Check the final wrestling brackets to track your very own Suffolk County wrestlers in the NYS Tournament!

ORIGINAL

Some of the best wrestlers in New York live right here in Suffolk and they’ll be competing over the next couple of days in Albany at the NYSPHSAA Wrestling Tournament.

Good luck to all of our Suffolk grapplers and let’s bring home some championships!

Here is some helpful info to track the action:

• Official NYS tournament brackets
• Championship scoreboard
• Championship preview
• NYSPHSAA Wrestling home page

We’re deep in the Suffolk County basketball playoffs now.

Some champions have been crowned, but there is plenty of action left.

Check the updated brackets for match-ups and times below!

CLICK for Boys Hoops!

CLICK for Girls Hoops!

The champions have been crowned. If you missed any of the action over the weekend at the Section XI Wrestling Championships, you can see recaps below.

CLICK HERE for Section XI Division I brackets!

CLICK HERE for Section XI Division II brackets!

CLICK HERE for Newsday champions photos!

CLICK HERE for News 12 individual match video!

Info on New York State Tournament

• Feb. 24-25: Times Union Center, Albany, N.Y.

Talk about a dynasty. Ward Melville fencing has done it again in both boys and girls fencing, winning Long Island titles.

From Newsday:

A win in epee from Ben Rogak tied the match and set up Mike Jaklitsch, who won the final bout of the season to clinch a 14-13 win for Ward Melville, giving the Patriots their 10th consecutive Long Island championship. The win also upped their dual-meet winning streak to 158. The Ward Melville girls team also won, defeating Great Neck South, 14-3, to win its 14th Long Island title in 15 years.

CLICK to read the full story!

The text below is from a release issued by the NYSPHSAA …

The Executive Committee of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) held its January meeting at the Hilton Garden Inn in Troy on Friday. The committee voted on several key items important to the Association’s 785 member schools.

One of the meeting highlights was the approval of NYSPHSAA Championship sites for future tournaments. The following venues were approved to host championship events:

• Tri-City Tennis Center, Latham, 2017-2019 Girls Tennis State Championships
• Middletown High School, 2017-2018 East Football Semifinals
• Union-Endicott High School, 2017-2018 West Football Semifinals
• Cortland, 2017-2019 Girls Soccer State Championships
• Williamsville North High School, 2018-2020 Field Hockey State Championships
• SRC Arena, Syracuse, 2018-2020 Wrestling Team Dual State Championships
• Binghamton, 2018 Baseball State Championships (one year extension)

“The goal of NYSPHSAA is to play all of our championships events at first class venues and give our student-athletes a once in a lifetime opportunity”, said NYSPHSAA Executive Director Robert Zayas. “We want our member schools, coaches, administrators and student-athletes to enjoy the experience of playing in a NYSPHSAA championship, and we feel these venues are the best places for our championship tournaments to be held at this time.”

The proposal of extending an additional year in Binghamton (until 2018) for the NYSPHSAA Baseball Championships was approved. The proposal came about to review and evaluate the new format of a two-day tournament before bidding occurs for the following three-year term. This springs Baseball State Championships in Binghamton will be the first in the two-day format.

The Executive Committee approved the proposed pitch count regulations in the sport of baseball starting this season at the modified, junior varsity and varsity levels. Attached is a copy of the pitch count guidelines and corresponding days off at all three levels.

“Today’s action by the NYSPHSAA Executive Committee is a giant step forward in doing our part to protect and support our student athlete baseball players”, said Ed Dopp State Baseball Coordinator for the last 12 years. Dopp added, “We will continue to monitor and adjust the pitch count rules in an attempt to always improve opportunities for our student athletes and address safety as best we can”.

The Executive Committee also approved the use of video replay for Safety and Deduction points at the NYSPHSAA Cheerleading Championships. Another approval was the addition of a second relay team for the NYSPHSAA Indoor Track and Field championships (starting in 2018) in the 4×200, 4×400 and 4×800 for both the boys and girls. In addition, the number of officials at the indoor track and field championships was approved to increase from 70 to 85 in March of 2017. Approval was given to issue a yellow card before a red card in the sports of girls and boys volleyball.

