Leading off today: Catching up on some recent news as we head into the homestretch of the 2025-26 high school sports year in New York:
Most of Stepinac's penalties lifted
Coach Pat Massaroni will take the brunt of the punishment under a settlement reached between Archbishop Stepinac administrators and counterparts from the CHSAA and the Archdiocese of New York.
Under the arrangement this week to address Stepinac's participation in the non-sanctioned Chipotle Nationals basketball tournament during Holy Week this spring, the other proposed sanctions have been scuttled and Massaroni will be suspended for the first two non-league games and the first five CHSAA games next season.
Consequently, the Crusaders, who have become the standard-bearers in the league's basketball ranks, will be able to play out-of-state competition and participate in the CHSAA postseason.
"I'm happy that none of the kids within the program, none of the kids within the Stepinac athletic program will be penalized,” Massaroni said, according to LoHud.com. "I'm ultimately disappointed on a personal level with the number of games in my suspension but there essentially was no other way to keep the kids out of it."
Iconic Section 3 lacrosse coach dies
Kirk Ventiquattro, who coached the Carthage program he launched to 458 boys lacrosse wins and multiple Section 3 championships before retiring in 2018, died on May 15 from prostate cancer after a nearly 15-year battle with the disease. He was 67.
Ventiquattro coached multiple All-Americans, led by Syracuse University stars Casey, Ryan and Mike Powell.
"I think we've lost an icon," former West Genesee coach Mike Messere told Syracuse.com. "One of our top guys out of this area who's produced tremendous talent. And that talent's out there right now."
At the time of his death, Ventiquattro was still coaching football and modified lacrosse at Indian River as well as serving as an assistant lacrosse coach under his son Tony in Naples, Fla.
"He was the best competitor I ever went against," Jamesville-DeWitt coach Jamie Archer said. "I didn't respect any coach more than I respected that guy."
Two veteran athletic directors leaving ...
Larry Gillooley, 57, who is only the fourth athletic director in Niskayuna's history, will be retiring on Sept. 1 after nearly 20 years in the role.
Gillooley was a teacher and coach at Schenectady before moving to Guilderland as an assistant AD under Wayne Bertrand.
He will be replaced by Matt Ronca, 42, Mohonasen's AD since 2022 and a member of the NYSPHSAA Executive Committee.
Meanwhile, Bari Suman, 55, Mamaroneck's AD since 2004, is stepping down in a move coinciding with the graduation of her daughters, Lindsay and Lexi.
Mamaroneck earned its first ever NYSPHSAA championship (field hockey) in
2004 and has captured another 20 since.
Suman, a Suffern graduate, will be replaced by current Pelham AD Joe Toombs. Suman told LoHud.com that Toombs was the first teacher she hired aafter arriving in Mamaroneck.
... and one veteran football coach staying
There was plenty of speculation that
Dino Garr, 78, who last September became the winningest football coach in state history, would step down at Rye. While marching toward on that achievement in recent years, Garr realized he was in coaching for more than just milestones and trophies.
"Obviously, last year was such a special year and I think all those things coming together made it seem like it might be a good time to retire," he said, "but I've never really done this for the wins or championships. I did it because coaching is something I enjoy and it's been a gift I feel was given to me in terms of being able to do it here in a great community."
Garr is 375-114-9 record over 50 seasons at Westlake and Rye with five NYSPHSAA championships.
You can sponsor our new featured content for just $199/week (just kidding)
I was thinking of starting a new feature here highlighting crimes against humanity in the form of exploitation of teen athletes and their families.
But then I realized that it would consist mostly of baseball "showcases," youth hockey tournaments resulting in 150-mile trips to play opponents from neighboring towns, and AAU basketball.
Quite a triple
This completely escaped my notice earlier this month as we posted the all-state basketball teams, but Michael Cascione is on a heck of a run.
In the past year, the 6-foot-4 Smithtown West senior has been selected to the first team on three New York State Sportswriters Association all-state teams: 2025 Class AA baseball, 2025 Class A football, and 2026 Class AA basketball.
Industry news
Congratulations to a pair of reporters to the left and the right of me on the New York State Thruway for earning high honors in the Associated Press Sports Editors' annual awards.
Connor Pignatello of Syracuse.com placed first in High School Beat Writing, and Clevis Murray of The Buffalo News earned sixth place nationally in the same category.
They were competing in a division with entries from the likes of the Courier Journal in Louisville. The Charlotte (N.C.) Observer, and the Indianapolis Star.
