Leading off today: Mother Nature did something that no field hockey team has been able to do his season: stop Williamsville North.
The Spartans, winners of 21 straight field hockey matches this fall, had their New York State Public High School Athletic Association semifinal against Ward Melville suspended by heavy snow last night at Cicero-North Syracuse High. The white stuff made it impossible to keep the field markings visible and created safety issues.
They will resume action at 2 p.m. today, followed by Saratoga vs. Lakeland in the other Class A semifinal that had to be postponed. The winners will stay an extra night and play for the championship Sunday at 10 a.m.
In 2003, a storm forced postponement of five semifinals.
The highlight of the four games that did get played yesterday was the 62nd consecutive victory by Garden City, which posted a 2-0 triumph over Maine-Endwell in Class B. The Trojans will play Rye today in search of their third straight championship. Maine-Endwell had won the championship in 2004 and reached the semis against Garden City the last two seasons.
Football semfinals: The machine-like Walton football team continued to waltz through Class D, defeating Bolivar-Richburg in Rochester, 42-0. Richard Fletcher rushed 22 times for 152 yards and three touchdowns, with Logan Wood adding 133 yards and a TD on 17 carries. Both are now over 1,000 yards for the season.
The Warriors head next to the Carrier Dome to play Ticonderoga, a 35-8 winner over Haldane. Fill-in QB Matt Streeter (6-for-6, 108 yards), passed for two touchdowns and ran for another to lead Ticonderoga, with Steven Lenhart chipping in with 90 yards on 15 carries.
In Class A action, Lansingburgh and Aquinas advanced to a Friday afternoon date at the Dome.
Lansingburgh senior Kenny Youngs rushed for 223 yards and five touchdowns in a 49-20 triumph against Ossining, which drove to a TD on its opening possession but could not keep up with the Knights after that. Lansingburgh scored on five of its first six possessions and built a 42-6 lead in the second half.
Aquinas did it with defense, blanking Carthage in Rochester, 17-0. The Little Irish held the Comets (11-1) to 92 yards of total offense, forced two turnovers and kept Carthage pinned in its own half of the field for almost the entire second half.
Aquinas limited 2,000-yard rusher Robert Grimm to 42 yards on 15 carries.
In the Long Island playoffs, East Islip will make its first bowl appearance following a 22-13 victory against West Islip. The Redmen will meet Lawrence for the Long Island Class II championship at 4:30 p.m. on Friday at Hofstra.
Girls soccer: How's this for a streak? When Rockville Centre South Side defeated Burnt Hills, 2-0, in the girls Class A semifinals yesterday, it was the Cyclones' 27th consecutive victory in post-season soccer.
That's right, 27 straight lose-and-leave challenges have been answered. They'll go for No. 28, along with a fourth straight NYPSHSAA championship, today against Pittsford Mendon.
South Side fired off the first 25 shots of the game against Burnt Hills. Sophomore midfielder Crystal Dunn scored on a rebound 4:12 into the game, and Mary Kate Krol added insurance midway through the first half.
In Class B, Briarcliff Manor knocked off defending champion Livonia, 1-0, to set up a final against Marcellus. Liana Cornacchio's short, cross-crease shot in the
