Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2018: BH-BL coach Bynon wins 700th volleyball match

   Leading off today: Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake coach Gary Bynon reached 700 career wins in girls volleyball when the Spartans swept Schenectady 25-8, 25-19, 25-8 on Tuesday.

   Bynon, who is in his 31st season, has coached Burnt Hills to 23 Section 2 and six NYSPHSAA championships. Six other Spartans squads have played in state finals.

   Biddy ends battle: Ousted boys cross country coach Joe Biddy has ended his battle to return for a 50th season at Suffern, instead accepting a coaching job at Division II St. Thomas Aquinas College.

   Biddy, 76, whose unexplained dismissal triggered protests, will serve as an assistant coach for cross country, indoor track and outdoor track. He'll work primarily with distance runners.

   "It's a little bittersweet but I'm excited," Biddy said. "I wasn't done with coaching. I was putting feelers out to other places. I'm really looking forward to it. It's a wonderful challenge."

   Dispute resolved: Section 3 football officials will be ready to work Week 1 games beginning Thursday following word that the section and 43 officiating boards in 19 sports had hammered out a four-year contract through the American Arbitration Association.

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   Officials in boys and girls soccer worked a dozen games Tuesday in good faith, said Scott Paulding, representative for the Central New York Soccer Officials Association. But the Syracuse chapter of the New York Association of Certified Football Officials was on the fence as late as Monday night.

s    However, referees from all three Central New York associations did work football scrimmages on Saturday when it appeared that a deal was close.

   "The new four-year contract is neither a win nor a loss for schools or officials, but rather a win for student-athletes, who will now be able to compete with professional officiating

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this upcoming school year," Section 3 Executive Director John Rathbun said in a statement.

   Coaching news: Drew White is leaving Fulton's program to become the new girls lacrosse coach at West Genesee. He replaces Kevin Hennigan, who coached the Wildcats the past three seasons.

   "I think the tradition behind the West Genesee lacrosse community is appealing," White said. "This was an opportunity I went after. I want to be in a district where you have that type of school support and that type of administration support as well."

    • Canisius' Bryan Tenney has decided to retire after 27 seasons and 12 Monsignor Martin titles as the baseball coach.

   More data: The NYSPHSAA reported this week that 562,207 students participated in interscholastic athletics during the 2017-2018 school year.

   New York State Public High School Athletic Association officials said 301,347 boys and 260,860 girls competed in varsity, junior varsity, freshmen or modified competition. There were 31,760 interscholastic teams.

   The National Federation reported this week that New York is third in the country behind Texas and California for the total number of high school athletes.