News & notes

Assuming they'll have spring sports this year in Section II----and that's growing increasingly unlikely---don't expect Emma Willard to field any teams for softball and women's lacrosse.

The school, located on Pawling Avenue in Troy, is opting to stick with online classes for the rest of the season. Better, then, to err on the side of caution to avoid any unnecessary risks.

With social distancing mandates remaining in place through at least April 30, expect everyone else in Section II to follow suit, and spring sports will have to wait until 2021.
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The Symetra golf tour is a developmental program for the LPGA, and traditionally has a stop in Albany.

This year's event, set for late May, has been postponed due to COVID-19. No make-up date has been set as yet, and tour officials are negotiating on said make-up dates, trying to remain hopeful that the tournament will land in Albany this season.
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With horse racing having been shut down in New York by Governor Andrew Cuomo due to COVID-19, it raises the question of whether or not Saratoga will have its annual meet, set to start in July and run through Labor Day.

The longer the pandemic remains a major health concern nationwide, the less chance there is that NYRA will get the full 40 days for this year's meet.

To that end, we must consider whether or not there will be any sports options this summer. Stay tuned.
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The other shoe has dropped at Troy High.

According to James Allen in today's Albany Times-Union, Greg Davis is out as men's varsity basketball coach at Troy after three seasons. This opens the door for the possible return of principal's assistant Richard Hurley as head coach after three seasons away from the Troy bench. Hurley, in seven seasons as Troy coach (2011-17), led Troy to five straight Section II title games between Classes A & AA, winning two (2013 & 2016), before stepping down after the 2016-17 season to spend more time with his family. Davis, a year removed from winning a sectional title of his own and being named Large School Coach of The Year by the Times-Union, compiled a 45-27 record as one of the youngest coaches in Section II from 2017-20.

Troy makes coaching decisions on a year-to-year basis. One suspects that a 4th place finish in the Suburban Council's Gray division in the just concluded 2019-20 season sealed Davis' fate. Davis still teaches at Troy at present.
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Meanwhile, over in Averill Park, even though the spring sports season hasn't officially started due to COVID-19, El Cheapo Media reports that Averill Park High had in fact named their new varsity softball coach.

Kevin Earl, currently also the defensive coordinator for the varsity football team, the very same one for which he was the head coach some 20 years ago, has been named varsity softball coach, and was interviewed by El Cheapo's "Average" Joe Boyle. The piece will likely see print in Saturday's editions. Varsity basketball coach Dave Pugilese, who also is an assistant under Zach Gobel in football, finished the 2019 season as softball head coach after Ken Bailey was dismissed amid allegations of body shaming and other forms of verbal abuse against members of the softball team.

Bailey was pulled right before a critical Suburban Council game 8 months ago vs. Troy, which the Warriors lost.

Apparently, AP's budget is such that they rarely hire outside the pre-existing athletic staff. If they don't play this season, Earl would begin his softball coaching career in 2021.