By Joe Morelli, Schools Sports Editor
jmorelli@nhregister.com / Twitter: @nhrJoeMorelli

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NEW HAVEN — One lineup adjustment went a long way in deciding the Southern Connecticut Conference boys’ tennis championship.

Amity’s Jonah Schwartz had played at No. 3 singles throughout the regular season, but lost some tough matches to the league’s top teams late in the season. Spartans coach Chris Raffone hadn’t forgotten how good Schwartz was at No. 1 doubles in Amity’s run to the SCC title last season, which included clinching the deciding match in the final.

So Raffone returned Schwartz to that spot for this year’s SCC tournament with a new partner, Gabriel Betancour. On Friday, the duo clinched the deciding match for top-seeded Amity in a 4-3 win over No. 3 Cheshire to win its second straight league championship at Yale’s Cullman-Heyman Center.

HERE'S MORE ON AMITY'S WIN, ALONG WITH HAND'S WIN IN THE SCC

The CIAC has released its pairings for the girls' lacrosse Class L, M and S tournaments and some local New Haven area teams appear poised to make a long post season run.
In Class L, Cheshire is the No. 1 seed and has the talent and depth to get to the championship game this season led on offense by Maria Blois, Emma Farrel, Kathleen Kallbian and Alyssa Hague among others. But it won't be easy for the Rams in the upper bracket who could potentially face No. 8 Ridgefield in the quarterfinals and No. 4 Staples in the semifinals. No. 2 Newtown and No. 3 Greenwich are the top challengers in the lower bracket.
In Class M, defending champion Darien, the No. 9 seed, is the is the team to beat. The Blue Wave have five losses but they are the result of one of the toughest schedules in girls lacrosse in the state.
No. 1 New Canaan, No. 3 Wilton and No. 6 Barlow are the top challengers for the Blue Wave.
Hand, led by goalie Christy Forrest, and Guilford, led by high scoring Riley Smith and Leigh Rooney, have the talent to advance in Class M. But Hand would have to get by New Canaan and Darien just to get to the semifinals.
In Class S, Shoreline Conference powers No. 1 Haddam-Killingworth and No. 12 North Branford have a solid shot to get to the championship game, but only one could do it since both would potentially meet in the semifinals. The Cougars are led on offense by Kiley Anderson and the Thunderbirds are led by high-scoring Emmy Dulak.
The top challengers for the Shoreline teams are No. 2 Granby and No. 3 Weston.

The CIAC released the pairings for the Class L, M and S boys' lacrosse tournaments and one noticeable item is Cheshire being in unfamiliar territoy - in a qualifying round in the Class L tournament.
No. 16 seed Cheshire, 8-10, hosts No. 17 Simsbury today (Friday) at 7 p.m. in the qualifying round game.
The Rams haven't had a complete team until recently with several players out due to injury and sickness. But the Rams have gotten healthy at the right time and should get to the first round where they would potentially face top seed Simsbury on Wednesday at Simsbury at 4:30 p.m.
The Rams have the talent front to back to pull off an upset or two. The wildcard could be goalie Will Devine who has talent.
Fairfield Prep and defending champion Ridgefield, both  among the top five in the Register's Top 10 poll all season, are the teams to beat in Class L. Ridgefield recently had a huge win against No. 1 ranked Darien (competing in Class M). Prep will be facing Hand today at 3 p.m. in the Southern Connecticut Conference final at Branford High.
In Class M, Darien is on a mission to win it all and will likely take no prisoners. The Blue Wave have nearly a dozen players headed to Division I-II colleges led by Case Matheis, ranked the No. 1 rectruit in the nation this season. Matheis has committed to play at Duke.
Locally, Guilford and Hand have the best shot to advance far in Class M but both are in very difficult brackets.
In Class S, Barlow, Weston and Granby are the teams to beat. Weston, ranked No., 10 in the Register's Top 10 poll the last two weeks, has the depth on both ends of the field to win it all.
Locally, Old Lyme and Notre Dame-Fairfield could pull off an upset or two in the first two rounds.

HAMDEN - Hamden Hall boys' lacrosse is experiencing one of its most successful seasons in the history of the Hornets' program and coach A.J. Raccio has been recognized by his peers for the success.
Raccio has been named the Western New England Secondary School Lacrosse Association Division II Coach of the Year as selected by the coaches in the league.
"I really haven't talked about it much, but it is a special honor," said Raccio in an interview at Hamden Hall on Thursday morning. "The thing is the honor really isn't about me. It's about every one of our players who have put in a lot of hard work and effort to make us successful this season. They play their hearts out every time they walk onto the field."
The Hornets are 11-3 this season and defeated fierce rival Hopkins 9-8 on Saturday. It was the second straight season they beat the Hilltoppers but only the fifth time in the last 30 years according to Raccio.
Hamden Hall has qualified for the WNESSLA D-II tournament and competes in the quarterfinals today at St. Luke's in New Canaan  for a 4 p.m. game. The Hornets also qualified for the Fairchester Athletic Association tournament and lost 13-4 to Kingswood-Oxford in the semifinals on Monday.

