The post positions for Saturday, October 15’s $1 million Yonkers International Trot at Yonkers Raceway were drawn Tuesday at a press conference at Gallagher’s Steak House in New York City. The formidable American trio of Resolve (3-1), Hannelore Hanover (4-1) and Obrigado (5-1) were installed as the first three choices on the morning line.

World-class trotters from the United States, Canada, Italy, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark will comprise the 10-horse field for the 38^th edition of the International.

The U.S.A.’s potent threesome, all with career earnings of more than $1 million, will race as separate betting interests.

Resolve‎, a winner of 14 lifetime starts, will start from post position two, and was tabbed the 3-1 favorite. Ake Svanstedt is the trainer-driver of the five-year-old stallion.

The only mare in the field, ‎Hannelore Hanover, drew the advantageous inside rail post for driver Yannick Gingras and trainer Ron Burke, and is the 4-1 second choice on the morning line. The four-year-old is a $32,000 bargain purchase who has won 23 of 37 career races.

Obrigado‎‎ has Mark MacDonald in the sulky, and drew post six as the 5-1 third choice.  Paul Kelley trains the six-year-old.

Three leading Euros returning for a second try after failing in last year’s Yonkers International are Italy’s Oasis Bi(driver Erik Adielsson, post five, 5-1), Norway’s BBS Sugarlight (driver Vidar Hop, post seven, 6-1), and On Track Piraten of Sweden (driver Orjan Kihlstrom, post eight, 10-1). Last season’s winner, Norway’s Papagayo E., is injured and unable to defend his title.

The remainder of the field includes: Jonesy of Finland (Tuomas Korvenoja, post 3, 15-1); Canada’s Flanagan Memory (driver Brian Sears, post 4, 6-1); Tano Bork (driver John Campbell, post 9, 20-1); and Explosive De Vie of Sweden (driver Kevin Oscarsson, post 10, 12-1).

Empire City Casino and raceway president Tim Rooney revived the International last year after a 20-year hiatus. The million purse equals the richest in New York State and raceway history. The International was inaugurated in 1959 at now-defunct Roosevelt Raceway and Rooney brought it to Yonkers in 1988 upon Roosevelt’s closure.

When you’re a 23-year old millionaire football star life isn’t supposed to be hard. But if, as a 23-year millionaire football star, you are known to be prone to the occasional emotional outburst, and defenders can get into your head rather easily, as demonstrated by cornerback Josh Norman, life can be more difficult.

For Odell Beckham, Jr., the uneasiness of his life seems to be of his own making. From yelling on the sidelines, to no one in particular, to picking a fight with the practice kicking net, to telling an ESPN reporter that football isn’t “fun anymore,” to his head coach going so far as to call him a “distraction,” all is not well with Beckham.

The Giants needn’t look further than the situation with another NFC team, Detroit, who had its superstar wide receiver, Calvin Johnson, abruptly retire after last season because in his words, he was “fed up with football.” And money isn’t always enough to keep a star happy, as again Johnson demonstrated by retiring with more than $67 million still remaining on his contract.

The Giants are taking the cautious approach with their star, Ben McAdoo’s comment not withstanding. They have refused to discipline Beckham for his sideline outbursts and post-game playing of the victim card. Instead, they believe that the elixir for Beckham’s malaise about football is simply to try and uptick his production. Sunday’s game against Green Bay was a start, with Beckham getting his first touchdown of the season.

Perhaps most importantly for the Giants, the game with Green Bay (a 23-16 loss) was completely Beckham tantrum free. In fact, Beckham planted a big kiss on the kicking net in an effort to bury the hatchet, and quipped, “We hugged it out. Last time I hit him, he hit me back.”

Beckham’s performance aside, the Giants still have a lot of work to do along the offensive line, which has been effecting the production of everyone. Eli Manning was sacked three more times on Sunday, and overall Manning has thrown just five touchdowns in five games, and not surprisingly the Giants are just 2-3 on the season.

When Johnson retired, he emphasized that it wasn’t the lack of winning in Detroit that led him to quitting. It was just football in general that he had grown tired of. The Giants, of course, have a quarterback with a pair of Super Bowl rings and an expectation that more championships aren’t that far away. But it’s worth noting that in the brief time that Beckham has been in a Giants uniform, they haven’t made the playoffs with a pair of 6-10 records in his two completed seasons.

Fun or not, everyone in the NFL wants to win. A few more Ws and a couple of more TDs, and it’s expected that all be smoothed over with Beckham and his teammates.

DA’S PRESS RELEASE

Rockland County District Attorney Thomas P. Zugibe last week announced the extortion case of Joseph Ruback, 47, of 9 Sylvan Lane, New City has been resolved.

The court has issued an adjournment in contemplation of dismissal, or ACD, which requires the defendant to avoid new arrests for six months, before the dismissal and sealing of his case. According to District Attorney Zugibe, the victim in the case, without the knowledge of the District Attorney’s Office, signed an agreement with Ruback to have the criminal charges dismissed and not proceed with prosecution in exchange for $5,000 restitution and for the defendant to drop a pending civil lawsuit.

Ruback was charged in December, 2015 with one count of grand larceny in the fourth degree, a class “E” felony. He had been accused of illegal loan sharking and harassing victims. Ruback had brought a civil lawsuit against the victim in the case in March 2014, prior to the filing of the criminal charges in December, 2015 for the some of the actions alleged by prosecutors.

While the District Attorney’s Office was not part of the agreement, it was presented to the D.A.’s Office by the victim who demanded the dismissal of the criminal charges against Ruback, allowing him to receive $5,000 in restitution and the dismissal of the civil law suit against him.

The defendant is a former mid-1990s Spring Valley High School football coach and had also gained local notoriety as a New York Giants superfan called “License Plate Guy.”

Ruback has had past run-ins with the law. In 1998 he pleaded guilty to fourth-degree grand larceny and served five months probation, as well as six months community service for stealing $14,000 in merchandise from JC Penny with along with a former player on the Spring Valley HS football team.

Ruback serves as athletic director for the Biondi School in Yonkers.

Ruback is well known enough that the Giants organization released a statement upon his arrest in December 2015.

“We know Joe Ruback as a fan of our team,” the Giants team said. “He does not and has never had a formal or official role with our organization. We are obviously disturbed by these allegations and have made our staff and players aware of them.”

Red Raiders earn berth into playoff quarterfinals       

North Rockland gridders to confront mighty Arlington; Spring Valley and South also show strength, are matched up

BY MARC MATURO

Does it get any tougher than this? Does it get any better than this?

The undaunted North Rockland High School football team, which salvaged its season by winning three of its last four games including back-to-back wins over Clarkstown North, now faces the unenviable task of challenging undefeated Arlington in a Class AA quarterfinal.

The contest pitting the Red Raiders (4-3) against the Admirals (7-0) is scheduled Friday night at 6 p.m. in LaGrangeville. “No matter, we still have two games to play,” said North Rockland Coach Tom Lynch, whose team opened the season way back when against another powerhouse, New Rochelle.

“We’re getting better and that’s good, but we’re still making a lot of mistakes. We’re young.”

Jayden Cook, one of the sterling underclassmen, played a key role last week when No. 8 North Rockland defeated No. 9 Clarkstown North, 21-14, in a qualifying round game. Cook, a sophomore who spent a year at St. Joseph’s before returning home, made a key interception in the end zone in the third quarter to stop a North drive, then on offense he won a jump-ball battle over a defender for the winning touchdown.

The decisive TD came as Jeff Abrams, another sophomore, hooked up with Cook late in the game, leading 14-7 and facing fourth and 15 at the 21. North put together an 80-yard march behind Jake Katz, connecting with Brian Fuller to make it a one-score game. A final threat was thwarted near midfield on an interception by Chris Marchena.

The Red Raiders, who had beaten North in overtime, 35-34, to end the regular season, received an outstanding game from defensive lineman Hervens Mulatre, a senior with collegiate potential who was named lineman of the week. Abrams, who was making his first start, is expected to get the starting nod against Arlington after his 14 of 26 for 162 yards and a touchdown performance. If not, Dylan Senatore, who was at wingback against North, can also man the QB position.

Other solid efforts turned in against North were Bradley Garland, with seven catches for 84 yards, and Lamar Seward, who had a 39-yard TD scamper to open an early 14-0 lead. For Clarkstown North, Michael Piscani had 17 carries for 93 yards and a TD and Katz went 7 of 19 for 108 yards, but was intercepted three times.

GRIDIRON RECAPS

Hendrick Hudson 20, Tappan Zee 14: In a Class A qualifying round contest at Montrose, the 10^th-seeded Dutchmen took a 14-12 lead on Ryan Holder’s fourth-quarter punt return but the Sailors, the seventh seed, responded with a 62-yard scoring march engineered by quarterback Nick Cunningham. Tappan Zee had put itself at a 12-0 disadvantage with a season-high three turnovers in the first half.

Clarkstown South 24, Mahopac 6: In a first-round game of the Class AA tournament at West Nyack, Vikings senior Kyle Samuels, a two-way dynamo, opened the scoring with a 43-yard jaunt and later scored on a 35-yard reception from Matt Jung. Also leading the cause was Ryan Thomas, with 125 yards and a touchdown overland on a mere seven carries. Michael Tagaris, a converted soccer player, was 3 for 3 on extra-point attempts and capped the scoring with a 32-yard field goal. The Vikings host Spring Valley Friday night at 7 p.m.

Spring Valley 17, Fox Lane 14: In a Class AA qualifying round game at the Torne Valley Sports Complex in Hillburn, the sixth-seeded Tigers (6-1) survived against the 11^th seed Foxes on a last-second 25-yard field goal by Estive Bustos-Cevallos. Michael Maynes set up the decisive kick with a 49-yard run, and senior defensive back Isaiah Dean returned a fumble 85 yards for the game-tying touchdown to close the third quarter. Maynes finished 99 yards rushing while Dean carried nine times, also for 99 yards. The Tigers of Coach Andrew Delva visit Clarkstown South on Friday night at 7 p.m. looking to earn their first semifinal spot in the playoffs.

Rye 56, Pearl River 28: In a Class A playoff qualifier, the Garnets continued to roll behind Jamie Chabot, who ran for 132 yards and three touchdowns.

Non-playoff games

Nanuet 22, Blind Brook 0: The host Golden Knights were led by Jake Stein, who rushed for 133 yards and a touchdown, and Connor Breit, with 86 yards and a TD on the ground. Aedan Gallagher added a 35-yard scoring toss to Mike O’Meara.

Albertus Magnus 13, Ardsley 12: Quarterback Benny Storms had 39 yards on the ground and threw for 132 and two scores to spark the Falcons. With time running out the Panthers failed to convert a 33-yard field goal try.

Red Raiders on the run: North Rockland, fueled by Katelyn Tuohy’s 18:17.1 clocking over a 3.1-mile layout that led the entire field of 270 girls, finished second in the varsity 3 race at the Section 1 Coaches Invitational cross country championships at Bowdoin Park in Wappingers Falls. Classmate Haleigh Morales trailed Tuohy, followed by Noelle Feeney in eighth place, Kerry O’Connor in 17^th and Britney Pezzementi, 23rd. Suffern placed third in the team competition, sparked by Kamryn McIntosh, who was seventh, and Rachel Ludwikowski in ninth.

