The West Islip High School stadium field will be named in honor of former West Islip athletic director, teacher and coach Wayne Shierant on Friday, September 20 at halftime of the West Islip varsity football game which starts at 6:00 p.m.
Due to the unprecedented positive impact Wayne has had on his students, student athletes, colleagues, coaches, athletic directors, Section XI, NYSPHSAA, the West Islip School District and the West Islip community and in recognition of all the great West Islip alumni the main stadium will be named ‘Wayne Shierant Field at Alumni Stadium.’
“Wayne’s leadership, knowledge, work ethic, sacrifice, dedication and commitment to excellence provided the template for teachers, coaches and administrators to utilize and implement for decades,” said West Islip Athletic Director Tim Horan. “He created a strategic educational environment centered on student growth and achievement, which allowed West Islip students and staff to obtain levels of success never experienced before. His profound positive influence on educators continues to shape and enhance programs and instruction today…and will continue for decades to come.”
Great action and energy across Section XI to start fall practices so far. There has been a lot of great content coming across social media, so keep tagging @SectXISuffolk with your practice and game images.
Most importantly, have fun and make us proud!
Welcome back Shelter Island Student-Athletes! Can’t wait to start this year! Let’s Go SI! @SectXISuffolk pic.twitter.com/v8jQFedcSK
— Todd Gulluscio, CMAA (@TGulluscio) August 26, 2019
#MeetYourCaptainsMonday! Mike Fiore, Dan Cassera, & Kenny Germano will be leading the #WardMelville #Patriots #football team this season. Let's go, boys! #WMFB #Captains @mikefiore1022 @CasseraDaniel @kgermano123 @SectXISuffolk @Gregg_Sarra 🏈💪👊 pic.twitter.com/5iEAW89hRH
— Patriots Football (@WardMelvilleFB) August 27, 2019
Day 2 @BayShoreHS all athletes & coaches working hard, thankful for great weather so far! Keep up the great effort!! @BayShoreSupe @BayShorePR @BayShoreSchools @SectXISuffolk pic.twitter.com/lAMgIN14dN
— Bay Shore Athletics (@bshs_athletics) August 27, 2019
Day two of 2019 Fall Athletics ~ our Half Hollow Hills Athletes are still working hard… more to come tomorrow!! @SectXISuffolk @HSETBIRDTV @HillsWestColts @OfficialHHHCSD pic.twitter.com/CWkGuGc1rx
— HHH Athletics (@HHHAthletics) August 28, 2019
Babylon’s Jake Carlock is still pushing for a roster spot with the New York Giants.
Not the biggest at 6-3, 225-pounds for a defensive end or linebacker, but he has found himself in the right spot at the right time throughout the pre-season.
His interception return for a touchdown against the Jets was enough to keep him on team brass radar. His work ethic has also helped.
The LIU Post product has one sack, and one tackle this pre-season.
We’ll post updates closer to the season as we learn if Carlock makes the 53-man roster, practice squad or is cut.
In the photo above, Shelter Island AD Todd Gulluacio teaching leadership training course 503 today as part of classes offered through NIAAA.
Amityville boys soccer is ranked No. 19 to open the season in the United Soccer Coaches and USA TODAY High School Sports poll.
The Warriors are one of three schools from New York and the only from Long Island to crack the top 20.
There was some incredible work being put in by Section XI student-athletes in their respective summer leagues.
Various sports have leagues through their townships – not through Section XI – and it serves as an incredible time for bonding and off-season conditioning.
Central Islip girls basketball won the Town of Brookhaven summer title.
If you would like your team featured on SectionXI.org, tweet out images and tag @SectXISuffolk.
Half Hollow Hills alum Tobias Harris re-signed with the Philadelphia 76ers in the off-season.
“Signing Tobias and solidifying him as a foundational piece of our core for years to come was a top priority for our organization this summer,” said Philly General Manager Elton Brand. “His impact in our city extends far beyond his elite talents on the floor. He has ingrained himself in the community and established himself as a leader and driver of positive change. Tobias is a fierce competitor with a tireless work ethic and embodies all of the qualities of a franchise cornerstone. I couldn’t be happier to welcome Tobias and his entire family back to the 76ers and we all look forward to continuing our quest to win a championship for this city and our amazing fans.”
