High school central

A similar - though condensed - version of this will run in tomorrow's paper, but for the folks who are here in Cortland now or on the way and won't get the paper, you can get a preview of the preview now.

NOTE: Laura and I will be covering all the games and providing updates, stats, pictures and commentary during each. If you can't make it to Cortland - heck, even if you're there - follow...

Since he joined the golf team as a seventh-grader, Sayville junior Kyle Burke would set a goal for himself at the beginning of every year. It started with looking to qualify for the county tournament then grew to qualifying for the state tournament, and now before this season he aimed to win the state championship.

Burke may not have achieved his goal for this year but he came very close,...

We’re down to one team remaining from each classification in each county. There will be six games Monday and Tuesday that will decide which teams move on in the state tournament. The winners of Monday’s ‘B’ and ‘C’ games will have to win a second game on Tuesday to advance to the state semis. The winners of the ‘A’ and ‘AA’ games on Tuesday move into the state semifinals in Binghamton on Saturday.

Monday,...

As the last doubles pair from Nassau to qualify for the boys tennis state championships, Plainview JFK’s Josh Young and Yuval Solomon didn’t enter the tournament with much fanfare or high expectations.

But you wouldn’t know that when you heard the noise coming from the stands at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center every time the duo earned a point—and that’s been quite often through...

No matter how he played, Doug Notaris would come out of the first day of the Boys Tennis State Championships as a pioneer and a champion.

The Wantagh senior became the first tennis player from his school to ever compete at the state championships when he stepped onto the court for an out-bracket match at the USTA National Tennis Center.

Win or lose, he had accomplished plenty, but after...

Here is my story on Smithtown West winning the girls golf championship with extra notes and quotes:

Smithtown West won the Suffolk County Championship yesterday with a county-record score of 857 at Middle Island Country Club. This is the Bulls’ fourth county title in its 16-year program history.

“It feels tremendous,” coach Tom Kane said. “This team just kept improving, I’ve never had...

Wheatley found itself down in the sixth inning of game two of the Nassau Class B championship series and turned to an unlikely candidate with the game on the line.

Sophomore right hander Mike Carney was called upon to make his first varsity appearance in the most stressful of situations.

“He couldn't wait, he was anxious to get in and he loved it,” Wheatley head coach Paul Paino said....

Middle Country junior Michael Miranda won his second straight Suffolk Individual Championship on Tuesday, shooting an even-par 72 on Day 1 and a two-over 74 on Day 2 at Indian Island Golf Course for a two-day total of 146.

Miranda sank a seven-foot put for par on the par-4 18th hole for the outright win, edging out Smithtown West’s Tom Whelan and Sayville’s Kyle Burke by one stroke.

“He’s...

The top-seeded Half Hollow Hills boys and girls badminton teams both won Suffolk County Championships on Tuesday, marking the first time that the same team has won both titles. The girls (16-0) defeated No. 2 Smithtown West, 7-2, while the boys (14-2) won a close match against No. 2 Smithtown East, 5-4.

For the girls, it’s their fourth straight county championship and they have now won 61...

Syosset sophomore Elizabeth Choi won her second straight Nassau Individual Championship, shooting a six-over 77 on Bethpage Yellow Monday and a one-over 72 on Bethpage Green yesterday to finish with a two-day score of 149.

“I thought she did phenomenal,” Syosset coach Steve Naranjo said. “She struck the ball very well, it’s the best I’ve seen all year. She’s only a sophomore so she still has...