Saturday, November 30, 2002
Forward Progress
Daily Star Soccer All-Stars 2002
For someone who has scored 96 times in two seasons, it should come as no surprise that Stamford's Mary Velan is goal-oriented. So when Velan was sitting in the stands at Honeoye Falls watching the Margaretville girls soccer team celebrate its Class D state title on Nov. 17, the junior forward said she fantasized about her senior season ending the same way.
Milford's Weir eclipses 1,000
Sophomore Shannon Weir scored 26 points and surpassed the 1,000-point plateau as Milford (1-0) defeated Stamford, 50-42, in the first round of the Anton Remy Tournament on Friday. Weir, who has 1,001 all-time points, eclipsed the mark on a left-handed putback with 1 minute, 45 seconds remaining in the game.
With lineups in, it's time to give thanks
Fantasy Football Column
Don't worry, there's no need to button your pants back up and leave your easy-chair. Don't bother brushing the stale stuffing and lingering pie crumbs off your gut. Because of the early start to the NFL week — Thursday's forced features of New England-Detroit and Washington-Dallas — odds are your lineup has been set since about mid-week.
The Smart Money
I try to stay one step ahead of things with this column. A couple of weeks ago, during the bankroll's steady crash and burn, I decided to build up a stash of excuses for losing weeks well into the future. It would save me time. Now I'm good through December.
Pincelli finalist for national award
Hartwick Roundup
Hartwick football player Daniel Pincelli is one of 10 finalists for the 10th annual Gagliardi Trophy. The Gagliardi Trophy, which is presented to the outstanding football player in NCAA Division III, honors excellence in athletics, academics and community service. The award will be presented in Salem, Va., on Thursday, Dec. 19 at a luncheon kicking off the festivities for the NCAA Division III Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl National Championship Game, played there on Saturday, Dec. 21.
Baseball still has its share of issues
Baseball Column
A little of this — a little of that. It was that kind of a season. Much of it was played under the shadow of a player strike, which didn't happen. And to hear some people talk, you'd think averting the strike was an end in itself.
Friday, November 29, 2002
Sleeping in a bag just isn't natural
Outdoors Column
It had been five years since I wandered the Adirondacks. Dug Mountain was just as imposing. It was there that I shot the biggest deer I had ever seen. He weighed 254 pounds and had a nice, even 8-point rack. I slowly walked the trail to Rock Pond. The area that always held a number of deer hadn't changed at all.
Drago girls final to pit Oneonta against Delhi
High School Basketball Roundup
Meghan Stetson and Nikki Shackelton combined for 30 points as the Oneonta girls basketball team edged Niskayuna, 53-52, in the first round of the Drago Tournament on Wednesday. Stetson finished with 17 points, going 8-for-9 on free throws. Shackelton had 13 points, hitting 7 of 10 free throws. Oneonta outscored Niskayuna, 20-8, on free throws.
Junior college roundup
Joe Morstatt and Ryan Wells had first-place finishes for Delhi Tech at Tuesday's non-scoring meet at West Point. Morstatt won the mile in 2 minutes, 39.29 seconds. Wells took first in the 1,000 meters in 4:24.2, the second-fastest time in school history.
Wednesday, November 27, 2002
Tough start
Seton Catholic Central's big frontcourt limited Oneonta High to 12 baskets, and Ken Repetto scored 18 points in the Saints' 56-37 victory Tuesday in the Anthony Drago Tournament at Oneonta. It was the opener for both teams and counted as a Southern Tier Athletic Conference game. "They came out strong and they're a great team," OHS coach Jerry Mackey said of the Saints. "They go 10 deep, and they're well coached. I think there will be some teams that will play with them this season, but I don't know if too many will beat them."
Experienced Jackets ready to take flight
Oneonta High will find out tonight if what looks so good on paper translates onto the court. The Yellowjackets open their girls basketball season at 8 tonight against Niskayuna in the Anthony Drago Tournament at Oneonta.
Delhi boys fall in Drago opener
High School Sports Roundup
Ollie Bosiak scored 11 of his game-high 29 points in the fourth quarter to lead New Hartford to a 69-56 boys basketball victory over Delhi on Tuesday in the first round of the Drago Tournament.
Tuesday, November 26, 2002
OHS' first test could be on final exam
Come late February, it would surprise few in Southern Tier Athletic Conference circles if Oneonta and Seton Catholic Central meet in the boys basketball league title game. The sneak preview for that possible matchup will take place at 8 tonight at Oneonta High in the opening night of the Anthony Drago Tournament.
Margaretville girls rally to win opener
High School Sports Roundup
Heather Russell scored 10 of her game-high 24 points in the fourth quarter as Margaretville rallied past Roscoe on Monday in the Roxbury Tip-Off Tournament. The Blue Devils (1-0) trailed, 35-15, at the half.
Wilkes named D-III All-American
Hartwick Roundup
Hartwick College field hockey player Tara Wilkes was honored as an STX/National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division III All-American on Monday. Wilkes, a junior forward, was named to the third team. She led the Hawks to a 14-5 record, and helped the team receive a bid to play in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Mid-Atlantic Field Hockey Tournament. Wilkes had eight goals and five assists for 21 points.
Troyer, Seabrook honored
Basketball players Kurt Troyer and Alena Seabrook were named Oneonta State's athletes of the week. Troyer led the Red Dragons to a 1-1 record in the season-opening Holiday-Inn Tip-Off Classic at Oneonta State last weekend. He scored 30 points and grabbed seven rebounds in a 96-93 overtime loss to Hartwick on Saturday.
