went 485-91 with 24 Section 4 champion- ships and a NYSPHSAA crown, made the decision to step down late last year.
"I didn't decide until the end of the season in December," Perone said. "I said, 'It's time' and that was it. ... It just hit me one day."
Perone arrived in town after turning Briarcliff into a Section 1 volleyball force and wondered briefly what she'd gotten herself into.
"I'm driving through the town and I'm going, 'This looks like Mayberry R.F.D.'" she recalled. "When you come from Yonkers, living right outside of New York City, it's different. It's very different. I just kind of looked around
and just said, 'Let's take one day at a time here.' But I loved it. That's why I'm still here."
Perone retired as a physical education teacher three years ago and has a 623-121 overall record in volleyball. She will continue in her role as the state coordinator for the sport until her term expires next year and may latch on as a college assistant coach somewhere.
Tim Crout, the JV coach the past six seasons, has been named as Perone's replacement
• Ray Kondracki is in his final season coaching track and field at Clarkstown South. His resume includes 11 Section 1 championships and 14 Rockland track and field coach of the year awards.
Being a respectable but not spectacular runner himself in his younger days, Kondracki has long had an appreciation for the kids who want to be part of the team but understand their limitations.
In one such instance, he had a senior who was going to be awarded a varsity letter just for being on the team, but the runner felt it was important to earn the honor by scoring in a meet.
So, at "some little dual meet," Kondracki had him anchor a 1,600 relay for a lineup that was all but certain to win.
"I said, 'All you have to do is cross the line.'"
Given the baton with a huge lead, the senior crossed the line first.
"It was so exciting for him," Kondracki said. "It made him feel part of the team. ... It showed everybody supports everybody. Everyone cheered him on."
A story for the birds: A Sacramento, Calif., school has a shiny new football and lacrosse stadium that it can't use because squatters have moved in.
The uninvited quests are actually two endangered killdeer birds that created a nest and laid four eggs on the artificial turf at Rio Americano High's new stadium. The unexpected guests forced the lacrosse team to move a Tuesday game that was slated to be the official opening of the facility.
The incubation period for a nesting killdeer is four to five weeks, and the birds have been nesting there for about three weeks now.
"The bird showed up, and we'll just let it do it's thing and then we'll use the field when we can," Rio Americano principal Brian Ginter said. "We've had parents inquire with us, because they're very anxious, they want to get on the field. But basically with when the bird came and what the incubation period is its only a few more days' wait so we're just teaching students to be patient, and then we'll use the field when we can."
