The first week of the Section III boys soccer playoffs featured a lot of suspense, a lot of overtime and a few delays, but in the end most of the top seeds lived to see the semifinals. A few games remain outstanding, so we'll hold talk on all the semifinals until that point.
As for the girls - well, in all the time I've been doing this, I have never seen such a laundry list of shocks and surprises so early in the tournament. Consider...
- Baldwinsville, defending champs, top seed, heavy favorites to repeat in Class AA, but upended by Auburn 1-0 on Laura Taylor's overtime goal...

CATEGORY: Soccer (Football)

TAGS: Section III, girls soccer, first week, recap

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Yesterday, I wrote about how orderly the Section III boys soccer playoffs had been in comparison to the who's-going-to-get-surprised-next girls soccer tournament.
Here's how orderly: the lowest remaining seed is Westhill, a no. 6 in Class B. Given the Warriors' track record, that's hardly a shock, either. More on them in a minute.
As the semifinals get waged Tuesday through Thursday, we have the potential for some real classics, with each of the 20 survivors capable of capturing a banner.
The Class AA games are Wednesday at West Genesee, exactly one year to the day after Baldwinsville's overtime goal upended CNS for a second consecutive sectional title...

CATEGORY: Soccer (Football)

TAGS: Section III, boys soccer, playoffs, recap

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So it all comes down, in Section III football, to five championship games at the Carrier Dome, each of them rich with character and contrast, with plots and subplots tasty enough to feast on in the time leading up to Friday night.
And it kicks off with Class D, the smallest in terms of enrollment - but if past history is any indicator, the largest in terms of having a shot at state championships. West Canada Valley, Dolgeville, Onondaga and Weedsport have all gone to the late-November summit.
Weedsport is back in '09 for another try, but must get past an Everest-sized challenge in state no. 1-ranked Westmoreland.
Simple as it may sound, this duel of 9-0 opponents may hinge on which side imposes its physical will...

CATEGORY: Football (American)

TAGS: Section III, football, championship games, preview

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This Election Day passed like so many others in my life – an early-morning visit to the polls, a lot of work to do in the morning, afternoon and night, and maybe a perfunctory glance at the results of all the important races before heading off to sleep.
There was plenty to care about, from the Syracuse mayoral contest to the battle royal in the 23rd Congressional District. The latter had become downright grotesque, thanks to the ad blitz from the national parties – same old attacks, same old accusations, same old scare tactics –as if they wanted to make voting seem repugnant.
What a difference from what it felt like 364 days earlier.
The emotions, nervousness, tension, energy, excitement and, ultimately, fulfillment of Nov. 4, 2008 was unlike anything in my entire life...

CATEGORY: Government

TAGS: 2008 election, Barack Obama, one year later

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And so 10 Section III girls soccer teams will be making the journey down I-81 to SUNY-Cortland, all of them in hot pursuit of Section III titles.
Ideally, this is just the first visit to the Cortland area for all these contenders. They want to be back Nov. 20-21 for the state final four. First, though, we have this quintet of title games.
The first act at 3 p.m. features C-1 champ Sauquoit Valley against C-2 champ Bishop Ludden. Their respective banners were gained Wednesday at Chittenango in different ways - Ludden hanging on against Utica-Notre Dame 2-1 (a late Juggler shot went off the post), Sauquoit staying unbeaten by crushing Tully 8-0...

CATEGORY: Soccer (Football)

TAGS: Section III, girls soccer, recap, finals preview

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Unlike the girls side, where they all trek to SUNY-Cortland, the Section III boys soccer championship games spread out to different locales, depending on the participating team's geographic proximity to the turf fields that are used.
They also get spread out on the calendar. From the time Hamilton and Poland kick off tonight for the Class D title to the time F-M and Baldwnisville settle the Class AA title on Tuesday, that's five days of seeing how it all ends, banner-wise.
And Hamilton-Poland is a good place to start. This has been the focal point of Class D power in recent years, and it's the fourth straight season that one side will knock out the other, three of them in finals.
In those 11 previous games, it's split down the middle, 5-5-1...

CATEGORY: Soccer (Football)

TAGS: Section III, boys soccer, semifinals, recap

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In all honesty, the Section III football championships at the Carrier Dome on Friday and Saturday did not feature any thrillers, any last-minute drama. Just five teams proving to be better than their opponents.
And the most spectacular display came at the start of the festivities, courtesy of Whitesboro as it dethroned New Hartford 60-30 in the Class A final.
That's right, 60 points. No team in the 30-year history of the sectional playoffs had ever reached 60, and if anyone was supposed to do it in this game, it was the Spartans, with Anthony Acevedo, Joey Carcone and friends lighting up the board.
But this was all Warriors, all the time...

