Monday, April 30, 2018: Lewis, Dolan earn boys player of the year honors

   Leading off today: Senior guards Savion Lewis of Half Hollow Hills East and Greg Dolan of Williamsville South were selected players of the year in boys basketball by the New York State Sportswriters Association on Monday.

   Lewis was selected the player of the year in Class AA after averaging 33.5 points a game in leading his team to the finals of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association tournament in Binghamton.

   Lewis, previously recognized as the state's Mr. Basketball by the Basketball Coaches Association of New York, has signed a letter of intent with Quinnipiac.

   Dolan was selected in Class A after finishing his career as a 2,000-point scorer. He averaged 28.8 points as a senior and will do a post-graduate year at Northfield (Mass.) Mount Herman.

   Lewis was a repeat selection to the Class AA first team. Also repeating on the first team is Archbishop Molloy junior guard Cole Anthony. The only repeat selection on the Class A first team is Larry Moreno, a senior from Brooklyn Law & Technology in the PSAL.

   The complete all-state selections in the large-school classes can be found here. The Class B, C and D selections were announced last week.

   Our thanks goes out to Steve Grandin, who once again edited the all-state teams in all five classes.

   More reference material of interest:

Past NYSSWA players of the year

• 1981-89 | 1990-2000 | 2001-18

Recent all-state teams

• 2013 AA-A | 2013 B-C-D
• 2014 AA-A | 2014 B-C-D
• 2015 AA-A | 2015 B-C-D
• 2016 AA-A | 2016 B-C-D
• 2017 AA-A | 2017 B-C-D

   Girls basketball: I'm continuing work on editing the girls all-state team in basketball. I've been slowed by (1) a lack of sources for New York City nominations and (2) a heavier than expected work schedule at my actual (translation: paying) job.

   The goal is to get a draft of the selections into the hands of some helpers by May 11 and hopefully release the team May 16.

ADVERTISEMENT

   Coach's status an election issue: Two candidates in Suffern school board election next month praised embattled cross country coach Joe Biddy and called for the board to speak to him directly before deciding whether to approve him being replaced, The Journal News reported.

   The board will vote on AD Andy Guccione's nominations for fall coaching positions. Guccione said Friday he will submit names in May or June. Biddy's fate may rest with the composition of the board; four candidates are running May 15 for three available seats effective with July's school board meeting.

   Candidates Melissa Reimer and Angus Mackenzie expressed support for Biddy, 49, who has coached boys cross country for 49 seasons. Nearly 1,100 people have signed a petition calling for Biddy's retention.

   Biddy was informed by Guccione late in the 2017 cross country season that he would not be brought back as coach this fall.    The source of the problem as far as anyone can tell -- it's difficult to know since the administration isn't talking -- may have been miscommunication about Biddy's intent to take his team to a mid-season meet in Schenectady, though the coach said Guccione treated him well throughout the remainder of the season.

   The more cynical amongst observers wonder if district officials simply would prefer to hand the job to someone younger.

   Coaching milestone: Cattaraugus-Little Valley baseball coach Chuck Senn won his 600th game Friday when the Timberwolves earned a walkoff triumph.

   Tied 2-2 in the bottom of the seventh inning, C-LV's Austin Baker reached on a fielder's choice, Tim Ulinger reached on an error and Shane O'Neill singled to right field to plate the winning run.

   Senn is 600-319-5 in 45 seasons of coaching.

   Roaring back: Allegany-Limestone spotted Cuba-Rushford an 11-run lead through three innings and then rallied to a 16-11 baseball victory Saturday the consolation game of a tournament at Bolivar-Richburg.

   "I think we had a little bit of a letdown after losing the Bolivar game in the bottom of the seventh," coach Eric Hemphill said.

   Winning pitcher Ben Giardini was 3-for-4 at the plate with a double, triple, two RBIs and two runs scored.

   College plans: It's not a scholarship offer, but I think we have our first FBS commitment from the Class of 2019. Minisink Valley long-snapper Austin Sullivan has accepted an offer to attend Penn State as a preferred walk-on.

   The 6-foot-3, 245-pound junior is a two-way lineman for Minisink Valley. He received the offer during a visit to State College, Pa., on April 7 and attended the annual spring scrimmage April 21.

   Won and done: A private school in Arizona has dropped football just three years after winning a state championship.

   Three years ago, Glendale, Ariz., Joy Christian went 13-0 and captured the Division V state crown under coach Brian Cole. Once Cole left due to philosophical differences with the administration, so too did some of the families with players in the program.

   In the two seasons since, under two different coaches, Joy Christian has gone a combined 1-17 and been outscored 901-120.

   Extra points: Alex Vega is the new football coach at Brooklyn Tech, replacing Kyle McKenna.