Saturday, Sept. 2, 2017: Rochester embarrasses itself one more time

   Leading off today: The western semifinals of the NYSPHSAA football tournament move to Union-Endicott this fall for the first time, but I think I can announce with a high degree of confidence when those games will return to Rochester's downtown stadium.

   When hell freezes over.

   Operators of the former Rhinos Stadium, which later took on numerous names including Sahlen's Stadium and is now labeled Capelli Sport Stadium -- they really should just change it to Much-Maligned Stadium -- hit a new low Friday as Section 5 kicked off its football season.

   Someone stole the uprights for the goal posts, the Democrat and Chronicle reported. Let me repeat that:

   Someone. Stole. The. Uprights.

   And that's how a facility with a long list of problems (the latest being a broken replay machine that rendered the video board mostly useless) hammers the final nail into its own coffin.

Something is missing here....??@AthenaHigh kicks an extra point Friday night through the 'IMAGINARY' uprights @SectionVFB @nysswa @NYSPHSAA pic.twitter.com/wwEEYFIB2A

— Dan Fetes (@danfetes) September 2, 2017

   A news release from Capelli Stadium operators on Saturday said the teams had been nofified of the problem ahead of the contest and that the officiating crew determined the game could still be played.

   Greece Athena defeated University Prep 28-8, with officials being left to make their best guess as to whether extra-point attempts were successful.

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   By the way, the Trojans' Patrick Meisenzahl made his debut at starting QB by going 19-for-27 for 353 yards and a TD. He also rushed for 76 yards and two scores.

RoadToSyracuse.com football site

   Injury news: Brockport played without Division I recruit Cory Gross in Friday's 37-20 loss to Webster Schroeder. The Democrat and Chronicle reported the University at Buffalo commit injured his left knee in last weekend's scrimmage and his status remains uncertain pending an MRI exam Wednesday.

   Bonus football: Ogdensburg and Potsdam squeezed in some extra reps in their opener, finishing off a scoreless regulation contest with two overtimes that ended in a 14-6 win for OFA.

   Blue Devils junior Jackson Troiano made a fingertip catch of an 18-yard pass from Jackson Jones to set up a 1-yard quarterback sneak in the first overtime. In the second overtime, Troiano took an out pass from Jones and broke away for a 26 yards TD.

   Earlier blog: I began Saturday by writing up highlights of key games and big performances from Friday's football action. You can read it here.

   Ward Melville appointment: Former Commack, Ohio State and WNBA player Sammy Prahalis is the new girls basketball coach at Ward Melville.

   Prahalis played two years in the WNBA and four seasons in Europe. At age 27, she still had productive years ahead of her.

   "I thought it was time," she told Newsday. "I didn't like going from country to country. I got tired of it. I'm very close to my family and I got tired of missing family stuff."

   Prahalis scored 2,372 points from 2002-08 at Commack. She was first-team all-sate and the Gatorade player on the year for New York in 2008.

   Speaking of L.I. greats: Syosset native Sue Bird broke the WNBA's all-time assists record Friday night, passing Ticha Penicheiro with her 2,600th career assist.

   The 16-year Seattle Storm guard was a star at Christ the King, where she was New York's Miss Basketball as a senior.