Monday, November 25, 2002
Hawks go out with bang
Hartwick quarterback Daniel Pincelli showed why he was the Empire 8 Conference Player of the Year. Pincelli threw seven touchdowns Saturday to lift the host Hawks to a 69-14 rout of Curry College (Mass.) in the ECAC North Atlantic Championship Game.
Storm powers to OT victory
High School Roundup
Tournament MVP Elly Powers scored four points in overtime, leading Unadilla Valley to a 54-48 girls basketball victory Saturday over Worcester in the title game of the Edmeston Tournament. Powers, a sophomore, finished with 17 points. Lindsey Charles, who had 14 points, made 3 of 4 free throws in overtime for the winners.
Hartwick men work over Westfield St.
Only one weekend into the season and the Hartwick men's basketball team is already halfway to its victory total from last season. The Hawks went 2-0 this weekend with back-to-back overtime triumphs in the Holiday Inn Tip-Off Classic at Oneonta State.
Saturday, November 23, 2002
Nothing average about Bean, Matthews
Daily Star Football All-Stars 2002
It's not common for 800-yard rushers and six-victory coaches to gain this newspaper's top high school football honors.
O-State men return two key players
Oneonta State's men's basketball team returns two players who averaged in double figures last season, but improving on a 10-16 record may depend on the development of its newcomers.
Depth a strength for Hartwick men
The Hartwick men's basketball team is going deep in 2002-03. The Hawks return four starters, including all-conference forward Joel Blackwell, and appear to have plenty of depth. Hartwick, coming off a 4-21 season, opens the season at 6 p.m. Saturday against Oneonta State in the Holiday Inn Tip-Off Tournament.
Dragons run past Hawks
College Basketball
A 14-1 run late in the second half fueled the Oneonta State women's basketball team to a 71-55 season-opening victory over visiting Hartwick in the Holiday Inn Tip-Off Tournament on Friday.
Quarterback Pincelli best in E8 Conference
Area College Football
Hartwick quarterback Daniel Pincelli is riding high heading into his final collegiate game. Senior Pincelli was named the Empire 8 Conference's inaugural Player of the Year on Thursday. The Hawks (7-2) play host to Curry College (Mass.) at noon Saturday in the ECAC North Atlantic Championship game.
SK tops Walton, 50-32
High School Roundup
Jessica Laing scored 10 of her 22 points in the fourth quarter as South Kortright pulled away from Walton for a 50-32 girls basketball victory Friday in the Laurens Tournament. It was the season opener for both teams. The Rams will play the host school at 7:30 p.m. Saturday for the title. Laurens defeated Unatego, 40-32, in the other first-round game.
Ruth lived up to legend in postseason
Baseball column
I was recently asked how well Babe Ruth did in World Series competition. I had the impression that he did quite well, though I didn't have the exact numbers at my fingertips. So I said I'd look it up, and I did.
Don't rely on backups to thrive
Fantasy Football
Ouch. It was a painful week for quarterbacks, playoff hopes and — most importantly — fantasy owners. By now you've read or watched eight million stories on the serious injuries to starting quarterbacks and how it places this team or that in perfect position to be the next Super Bowl champion. Suddenly, many idiots are expecting the next Kurt Warner, Trent Dilfer or Tom Brady. Obviously we can expect equally great things from the next round of plug-ins, right?
Friday, November 22, 2002
Same old trek never loses luster
Outdoors Column
The young 7-pointer rose from his bed beneath the snow-covered, icy branches of the pine. He watched carefully to see what had disturbed him. Both the hunter and the hunted stood motionless in the snowy woods. Each watched and waited. Then it was over. One shot and the little stag fell back to his bed.
Red Dragons will have veteran squad
O-State Women's Basketball Preview
With nine returnees from last season's 15-victory season, the Oneonta State women's basketball team could contend for a SUNYAC championship. The Red Dragons open the season at 6 tonight against Hartwick in the opening game of the Holiday Inn Tip-Off Classic at O-State. O-State finished fourth in the SUNY Athletic Conference last season with a 15-11 record, 11-5 in the conference.
Hurley-less Hawks must begin new era
Hartwick Women's Basketball Preview
Of the four starters the Hartwick women's basketball must replace this season, the biggest void was left by Oneonta High graduate Tiffany Hurley. She graduated last year after scoring more than 1,000 points and grabbing more than 1,000 rebounds. Jessica Dakin, Stephanie Clough, and Katie McGraw also helped the Hawks to a 64-38 record over the last four seasons.
Wrestling invitational at O-State this weekend
O-State Roundup
Oneonta State's wrestling team will play host to a 10-team invitational beginning at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at Chase Gymnasium. The Red Dragons are coming off a second-place finish in the Monarch Invitational last weekend at King's College.
Thursday, November 21, 2002
Miles shows she still has scoring touch
Gilbertsville-Mount Upton graduate Shelly Miles scored a team-high 18 goals for Green Mountain (Vt.) College this season. Miles, a freshman forward, also had three assists in helping Green Mountain to a 13-4 record. Miles' teammate, Windham graduate Erica Knolhoff, had one goal and tree assists. Knolhoff is a senior.