Nyack complex on schedule: Nyack High School, which last year added a grass softball field and a turf field for soccer and lacrosse, is on schedule to introduce a new 8-lane track which will be striped for football and field hockey. The school is also adding a turf baseball field baseball field, which will be lined in the outfield for field hockey. The softball and lacrosse/soccer field were completed in the fall of 2015. Construction of the stadium field and bleachers and the baseball field began this July and most likely will be completed in December, with the track to follow in the spring. MacCalman Field, across from Nyack Hospital, will be used by modified teams for practices and games and for the JVs when there are conflicts.

COLLEGIATE CLIPS: North Rockland High School alumna Shannon Thomas of Garnerville, a key member on the women’s volleyball team at Westchester Community College in Valhalla, has been  named the Mid-Hudson Conference Athlete of the Week. Thomas helped lead the third-place Hawks last week with 62 kills, 40 digs and 9 solo blocks over 12 sets. … Freshman back James Hennessy of Tappan scored his first career goal as the SUNY New Paltz Hawks defeated visiting No. 7 SUNY Oneonta, 1-0, for the first time since 2010 and handed the Red Dragons their first loss since September 5. New Paltz (6-3-6, 2-3-1 SUNYAC) now has eight league points heading into the last weekend of the regular season on Friday and Saturday still fighting for a postseason berth. … The Oswego Lakers field hockey team is laden with standouts from Suffern, to wit: freshman midfielder Riley Mallett, sophomore defender Emily Conklin and senior midfielder Julia Calandra. The Lakers are at New Paltz on Friday and at Oneonta on Saturday. … Ramapo High School alum Mezu Agwu of Pomona, a freshman forward, is waiting to make his debut on the men’s basketball team at Purchase College, while Ramapo HS grad Michael Pelham is prepping for his junior season as a guard with the Panthers. Purchase is scheduled to make its season and home opener on November 15 at 7 p.m. against Vaughn College.

THIS & THAT: The family of longtime East Ramapo coach Dave Sachs, who passed away suddenly on October 10 at the age of 68 from a heart attack, requests that memorial contributions is his memory can be made to: Special Olympics, Attn: Web Gifts, 1133 19th Street NW, 12th

Pirates on the prowl following county championship

Pearl River, North Rockland et al vie for Section 1 titles on Saturday at Bowdoin Park in Wappingers Falls 

The Rockland County champion Pearl River boys cross country team and the Pirates’ girls team, fresh off a runner-up finish to the powerful Kate Tuohy-led North Rockland Red Raiders, are realistic but hopeful going into Saturday’s Section 1 Championship Meet at Bowdoin Park in Wappingers Falls.

“North Rockland has always been up there,” notes 39-year veteran Pirates Coach Dan Doherty of Pearl River. “Right now they are out of our league. They have several very, very good runners. It takes five to have a great team, and they have them and more than five. We’re good, just not in their league right now.”

On the boys side, Pearl River graduate Mike Kiernan of Tappan, who ran three seasons as a schoolboy and again as a collegian at Albany, has a young, highly talented squad whose only detriment might be inconsistency.

The Pirates, who outdistanced the Red Raiders at the county meet at Bear Mountain for a third straight crown, are powered by county king Matt Politis and are the reigning sectional champions.

The team also features Pat McCann, one of five star sophomores, who was sixth at Bear Mountain; Brian Mahoney, who was second at counties last year; sophomore Jack Reynolds and junior Shane Veirun. Two other sophomore standouts are Hugh Durcan and Brendan Harding, who, said Coach Keirnan, ran the race of his life last year as Pearl River defeated Somers at the Section 1 Championships.

“We would not have won without him,” Kiernan stated, referring to the Pirates’ one-point victory.

Surprises may be in store

Yet the coach is not about to make any predictions going into Saturday’s rematch.

“We can be pretty good when we put it together, but we are young and can be inconsistent,” he added. “I don’t know what I’m going to get Saturday.”

Doherty, who always seem to put together a formidable squad – the Pirates once put together a string of nine county titles – admitted it was not a surprise to finish behind North Rockland at the county meet.
“Actually, it was a bit of a disappointment – not because of the second-place finish, but the individual performances were not up to expectations,” Doherty said in giving a typical unvarnished opinion.

“Hopefully at sectionals we’ll be up to expectations, but we won’t know until the (starter’s) gun goes off.”

Leading the team is sophomore Mary Borkoski, who is joined by eighth-grader Niamh Durcan; college-potential runner and senior Kaitlyn Harding; sophomore Jessica McDermott; and juniors Erin Clinton and Ann McCormack.

Politis, the boys’ spark plug, had a solid freshman season on the track but injured his back when he went out for cross country.

Politis on a personal roll

In late September, Politis jogged through a pre-state-meet course at Shenago Valley State Park.

“I only wanted him to stay healthy,” said Coach Kiernan. “His first real, hard race was in October at the Manhattan Invitation at Van Cortlandt Park. He ran 13:02 and finished second. Since then he has been unbeaten at the Section 1 Coaches Invitational and the league and county meets.

North Rockland goes into sectionals after a runaway showing at Bear Mountain, as Tuohy clocked 16:55 and led the three-mile race from start to finish, but is going against defending sectional and state champion John Jay-Cross River.

Other Red Raider stars include Alex Harris and Haleigh Morales, who clocked 17:35 and 17:47, respectively, on a wind-blown day, while Kerry O’Connor placed seventh and Noelle Feeney 10th.

Rachel Ludwikowski and Kamryn McIntosh finished fourth and fifth, respectively, for Suffern. Borkoski was sixth for Pearl River, with Tappan Zee’s Alexandra Thomas eighth and Nanuet’s Kyra Guerci ninth.

GRIDIRON RECAPS

New Rochelle 27, Clarkstown South 0: In a Class AA semifinal, the second-seeded host Huguenots advanced to Saturday’s championship game at Mahopac High School by outgaining the Vikings 441-71. The Huguenots, ranked second in the state with an 8-0 record, will meet No. 5 Scarsdale in a rematch of a game on September 16 when New Rochelle prevailed, 34-0. Clarkstown South (6-2) quarterback Matt Jung was 13 of 30 for 88 yards and Bodhi Gallo contributed an interception.

Nanuet 36, Albertus Magnus 6: In a Class B consolation bowl at Valhalla, Connor Breit rushed for 150 yards and two touchdowns, and defensive MVP Umar Ajaz had five sacks. Jake Stein added three touchdowns.

Clarkstown North 20, Mamaroneck 0: The visiting Tigers managed to hold the Rams scoreless in the first half, but Eric Maurer’s touchdown and 105 yards on the ground sparked the Rams.

Carmel 26, Spring Valley 6: The Tigers were unable to contain Kyle Shilling, who threw for 193 yards and two TDs and David Vega, who had 19 carries for 128 yards and a touchdown.

Suffern 27, Nyack 0: The Mounties prevailed behind the strength of Lucas Sommers, who rushed for two touchdowns.

GIRLS SOCCER RECAPS

Pearl River 2, Somers 1: At Yorktown High School in the Class A championship game, the top-seeded defending champion Tuskers were upended by a defensive lapse, a nifty goal by Shaelynn Guilfoyle and by goalkeeper Katherine Carstenson, who made eight saves. On LoHud.com, Somers coach Paul Saia was quoted as saying, “Pearl River outplayed us in the second half and they deserved to win the game. That is the bottom line.”

Bronxville 1, Albertus Magnus 0: At Yorktown High School in the Class B championship game, the outcome was decided on a free kick by Mason Warble in the final minutes of a second mandatory overtime period. The Falcons defeated Bronxville last year in the semifinals.

FIELD HOCKEY RECAPS

Scarsdale 7, Clarkstown South 1: The host Raiders registered five second-half goals to pull away from the Vikings in a Class A contest. South had tied the game in the first half when Jenna Rogers scored on a rebound off a penalty corner, with senior Danielle Noia getting an assist. The defeat ended an impressive season for South at 14-3-1. Senior Colleen Geyer was quoted on LoHud.com as saying, “We’ve been playing together for more than six years, we play travel together, it’s just a weird feeling that it’s actually over.” The Vikings were coming off a brilliant 1-0 victory over powerhouse Suffern, which hadn’t been beaten by South in nearly 30 years.

Lakeland 8, Nyack 0: At Lakeland in a Class B semifinal, Elizabeth Lavender had eight saves for the fifth-seeded Indians. Lakeland, the top seed, will meet No. 2 Rye in the final on Saturday at Brewster HS at 5:30 p.m.

COLLEGIATE CLIPS: Junior defensive back Luke Kern of Stony Point had 15 tackles as the Catholic University of America football team lost to host Randolph-Macon, 21-0. Kern, a graduate of Albertus Magnus High School, is averaging a team third-best eight tackles a game, trailing the top spot by mere percentage points. The Cardinals (3-4) travel to Emory, Va., on Saturday to meet Emory & Henry College (3-4) at 1 p.m. … Clarkstown South HS alum Shane Cronin of West Nyack booted a 35-yard field goal and all six of his PAT kicks as the Red Dragons defeated visiting Morrisville State, 45-20. Cronin has converted 7-of-8 field goals, including a career-best 40-yarder, and earned Empire 8 honors for a second time this season. Cortland closes its regular season with a home game against Ithaca at noon on November 12. … Shayne Martinez of West Haverstraw is returning for his senior season as a guard on the men’s basketball team at Cortland. Joining Martinez are freshman forward Justin Rivera of Bardonia and freshman guard Andrew McGuire of Congers. The Red Dragons host Purchase College in the opener of the Cortaca Classic on November 18 at 6 p.m. The Panthers feature senior guard Michael Pelham of Spring Valley and sophomore forward Mezu Agwu of Ramapo. … St. Joseph’s Regional HS graduate Kenny Monfort of Spring Valley had two goals in 16 games (11 starts) as a sophomore forward/midfielder on the men’s soccer team at Felician University in New Jersey.

THIS & THAT: Legendary coach Ralph Cordisco is gone, but his memory will live on by inaugurating the “Coach Ralph Cordisco Memorial Rockland County Lifetime Achievement Award.” Reliable and tireless historian Tom Doherty reports that the first honoree is Coach Jerry Bonomolo, a Rockland County, Pearl River HS and Nanuet HS Hall of Famer.  A 1951 Pirates graduate who was all-County in football, basketball and baseball, Bonomolo enjoyed a great teaching and coaching career for the Golden Knights. They won three Section 9 basketball titles in the 1970’s under his tutelage. An informal luncheon is set for Friday afternoon, Nov. 18, from noon-2 p.m., at Kennelly’s Grille House, 962 Route 9W South, Congers. Cost is $25 per person. Respond to tommydoherty@optonline.net  or 551-427-2951 (cell).

Announcer for Larsen’s Perfect Game in ’56 talks with the Rockland County Times

BY JOE RINI 

I sat in a living room with sportscaster Bob Wolff discussing his heralded life and career on October 30, 2016, but it felt more like a front row seat to the history of American sports and broadcasting.

A member of the national baseball and basketball Halls of Fame for broadcasting excellence, the long-time South Nyack resident and soon-to-be 96-year old is in his Guinness World record-setting 77th straight year on the airwaves, including his 38th year as moderator of the Con Ed Scholar Athlete of the Week program for high school students heard on WHUD, as well as a weekly appearance on News 12 Long Island for their own scholar athlete program.