CATEGORY: Football (American)

TAGS: Section III, football, finals, recap

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For all those girls soccer teams that suffered through wet or Arctic (or sometimes, both) Section III playoff games in the past two weeks and made it to the finals at SUNY-Cortland, their reward was calm skies, reasonable temperatures - and for five teams, further advancement.
With one big exception, those championship games were of the one-sided variety, as it was abundantly clear who would get to hold the banners.
The only lack of clarity came in Class B. Watertown IHC and Lowville traveled a long way from the north country to play this most meaningful of games, and they stayed for a while.
They went through regulation 0-0, but the fun came in the overtimes...

CATEGORY: Soccer (Football)

TAGS: Section III, girls soccer, championship games, recap

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Face it, Saturday was real, real busy, as far as deciding Section III championships - on the trails at Jamesville Beach Park, on the turf at Bragman Stadium, and in the pool at Nottingham.
Oh yeah, there was also that football and girls soccer stuff. But we've already covered that ground, so let's salute some of the other top performers that were part of this Super Saturday.
The sectional cross country runners were at Jamesville Beach for the third year in a row, and sweeps were the order of the day. Four times in five classes, one team took both the boys and girls team titles.
This included Fayetteville-Manlius, who dethroned Liverpool in Class AA on the boys side while continuing complete domination on the girls end, posting the top six times of the entire day...

CATEGORY: General Sports

TAGS: Section III, championships, cross country, swimming, field hockey

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By Tuesday night, we knew the identity of all the Section III boys soccer champions. We also saw that getting those titles were not easy.
In sharp contrast to the girls finals, where only Watertown IHC-Lowville had suspense, four of the boys finals were decided by a single goal, and the biggest margin was just two.
Perhaps the first game was the best. Hamilton and Poland have built up quite a history with each other, between regular-season duels and four straight showdowns in the playoffs. The Class D final, played last Friday at Waterville, continued the feud in a clasic manner.
Twice, the Tornadoes went out in front...

CATEGORY: Soccer (Football)

TAGS: Section III, boys soccer, finals, Hamilton, New Hartford, Cooperstown, Marcellus, Baldwinsville

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Here we were witnessing another winning celebration as the New York Yankees finished off the Philadelphia Phillies for a 27th World Series title. And in other news, dog bites man.
What supreme irony that the celebration took place just after 11 p.m., on Nov. 4 - exactly one year, to the day and to the hour, after the official declaration that a rather important presidential election had just ended.
That moment in 2008 stirred the soul of a nation and the world...

CATEGORY: Baseball

TAGS: World Series, Yankees, competitive balance

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They are having fun at the University of Cincinnati. Once a football afterthought, the Bearcats are now the ruling kings of the Big East, powering to a second straight conference title. Oh yeah, and they’re unbeaten.
Maybe you haven’t heard much of Texas Christian University, but you ought to. The Horned Frogs of Fort Worth play some of the best defense in the country, and are mauling the rest of the Mountain West. And they’re unbeaten.
Up amid the mountains and blue turf of Idaho, Boise State continues its dynastic run atop the Western Athletic Conference, trashing foes left and right with what could be its best all-around team...

CATEGORY: Football (American)

TAGS: College football, Cincinnati, TCU, Boise State, BCS

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Tonight, when Chicago and San Francisco kick it off, so begins the second half of the NFL regular season for everyone not named Giants or Texans.
So it's a good time to take stock, see where we are, and make bold, exciting predictions for the two months ahead...or maybe just shut up and watch them play it out.
AFC East - Just like old times, with New England in charge and everyone else paying rent. Oh, the Jets teased us in September with that 3-0 start and a win over the Patriots, but October brought reality for Rex Ryan and all the Gang Green partisans that have been teased before. No tease in Miami, just a Dolphin squad that can't find any consistency outside the running game...

CATEGORY: Football (American)

TAGS: NFL, regular season, midway point, analysis

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Sharp contrasts could be made just over what happened to Section III athletes in cross country and field hockey when they ventured into the state championship realm on Saturday.
For the runners, it was nothing but good stuff in the NYSPHSAA state meet at SUNY-Plattsburgh, especially from Fayetteville-Manlius, which won both ends of the Class AA competition again.
Even without Alex Hatz, the Hornets rode the steady efforts of Brendan Farrell, Paul Merriman, Mark McGurrin, Andrew Roache and Joe Hartnett (all in the top 30) to overcome favored North Rockland and win, 48 points to 63...

