This Jonny McGhee situation has finally gotten to me. I’m fleeing the country.

OK, well that’s not really true. But I am going tonight to Italy for 14 days. I’m leaving tonight, flying into Rome and spending the trip touring the Amalfi Coast. It will be my first trip to Italy but not my first tour of Europe. I went to Spain when I was in high school and to England and Ireland in college.

Don’t fear, Josh Thomson of The Journal News will be at New Rochelle for Champions Camp on Monday and will have an update on the blog at night. Obviously, I know I can count on you all to provide daily updates of what’s going on. I’ll also have football-related articles running in the paper every Monday until I get back.

I’ll try to check in throughout my trip. Don’t worry, I’ll be back well in time for the first day of practice. My flight is at 9:55 tonight. It’s 3 p.m. now, which leaves me just enough time to pack, get a haircut, mow the lawn, grab a bite and write a few stories.

The great Neil Kerr of the Syracuse Post-Standard reported this week that the New York State Football Coaches Association is exploring a possible Upstate vs. Downstate All-Star Football Game for next season. Click here to read the story.

As you know, the annual “Governors Bowl” between New York and New Jersey was discontinued after 11 contests this year because New Jersey no longer wanted to alternate sites each year. New Jersey created a new game this summer — New Jersey vs. the Northeast — which included local standouts Rob Lombardo of Somers and Darlos James of Iona Prep.

The new game could potentially be played at the Carrier Dome next June. It would be called the “Empire State Bowl” and new Syracuse University coach Doug Marrone is part of the discussions to get the game off the ground.

Marrone, from what I’m told, is aggressively trying to win back the support of New York State football coaches who were turned away from former Syracuse coach Greg Robinson and into the hands of Rutgers coach Greg Schiano. Apparently, two kids from New Rochelle a few years ago de-committed to Syracuse, instead went to Rutgers and essentially turned the once-laughable program into a contender and made Schiano a very wealthy man. I’ll have to research the names of those alleged players.

Obviously, I love the idea of bringing back an all-star game. If it’s going to be New York only, then it would significantly increase the chances that our local guys can participate. Add in the fact that it could be held at the Carrier Dome, and this is a no-brainer if they can scrape the money together.

Sign me up. I’d be willing to help organize in any way possible.

As I detailed in an article in today’s Journal News, Lewis Edney is settling in as the new quarterback at New Rochelle. Nope, Jonny McGhee hasn’t come back to the team and, according to the coaches and players, it doesn’t seem like he’s going to.

I’ve said it before and I stand by it: Jonny McGhee would have been the best returning player in Section 1 this season. He started as a sophomore two years ago and had his team three minutes from the state championship game, only to guide them within a 26-yard field goal from the Dome last year. You know what happened from there.

The reason McGhee is no longer considered a part of the team centers around him not showing up to offseason workouts and arranged meetings in the spring and summer. As the starting quarterback, he was expected to be there. On most occasions, he was a no-show without warning. New Rochelle tried to convince him the importance of being with the team. Eventually, the Class AA champs had to move on.

That’s where Edney comes in. I spoke with the senior for a while last week. He seems ready to take over from a confidence standpoint. He just needs a little more time to develop physically and get a firmer grasp of the playbook. The next month, especially Champions Camp, will allow him to do that.

Until then, though, you have ask yourself one question: What if McGhee comes back? There are several other scenarios and issues involving McGhee, which I’ll detail below and give my thoughts. I’d love to hear yours in this very unique situation:

What if, on Aug. 21, he shows up?
It’s not out of the realm of possibility. August 21 is the first official day of fall practice. By rule, any workout a team has in the offseason up to that point is deemed voluntary. He technically didn’t HAVE to show up to those. August 21, by state rule, is the first day.

However, and many might disagree here, it’s well within the right of the coaches and players to award positions based on attendance. Maybe Edney would have earned the starting job even if McGhee was there. Who knows? But McGhee hurt his team by not showing up this spring and summer. Edney was there to help. So Edney being named the starting quarterback is totally valid.

But if McGhee shows up, passes the physical and New Rochelle has a no-cut policy for football, he HAS to be a member of the team. Case closed.

Do you allow him to take reps?
Before I even let him back on my practice field and put a helmet on, the first 20 minutes of practice will be a closed door meeting. It’s the coaches, the captains and McGhee. Nobody leaves the room until they’re satisfied with what McGhee says, whether he issues an explanation or an apology. Unless McGhee gets the blessing from them, you cannot move forward.

