Leading off today: I'm not so sure we can keep referring to the season-ending soccer tournaments conducted by the NYSPHSAA as "championships." Too often, these games turn into the "co-championships."
The girls from Lyme and Chazy were the latest to settle for a tie in a New York State Public High School Athletic Association final yesterday, going scoreless through regulation and then four overtimes and leaving without resorting to the dreaded penalty kicks that determine advancement in all the previous post-season rounds.
It was the 12th time since 1992 that either a boys or girls final ended with co-champions being declared. Syracuse.com blogger Phil Blackwell summed up the black and white sides of the issue:
"One view is that it's quite a fair, Solomon-like way to settle an even dispute," he wrote. "Just about everyone in soccer loathes, or at the very least dreads, these post-season shoot-outs. When stakes are high, it puts an immense amount of pressure on teenagers, even if they're willing enough to face the fight. Having a state title come down to this — well, that's even scarier.
"The other view fits perfectly into our culture — that you must have a winner. Settling for half the score is, for the most part, nonexistent in most sports — hockey has gone to shoot-outs in the regular season, college football to overtimes. Yet this scenario remains."
Chief among the highlights of games that actually had a verdict was Greece Arcadia's 2-1 victory over Cicero-North Syracuse in Class AA. Jessica Shufelt scored with 3:08 left in the second sudden death to carry the Titans to the championship. It was her 25th goal of the season and 89th of her career.
Football semifinals: Top-ranked Monroe-Woodbury rode Chris Boyce's 6-yard touchdown run with 2:36 left into a berth in the state Class AA football finals, downing New Rochelle, 22-16.
New Rochelle took a 16-14 lead with 6:24 left by sacking QB Danny Scalo for a safety, but Jon Green forced a fumble and Josh Skowronski recovered it at the New Rochelle 13 with 3:19 left. scored two plays later.
Monroe-Woodbury, which reached its third straight final and has lost only four games in four seasons, will play West Genesee next Sunday at the Carrier Dome.
West Genesee dispatched Orchard Park, 30-27, behind the throwing of Tim Moran. The senior QB was 25-for-31 for 284 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Joe Fazio made nine catches for 126 yards and a score.
In Class B, Rye and Chenango Forks will play for the championship, to the surprise of just about no one. The teams have met for three of the last four titles.
Tight end/linebacker Matt Rix caught a touchdown pass and returned an interception for another score as Rye beat Peru, 24-7. Chenango Forks' Jud DuBois blocked the extra point following a Geneva TD with 8:15 remaining to secure a 14-13 victory. D.J. Smith tackled Panthers QB Bobby Martin eight yards short of the end zone on the final play.
Bishop Ludden and Dobbs Ferry will play for the Class C champiosnhip in Syracuse.
Frank Scattaretico rolled up 218 all-purpose yards and scored four TDs as Dobbe Ferry routed Cambridge, 47-0,
