Leading off today: It may be my imagination, but it seems as though Section 2 schools lead the state when it comes to controversial decisions to not re-appoint veteran coaches.

   The latest instance is in Queensbury, where Superintendent Dr. Brian Howard's decision to dismiss boys basketball coach Bob Hummel was a hot topic at Wednesday's school board meeting, The Post-Star reported. Hummel has been a head coach in the district for 18 years, and several coaches from inside and outside the district attended the meeting to show support.

   JV coach Dan Cottrell and freshman coach Rocky Jackson have said they also will resign if Hummel is not reappointed, the paper reported. The district has advertised the varsity vacancy in area newspapers.

   Longtime area resident Lloyd Mott, an assistant director with the New York State Public High School Athletic Association, told the board he is questioning the pride he has had in the district. "When school districts start operating from a top-down management style ... turmoil results," Mott said.

   Howard took full responsibility for the decision, saying he did not want to more fully involve the high school principal or AD.

   "At least one and maybe other families have uprooted themselves because of basketball. I don't think this can continue," Howard said. "Everybody is entitled to their own opinion, but not everybody is entitled to their own facts."

   The only one of the seven speakers in opposition of Hummel was Tom Henderson, the father of senior player Kellen Henderson, a league all-star. Tom Henderson alleged Hummel has trouble controlling his temper and said the coach only played his son for seven minutes in a game attended by a college coach who had driven six hours to see him play.

   "To me, this guy is your kid's worst nightmare," Henderson said.

   I live a couple of hundred miles down the street, so I'm not familiar with the specifics of this saga. But I can tell you this: When opposing coaches show up in support of the guy, his assistants vow to quit in a show of unity and a stand-up guy from the NYSPHSAA also speaks out to say this isn't right you've got to wonder if something isn't at least a little fishy.

   A heck of a day: Johns Hopkins recruit Candace Rossi scored nine of her 12 goals in the first half of Farmingdale's 20-8 girls lacrosse victory over Friends Academy. Her run included six goals in a 7:24 span to break a 2-2 tie.

   "She is not an All-American by accident," Farmingdale coach Tracy Wiener said. "The whole game flowed through her. She's a big force out there and she's not a kid that takes it easy."

   Speaking of scoring, Horace Greeley senior Courtney Miller had nine points — including career goal No. 200 — in a 15-13 loss to Yorktown. Jaimie Morrison had five goals and four assists for the winners.

   "It's insane," Miller said. "As a freshman, I never imagined that this would happen."

   Extra points: In baseball, Bath downed Wellsville, 14-4, with the help of back-to-back-to-back solo home runs in the sixth inning from Mike Rossi, Brett Havens and Montana Yastremski. In case you're curious, the national record for consecutive homers in an inning is seven. . . . Syracuse University running back Averin Collier will be sidelined for the rest of the spring by a stress fracture in his left foot. The 2007 All-Greater Rochester Player of the Year had graduated from Churchville-Chili in January in order to enroll early.

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