Then, he must speak to the team. Again, explanation, apology, whatever. You can’t have a distraction like this on your team, especially not when you’re aiming for your fourth straight sectional title. Then, he can step on the field.

If you have a two-time all-section quarterback who has lost one regular season game in two years on your team, do you necessarily have to play them?
Nope. Absolutely not. It might be uncomfortable, and you might have an unstoppable scout team, but if New Rochelle wants to play the kids who committed to the offseason workouts and reward them, I respect it.

McGhee has earned his spot back on the team, not just from a talent standpoint. This is more about trust. When you put on a uniform, every one of your teammates expects you to commit and work your hardest, whether you’re the starting quarterback or the fifth-string kicker. It’s the same with the kids who miss games in the spring with the prom. As a teammate, you expect the people around you to do what’s best for the team. New Rochelle expected that from McGhee. And if he’s going to be a member of the ‘09 squad, they’ll expect it again. He’ll have to prove to them he’s committed.

Because, imagine this: What if McGhee proves how good of a player he still is and they put him at quarterback. Who’s to say that before the playoffs he might not lose his ambition to play and stop showing up again? Then what? You might think that’s extreme. But I can imagine nobody thought in the spring he would mysteriously stop showing up. So why can’t it happen again?

Can you turn McGhee away from the team?
I’m not in education. I don’t work in schools. And my contact with kids is limited to being around practices and games.

But, as an educator, how can you turn your back on a kid regardless of the situation?

I don’t think you can. It’s your job to help these kids. They’re 16, 17 and 18. They’re not adults. The adults in this situation have to recognize there was a problem here and do whatever it takes to help the student athlete. Tony DeMatteo once said at a clinic that you can never turn your back on a kid, no matter what. I couldn’t agree more.

Let’s not lose focus on what’s important here. It’s not about winning football games. Sports is a privilege, not a right. McGhee is in no way entitled to play football for New Rochelle this season. But if this can help steer away from trouble — whether he’s getting into trouble or not — it is worth some of the adults swallowing their pride and, once again, reaching out to help him.

If McGhee does come back, how do you use him?
If I were coach Lou DiRienzo — and I’m not, nor will I pretend to ever be — I think you allow McGhee back on the team with three stipulations:

1. He addresses the team and accepts comments and questions from those who have them, players or coaches.
2. He re-proves his commitment to football. The slack he might have received as a veteran, star player the last two years is totally lost. If he misses a single practice, or even shows up a minute late, he gets treated like a rookie and they withhold his reps at practice and his playing time.
3. No way can you allow him to play quarterback. It’s not fair to Edney, who busted his rear end all spring and summer. If McGhee played any other position in any sport, you could ease him back in. But not quarterback. No way. If you let McGhee play QB, you will lose the team.

Do you hold losing the last two Monroe-Woodbury games against him?
McGhee has been beaten up on this blog for what happened in the final minutes of those two games. Those two games, when put together, is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.

Some feel that losing those two games has something to do with this. I can’t imagine it does. Honestly, in the 2007 game where he fumbled was not his fault. I question whether New Rochelle should have even been attempting to throw the ball on 2nd-and-long at its own 35 leading with with just over three minutes left. They put a lot of trust in McGhee in that spot, maybe more than any sophomore should ever have. McGhee, though, was so good that season that you forgot how old he was.

As for last year, I could not believe that any kid would call his own fake in a spot like that. But do I totally blame him? First, the snap, he felt, was a little high and the kick could have been blocked. Secondly, he pulled the snap twice before on extra-points in big spots — highlighted by his two-point conversion run in triple OT to beat John Jay — and it worked. Third, and it’s hard to write this, but I don’t think McGhee had any faith whatsoever that the kick would have been made. He felt he had the better chance of winning the game so he took it.

Now, he’s not a coach and that’s not his decision to make. If I were running New Rochelle and he was coming to every offseason workout, I’d probably suspend him for the first game of this season for defying the decision of a coach. But that’s a separate issue.

To me, McGhee lost those two games not because he choked in a big spot. He made two mistakes playing as hard as he could. You can’t ask more a kid than for him than to play his hardest. And, no matter how good of a coach you are — and right now Lou DiRienzo is the best — you’re always at the mercy of your kids in a game.

When it comes down to it, will he back back?
So many of you have speculated, quoting Facebook posts and rumors from friends. Personally, I don’t think this is over. In fact, I think today’s article might have only fueled the push some are trying to make to convince him to return.

Whether he goes into the office today, tomorrow or some time before August 21, he will be, even if for a day, again a member of the New Rochelle football team.