The following is from a Sixers press release:
Harris was originally acquired by Philadelphia in a Feb. 6 trade with the L.A. Clippers. Last season, he appeared in 82 games (all starts) and averaged career highs in scoring (20.0), rebounding (7.9) and assists (2.8) in 34.7 minutes per game. A talented shooter and scorer, Harris’ .487 field-goal percentage and .866 free-throw percentage both represented the highest marks of his career. Harris, who also shot .397 from three-point range in 2018-19, joined NBA All-Stars Kyrie Irving and Karl-Anthony Towns as the only three players in the league to average 20-plus points while shooting at least .480 from the field and .390 from three-point range.
Last month, USA Basketball announced that Harris was selected as one of 20 players who will attend the Aug. 5-9 USA Basketball Men’s National Team training camp that will be used to select the 2019 USA World Cup Team.
In all, Harris has seen action in 546 career games (426 starts) with the 76ers, L.A. Clippers, Detroit, Orlando and Milwaukee and holds averages of 15.4 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 30.4 minutes per game. He was originally selected by Charlotte with the No. 19 overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, before being traded to Milwaukee on draft night. A Long Island native, Harris spent one season at the University of Tennessee, before declaring for the draft.
Known for his passion and mentorship, Harris was a finalist for the 2018-19 NBA Cares Community Assist Award. Shortly after joining the 76ers, he hosted more than 40 girls from Team Up Philly for a “Game Changers: Women in Sports, Tech & Literacy” panel discussion to empower girls living in underserved Philadelphia neighborhoods to lead healthy, confident and successful lives. Additionally, he spearheaded the construction of a school in Haiti and gifted the students with new shoes and soccer equipment. Finally, he’s established The Tobias Harris Fellowship, which is designed to help underserved students and teachers receive quality education through access, enrichment and advocacy.
Starting next year in high school boys lacrosse, play may be restarted with a defensive player within 5 yards of the player in possession of the ball. In such cases, defensive players must adhere to certain conditions or they may be subject to a delay-of-game technical foul.
The amended restart protocol was one of 10 rules changes recommended by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Boys Lacrosse Rules Committee at its July 15-17 meeting in Indianapolis. All rules changes were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.
“The committee worked diligently in reviewing all proposals,” said Dr. James Weaver, NFHS director of performing arts and sports and liaison to the NFHS Boys Lacrosse Rules Committee. “Year after year, the game of high school boys lacrosse continues to improve and make positive strides.”
In a change to Rule 4-22-1, officials will no longer wait for defensive players to position themselves more than 5 yards from the player in possession of the ball when restarting play. While both offensive and defensive players are still required to move more than 5 yards away, two exceptions apply to defensive players only. Defensive players within 5 yards of the player in possession of the ball can avoid a delay-of-game technical foul by allowing the player a direct path to the goal and not defending that player until the player is 5 yards away from the defending player.
“This change allows for rapid restarts to increase pace of play while making the game more engaging,” Weaver said. “Additionally, the change balances technique between offense and defense.”
Under mandatory equipment listed in Rule 1-9-1, shoulder pads and chest protectors used by players must be designed for lacrosse. Additionally, goalkeepers must wear a chest protector designed for lacrosse that meets the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) ND200 standard at the time of manufacture beginning January 1, 2021, while shoulder pads for field players must incorporate the NOCSAE ND200 lacrosse standard for chest protection beginning January 1, 2022.
NOCSAE ND200 protection will be available on the market for field players and goalkeepers this fall.
“Health and safety of players is of the utmost importance,” Weaver said. “The NOCSAE ND200 standard for lacrosse will provide valuable protection for all players in the game.”
In a change to Rule 5-5, the penalty for an illegal crosse is no longer a tiered penalty and is now a two-minute, nonreleasable penalty – regardless of the infraction.
Throwing a crosse, referenced in Rules 5-10 and 6-5-2, is now an infraction in all cases. Throwing the crosse at a ball, player or other game personnel is considered unsportsmanlike conduct, which is met with a one- to three-minute non-releasable penalty and in all other cases falls under illegal procedure.