Wolff’s career began in 1939 on CBS Radio, WDNC, in Durham, North Carolina and continues today as he provides commentaries and sports coverage to News 12 Long Island. His illustrious career has included being the original TV voice for the Washington Senators and the lead announcer for baseball’s Game of the Week in addition to being the lead announcer for Madison Square Garden for 36 years and the voice of the New York Knicks during their championship years. By his count, he’s covered 31 different sports for the Garden.

Perhaps the most famous game announced by Wolff was his radio call of the perfect game by Don Larsen of the Yankees in the 1956 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers. As the game progressed, Wolff was mindful of the baseball superstition about mentioning the words “no hitter” and the criticism announcer Red Barber faced for defying that unwritten rule in the 1947 World Series.

Halfway through the game during a commercial break, Wolff told producer Joel Nixon, “I’m a reporter. I have to tell people what’s happening but I’m not going to mention the two words ‘no hitter’ but they’ll be no question that no Dodger has been on base.” Nixon replied to Wolff that was fine, “as long as the public knows what’s happening.”

“I figured out innumerable ways as a journalist to say what’s happening without losing the audience…so far only the Yankees have been on base…18 up and 18 down for the Dodgers. I went out of my way to say the only hits so far are by New York.”

Ironically, although the great Vin Scully did the TV call of the final out, it was Wolff’s radio call that would be immortalized on highlights of the game because of his description of the final out and its aftermath.

“Larsen is ready, gets the sign. Two strikes, ball one. Here comes the pitch. Strike three! A no-hitter, a perfect game for Don Larsen! Yogi Berra runs out there, he leaps on Larsen and he’s swarmed by his teammates. Listen to this crowd roar! The first World Series no-hitter, a perfect performance by Don Larsen!”

According to Wolff, “some so-called experts” advised TV sports announcers not speak much, “not to embroider anything,” so Scully didn’t mention Berra leaping into Larsen’s arms in the televised broadcast.

Having gone into broadcasting at such a young age, I asked Wolff if he had performed or if he had prior public speaking experience. Pointing to a picture frame on the coffee table, I picked it up to see it was Wolff playing the ukulele.

“I was a performer. My mom was a great singer and dancer.” He recalled being 10 years old and he and his younger sister-“she could really sing and I could play the ukulele”- taking the train from Woodmere to Manhattan to appear on a radio show because performances by children were popular at time.

“Let’s have one more rehearsal at the station,” he told her and afterwards a fellow commuter handed them his cap with money contributed by the other passengers. “It was my first professional job,” he chuckled but added that his father was “a great ethics purist” and he instructed them to give that money to charity.

Interestingly enough, Wolff said, “When I do the ballgames, I sing the words,” and the years seemed to disappear as the veteran broadcaster filled the room with, “He scores! What a play!”

Singing the words is a more pleasant sound he said-“clear and musical”-and it helped save his voice.

Having covered major sporting events and interviewed people from Babe Ruth,“a jolly guy, loved talking, loved adulation,” to Richard Nixon, “A fan about baseball, he loved it! One year he sent me his All-Star team to critique,” Wolff seems to equal the same enthusiasm when he recently interviewed the high school star of the week 77 years into his career.

Seem it’s the only way he knows to be. Wolff said, “I’m a great believer in being nice to people…I enjoy people. I get emotional about people. I’m the guy leading the applause at a Broadway show…I get enthused about people who work hard and do well and it doesn’t concern me if it’s for 10 people or 10 million people.”

Bob Wolff and his wife Jane have been married for 71 years with a home filled with photos of three children, nine grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren – but not the athletes he’s covered. After all, “Family means most to me.”

BY DYLAN BESTLER

“The Chicago Cubs are World Series Champions:” the phrase sports fans thought they would never hear.

The Cubs defeated the Cleveland Indians Wednesday night 8-7 in the 10th inning of game seven to win the World Series and break the 108-year drought.

The Cubs last World Series appearance was in 1945 and their last World Series win was in 1908. This was the longest drought in American sports history. The longest drought now is ironically held by the Cleveland Indians, who haven’t won since 1948.

Ben Zobrist had the big hit for the Cubs last night, slapping one down the third base line in the top of the tenth inning to drive in Albert Almora Jr and break the 6-6 tie. Almora Jr. pinch ran for Kyle Schwarber after he led off the inning with a single. Next batter, Miguel Montero hit one through the left side to score Anthony Rizzo from third to put the Cubs up 8-6. Zobrist, who hit .357, drove in two and scored five runs, was named the World Series MVP.

“Our team is unbelievable, every guy top to bottom,” Zobrist said after the game. “We just battle and root for each other and I’m blessed to win this trophy. Just to be out on this field and be a Chicago Cub, I couldn’t say anything more.”

Over 40 million people tuned in to watch this final game between the Cubs and the Indians; the highest amount of viewers in the past 25 years. The only two games in history to have a higher viewing were game six and seven of the 1991 World Series between the Braves and Twins. On average, this was the most watched series since the 2004 World Series, where the Boston Red Sox beat St. Louis Cardinals in four games to break their curse of 86 years.

The Cubs World Series drought was widely credited to a curse spawned in 1945 by William Sianis, owner of a local pub called the Billy Goat Tavern. When he brought his billy goat to Wrigley Field for Game 4 of the 1945 World Series he was asked to leave due to the animal’s odor. Sianis swore then that the Cubs would never win another World Series. It had already been 37 years and indeed the team would go another 71 before finally snapping the streak this year.

Suffern girls basketball team boasts guards galore 

       It would be easy for Coach Rich Burger to cry “Wait till next year” after losing eight players to graduation from last season’s highly competitive club that split 18 ballgames.

But the fourth-year Suffern High School girls basketball mentor, who played the sport four years at Pearl River HS under Coach Jerry Houston Jr., is buoyed by the return of three steady starters and a bevy of underclassmen who fashioned a nifty 10-4 mark on the season under Coach Alexis Fibble of Suffern.

“We’re very young and small, but very fast. We’ll be playing a much different style than in the past, but it’s fun,” said an enthusiastic Burger, whose Mounties opened practice on Monday and who start the regular season on December 1 in the Tappan Zee Tipoff Tournament.

(Suffern will meet Pelham at 4:15 p.m., followed by the host going against Beacon. Suffern’s home opener is scheduled on December 7 at 6 p.m. against Horace Greeley.)

Last year’s .500 record is quite deceiving if you look beyond the results. Suffern lost at the buzzer to John Jay-East Fishkill in the opening round of the postseason tournament, and had beaten Pearl River, which eventually went to the Westchester County Center, during the regular season. Other games were closely fought, but a new day dawns with a host of new varsity performers to complement three key returnees, along with senior returnee Natalie Shedler, a forward-center.

       Forward Caleigh Cahoon of Sloatsburg returns for her senior season as a forward after earning all-league honors and honorable mention all-section. A three-time all-section selection in soccer, Cahoon will continue her playing career at Nazareth College in Pittsford.

Abby Bosco, who will play lacrosse at the University of Pennsylvania in the Ivy League, also is returning along with junior Elizabeth Ellsworth.

Elevated from the junior varsity is a contingent of guards: Allie Goldstein, Kailey Brenner and Delaney Hall of Sloatsburg; freshman Grace Krebs and eighth-grader Sydney Goldstein, Allie’s sister.

The biggest deficit appears to be in the rebounding department, but here again Burger accepts it as a stoic just might.

“It will be tough; we’ll give it a try. As I said, we’ll be playing a different style, but it’s fun,” concluded Burger, who still remembers an upset over state-ranked Nanuet in his scholastic days.

Win or lose, let the fun begin. 

BRIEFLY: The intrepid Pearl River HS girls soccer team, which upended Somers, 2-1, in the Section 1 Class A title game, lost to Spencerport in a state semifinal at Tompkins Cortland Community College. The Pirates had beaten Goshen in the regional final. … The Suffern HS boys volleyball team withstood a severe challenge from upset-minded Clarkstown North to win its eighth Section 1 title in nine years. The Mounties, who dropped two of the first three sets, responded in the final two sets in decisive 25-15, 25-16 fashion behind the play of senior Evan Margolin and junior Nick Cimillo. … Powered by freshmen Kaitlyn Tuohy and Haleigh Morales, who finished second and eighth, respectively, the North Rockland girls cross country team placed second in Class A at the state meet at Chenango State Park. Villanova-bound Alex Harris was 14^th. Kamryn McIntosh of Suffern was 20^th, while Mary Borkoski of Pearl River took 16^th and Alexandra Thomas of Tappan Zee was 35^th.

COLLEGIATE CLIPS: Albertus Magnus HS alum Luke Kern of Stony Point turned in another strong effort as The Catholic University of America football season ended with a 50-13 loss to Bridgewater in Washington, D.C. Kern, a junior, had 11 tackles to finish the season as the leader in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) among defensive backs and fifth overall.    The Cardinals will leave the ODAC next season to join the New England Men’s and Women’s Conference. … Tappan Zee HS alumna Brigid Mckenna, a junior, is a sprint/butterfly specialist on the women’s swim team at Purchase College. The Panthers (3-3) visit Lehman College in the Bronx on Nov. 19 at noon. … Shannon Thomas of Rockland Community College was named the Most Valuable Player in women’s volleyball in the Mid-Hudson Conference while teammate Sarah Hayward was named to the all-Conference first team. … The Dominican College men’s basketball team hosts the 5^th annual Daniel Sullivan Memorial Tournament, meeting LIU Post on Nov. 18 and Mercy College on Nov. 19, with both games at 8 p.m. Chris Pierson and E. J. Smith, both of Nyack, are sophomore guards for Coach Joe Clinton, who is into his 26^th season in charge of the Chargers. The Lady Chargers will also be at home on Nov. 19 and Nov. 20 with 1 p.m. contests against NYIT and Bridgeport, respectively, in the 4^th annual Regina Rivera Memorial Tournament. North Rockland HS alumna Ciera Rivera of Pomona is a sophomore forward for Coach Bill Diener. … The men’s basketball team at St. Thomas Aquinas College, which defeated the University of New Haven, 82-66, at the Spartans Tip-off Classic at Aquinas Hall in Sparkill for its second victory of the season, hosts cross-town rival Dominican College at 7 p.m. on Nov. 22. Freshman guard Marc Dorsainvil of Spring Valley is awaiting his debut for Coach Tobin Anderson, whose team is the defending East Coast Conference champion and ranked 2^nd nationally in the Sporting News preseason poll. The Lady Chargers, who also won their first two games under Coach Kim Lusk, were to meet Concordia today and then visit Nyack on Nov. 19 at 1 p.m. Tappan Zee HS graduate Jillian Lynch of Palisades is a sophomore guard for STAC, while North Rockland HS graduate Alex Bertolino of Garnerville is a junior guard.

