on Sunday.
The Red Rams held a 38-34 lead heading into the fourth quarter and jumped out to a 46-36 lead on a 3-point basket and two free throws by freshman Paige Keeler.