Wednesday, November 20, 2002
Eight players honored by ASC
Area Colleges
Four Hartwick College soccer players earned Atlantic Soccer Conference first-team honors Tuesday in voting done by the league's coaches. Midfielder Neil McLean, midfielder Rob Catana, defender Colin Burns and goalkeeper Randall Moate were honored for their play in the regular season.
Tuesday, November 19, 2002
Curry College up next for Hawks in ECAC playoffs
After missing out on an NCAA Division III playoff berth, Hartwick College will play host to one of the six Eastern College Athletic Conference football championships Saturday. The Hawks, who ended the regular season at 7-2, will meet Curry College (7-2) in the ECAC North Atlantic Championship at noon Saturday at All-Weather Field.
Monday, November 18, 2002
Beauty in eye of the beholder
High School Girls Soccer Column
HONEOYE FALLS — Margaretville boys soccer coach Pete Palen told me earlier this season that a telltale sign of good coaching is when the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. He was referring to one of his team's opponents at the time, but I can't think of a better example than the job Dan Cohen did with the Margaretville girls. Cohen turned winning ugly into an art form this season, culminating with the Blue Devils' 1-0 victory over New Lebanon in Saturday's Class D state final.
Margaretville girls best in state
2002 High School Girls Soccer — Class D State Championship
HONEOYE FALLS - Twenty years from now, the people of Margaretville might still be talking about Saturday's game. They'll recall goalie Heather Russell's 12-save masterpiece. They'll remember the determined midfield play of game MVP Jenna Bernhardt. And they'll reminisce about the biggest goal of the season coming from a reserve who had three goals entering the game.
Soule sets return record for Hawks football
2002 Hartwick College Roundup
Senior Ryan Soule had four touchdown receptions and returned a kickoff for a score Saturday to pace the Hartwick College football team to a 68-7 non-conference victory over St. Lawrence University at All-Weather Field.
O-State men fall in finale; Suozzo places 45th at ARC
2002 Oneonta State Sports
Oneonta State dropped its season-finale in men's soccer Saturday with a 2-0 Atlantic Soccer Conference loss to host Adelphi University. Freshman Padraig Drew opened the scoring 22 minutes and 1 second into the game, converting an assist from Sigurd Riksfjord over O-State goalie Jack Potter with a shot to the far post.
Saturday, November 16, 2002
Classic Margaretville reaches final
2002 High School Girls Soccer — Class D State Semifinal
HONEOYE FALLS — It was classic Margaretville. The Blue Devils' recipe for success worked again in Friday's Class D girls soccer state semifinal: Smothering defense, timely offense from freshman Claire Cella, and more smothering defense. Cella scored and had the assist on Jenna Bernhardt's goal as Margaretville defeated Chazy, 2-0, in miserable conditions at Honeoye Falls-Lima Central.
Shea plays waiting game
2002 College Men's Soccer
ONEONTA — How many changes has Matt Shea gone through this year? Let us count the ways. Oneonta graduate Shea has had to deal with a new coach, new teammates, a new system, a new position, a new role, a new schedule, even a new injury. Welcome to the world of college soccer.
O-State women drop two semis in regional play
2002 NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Tournament
Oneonta State ended its women's soccer season on top of the hump again. Monica Michelotti scored the winning goal in double-overtime Friday as host University of Chicago beat the Red Dragons, 2-1, in the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament at Stagg Field.
Volleyball cracks in five games as NYU wins
2002 NCAA Division III Volleyball Tournament
Lacey Musso hit double digits in three statistical categories, but Oneonta State's volleyball team fell to New York University, 3-2, in an NCAA Division III Tournament regional semifinal Friday at Nazareth College.
Hartwick football still in the hunt
2002 Hartwick College Football
The Hartwick College football team will play host to St. Lawrence University at All-Weather Field at 1 p.m. Saturday. The Hawks (6-2), who are coming off a bye week, took a 42-0 victory over Union College on Nov. 2, while St. Lawrence (0-9) was defeated by Rensselaer, 49-7, last weekend. Hartwick, which beat the Saints, 47-0, last year, leads the all-time series between the schools with a 7-3 record.
Season in sync with last of byes
Fantasy Island — Fantasy Football Column
Bye bye byes. Don't worry, I'm not paying homage to my favorite *NSYNC song. I'm simply bidding good riddance to one of the most annoying parts of every fantasy season. With the new - and improved -NFL scheduling system, Week 10 marked the last any team would sit out with a bye. That means we fantasy owners no longer have to worry about sitting our stars and resting hopes on some scrub with no other reason to be on the roster.
The smart money
NFL: Week 11
Please pardon me if your newspaper is wet, because I'm still drying off from the Gatorade shower I enjoyed Sunday after making a profit last week. It was one of my most stupendous days in recent memory. Can you even imagine the probability of correctly hitting two out of three games? In one day! Don't even try to crunch the numbers.
Avoiding Bodines key with an 89-point lead
Barring a tantrum or getting too close to one of the Bodine brothers in Sunday's race at Homestead, Fla., Tony Stewart will win yet another driving title. But for Stewart, who won the Indy Racing League crown in 1997 and several titles in lower rungs of racing, it will be his first in Winston Cup in the No. 20 Home Depot Pontiac owned by former Redskins boss Joe Gibbs. Stewart leads his closest pursuer, Mark Martin, by 89 points with one race left on the 36-event schedule.
