WHITE PLAINS – Girls’ high school flag football is continuing to make its presence known in New York State, and especially in Section 1. Mahopac seniors Maria Garofalo and Niamh Kelleher were both honored as selections to the Section 1 second team All-Stars. The former is a quarterback; the latter is a wide receiver and defensive back. Mahopac made it to the Section 1, Class B semifinals before losing to eventual State Champion Yorktown. Honorable mention selections included

SPARKS, Md. – Luke Cunningham is showing that you can be just as good off the field as you are on it. The Brewster High School boys’ lacrosse star is used to having his name in the paper for his athletic achievements. Now, everybody knows that he plays just as hard in the classroom as well. Cunningham has been named to the USA Lacrosse All-Academic team. He is one of the nine players in Section 1 to make the team. Cunningham helped lead the Bears to a 10-5 record. The team ma

Putnam Valley High School cross-country runners in action. See that photo? It might be the most inexpensive high school sport. You just need some great running shoes and a good pair of shorts. Don’t be surprised if photos like that become more and more prevalent – especially with the rising cost of youth sports. I saw something on the news that kind of made my blood boil: the cost of youth sports is up 46 percent in the last seven years. Granted, everything from groceries to

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Dale Meritt’s voice was coarse from screaming. “I’m originally from Carmel,” he said, raising his hand. “France all the way!” Yes, the World Cup soccer tournament has touched even Putnam County. Meritt and several friends were at Met Life Stadium to watch France play Senegal last week. France won the game and qualified for the knockout round of 32 in the tourney. France is Meritt’s team, but his mind was never far from the Hudson Valley. There are four

Pictured are members of the combined Mahopac, Putnam Valley, and Carmel girls’ swim team. It remains to be seen whether New York Section 1 public high schools will still compete against private and parochial schools. WHITE PLAINS – Parochial and private schools can still win a Section 1 high school athletic championship, but it will be their own. The Section 1 athletic council voted 69-4 to prohibit private and parochial schools from competing for traditional sectional title

WHITE PLAINS – This is the way to wrap up a season. Lily Katsetos, a senior defender for the Brewster High School girls’ lacrosse team, has been named a USA Lacrosse Academic All-American. Not only did she show her prowess on the field, but her achievements in the classroom, as well. She also received all Section 1 honors. Teammate Amelia Walsh is a recipient of the USA Lacrosse Jackie Pitts Award. Ashley Koch of Mahopac made the all Section 1 team, as did Haldane’s Kayla Rug

We are potentially crossing a fine line. I recently read where a high school athlete was able to use his name, image, and likeness in an endorsement deal. Most state high school athletic associations allow this under certain restrictions. The National Collegiate Athletic Association allowed such a thing for college athletes several years ago, and there are several collegiate athletic programs that rake in millions of dollars every year – so the players should get a share of t

MAHOPAC – Forget the ending. Think about all that the Mahopac High School basketball team accomplished this year and last year. It was a success by any measure. “This team was a special team,” said Head Coach Anthony Nappi. “The group had gone through a lot together – ups and downs. The thing that is most impressive about them is their ability to stick together and pick each other up. They had a bond and selflessness that created memories that will last a lifetime.” Indeed, i

To this day, even at my advanced age, the scene in the movie “Field of Dreams” still breaks me up. “Hey dad, wanna have a catch?” On Sunday we celebrated Father’s Day. To me, it’s not about honoring fathers. It’s about all our children who made us fathers. It’s about having a catch, making a basket, shooting a puck, or kicking a soccer ball. My boys are 26 and 22 now, but I will never forget the first time they put on a football uniform. It’s a memory that will last forever f

COLD SPRING – You thought the high school football season was over? And you thought the 2026 season didn’t begin again until official practices in August? Think again. Football is a year-round business. Just ask any high school coach – especially Ryan McConville of Haldane High School. “Haldane has been getting in some quality reps this June,” he said. It’s been a process and the Blue Dells are doing things in pieces. Little by little, the coach hopes it all adds up. “To star