Again, I’m anxious to hear your thoughts and whether you agree or disagree with my perspective. I’ve thought about this issue for a long time, and pretty much avoided the discussion until we got closer to the season.

Champions Camp begins a week from today. The clock is ticking.

Football camps across the Lower Hudson Valley, led by Champions Camp at New Rochelle, are set to begin in a few weeks. There’s also exactly three weeks to the first official day of practice on Aug. 21.

Sounds like a good time to examine the top teams in the area. Of all the rankings I post, this is probably the most meaningless. But it makes for good discussion, so let’s take a look:

Power rankings
1. Iona Prep: No question, the top team in the area with all the talent coming back from last year’s CHSFL AAA championship squad.
2. New Rochelle: Even without QB Jonny McGhee, this is a team poised for big things. In the five classes, the Huguenots are probably the biggest favorite to win a title.
3. Ossining: The talent Ossining had on the bench, and coming up through the system, is very good. There shouldn’t be much dropoff.
4. Rye: My early bold prediction for the 2009 season for the Garnets: They’ll start 0-1 in Class A… and will get to the Dome.
5. Stepinac: The Crusaders have some studs on offense. If they fill the holes on defense, big things could be in store.
6. North Rockland: Although the Red Raiders have some question marks, Sal Sulla is Rockland County’s top player and will carry them in their league.
7. Carmel: The Rams have to rebuild the offensive line and find some downfield options for quarterback Ryan Shilling. But Carmel has a way of plugging holes year after year and should be in decent shape.
8. Fordham Prep: Fordham has a strong core of talent back, led by running back Bruce Grant, who put up ridiculous rushing numbers late last season.
9. Nyack: The reigning Class A champs graduated a ton of talent. But there’s still something left for a run into the postseason.
10. Poughkeepsie: How could the Pioneers not be? They’re top-heavy with talent and could be a dangerous team in Class A.
On the brink: Somers; John Jay-EF; Ramapo; Mount St. Michael; Eastchester; Ketcham.

Conference rankings
Class AA
1. New Rochelle
2. North Rockland
3. Carmel
4. John Jay-EF
5. Ramapo

Class A
1. Ossining
2. Rye
3. Nyack
4. Poughkeepsie
5. Somers

Class B
1. Pleasantville
2. Sleepy Hollow
3. Nanuet
4. Edgemont
5. Briarcliff

Class C/D
1. Croton-Harmon
2. Dobbs Ferry
3. Rye Neck
4. Bronxville
5. Tuckahoe

Our site dedicated to football highlight films has officially been launched!

You can view the site, lohud.com/recruitvideos, by clicking this link. Right now, we have 12 players posted and expected it will grow rapidly. Most of them are direct links to YouTube pages with the videos. On there you can actually find links to other game films associated with the teams and players.

Please let us know what you think. Also, if you’d like your video, or the film of somebody you know, to be profiled on the site, we’d be happy to add it. Just email me the link at kdevaney@lohud.com. Sending an actual DVD to me would be better: 1 Gannett Drive, White Plains NY 10604.

Football season is soon approaching. In the next few days I’ll be posting dates and sites for mini camps. The Super 11 team, in case you were wondering, will be picked in the next week or so but won’t likely be unveiled until Aug. 20.

If you have a football highlight film, we’d love to post it LoHud.com.

We’re gathering a library of videos and creating a web site dedicated to it. Please, either email me the link at kdevaney@lohud.com or you can mail me a DVD copy:

Kevin Devaney
1 Gannett Drive
White Plains NY 10604

Exactly two months from today is the first Saturday of the high school football season. We all know what’s going on on Opening Night with Rye hosting Ossining and Iona Prep playing Bergen Catholic at Giants Stadium.

Well, I decided this morning to take a gander at the entire Week 1 schedule. Normally, I don’t peek at it until a few weeks before but I couldn’t resist. I realized that Week 1 could potentially turn out to be one of the most important of the regular season.

Here’s why:

Friday
Edgemont at Pleasantville, 7 p.m.: With Rye out of Class B, the championship is very much up for grabs. The consensus is that Sleepy Hollow will assume the top spot moving down from Class A. Personally, I like Pleasantivlle. But I’ve heard very good things about Edgemont, which was very sharp at Mamaroneck’s Tiger Camp.
Pearl River at Nyack, 7 p.m.: It probably won’t be that great of a game. But it will be interesting to see how the reigning Class A champs replace all those players around Ray Nichols.
Lakeland at Somers, 7 p.m.: Remember when Lakeland got off to that hot start last season? Well, the schedule isn’t quite as kind this year. Still, a potentially good game.
Harrison at Yorktown, 7 p.m.: We’ll learn a lot about both teams right out of the gates. Harrison is so young and Yorktown has so many spots to fill.
John Jay-EF vs. John Jay, 7 p.m.: John Jay is back in Class AA and will get tested immediately.