Clemens will return
Talkin' Baseball — Baseball Column
A few weeks ago I was asked if I thought Yankee pitcher Roger Clemens would be back next year. My first thought was that it might not be Clemens' decision to make. George Steinbrenner is a notoriously poor loser, and the Yankees' early exit from the playoffs — at the hands of a wild card team, no less — must have left him about as amiable as a rabid warthog. Comings and goings there will undoubtedly be; whether Clemens will be among the latter is anybody's guess.
Friday, November 15, 2002
O-State volleyball wins NCAA opener
2002 NCAA Division III Volleyball
ROCHESTER — It's gotta be the shirts. Wearing warm-up tops that read, "Hey... you never know," the Oneonta State women's volleyball team pulled off an improbable comeback in the first round of Thursday's NCAA Division III Tournament. Trailing two games to none, the Red Dragons rallied for a 26-30, 26-30, 31-29, 30-22, 15-12 victory over Hunter at Nazareth College.
Dragons will try to take wind out of foe
2002 NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Preview
Oneonta State will try to match its longest venture into the NCAA Division III women's soccer tournament at 11 a.m. today, when the Red Dragons play at University of Chicago in a regional semifinal. Freshman forward Renee Nuener is the leading scorer for the Maroons (14-3-1), who received a first-round NCAA bye despite earning entry through an at-large bid out of the University Athletic Association.
Devils to meet their match
2002 High School Girls Soccer — Class D State Semifinal Preview
Girls soccer coaches Dan Cohen of Margaretville and Joe Dumoulin of Chazy are seeing eye-to-eye. When one looks into a mirror, it's hard to see otherwise. "From what I was able to find out from Internet stories, they seem like a very similar team to us," Cohen said. "They're very good defensively, they have a good goalie (Kristin Filion) and they seem to be patient. It's almost like a mirror-image of what we like to do."
Hartwick soccer looking for a few good men
College Men's Soccer Column
Randall Moate played his final game for Hartwick soccer coach Jim Lennox on Wednesday, but their relationship is just starting. "He's a top-notch goalie," Lennox said after Moate's five-save performance in a 1-1 tie against Cornell at Elmore Field. "I think he has a shot at playing beyond Hartwick at some professional level and we're going to try and get him going in that direction."
What you should know about CWD
Outdoors Column
As I walked in from bow hunting last Saturday evening, the phone was ringing. Another hunter had called wanting to know if I was concerned about Chronic Wasting Disease. Was I going to eat venison this year? Sure, I'm concerned. Any deer hunter should be. We have a substantial deer herd in the area, but I'm not going to lose any sleep about it. So, I did some reading to find out what was happening and bring you folks up to speed.
O-State men's soccer ends season Saturday
2002 Oneonta State Sports
While the Oneonta State men's soccer and cross country teams wind up their seasons this weekend, the swimming and wrestling teams are just getting started.
Thursday, November 14, 2002
O-State blows past Scranton, 2-0
ONEONTA — Chicago, get ready for the Oneonta State women's soccer team. The Red Dragons earned a trip to the Windy City with a convincing 2-0 victory over Scranton on Wednesday in the first round of the NCAA Division III Tournament. O-State (20-2-1) will visit the University of Chicago (14-3-1) at 11 a.m. Friday in a Central regional game.
Hartwick picks up pace in 1-1 tie
ONEONTA — Don't let the final score fool you. Hartwick College's season-finale against Cornell University was a showtime, up-and-down fast-break style of men's soccer rarely seen at the Division I level. But despite the numerous chances, two teams that have had trouble finishing chances all year played to a 1-1 overtime tie on a cold Wednesday night. "I said to the team before the game, 'Let's try to win tonight, 8-6,'" Hartwick coach Jim Lennox said. "Defending was an afterthought."
O-State volleyball to play tonight
Oneonta State's volleyball team will travel to Nazareth College for an NCAA Division III regional match against Hunter College at 7 tonight.
Hartwick field hockey falls
Kim Daniel scored two goals to lift College Misericordia (Pa.) to a 2-0 victory at Hartwick on Wednesday in the opening round of the Eastern College Athletic Conference Mid-Atlantic Field Hockey Tournament.
Wednesday, November 13, 2002
Area women lead Green machine to region finals
2002 On Campus
Green Mountain College women's soccer teammates Erica Knolhoff and Shelly Miles will compete in the NAIA Region 10 Championships this weekend. Senior Knolhoff is a Windham graduate and freshman Miles excelled at Gilbertsville-Mount Upton. The two have helped Green Mountain to the regional championships, which start Friday.
O-State women in hunt against Hunter College
2002 NCAA Division III Volleyball
Oneonta State volleyball seems to have an edge in its first NCAA Division III Tournament appearance, which begins at 7 p.m. Thursday at Nazareth College. From here on out, everyone is living on the edge as a loss ends the season for the 48-team field. Third-seeded O-State (30-12) meets No. 6 Hunter College (27-14) in a New York regional opener, marking the third match of the 2002 season between the two programs.
Margaretville girls take aggressive defense into semis
High School Sports Column
What do Margaretville girls soccer coach Dan Cohen and Seattle Seahawks linebacker Isaiah Kacyvenski have in common? Probably nothing. Aside from that fact that both will appear in this column. • Perhaps the most interesting comment from Cohen on Saturday spoke volumes about the Blue Devils.
