Leading off today: Pittsford freshman Jeff Milano-Johnson died of a cerebral artery aneurysm with no indication that he was struck with a lacrosse ball before a high school game in April, according to a medical examiner's report.
Whether the 14-year-old was even struck by a call during warm-ups remains unclear because there was "no evidence of recent trauma," the Democrat and Chronicle reported.
"My son died on the lacrosse field, but not from anything anyone did," Jim Johnson told the newspaper.
Milano-Johnson died on April 12, a day after collapsing on the field at Spencerport, without having regained consciousness.
"An aneurysm just happens," said Mary Jane Milano, the player's mother. "He could have had this happen walking down the street or in the halls at school. It just happened to be he was on the lacrosse field."
The cause of death is listed as "ruptured cerebral artery aneurysm" and manner of death, "natural,"and the Milano-Johnson family wants people to know they believe lacrosse is safe.
"It's a wonderful sport and the lacrosse community is just an incredible group of people," Milano told the newspaper. "There were teams from all over Section 5 at Jeff's funeral. We heard from lacrosse players from Texas. Lacrosse players just feel like they're family to one another."
Two noteworthy passings: Lou Kliewe died Tuesday in Pearl River at the age of 72 after a battle with cancer. Kliewe coached boys basketball at Spring Valley and Albertus Magnus, setting the Rockland County record for career victories with 447 over 45 years. He coached Spring Valley to a state championship in 1982.
Also, former Westchester administrator and official Anthony Sabella died Tuesday in Washington D.C., at the age of 85.
Sabella was a highly regarded football and basketball official for more than 40 years. In addition, he was the rules interpreter for the Section 1 football and basketball officials, as well as the Section 1 president for two decades.
Sabella was also the superintendent of the Bedford Central School District from 1965-81 and president of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association from 1980-82.
Speaking out: Pardon the mixed sports reference, but Middletown's Times Herald-Record hit a home run with its soccer editorial Thursday.
Headlined "Soccer ruling needs a red card," the editorial said a recent assualt case became "unnecessarily complicated, and further delayed, this week with a ruling by a judge that seems to go well beyond the facts he was asked to consider."
In short, the act of violence for which Walkill soccer player Jasmine Crespi stands accused -- a punch that caused serious facial injuries to Cornwall player Ashley Thorpe following a game last fall -- does not rate felony status in the mind of Orange County Court Judge Robert Freehill.
The editorial rightfully notes that had the altercation come during the game, "when the line between hard play and deliberate injury is harder to see, there might be reason to quibble. But an assault during the postgame handshake raises it to a different level. This is a time when a student should feel safe and protected by the expectations of good sportsmanship and good law."