CATEGORY: General Sports

TAGS: State championships, cross country, F-M, field hockey

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What had started, earlier this week, as a possible struggle for all of Section III's championship soccer teams in the state playoffs turned out quite well by the time Saturday rolled around.
The first bits of regional play took place Tuesday, both on the girls side, against Section II foes. First-time Class A champion Jamesville-DeWitt met Burnt Hills, and Watertown IHC faced Mechanicville.
Neither the Red Rams nor Cavaliers would win. IN J-D's case, the painful resolution came through a penalty-kick shoot-out, and what made it worse was the fact that Burnt Hills would go on to reach the final four.
As for IHC, it only hoped to reach overtime, but it didn't quite happen as Mechanicville topped them 2-1. And you guessed it, Mechanicville also reached the semifinals...

CATEGORY: Soccer (Football)

TAGS: Regional playoffs, Section III champions, recap

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Mid-November, and we've been a bit spoiled around here. Aside from that cold snap around the start of the month, it's been rather quiet, even warm at times.
Football likes to romanticize its toughness, its willingness to play in all elements, through all levels of pain. Yet the elements part was missing for the five regional games played last weekend in the Southern Tier, so it just came down to who was better - or would play better on that particular day.
From the Section III side, three teams would prove successful, all on Saturday - Whitesboro in Class A, Baldwinsville in Class AA, Westhill in CLass B...

CATEGORY: Football (American)

TAGS: Football, regional championships, Westhill, Baldwinsville, Whitesboro, Westmoreland, General Brown

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It happened on a Tuesday, on election night, out of view of most of sports nation, but by Wednesday the words LeMoyne 82, Syracuse 79 were on everyone’s lips, and lots of snickers and potshots were being delivered the way of the Orange.
They were all deserved, at least in the short term. No team of SU’s caliber, regardless of all the big missing pieced it needs to replace in 2009-10, should ever, ever lose to a Division II foe, even one that plays lights-out the way the crosstown Dolphins did.
Of course, Chaminade once beat Ralph Sampson and Virginia. And by the time Big East play starts, this will all be a faint memory (except to LeMoyne alums) as full attention turns back to college basketball again.
This has not been a smooth off-season...

CATEGORY: Basketball

TAGS: College basketball, season preview

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The words Bob Gibson doesn’t pop up in many football conversations, and it’s not because he shares the same first and last name with that baseball pitching great.
Gibson, an offensive coordinator, left the National Football League in 1978, never to return...

CATEGORY: Football (American)

TAGS: Bill Belichick, Patriots, decision, go for it, Gibson, Giants

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It would be more exciting, and happy, and all those other good adjectives, to tell you that Section III's trio of remaining football champions had a fun time in Rochester during this weekend's state semifinals.
Alas, the reality was cold - and cruel - to anyone that ventured from the Central New York region into Marina Auto Stadium. Five times they played, and all five times the West proved best, by a lot.
Whitesboro had the first shot from Section III's side, trying to dethrone defending state champion Sweet Home in the Class A semifinals.
It was 7-7 deep into the first half, the Warriors holding its own against the Panthers...

CATEGORY: Football (American)

TAGS: State semifinals, Whitesboro, Westhill, Baldwinsville, losses

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Pardon high school sports fans in the Section III ranks if they felt a tad bit frustrated in the aftermath of what took place Saturday and Sunday.
No less than five teams - in girls soccer, boys soccer and volleyball - had chances to win state championships. None of them prevailed.
Sauquoit Valley had the first attempt in Class C girls soccer. In a dramatic semifinal Friday at Homer, Kelsey Hogel's goal, fed by Sierra Kiss, with 2:17 left in regulation produced a 1-0 win over Frewsburg and a chance to go after the crown Saturday a few miles down the road at SUNY-Cortland.
Stony Brook spoiled the occasion, though. Sauquoit struck first with Amanda Orisino's goal, but the Bears tied it by halftime, then went ahead early in the second half...

CATEGORY: General Sports

TAGS: State championships, soccer, volleyball, defeats

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Perhaps the place to start, when it comes to a Bruce Springsteen concert, is that any words said or written after the fact cannot even come close to matching the actual experience. Still, I’ll give it a foolish try.
Take the best moment of your lives. Add about 19,000 fans and 100-plus decibels of pure rock-and-roll joy, and you might get some semblance of what it felt like Sunday night in Buffalo’s HSBC Arena.
Word was going around that this might be Springsteen’s last show with the E Street Band...

CATEGORY: Music

TAGS: Bruce Springsteen, concert, Buffalo, E Street Band

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Rememeber 2008, when schools from Western New York snatched four of the five state football titles at the Carrier Dome? Only Rye, by beating Oneida and repeating in Class B, kept every state title from residing upstate.
A year later, the visitors from the Hudson Valley and points south were not as fortunate. Again, Section VI took four of the five crowns, with two repeaters, one old friend and a newcomer...

CATEGORY: Football (American)

TAGS: State football finals, Randolph, Southwestern, Sweet Home, North Tonawanda, Hornell

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