THIS & THAT: The legacy of the late North Rockland legend Ralph Cordisco continues with the inaugural presentation of the Ralph Cordisco Memorial Rockland County Lifetime Achievement Award to three-time sports Hall of Famer Jerry Bonomolo. An informal luncheon will be held Friday (Nov. 18) at Kennelly’s Grille House, 962 Route 9W South, Congers, from noon to 2 p.m. Cost is $25 per person payable in cash at the door. Reply to tommydoherty@optonline.net  or 551-427-2951 (cell). … Nick Roosa, a one-time member of the track & field team at Tappan Zee HS, turned in a sparkling 55^th-place finish at the NYC Marathon. Roosa clocked 2:33 in a field of more than 50,000 runners. …Jimmy and Eleanor Kane, who have devoted close to seven decades to Rockland County sports, will receive the Rockland County YMCA Service to Youth Award on December 1 at The Nyack Seaport. Tickets are $100 each, with the cocktail hour at 6 p.m. and dinner at 7. Contact Eileen Carson at 845-358-0632 or ecarson@rocklandymca.org.

BY JEREMY MOONEYHAM

MSG, NYC – 12/7/2016 – New York Knicks (12-9) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (14-5)

The New York Knicks entered Wednesday night’s home game against the NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers on a four-game winning streak, winning the night before on the road 114-103 versus the Miami Heat. The Knicks entered Wednesday’s contest winners of seven of nine games overall and had pundits around the league wondering if perhaps the team was for real.

But the Knicks faced a big test, arguably the ultimate test: the champion Cavs led by one of the league’s all-time greats, LeBron James and featuring the dynamic Kyrie Irving as batman to his robin. It had the potential to be a measuring stick for the Knicks, but the Knicks ended up looking small.

Having to sit their starting point guard and third-leading scorer Derrick Rose on the bench due to back spasms didn’t help the Knicks cause, but his absence was hardly the main reason for the team’s struggles. Brandon Jennings started for Rose, while the Cavs subbed DeAndre Liggins for their injured shooting guard former-Knicks sixth man J.R. Smith.

The Knicks only hung in the game for about five minutes before the Cavs took command. After Knicks Center Joakim Noah clanked the second of two free throws with 7:41 left in the first quarter, missing an opportunity to tie the game at 14, the Cavs reeled off eight straight points to take a 22-13 lead. At the end of the first quarter the Cavs were up 36-26

Lebron James and Iman Shumpert led the Cavs charge through the early second quarter, aggressively driving to the basket and scoring on short range shots and free-throw conversions. The Cavs were up 52-42 with less than five minutes left in the second quarter when the Knicks top scorer Carmelo Anthony was forced to the bench with his third foul.

The Knicks number two offensive option, 7’3″ second-year emerging star Kristaps Porzingis continued his recent poor shooting and also would eventually get in foul trouble, leaving the Knicks with few options to contend with the high power Cavs. Kevin Love of the Cavaliers would also contribute to the early lead by going 3 for 7 on three-pointers in the first half. LeBron James would lead all players with 19 points at the half and his Cavs were up by 15, 63-48.

The third quarter did not get any better for the Knicks, as the home squad gave up three wide open 3-pointers to start the second half and would eventually be laughed out of their own building, closing the third quarter down 92-65. The Cavs rubbed it in, executing an alley-oop from Irving to James. The game’s best player James made the Knicks top star Carmelo Anthony look foolish on an emphatic blocked shot.

The Cavs carnage would continue in the fourth quarter and Cleveland cruised to a 126-94 victory. Kyrie Irving led all scorers with 28 points and LeBron James added 25, sitting out most of the fourth quarter. Brandon Jennings was the top producer for the Knicks with 16 points. Courtney Lee added 15 points for the Knicks while going 3 for 7 from beyond the 3-point arc.

The road win keeps the Cavaliers (15-5) atop the Eastern Conference by 1.5 games and 4 games ahead of the Knicks, while the loss drops the Knicks to 12-10, still only one game out of the third seed in the Eastern Conference playoff picture. While the Knicks of late have been playing their best basketball since their 54 win – 28 loss season in 2012-13 the thorough route at the hands of the Cavs casts doubt on the team’s claim of being a top-level contender.

New York hits the road Friday, playing the Sacramento Kings Dec. 9 in the first of 5-game western road swing in which they’ll also face the Lakers, Suns, Warriors and Nuggets. Of the five Western teams they’ll face on the trip only the title-contending Warriors (18-3) have a record over .500. The combined record of the other four teams they’ll meet on the road swing is currently a meager 32-57.

Most of the Knicks’ remaining December games are on the road. They won’t play at Madison Square Garden again until they face off vs. the Indiana Pacers on Dec. 20 in the first of three consecutive home games, before heading back out on the road for three more games.

Notable celebrities who showed up for the Knicks matchup vs. the champion Cavs included Jimmy Fallon, Katie Holmes, Woody Allen and Howard Stern. Former Knicks Head Coach Jeff Van Gundy was given a standing ovation after being featured on the Jumbotron-a classy show of respect to the man who left the Knicks some 15 years earlier. Since Van Gundy’s December 2001 departure from the Knicks the team has been a consistent mess, qualifying for the playoffs only four times between the 2001-02 and 2015-16 seasons and winning merely one playoff series.

The Knicks lost 11 consecutive playoff games in the postseason appearances they made in 2005, 2011 and 2012 before finally winning Game 4 of their 2012 first round series vs. the Miami Heat. The following season the Knicks won their only playoff round since 2001, defeating the Celtics 4 games to 2 before the Pacers pushed them aside in Round 2, also in six games.

Will 2016-17 bring playoff sucess to the Knicks as the 21-year-old Latvian rising star Kristaps Porzingis brings renewed hope to the franchise or will Wednesday’s game be a harbinger of things to come? Stay tuned.

(Family Features) With athletes of all ages taking to fields and courts, there are important steps to take in keeping young athletes safe during practice and games.

Data from U.S. Youth Soccer shows that the number of kids playing increased nearly 90 percent – with nearly 3 million children ages 7-17 playing each year – from 1990 to 2014. As soccer has risen in popularity, so has the rate on injuries – especially concussions – according to a Nationwide Children’s Hospital study published recently in “Pediatrics.”

The number of youth treated in emergency rooms in the United States due to soccer-related injuries increased by 78 percent over the 25 years covered by the study. While concussions and other “closed-head” injuries accounted for just 7 percent of those injuries, the annual rate of those injuries per 10,000 children playing soccer increased drastically.

While the study’s authors from the hospital’s Center for Injury Research and Policy said some of the increase reflects the growing awareness about concussions, there are steps that can be taken to reduce exposure and increase overall player safety.

Know Concussion Signs

Be aware of concussion symptoms and encourage players to report potential injuries. The first signs of a player potentially suffering from a serious head injury can include:

• Headache
• Blurry vision
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Noise or light sensitivity

Utilize Available Educational Resources

The National Soccer Coaches Association of America recently released the first interactive online course developed to educate soccer coaches on how to teach safer heading techniques. The free, 30-minute course titled “Get aHEAD Safely in Soccer,” which is available at NSCAA.com/heading, illustrates specific techniques, exercises and practice activities that are available for coaches to download or print. For more tips to properly coach young athletes on the fundamentals of heading and other soccer skills, visit nscaa.com.

Practice Proper Technique

The U.S Soccer Federation recently ruled that there should be no heading in games or practice for any players age 10 and under and a limited amount of heading for those ages 11-13. It is important that coaches know the correct techniques and have the right educational tools to properly train their players. The fundamental steps include:

1. Keeping feet shoulder-width apart and knees bent in an athletic position
2. Tucking the chin and maintaining a stiff neck
3. Using arms for balance (and to shield opponents)
4. Concentrating with eyes open and mouth closed
5. Focusing on striking the ball with the middle of the forehead

Understand Return-to-Play Protocol

Coaches and parents should encourage players to always report blows to the head and be vigilant in looking for athletes who may have sustained injuries. If a player does sustain a concussion, they should seek medical attention and work together with an athletic trainer on proper return-to-play protocol before returning to competition.

By instituting proper athletic safety measures at the youth level, coaches, parents and athletes can continue to enjoy the positive benefits of sports.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

Induction set for January 21, 2017 at Nyack Seaport

PRESS RELEASE – An ice hockey standout, a baseball star, and a stalwart soccer coach and player highlight this year’s class of inductees into the Rockland Community College Sports Hall of Fame .

RAMAPO, NY – An ice hockey standout, a baseball star, and a stalwart soccer coach and player highlight this year’s class of inductees into the Rockland Community College Sports Hall of Fame, announced by the RCC Athletic Department. The 10th annual induction gala is set for Saturday, January 21, 2017, at 7 pm at the Nyack Seaport in Nyack, NY.

The four former athletes are being honored along with the recipient of the Dr. Cliff L. Wood Service Award, joining the 45 members, four Service Award winners and one team already enshrined.

Admission of $65 includes a cocktail hour, hors d’oeuvres, salad, pasta, prime rib, coffee, dessert and dancing. For reservations or more information please call the Athletic Department at 845-574-4452 or 4512. Checks can be made payable to the RCC Association.

Andre Chiavelli, Class of 1981, Baseball
Jerry Elicks, Class of 1977, Hockey
Loren Green, Soccer Coach

Jo Rene Valentin, Class of 2006, Soccer

Dr. Cliff L. Wood Service Award

Michael J. Gill, EdD, Class of 1991

Andre Chiavelli, Class of 1981, Baseball

At Spring Valley HS, Chiavelli captained the baseball and football teams and in 2015 he earned induction into that school’s Sports Hall of Fame for his athletic prowess. During his two seasons of baseball at RCC, under Coach Bob Nadal, Chiavelli was the team’s Most Valuable Player both years and captured All-Region 15 and All-Mid Hudson Conference honors each year as well. 

During his freshman season, Chiavelli hit .358 and led the team in hits, runs, stolen bases, doubles and triples. He struck out just once the entire season and played flawless ball in center field. The following year, he batted a robust .410, collected 38 hits, led the team in multiple offensive categories, and again had a perfect fielding percentage in center field. He helped lead the Rockets to a combined 30-15 record in the 1979 and 1980 seasons. 

While playing at RCC, Chiavelli starred during the summer for the Spring Valley OTB Pirates en route to the Rockland Big League title in 1979. Among his top achievements was rapping two hits off future New York Mets closer John Franco. Chiavelli was offered a pro contract by the New York Yankees but declined the offer and instead played baseball at Mercy College, hitting a solid .350 during the 1981 season and exhibiting stellar play in center field.

Chiavelli currently works as executive global vice president of sales marketing education and public relations for Farouk Systems, a Houston-based manufacturer of hair care products. When the Yankees won the World Series in 2009, he won a World Series ring as a store vendor of official memorabilia at Yankee Stadium. In 2014 he launched “Rockland’s Greatest” Facebook page chronicling Rockland sports history, drawing more than 3,000 weekly visitors. 

Jerry Elicks, Class of 1977, Hockey

Elicks, a Clarkstown North HS graduate, led the Rams to the 1975 Hudson Valley Hockey League Championship and earned first-team All-County honors. His first year at RCC was spectacular, as he paced the Rockets to the Metropolitan Collegiate Hockey League championship and led the team with 44 goals and 41 assists for a record-breaking 85 points. The team, coached by Dick Gutwillig, won all 26 of its league games and lost only two of 33 games overall. The following year, Elicks again spearheaded the team with 25 goals and 27 assists, and the Rockets went 15-5 in league play and 20-11-1 overall.

