NYSSWA: New York State Sportswriters Association

NYSSWA rankings are updated weekly.
See the latest plus the earlier weeks'
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Leading off today: The Department of Education is taking seriously a hate message scrawled on the sideline bench of a Harlem football team Saturday, The Advance reported today.

The DOE and Police Department Hate Crime Task Force are trying to find out who used a black marker to scrawl a racial slur on the bench of the visiting Wadleigh Harlem Hellfighters before the game against McKee/Staten Island Tech.

Hellfighters Coach Duke Fergerson called police when he saw the message.

"We don't want to compromise the investigation by saying anything," DOE spokeswoman Margie Feinberg told the newspaper.

St. Joseph by-the-Sea wins: St. Joseph by-the-Sea scored the final 20 points, including a 10-yard touchdown run on the first play of overtime, to beat Iona Prep in CHSFL football yesterday.

Patrick Brennan ran 34 times for 170 yards, and his third TD of the afternoon proved to be the winner.

Helping hands: The race may go to the swiftest, but credit goes to the conscientious. That's why St. Anthony's distance runners Bridget Rodin and Christina DelGenio get kudos for their work Sept. 22 during the Xavier Invitational at Van Cortlandt Park.

Former Newsday reported Jason Molinet recounted their story on the St. Anthony's web site. While competing in

her race, Rodin came across a Shaker High sophomore face down in the woods and stopped to help.

The stricken runner, who was dehydrated, was unconscious when Rodin and two other Shaker runners, tried to turn her over. DelGenio then came across the commotion and stopped to help.

Rodin is a CPR-certified swim instructor. She checked the victim's vitals and then organized a rescue. Rodin, DelGenio and three others carried the girl approximately a quarter mile to a part of the park an ambulance could reach.

"It was a scary situation," Rodin said. "It could have been any one of us that day."

Soccer pioneer remembered: Word reached New York over the weekend that former Nanuet boys soccer coach Bob West died Oct. 5 in Arizona from complications from pneumonia and diabetes.

The first black coach at Nanuet, West started JV and then varsity boys soccer there in 1964. He stayed with the program through 1975 and then launched the girls program, winning a Section 9 championship in 1982 and a regional title the following year.

Nanuet is re-renaming its November alumni soccer event in West's honor.

Etcetera: NYCHoops.net says Christ the King senior Ryan Pearson has committed to play basketball for George Mason next year.

9/12/25: Girls hoops wins leader Maher retires

9/11/25: 'Players to watch' lists? Thanks but no

9/10/25: Newsday jumping into New York City coverage

9/9/25: The new recuiting landscape is complicated

9/8/25: Iona Prep vs. Somers is worthy of encores

9/6/25: Section 11 loses another football team

9/4/25: Newspaper rolls out H.S. fantasy football

9/2/25: 2025 all-state boys lacrosse team released

8/29/25: Section 2 reduces La Salle's playoff ban

8/26/25: Will Brown to coach Green Tech basketball

8/22/25: 14-year-old Syosset girl lands NIL deal

8/16/25: 2025 all-state girls lacrosse team released

8/12/25: 2025 all-state baseball team released

8/9/25: Section 3 soccer standoff resolved for now

7/31/25: Central Committee annual meeting recap

7/29/25: Comparing NY's ticket prices with other states

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