Leading off today: Tom Wallace's name resurfaced this weekend, a year ahead of schedule.
For the uninitiated -- and that would be most of us -- Wallace was a long-ago football star for Saranac Lake who was born in Syracuse and went on to a career in the Treasury Department, as a lawyer and later as a probation officer in Franklin County.
In the summer after graduating from high school, where he was an all-around athlete who won championships in the hurdles, Wallace was twice credited with saving young swimmers from drowning at Prescott Park.
In the fall, the son of the local police chief began a stellar two-sport career at Georgetown, where Wallace served as a football captain, and he went on the earn his law degree at Columbia University.
Still, it was one afternoon on the football field -- the 100th anniversary of which is sure to be celebrated next fall -- when Wallace made his reputation. Tabbed the "Galloping Ghost of Saranac Lake." Wallace scored 11 touchdowns during a 101-0 rout of Lake Placid.
The 11-touchdown day has held up as the state record since, but Wallace, who died in 1969 at the age of 59, apparently could have scored even more. However, uncomfortable with the lopsided margin, he is said to have feigned an injury so that he could sit out the rest of the game.
Why do I mention all this?
Well ...
Section 6 running back scores nine touchdowns in 76-3 win
Running back Kaviohn Pitts set a Section 6 single-game record on Friday by scoring nine touchdowns for Health Sciences/Buffalo Academy of Science/Global Concepts in a 76-3 rout of Hamburg.
Pitts carried 19 times for 434 yards and scored all of his TDs on the ground for the state's seventh-ranked Class A team.
The state record for touchdowns in a game is 11 by Tom Wallace of Saranac Lake in 1926. Pitts' performance tied him for second with four others, most recently Drew Kozak of Our Lady of Lourdes in 2024.
Ohio H.S. athletes get NIL approval
Ohio high school athletes can earn money off their name, image and likeness (NIL) after a Columbus judge granted a
temporary restraining order against Ohio High School Athletic Association eligibility rules pertaining to amateur status.
Franklin County Judge Jaiza Page order came in the case of Dayton-area receiver Jamier Brown, who has committed to play for Ohio State in 2027.
The OHSAA voted by a 538-254 margin in 2022 to prohibit NIL money.
The New York State Public High School Athletic Association was the first scholastic governing body in the country to permit NIL deals.
No action West Virginia safety proposal
A bill introduced by West Virginia legislators to require Guardian Caps for all high school football helmets will not be passed into law this year.
While the proposal passed in a Senate vote, it did not reach the floor of the House for consideration. It may be reintroduced during the next legislative session.
The West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission has made the use of Guardian Caps optional in practice and games.
Earlier this year, a study from the University of Wisconsin found that wearing soft-shell covers such as Guardian Caps had no effect on the rate of concussions in high school sports.