Hawks' Wilkes best in Empire 8
2002 Hartwick College Field Hockey
Hartwick College field hockey player Tara Wilkes received Empire 8 Player of the Year accolades Tuesday as one of seven Hawks on the All-Conference first team. Wilkes, a New York State Women's Collegiate Athletic Association first-teamer, has eight goals and five assists in 17 starts for the Hawks (14-4).
Hartwick finale set for tonight
2002 Hartwick College Men's Soccer
Hartwick College will play its final men's soccer game of the regular season at 7 tonight as the Hawks meet visiting Cornell for a non-conference match at Elmore Field. Despite missing an NCAA Division I Tournament berth with a second-place finish in the Atlantic Soccer Conference, the Hawks (9-7-2 overall, 4-1 ASC) still have a shot at earning an at-large bid. Hartwick has played eight teams that reached the NCAA Tournament last season, including Indiana and Virginia.
O-State field hockey player honored
2002 Oneonta State Sports
Oneonta State junior field hockey player Jess Keller received regional All-American honors Tuesday, two days after receiving second-team accolades from the New York State Women's Collegiate Athletic Association.
Tuesday, November 12, 2002
Youth is served for Dragons
Soccer Column
Tracey Ranieri is looking past Wednesday's NCAA Division III women's soccer tournament opponent. It's nothing personal against the University of Scranton (15-3-1), the four-time defending Freedom Conference champion that made an NCAA quarterfinal appearance last season.
Ladies in Red prepare for Big Dance
Wednesday's NCAA Division III women's soccer tournament opener at Red Dragon Field features a couple of straight-shooters. Oneonta State (19-2-1) will play host to the University of Scranton (15-3-1) at 1 p.m. The Red Dragons won their fourth straight SUNY Athletic Conference Championship on Saturday with a 4-2 advantage in a penalty-kick shootout against Geneseo.
Delhi swimmers advance
High School Sports Roundup
Caitlyn and Teresa Burr will join Delhi swimming teammate Meaghan Morley at the Section Four State Qualifiers, which begin at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Owego Free Academy.
'Wick field hockey seeded second for ECACs
Hartwick Roundup
Hartwick College earned the second seed in the Eastern College Athletic Conference Division III Mid-Atlantic Field Hockey Championship and will play host to a quarterfinal at 4 p.m. Wednesday. The Hawks (14-4), who meet No. 7 College Misericordia (17-3) at All-Weather Field, will make their ninth postseason appearance in the last 15 years under head coach Anna Meyer, who is 203-90-3 all-time.
Oneonta State roundup
Oneonta State's volleyball team will travel to Nazareth College for an NCAA Division III regional match against Hunter College at 7 p.m. Thursday.
Monday, November 11, 2002
Devils step over RC to reach semi
2002 High School Girls Soccer — Class D State Quarterfinal
LIVERPOOL — They're calculating and patient. They're also disciplined and opportunistic. And now Margaretville's girls are two steps from the Class D state soccer title. Opponents won't be overwhelmed by their athleticism and there are teams with more skill, but collectively, the Blue Devils have persevered.
O-State earns shot at NCAAs
2002 College Women's Soccer — SUNYAC Championship
ONEONTA — Technically, Oneonta State earned its fourth consecutive berth in the NCAA Division III women's soccer tournament Saturday at Wright National Soccer Campus. "I think technically, we're the best team we've ever been, ever, in my 12 years," O-State coach Tracey Ranieri said after her Red Dragons topped Geneseo in a penalty-kick shootout, 4-2. "We are most definitely the most technical team we've ever been, but we're just too young."
Margaretville looking up after 1-0 loss
2002 High School Boys Soccer — Class D State Quarterfinal
ONEONTA — Margaretville's heads didn't stay down for long following Saturday's loss. The Blue Devils stood up to top-ranked and heavily favored Manlius-Pebble Hill for much of the game before succumbing, 1-0, in a Class D boys soccer state quarterfinal at Wright National Soccer Campus.
Wood leads Broncos to NJCAA title
Delhi Tech's men won their sixth NJCAA Division III cross-country title in 12 years Saturday by a comfortable 38 points at Delhi College Golf Course. "The sweetest one is always the most recent one," said Delhi coach Bob Backus, whose team had 31 points.
2002 high school cross country — state meet
Richfield Springs' Kane Seamon finished third in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class D cross-country race Saturday at Sunken Meadow State Park in Long Island.
Red Dragons win SUNYAC volleyball crown
Oneonta State Roundup
What was already one of Oneonta State's best volleyball seasons in school history got a whole lot better Saturday. The host Red Dragons earned their first-ever NCAA Tournament berth with a 26-30, 30-23, 27-30, 31-29, 15-4 victory over Cortland in the SUNY Athletic Conference Tournament finals.
'Wick swimming opens with sweep
2002 Hartwick College Roundup
Hartwick College swimming swept its season-opening men's and women's dual meets in the Empire 8 Conference over the weekend. Adam Torrey, Max Hinricksen, Adam Torrey and Adam McElligott had two victories apiece Sunday to help the Hawks to a 161-81 men's victory over host Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Hartwick's women earned a 126-114 victory over RPI with individual victories from Emily Seagrave, Julie Landmann, Gayle Gregory and Sonia Sikora.
