Leading off today: A combined four players from a pair of NYSPHSAA champions lead the list of small-school all-state football selections announced today by the New York State Sportswriters Association.
In Class C, quarterback Ollie Bolduc and running back Landem Cumm are the NYSSWA co-players of the year in the aftermath of Schuylerville's title-game victory over Salamanca. In Class D, quarterback Tate Catanese and receiver Bryce Hinsdale of Clymer/Sherman/Panama share the honor following the Section 6 team's victory over Burke Catholic in the state final in Syracuse.
The NYSSWA also selected co-players of the year in Class B, where running backs Geremiah Ademola-Sadipe of Carthage and Kyle Messina of Sayville lead the parade of all-stars.
The player of the year in eight-man football is Martino Rocco of state regional champion Frankfort-Schuyler.
Class B all-state football selections
Class C all-state football selections
Class D all-state football selections
Eight-man football all-state selections
The announcement for the NYSSWA all-state teams in Classes AA and A is scheduled for Jan. 15.
As always, our thanks goes out to the NYSSWA's Steve Grandin and his statewide network of helpers for assembling the all-state selections.
Longtime Stepinac coach reveals retirement
Archbishop Stepinac football coach Mike O'Donnell is retiring after 37 seasons and will be replaced by former assistant A.J. Magee, who most recently worked on the staff at Wagner College.
According to a social media post from Kevin Devaney Jr., O'Donnell will remain as the school's athletic director and involved in football.
O'Donnell's teams have won 238 games and four NYCHSFL Class AAA championships, three in Class AA and a trio of state Catholic championships.
A belated tip of the cap to Fairport
When we last compiled results for the NYSSWA Kerr Cup All-Sport Championship in 2019, Section 5 powerhouse Fairport snared the overall championship behind a strong showing by its boys programs against Class AA competition.
Much has changed in New York scholastic sports since that 2019 competition, not the least of which is the structure of New York State Public High School Athletic Association sports. For the first time since we began working backwards to compile results from the missing years, we are crowning champions in six classes instead of five.
However, this much hasn't changed: Fairport stands atop the field, this time by dominating Class AAA. With its boys and girls teams each registering repeated successes at the state level, the Red Raiders rolled up 91 points to easily outdistance Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake (60), Scarsdale (59.67), and Bronxville (58.83) for the overall Kerr Cup honor.
The Kerr Cup honors Neil Kerr, the former Syracuse Post-Standard sportswriter who was the driving force behind the New York State Sportswriters Association for more than half a century. The competition for NYSPHSAA member schools covers the 2023-24 school year.
The NYSSWA put the Kerr Cup on hiatus when the COVID-19 pandemic derailed scholastic sports in early 2020 and recently began reconstructing the results for the years that have passed since the resumption of full schedules in the 2021-22 school year; as we continue to work backward, the 2022 and '23 Kerr Cup results will be released at a future date.
2024 Kerr Cup All-Sport Championship home page
Annual Kerr Cup All-Sport Championship overall top 10s
Milestone
After a brief delay, Mekeel Christian Academy boys basketball coach Chad Bowman booked his 500th victory last week with a 76-54 over King's Christian from Toronto.
Bowman began his varsity coaching career in 1993 at what was then known as Schenectady Christian. He was in line for the 500th win at a game on Dec. 20 only to have scheduled opponent Troy Prep shut down its program for the season.
Industry news
Reporter Mike Zummo, who's been in the business for more than two decades serving the Orange and Ulster County area, posted on social media on Friday that he has left the journalism business. Noting that "working in the field is no longer financially viable," Zummo says he has landed a new gig outside of journalism.
