By the time you read these words the games will already be underway. On Tuesday, March 9, the “Fall II” season of high school sports began, with most student athletes competing for the first time in a year.
“I’m smiling ear-to-ear,” said Kingston City School District (KCSD) Athletic Director Rich Silverstein. “I’m smiling because right now we have somewhere in the vicinity of 200 different athletes who almost couldn’t continue to play, but now they can.”
Kingston returns all of its fall sports programs at both the varsity and JV level for the delayed fall season, which begins this week and runs through the first weekend in May. Spring sports are scheduled to start on Monday, April 19.
“I’m thrilled,” said Silverstein on Friday, March 5. “Everything’s moving forward. I spent half my day at Dietz (Stadium) getting that ready. We are ready for sports. We are ready.”
Dietz hosted its first game on Tuesday, March 9. On Wednesday, March 10, the KCSD’s boys’ varsity and JV soccer teams host Minisink Valley at Dietz Stadium and M. Clifford Miller Middle School respectively, while the varsity and JV volleyball teams head to Warwick for crossover action.
The KCSD girls’ varsity swimming and diving team’s first action of the season comes on Thursday, March 11 when they host league opponent FDR at Kate Walton Field House. The Tigers’ varsity football team will hit the gridiron for the first time in a non-league battle at Warwick on Friday, March 12. And in other first matchups of the fall season for Kingston, the girls’ tennis team hosts non-league opponent James I. O’Neil on Monday, March 15; and the boys’ and girls’ cross country team hosts Pine Bush on Monday, March 23 at M. Clifford Miller.
Kingston will allow spectators at outdoor sports events with numerous conditions: Each student-athlete will be given two passes for spectators, home and away spectators will be seated in different areas, each athletic site will have separate entrances and exits, all spectators will have their temperatures taken before entering athletic sites, family members are asked to sit together and sit at least six feet away from others and masks are required at all times.
While Kingston decided to offer its full complement of fall sports for the truncated season, some other districts opted out of sports deemed high-risk. Saugerties decided against football, wrestling and volleyball and also expanded varsity rosters instead of fielding separate JV teams.
“I feel great that we will have some teams competing and having some normalcy again,” said the Saugerties Athletic Director Dominic Zarrella. “I feel badly that we can’t offer everything, especially for the seniors. Hopefully we will be able to support all sports and levels in the spring.”
Saugerties began its fall season on March 9, with the boys’ and girls’ cross-country team heading to the Ogden Mills and Ruth Livingston Mills State Park for a multi-school meet. That same day, the boys’ varsity soccer team traveled to Wallkill for an MHAL matchup. On March 10, the girls’ varsity soccer team kicks off its season at Wallkill.
Saugerties will host the first girls’ tennis match of the season on March 12 when Wallkill comes to town. That same day will see the girls’ soccer team in its first home game of the year when they welcome Wallkill.
With a pair of postponements at the start of their season, Onteora High School won’t officially get underway until Thursday, March 11 when the varsity boys’ soccer team travels to Spackenkill for MHAL action. The boys’ and girls’ cross-country teams will head to Ogden Mills and Ruth Livingston Mills State Park for a multi-school meet on March 12. That same day, the varsity girls’ soccer team will head to Spackenkill for MHAL action.
On Monday, March 15, the girls’ tennis team will travel to Saugerties for a league battle. Field Hockey officially gets underway for Onteora on Wednesday, March 17 when they head to Dietz Stadium for an MHAL matchup against Kingston. The Onteora School District’s eight-player football team’s season won’t begin until Saturday, March 20 when they head to Pawling.
“Having the opportunity to have sports back at Onteora has created a sense of hope for our student-athletes who have missed the physical, social and emotional benefits that interscholastic sports provide,” said Onteora Athletic Director Kim Pilla. “Athletics plays an integral role in the educational experience of so many of our students, as well as creating and fostering a positive impact on school culture. Our coaches and student athletes are thrilled and have shared on many occasions how excited they are to be back on the playing fields. I am so impressed with the maturity, responsibility and commitment our student athletes have exuded thus far this season. I greatly appreciate the support we have received from our parents, staff, administration and our board of education and we look forward to a healthy, competitive and safe season for all of our students-athletes.”
New Paltz will offer most varsity sports and both varsity and JV volleyball, but will not field a football team this season. They also plan to have in-house JV and modified boys’ and girls’ soccer and modified cross-country.
The New Paltz School District will see its fall sports season begin on Wednesday, March 10 when the girls’ varsity tennis team travels to FDR for MHAL league action. FDR will also host New Paltz the following day for boys’ varsity soccer, as well as both varsity and JV volleyball. Also on March 11, the girls’ varsity swimming and diving team will compete at Marlboro High in a multi-school meet.
On Friday, March 12, the Huguenots’ girls’ varsity soccer team will compete in MHAL action when it travels to FDR; that same day, the varsity and JV volleyball teams will head to Wallkill for MHAL competition.
Section 9 Nordic skiing results
New Paltz High School seniors Diego Schillaci and Lake Willett were both crowned Section 9 Nordic ski champions after last week’s 7.5 kilometer race at Minnewaska State Park. The New Paltz Girls’ Nordic ski team took home first-, second- and third-place finishes. Willett was first, followed by teammate Lily Zaborowski, second and Ella Urrico, third. Natalee Watts and Samantha Wong-Pan finished fifth and sixth respectively.
The New Paltz High School boys’ team, despite Schillaci’s first-place place performance, lost the overall team title to the Wallkill Panthers. Alex Temidis, Greg Marcinik and Jordan Marwin placed 2-3-4 overall for Wallkill.
Although the season was unusually short due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the ski conditions were perfect with lots of snow, cold temperatures and expertly groomed trails at Minnewaska State Park.
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