Welcome to this week’s breakdown of the High School Sports Beat, brought to you by Alfred State College. Many thanks to Alfred State College for joining the Sports Beat family, and helping to bring weekly coverage of Section V High School Sports to broadcast on 13 WHAM.
Now, here’s your behind the scenes look at the production, from the producer and the shows many contributors. It’s week 8 of the season, and sectional champs are being crowned as we speak…
We start this week with a special #Flashback – It was our 3rd episode, in October 2011, and it was a story worthy of a Disney movie. A boys soccer team comprised of players, many of the refugees, from 13 countries. Different languages, different backgrounds… some from countries that had hostilities against one another. The common bond for them all, was soccer. The Jefferson-Franklin Jaguars were a team unlike the rest, and one of our favorite stories from the last 9 seasons.
Here is the story, expanded and re-mastered for 2019…
13 WHAM’s Matt Trabold joins us for the Dunkin High School Notebook. Matt and Dave Yates talk about Section V Football, and three teams to watch: The East Eagles, The Fightin’ Irish of Batavia Notre Dame, and the Uprep Griffins.
Kyle O’Gara is up next with this week’s Making the Grade nominee… and, as always, if you have a candidate for our Making the Grade segment, send us an email to MTG@RocSportsNow.com or fill-in our contact form. This week, we honor Austin Shaffer from Eastridge.
The Section V Spotlight is up next, highlighting some of the accomplishments of Section V athletes, teams and coaches.
Our top story this week takes us on special tour of the Autism UP program, at the recently opened Golisano Autism Center. We were invited to attend, along with the Greece Athena Boys Soccer team, by one it’s assistant coaches – Jason McElwain. You may remember him as ‘J-Mac’. His story swept the nation back in 2006, earning him an ESPY Award and opportunities to hang out with the likes of Kobe Bryant and President George W. Bush. Today, J-Mac serves as an ambassador for the Autism community, speaking to groups around the country.
Jason McElwain, and family, meet President George W. Bush, outside of Air Force One.
Jason McElwain at the 2007 ESPY Awards, with Kobe Bryant (right)
And that’s a wrap on week 8 of Season 9! Be sure to check out the full episode– and tune in Every Saturday night on 13 WHAM after the late news, and on Sundays at Noon.
Follow the High School Sports Beat on Twitter, and be sure to check back here each Monday for the latest Insider!
We leave you this week, with an Insider weekly feature – looking back at some of our stories from the past 8 years. From November 30, 2013 – everyone in Section V knew Penfield’s Katie Lembo was one of the top runners in the area… but as we discovered, she’s actually quite good at the violin as well.
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