CLICK for the full release and pitch count info!

Rocky Point beat Hauppauge in this year’s Section XI wrestling dual championships Saturday at Suffolk County Community College’s Brentwood campus.

CLICK to view the full brackets!

Next up: League, County and State Tournaments

• 2/4 – League Tournaments, 9:30 a.m. / ($6 adm)
• 2/11 – Section XI Division I/II Championships at SCCC -Brentwood, 10:00 a.m. / ($6 adm)
• 2/12 – Section XI Division I/II Championships at SCCC – Brentwood, 9:30 a.m. / Day Session ($6 adm) / Evening Session – Finals ($6 adm)
• 2/24-25 – NYSPHSAA Championships, Times Union Center, Albany (Sec II)

Suffolk County Athletic Trainers Association (SCATA) is proud to present our first fundraiser on March 26th, 2017 at Cathedral Pines County Park (116 Yaphank Middle Island Road) in Middle Island NY, 11953.

Each Athletic Trainer in Suffolk County has a special and unique relationship with his/her community. We are asking that you come out and support your Athletic Trainer today and participate in the 1st Annual SCATA “Fund” Run/Walk to promote SCATA’s scholarship fund.

Tom Combs has been selected as the new Executive Director of Section XI. He was selected by the Section XI Executive Board and his tenure will begin on July 1, 2017.

Combs will replace Don Webster, who is retiring from the post he has held since 2014.

“I am extremely excited and honored to be the next Executive Director of Section XI,” said Combs, who has served as the Director of Athletics, Physical Education, Health and Health Services of the Patchogue-Medford School District since 2003. “I follow some great individuals who came before me, and I can only hope that I live up to their expectations. Together with our staff, we will continue to make Section XI one of the best high school athletic associations, not only in New York, but in the country.”

Combs, who will retire from his role with Patchogue-Medford at the end of the 2016-2017 school year and step into his new position, has worked collaboratively with Section XI on a number of committees over the years, including the Tournament, Seed, Athletic and Finance committees. He has also previously served as the President of the Suffolk County Athletic Directors Association.

Combs began his career as a physical education teacher and coach in the Gallipolis City School District in Gallipolis, Ohio in 1980. After three years, he moved back home to Long Island and taught and coached in Patchogue-Medford from 1983-1990 before teaching and coaching in the Harborfields Central School District from 1990-2003.

A graduate of Ashland College with a Bachelor’s of Science in physical education and health, Combs attended Stony Brook University for a Master’s of Science in health education, and his professional diploma in school district administration.

A successful football coach for a number of years, Combs is a member of the Harborfields High School Hall of Fame, the Suffolk County Sports Hall of Fame, and the Smithtown School District Athletic Hall of Fame.

As a football coach at Harborfields, Combs won two Rutgers Trophy’s in 1995 and 1996, as well as two Long Island crowns and five county titles.

“Tom brings great leadership to his new role as the Executive Director of Section XI,” said Webster. “His experience, commitment and dedication to the student-athletes, coaches, athletic administrators and fans of Suffolk County will continue to move us forward in our mission of providing positive, enjoyable athletic experiences for all. I wish Tom much success and look forward to working with him over the next few months to assist him in any way possible.”

Combs will be just the sixth person to serve as Executive Director of Section XI since 1966.

Section XI Executive Director Lineage
• W. Homer Ball, 1966-1973
• Joseph J. Barlin, 1973-1982
• Catherine D. Gallagher, 1982 – 2003
• Edward A. Cinelli, 2003 -2014
• Donald F. Webster, 2014 – 2017
• Thomas J. Combs, tenure beings July 1, 2017

Learn more about at SectionXI.org, Facebook.com/SectionXI, on Twitter @SectXISuffolk or Instagram @SectXISuffolk.

Mets pitcher and Suffolk County native Steve Matz held a pitching clinic at his alma mater last week.

The “Meet the Matz” clinic was a big hit for local kids and youth coaches.

Ward Melville alum and new Mets prospect Anthony Kay was also on hand, as well as Ward Melville coaches, Lou Petrucci and Ron Muscarella.