Saturday
Hastings at Croton-Harmon, 1:30 p.m.: Croton, the reigning Class C state finalists, face a team that could be a major sleeper this season.
New Rochelle at Mount Vernon, 1:30 p.m.: As good as they always are in November, New Rochelle usually starts slow. Mount Vernon could make this interesting.
White Plains at Gorton, 1:30 p.m.: Gorton is poised to rebound after last season while the Tigers are eager to build off a solid year.
Ardsley at Roosevelt, 1:30 p.m.: When was the last time these teams ever played? If ever.
Horace Greeley at Poughkeepsie, 2:30 p.m.: The Pioneers, with four potential Division I and I-AA players, will be one of the most closely watched teams in September.
Dobbs Ferry at Rye Neck, 1:30 p.m.: Many believed these teams were going to play for the Class C title last season and both lost in the semifinals. Dobbs will be a team on a mission.
Fox Lane at Byram Hills, 1:30 p.m.: Given how it finished last season, Fox Lane is my sleeper team in Class A. Byram Hills is always tough. Will be very competitive.
Port Chester at Spring Valley, 1:30 p.m.: A non-league league game for Port Chester.

We’ll know a lot after Week 1, as always. All of these games will be tough to call.

Did I leave anything important out? Where will you?

The other day at Iona Prep I ran into Ryan O’Neil, who is entering his sophomore season as quarterback at Lafayette. I figured I’d balance it out a little by catching you up on a basketball star from the area.

I spoke yesterday with former Blessed Sacrament standout Curtis Dennis, who is finally about to play his freshman season at New Mexico. I say “finally” because Dennis graduated from Blessed Sacrament in 2006 after leading the Cardinals to the Class B Federation final, averaging 20.6 points per game.

Dennis spent the following season at Gulf Shores Prep School in Houston and then the next year at famed Findlay Prep in Las Vegas. After red-shirting last season for New Mexico, he’ll finally get his chance to step on the floor for the Lobos and coach Steve Alford.

He turned 21 in January.

“It’s weird to think that I’m 21 and am only a freshman,” said Dennis, a 6-foot-5 guard. “It’s been frustrating. But I’ve made it.”

Dennis made the decision on his own last season to red-shirt, a wise move with a bevy of veteran guards ahead of him. One of them was Tony Danridge, a first-team All-Mountain West Conference pick. Danridge was a gifted shooter and the nation’s top college dunker.

Dennis has played well through the summer out in New Mexico and figures to be a vital piece this season. With Danridge and 6-7 reserve guard Chad Toppert gone, the opportunity is there for Dennis.

”(Toppert) played 35 minutes in most games,” Dennis said. “That will probably now be my role.”

I knew Dennis pretty well in high school and caught up with him several times over the last three seasons. He was always a kid blessed with talent but would often try to do too much as a player. The two years of prep school and the year as a red-shirt at New Mexico should benefit him in that department. It also helps that he’s filled out his body and is just over 200 pounds.

Overall, Dennis is loving the Midwest West Coast lifestyle — a far cry from his Bronx roots where he grew up with 12 brothers and sisters.

“Life out here is great, especially if you play basketball,” Dennis said. “If you play basketball, they treat you really well out here. There are no pro teams out here. We’re looked at as the NBA team. People know who you are. You sign autographs every day. It’s nice out here. It’s far from New York City, though.”

Also in today’s Journal News, I caught up with Tommy Pizzurro, the lineman who transfered from Iona Prep to St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale for his senior season.

Pizzurro started on a National Championship team at Aquinas and has turned himself into a blue chip prospect. After a prep year at Hargrave Military Academy, the 315-pound tackle should get offers from the elite programs — Tennessee, Penn State, Auburn, and Boston College to name a few who are already interested.

Click here to watch Pizzurro’s highlight tape, which is on his own website www.thomaspizzurro.com. You should also check out the St. Thomas Aquinas football site, which details the team’s storied undefeated season and run to state and national titles.

