Leading off today: The Francis Lewis girls basketball team has been replaced in the prestigious Diamond State Classic in Delaware because the school would not confirm that team would be attending,
FiveBoroSports.com reported.
Francis Lewis coach Mike Eisenberg was suspended from teaching and coaching duties last week after allegedly verbally abusing a student in his gym class in September.
"After Mike left, it seemed like the program was in disarray and I couldn’t get an answer on whether they were coming or not,” tournament director John Gretchen said, adding that he attempted to get in touch with Francis Lewis AD Arnie Rosenbaum “seven or eight times” this week but never received a call back.
Rosenbaum said he, new coach Stephen Tsai and players parents were still in the process of discussing whether to go until deciding on Thursday to stay home. Rosenbaum said there were not enough parents to drive, players would have to pay for all their own meals and parents were concerned about a lack of female chaperones.
The Diamond State Classic, scheduled this year for Dec. 27-30, brings in strong fields that routinely attract dozens of major-college coaches. Washington, D.C., Theodore Roosevelt has been added to the field in place of Francis Lewis.
“It was in the best interest of the Classic to replace them,” Gretchen said. ". . . I don’t think I’ll be extending an invitation to them for awhile."
In a related development, the Web site said St. Michael Academy coach Apache Paschall briefly considered boycotting Sunday's Francis Lewis Holiday Classic in support of Eisenberg. He reconsidered because opponent Buffalo Nichols had already finalized travel arrangements.
Five hundred times two: In a bit of Section 5 boys hoops history, two coaches with 500 victories will go head-to-head tonight when Jim Burke's Prattsburgh Vikings play at Mike Rapone's Notre Dame Fighting Irish in Batavia, the Democrat and Chronicle reported.
Rapone has 512 wins and Burke 502. Before the game, Notre Dame will dedicate its court to Rapone and girls volleyball coach Rhonda DiCasolo, who surpassed 500 wins last season. DiCasolo’s 539 career victories place her atop the all-time Section 5 volleyball list, and she has won six sectional championships in 30 seasons.
Rapone is No. 3 on the sectional wins list and owns seven sectional and two state titles.
Mardigan honored: Watervliet held a ceremony this week honoring George Mardigan, Section 2's all-time winningest coach, for his 33 years of work in the gym that now bears his name. A placque detailing his records and achievements was unveiled.
Mardigan played at Watervliet from 1958-61, taught social studies there for more than three decades and continuing to coach for several seasons after his retirement. He went 546-158 with no losing seasons and 14 Section 2 championships.
"I miss the interaction with the players,” he told The Record. “And believe it or not, even though I tease a lot about the referees, I miss seeing the guys (on game night),
