Leading off today: Ori Jean-Charles' senior football season at Spring Valley went down the tubes minutes into the 2016 opener when he suffered a knee injury that predictably shut down interest from most major-college recruiters.
Happily, matters have taken a positive turn for the quarterback. After months of rehabilitation, Jean-Charles has landed at the University of Louisville. He left Tuesday to enroll in classes with a chunk of academics-based scholarship money and begin workouts at Louisville as a preferred walk-on, News 12 Varsity reported.
"I was definitely confident that things would work themselves out," Jean-Charles said. "I would always say that and speak it into existence. I just kept my head down and worked and stayed the course. I never cried. I never complained."
The 6-foot-2 QB said he is fully recovered from the injury, which came on the heels of a junior season in which he threw for 1,429 yards and 20 TDs while also rushing for 1,009 yards. He'd also put in a strong summer at camps and 7-on-7 tournaments, setting the table for what would have been inevitable Division I offers if he had any sort of video to distribute.
After the injury, Marshall and Louisville stayed in contact.
"Louisville was there from the jump," Jean-Charles said. "They were really high on me and were waiting for full (game tapes) from the first couple of games to pull the trigger and offer. But I went down, I couldn't provide that."
Poughkeepsie standout shot: Poughkeepsie basketball star Marvin Lunsford was shot early Wednesday morning according to Hudson Valley Sports Report.
The website reported Lunsford, 18, underwent surgery at MidHudson Regional Hospital after being shot once in the neck and is expected to survive.
Lunsford was named honorable mention all-state by the New York State Sportswriters Association last season as a junior. He scored 21 points in the Section 9 Class A championship game and led Poughkeepsie to the NYSPHSAA quarterfinals.
Another Poughkeepsie player, Caval Haylett Jr., was shot and killed in March 2016 shortly after an all-star game capping his senior season.
Lunsford's shooting took place just hours after a march by area residents reacting to a weekend shooting.
Cazenovia lets coach go: Jim Longo, who coached Cazenovia to NYSPHSAA boys lacrosse championships in 2011 and '13, won't be brought back for a 13th season, Syracuse.com reported.
Longo coached Cazenovia to a 192-58 record with five Section 3 titles. Coming off an appearance in the 2016 state semifinals, the Lakers were 7-11 this spring and posted their first losing season since 2005.
He told the website he doesn't know why he was not rehired.
"All I can tell you is that a week or two before the end of the season I was told I would not be asked to return as the lacrosse coach," Longo said.
Though he would not get into the specifics of the decision, AD Michael Byrnes lavished praise on Longo.
"Jim is one of the finest human beings you will ever meet," he said in a statement. "The district was fortunate to have a man like Jim coaching the varsity team since back in 2006 and even prior to that as an assistant coach. I am convinced that nobody cares more about the great game of lacrosse than Coach Longo and I am thankful to have worked with him personally and professionally all these years. However, at this time we are excited for a new beginning, and we hope to build upon the great culture for the sport that has evolved here in our school and community."
More coaching changes: A week after resigning as the Shenendehowa girls varsity lacrosse coach and modified
