Leading off today: Some 14 months after headline-grabbing allegations of sexual assualt during a hazing incident, The Buffalo News reports that the case against the accused is in shambles.

   And now people in and around the Town of Wilson are wondering whether it's a case of details from the incident involving varsity and JV baseball players being blown out of proportion, a botched investigation or a combination of the two.

   What started as allegations that seniors had taken some younger players to the back of a school bus and forced objects into their rectums has deteriorated from felony aggravated sexual abuse to charges at the misdemeanor and violation level that might not hold up to scrutiny in the courtroom.

   Similarly, coaches William M. Atlas and Thomas J. Baia, to be tried in Town Court on July 6 on charges of endangering the welfare of a child, face a less uncertain future. They are accused of not stopping whatever was happening on the bus, and their attorneys are poised to argue that there was nothing that needed to be stopped.

   That's the paper's take on the situation following a careful examination of court filings as well as interviews with lawyers involved in the cases against the coaches and three players.

   Reports about what happened April 17, 2008, led the State Police to say the incident involved criminal sexual acts. They also alleged there were similar incidents in previous years, laying the foundation for child-endangerment charges filed against the coaches.

   However, Town Justice George R. Berger has barred the mention of previous incidents at the coaches' trial, unless the defense were to bring it up. The paper also reported there is an internal investigation by the State Police into how the matter has been handled.

   Upstate-downstate grid game pondered: Newsday's Marcus Henry reported over the weekend that New York coaches are studying the idea of an upstate-downstate all-star football game to replace the New York-New Jersey Governor's Bowl.

   As I mentioned in an October blog, the idea surfaced after the NY-NJ died over New Jersey's unwillingness to play at West Point in alternate years.

   Henry reports several coaches met last week to discuss logistics, but funding in an issue. Making the

Spring tournament schedules NYSPHSAA boys lacrosse NYSPHSAA girls lacrosse NYSPHSAA baseball NYSPHSAA softball

game happen at the Carrier Dome would require about $60,000 in sponsorship money.

   PSAL soccer schedules delayed: While the PSAL has posted its varsity football schedules for the upcoming season, The Advance took note of the fact that soccer and JV football were not listed as of the weekend.

   That may not seem like a big deal, but coaches and ADs at a number of schools figure to be challenged by scheduling issues this fall now that the PSAL has agreed to move girls soccer out of its usual spring block in order to pre-empt a Title IX challenge.

   Space will be at a premium at some schools needing to accommodate games and practices for boys soccer, girls soccer and football; spring and early summer is usually the prime season for making adjustments so that fields can be reserved and officials assigned, and some ADs are also trying to hire replacements because one coach will no longer be able to direct both boys and girls soccer teams in the same school year now that both play in the fall.

   "This isn’t an equity or a lack of equity issue," city councilman Vincent Ignizio told the paper. "It comes down to infrastructure and staffing, so both boys and girls can have the best soccer experience possible."

   Department of Education spokesperson Marge Feinberg told the paper the PSAL is working on the schedule and assisting in the search for coaches and officials. She said that while the DOE believes boys and girls soccer had been treated equally, the fear of "complex litigation and uncertainty in the PSAL program" made maintaing the status quo risky. The New York Civil Liberties Union contends girls were deprived of opportunities comparable to boys, specifically in regard to college recruitment, by playing in the spring.

   "I’ve spoken with many people throughout the soccer community and the concern is that this is going to pit soccer program versus soccer program,” Ignizio said. "This is going to cause a ripple effect throughout the soccer community."