Leading off today: Howie Vogts, football coach at Bethpage for the past 56 years, died Saturday of congestive heart failure at Mercy Hospital in Rockville Centre.

   He was 80 years old. Vogts, who had been hospitalized since July 3, was the winningest coach in state history in the sport, posting 364 victories.

   "He was so much more than just a football coach," longtime assistant Richie Millet told Newsday. "He was an icon. And his legacy will be about the way in which he touched so many lives and bonded a community. This was a special man who through the game of football was able to reach out and energize people."

   Vogts helped found the Bethpage football program in 1952 and was the coach for the first varsity win in 1954. He was the only coach the school has had, with the exception of a sabbatical in 1966 to worked as an assistant coach at Michigan State.

   He became the winningest coach in state history when Bethpage defeated Glen Cove 16-15 in 2000 and finished with a mark of 364-124-10, 35 regular-season conference championships and five Long Island titles. The Bethpage football field was named in his honor in 1989.

   Current St. Francis Prep coach Vin O'Connor is No. 2 on the all-time state list with 319 victories, followed by Brent Steuerwald of Shenendehowa at 300 entering the upcoming season.

   Vogts' wife of 28 years, Carolyn, died in 1985.

   Charge filed: The following item doesn't involve high school athletics, but it doesn't take a great leap to imagine it happening on a varsity or JV field near any of us.

   A 41-year-old parent of a player has been charged with second-degree harrassment, a violation, after he put a player from an opposing team of pre-teens in a "bear hug" during a Rochester District Youth Soccer League game in Brighton, numerous media outlets reported today.

   Kevin Merriman reportedly ran onto the field July 16 when a stretch of physical play escalated, placed a bear hug on an 11-year-old Brighton Stormers player and lifted

NYSSWA All-Sport Championship   MAIN  |  2009-10 top overall schools   Class-by-class boys  |  Class-by-class girls   More about the NYSSWA All-Sport Championship   Last year's ASC Championship site

him off the ground, WHEC-TV reported. The youth subsequently complained of pain and difficulty in breathing and was taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation.

   Merriman appeared in court briefly today to enter a plea of not guilty. He was ordered to return Aug. 30, and an order of protection was issued on behalf of the player.

   The Brighton Stormers player at the center of the incident was issued a red card for rough play and the team was fined $200 by the league for fighting according to the league’s web site. Merriman was also suspended from attending six league games of the Victor team, named V/F United Blue.

   Witness accounts from various local media are all over the board, so it's virtually impossible to know what actually transpired leading up to the incident and what triggered the red card.

   That being said, how bad do things have to get in order for an 11-year-old to be red-carded?

   “The majority of the time the police 'get it right' when making decisions to charge individuals with criminal offenses," said lawyer Roby Reh, who is representing Merriman. "This is not one of those cases."