BASEBALL
Non-league
O’Brien Tech at Westbrook, ppd. to Wednesday, 3:45 p.m.
Morgan at Rocky Hill, ppd. to Thursday, 3:45 p.m.
North Branford at Lyman Hall, ppd. to Wednesday, 7 p.m.
NVL quarterfinals
Seymour vs. Ansonia, completion of suspended game, ppd. to Wednesday at Municipal Stadium, Waterbury, 5:45 p.m. (Seymour up 4-1 in bottom of 6th)
Derby vs. Torrington, ppd. to Wednesday at Naugatuck, 3:30 p.m.
Semifinals
Seymour-Ansonia winner vs. Holy Cross-Wolcott winner, ppd. to Wednesday at Municipal Stadium, 7 p.m.
Derby-Torrington winner vs. Watertown, ppd. to Wednesday at Municipal Stadium, 6 p.m.
SWC tournament
quarterfinals
Oxford at Bunnell, ppd. to Wednesday, 4 p.m.
FCIAC tournament
Trumbull at St. Joseph, ppd. to Wednesday, 4 p.m.
SOFTBALL
Shoreline
Old Saybrook at Cromwell, ppd., TBA
Non-league
North Branford at Southington, ppd. to Thursday, 3:45 p.m.
Wilbur Cross at New Britain (Chelsey Park), ppd. to Wednesday, 4:30 p.m.
FCIAC quarterfinals
Stamford at St. Joseph, ppd. to Wednesday, 4 p.m.
SWC
Lauralton Hall at Weston, ppd. to Wednesday, 4 p.m.
NVL quarterfinals
Woodland vs. Ansonia, resumption of suspended game in fourth inning, ppd. to Wednesday at Woodland, 3 p.m.
Naugatuck vs. Watertown, ppd. to Wednesday at Woodland, 4 p.m.
SCC Quinnipiac
Sacred Heart Academy at Hamden, ppd. to Thursday, 6 p.m.
CSC
Bullard-Havens at O’Brien Tech, cancelled
CCC
Platt at Maloney, ppd. to Wednesday, 3:45 p.m.
NVL
St. Paul at Derby, ppd. to Wednesday, 4 p.m.
GIRLS’ LACROSSE
Shoreline
Old Lyme at Haddam-Killingworth, ppd. to Thursday, 4 p.m.
BOYS’ TENNIS
Shoreline
Morgan at North Branford, ppd. to Thursday, 3:45 p.m.
Portland at Westbrook, ppd. to Thursday, 3:45 p.m.
GIRLS’ TENNIS
Shoreline
Valley Regional at Cromwell, ppd.to Thursday, 3:45 p.m.
SCC
Hillhouse/Career at East Haven, ppd. to Wednesday, 3:45 p.m.
Non-league
Stratford at Law, ppd., TBA
BOYS’ GOLF
SCC
Foran at Hillhouse (Alling Memorial GC), ppd., TBA
GIRLS’ GOLF
Cheshire at Sacred Heart Academy (Laurel View CC), 3:30 p.m.

By Sports staff


Twitter: @nhrsports



Cheshire football coach Mark Ecke said in an email to media outlets Monday night that he is stepping down.



“I am contacting you this evening to let you know that I have decided to step down from my duties as head football coach at Cheshire High School. It was a difficult decision, but one that I believe best serves my family, the football program and my players,” Ecke said in the email.



Ecke’s decision comes almost two weeks after being suspended due to an alleged incident at a junior varsity lacrosse game on May 3 in Glastonbury in which police were called to the field.



CHECK OUT MORE ON WHAT ECKE HAD TO SAY.

Just a handful of postponements on Monday as the regular season winds down and the league tournaments begin:
BASEBALL
Non-league
O’Brien Tech at East Windsor, ppd., TBA
SWC Tournament (at site of higher seed)
quarterfinals
No. 7 Oxford at No. 2 Bunnell, ppd. to Tuesday, 4 p.m.
FCIAC Tournament (at site of higher seed)
 quarterfinals
No. 7 Trumbull at No. 2 St. Joseph, ppd. to Tuesday, 4 p.m.
SOFTBALL
Non-league
O’Brien Tech at Career (East Shore), ppd. to Wednesday, 7 p.m.
SWC
Lauralton Hall at Weston, ppd to Tuesday, 4 p.m.
FCIAC Tournament (at site of higher seed)
quarterfinals
No. 6 Stamford at No. 3 St. Joseph, ppd. to Tuesday, 4 p.m.
BOYS’ TENNIS
Shoreline
Morgan at North Branford, ppd. to today, 3:45 p.m.
SCC
Sheehan at West Haven, ppd., TBA
Career at Law, ppd., TBA
GIRLS’ TENNIS
Shoreline
North Branford at Morgan, ppd. to Thursday, 3:45 p.m.
SCC
Foran at West Haven,ppd. to Wednesday, 3:45 p.m.
Hillhouse/Career at East Haven,ppd. to Tuesday, 3:45 p.m.