The season officially ended with Putnam Valley High School’s loss in the baseball state quarterfinals, although there are still individual track-and-field national invitationals for some qualified athletes. So that puts the wrap on athletics. The next uniform these kids will put on is a cap and gown. Or is it really over? Technically, the 2026-27 season doesn’t begin until August, but there have been informal workouts in football, soccer, and other sports. That includes offic

SAUGERTIES – Dreams die hard. At least they did for the Putnam Valley High School baseball team. The Tigers – newly minted Section 1 champions – lost in the first round of the New York State playoffs, falling to Chester, 2-0, in Class B. The game was played at neutral Cantine Field in Saugerties. PV finished the season with a record of 18-8 in a game that was the equivalent of a state quarterfinal. The Hambletonians reached the state semifinals for the second time in four yea

THIELLS – It was a true heartbreaker for the Mahopac High School baseball team. With a 2-1 lead and two out in the top of the seventh and nobody on, the Wolf Pack were anticipating the final out of the Section 1, Class AA championship against No. 1 Rye. In fact, Mahopac was gathering in the dugout and ready to storm the field to celebrate. Alas, it was not to be. An error, a walk, a wild pitch, and a three-run double happened in what seemed like a nanosecond – probably in wha

What now for the Mahopac High School baseball team? There’s no denying the Wolf Pack suffered a devastating loss to Rye in the Section 1, Class AA championship game. There’s no doubt this loss will linger for a long time… So now what? They walk with their heads held high. Why? Because they got there. This is no consolation, but few teams can say that. ’Pac had a magical season and made it to the finals. For that alone, they should be proud. And after an appropriate amount of

The Hudson Valley Renegades minor league baseball team is mired in a terrible slum. Heading into a May 22 game, Hudson Valley lost seven of eight. That included a 5-0 loss to the Brooklyn Cyclones on May 21, the first time all season the Renegades have been shut out. The only respite was a 7-3 victory over the Cyclones on May 19. The Renegades are in fourth place in the north division of the South Atlantic League. Aberdeen, an affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, is leading th

It’s time for the girls to take center stage… Or center circle, as the case may be. The Section 1 seeds for high school girls’ lacrosse were announced last week and play got under way. Here are the local teams to keep an eye on: In Class B, Brewster drew the fourth seed and is scheduled to host number five Mahopac on May 26 in a quarterfinal game. That’s also the same day that seventh-seeded Carmel is scheduled to play Fox Lane in the quarterfinal. And in Class D, Putnam Vall

When I moved a couple of weeks ago, I realized I had to do more than just change the address on my credit cards and bank statements. I had to find a new primary care physician. I thought I struck gold when nearly everybody, separately, recommended a certain doctor who was accepting new patients and also took my insurance. The receptionist said she would email me over some forms to fill out, including the membership form. I asked what that was. She said it was like Costco and

The brackets for the Section 1 high school sports tournament are starting to come together. First up is baseball, which got underway last week and continues this week. Teams in five classes are vying for a championship and the right to go to the state tournament. The sectional finals in all classes will be held at SUNY Purchase. Putnam Valley earned the top seed in Class B. The Tigers were the highest seed among all of the Putnam County high schools. Class AAA – Roy C. Ketcha

Don’t be surprised if one of the Putnam County high schools advances deep into the Section 1 playoffs, with way the teams are closing the regular season. It was an impressive display by county schools last week. Putnam Valley won twice and didn’t give up a run in either game. The Tigers beat Pawling, 7-0, as Kate Mulqueen had three hits in as many at-bats, including a grand slam and five RBI. She was also the winning pitcher. Maggie Caputo tallied three hits, including the 15

Every high school season I seem to write a version of this column. That’s three seasons of sports in a typical school year. Maybe that’s because our student-athletes deserve it so much. Even after almost four decades of doing this, I remain in awe of these kids. We are at sectional tournament time. From flag football to regular football, to cross country to track and field, it’s another culmination of a season of hard work. Weather a team is 1-9 or 15-3, this is their moment.