Don't be too quick to answer "yes" if you coach in New York City. Players there seem to be fleeing faster than teen boys who accidentally stumble into a Jonas Brothers show.

   A recent New York Post story reports that LeBrent Walker (Bayside) is now at Rockville (Md.) Montrose Christian; Jevon Thomas (Thomas Edison) has moved to Our Savior New American in Centerreach; Jose Rodriguez and 6-foot-11 academic casualty Joey DeLaRosa (St. Raymond’s) are at Impact Basketball Academy and attend Trinity International in Las Vegas; Harold McBride (St. Raymond's) is at Impact Academy in Jacksonville, Fla.; Angel Nunez (Cardinal Hayes) is in Massachusetts at the Winchendon School (Mass.); and Dashaun Wiggins and Mike Buffalo (Wings Academy) can now be found at Maine's Bridgton Academy and South Kent (Conn.), respectively.

   That's on top of a year ago when the likes of Omari Lawrence and Kevin Parrom, both from Oliver Antigua's St. Raymond's squad, left for South Kent after an issue with the coach and a bunch of other players also changed addresses.

   The newspaper asked why this was happening and came up with several reasons:

RoadToSyracuse.com Football Site

   Not surprisingly, the Class A champs were heavyweights Alex Deir of Honeoye Falls-Lima in the boys race and Aisling Cuffe of Cornwall in the girls race. Deir led a 1-3-5 HF-L finish, but North Rockland had depth and won with 40 points.

   Cody Stanton won the boys Class B event to help Jordan-Elbridge to team honors.

   Honeoye Falls-Lima was a surprising winner over Queensbury in girls Class A, Canton captured Class B and Greenwich dominated Class C.

   More cross country: Three-time defending Nike Cross National girls champion Fayetteville-Manlius put a perfect "15" on the board and won its division at the V-V-S Invitational. Molly Malone led F-M in 18:45.2, followed closely by Courtney Chapman (18:48). Katie Sischo, Jillian Fanning and Hannah Luber all hit the line in under 19:10.

   F-M's boys won their division with 16 points.

   Championship coach dies: Former Henninger basketball coach Joe Mazella, the school's assistant principal, died unexpectedly over the weekend at the age of 51.

   He had worked at Henninger in a variety of roles for 27 years. He compiled a 245-78 record and left the sideline after his Black Knights won the NYSPHSAA Class A championship in 2002 following his sixth sectional championship.

   He was noted for a robust sense of humor.

   "He took his life, family, and job responsibilities seriously, but never himself," Bob Campese, who worked with Mazella for 22 years, told The Post-Standard.