New York hoop stars making early decisions

The dominoes fell in rapid succession this week as a number of top high school basketball talents started disclosing college plans far ahead of the NCAA early signing period, which is Nov. 10-17.

Just hours apart on Monday, the point guards in last March's New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class AA final made their plans known. Tavon Sledge, 5-foot-9, of Half Hollow Hills West (Dix Hills) announced he will enroll at Iowa State next fall, and Christian Brothers Academy (Albany) standout Galal Cancer opted for Cornell in the Ivy League.

Sledge, who had also been considering St. John's and UTEP recently, averaged 17.8 points a game as a junior and was a second-team all-state pick in Class AA by the New York State Sportswriters Association.

He’s also a marketing dream for a school whose teams are named the "Cyclones." Overshadowed somewhat last season by teammate Tobias Harris, the state's Mr. Basketball award recipient now at Tennessee, Sledge draws raves for his hard-charging style and extraordinary leaping ability.

Cancer, a seventh-team all-stater, averaged 10.2 points as a junior. The 6-2 standout was also considering the nearby University of Albany.

Meanwhile, Rice (New York) senior swingman Jermaine Sanders is headed to Cincinnati, which was relentless in its pursuit even after multiple other Big East schools tried to muscle in. Sanders averaged 15.5 points per game and was a fourth-team all-state pick as a junior.

Rutgers scored big by dipping into the PSAL to land Boys & Girls (Brooklyn) shooting guard Michael Taylor for its sixth player commitment from this senior class. Taylor, a second-team all-state selection who also considered Florida, West Virginia and South Carolina, was a key component as the Kanagroos won their first PSAL championship in 31 years last March with a victory vs. Cardozo at Madison Square Garden.

Rutgers' other recruits include forwards Kadeem Jack and Derrick Randall, both attending South Kent School (Conn.) this year. Jack was first-team all-state at Rice of the CHSAA last season.

FOOTBALL: FITTING IN JUST FINE IN SECTION VI
After decades of self-imposed exile, Buffalo's public schools opted into the Section VI football structure this fall, making those schools eligible for sectional and NYSPHSAA playoffs for the first time.

Results for much of the early going have been spotty for the nine newcomers, who are generally hamstrung by smaller rosters, fewer coaches and inferior equipment budgets than their suburban counterparts have.

On Friday, though, they scored a breakthrough victory when East (Buffalo) went on the road to upset 2009 Section VI Class B champion Cheektowaga 14-8. Andre Jackson threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Eric Mitchell late in the fourth quarter to send Cheektowaga to its first loss after a 3-0 start.

East, which unveiled a wildcat formation in the second half, improved to 3-1.

On Saturday, Grover Cleveland (Buffalo) improved to 4-0 and took the lead in the Class C North Division by beating Cleveland Hill 20-16.

If those were the football equivalent of trout or salmon fishing, then Buffalo McKinley, which won the city league’s Harvard Cup from 2005 to ’07, goes whale hunting on Saturday with a game against two-time defending NYSPHSAA Class A champion Sweet Home.

MORE GAMES OF INTEREST THIS WEEKEND
With little in the way of marquee matchups in Classes AA or A this weekend, the little guys take the spotlight with a couple of cross-class games.

Chenango Forks (Binghamton), ranked second in Class C by the NYSSWA, is hosting Walton, No. 13 in Class D, on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. On Friday, Letchworth (Gainesville), fifth in Class C, plays host to Avon, ranked 14th in Class D.

Both of the Class D schools are 3-1 and angling for the right to take on the Section VI survivor – probably defending champ Randolph or Silver Creek – in the west bracket of the state tournament for what amounts to anointment as the 2010 state champion before the tournament culminates at the Carrier Dome on Thanksgiving weekend.

A BAD DAY ALL AROUND
Watervliet lost more than a football game over the weekend at Tamarac (Troy). The Cannoneers also lost numerous personal items when one or more thieves broke into their locker room during the 13-12 loss.

Trooper Maureen Tuffey told The Times Union that New York State Police were aware of music players, cell phones and wallets being taken.

"We would like to express our deep regrets to the athletes of Watervliet High School," Tamarac Principal Rich Pogue said in a statement. "We will do everything we can to assist State Police in their investigation to hopefully bring resolution to this unfortunate incident."

