Monday, Dec. 25, 2017: Catching up on some recent developments

   Leading off today: We're a month into the season and I'm not sure I've given hockey a mention so far this season, so today is an opportunity to catch up with a couple of teams that had mixed results this week.

   Owen Green scored on the power play with less than four minutes to go to lift Kenmore West (4-5) to a 5-4, come-from-behind win and hand Williamsville East (4-1), top-ranked in the state in Division II according to the New York State Sportswriters Association.

   The Blue Devils trailed 4-1 in the second period, but a pair of Ethan Yotter goals helped knot the score. Yotter also finished with two assists.

   Earlier in the week, Kenmore West defeated third-ranked West Seneca West 1-0.

   "I cant argue with the week we had," coach Robert Roszak told The Buffalo News. "There's not too many easy games in our division. The four games we've lost were pretty close, back and forth. There really isn't a game anyone can mail it in because you'll get beat."

   Meanwhile, Rye Town/Harrison experienced a high and a low on consecutive days.

   On Saturday, the Titans suffered a 4-0 loss at the hands of Rivertown, set off by a short-handed, length-of-the-ice goal by Ben Birkhahn to break up a scoreless tie in the third period. Less than 24 hours earlier, Rye Town/Harrison was celebrating a 3-2, overtime victory against previously unbeaten North Rockland, the No. 3 team in Division I.

   "We did not show up," R/TH coach Rich Myers said. "After last night, this was the first thing that came to mind. After a big win, you're set up for a big letdown if you don't come out ready."

   A record performance: If it was reported earlier then I missed it, but Shenendehowa senior Nick Lydon blew away the New York State Public High School Athletic Association 11-dive meet record Dec. 16 at the Shenendehowa Aquatics Center.

   Lydon broke Albany Academy diver Manny Pollard's 2012 mark of 635.75 points with a score of 661.75 points. He also shattered the Shenendehowa pool record of 607.15 points.

   "I don't know if it's set in completely, but it's awesome to think that I've put in all this work and then it's finally paying off and seeing it beat a state record is awesome," Lydon said.

   Heading overseas: Saratoga Springs junior Kelsey Chmiel has been selected for a United States team that will compete in a three-team competition at the Great Edinburgh XCountry Challenge Jan. 13 in Scotland, USA Track & Field announced.

   She will be one of six junior women (19-and-under) on Team USATF, which defeated Team Europe and Team Great Britain for the title last year in a four-kilometer race near Edinburgh Castle.

   "It's the first time we'll take an athlete out of the country," Saratoga co-coach Linda Kranick said. "It's quite an honor."

   Chmiel won the Section 2 Class A championship and placed second at the NYSPHSAA meet and the Nike Cross Nationals finals.

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   Jealous much, folks? Saturday's blog mentioned that Jamesville-DeWitt girls basketball player Jamie Boeheim has decided to enroll at the University of Rochester next fall.

   Syracuse.com followed up on my blog by writing a short story acknowledging the development. While it's true UR is "just" a Division III school, Boeheim's decision qualified as

legitimate news. Beyond the fact that she's the daughter of the best-known man in Central New York, Boeheim made The Post-Standard's all-area team as a junior and was fifth-team all-state in Class A.

   Naturally, the reader comments beneath the online story were atrocious.

   Look, Jim Boeheim is not beloved by all in Central New York. (I don't count myself as much of a fan either, by the way.) But the decision by some to express their hate for Boeheim by taking it out on his daughter is disgusting beyond words.

   New collaboration: The North Jersey Super Football Conference downsized its name by 40 percent and expanded its number of participating schools for the 2018 season.

   The 114-team Super Football Conference, a scheduling consortium entering its third year for non-public schools, has entered into a two-year partnership with the Philadelphia Catholic League that will help New Jersey schools pick up a total of 12 more games each season.

   The SFC was born after the 2015 season to address the problems with some North Jersey non-public powers not having enough teams to play. They were already playing some Philadelphia schools as a solution, and this formalizes and expands the arrangement.

   Some view it as a baby step toward a bigger arrangement that might eventually span from Boston to Washington, D.C. It hasn't been mentioned lately, but some of Buffalo's Monsignor Martin Association members were mentioned at one time as potential participants.

   Extra points: St. Anthony's senior point guard Lauren Hackett, originally an LIU-Brooklyn commit in girls basketball, has re-opened her recruitment, which will likely result in a slew or lower and mid-range Division I interest.

   James Bouknight, the NYSSWA boys Class B basketball player of the year last season for LaSalle Academy, has picked up an offer from UConn. Bouknightis attending The MacDuffie School in Massachusetts for his senior year.