Saturday, November 9, 2002
O-State women advance
2002 Oneonta State Women's Soccer
Stamford graduate Brooke Davis scored an unassisted goal Friday to help the Oneonta State women's soccer team to a 4-0 rout of Brockport in a SUNY Athletic Conference Tournament semifinal at Wright National Soccer Campus. Top-seeded O-State (18-2-1) advanced to the SUNYAC Championship game at 1:30 p.m. Saturday against No. 3 Geneseo (13-4-4) back at WNSC.
Broncos' men to knock on Wood
2002 NJCAA Division III Cross Country Championship
Justin Wood will go out kicking Saturday. That's why 2002 Walton graduate Wood is one of the favorites in the NJCAA Division III Cross Country Championship. "I have a strong kick," said Delhi Tech freshman Wood, who specializes in the 800-meter run during track season. "If I have a kick, I kind of have to use it, not just sit back."
Ithaca ousts Hawks, 4-0
Hartwick Roundup
Top-seeded Ithaca College took a 4-0 victory over the Hartwick women's soccer team in the semifinal match of the first-ever Empire 8 Conference Women's Soccer Tournament on Friday. The Bombers (13-4-2) will meet Nazareth (15-3-1) in the championship game at 1 p.m. Saturday. The Golden Flyers beat third-seeded Elmira, 5-0, in the other semifinal match. The winner of the tournament will receive the conference's automatic bid to play in the NCAA Division III Tournament.
Running unopposed is sure way into lineup
Fantasy Island Column
Around the nation this was Election Week, and from Minnesota to Georgia to New Hampshire, people had important and maybe difficult decisions to make. Well, although our decisions won't necessarily affect the future of the nation, we fantasy football players know that selecting the right man to fill out the roster is often no easier than picking the right person for the governor's mansion.
The smart money
I feel like a scuba diver heading down for the Titanic. Even if I find a mother lode of NFL insight in one of the ballrooms when I get there, if I try to surface too fast I'll get the bends. Did that make any sense?
Steady Martin in familiar spot
Auto Racing Column
Mark Martin is driving like clockwork in the No. 6 Viagra Ford owned by Jack Roush. Only Ryan Newman has more top-10 finishes this season in Winston Cup than Martin, who has 20. No one has won more money — $4,987,100 — than Martin, a 43-year-old native of Batesville, Ark. And no one has had more second-place finishes in the points standings than Martin the previous 13 seasons.
Interesting crop of Hall of Famers who served in World War I
Baseball Column
Since Monday is the anniversary of the signing of the World War I armistice, this seems to be a good time to discuss the Hall of Fame members who served in that war, especially since I was recently asked if any living members of the Hall served in that war. The answer to THAT question is "No." No living member of the Hall had even reached his teens when the armistice was signed.
Friday, November 8, 2002
First deer a special event for youngster from Morris
Outdoors Column
Recently, a young hunter approached me. "I got one," she said with great joy. "I got a deer." Dana is a high school girl from Morris, who got her bow license last year. Her first year of bow hunting was quite eventful. Throughout the year we kidded her about shooting a couple of trees. She took it quite well.
After nearly three months, Margaretville boys and girls are the ...
There has been no shortage of smiles this week at Margaretville Central School. With the boys and girls soccer teams preparing for state playoff games Saturday, there's a good reason why. "There are about 40 (players) who have been walking around with loopy grins on their faces," said boys coach Pete Palen. "We don't want to see anything wipe them off."
Hartwick to open E8 Tournament today
Hartwick roundup
Fourth-seeded Hartwick College plays No. 1 seed Ithaca College in the semifinals of the first Empire 8 Women's Soccer Tournament at 11 a.m. today in Ithaca. The winner of the tournament advances to the NCAA Division III Tournament.
Volleyball team eyes first NCAA berth
Oneonta State Roundup
The Oneonta State volleyball team can earn the first NCAA Division III Tournament berth in the program's history with two victories in this weekend's SUNYAC Tournament at Brockport. The Red Dragons (28-12) are the top seed from the SUNYAC East and play at 1:30 p.m. Saturday against the winner of the Geneseo-Plattsburgh. The championship is at 4 p.m. Saturday.
Burr leads Delhi at sectional meet
High school roundup
Caitlyn Burr won the 200-yard individual medley and helped Delhi take second in the 200 medley relay in the Section Four Class C Preliminaries on Wednesday at Lansing.
Thursday, November 7, 2002
Ithaca too much for O-State
A strategic time out by Oneonta State women's volleyball coach Colleen Cashman could only temporarily stop the swift and sudden momentum of Ithaca College in a 3-1 loss Wednesday to the visiting Bombers.
O-State to face Brockport
Oneonta State opens defense of its SUNYAC women's soccer title at 11 a.m. Friday against Brockport State in a semifinal match at the Wright National Soccer Campus. The Red Dragons (17-2-1) are looking for their fourth straight conference title and a fourth straight trip to the NCAA Division III Tournament.
Local rolls 767
2002 Area Scratch Bowling
Rod Holcomb threw a 767 series Monday night to lead all Michelob Light Classic bowlers at Holiday Lanes in Oneonta. Holcomb had games of 257, 279 and 231 en route to his triple, which helped RJ Anderson Roofing to a 17-7 victory over Pierce Excavating. Bonnie Locket rolled a 617 series for Pierce.
Four Oneonta swimmers, three relays advance in B
2002 High School Swimming — Section Four Class B Meet
Oneonta High set a school record Wednesday in the 200-yard freestyle relay as three relay teams and four individuals advanced to the second day of swimming at the Section Four Class B Championships at Owego.