“I was merely one of many good players on a team that had a short but remarkable run at a time when hockey was booming in Rockland County,” Elicks said.

At SUNY Binghamton, Elicks led the Bearcats in scoring in the Finger Lakes Collegiate Hockey League in 1977-78. He later enrolled at St. John’s University School of Law, passed the bar exam and worked as a litigation attorney for eight years with Congdon, Flaherty, O’Callaghan in Garden City, NY. Elicks then joined Wright Risk Management, an insurance management and consulting firm where he was eventually named president in 2000, reporting to the chairman/CEO and in charge of 185 employees. He is currently a private practice attorney and insurance consultant. 

Elicks and his wife, Susan, live in Port Washington, Long Island, and have two grown daughters, Lauren and Meaghan. A 20-year member of the North Hempstead Country Club, he is the Senior Club golf champion in the 50+ category.

Loren Green, Soccer Coach

Green earned multiple All-Section and All-Region awards as a standout soccer player at Nyack HS, from which he graduated in 1970. At SUNY Morrisville he was twice nominated for first-team All-America honors. He later played for the Eastern Olympic Team in a recruiting tournament in Colorado Springs for the 1976 Olympic Games. Green extended his playing career professionally by competing for the Washington Diplomats and the New York Apollo of the American Soccer League.

Green started his coaching career at RCC in 1982. After serving as assistant coach for two years, he launched a successful 32-year career as head soccer coach, from 1984 to 2015. During that time his teams won several Mid-Hudson Conference and Region XV championships and reached the NJCAA Div. III national tournament in 1993. In addition, his teams made the regional finals in both 1995 and 1996. Under Green’s direction, RCC soccer was ranked in the top 20 nationally for five straight years in the early 1990s, and during his RCC tenure he coached nine All-Americans.

Coach Green earned the respect of his players by setting high standards for competitive play and absolute boundaries for on-field conduct, and giving them every opportunity to achieve those standards. He also garnered the respect of his fellow coaches by becoming the first soccer coaches’ representative in the region.

Green continues to head up an annual indoor youth soccer tournament at the RCC Fieldhouse, and is a U.S. Soccer Federation C-licensed coach for the Clarkstown Sports Club. He lives in Chester, NY, with his wife, Gale. They have a son, Loren Jr., and a granddaughter, Ta’mera.

Jo Rene Valentin, Class of 2006, Soccer

Born in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince, Valentin learned soccer at an early age like many of his peers. As a teenager in 1998, he represented his town in a national tournament. Valentin lived with his grandmother in Jacmel and attended Centre Alcibiade Pommayrac for his schooling. After graduating high school in 2003, he moved to the US to live with his parents and his younger brother, Freud.

Valentin was recruited to play for RCC after Coach Loren Green spotted him playing soccer at a Spring Valley park. He was named first-team All-Region and first-team All-American in 2005, and the following year led his team to the regional semifinals. He paced the team in goals scored during his time at RCC. Academically, he was a member of Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for two-year colleges. 

After being heavily recruited by many area colleges, Valentin committed to play at New Jersey Institute of Technology to be closer to home. At NJIT, he led his team in goals scored and was second-team All-Region. In 2007, he transferred to play for St. John’s University, but got injured and couldn’t play for the Red Storm. At St. John’s he earned his bachelor’s in Math and Science with a minor in Business Management.

Valentin lives in Airmont, NY, with his wife, Melodie, and their children, Holdy and Jo Preston. He has worked for People’s United Bank since 2010.

Dr. Cliff L. Wood Service Award

Michael J. Gill, EdD, Class of 1991

It wasn’t until halfway through his senior year at SUNY Binghamton that Michael J. Gill, EdD, decided to pursue a career in education. Initially majoring in pre-law, he switched and followed his calling into teaching, leading to his position now as principal of North Rockland High School for the past 10 years.

Previous education positions include serving as a Special Education coordinator at North Rockland, an assistant principal at Farley Middle School in Stony Point, and principal at West Haverstraw Elementary School. Dr. Gill pursued a Liberal Arts course of study at RCC’s Honors Program under mentor Dr. Sam Draper. Interestingly, Dr. Gill’s father, Michael F. Gill, was enrolled in the Nursing program at RCC at the same time. 

In his role as principal at North Rockland, which he describes as his “dream job,” Dr. Gill collaborates with the College in RCC’s High School Program. North Rockland offers some 50 advanced-level or college courses through its five college partners, of which RCC is “our No. 1 partner,” he says.Dr. Gill also serves as an adjunct professor at Manhattanville College and The College of Mount St. Vincent, teaching master’s degree candidates in Special Education. He earned his Doctor of Education from Fordham University. He lives in Garnerville with his wife, Colleen, and daughters Emily and Julia.

Coaches Korn, Roff, Gray joining legendary list of luminaries

BY MARC MATURO

The roll call of coaches is instantly recognizable, with many legendary names known even to those who are not basketball fans.

Roll out names such as Lou Carnesecca, Joe Lapchick and Frank McGuire of St. John’s University fame (McGurie also was acclaimed at North and South Carolina Universities); or Jack Curran of Archbishop Molloy High School; maybe consider Claire Bee (LIU), Nat Holman (CCNY) or Red Holzman, the legendary Knickerbockers coach; and the great Ralph Arietta, who did so much for so many years across the river at Westchester Community College in Valhalla.

To these names and others in the New York State Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame, one can now add the former Nyack High School coach Gary Gray and two coaches from the same school, North Rockland, Rich Korn and Chris Roff. In addition, Dan Ricci of Ossining HS will also be inducted in a special Sunday ceremony on March 26 at Heritage Hall Civic Center in Glens Fall.

Speaking of the Vietnam veteran Korn, who coached the girls team and is now retired in Virginia Beach, Va., and Roff, who coached the boys and continues to teach art at the high school, longtime Red Raiders football coach and athletic director Joe Casarella spoke highly, as one might expect.

“Both are good guys, disciplinarians; the kids loved them – they were very helpful in getting them to the next level,” Casarella said. “It’s so rare to get two (coaches) from one high school into the Hall of Fame at the same time.”

The 65-year-old Nyack HS grad Gray, who was inducted into the Rockland County HOF in 2013, then last year into the Indians’ HOF, and who gave much credit to his longtime assistant Pete Bonomolo, is already looking ahead to his five-minute allotted speech.

Quite an honor

“It’s pretty cool,” said Gray, who had some 11 years of 20-plus-win seasons and whose 1991 crew was deemed “team of the year,” forging a long run of success for the program. “Look at the names – (Jim) Boeheim (Syracuse University), Carnesecca, all these great coaches. It’s quite an honor to be inducted.”

Korn, who led the North Rockland varsity for 27 years following a one-year stint at the JV level, coached the last Rockland team to win a Section 9 championship and soon thereafter won a Section 1 title by beating John Jay-East Fishkill.

Korn’s credentials are noteworthy, obviously, but the 69-year-old — who helped coached a local high school team in Virginia Beach before finally stepping aside to root for the University of Virginia and Coach Tony Bennett – also said his induction is an honor, but totally unexpected.

“I never gave it any thought,” the Haverstraw HS alum said, “I’m not very good figuring out who should be in any hall of fame. But certainly it’s a great honor.”

Korn coached many outstanding players, including sisters Jacqueline and Jenifer O’Neil, who both went to Marist College; and 1,000-point scorers Lindsay Gonzalez, a point guard who attended St. Peter’s College in Jersey City, N.J., and guard Margaret Denman. Jennifer O’Neil also scored 1,000 career points while her sister missed by a mere six points. Other standouts were inside players Crystal and Carla Vasquez.

Molded young men

Roff, 57, who finished up his 29^th year last season, thought he would be out of the coaching business.

“But I just couldn’t leave, I have to be involved,” said Roff, who played four seasons at Clarkstown North HS and two years on the baseball diamond.

To stay sharp, Roff, a graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo, remains an assistant golf coach, volunteers with the girls varsity team, and just for good measure, helps out his son, Shane, with 17 third-graders at St. Peter’s.

During his successful tenure at North Rockland, where he is an art teacher at the high school, Roff’s teams won more 468 games and lost 148 – figures that AD Casarella determined and which stat man Kyle O’Grady, now a junior, supported.

“In my last year (2015), Kyle – “A great, great kid, he’ll do anything” – came up to me after we beat Beacon, I think it was, and said, ‘Ya know, that was your four-hundredth and something victory. I never cared about that, actually.”

More than the victories, and six trips to the final at the Westchester County Center and despite never having won the Gold Ball, Roff said he will be going into the Hall with all the players he ever coached.

“It’s going to be me and the players, for sure,” Roff said. “They were all great. When I took over I demanded a lot of the young men, like getting up at 4:30 in the morning to run. You know what’s most important to me? The biggest thing is that every senior who played a full season graduated from high school. I take a lot from that. We didn’t have any big-time DI college players, but a lot played college ball and had the experience of their lives. A lot of them still keep in touch.”

Among those young men, many of whom came from tough backgrounds, are Steven Diaz, now a teacher in New York City, and Tommy Rodriguez.

“Like I said, after they left they still call me. They grew up to be great men. That’s probably the most important thing to me,” concluded Roff, then quickly adding. “And don’t forget my wife (Susan). She raised three sons; I couldn’t have done it without her.”

At Nyack, Gray, who played at Rockland CC under Howie Pierson and attended the University of South Florida — which had no hoops program at the time — credited assistants Paul Lankau and Joe Laporte. He also mentioned rival coaches Tom Collins at Albertus Magnus and Paul Toscano at Clarkstown North, where he is still a golf coach.

Several Indians went on to play professionally, to wit: center Larry Abney, in Europe and for the late coach Jerry “The Shark” Tarkanian; forward Gerry McNail, in Australia; and center James Smith, in the NBA Developmental League following a career at Marist.

Other stickouts during Gray’s tenure who played at the D1 level in college include Steve Canal, who went to Fordham University; Alvin Carter and Kujo Sogadzi, who both attended Fairfield; Colgate’s Chester Felts; and Greg Acunto, an all-American at St. Lawrence University.     

COLLEGIATE CLIPS: Midfielder Kevin McNally of Hillburn, who was a high school all-American at Suffern, is a member of the Mercy College men’s lacrosse team that is ranked No. 13 nationally in the USILA/Nike Division II Coaches Preseason Poll. The Mavericks, who finished 9-6 last season and qualified for the ECC Tournament for the second consecutive year, are scheduled to get under way with back-to-back road games against American International on Feb. 15 and Georgian Court University on Feb. 18. Mercy’s home opener in Dobbs Ferry is set for 3 p.m. on Feb. 21 against Saint Rose. … Tappan Zee HS alum Luke McLaughlin of Blauvelt is the fourth-leading shot blocker on the Pace University basketball team while averaging only 18 minutes a game. McLaughlin, a sophomore forward, has made eight starts in 20 appearances with 10 blocks. The Setters meet Le Moyne College at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 7 at the Goldstein Fitness Center in Pleasantville. … The Mercy College women’s basketball team is playing well under the .500 level but guard Destinee Hall of Spring Valley continues to sparkle. Hall, a sophomore, is leading the team in scoring with 10 points a game, is ranked second in rebounds with six per game and is third in steals with 22 on the season. Mercy will be home in Dobbs Ferry on Feb. 4 to meet Molloy at 2 p.m. and stays at home on Feb. 8 to host LIU Post at 5 p.m. … Freshman guard Kevin Mackin of Nanuet is averaging six points a game, with 12 steals, in 19 appearances for the men’s basketball team at Oneonta. The Red Dragons are home Feb. 3 and Feb. 4 to host Buffalo State and Fredonia, respectively. … Tappan Zee HS alumna Michaela Raphael of Nyack is a sophomore sprint/butterfly specialist on the Pace University women’s swimming team, which competes at the Northeast-10 Conference Championships in New Haven, Conn., Feb. 16-19 … North Rockland HS alum Matt Caputo of Stony Point, a sophomore, won his bout by injury default at 149 pounds as the nationally 17^th-ranked Cortland wrestling team waylaid Delaware Valley, 43-4, in Doylestown, Pa. Caputo is 19-11 on the season, his first on the mats for the Red Dragons, who host Oswego and Hunter on Feb. 11. … Lauren McBrinn of Suffern was second in the 1,000-yard freestyle as Cortland posted a 174-122 women’s swimming and diving dual-meet victory over visiting Oneonta at Holsten Pool.

