Leading off today: Fayetteville-Manlius extended its winning streak in girls tennis to 245 matches on Thursday with a 4-3 victory against Baldwinsville in the 2008 season opener.

   The Hornets won with the help of a sweep in doubles, including rallies from a set down in third and fourth doubles. In third doubles, Katie Muller and Virginia Steigerwald defeated Amari Pollard and Nicole Leader, 4-6, 6-1, 6-3. In fourth doubles, Shelby Smith and Caitlin Welker rallied to beat Kelli McArdell and Sarah Mitchell, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.

   F-M suffered a blow before the season when Sammy Martin, the team's top singles player in 2007, chose not to play this fall, The Post-Standard reported.

   'Buffalo News' reporter dies: John F. "Jay" Bonfatti, a Buffalo News reporter with a reputation as a top-notch journalist and for a world-class sense of humor, died on Thursday of an apparent heart attack while on a vacation in Cape Cod, Mass. He was 52.

   Bonfatti was described by some colleagues as the "John Belushi" of Buffalo journalism and Editor Margaret M. Sullivan said he may have been the most popular individual in the entire News building.

   "Jay was not only the life of the party, but in many ways the life of our newsroom — generous, fun-loving and inclusive," Sullivan said. "He was a skilled, versatile and fair-minded reporter who could, and did, do a top-notch job covering everything from professional football to the environment."

   Bonfatti's stints before The Buffalo News included working as a sports writer for The Post-Standard in Syracuse and for The Associated Press in Philadelphia and Buffalo. I ran into Jay a handful of times over the years at events such as the Empire State Games and the Penn Relays.

   It's one of those stupid things that stay with a person forever for some reason, but I can still recall almost verbatim the string of cracks we fired back and forth at one of the ESGs 20 or so years ago. I'd like to think I can pun with the best of them, but I joined the long list of folks whose wit was no match for Jay.

   "He was a universal lover of human beings," Buffalo News columnist Donn Esmonde said. "He had more friends, from more walks of life, than anyone I have ever known."

   Ithaca coach faces charges: Former Ithaca High football and girls volleyball coach Darin M. Strong is facing felony sex crime charges in Tyrone, Pa., following his arrest on Aug. 4, The Ithaca Journal reported.

   Strong, 34, is accused of making sexual conversation in an online chat room with a Pennsylvanian posing as a 13-year-old girl, and sending sexual images of himself to the person, according to a Tyrone Police Department criminal complaint.

   Tyrone police traced Strong's identity and supplied information to the Ithaca police, who matched a picture of him and the volleyball team with the Webcam

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photos, according to the affidavit.

   The affidavit states the Pennsylvania citizen belongs to a group that educates parents and children about online predators.

   "The majority of the charges will be criminal attempt, as (the citizen) is not a police officer as defined by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, nor is he a minor, but he posed as one," the affidavit reads.

   Tioga County Sheriff's deputies arrested Strong on Aug. 4 and extradited him. He was arraigned in Tyrone Town Court and charged with attempting to disseminate sexually explicit materials to minors, attempted unlawful contact with a minor with the purpose of committing a sexual offense, criminal use of a communication facility, all felonies; and indecent exposure, a misdemeanor.

   Ithaca Superintendent Judith Pastel told the paper Strong, a phys ed teacher, is still employed by the district but said she could not disclose his status because it's a personnel matter. AD Bill Bryant confirmed that Strong had resigned as volleyball coach on Aug. 14. His wife, an assistant volleyball coach, also resigned according to a source.

   Strong, who coached varsity football in 2002 and 2003, is scheduled to return to Tyrone Town Court on Sept. 9. He could not be reached for comment.

   Reduced charges in Wilson: Niagara County District Attorney Michael J. Violante confirmed today that felony charges are being dropped against three Wilson High baseball players accused last spring of sexually abusing two JV players.

   Defense attorneys said last night they expected the original charges to be withdrawn and new misdemeanor and violation charges to be filed against the defendants, two 16-year-olds and an 18-year-olds.

   "Following several months of continued investigation and additional interviews conducted by my prosecutorial and investigative staff, it is my decision to reduce the felony charges to an appropriate misdemeanor charge and add misdemeanor and violation charges of hazing," Violante said in a statement. "This provides a set of charges that more accurately reflects the facts as we now believe them and will facilitate our prosecution of these charges."

   Attorneys for two of the three defendants said their clients will continue to plead not guilty at an arraignment set for Sept. 9 in Wilson Town Court. If convicted on any misdemeanor charge, the boys would automatically receive youthful offender status, The Buffalo News reported, which means their convictions would not count on their records and they would not have to register as sex offenders, although they could still face jail sentences.

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