Under the Chief Bench Official’s (CBO) responsibilities in Rule 2-7-2, the CBO is no longer responsible for penalizing a team with too few players on the field. However, delayed substitutions — when a player gains an advantage by delaying entry onto the field — still fall under the CBO’s duties.
The committee eliminated three definitions under “Play of the Ball Definitions” in Rule 4-5 – ball in flight, team possession and completed pass, which were deemed to no longer be needed.
Changes to Rules 6-1-1 and 6-2-1 focus on streamlining changes made to the slow-whistle technique in Rule 7-8-2 over the past two seasons.
Finally, Rule 4-24 clarifies that a time-out for a player with symptoms consistent with a concussion is an official’s time-out, not a team time-out.
A complete listing of the boys lacrosse rules changes will be available on the NFHS website at www.nfhs.org. Click on “Activities & Sports” at the top of the home page and select “Lacrosse-Boys.”
According to the 2017-18 NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey, there are 113,313 boys participating in lacrosse at 2,957 high schools across the country.
The New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) is holding its annual summer meeting of the Central Committee on July 30-31 in Verona, NY. The primary focus of the meeting is to vote on proposals, listen to discussion items pertaining to interscholastic athletics and to afford superintendents, principals, athletic representatives, and section executive directors the opportunity to meet in small groups.
The Central Committee approved the revision of classification cut off numbers (effective Fall 2020) and a policy for combined practices in the sport of football. The Central Committee also approved the institution of a penalty for practicing on courts at the Girls Tennis Championships. Additionally, in the sport of boys volleyball, a pool play tie breaking procedure was approved for the 2019-2020 season; reverting back to the previous procedure. A number of proposals in modified sports were approved by the Committee.
Other approved items include the creation of an Annual Officials Appreciation Day, which will take place on the Wednesday of Week #13 of the NYSPHSAA Standard Calendar. This year, Officials Appreciation day will be celebrated on Wednesday, October 2nd, 2019. The Committee also approved the addition of Unified Basketball and Unified Bowling to the Scholar-Athlete program.
DAY 2 RECAP
The Central Committee approved Ithaca College as the host site for the 2021-2023 Boys Swimming and Diving Championships. Kenmore West High School was approved as the host of the 2021 Girls Gymnastics Championships. A proposal to host the Boys Golf Championship at Cornell University on week 47 (one week earlier than the traditional week the event is held) of the NYSPHSAA standard calendar was defeated by a vote of 24-22. As a result, the NYSPHSAA office will re-bid the tournament in an effort to secure a venue to host the championship on week #48 of the standard calendar. The Committee approved the girls volleyball regional rotation listed on page 90 of the agenda.
A proposal to make a significant change to the transfer rule that would allow student-athletes to participate at the sub-varsity level was approved by a 35-11 vote. The proposal will allow students in grades 7-10 who are ineligible, as per the NYSPHSAA Transfer Rule, to practice and participate at the sub-varsity level during their period of ineligibility; non-corresponding transferring students in grades 11 and 12 who are ineligible, as per the Transfer Rule, would be limited to practice only.
The proposal to follow NFHS rules in the sport of ice hockey and play 17-minute periods for the 2019-20 season was defeated by an 18-16 vote with 12 abstentions by three sections who do not have hockey. A proposal to increase the number of games/contests with restrictions on the number of scrimmages was defeated 26-20. By a 26-20 votes, the committee defeated a proposal to revise the prescribed penalty for exceeding the maximum number of games or contests.
The Committee approved increasing the filing fee to $500.00 and require a unanimous decision by the NYSPHSAA appeals panel to overturn a sections decision. The creation of a NYSPHSAA Foundation was approved. A committee will be created by presidential appointment to discuss the formation, structure and operation of the NYSPHSAA Foundation.
The 2019 Central Committee meeting concludes with the 2019 NYSPHSAA Hall of Fame Banquet Wednesday evening. The 2020 Central Committee meeting will take place July 28-29 at the High Peaks Resort in Lake Placid.
