Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012: Eventful day as Nazareth routs Christ the King

   Leading off today: It's only been a couple of days since I last blogged, but it feels as though catching up on news will take longer than the slo-mo replay of a Super Bowl halftime show.

   Let's give it a try, though, in a weekend edition so large that I had to break it into two pages.

   Busy day in Middle Village: Tough to tell what was most noteworthy about Saturday afternoon's girls basketball game -- Nazareth's 77-47 rout of the Royals or the reporter being ordered out of the building.

   Well, Nazareth winning was a given considering the Lady Kingsmen are the defending Federation Class AA champs and are even more loaded this there. On the other hand, it's not every day that a reporter gets tossed.

   Here's what we know from news reports:

   Early Saturday, The New York Post reported that the CHSAA Eligibility and Infractions Committee recommended Bishop Ford and Christ the King should forfeit their unplayed games against Nazareth following Lady Kingsmen coach Apache Paschall’s death last month. The final decision will be made by the principal’s committee Wednesday.

   Paschall died Jan. 3, and Ford administrators said playing the scheduled game two days later was too soon. Christ the King’s administration felt the same about its Jan. 7 game, which was to be part of Nazareth’s homecoming.

   Nazareth players and staff wanted to play. AD Rochelle Murphy filed a grievance with CHSAA Brooklyn/Queens asking for forfeits.

   Fast-forward to later in the day: Before Nazareth steamrolled the Royals 77-47, a New York Daily News reporter attempted to confirm details of the Post story. According to that paper, Christ the King AD Joe Arbitello grew angry and told the reporter he had to leave the building.

   Arbitello threatened to call police and escorted the reporter out of the building. the paper reported. Arbitello told a security guard not to allow the reporter back in.

   Whitehead sidelined: Abraham Lincoln got bad news in the aftermath of Thursday's 72-65 loss to Boys & Girls in overtime, but it could have been much worse.

   Railsplitters 6-4 sophomore guard Isaiah Whitehead will miss Brooklyn borough playoffs starting next week but should be able to return for the PSAL Class AA playoffs later this month. Despite fears that his injury could be more severe, Whitehead only has a severe left ankle sprain, The New York Post reported.

   Whitehead landed awkwardly on the foot of the Kangaroos' Shakur Pinder late in the third quarter at Boys & Girls and immediately fell to the court in agony. LeRoy Fludd scored 20 points for Boys & Girls and Lincoln wilted down the stretch without Whitehead, who is averaging 16 points and seven rebounds in league action.

   Whitehead will wear a protective boot and go through physical therapy before returning.

   Season's over: The brawl early in Wednesday's PSAL Brooklyn AA Group 2 girls basketball game between Medgar Evers and Grand Street Campus resulted in a double forfeit that will end the regular season for both teams.

   A punch thrown early in the second quarter ignited a fight that resulted in spectators rushing out onto the court, both coaches told The New York Post. Though the game was allowed to continue, the league invoked its brawl rule, which calls for a double forfeit and requires the teams to

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forfeit at least their next two league games.

   Medgar Evers (4-7 in the league) and Grand Street (2-9) each had only two games left. They will remain eligible for the playoffs.

   Oswego coach on leave: Tenth-year girls basketball coach Philip Reed has been placed on leave from coaching while a parent's complain is investigated, Oswego City School District Superintendent Bill Crist said in a statement.

   The district did not elaborate on the nature of the complaint, but several media outlets reported receiving an email from a "concerned parent" complaining that Reed gave players on the 3-11 team a note containing strongly worded criticisms and he conducted a harsh practice Friday; “Many players had a difficult time doing this practice and were out of breath and tired. Many left the practice crying and are afraid to return to the practices,” the email claimed.

   Moving on up: Six-time defending Section 5 Class A football champion Aquinas, the only school to win five NYSPHSAA championships in the sport, has been moved up to Class AA for 2012 by the section's classification committee, the Democrat and Chronicle reported Friday.

   Aquinas AD Tony Bianchi was informed of the decision last week and said he was not surprised, though the timing is odd. After years of dominating the Rochester area, the Little Irish won the state tournament in 2010 and were returning a lineup somewhat stronger for 2011 (including Division I recruits Jarron Jones and Jahmahl Pardner) than will be in place in 2012. However, Monroe County coaches -- who constitute the bulk of Class AA -- were opposed to having the private school move up last fall. Aquinas subsequently lost to Maine-Endwell in the state semifinals.

   "I'm really excited about it," Aquinas coach Chris Battaglia told the paper. "How many people would like to see us play Gates Chili and Rush-Henrietta?"

   Aquinas can appeal to the Section 5 Executive Committee, which is unlikely to overturn the ruling. Aquinas' girls soccer team won the NYSPHSAA Class AA title in 2006, its first season after being moved up by the section.

   Eligibility snafu: Chapel Field has forfeited its four boys basketball victories after determining that paperwork for leading scorer Ricky Aviles' transfer from Middletown had not been processed correctly.

   Chapel Field AD Bill Spanjer Sr. said he caught the infraction last week and reported it to Section 9. Aviles is back with the team after missing two games.

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