Leading off today: Al Viani has been named coach of the Our Lady of Lourdes girls basketball team in Poughkeepsie according to Hudson Valley Sports Report.

   Viani is the father of three daughters who played for state champions at Lourdes, which has won a state-high 10 NYSPHSAA crowns since 1987 but none since 2004. Julianne Viani went on to play point guard at Marist College for former Lourdes coach Brian Giorgis as the Red Foxes scored enormous success.

   The new coach replaces Sarah Mesuch, who both played on and coached championship teams. Mesuch lost her phys ed teaching position in downsizing this spring, and was also dropped as coach. The HVSR reported she was later approached about returning to the sidelines but declined after taking a full-time job in the Arlington school district.

   Viani has been active on the CYO and AAU scene, also coaching in the Empire State Games.

   Out of retirement: I mentioned yesterday that Dave McLaughlin has returned to coach Brighton cross country after retiring seven years ago.

   Now, Sandy Mancuso-Lopez is back in charge of girls volleyball at Kingston after being away the better part of a decade. She retired in 2001 with a 344-72 mark and six sectional championships in 20 seasons.

   She's replacing former Kingston star player Jessica Roeber, who gave birth to twins in May and resigned after five seasons. Lopez subbed for a few matches in 2008 when Roeber had her first child. That reminded her she still had a love for the sport.

   "The 10 years I took off I enjoyed them. I was fine or so I thought,” she told The Daily Freeman. "That feeling was still always there."

   Late start: Niagara Catholic is shaping up to be the last New York high school team to open its varsity football season following the decision to forfeit two games and move another to the back end of the season so that the team will have a full complement of players.

   The Buffalo News reports the Big Red will now open a six-game season Sept. 24 at Buffalo Nichols, which will allow for the return of some injured players and assure that late arrivals to the program get in enough practices.

   Lights, camera, action: For your DVR planning purposes, I've pieced together Time-Warner Cable schedules for live and taped telecasts of high school football games this fall.

RoadToSyracuse.com Football Site

   You can take a look at the lists for Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Albany here. Let me know if you run across additional lists of games that might be of interest to fans.

   Paying the price ... or not: The school year has barely started and we already have our first report of underage drinking that may lead to suspensions. The Buffalo News reported yesterday that EAst Aurora police broke up two parties involving at least 70 teens who could be subject to school discipline.

   A party that was raided at about 10:15 p.m. Friday in Aurora involved about 60 teenagers, mostly Orchard Park students. Some 22 attendees ranging in age from 16 to 20 were charged with unlawful possession of alcohol. A 17-year-old male who lived in the home was charged with providing alcohol to people under 21, a misdemeanor.

   On Saturday, police broke up a party of between 10 and 15 young people in East Aurora. The paper said police are investigating the actions of nine underage drinkers, including three juveniles.

   In East Aurora, athletes could face suspension from their team for eight weeks per a pledge they sign to not use alcohol or other drugs, officials said. Penalties could be cut in half by participating in community service programs.

   Orchard Park Superintendent Matt McGarrity said his district does not have a similar policy, so students do not face any school-issued sanctions.

   "If it’s on school property or at a school event, that’s when the school gets involved directly with the students,” he told the paper.