NYSSWA blog: Former Spring Valley star admits raping girl, 12

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Leading off today: Former NFL running back John Harvey admitted today in state Supreme Court that he raped a 12-year-old Spring Valley girl, ending his trial on the second day of testimony, The Journal News reported.

Harvey, 41, pleaded guilty to first-degree rape and a misdemeanor count of endangering the welfare of a child. He'll face a maximum of 13 years in prison when sentenced Sept. 23.

Harvey had been indicted on nine felony charges, including six rape counts.

Harvey graduated from Spring Valley with All-Rockland County and all-state honors. He played college football at UTEP and was drafted by the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he played for one season before a brief CFL career.

Charge dropped: The assault charge against Harrison football coach Art Troilo Jr. has been dismissed, The Journal News reported.

Westchester County DA spokesman Lucien Chalfen said the misdemeanor third-degree assault charge was dropped after his wife failed to appear in Town Court on Friday.

Troilo was arrested June 18 after police were called to his home, accused of hitting his wife with his elbow during an argument. Phyllis Troilo told The Journal News that her husband's arrest was the result of overzealous police officers.

Chilling reading: It was the 26th paragraph of an Associated Press story, but it stopped me cold as I read it this evening:

"The military also has asked (President) Bush to authorize the execution of Dwight J. Loving, who has been at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., since 1989 after being convicted of killing two taxicab drivers while he was an Army private at Fort Hood, Texas."

Most of the story was about the president authorizing the execution of Army private Ronald A. Gray, who could be the first U.S. soldier executed in 51 years. Gray was convicted

in connection with four murders and eight rapes in North Carolina in the late 1980s while stationed at Fort Bragg.

Bush got the secretary of the Army's recommendation to approve Gray's death sentence in late 2005. It's since been under review by the administration, including the White House legal counsel, while awaiting a Supreme Court ruling upholding lethal injections.

Loving was a standout athlete as a Rochester teen and was regarded as an Olympic or professional boxing prospect before enlisting.

Though the authorization to execute Gray puts Loving's case back in the spotlight, military observers have said his file is not likely to be acted upon by the White House in the immediate future.

Former coach dies: Jerome "T.J." Harris, who served briefly as Somers JFK's girls basketball coach but who is best known as a basketball trainer for more than a decade, died after suffering a heart attack Friday.

Harris, 60, had just returned from a two-week vacation, his wife, Barbara. told The Journal News. Harris moved to Westchester County in 1994 and quickly started training sessions that lasted until the day he died.

Division I football news: Donnie Webb of The Post-Standard has reported in recent days that freshman linebacker Matt Jones (Aquinas) and receiver Deandre Preaster (Utica Proctor) did not qualify academically and will not attend Syracuse to play footnall this fall.

As far as the Class of 2009 goes, commitments by New Yorkers are running slightly ahead of last year's pace following word this month that Indian River running back Curtis Dukes plans to enroll at Penn State.

Other Division I commitments include Jamal Wilson of Brooklyn South Shore, Robert Joseph of Poly Prep and Andre Civil of Sheepshead Bay to Rutgers; Stephen Obeng-Agyapong of Cheektowaga JFK to Penn State; Nick Ferrara of St. Anthony's to Maryland; and Fernando Diaz of Cardinal Hayes to Pittsburgh.