PRESEASON KUDOS FOR KUKURA: Clarkstown South HS alum John Kukura, a key returnee to the Pace University baseball team, has garnered preseason accolades by being named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Preseason all-East Region first team. Similarly honored is junior catcher Michael Gulino of Meriden, Conn.  Kukura, a senior outfielder, earned numerable honors last season, his best ever with the Setters. He led the team in batting average (.341), runs (43), hits (75), doubles (15), triples (8), slugging percentage (.536), on-base percentage (.411) and stolen bases (10). Kukura’s eight triples set a Pace single-season record, and his 75 hits were the fourth-most all-time. Kukura added four home runs and 33 RBI last season. His teammates this year include Tappan Zee HS graduate Mike Barbato, a sophomore catcher; and North Rockland HS alums Brian Bohlander, a freshman infielder, and sophomore southpaw pitcher Dan Wirchansky, both of Stony Point.

RIP: Belated condolences to the family of Joe Dugandzic, whose passing at the age of 52 brought an outpouring of love and support from a large network of friends here, in New Jersey and elsewhere. Dugandzic, 52 and a high school teacher in Cranford, N.J., was a key member of the Pearl River HS state championship cross country team in 1980.

Tappan Zee, Spring Valley roll into the postseason

Lynch & Co. unstoppable force; Therneus & Tigers roaring

As they have done all season and did again to punctuate a once-beaten regular season with a resounding victory over R.C. Ketcham, a sparkling cast of senior standouts anchors the Tappan Zee High School boys basketball team.

       A 64-49 win over Ketcham that closed the Dutchmen’s regular season with an almost-spectacular 19-1 record — lone loss at Rye to snap an 18-game win streak — came appropriately enough on “Senior Night,” led by Kevin Lynch, Matt McGivney and Kiernan Gibson.

Lynch, a leader throughout the season on the front line, poured in 17 points and pulled down 21 rebounds while Gibson, a guard, and McGivney, another guard, each scored 14 points for veteran Coach George Gaine of Tappan, a graduate of Manhattan College and one-time two-sport competitor at Pearl River HS who now teaches physical education at TZ.

The trio was honored on “Senior Night,” of course, along with two other starters, Ryan Holder – a third-year varsity starter – and guard Matt McLeary. The senior contingent also numbers guard Jeremy Klomberg and forward Jahvon Capers.

Gaine, who began his coaching career at Fieldston HS in the Bronx    as a junior in college, is now approaching the end of his 14^th season guiding the Dutchmen varsity.

During his tenure, the Dutchmen have annexed five league titles, two sectional championships and placed second in the state tournament in 2012 to Harborfields, a powerhouse team on Long Island that finally prevailed, 67-58, after a fierce game-long battle.

In order to reach that game, Tappan Zee merely had to eliminate four-time state champion Jamesville-DeWitt, which had won 25 straight and whose only loss was to the Dutchmen.

In the championship foray against Harborfields, guard Pat Peterson, who played at Ramapo College, scored 20 points. Pat’s younger brother Sean is a junior guard on the current Tappan Zee team that includes other juniors Jonathan Weissberg, Tommy McGivney, Jackson Muncan and Ryan Maloney. Other players are ninth-grader Danny Linehan and sophomore forward Aidan Cunney.

Along with the obvious input from Lynch, a Division II-III prospect who is being actively recruited, Gaine credits Holder, the senior forward, as being the team’s defensive stopper.

“He does a lot of the little things that make a difference,” Gaine noted. “Mentally and physically he’s a scrapper.”

Coach Gaine is assisted by two former players: Pat Waldron of Palisades and Danny Linehan of Blauvelt.

Waldron, who came to Tappan Zee following a stint as a girls assistant coach at Division I Manhattan, “means the world to use,” said Gaine.

Linehan, a 1990 TZ graduate who played baseball and soccer at Manhattan College, “was one of the best players to play at Tappan Zee.”`

Looming directly ahead is the Section 1 Tournament, and perhaps lofting a championship Golden Ball at the venerable Westchester County Center in White Plains. The Dutchmen are expected to open the tournament at home on Saturday.

TIGERS CONTINUE TO ROAR: Coach Willie Worsley’s Spring Valley HS boys basketball team, having compiled a noteworthy 18-2 record while annexing its fifth straight league championship, open Section 1 Tournament play at home on Saturday afternoon against either Ossining or Suffern.

The Tigers’ only losses were inflicted by perennial powerhouse Mount Vernon HS and the Wadleigh Harlem Hellfighters.

The Spring Valley cause features a number of outstanding performers, including leading scorer Madenson Therneus, a 6-foot-3 junior forward who is averaging 18 points and who is also considered a leading defensive player.

Senior guard Andre Williams has a 12-point norm, and is complemented by consistent 3-point shooters Dino Green, a senior, and guard Elijah Bishun, a junior.

The front line’s strength relies on Miguel Garcia and Stony Brook University-bound Devan Lawson, a 6-4 presence whose performance as a tight end/defensive end on the gridiron earned him a full collegiate scholarship.

Not to be overlooked, noted athletics director Bill Pilla, is versatile senior Michael Maynes, who does it all on the hardwood, proving you can be a jack of all trades and a master of them all.

RED RAIDERS ON A ROLL: Led by sophomore Nicole Cona and seventh-grader Victoria Varano, the North Rockland girls bowling team won its 13th straight Section 1 team championship at Fishkill Bowl. The Red Raiders rolled away from runner-up John Jay-East Fishkill by a total pinfall of 570. Cona posted a 1,436 series in the six-game tournament in a field of 87 keglers. Varano was second overall, totaling 1,284 in her Section 1 debut. Megan Dobrinski of Suffern, who averaged 191-plus in the season, is going to the state championships along with Julia Lynch of Clarkstown. The championship tournament is scheduled March 4-5 at AMF Gates Lanes in Rochester.

COLLEGIATE CLIPS: Albertus Magnus HS alumna Kelly Guarino of Stony Point, a redshirt sophomore guard on the women’s basketball team at New Jersey Institute of Technology, was named Female Athlete of the Week for her performance through February 6. Guarino helped the Highlanders defeat Lipscomb, 76-68, scoring 17 points and adding five rebounds and four assists. Guarino also scored a season-high 20 points in the Highlanders; 74-64 loss to Kennesaw State. … North Rockland HS alumna Alex Bertolino of Garnerville, a junior guard, is averaging six points and two rebounds a game for the women’s basketball team at St. Thomas Aquinas College in Sparkill. The Lady Spartans, who went 16-8 through 24 games, close the regular season with back-to-back road games against Bridgeport on Feb. 18 and Mercy College on Feb. 22. The Mercy game will be held at Westchester Community College in Valhalla at 5:30 p.m. The Lady Spartans’ leading scorer is Jenna Erickson, a junior guard from Melrose with 15 points and three assists per game. … North Rockland HS graduate Alex D’Angelo of Thiells, a sophomore who competes at the 125-pound weight limit, is 7-3 this season and 18-17 in his career on the wrestling team at SUNY Cortlandt. Matt Caputo of Stony Point (sophomore/149 pounds) also competes for the Red Dragons, who are preparing for the NCAA Division III Regional Qualifier Feb. 25-26 at Roger Williams University in Bristol, R.I. In a final tune-up, Caputo earned a pin in 32 seconds as the Red Dragons, ranked 17th nationally in Division III, defeated Hunter College, 53-0, and Oswego, 39-6, in a tri-match at Corey Gymnasium in Cortland. … Wakeema Cabey of Spring Valley competes on the Nyack College track & field team as a junior sprints specialist. The Warriors will be at the Armory in upper Manhattan on Friday for the Artie O’Connor Invitational.

THIS & THAT: The NYS Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame will induct Gary Gray, Rich Korn and Chris Roff on March 26 during the Federation Championships weekend at 10 a.m. at the Glens Falls Civic Center (Heritage Hall). Gray coached the boys team at Nyack HS, Korn the girls at North Rockland HS and Roff the boys at North Rockland. For information and tickets contact Kevin Metcalf at kmetcalf@northrockland.org  or Joe Sigillo at jsigillo@nyackschools.com. … Following several years of national recognition (this year’s indoor track and field team is ranked 24^th in DII), along with conference titles and academic all-Americans, St. Thomas Aquinas College is inaugurating a Spring Kickoff and Tribute Dinner. The affair, which will also honor Larry Beckerle and Chris Muniz, is set for February 19 at Patriot Hills Golf Course and Country Club in Stony Point. For information contact Coach Lorne Marcus at 845-398-4053.

Tee ball league kicks off its inaugural season June 5, 2017

PRESS RELEASE- The Rockland Boulders announced today the formation of its newest and youngest fan league, the ‘Lil’ Boulders Tee Ball League to play this summer at Palisades Credit Union Park.

The six week tee ball league for little fans 4 – 6 years of age, will start on Monday, June 5, 2017, 6 p.m.  All participants will play on the same field as the Boulders, and will receive a t-shirt and cap, tickets to Boulders games, and their very own player card.

“We’re really excited to announce the startup of the ‘Lil’ Boulders Tee Ball League,” said Nick Barbalato, Assistant General Manager and Director of Operations for the Boulders. “Baseball is the greatest sport in the world, so we want to introduce the game to them as soon as possible.  In addition, memories will be created that will last a lifetime.  Plus, there may be a future Boulder in the making!”

Not only are the Boulders looking to make some memories, but they’re keeping it cost effective too.  From now, until April 1st, the Boulders are running an early bird registration special of just $60 a player or $600 a team. Pricing will increase after that.  From April 2 until May 1 the pricing will be $80 a player or $800 a team.  From May 2 until June 5, the pricing will be $110 a player or $1100 a team.

Teams or individuals are eligible for sign up.  For more information on how to get your ‘Lil’ Boulder involved, contactteeball@rocklandboulders.com or call 845-364-0009.

North Rockland girls enjoys stellar season on hardwood

Girls basketball team defies skeptics, rises to challenge formidable Albertus Magnus at Westchester County Center      

No one, least of all veteran Coach Kevin Metcalf and his staff, would deny that this season has already gone better than expected for the North Rockland High School girls basketball team.

