News & notes

 A day after committing 7 errors in a win over Saratoga, Troy High's softball team played flawless defense, but went home with nothing to show for it.

Ballston Spa snapped the Lady Horses' winning streak at 5, defeating Troy in 11 innings, 4-2. Olivia DeCitise pitched yet another complete game, striking out 21 over the 11 innings, following up a 9 K effort vs. Saratoga., bringing her career total to 582 heading into a non-league game vs. Cohoes on Saturday afternoon. Troy (6-3 overall, 3-3 Suburban Council) should draw a good crowd on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the baseball team finally won its first game of the season, toppling Ballston Spa, 6-3, dropping Curtis Nobles' club to 3-3 in league play. The win snaps a 8 game winless string (0-7-1) dating back to last year's sectional semi-finals. Troy hosts LaSalle on Saturday morning.

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A day after Jared Billups left for George Mason, Siena saw the other shoe drop in the transfer portal after leading scorer Javian McCollum transferred to Oklahoma, currently in the Big 12. McCollum will still be on your TV screens from time to time, since many of the Sooners' games will air on either Fox or ESPN.

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Bethlehem men's tennis coach Steve Smith won his 300th match Wednesday, as the Eagles shut out CBA, 9-0. Smith is in his 23rd season at Bethlehem, during which time he's led his team to 16 sectional finals, winning 11 titles, including the last four.

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Schuylerville, and all of Washington County, is mourning the passing of 2021 Schuylerville grad Kaylin Gillis, 20, who was shot to death on April 15. She and her friends were looking for another friend's house in suburban Hebron when Kevin Monahan fired two rounds from his shotgun. Gillis was hit as her boyfriend's car turned around to leave.

It is said that Monahan didn't like trespassers, considered his property private. His lawyers argued unsuccessfully to have him released on bail as he had no prior criminal record. We've seen recluses like that in the movies. Gillis was a cheerleader for the Black Horses during football & basketball season.

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History tells us of the Trojan Horse, used by the Greeks to infiltrate the city of Troy in ancient times. Today, a Trojan Horse is better known as a form of malware that can infect computers.

The Albany Empire has a Trojan Horse of its own, and his name is Antonio Brown.

Two days after the Albany Times-Union published a report in which Brown claimed to be the sole owner of the Empire, it's now come out that Brown has bought out Mike Kwarta, who bought the team in 2021, leading to back-to-back National Arena League titles. The Times-Union's Abigail Rubel reports today that Brown purchased Kwarta's share for one dollar, leaving local co-owners Steve & Charlotte von Schiller (5%) as the only "local" owners left. In reality, Brown is an Albany area native who attended schools in the area while his father, "Touchdown" Eddie Brown, starred for the Firebirds in the 90's.

Brown attended practice on Wednesday, and even went out for a pass from QB Sam Castronova. In addition to Kwarta, team president Matt Woods, and media director Jeff Levack resigned, which leads me to believe that there have been some behind the scenes issues unspoken and unreported since the Browns returned to Albany last month.

This comes two weeks after coach Tom Menas was sacked under mysterious circumstances. Seems to me that what they're not telling us is that Eddie's having a hard time reining in Antonio, whose diva behavior, if left unchecked, could cause more problems, despite the Empire winning their opener, and getting ready to face San Antonio on Saturday night. You have to remember that Antonio, once a respected star receiver in Pittsburgh with the Steelers, earning 7 Pro Bowl nods, burned bridges in four NFL cities (Pittsburgh, Oakland, Foxborough, Tampa Bay) with his antics. I will not be surprised at all, then, if interim coach Damon Ware has his head on a swivel if the Empire stumbles at some point during the season.

Brown could pull a Mario Lemieux and suit up for the Empire, or take over as coach if he feels Ware is losing the locker room (in his mind). 

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Speaking of the Firebirds, the Empire have a 2nd generation receiver on their roster whose father played with Eddie Brown.

Daquan Patten is the son of the late Firebirds, Giants, and Patriots star David Patten, who passed away in 2021 in a motorcycle accident. Daquan has already won the respect of star receiver Darius Prince, so he's off to a good start.