Leading off today: The big Week 6 hits that generated so much discussion about helmet-to-helmet hits and NFL player safety has brought concussion management back to top-of-mind status at the high school level in the last several days.

   In recent days, Massena and Depew joined the list of schools moving forward with concussion management policies.

   The Massena Central School District unveiled a team made up of personnel in academics, physical education, athletics and health services as part of a new policy on preventing head and brain injuries. The team will oversee the program at each of the district's school buildings. the Watertown Daily Times reported.

   Athletes, parents and staff will be trained on preventative measures and educated about risks stemming from head injuries. It's no longer a "shake it off" mentality, said Mary Arcadi, who chairs the district's Health and Physical Education Department.

   "Always, always send someone who has been hit to a medical doctor," she told the paper. "A concussion is an invisible injury. Symptoms may not even occur right away. Those are things coaches need to recognize."

   AD Tim Hayes said athletes who are removed from play because of a suspected concussion or head injury cannot return until cleared by the school's physician.

   Depew will be distributing its new policy to players and parents. Similar to what Massena and several other districts have adopted, the school district physician will have final say on returning a student to play.

   In Section 2, Shenendehowa is one of three districts utilizing the widely touted IMPACT program developed by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

   Nationally, the governing body for Texas public school sports approved a rule effective next August that will require athletes to sit out a least a day and get medical clearance after sustaining a head injury. The University Interscholastic League adopted the recommendation of its medical committee on Monday. The previous rule allowed a player to return if he or she showed no symptoms for 15 minutes.

   And more than 250 doctors, hockey coaches and officials attended a two-day seminar conducted by the Mayo Clinic last week in Rochester, Minn.

   "The athlete will pretty much tell us anything they think we want to know to get back on the ice - everybody recognizes that," said Mark Lovell, founding director of Sports Medicine Concussion Program at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. "In professional-level athletes we know that happens. I'm here to tell you that it happens just as often in children down to age 5 or 6 who will sit and lie to you about their symptoms because they don't want to miss the soccer game or the hockey game."

   Weekly award: Walter Panas outsider hitter Nicole Perri was selected the state's player of the week by MaxPreps and the American Volleyball Coaches Association.

   The 6-foot senior amassed 21 kills and 14 digs for the week of Oct. 18-24.

   Suspended: First-year Lehman football coach Michael Saunds has been suspended for this Friday’s game against Bronx JFK, The New York Post reported.

   Saunds pulled his team with 2:20 remaining in its 31-8 PSAL loss to Flushing because of what he termed "horrible" officiating. He was disciplined for “unsportsmanlike conduct" after the league met with him Tuesday, NYC Department of Education spokesperson Margie Feinberg told the paper.

   Extra points: When Geneva DeSales (4-4) upset Clyde-Savannah in Section 5 action over the weekend advanced the Saints to their first playoff final in 26 years. You may recall that administrators were not even sure until early August that the school would be able to operate this year because of budget problems. The Week 7 win over York was DeSales' first playoff victory since 1984.

   First-year head coach Danny Perez has the hang of it at Fort Hamilton, which NYSSWA NYC ace Joe Glus points out has a 30-game winning streak in the regular season.

   Lafayette High in Brooklyn, which went 0-29 from 2006-08 and then 3-7 last fall, is 6-1 after beating Franklin K. Lane 34-6 in Cup Division action.