Leading off today: Though the report from
Syracuse.com doesn't sound like the sides agreed on much, it looks as though Section 3 and its soccer officials have found enough common ground to avoid a replay of last fall's labor dispute.
The website reported that Robert Zayas, executive director of the New York State High School Athletic Association, notified the Central New York Soccer Officials Association that the group has been recertified as the chapter responsible for providing officials for the section.
Earlier, Section 3 Executive Director Jason Czarny and the CNYSOA signed off on a memo of understanding for an alternate payment option to hopefully prevent some officials from refusing to work games, as a few did in 2024. Under the MOU, Czarny said refs who don't like the increasingly popular ArbiterPay online tracking system can still opt to be paid by a paper voucher system.
Still, officials representative Judson Ames denied there were any meaningful contract changes and said the state buckled because it was having trouble lining up replacements to form a new officials chapter.
(We're) prioritizing student-athletes. We want to make sure that they have games officiated by certified quality officials," Czarny said. "And this is the group of people that is best suited to do the work."
Coming attraction
The explosive growth of flag football in New York continues.
The Monsignor Martin Association has announced that nine of its members will jump into the sport next spring with an eight-game league schedule, followed by playoffs.
Ex-coach of Section 5 power hit with sexual abuse charges
Former Lyons boys basketball coach Dean Schott II has been arrested on sexual abuse charges, Wayne County District Attorney Christine Callanan announced on Wednesday after a grand jury indictment was unsealed.
The Finger Lakes Times reported Schott has been charged with third-degree criminal sexual act, a felony, and third-degree sexual abuse, a misdemeanor. Schott, who resigned as a teaching assistant in the district in April amid allegations of misconduct, was arraigned in Wayne County Court and entered a plea of not guilty.
A statement from the school district said Schott was involved in an "inappropriate relationship" with a Lyons graduate from several years ago.
"At this time, there is no evidence that any current students were involved," the statement said. "We will continue to cooperate with law enforcement as their investigation proceeds."
Schott became then head coach in 2018, and the Lions have been perennial Section 5 and state contenders. His teams won section 5 championships in Class C four times from 2019 to 2024. The 2024 squad reached the NYSPHSAA final four for the first time since 2015.
Following up
Jim Zullo, the since-dismissed Northville girls basketball coach seen on video pulling on the ponytail of a player following the state championship game loss in March, pleaded guilty Tuesday to a harassment charge.
Zullo, 81, entered his guilty plea to the charge of second-degree harassment in front of Judge Christopher T. Maier at Troy City Court. Zullo was ordered to pay court costs of $120, and the conditional discharge of the case requires the former coach to have no contact for one year with the complainant in the case, former Northville player Hailey Monroe.
Zullo, who has moved to Florida, and his attorney, Robert E. Abdella, accepted the plea deal after Maier denied the motion for dismissal that Abdella filed in May, The Times Union reported.
Harassment in the second degree is a violation in New York carrying a maximum penalty of 15 days of incarceration and no more than $250 in fines.
Alumni news
It's a given that a state of our size will always be a pipeline for professional sports, so I typically don't post much on the successes (or failures) of our former high school stars.
However, the last week saw a bunch of names from the past resurface in short order.
• In 2012, Fordham Prep junior Cameron Young won the state Federation golf championship by shooting a 1-over-par 72 at Bethpage State Park Black. Following a solid collegiate career at Wake Forest, he turned pro in 2019 and scored a top-10 finish in each of the grand slam events between 2022 and this past June.
Last weekend, the former PGA Tour rookie of the year had his breakthrough by becoming the Tour's 1,000th tournament winner by capturing the Wyndham Championship with a 22-under 258. It earned him a tidy $1.76 million.
• In 2014, John Rooney was the New York State Sportswriters Association's Class C player of the year in basketball, part of a run of three consecutive seasons on the all-state team.
This week, the former Hoosic Valley star is on the cusp of his Major League Baseball debut. A third-round pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2018, he was traded last weekend from the Miami Marlins to the Houston Astros, who added him to their roster.
"Carp, my manager (David Carpenter) who I love to death, said, 'Hey, listen, you have been traded and I don't know where,'" Rooney, 28, told The Times Union. "The next thing I know, the farm director Rachel (Balkovec) calls and says I have been traded to the Astros. I asked where I was headed -- Sugar Land for AAA-- and she said she didn't know yet. Then, the Astros called and said they had a flight. I look at it and it is to Boston. I got zero sleep that night."
• Ana Gold, who helped Ballston Spa to NYSPHSAA state softball finals in 2018 and '19, was named the Athletes Unlimited Softball League's rookie of the year after batting .373 over 34 games in the first-year pro circuit.
Virginia parent makes recruiting allegation
Two Fairfax, Virginia, football coaches are on leave following allegations centering around recruiting. Fairfax County Public Schools officials confirmed to WTTG-TV that the head coach and an assistant were placed on administrative leave.
A parent of the player in question sent a letter to FCPS officials claiming the family received $5,000 in cash and another $2,950 via Venmo payments to help pay for an apartment so the family could move inside district boundaries.
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Progress update
We've finished compiling the NYSSWA all-state team in baseball. I'll check some spellings and encode it over the weekend, then post it on Monday afternoon.
Work continues on the boys and girls lacrosse teams, which will be coming shortly.