Perhaps the success has been improbable, especially considering the graduation of Division 1 player Gaby Cajou to Manhattan College. Then again, the success was not an impossible task either, even with a lineup featuring one senior starter (team captain Naja Rivera of Pomona) and eight teammates who are coming back in 2018 (including injured sophomore D’Chae Dunn of Haverstraw, who is serving as team manager while recuperating from a torn ACL).

“A lot of people thought we would have a mediocre season, to get knocked out early, because of Cajou’s graduation …,” said a straightforward Coach Metcalf. “But me and my coaches, we kept telling the kids that they had it in them to go this far.”

This far brings them to the Westchester County Center in White Plains tonight, with the seventh-seeded Red Raiders going against another giant and county rival Albertus Magnus, the No. 3 seed.

The Lady Falcons breezed into the Section 1 Class AA semifinals with a 60-46 victory over Ketcham behind 16 points from Tess Lorenz and 14 from Kate Mager.

Meanwhile the Red Raiders merely stunned No. 2 seed Ursuline, 69-59, in New Rochelle to earn a rematch with the Lady Falcons, who beat North Rockland rather handily on Dec. 26, also at the County Center, during the Slam Dunk Challenge.

Going into the AA quarterfinals, Ursuline, ranked seventh in the state, was the apparent choice — marred only by a loss to a Baldwin team from Long Island and coming off an overtime loss to powerhouse Ossining.

“It was a big upset,” says Coach Metcalf. “It was a tough game against a tough team in their gym.”       

League leader

The Red Raiders, who are 15-7 and notched their third straight league championship with a third straight unbeaten mark (8-0), shocked Ursuline as junior guard Lexi Huertas of Garnerville scored 17 points with six assists, sophomore 6-foot-3 center Trinity Bosecker of Stony Point poured in 14 points and senior shooting guard Danielle Cajou, who is Oneonta-bound, harvested 15 off the bench.

The Red Raiders also showed their mettle in a fund-raising tournament during the holiday break in upstate Elmira, placing second in an eight-team field over four days.

Coach Metcalf, a power forward under Tom Collins at Albertus Magnus and a St. Thomas Aquinas College graduate, also spotlighted sophomore guard Olivia Levy of Stony Point, saying “She has shown a lot of improvement and has become our 3-point specialist.”

Two other cogs, who came to the team virtually out of nowhere, are soccer standouts Brianna Williams of Tomkins Cove, who earned a scholarship to Central Connecticut State University for her play on the pitch, and goalie Jenna Braunagel.

“They played as freshman on the JV, but are soccer players,” Metcalf says. “They came to me over the summer and said they were interested in playing for me. They have been tremendous; Brianna has so much energy going after the ball. They have made us a stronger team.”

Metcalf’s assistants are Hall of Fame-bound Chris Roth of Stony Point, who teaches art at the school, and one-time Clarkstown North HS player Steve McCready of Tomkins Cove, an O&R employee who volunteers in his spare time.

Interestingly, Metcalf was Roth’s JV coach for 21 years during Roth’s 29 years as the boys coach, and Pat Buckley, the Albertus Magnus coach, was mentored by Metcalf and Roth in the early ’90s when Buckley was playing basketball at summer camp in Stony Point.

In another game today at the County Center, Tappan Zee challenges No. 2 Somers in a Class A semifinal. The survivor of the Albertus Magnus-North Rockland showdown will vie for the title at the County Center at 2 p.m. on Sunday, against the winner of No. 1 Ossining versus No. 4 Our Lady of Lourdes.

MOUNTIES ICED: Two powerhouse programs with outstanding histories – Suffern and Mamaroneck — went head-to-head for hockey supremacy in the Section 1 Division 1 hockey semifinals at Brewster Ice Arena. The Tigers of Coach Mike Chiapparelli took the measure of the Mounties, 4-0, earning a trip to the state tournament in Buffalo. The Mounties, under veteran Coach Rob Schelling, lost to Mamaroneck three times this season, but the Tigers were, after all, the defending state champion. Mamaroneck jumped to a 3-0 lead in the first period, an almost untenable position. “That made it tough,” Schelling was quoted in The Journal News. “We did it earlier against Scarsdale, but it’s not easy when you’re playing a team with this kind of talent.” Goaltender Ryan Fueg made 20 saves in the loss. The Mounties had advanced to the final with a 5-3 win over Mahopac as team captain David Rozitis scored two goals. Kyle Forester and Hunter Churgin opened an early two-goal lead for Suffern, which also received a goal from Evan Cama. Mamaroneck had advanced by beating visiting North Rockland, 3-1, at Hommocks Ice Rink. Bryan Jensen had the Red Raiders’ goal.

SCHOLASTIC SHORTS: Two members of the wrestling team at Pearl River HS fought back from losses in the quarterfinals to earn third-place finishes at the state wrestling championships at the Times Union Center in Albany. Sophomore Jack Chesman showed true grit at 145 pounds, as did senior Anthony Malfitano at 170. … The combined Nyack/Tappan Zee boys lacrosse team is slated to open the season on March 26, meeting Long Island’s Sachem North at Manhattan College in Riverdale.

COLLEGIATE CLIPS: North Rockland HS graduate Eric Sandusky of Stony Point, a left-hander, is a freshman on the pitching staff at SUNY Cortland. The Red Dragons will be in Baltimore, Md., this weekend for a doubleheader on March 4 and a single game on March 5 against Scranton at 11 a.m. The doubleheader Saturday features Johns Hopkins at 11 a.m. and Frostburg State at 2:30 p.m. … Midfielder Kevin McNally of Hillburn had four points as the Mercy College men’s lacrosse team fell to No. 6 Seton Hall University, 14-19, in Greensburg, Pa. McNally is third in scoring with 13 points for the Mavericks (3-1), who are home on Saturday to host Saint Anselm at 1 p.m. and stay at home on March 11 to entertain Le Moyne, also at 1 p.m. … Alex Ferrante of Nyack is a senior member on the golf team at Fairfield University. The Stags travel to North Myrtle Beach, S.C., March 13-14 to compete at the Bash at the Beach at The Surf Golf and Beach Club. … Cortland sophomore wrestler Matt Caputo of Stony Point, an alum of North Rockland HS, ended his season at 22-15 the NCAA Division II Northeast Regional Championships in Bristol, R.I. Caputo, competing at 149 pounds, opened with a 6-4 setback in the first sudden-victory period. He rebounded with a 9-4 decision against Yo Akiyama of Williams in the consolation bracket, but was eliminated in the next round. … Junior Wakeema Cabey of Spring Valley is a sprints specialist on the women’s track and field team at Nyack College. The Warriors get under way on March 25 at the St. Joseph’s Spring Opener in Patchogue.

THIS & THAT: The 44^th Rockland County Sports Hall of Fame induction dinner is set for Saturday night, April 22 at the Pearl River Elks Club in Nanuet. The inductees are Coach John Castellano, Nyack; Phil Donnelly, Pearl River; Tom Mulroy, Ramapo; Al Taylor, Nyack;  Jerome Whidbee, Nyack; and Fred Adler, recipient of the Joseph Holland Lifetime Achievement Award. For information contact Pete Castellano at 201-390-3245 or riverviewmall@aol.com or visit www.rcshf.org. … The Rockland Rowing Association (RRA) has scheduled its 11^th   Pull with Purpose Row-A-thon for Saturday, March 18 from 8:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. at the Adler Community Room on the 4^th floor near the skating rink at the Palisades Center Mall in West Nyack. Details can be found at www.rocklandrowing.org. … Maccabi USA is seeking qualified Jewish male wrestlers, ages 18-35, to represent Team USA at the 20^th World Maccabiah Games in Israel, July 4-18. The USA Team is expected to feature more than 1,100 members at the Games, competing against 10,000 athletes from 80 countries, participating in 43 sports. The Maccabi USA Team Trials will be held April 2 in Philadelphia, Pa. Interested Open Wrestlers must apply for the games prior to the trials. Please visit www.maccabiusa.com to complete an application. For more information, contact Chris Feder at hitthegym@earthlink.net or call 415-585-0663.

Rangers greats Rod Gilbert, Steve Valiquette, Ron Duguay, Glenn Anderson and Stephane Matteau all on hand

BY DYLAN SKRILOFF

(Photos and some text from Madison Square Garden)

The New York Rangers and Chase along with the New York Rangers Alumni Association hosted a charity hockey game featuring former New York Rangers on Sunday, March 5, 4 p.m. at the Sport-o-Rama in Monsey as a part of the Rangers Assist presented by Chase program. Rangers legends Rod Gilbert, Steve Valiquette, Ron Duguay, Glenn Anderson and Stephane Matteau were on hand with all but Gilbert lacing up for an exhibition game to benefit the North Rockland Youth Hockey Association. Public officials from North Rockland including Supervisors Jim Monaghan and Howard Phillips were also on hand.

Matteau and Gilbert shared some thoughts with the Rockland County Times about their Rangers career, the state of hockey and what motivates them to work with young players. Matteau is, of course, most famous for his game-winning wrap-around goal against the New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur in sudden death double overtime of Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals in 1994. He also scored the winning goal in double overtime of Game 3 of that series.

Matteau said he visualized the famous goal before it happened and the memory is something he “will cherish for the rest of his life.” He doesn’t like to take too much credit for the team’s Stanley Cup victory, however, as he pointed out that the team had players like Mark Messier, Mike Richter, Brian Leetch and many former champions from the Edmonton Oilers 1980s dynasty playing at a high level.

Matteau, who stands at 6’4,” said it is nice to touch base with some former players like himself at events such as the Sunday exhibition in Monsey. Helping kids on their path is a natural joy. “I wish I could do it more often,” he said.

At 47-years-old playing hockey isn’t so easy, Matteau admitted. It’s hard to get the body moving, not like when he was a spry 24-year-old

scoring the legendary Game 7 goal. Matteau still gets to live out some of his hockey dreams through his son, who shares the same name and has played in the NHL with the Devils, ironically. He currently is in the minor leagues.

All-time great Jaromir Jagr, also a former-Ranger, is only two years younger than Matteau at 45-years-old and is still playing at a high level in the NHL. Matteau said, “Only a rare few can do that at his age.”

While Matteau is a large man with an athletic frame, the 75-year-old Rod Gilbert resembles an everyman at 5’9.” But hockey players of his time knew Gilbert as an offensive force. He is considered if not the greatest Ranger player in history one of the top two or three. Gilbert was the team leader and best player in the 1960s and 70s. He is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and president of the Rangers Alumni Association.

He said, “We all donate our time to help hockey programs. For us it’s fun to share some moments.”

Hockey is the national sport of Gilbert’s homeland Canada and helping the sport comes natural to hockey lifers like himself. He said he had hoped to coach after his career, but the Rangers fell in love with US Hockey coach Herb Brooks after he won the gold medal in the 1980 Olympics and hired him instead.

The game has changed many times since Gilbert played. He said he loves the speed in today’s game but despises the rule that allows an inconsequential missed offside call to be reviewed and negate a goal 30 or 40 seconds after the fact. Gilbert predicts the despised rule will be phased out

Care Security of Rockland County supported Sunday’s charity hockey game. Abe Schw ab said, “I think it’s doing great thing for kids. Healthy kids.” Schwab said he really was moved by meeting some all-time great Rangers. “I tell you I was humbled to stand there with these legends.”

