Leading off today: I wouldn't normally be inclined to lead an early-April blog with a boys lacrosse game played in front of almost no one, but I feel obligated to make an exception in this case.
It had all the elements: a rematch of a 2009 state playoff game, two lineups stacked with talent, a rally from an early deficit and a game-deciding goal scored at literally the last second.
But what it most had was weather. Bad weather. The absolutely worst weather I have ever seen for a high school game. The wind was a constant, causing the rain (which was also a constant) to blow in sideways for nearly the entire game as host Orchard Park edged Canandaigua, 5-4. Gusts were easily in excess of 30 mph numerous times during the game, played with the temperature in the low 40s.
The only game I ever saw that came close was Aquinas vs. Binghamton North football in Rochester in 1976. That game was played at Holleder Stadium, which seated about 18,000 people. But there were fewer than 20 in attendance that day as rain, sleet, snow and possibly even locusts pelted the field and the stands. One of us would have to venture outside every few minutes to wipe off the windows of the press box so that the PA announcer and the spotters could see what was taking place on the field.
As for last night's lacrosse game, please make it a point to catch replays on the Time Warner Cable systems this week in the Rochester and Buffalo areas to see what I'm talking about.
In the end you'll see Orchard Park’s Jeff Tundo scoring the winning goal for the defending Section 6 champs as time expired. It completed a rally from a 4-1 deficit and avenged Canandaigua's 11-5 victory in the Class A state quarterfinals last spring.
“Our faceoff guy (Mike Moran) played great. . . . our defense played outstanding, goalie Ryan Cole stood on his head and we just chipped away at it,” winning coach Gene Tundo said.
Two champs at Junior Nationals: Greene 171-pounder Tyler Beckwith and Pioneer 215-pounder Kyle Colling, both NYSPHSAA Division II champions last month, earned titles in the U.S. Junior Nationals wrestling tournament in Virginia Beach, Va.
Beckwith won his final over Angelo Malvestuto of Niagara-Wheatfield, a third-place finisher in the state Division I meet.
Other juniors earning top four places were Marion's Colton Dalberth (second at 103), Valley Central's Cody Ruggirello (fourth at 130) and Rocky Point's Stephen Dutton (second at 135).
More from Shen: The Times Union reported this morning that Don Paretta suddenly quit his part-time job as boys track coach at Shenendehowa in January, less than three months before being suspended by the school district on Wednesday.
According to the paper, the January episode triggered a groundswell of support, complete with a Facebook page containing 13 pages of positive comments about Paretta. A few days later, Paretta asked to have his resignation
