Leading off today: State lawmakers have reached a tentative deal that would restore money for the Empire State Games in the final state budget, Assemblyman Steven Englebright of Suffolk County said.
"I'm not telling you with certainty that we have a resolution on this," Englebright, chairman of the tourism committee, told Gannett News Service. "I am saying we're moving strongly in the direction of restoration."
Englebright said restoring the $3 million cut by Gov. David Paterson won't save this summer's games, scheduled to be held in July in the Poughkeepsie area. It would save the winter and senior games as well as a full schedule next year.
Paterson proposed in January that state support be cut and that ESG participants pay a $285 fee to paticipate.
"It is absolutely unequivocally too late for us in the Hudson Valley," said Denise VanBuren, a spokeswoman for the local committee formed to host the ESGs. "We returned all of our sponsors' money in January, turned back hotel and athletic venues. And there are 1,000 volunteer spots that would need to be filled."
Girls lacrosse: Senior Amanda Macaluso scored four times to set a Hauppauge record for career goals during a 13-7 victory over West Islip. Macaluso has 145 goals, eclipsing the mark of 142 by Beth Moore in 2007.
The West Genesee girls opened defense of their back-to-back state Class A championship with a 15-5 victory over Skaneateles. It was the Wildcasts' 49th straight victory. Maria DiFato had four goals and four assists, and Karlyn Tupper had four goals and an assist.
And the groom wore cleats: Rahsaan Potillo, an assistant football, hockey and lacrosse coach at White Plains, was scheduled to get married today on the school's football field. The Journal News said it was going to do a live Webcast beginning at 3 p.m.
Football merger: Football players from Richfield Springs and Mohawk will be on the same team next fall after the Richfield school board voted Wednesday to approve a merger.
Richfield Springs (0-7 last fall) has suffered from low turnouts in recent years, often barely meeting the minimum state requirement of 16 varsity players. Mohawk qualified for the Section 3 Class D playoffs and finished 4-4 in 2009.
Richfield Springs Superintendent Robert Barraco said several parents and players spoke in favor of the decision at the school board meeting. "I would say the vast majority were in favor,” he told The Post-Standard. "I think they recognized that if we don't do something, we could run the risk of not having a varsity football team at all next year."
Richfield Springs' wrestling program combined with Mohawk this past winter.
Stephenson to Kansas? All-time New York state scoring champion Lance Stephenson hasn't announced his college intentions yet, but The Daily News says the Abraham Lincoln senior is leaning toward Kansas over St. John's.
Stephenson is supposed to declare his intentions at the McDonald's All-American Game in Miami next week. Maryland is also believed to still be a contender. The
