Leading off today: The Cece Powell farewell tour continues to deliver.
In the fall, the Marcellus senior scored her 100th career soccer goal. In the winter, she went over 2,000 points in basketball. On Thursday, Powell -- the 2025 All-Central New York Female Athlete of the Year -- scored nine goals in lacrosse action vs. Syracuse CBA. The final tally was No. 400 for her career, which began as an eighth-grader.
Shannon Smith holds the NYSPHSAA record for goals, concluding her West Babylon lacrosse career with 505 in 2008.
Between the three milestones, Powell said the lacrosse one stands out the most since she'll continue in that sport at the University of North Carolina.
"They're all pretty great, but for lacrosse, it's kind of different just because there's more pressure in a way to meet the expectations and standards," Powell told Syracuse.com. "This one's definitely a good weight off my shoulders, but definitely not a moment I'm settled with in this sport."
Coaching news
Brian Grastorf, who guided Niskayuna to three Section 2 football championships since 2022, informed his players on Thursday morning that he has stepped down to focus on his family, which includes three children aged 3 or younger.
"I started out here in kindergarten as a water boy going all the way through playing when my dad (Ron) was the athletic director. I always wanted to be the head coach," he told The Times Union. "I think I will find myself again involved somehow with the youth program in a few years or help out wherever I can."
• The American College Hockey Association has named West Genesee's Frank Colabufo its 2026 John Mariucci Award recipient. The honor recognizes a secondary school coach who best exemplifies the spirit, dedication and enthusiasm of the former University of Minnesota coach.
Colabufo has coached at West Genesee since 1994, rolling up 15 Section 3 and three NYSPHSAA championships. He was named the NFHS National Hockey Coach of the Year in 2024 and inducted into the New York State Hockey Hall of Fame the same year.
• Ward Melville baseball coach Lou Petrucci collected his 300th win in Section 11 action last week.
Section 1 moves forward with amendment vote
The Section 1 Athletic Council met Tuesday and approved creating a ballot for member schools on a referendum on a constitutional amendment that would require separate postseason tournaments for public and private schools.
Local administrators are still hoping the New York State Public High School Athletic Association might reverse course on its current policy dealing with non-public and charter schools in the postseason, LoHud.com reported.
Section 1 officials are discussing legal action if the NYSPHSAA doesn't follow in their footsteps by creating separate playoffs.
"We don't want to go to litigation, but it might be necessary at some point," Section 1 President Marc Baiocco said.
"We would be prepared for any defense," NYSPHSAA Executive Director Robert Zayas said.
The Section 1 referendum to amend its constitution requires a two-thirds majority. If adopted, it will affect Albertus Magnus, Ursuline, Leffell and Keio, likely beginning with the 2027-28 school year.
Extra points
• Cooperstown basketball senior star Miles Nelen, selected the state Class C
player of the year by the New York State Sportswriters Association, will do a post-graduate year at Darrow School in New Lebanon.
• The Section 6 football championship games will not be following the Buffalo Bills to the new stadium set to open this fall. Instead, the Western New York title games are headed to the University at Buffalo's Broadview Stadium on Nov. 12-13.
