On a rare and glorious first day of practice, Section Five saw 65 degrees and a full sun on March 3rd. It won't last long, as there is a storm warning on tap in the next few days.

The teams with artificial turf fields had the benefit of a mid-season-like practices, full field and shorts. Teams without had to deal with fields under water as the snow melted, but couldn't get past the frozen turf. Most of them had to settle for parking lots, but at least they were out of the gyms.

Eleven new coaches held their first practices today. Gone are Joe Hussar at Batavia, replaced by Chuck Hammon, Logan Roberts at Churchville-Chili who replaced by David Child, Tom MacMillan at HFL who replaced by Todd Morgan and Sam Cassarino at Arcadia/Olympia who replaced by John Kleehamer. Brett Wood has replaced John Sciera at Livonia and Paul Jordan takes over for Scott Bryson at McQuaid Jesuit.

Joe Hill takes over for Enzo Falso at Pal-Mac while Jim DeWald steps up for Mike Gottko at Rush-Henrietta. Henry Kuperus and Matt Groot will be Co-Head Coaches as they assume the leadership position from Bill Kirnie at Newark. Jack Beaney will be the first Head Coach at a combined Bloomfield-Honeoye team this season. (For conversation about the turnover, see Coach Wilson's Scooping Through posting.)

A new season always brings new hope and the feeling that "this will be the year" our team wins.

SportsFive is in the process of finishing up our 2008 previews. We hope to post articles on all thirty-two teams sometime next week. The first game of the season is currently scheduled for March 27th when Pal-Mac plays Livonia at 5:00 and Aquinas hosts St. Francis at 7:00 PM.

Let the games begin.