Leading off today: Three NYSPHSAA boys championship teams have landed three players apiece on the all-state team selected by the United Soccer Coaches.
Forward Ferenc Bagi, defender Luke McDonagh, and Brayden O'Boyle were recognized on the large-schools team following Commack's Class AAA title run.
In Class AA, Garden City defenders Thomas Fargione and Dylan Fisher, and forward Jack Klein garnered large-school honors.
In Class B, Westhill midfielder Max Cowin, defender Jackson Goodness, and forward Eric Holstein earned places on the small-schools team.
All nine are seniors.
Champions East Aurora (Class A), North Salem (C), and Fillmore (D) and Hamilton (D) also placed representatives on the team.
The complete boys soccer all-state team is posted in our reference section.
More soccer notes
Livonia boys soccer coach
Ray Maxwell has retired after a combined 579 victories and 16 section 5 titles with Geneseo and then the Bulldogs.
Maxwell coached for 41 seasons and leaves as the winningest coach in Section 5 history and No. 4 overall in the NYSPHSAA.
• Jeff Farnsworth, a former Spencerport goalkeeper who went on to coach his alma mater for 16 seasons and serve as the Section 5 chairman, will be presented with the Honor Award, the highest recognition from the United Soccer Coaches, during the annual convention on Jan. 16 in Philadelphia.
Farnsworth has been deeply involved with United Soccer Coaches (formerly the NSCAA) since the 1980s, including two decades as the awards manager and a current six-year term as the organization's president.
Not the optimal way to do it, but ...
Mamaroneck's 4-1 victory over Clarkstown in Wednesday hockey action wasn't exactly by the book.
The Tigers played minus 11 players left home due to a flu breakout. And that nearly qualified as the easy part. Traffic delays caused the Mamaroneck bus to arrive at the rink late, delaying the start of the game by close to half an hour.
After battling through a scoreless first period, Mamaroneck got on the board early in the second on a goal by Aaden Kou. The junior defenseman's second goal of the night, early in the third proved to be the winner, though the Tigers never were able to put the game out of reach until time wound down.
Concerns about proposed project at Section 5 school
Voters in Brighton overwhelmingly approved a capital project in 2024 that included improvements on the athletic fields of the suburban Rochester school. But now that the school district is preparing for the next phase, concerns have arisen over the prospect of replacing part of the grass athletic complex with artificial turf.
Citing information from the Synthetic Turf Council, one parent told WHEC-TV that the lack of a PFAS-free option is problematic.
PFAS, used in a wide range of products, don't break down easily and can persist in the environment.
The issue is likely to come up again at the next board meeting on Dec. 10.
Section 2 hockey situation still unresolved
The NYSPHSAA is “actively collaborating” with Section 2 and the organization representing the area's high school hockey officials to mediate their dispute, Executive Director Robert Zayas told
The Times Union on Wednesday.
Around 75% of Eastern New York National Ice Hockey Officials Association members are declining Section 2 assignments amid the dispute over the agreement that the section reached earlier this year with the organization representing officials in all area high school sports.
Officials representative Ryan Wise told the paper only "six or seven" officials are currently working high school games, which require two officials per contest. A weekend game was canceled, and more postponements are likely this weekend.
At an officials meeting on Tuesday, Wise said he asked members "to kind of step up and see if they can, at least for this weekend, do some games."
Good feature story alert
Credit to Lindsay Kramer of Syracuse.com for a thorough an insightful look at the changing of the guard in the
Phoenix wrestling program, where Gene Mills, 67, one of the United States' all-time greats on the mat, is dropping down to assistant coach and handing the reins to Ross McFarland Jr.
McFarland, 24, is a former state champ for the Firebirds. The story delves into how he mapped a future in the sport following a modest upbringing and an early indifference to academics.
The connection between past and present head coaches began when McFarland was a third-grader and Mills dubbed him "Ross the Boss" -- one of the great bits of detail in the story.