Wednesday, November 6, 2002
OHS girls fall flat in first round, 1-0
2002 High School Girls Soccer — Class B State Tournament, First Round
WARWICK — Oneonta girls soccer coach Helen Sandford described the effect of Tuesday's state playoff game on her team as numbing. It had nothing to do with the weather. The Yellowjackets outplayed New Paltz all over the field, but saw their season end with a 1-0 loss in a first-round Class B game.
Walton loss far from a huge upset
At The Half — High School Football Column
Was it really an upset? Yes, Walton had an 8-0 record. Yes, it was the state's top-ranked team. Yes, it whipped Lansing, 40-6, in Week 2 of the season. However, the Warriors replaced 17 starters from last year's team and never really played the power-running style of football they're famous for.
O-State women draw Brockport for semifinal
2002 Sports — Postseason Glance
Three-time defending champion Oneonta State will meet Brockport in a SUNY Athletic Conference Tournament women's soccer semifinal at 11 a.m. Friday at Wright National Soccer Campus. O-State (17-2-1 overall, 10-0 SUNYAC), winners of 46 consecutive conference games, earned a quarterfinal bye as the top seed in the 2002 tournament. Oneonta is the first team to allow no goals in a perfect SUNYAC season. The Red Dragons are ranked 14th in the latest National Soccer Coaches Association of America Division III poll.
Empire 8 honors three from Hartwick
2002 Hartwick College Sports
Hartwick College's Ryan Soule, Josie Moore and Megan Davis received weekly honors from the Empire 8 Conference. Soule, a senior wide receiver on the football team, was named Empire 8 Conference Offensive Player of the Week after catching 10 passes for 234 yards and two touchdowns in a 42-0 victory over Union College on Saturday.
High school soccer
Bainbridge-Guilford's Jacob Spaholz scored three goals to lead the South to a 9-1 victory over the North in the Midstate Athletic Conference Senior All-Star soccer game Tuesday at B-G.
Tuesday, November 5, 2002
OHS girls dressed to impress
ONEONTA — Keith Walker appears to be the calm before the Oneonta High storm. Second-year girls soccer coach Walker and his New Paltz Huguenots (17-2-2) meet traditional state power OHS (18-2) at 1:30 p.m. today in Warwick for a first-round game in the Class B state tournament.
Delhi edges Unatego in finale
Tom Tuthill stopped a two-point conversion pass Saturday, helping Delhi to a 15-14 non-conference victory Saturday over visiting Unatego in the season-finale for both teams.
Monday, November 4, 2002
Blue Devils girls win D crown with a long shot
2002 High School Girls Soccer — Section Four Class D Championship
ONEONTA — Margaretville had little choice but to concede possession of the ball for most of Saturday's Section Four Class D title game. It did not, however, concede the outcome. Outplayed for most of the game, the Blue Devils received a goal from freshman Claire Cella with 7 minutes and 49 seconds to play to defeat Gilbertsville-Mount Upton, 1-0, on a chilly day at Wright National Soccer Campus.
Season ends in rout for Jackets
2002 High School Football — Section Four Class B Semifinal
CHENANGO FORKS — If Oneonta High wasn't convinced of Chenango Forks' dominance in Week 2, it should be now. In a rerun of their first meeting, Chenango Forks scored six first-half touchdowns en route to a 39-7 thumping of the Yellowjackets on Saturday in a Section Four Class B semifinal. Just how dominant was Forks?
Oneonta girls bump Dryden to win B title
2002 High School Girls Soccer — Section Four Class B Championship
ONEONTA — The distraught look on the face of Dryden's Kirsten Clapper in the postgame awards ceremony said it all. Her upstart Purple Lions turned out to be merely a bump in Oneonta High's road to another Section Four Class B title on Saturday.
Devils punch ticket to state tournament
2002 High School Boys Soccer — Section Four Class D Championship
ONEONTA — Kane DiBenedetto rolled with the punches Saturday at Wright National Soccer Campus. Margaretville simply kept rolling. Senior goalkeeper DiBenedetto shook off the biting cold and several hard knocks from Downsville's pesky offense to lead the Blue Devils to a 1-0 victory in the Section Four Class D boys soccer championship.
Hartwick misses out on ASC title
Hartwick Roundup
The Hartwick men's soccer team can no longer control its destiny for the NCAA Tournament. The Hawks let the Atlantic Soccer Conference title and automatic bid slip away Sunday with a 2-1 loss at Florida International.
O-State men tie, 1-1
O-State Roundup
Rodney Gunter's unassisted goal with less than 10 minutes left Saturday gave Oneonta State a 1-1 men's soccer tie with non-conference host Lafayette.
Sidney sneaks away with victory
2002 High School Football
Sidney's football season ended in memorable fashion late Friday night in Candor as Billy Northrup scored on a quarterback sneak with 39 seconds left in a 24-22 defeat of Trumansburg. Paul Funaro followed Northrup's 1-yard run to tie the score with the decisive two-point conversion run, going untouched on a speed sweep right for the final points.
Saturday, November 2, 2002
OHS football seeks revenge
2002 High School Football — Section Four Class B Semifinal Preview
For Oneonta High, it's the scene of the crime. It's the place where its ability and pride were put into question against a supremely talented Chenango Forks squad. And now they're returning. Seven weeks ago, a Yellowjackets team coming off an emotional overtime victory against Maine-Endwell traveled to Forks.
