There will be a new face in the third-base coaching box this season as Valley Central’s Bob Leonard will not return to coach the Vikings for his fourth season.
He will be replaced by Matthew Lennon.

Leonard coached the Vikings for three years after taking over after the retirement of longtime coach Eric Bartle. The Vikings had a difficult season in 2022, but rebounded with an 11-9 record last year, and reached the Section 9 Class AA semifinals.

They opened the tournament as the fourth seed, beating the Newburgh Free Academy Goldbacks, before losing to top-seeded Warwick in the semifinals.

“It was a tough decision because I had a great group of boys coming back,” Leonard said in an email. “All great kids. The reason was strictly because I wanted to be around for family. You only get to watch your kids grow up once. My girls play many sports, and I didn’t want to miss them growing up.”

His oldest daughter, Raelin, is a seventh grader at Valley Central Middle School, and his younger daughter, Penny, is in sixth.

Instead, he will coach the district’s modified softball team, which will contain many of the girls he coached when Montgomery Little League made a run at the New York State championship in the Summer of 2022.

“I’m excited to coach these girls,” Leonard said.

The Vikings began the preseason under Lennon on March 11, and are expected to begin the regular season next Wednesday at home against the Marlboro Iron Dukes.

They will host the Newburgh Free Academy Goldbacks the following day.
This isn’t the only coaching change in the area this spring.

After winning the New York State Public High School Athletic Association championship last year, Chapel Field coach Shaun Powell left the program with his son, Leam, who graduated in 2023. Mike Bonagura will replace him.

Samantha Schwartz will take over as the Pine Bush girls’ lacrosse coach, and Gabrielle Mancuso will join the Wallkill track program after the retirement of longtime coach Eric McLaud.