Leading off today: Sweet Home junior football standout Deshanaro Morris has been unable to move his legs since a traffic accident Wednesday in Amherst,
The Buffalo News reported.
Deshanaro, 16, was injured at about 1:20 a.m. when a friend’s SUV spun out of control, hit a telephone pole and slid into a ditch. Deshanaro was riding in the back seat with another teenager.
"He has severe injuries to his upper spine. He can feel you touching him, but he is not able to move his legs on his own,” said his mother, Andrea Morris. "Hopefully, if everything goes right and everything heals, he will be able to move his legs on his own.
Deshanaro underwent back surgery Wednesday and began therapy Monday at Erie County Medical Center, where he is listed in fair condition.
Deshanaro helped Sweet Home to a 13-0 record and its first NYSPHSAA Class A football title in November. He rushed for 1,503 yards, scored 25 TDs and made 127 tackles as a junior. He scored five TDs in the Section 6 Class A final at Ralph Wilson Stadium.
Newark's Ceravolo to retire: Newark boys basketball coach Ron Ceravolo said health concerns contributed to his decision to retire effective at the end of the season, the Democrat and Chronicle reported.
"Everything is OK, but there are some little things that have me concerned," Ceravolo told the paper. "It's all the pressure I put on myself. A coach knows when it's time."
The Newark native is 396-109 in 23 seasons as head coach, including a 7-1 start this season. He served six years on the staff of Gary Seager, who was 119-27 in seven seasons before stepping down.
Drastic ESG changes ahead? Some sports will be dropped and others sharply cut for the Empire State Games if organizers have to deal with a "worst case" scenario of no state funding because of New York's massive budget problems, The Buffalo News reported.
Comeptitors in the Olympics-style four-day competition this summer in Poughkeepsie may be required to pay $300 to participate, Western Region director Lou Reuter said. "I can understand that everyone is having to take a hit,” he said, "but it’s almost like the demise of the Empire State Games."