Titles up for grabs Saturday
2002 High School Soccer — Section Four Championships Preview
Margaretville boys soccer coach Pete Palen doesn't need anyone to convince him to take Downsville seriously. He received a lesson Sept. 25. The Eagles rallied to tie Margaretville, 4-4, on a goal as time expired in the second overtime. The game came in the middle of the Blue Devils' 1-3-1 skid and further established Downsville as a team to watch come sectionals.
Walton ousted in semi
High School Football — Section Four Class C Semifinal
ENDICOTT — Perhaps the only thing more bitter than the disappointment Walton's football team felt Friday was the weather. And the only thing more relentless than the cold was a group of Lansing players who shocked the Warriors with a 28-20 Section Four Class C semifinal victory at Ty Cobb Stadium.
Men's soccer falls at FAU
Hartwick Roundup
Host Florida Atlantic scored two goals late in the second half to defeat the Hartwick men's soccer team, 2-0, in a non-conference game Friday. Bjorn Totland and Preben Nilsen scored for the Owls (6-7-2).
It's time to recognize the best, worst of first half
Fantasy Island
Well, the Week 8 games have been played and the table is set for Week 9, which can mean only one thing ... Welcome, one and all, to the first (annual?) Because I Can Midseason Fantasy Football Awards. That's right, it's the sports world's most honest ceremony where the motivation is right in the title and each award is tailored to the deserving candidate.
Wallace getting too close for comfort
The Inside Track — Auto Racing Column
Rusty Wallace is cutting it close again. Wallace, driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford, is fifth in Winston Cup points entering the 34th of 36 races this season, but winning the championship probably isn't foremost on his mind. At least not until February next season. What's more important to him at this juncture is keeping his consecutive-season winning streak alive.
Exposing baseball's true villains
Talkin' Baseball — Baseball Column
The first all-Wild Card World Series in history is in the record books. And, fittingly, it capped a season that would have been grotesque even if the Yankees had won, as expected. It began with the commissioner trying to eliminate two teams and was played mostly in the shadow of a strike threat. It also saw a contending team (St. Louis) lose a front-line starting pitcher (Darryl Kile) to a fatal heart disorder, and one of the teams (Minnesota) that the commissioner wanted to dump win its division in a romp.
Cooperstown dropped, 39-0
2002 High School Football — Section Three Class C Semifinal
Junior running back Mike Hart ran for 231 yards and five touchdowns Friday as Onondaga defeated Cooperstown in a Section Three Class C semifinal, 39-0, at Liverpool High.
Bledsoe Bowl could come down to running game
A game-by-game look at Week 9 of the NFL: Friday, November 1, 2002
OHS girls facing unlikely foe
There's a mysterious aura surrounding Oneonta's opponent in the Section Four Class B girls soccer final. Third-seeded Dryden competes in the Interscholastic Athletic Conference, a league made up of teams in the western portion of Section Four. The Purple Lions (19-2) have been blowing people out, winning their two sectional games by a combined score of 12-2 against Johnson City and Maine-Endwell, two Southern Tier Athletic Conference teams that played the Yellowjackets tough in the regular season.
Hunting elk requires lots of strategy
Outdoors Column
The darkness was shattered by the shrill whistle of our quarry. Deep in the canyon below, the bugle started again. From a deep tone, the sound rose to a high pitch, which was followed by several deep, distinctive chuckles. The hair stood on the back of my neck, as the majestic elk screamed in the early morning.
3 runners heading to state meet
Three area runners qualified for the state meet during Thursday's Section Four Cross Country Championships at Chenango Valley State Park. Oneonta High's Rebecca Moore, Afton's Josh Winans and Walton's Scott Gleason will race a week from Saturday at Sunken Meadows State Park on Long Island.
Delhi graduate Vogt has big week in volleyball for U. of Rochester
Oneonta native Kristin Vogt earned University Athletic Association Athlete of the Week honors this week as a hitter for the University of Rochester women's volleyball team. Sophomore Vogt, a 2001 graduate of Delhi, had 42 kills and a .330 hitting percentage during a 2-1 week for the Yellowjackets. She finished with a season-high 20 kills in a four-game victory over Hamilton last week.
O-State volleyball in state tourney
Oneonta State's volleyball team will compete in the New York State Women's Collegiate Athletic Association championship on Saturday and Sunday. The fourth-seeded Red Dragons' first match in the 12-team tournament at Hunter College is 2 p.m. Saturday against either fifth-seeded Vassar or 12th-seeded Hunter. O-State (27-9) is looking to become the third team in school history to reach 30 victories in a season. It last happened in 1996, when that year's team won a school-record 36 matches.
Hawks open two-game Florida road trip tonight
The 24th-ranked Hartwick men's soccer team plays a non-conference match at 7:30 tonight at Florida Atlantic University. The Hawks wrap up their regular-season schedule at Atlantic Soccer Conference opponent Florida International at 1 p.m. Sunday.
Men's basketball ranked nationally to start season
Cobleskill Roundup
The SUNY-Cobleskill men's basketball team is on a roll. Coming off a 21-9 winter in 2001-02, the Fighting Tigers opened the 2002-03 season with a No. 13 ranking in the NJCAA Division III poll. Cobleskill has appeared in the national poll every week since Dec. 4, 1994.
