Monday, Sept. 8, 2014: Suffern's Biddy reaches two coaching milestones

   Biddy, the Suffern cross country coach in his 46th season rolled past 600 career boys victories Saturday when his squad went 10-1 in dual-meet scoring at the Bear Mountain Invitational. Throw in the 103 triumphs at invitationals and Biddy stands at 707 wins overall.

   "You hang around long enough, you're bound to win something," Biddy told The Journal News. "It's career stuff. The important stuff is county, sectional and state titles. I've done a few of those. But this is just longevity."

   Police blotter: From time to time, this blog passes along reports of run-ins with the law by former star high school athletes from around the state.

   For the most part, I steer clear of ex-New Yorkers who've gone on to highly visible pro careers on the premise that their names and (alleged) misdeeds will be well-chronicled elsewhere. I'll make an exception here and give a mention to Ray Rice by way of reminding people what a phenom he was in his high school days.

   Rice and Syracuse CBA quarterback Greg Paulus engaged in a great battle in the 2004 NYSPHSAA Class AA football final at the Carrier Dome. CBA win 41-35 despite Rice's 115 rushing yards and three touchdowns. He scored 231 points that season and was selected the state's co-player of the year.

   After New Ro, Rice went on to an outstanding career at Rutgers and then the NFL's Baltimore Ravens. It all came crashing down Monday as Rice was let go by the Ravens and suspended indefinitely by the NFL after a video was released showing the him viciously striking his then-fiancee in February in a casino elevator.

   Deaths reported: St. Francis Prep announced the death of Jane Modry, who retired in 2006 as athletic director after 32 years at the school. Modry is widely regarded as one of the forces behind the creation of the Girls CHSAA.

   Nicholas "Touchdown" Tate, a longtime teacher and coach at Niagara LaSalle and one of the area's most-honored high school and college athletes, died Thursday at the age of 78.

   The three-sport star earned a football scholarship to UTEP, graduating in 1959. He returned to Niagara Falls in 1966, coached the football team to a 7-0-1 record and No. 20 state ranking in 1976 and took LaSalle to the inaugural NYSPHSAA baseball tournament in 1981.

   Sunday football: Bishop Grimes overcame a scary injury and defeated New York Mills 18-12 in overtime at the Carrier Dome. Senior running back Knox Wolaver scored the tying and winning touchdowns to conclude the Kickoff Classic.

   Wolaver was pressed into action when fellow back Jakari Townsend was injured and taken from the field on a stretcher. Bishop Grimes coach Anthony Talarico said Townsend was able to move his fingers and toes and was

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expected to be OK.

   "The entire team first had tears in their eyes for Jakari," Talarico told Syracuse.com. "He is just a freshman and he really played his heart out."

   Grimes drove to the tying score on Wolaver's 5-yard touchdown run with 3:27 to go. He scored again from four yards out on the overtime's opening possession, and then the defense stopped New York Mills on downs.

   Alumni news: Quarterback Chad Kelly, the NYSSWA's 2011 Class AA player of the Year for St. Joe's, has resurfaced at East Mississippi Community College after being kicked off the Clemson roster this spring.

   Kelly is 45-for-65 for 576 yards, seven TDs and no interceptions in a pair of early-season triumphs.

   Virginia controversy: Supporters of Danny McGrath say the Virginia high school football coach was fired because he refused to back down from calling for additional safety measures, Washington-area media reported.

   The Loudoun Valley district reportedly fired McGrath on Aug. 29. The school district has refused to comment on the sudden dismissal, but denies request for helmet sensors that would help monitor the risk of concussions was a factor.

   McGrath worked with boosters to raise money for the helmet sensors, but school officials reportedly were concerned that the installation of the experimental equipment would invalidate the reconditioning certification on the helmets. In one incident, USA Today reported, parents installed the sensors on their sons' helmets only to watch coaches be forced to remove them under the supervision of school administrators.