Leading off today: All-state wide receiver Alvin Cornelius of Tottenville has given a verbal agreement to play football for Syracuse University in the fall of 2012.

   Cornelius, a New York State Sportswriters Association second-team pick as a junior, visited Syracuse this spring and informed coach Doug Marrone of his decision on Monday as the Orange staff continued to mine its pipeline to the five boroughs. Cornelius will follow the likes of Fort Hamilton’s Brandon Reddish and Ivan Foy, Canarsie’s Steven Rene, and Xaverian’s Mario Tull to Piety Hill.

   “It’s not that far from home,” Cornelius told The New York Post. “You’re close to your family. As city kids go there, more city kids will join and enjoy it.”

   Cornelius also received offers from Akron, Buffalo, Temple and Vanderbilt. He led all Staten Island receivers with an average of 21.7 yards per catch and 14 receiving touchdowns. He caught 32 passes last season.

   Wantagh controversy: Dozens of Wantagh students held a rally Monday in support of football coach Keith Sachs after learning he would not be re-appointed to the position.

   The Wantagh school board recently voted to not renew the football contract of Sachs, who has gone 109-66-1 in 19 seasons since 1992 and inheriting a winless team. Sachs has also been Wantagh's head baseball coach since 1994. He will remain in his position as a phys ed instructor, and the vote does not affect his status with the baseball team.

   Sachs guided the Warriors to a Long Island Class III title in 2001, a Nassau County championship in 2004 and seven other Section 8 finals.

   Sachs declined to comment on the school board not renewing his football contact, Patch.com reported.

   Hard feelings remain: I mentioned in a recent blog that Livingston County football chairman Gene Mastin was unhappy that C.G. Finney dropped its league schedule in favor of going independent this fall. The Falcons' late departure left several Livingston County Division III schools with a hole in their schedules and no options close to home for filling it.

   Well, the coach of Hornell's two-time defending NYSPHSAA champions remains livid. Mastin told SectionV.Talksback.com he wants Section 5 to take action -- up to and including forcing Finney to drop four games subsequently scheduled vs. Buffalo-area private schools and play its Livingston County schedule.

Get all the N.Y. boys lacrosse info

Spring tournament schedules NYSPHSAA boys lacrosse NYSPHSAA baseball NYSPHSAA girls lacrosse NYSPHSAA softball

   Short of that, Mastin would like to see FInney drop down to a JV schedule -- the school cited concerns about its ability to compete against varsity Class D teams -- so that the affected Livingston County schools could pick up the extra non-league games.

   The real bombshell, though, is that Mastin wants Section 5 to shun Finney altogether if the Penfield independent school doesn't comply. Mastin told the website he would ask the section to ban Finney from sectional tournaments in all sports. Finney reached the NYSPHSAA final four in basketball last season.

   Though Finney has made a mess of this situation, I wouldn't go so far as to lobby for an all-sport banishment. The matter is between Finney (an associate member) and the league. Livingston County is within its rights to bounce the school from its league, and its members are under no obligation to schedule non-leaguers vs. Finney.

   A blow to Section 4 fans: For nearly five years, the Southern Tier Sports Network did webcasts of numerous H.S. and college sporting events across Section 4, averaging close to an event a day through the school year.

[ Continued ]