Leading off today: Francis Lewis' Mike Eisenberg was removed from duties as girls basketball coach and physical education teacher at the Queens school for unprofessional behavior in an alleged verbal confontation with a student, The Daily News reported.

   The school is expected to name an interim coach today.

   The 15th-year coach had guided the team into three straight PSAL championship games beginning in 2002 and was expected to have a contender on the court this season following the arrival of three transfers.

   Eisenberg was instructed on Friday to report to the Linden Place reassignment center, one of the so-called "rubber rooms" where the Department of Education sends employees awaiting resolution of disciplinary charges. He will remain on the district payroll.

   Department of Education spokeswoman Melody Meyer told the paper Eisenberg was accused of "unprofessional behavior" for his choice of words during an alleged altercation with a student in late September.

   In 1998, Eisenberg famously uttered a stream of expletives during a live TV interview after the PSAL championship game at Madison Square Garden. He initially drew a lifetime ban from coaching in the PSAL, but won reinstatement in 2000.

   Jefferson tops Loughlin: The Thomas Jefferson boys basketball team held off Bishop Loughlin’s late rally, sank free throws down the stretch and earned a 63-61 win in Big Apple Basketball’s PSAL-CHSAA Challenge last night at Baruch College.

   “That says a lot about us,” sophomore point guard Davontay Grace told FiveBoroSports.com after Loughlin had clawed back from a 10-point deficit. "We could’ve easily (given) that game away."

   Grace finished with 21 points. Teammate Keith Spellman has 25 points and 12 recounds.

   Jefferson built leads of 20-10 and 49-42, but Loughlin pulled ahead with 2:54 to play. Grace and Spellman answered with baskets, and Spellman made a late steal to secure the victory.

   Loughlin was comig off an upset loss to Long Island's St. Dominic on Friday and committed 26 turnovers against Jefferson.

   More PSAL-CHSAA thoughts: FiveBoroSports.com reporter Zachary Braziller attended both days of the big New York City event and says this is an up year for the PSAL and a down one for the CHSAA.

   Two quick observations in his Sunday night blog recapping the weekend:

   (1) There isn’t a more enjoyable team to watch than

Wings Academy, which he says loves to throw up three-pointers. Had Dashaun Wiggins been available on Saturday, Wings may have dropped a hundred on St. Peter's.

   (2) Xaverian's Jack Alesi is doing a great job compensating for a lack of size by using what amounts to a five-guard lineup. Braziller call the team "unselfish to a fault, well disciplined and fundamentally sound."

   And, after nine games in two days, he says, "I’m glad its over. You can go only go so long on a diet of hot dogs and pretzels."

   Which brings us to . . .

   Alanna's big adventure: Alanna Stage, who joined The Daily News in Batavia late this fall after covering professional basketball and doing part-time work for the Democrat and Chronicle, appears to be making the transition to reporting the high school sports beat.

   She chronicled her attempt on Saturday to get out to five nearby wrestling tournaments, and the trek includes references to three staples of sportswriting -- coffee, Cheez-its and fast-food restaurants.

   Welcome to the life of bad pay, worse hours and a ton of laughs, kid.

   Lacing up the skates soon? The Buffalo News reports ADs from nine Western New York school districts across the region, including the Catholic school system, are forming a committee to launch a girls hockey league be 2010.

   “We now have the best boys league in the state, and eventually we’ll have the best girls league in the state.” Williamsville AD Jim Rusin told the paper.

   The only school west of Central New York that currently sponsors a girls team is Nichols, a private school. This week, however, administrators from Williamsville, Amherst, Clarence, Ken-Ton, Sweet Home, Hamburg, Niagara- Wheatfield, West Seneca and the Monsignor Martin Association spent 90 minutes discussing starting up a regional league.

   There could be some full-fledged teams on the ice next season, but the committee is looking toward 2010 as the more realistic time for a league to debut. Rusin cited concerns about conflicts with travel teams, questions about sustaining interest, the availability of ice time and the cost to the districts.

   "I don’t think it needs to go at as slow a pace as they’re presuming,” said Helen Drew- Meosky, the mother of five girls who play the sport. “We have considered these issues. We have answers for them. . . . If there are issues that can’t be resolved before next year, so be it, but I have yet to hear one issue that couldn’t be."

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