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.

Ahmed Dwicar after winning the state title in 2022. COLD SPRING – A state-championship-winning coach is out. Ahmed Dwidar, the longtime boys’ soccer coach at Haldane High School, will no longer coach. Privacy concerns prevented a specific reason from being stated, but the coach said he resigned to spend more time with his family. He has two children, ages 5 and 1. Athletic Director Tom Cunningham did not return a call for comment. Under Dwidar, the Blue Devils won the state C

It’s a long way from Brewster, N.Y., to Nashville, Tenn… But not for Patrick Ford. The Brewster High School graduate – one of the most decorated runners in Bears history – keeps cementing his legacy. Even from almost 1,000 miles away. But he had to cover 26.2 miles, and he did so in fashion by winning the Nashville Marathon on April 25. Not bad for somebody who was cut from the cross country team.

MAHOPAC – There’s no question that Mahopac High School baseball pitcher Nick Masciarelli has established himself as one of the premier pitchers in Section 1. Now, he’s getting into untouchable territory. Masciarelli flirted with perfection in a 2-0 win over Horace Greeley. He allowed only a first-inning single by Ben Lederman. Otherwise, he was flawless. Masciarelli struck out 13 and didn’t walk a batter in the performance. Even in the two games lost, he has allowed only a to

The Brewster High School girls’ flag football team in action. BREWSTER – Twice as nice. It was a big week for the Brewster High School girls’ flag football team. The Bears won a pair of games, including a 21-6 decision over John Jay-Cross River and 38-19 over Somers. Those two teams were scheduled to meet again this week at Somers. Cross Country WEST NYACK — Let’s hear it for Odin Wong. At the Gold Rush Invitational, the Brewster High School junior won the boys’ 3,000-meter s

Former Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole One of the promotional aspects of minor league baseball is that you can see the stars of tomorrow. For the Hudson Valley Renegades franchise – which is just a stone’s throw from Putnam County – you could have seen the stars of today this past week. The Renegades, a Class A affiliate of the New York Yankees, played host to two prominent pitching stars: former Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole and All-Star Carlos Rodon. Both were on rehabilitation a

LATHAM – Apparently, this isn’t over. A statewide proposal to separate private and Catholic schools from competing for sectional and state championships in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association was rejected. The proposal was rejected by sections 5, 6, 7, 10, and 11, which represented a simple majority of the state’s 11 high school athletic sections. But they did agree to study the situation for the next two years. The status quo will remain until May 2028

PUTNAM VALLEY – Maggie Caputo, Kate Mulqueen, Erin Moynihan, and Katelyn Flanagan drove in three runs each as the Putnam Valley High School softball team hammered North Salem, 23-4. The game was called after five innings due to the mercy rule. Maddy Mauri had two RBI for the Tigers. Bella Soto and Mia Mazzullo had their first varsity hit and RBI, respectively. Mulqueen notched her 200th career strikeout in the win. PV later lost to crosstown rival Haldane, 16-3, in another ga

In almost 40 years of covering Section 1 high school sports, I have probably heard it 400 times – private schools have an unfair advantage. Demographically, they can draw from a wider range than public high schools. They have greater financial resources. They can recruit. The list goes on and on. It goes all the way back to when I first started my career, when Poughkeepsie-based Our Lady of Lourdes High School was winning nine state championships in the 1980s and 90s in girls