FOOTBALL ODDS AND ENDS
* First-year Boys & Girls football assistant William Miller was let go this week after mooning fans of Campus Magnet in the heated aftermath of last weekend's loss, The New York Daily News reported.

* Sauquoit Valley two-way lineman David Evans has accepted Army coach Richard Ellerson's offer to play football at West Point next fall. The 6-foot-3, 270-pound senior was being pursued by Navy, Connecticut, Colgate, Syracuse, Rutgers and most of the Ivy League.

* The sprained ankle that sidelined Vernon-Verona-Sherrill (Verona) quarterback Tyler Mautner during overtime in the 50-44 loss to Cazenovia on Saturday probably won't be enough to keep him out this weekend. Mautner threw for 439 yards and three touchdowns in the loss, bringing his four-game totals to 1,178 yards and 14 touchdowns.

* Highly regarded New York City sophomore receiver Kendall "Speedy" Thomas resurfaced Monday at Thomas Jefferson after being expelled from Xaverian. Thomas scored on a 49-yard punt return and an 86-yard kickoff return in the opener vs. St. Peter's and made six catches for 102 yards at Chaminade in his second game.

HOPSCOTCHING THE OTHER SPORTS
* Clarence scored a 2-0 win over highly regarded Lancaster last week on goals by Tyler Funk and Yoni Guardardo to improve to 8-0-1 and take over the top spot on the short list of Class AA threats. Meanwhile, Monroe-Woodbury is 5-0-1 and still unscored upon after wins late last week by identical scores of 2-0 vs. Pine Bush and New Rochelle. Dylan Williams scored twice and Ryan Roethel totaled seven saves.

* Eric McGuire scored with :01 left in the second overtime period to lift Duanesburg (Delanson) over Galway 1-0 in a boys soccer contest between two of Section II’s best Class C squads. McGuire knocked in Brandon Preston's corner kick just before time expired.

* Grand Island had a fruitful girls soccer weekend, beating Lockport 1-0 in overtime on Friday and then beating Rochester Mercy – Section V’s best large school -- by the same score on the road on Saturday to improve to 8-0. Jenna Raepple scored her ninth goal of the season in the fifth minute of overtime vs. Lockport following a Danielle Wegrzyn free kick. Jeannie Taylor scored vs. Mercy, and junior Stephanie Senn turned in a 19-save shutout.

* Queensbury won the highly competitive girls championship race at the Green Mountain Lake Cross Country Invitational in Pawling with 45 points to hold off Arlington (LaGrangeville) (59) and Shenendehowa (Clifton Park) (60) on the course that will host the NYSPHSAA championships in November. Shen junior Lizzie Predmore took top honors in 18 minutes, 20.6 seconds to hold off Brittany Winslow (18:23.27) of Queensbury, which placed three girls in the top six. Shaker (Latham) won the boys championship division with 45 points on the strength of a 1-2 finish from Mike Libruk (16:16.08) and Jon Vallecorsa (16:27.56). Connetquot was a distant second with 106 points.

* Cornwall Central (New Windsor) senior Aisling Cuffe breezed to victory at the Bowdoin Park Classic in 17:54.29, more than 1:46 ahead of the pack.

* At East Aurora, Mendon (Pittsford) star Shaylyn Tuite (16:38.55) was particularly impressive in beating the host school's Marta McLaughlin by more than 43 seconds en route to a course record.

* Rush-Henrietta (Henrietta) beat Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake for boys teams honors at the Baldwinsville Invitational. Otis Ubriaco was in top form with a 15:01.68 clocking. They’ll run in different classes this weekend at the McQuaid Invitational in Rochester, where the boys Class A field will be a great preview of the state meet.

* When Lake George swept Granville in girls volleyball last week, it marked coach Cathy Stanilka's 600th victory in a 35-year career. The Warriors improved to 6-1 this season.

* Anna Woodward’s first varsity goal led to Pine Plains field hockey coach Dick Meilinger’s 300th victory in a 2-0 verdict vs. Spackenkill. Meilinger, in his 25th season, is 300-85-43.

John Schiano, who has written about high school sports in western and central New York for more than 25 years, covers New York for MaxPreps. He may be reached at johnschianosports@gmail.com.