NYSSWA: New York State Sportswriters Association

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Leading off today: Jordan-Elbridge senior Colleen Ryan recorded her 1,279th softball strikeout Wednesday to break the state high school record.

The milestone came during a 4-0 loss to Marcellus. The previous mark had been set by Sarah Reed of Jamesville-DeWitt in 2004. Ryan is in her sixth varsity season and has 167 K's as a senior after racking up 325 as a junior.

Taking a stand: Kudos to Newfane boys soccer coach Bob Roach for his hard-hitting letter to The Buffalo News regarding the death penalty handed down against Lackawanna boys soccer program by the district's school board.

"Any team with players who charge an official, shove that official and repeatedly speak in a vulgar or obscene way to an official deserves to be punished," he wrote. "Should the team be suspended for an entire season? On these actions alone, maybe not, but this isn’t the first time that this team has been in trouble."

Astonishingly, Roach reports that Lackawanna has more red and yellow cards in the last six seasons than the rest of Section 6 combined.

"A number of talented soccer players have come through Lackawanna’s program," he concluded, "but I would take a kid with class over a talented soccer player with a disrespectful attitude any day of the week."

Capurso picks Hofstra: St. John Villa junior Nicole Capurso has made an early commitment to play

basketball at Hofstra.

Capurso was eighth-team all-state in Class A last season, averaging 18.4 points per game, but she underwent surgery in mid-March to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament and lateral meniscus in her left knee.

She will be able to sign a letter of intent in November. Capurso said she also considered St. John's and Boston College, but decided to lock in on Hofstra after the school's coaches reaffirmed their interest despite the knee injury.

Schuylerville's Fitzgerald leaving teaching: Schuylerville teacher Sam Fitzgerald will hand in his retirement papers today after 37 years in the district.

He has coached at all levels in football, basketball and softball and is hoping to keep his spot with the varsity softball team if no active teachers apply. He's 180-42 in 11 varsity seasons.

Extra points: West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez told reporters this week that running back Jason Gwaltney, the troubled former Long Island sensation, is no longer in the football program and hasn’t been since the start of spring practice. He was supposed to back on campus for his second chance beginning this spring, and Rodriguez's vague wording leaves it unclear whether the player has pushed back his return to the fall semester. . . . The Times Herald-Record in Middletown is the latest paper to take a brief look at the idea over moving the pitcher back three feet in softball.

9/11/24: Mass. school forfeits over male opponent

9/10/24: Regents table vote on expanding mixed competition

9/9/24: Shot clock experiment will change lacrosse

9/7/24: Garden City sets L.I. football record

9/6/24: Lawsuit takes aim at N.C.'s NIL ban

9/5/24: New York's Week 0 football intrigue