There's a joke among some reporters who cover college lacrosse on a regular basis that says it's mandatory that any mention of Dave Pietramala must be followed immediately by the phrase "is considered by many to be the greatest defender in U.S. lacrosse history."
Certainly, Pietramala is deserving of the accolade. He genuinely was superb in his playing days and is now the highly respected coach at Johns Hopkins University, his alma mater.
And now media members have another mandatory insert for stories.
Corning High's Jordan Frysinger.
Photo by Matthew Wilks
All references to
Jordan Frysinger for the next five years must include a mention that he's the kid who turned down Dave Pietramala.
Frysinger had made a non-binding verbal commitment more than a year ago to play lacrosse for Pietramala, but did not follow through by signing a letter of intent last month. And now we know why.
The Corning senior and his parents took an official visit last weekend to the University of Illinois, and afterward Frysinger gave a verbal commitment to play football there beginning next fall. Though he enjoyed a stellar career at running back in high school, the Illinois staff projects Frysinger as a wide receiver.
It capped a whirlwind year on the field for Frysinger in which he went from a lightly regarded football prospect after a breakout junior season – more than a few BCS schools were convinced he intended to play college lacrosse – to the best-known football player in the Corning school district since linebacker Brian LeBaron signed with Syracuse University in 1986.
He told The Leader in Corning that playing major-college football never even registered as a possibility until after the just-concluded season.
"It really didn't sink in until I actually accepted the scholarship," he told the paper. "I really didn't realize that I had that opportunity for a while. I basically thought I was an Ivy League player or a smaller school player."
Frysinger ran for 1,686 yards and scored 31 touchdowns for Corning East in Class A as a junior to earn all-state recognition from the New York State Sportswriters Association. When the district consolidated its two high school sports programs this fall as a cost-saving measure, Frysinger made the adjustment seamlessly and finished with 1,352 yards – on just 80 rushing attempts – and 27 scores.
WATERTOWN SCHOOL WANTS ITS DAY IN COURTImmaculate Heart Central (Watertown) is suing Section III and the NYSPHSAA in the latest twist to a dispute stemming from the football team being moved up to Class C for the 2010 season.
IHC filed a civil rights action last week in U.S. District Court. The Watertown school's suit asserts Section III had "no rational basis" to move IHC up last December and created "an obvious risk of injury to IHC student-athletes."
The suit was filed by Michael J. Alteri, chairman of IHC's education council, and the parents of players Jeffrey Marra, Christopher Ingerson and Ronald Sexton.
Schools are generally assigned to classes based on enrollment numbers for grades 9-11, with each section of the state association having provisions for moving private schools up based upon recent success and the prospect of continued prosperity. Immaculate Heart Central's enrollment has slipped from 207 in 1998 to 190 last year and 141 for the 2010-11 school year, meaning 17 of the other 25 Class C schools in Central New York this fall were at least twice as large.
The school finished 7-2 this fall, losing in the sectional semifinals.
IHC officials said Michael Stevens, coach and AD at Class D Sandy Creek, initiated the reclassification process, which was approved 21-5 in a coaches vote. The IHC filing said Stevens' motion was made "with no accompanying statistical or factual data to support such a request."
John Rathbun, executive director of Section 3, told The Daily Times in Watertown the classification committee followed its policies in reclassifying IHC and during the appeal process.
John Schiano, who has written about high school sports in western and central New York for more than 25 years, covers New York for MaxPreps. He may be reached at johnschianosports@gmail.com.
