OT: Five CNY high schools will no longer schedule CBA

[Eric15]

Good for those schools. It's like a middleweight boxer (who only has access to players in their district) vs. a heavyweight boxer (who can poach players from wherever they want). It's a major competitive disadvantage that should be addressed.

5 Central NY big schools make ‘unprecedented’ football move: They refuse to schedule CBA

Shunned by Central New York schools, the Brothers will travel more than 1,200 miles across two states next season.

www.syracuse.com

"Five of Central New York’s biggest high schools withdrew from the football league that includes Christian Brothers Academy, an unprecedented move to avoid playing the five-time state champion and to protest what some see as CBA’s unfair recruiting practices, syracuse.com has learned.

Those schools — Cicero-North Syracuse, Henninger, Liverpool, Rome Free Academy and Utica Proctor — have taken the public vs. private school debate to a new level by opting out of Class AA Tier 1 play for the 2026 season. Those schools will move to Tier 2.

That leaves only Baldwinsville and three‑time defending state champion CBA in the largest league. It also forces CBA, a private school, to play a schedule never seen in Central New York.

Schools typically play most games within their section, but CBA will play at least six private schools from Buffalo to New Rochelle. CBA will travel at least 1,200 miles next season. The longest trip will be a 300-mile round trip to Massachusetts to face Catholic Memorial."

 

[Newhouser]

Don't blame the public schools at all. NYSPHSAA is a clown show.

 

[dwilmont44]

Bville the only one not scared.

Makes me proud.

 

[EnviroSciGuy]

Kudos to those schools, and long overdue. I'm all for having local high schools play CBA... as a non-league opponent. They don't belong in sectionals or the NYSPHSAA playoffs.

 

[Eric15]

Bville the only one not scared.

Makes me proud.

I’ll be rooting for them to avenge last seasons 63 point loss to CBA.

 

[2B20Again]

Kudos to those schools, and long overdue. I'm all for having local high schools play CBA... as a non-league opponent. They don't belong in sectionals or the NYSPHSAA playoffs.

I’m a newbie. I don’t get it CBA was in section 3 for years because of enrollment I believe, won everything. So they got moved up to compete with much larger schools, and this schools don’t want to play them? I don’t get it. My coach would say play better.

 

[javadoc]

I’m a newbie. I don’t get it CBA was in section 3 for years because of enrollment I believe, won everything. So they got moved up to compete with much larger schools, and this schools don’t want to play them? I don’t get it. My coach would say play better.

Did you read the article? "Play better" can only go so far if one team is cherry-picking the best players from the region since they are private, but traditional public schools are "stuck" with the people living in their districts - minus the best players who were cherry-picked by the private school.

 

[007]

I’m a newbie. I don’t get it CBA was in section 3 for years because of enrollment I believe, won everything. So they got moved up to compete with much larger schools, and this schools don’t want to play them? I don’t get it. My coach would say play better.

What would your coach have said if CBA recruited your 5 best players to CBA every year?

 

[CuseTG2003]

There's absolutely zero pride in winning when the cards are so heavily stacked in your favor. Only frontrunners (i.e., losers) think there is.

 

[cusefan88]

I think this honestly best for all parties. CBA is an elite private school and has no business playing local HS anymore. It's not very competitive.

 

[2B20Again]

What would your coach have said if CBA recruited your 5 best players to CBA every year?

member: 338"]
Did you read the article? "Play better" can only go so far if one team is cherry-picking the best players from the region since they are private, but traditional public schools are "stuck" with the people living in their districts - minus the best players who were cherry-picked by the private school.
[/QUOTE]
Sorry didn’t want to start a fight. Said I was a newbie. What about when BVille was killing everyone in football for years. How about west hill hoops. CBA is a small private school. Who would you have them play? Anyone can go to CBA. If you live in Liverpool or BVille CND you go to those schools or a private school.
Sorry if I offended anyone. Just seemed odd. I get the recruiting deal but those recruits get a better opportunity to continue their career at the next level

Maybe those kids should not be afforded that opportunity. I get it.

 

[Eric15]

My coach would say play better.

That would be perfectly reasonable if it was an apples to apples, public school vs. public school comparison. Like if CNS became extremely dominant due to working hard and having great coaching and cultivating their local talent, all power to them.

But when every school except one only has access to the kids in their geographical area who show up to tryouts, and CBA gets to roam around the area recruiting kids, no amount of "just play better" will level that playing field.

 

[javadoc]

member: 338"]
Did you read the article? "Play better" can only go so far if one team is cherry-picking the best players from the region since they are private, but traditional public schools are "stuck" with the people living in their districts - minus the best players who were cherry-picked by the private school.

Sorry didn’t want to start a fight. Said I was a newbie. What about when BVille was killing everyone in football for years. How about west hill hoops. CBA is a small private school. Who would you have them play? Anyone can go to CBA. If you live in Liverpool or BVille CND you go to those schools or a private school.
Sorry if I offended anyone. Just seemed odd. I get the recruiting deal but those recruits get a better opportunity to continue their career at the next level

Maybe those kids should not be afforded that opportunity. I get it.

If that is the world they want to live in, they can play a national schedule against like-minded privates, or do what they are doing now, which is to play teams throughout the greater region who are operating in the same way.

 

[dwilmont44]

I’ll be rooting for them to avenge last seasons 63 point loss to CBA.

Well they're cheaters what do you expect!

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Do they still refer to the women's teams as the Lady Brothers?

 

[Eric15]

Do they still refer to the women's teams as the Lady Brothers?

 

[im4cuse]

I know a woman in NoVa who was in the first group of girls back in the day. I asked the same question!

 

[blizz]

small private school.

Anyone can go to CBA.

I'm sitting in my car just nodding.

 

[EnviroSciGuy]

I’m a newbie. I don’t get it CBA was in section 3 for years because of enrollment I believe, won everything. So they got moved up to compete with much larger schools, and this schools don’t want to play them? I don’t get it. My coach would say play better.

This type of response always appears in any CBA discussion.

Like I said, I have no problem playing against them. And have. We always wanted them on the schedule.

They should not be competing against unlike opponents (generally geographically-limited public schools) for championships. Maybe back in the day they sucked and got their asses handed to them, but many of their sports programs are a totally different animal now.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

I know a woman in NoVa who was in the first group of girls back in the day. I asked the same question!

You say you knew a woman in NoVa, eh?

Perhaps there may be a critical detail that may be of interest to the board, in general.