The Assist program is allowing 501(c)3 youth hockey organizations to host charity hockey games at community rinks across the Tri-State area featuring appearances by Rangers alumni.  The program was created in response to the damage that Hurricane Sandy caused to local hockey rinks and is designed to improve the youth hockey experience and increase opportunities and accessibility to the sport. The Rangers and Chase also connected with the North Rockland Youth Hockey Association last year after North Rockland came in first place in a fundraising contest. The Rangers and Chase sent several North Rocklanders to Sweden to meet Swede Henrik Lundqvist and train and compete with some youth hockey players from the Scandinavian country.

McGill, Spring Valley great, dancing with Gaels

MAAC champ Iona College returns to NCAA Tournament

Rickey McGill, the all-time scoring leader in basketball at Spring Valley High School, has taken his multi-faceted skill-set to the big-time at Division 1 Iona College in New Rochelle.

McGill accumulated 1,463 points for Coach Willie Worsley’s Tigers, a total which ranks second in Rockland County history behind one-time Pearl River standout Brendan McManus, and was the recipient of Section 1’s “Mr. Basketball Award” by the Lower Hudson Basketball Coaches Association.

Later this week, McGill and the Iona College Gaels are going dancing again in the NCAA Championship Tournament, visiting the Oregon Ducks at 2 p.m. on St. Patrick’s Day as the No. 14 seed. The Ducks are seeded third.

The Gaels, who have never met Oregon and are 2-4 all-time against the Pac-12, earned their second straight trip to the NCAA Tournament by ousting host Siena College, 87-86, in overtime in Albany to win the MACC crown.

The NCAA Tournament opener will mark Iona’s third trip to the West Coast this season, and this should not pose any special difficulty for the Gaels, who are battle-tested on the road with 14 victories away from their New Rochelle gym. Only powerhouse programs Duke, Gonzaga and Florida have won more games away from home or at a neutral site in Division 1 this season.

The Gaels, who last played a Pac-12 team in 2015-16 in a loss at Oregon State in Corvallis, Oregon, have advanced to the NCAA Tournament in four of Coach Tim Cluess’ seven years at the helm.

“I give all the credit to my players and how tough they are and just how really they have each other’s back the whole time on the court, off the court,” Cluess was quoted on the team’s website. “They had a goal in mind and they wanted to keep the tradition that’s been built at Iona College going. Hopefully now that can continue to grow.”

A cog in Iona’s core of talented performers is McGill, a 6-foot-1, 175-pound junior guard who started every game as the Gaels went 22-12. The Ducks go into the game with a sparkling 29-5 mark.

McGill leads the Gaels by far with 178 assists and also leads the team by far with 62 steals. He ranks second in blocked shots with 15 and his 11-points-per-game average is tied for third, not bad for someone considered more of a floor general and less a pure scorer.

RED RAIDERS ON THE RUN

The North Rockland HS girls distance medley relay team won its third straight U.S. DMR championship following another title run at the New Balance National Indoor Championship at the Armory in upper Manhattan.

The quartet of Villanova-bound Alex Harris, Sofia Housman, Haleigh Morales and Katelyn Tuohy clocked 11:41.04 in a wire-to-wire victory after Harris gave the Red Raiders a big lead on the leadoff leg.

The foursome earned all-American recognition with its win, which was anchored by Tuohy.

In other action, Alexandra Thompson of Tappan Zee was 14^th in the girls Double-E division with a time of 11:05.25 while teammate Tori Fears, a sophomore, was 20^th in a field of 38 in the elite 800, clocking a personal-best 2:17.03; and Nanuet took 17^th in the boys 4×800 relay in 8:08.29 behind Ryan Guerci, Branden Fernandez, Zachary Hasenbale and Brian Camillieri.

HAWKS HOPE TO FLY HIGH

The SUNY New Paltz softball team, which expects to make another run in the SUNYAC Tournament, is counting upon several Rockland standouts, led by junior returnee Lauren Capello of New City. The Albertus Magnus HS alumna will be stepping back into the circle after striking out 17 batters in nine appearances last year. She was also a key first baseman, finishing with a .979 fielding percentage.

Another returnee is Megan Carbia of Tomkins Cove, a North Rockland HS graduate who, despite sitting out most of the 2016 season with an injury, will return behind the plate.

Among the newcomers is Pearl River HS graduate Caroline Alicandri, a freshman infielder and utility player.

New Paltz will be in Clermont, Fla., March 21-25 for eight scheduled games at the NTC Spring Games, and then opens its home season on March 28 against Ramapo College before starting conference play against Plattsburgh on April 1.

COLLEGIAT E CLIPS: Suffern HS alum Kevin McNally of Hillburn had an assist and three grounds balls as the Mercy men’s lacrosse team bowed to defending national champion and top-ranked Le Moyne, 8-4, at Mercy Field in Dobbs Ferry. The Mavericks, under the tutelage of veteran coach Jordan Levine of Nyack, look to bounce back on March 18 when they open ECC play the University of District of Columbia at 4 p.m. … Matt Flannery of Pearl River, who was a two-time all-County selection at Nanuet HS, is a junior infielder on the Iona College baseball team. Flannery was also a 2nd-team all-County pick in football for the Golden Knights. Iona College is scheduled to resume play March 17-19 with a three-game set as part of the Villanova Tournament. The first of the three will played at Villanova on March 17 at 3 p.m. followed by a trips to Saint Joseph on March 18 and La Salle on March 19. … Justin Reyes of Haverhill, Pa., led all scorers with 24 points and James Mitchell of Washington, D.C., had 16 as the St. Thomas Aquinas College men’s basketball team advanced to its first-ever NCAA Division II Tournament East Regional Final with a 73-70 victory over Merrimack College in Syracuse. The Sparkill-based Spartans have won eight straight and 17-of-18 to stand at 27-5 overall entering the final against No. 3 seed College of Saint Rose. … The Lady Spartans ended their season with a 19-11 record following a 75-55 loss to Molloy College in the East Coast Conference semifinals in Bridgeport, Conn. … Dominican College sophomore Michael Merced of Pearl River placed 12^th in the 400-meter dash at the Fastrack Last Chance Meet at the Ocean Breeze Track in Staten Island. Seth Wilson of Monroe, another sophomore, ran seventh in the 200. Freshman Justin Estevez of Nanuet finished 12th in the long jump with a leap of 19 feet, 3 inches, and also took 12th in the triple jump at 39 feet, 5 inches.

THIS & THAT:

       The New York Racing Authority (NYRA) has a number of openings, including marketing assistant, box office representative, senior graphic designer, TV production, and manager communications. For information visit www.nyra.com; to apply, email resume to jlevine@nyrainc.com. … West Nyack native Tommy McNamara, who formed a bond with soccer as a 3-year-old prospect in Orangeburg, is playing his third professional season as a midfielder with New York City Football Club. NYCFC, which will soon have a brand-new practice facility and team office in Orangeburg, won its 2017 home opener at Yankee Stadium, blanking D.C. United, 4-0. McNamara and his band return to the Stadium on March 18 to challenge Montreal Impact at 2 p.m. and will again be at home on April 1 – no fooling — to host San Jose Earthquakes at 2 p.m. … The Cincinnati Reds outrighted West Nyack native Pat Kivlehan, 26, to Triple-A Louisville. Kivlehan, who starred in football and baseball at Rutgers University, was designated for assignment last week and passed through waivers unclaimed.

BY JAMIE KEMPTON

The Rockland County Sports Hall of Fame will honor six individuals during its 44^th annual induction banquet on Saturday, April 22 at the Pearl River Elks Club in Nanuet. Reception is at 6 p.m. followed by the induction program at 7 p.m.

This year’s roster of inductees includes Al Taylor, Nyack class of 1960; Jerome Whidbee, Nyack class of 1966; Tom Mulroy, Ramapo class of 1974; Phil Donnelly, Pearl River class of 1993; John Castellano, Nyack football coach; and track official Fred Adler, the Joseph Holland Lifetime Achievement Award recipient.

“Each year’s class takes on a distinctive character and this year’s group is defined by achievement at the highest echelons of their respective sports,” said Pete Scheibner, Hall of Fame Chairman. “We have athletes who excelled in multiple sports, single-sport stars, and a coach and official who reached state and national prominence. Rockland County continues to produce outstanding athletes year after year, so there is no shortage of qualified candidates for future years.”

Taylor and Whidbee were both three-sport standouts who earned All-County honors in each of their sports. Taylor was one of the top all-round athletes in Rockland in the late 1950s. He was a two-time first-team All-County selection in football on the Nyack Indians’ undefeated 1958 team and RCPSAL co-champion 1959 squad. In basketball, he duplicated those All-County honors, led the Rockland PSAL in scoring both years, and broke the season scoring record with 291 points in 1959. In track, he was the first shot putter in Rockland to break the 50-foot barrier, and ran on the Indians’ County-record-setting 880-yard relay.

Whidbee was the first-team All-Rockland quarterback in 1965, leading Nyack to a share of the RCPSAL title. He also made first-team All-County in basketball and as a shortstop in baseball, and was a varsity starter in both sports for three years. Whidbee lettered in all three sports at Tennessee State, and later starred for the Rockland Warriors semipro football team and the famed Apollo XII recreation softball team.

Mulroy is one of the most accomplished soccer players Rockland County has ever produced. After leading Ramapo to a County and Section 9 championship as a first-team All-Rockland selection, he earned first-team All-America honors at Ulster County Community College, pacing the Senators to a final four berth in the NJCAA. He then embarked on a 13-year pro career for 13 teams in five indoor or outdoor leagues, including the North American Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League, and now travels the world promoting soccer with his Miami-based sports marketing firm.

Donnelly wrestled his way to four Section 1 titles and four place-winning efforts in the New York State championships. He set a Rockland record (since broken) of 155 career victories and capped his career with a second-place finish at the State meet, encompassing all enrollment classes. A four-sport athlete, Donnelly also won a Sectional title in track & field in the pole vault, and ran on two Section 1 championship cross country teams for Pearl River. He later enjoyed a successful wrestling career at Old Dominion University, an NCAA Division I program.

Castellano is the only Rockland football coach to win two New York State titles, leading Nyack to the Class A crowns in 2000 and 2003. He amassed seven Section 1 championships, 14 league titles, and an overall record of 180-49-1 in 23 seasons, placing him third on the all-time Rockland list for career victories. He was named Rockland County Coach of the Year five times, Section 1 Coach of the Year twice, and had four players named New York State Player of the Year. He currently coaches at Westlake High School.

Adler, a 1953 Haverstraw High School graduate, made his mark as a top-rated track official on the high school, college and elite levels for more than 35 years. A master-level official for USA Track & Field, he has worked as a clerk, chief starter and coordinator of officials at numerous open and collegiate national championship meets, the Olympic Trials, Millrose Games, Penn Relays, and many other major events; World Masters, Special Olympics and Paralympics, the Warrior Games at West Point, and a multitude of college and scholastic championship meets.

Tickets for the gala are $55 per person and $30 for children 12 and younger. Ticket deadline is April 14. For further information, contact Pete Castellano at 201-390-3245 or riverviewmall@aol.com, or use the ticket form on the Hall of Fame’s website, www.RCSHF.org.