Jan. 3, 2018: All-state football team in Classes B, C and D

   Leading off today: Record-setting Skaneateles quarterback Patrick Hackler has been selected the Class C football player of the year by the New York State Sportswriters Association, which also announced co-recipients of top honors in two other classes.

   Hackler threw 53 touchdown passes in 13 games to break Greg Paulus' record of 45 set in 2002. He also finished with 3,124 passing yards in helping the Lakers to their first New York State Public High School Athletic Association championship.

   Hackler threw for 187 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 140 yards on 25 carries in a 28-25 victory over Holy Trinity in the state championship game.

   Chenango Forks running back Jeremiah Allen and Glens Falls quarterback Joe Girard III share player of the year recognition in Class B. Both are juniors.

   Allen ran 324 times for a school-record 2,282 yards and scored 35 touchdowns for the state finalists.

   Girard completed 124 of 201 passes for 1,883 yards and 22 touchdowns during an 11-1 season. He also ran for 518 yards and seven touchdowns. Girard was 24-for-38 for 210 yards and three TDs in the Section 2 final vs. Schuylerville.

   The co-players of the year in Class D are Greenwich quarterback Cole Burgess and Cambridge tight end/ linebacker Brenden Holcomb both seniors.

   Burgess rushed 78 times for 1,232 yards and 18 touchdowns and threw for 696 yards and six touchdowns. Holcomb made 105 tackles and three interceptions on defense to go with 27 receptions for 728 yards and nine TDs.

   A few links related to the all-state football team announcement:

   • 2017 Class B all-state team
   • 2017 Class C all-state team
   • 2017 Class D all-state team
   • Recent NYSSWA players of the year
   • All-state teams, 1999-2017
   • Final 2017 B-C-D state rankings

   The NYSSWA will announce its Class AA and A all-state teams next Wednesday.

   Spackenkill mourns: Services will be held Saturday for Spackenkill boys JV basketball coach Greg Diamond, who died over the weekend at the age of 29. The cause of his death was unclear on Tuesday, the Poughkeepsie Journal reported.

   Diamond, father of two young boys, died just hours after assisting the varsity team during the Spartans' victory in a holiday tournament. Diamond's wife, Cassi, is the volleyball coach at Spackenkill; the couple celebrated their fifth anniversary last week.

   Superintendent Mark Villanti said the school district will "do everything possible to support Cassi and her family. Such a young family ... that makes this even tougher."

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   Tough homecoming: First-year Ward Melville girls basketball coach Sammy Prahalis, a star in her Long Island playing days, was ejected Tuesday in her homecoming at Commack.

   Prahalis was hit with her first technical foul midway through the fourth quarter and the second with about two minutes remaining in a 75-57 loss to Commack in Section 11 Division I action.

   The ejection triggers an automatic one-game suspension.

   The Commack gym, adorned with pictures of Prahalis at the main entrance, was packed to near capacity. Newsday reported fans cheered loudly as Prahalis continued to argue.

   Prahalis starred for the Cougars (2002-08) before going on to a career at Ohio State and the WNBA.

   "I think it's pretty sensitive. When you're a female coach, I think to a male referee, I don't know," she told the paper. "I think it's a pretty sensitive thing. It's like an alpha male, he doesn't want to hear it, especially from a female. It's almost like, 'Stop talking.' It's almost like, if I were a male, would he be a little bit more lenient? I don't know."

   Carl Nelson, the president of the Suffolk Board of Women's Basketball Officials, declined to comment on Prahalis' statement.

   In the game, Katie Kelly and Amanda McMahon scored 18 points apiece for the winners.

   Impending decision: The North Tonawanda Board of Education will discuss and likely vote on the selection of a varsity football coach at tonight's meeting.

   Superintendent Greg Woytila told The Buffalo News that Eric Jantzi is one of the two finalists for the coaching position. Jantzi, who teaches in the district, coached the team to a NYSPHSAA Class AA title in 2009. The other candidate is Henry Fumerelle, who coached the Lumberjacks in 2015-16 but was sidelined last fall by injuries suffered in a car accident. Dan Troy coached in his place last season.

   Gauging interest: There will be a clinic Saturday at Brewster Ice Arena aimed at determining the interest in ice hockey among girls in grades 6-12.

   The Hudson Valley Girls High School Ice Hockey Kick-Off Clinic will run from 7:45-9:35 p.m. The clinic is not affiliated with any travel program or house league.

   There are currently no girls varsity teams in Sections 1 or 9. The addition of teams in those sections would be a step towards an official NYSPHSAA championship in the sport.