Leading off today: Tottenville running back
Augustus Edwards chose Miami (Fla.) over Florida State during a signing-day ceremony Wednesday. The 6-foot-1 senior was also considering Florida State after de-committing from Syracuse late last month.
A short time later, Xaverian running back Laray Smith signed with Indiana after also considering UConn and Syracuse right down to the wire. An accomplished 400-meter runner, Smith will also compete on the Hoosiers' track team.
Bay Shore linebacker Ousmane Camara, regarded as a potential I-A recruit earlier in the year, ended up signing with Stony Brook, leaving Tottenville receiver Malique Belfort as the last obvious name on the board likely to end up at an FBS program.
Scroll down on the RoadToSyracuse.com home page for the list of major-college football commitments.
Western NY showdown: In a late-season confrontation between unbeaten girls basketball teams from the Buffalo area, Cardinal O’Hara edged Sacred Heart 57-55 on Tuesday in a packed gym at Villa Maria College.
O'Hara is ranked 13th in Class B and Sacred Heart fifth in Class A this week by the New York State Sportswriters Association.
Junior Keyonte Edwards scored nine of her 17 points in the fourth quarter to pace Cardinal O’Hara to what coach Dan McDermott told The Buffalo News is the team's first win over Sacred Heart since the 1990-91 season.
Edwards converted five of six free throws to stretch the lead to 56-48 with 2:40 to play. It was still a four-point margin with 1:26 left, but a Sacred Heart steal and sophomore Julia Blujus' 3-pointer trimmed the advantage to 56-55.
After Edwards made a free throw for a 57-55 lead, Sacred Heart had an inbound pass in the O’Hara end stolen with :09 to play. A final Sacred Heart attempt after a missed O'Hara free throw bounced off the rim at the buzzer.
The teams could meet again in the Monsignor Martin Association tournament, which begin Feb. 23.
More girls basketball: Sophomore Audrey Burbidge, promoted from the JVs four games ago, made both ends of a one-and-one with :03.7 left for her only points of the night to wrap up Cazenovia's 49-45 upset of previously undefeated Westhill, the second-ranked team in Class B.
Maggie Carpenter scored 19 points to lead 22nd-ranked Cazenovia, and Kristie Kleine added 16 points.
Daggett hits 500: Curtis captured the Staten Island girls PSAL championship and coach Bob Daggett won his 500th career game as the Warriors defeated Tottenville 76-62 Tuesday.
Daggett began at St. Peter's in 1988, winning 30 or more games 14 times in 23 seasons. He's 41-11 in two seasons at Curtis and 500-163 overall for his career.
More big numbers: Argyle's Joey Lufkin scored 34 points in the Scots' win over Whitehall on Tuesday, putting him at 1,930 for his career. That leaves him eight points short of the school record set by Dave Frank and keeps him on pace to become the seventh Section 2 player to reach 2,000.
In girls ice hockey, Rosie Rather of Rye Country Day tallied five times vs. Summitt (N.J.) on Tuesday to break the school's career mark of 104 goals set by Elizabeth Wulf last season.
Millrose milers: The decision to leave Madison Square Garden a few years ago has slightly dinged the prestige of the Millrose Games, but it's indisputable that invitations to run in the Feb. 16 meet at The Armory are still among the most coveted in sports.
Fifteen of the 25 invitations for the high school mile have gone out to New Yorkers.
Included in the girls field are:
- Laura Leff, West Genesee
- Sabrina Southerland, Benjamin Cardozo
- Bella Burda, Arlington
- Gianna Frontera, Newburgh
- Kristiane Width, United Nations
- Megan Young, Nanuet
- Tiana Guevara, Miller Place
