New York: Hartley completes awards sweep

By John Schiano Apr 8, 2010, 12:00am

The UConn-bound guard earns her third high school basketball player of the year award within a month.

It's a clean sweep for Bria Hartley.

 

The North Babylon senior guard has been selected the Class AA player of the year in girls basketball by the New York State Sportswriters Association. Bria Hartley, a University of Connecticut recruit, previously earned the state coaches association Miss Basketball and Gatorade New York player of the year awards.

 

Bria Hartley averaged 28.8 points a game as a senior and capped her career with a 51-point night in a sectional tournament loss.

 

Joining Bria Hartley as players of the year on the Sportswriters team are:

 

Class A: Katie Duma, Averill Park, Sr., G-F

Class B: Lauren Kahn, Nanuet, Sr., G

Class C co-recipients: Kara McDuffee, Tioga, Jr., G-F, and Olivia Suhr, Marion (Marion, N.Y.), Jr., C

Class D co-recipients: Taylor Szwec, Candor, Sr., G, and Sam Meyerhoff, Davenport, Sr., F

 

Boys lacrosse: Rough start for West Genesee

 

Corcoran (Syracuse) squandered a four-goal lead and then responded in overtime to score a 12-11 upset of West Genesee (Camillus) on Tuesday.

 

James Cathers and Derrick Eccles scored five goals apiece for the Cougars, teaming up for the winning goal 32 seconds into OT. After Corcoran (Syracuse, N.Y.) won the faceoff, Eccles drew two defenders toward him and connected with Cathers alongside the cage for a scoring shot.

 

It continued Carthers' amazing start to the season. He tallied eight goals and two assists last week in an opening victory against Binghamton. His goal late in the third quarter built the lead over West Genesee (Camillus, N.Y.) to 11-7, but Bob Gasparini scored with 3:09 to play to tie the game and set the stage for OT.

 

West Genesee (Camillus, N.Y.), a 15-time NYSPHSAA tournament champion, is breaking eight new starters into its lineup and stands at an uncharacteristic 2-2 this season. The Wildcats' other loss was a 16-8 setback to Jamesville-DeWitt to kick off the season.

 

To understand how uncharacteristic the slow start is, coach Mike Messere carried a 707-47 record over 34 seasons into this spring.

 

Setback for Duke baseball recruit

 

Mamaroneck (Mamaroneck, N.Y.) catcher Michael Rosenfeld is facing up to a year of physical therapy and rehabilitation after tearing the ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow and undergoing "Tommy John" surgery last month.

 

Michael Rosenfeld suffered the injury in February while throwing in the gym. The development is a blow for Mamaroneck, the two-time defending NYSPHSAA Class AA champion. Michael Rosenfeld had a .450 batting average with four home runs and 30 RBI as a junior. His numbers included 14 RBI in eight postseason games, including a walk-off single in the 11th inning of the state semifinals.

 

The injury will not affect Michael Rosenfeld's college plans, The Journal News reported. Duke coach Sean McNally told the catcher that the school will honor its commitment to a partial scholarship in the fall;  Michael Rosenfeld signed his letter of intent in November.

 

Tragedy strikes Suffern baseball team

 

 Two Suffern (Suffern, N.Y.) High seniors on their way to baseball practice were killed March 30 when a dump truck collided with their car along Route 202. The car's driver was Vincent Crotty, 18, an infielder for the Mounties baseball team. Christopher Konkowski, 17, an outfielder from Airmont was a passenger in the vehicle.

 

The dump truck was driven by Francisco Abarca, 57, who was not injured. Police believe Crotty's car crossed the double yellow line and was hit by the dump truck hit on its passenger side, Ramapo Detective Lt. Brad Weidel told The Journal News.

 

The teens' families and a number of students came to the accident scene, the paper reported. 

 

Football series apparently will continue

 

In an abrupt reversal, Proctor (Utica, N.Y.) and Rome Free Academy will be playing each other in football this fall.

 

Less than a week after the Section III schedule showed that the series, which began in 1891, was put on hold, Proctor AD Marty Nemecek said that the section had reconsidered and had changed the non-league schedule to accommodate a crossover between the teams, likely on Sept. 10.

 

The original nonleague schedule was assigned via a blind draw that would have left both Proctor and RFA playing games against Syracuse-area opponents rather than extending the rivalry between schools located 15 miles apart.

 

St. Michael Academy players still waiting

 

The St. Michael Academy (New York) girls basketball team may be heading to the Bronx.

 

The Manhattan school announced late last month it will close at the end of the school year due to financial struggles. Players from SMA, one of the nation's strongest basketball programs in recent years, expressed a desire to stay together next season, but two potential Manhattan destinations, St. Jean Baptiste (New York) and Cathedral (New York), didn't work out, the New York Daily News reported.

 

Coach Apache Paschall said this week's spring break will further slow progress on a solution. He said school officials are now negotiating with an unidentified Catholic High School Athletic Association school in the Bronx.