If you question whether Aquinas is legit, look at where Pizzurro’s senior teammates are headed to play in college:

Duron Carter, WR, Ohio State
Ben Turk, P, Notre Dame
Jordan Cowart, OL, Notre Dame
Dwayne Difton, WR, UConn
Gabrison Holmes, TE, Purdue
Ronnie Kennedy, DB, Central Michigan
Ryan Becker, QB, UPenn
Conor O’Neill, LB, Wisconsin
Dezmen Southward, OL, Wisconsin
Dylan Drake, DL, Yale
Will Nesselt, OL, UMass

That’s three other offensive lineman headed to Wisconsin, Notre Dame and UMass, and a tight end to Purdue (Surprisingly, though, none of these players are headed to a Florida school).

Pizzurro should have his name added to that list by Christmas. He’ll likely play the season at Hargrave and, since he’s solid academically, could enroll at a four-year school in time for spring practice.

Also, last night I covered the Mets-Dodgers game. And by, the Mets just aren’t very good right now.

Several items worth checking out in today’s Journal News or on LoHud.com.

The All-Star and All-County teams for the spring season have been released. For the Westchester/Putnam sports, click here. To see the Rockland County teams, click here. Although it’s not football or basketball, athletes from those sports were represented well.

First, Mamaroneck baseball player Matt McGovern was selected as the Westchester/Putnam Athlete of the season. McGovern, for those who don’t know, was a stud football player growing up but decided to concentrate on baseball. He’s going to play at Boston College. Same goes for first-team selection Ryan Pennell of Rye Neck.

The Rockland baseball player of the year was Jimmy Brennan, who also played basketball. He’ll play CF at St. John’s. I hosted the Varsity Central Live show during the spring season and we had had Brennan and McGovern on together. They were great guys.

A pair of football stars were honord. Mike Abelard of Ramapo (pictured left) was the Rockland track athlete of the year. Maurice Easterling of Stepinac was the Westchester/Putnam track athlete of the year.

If you scan through the rest of the all-star teams you’ll come across some familiar names — Jesse Drinks of Ossining, Isaiah Manigault and Shawn Day of New Rochelle, Joe Marasco of Somers, Cole McCormack of Rye, John Fennessey of Yorktown, Tommy Griffin of Tappan Zee, Chidi Ezemma and Mike Abelard of Ramapo, Kyle Sanders of Clarkstown South, to name a few.

I stopped by Iona Prep today to work on a story (it will be in Friday’s Journal News) and spotted a few guys throwing a football around on the field. Based purely on the mechanics and arm strength, these clearly weren’t just any guys.

When I walked down the hill, I realized it was former Iona Prep standout Ryan O’Neil, a 2008 graduate. O’Neil was a first team Journal News all-star as a senior, passing for 2,300 yards and 20 touchdowns, and just finished his freshman year at Lafayette.

What struck me first about O’Neil was that he looked more like a linebacker than a quarterback.

“When I was playing at Iona, I was probably 165,” O’Neil said. “Now I’m probably up to 190 or 195.”

And he looked even bigger.

The added size and strength was evident in the sheer velocity of O’Neil’s throws. He was always an accurate passer who made sound decisions with the football. But he was throwing rockets today.

Fortunately, he had a pretty good receiver there to catch them in Carl Vergari. You might not be aware but Vergari played quarterback at Bronxville in 2006 before walking on at Texas as a receiver. Yes, the Texas Longhorns. O’Neil and Vergari were among a dozen college players at Iona Prep doing a conditioning program with Forme Fitness. Former Iona Prep and St. Thomas Aquinas lineman Tommy Pizzurro and Bronxville grad Connor Hackett (now at St. Lawrence) were also there.

O’Neil and I spoke for a while about the upcoming season at Lafayette. He played on the junior varsity team last season and traveled with the varsity. Lafayette had an open competition with O’Neil and two other quarterbacks. He played well, likely earning at least the third-string job.

“It’s still going to be an open competition in the fall,” he said. “So I still have the job.”

One of seven quarterbacks on the roster last fall, O’Neil worked his way up the depth chart through the season. The QBs in front of him now is a senior and a junior. Although he’d prefer to be playing immediately, he’s willing to wait for his time.

“Of course, you hate standing on the sideline watching,” he said. “But then again, you learn a lot and you get to see the good things and the bad things the guy playing in front of you is doing.”

Calling all football recruits! We want your highlight films.

Based on the response we got from the highlight reels of Devonte Brailsford and Reuben Frank, we’ve decided to set up an entire site dedicated to the recruiting films of players from the Lower Hudson Valley.

I’ve gathered a couple of links so far. But I’d love it if you could email a link to your video — or the file of the video itself if it’s not online — so we could post it on Lohud.com. Ideally, we’d like to have an extensive library of players, which will be dressed up pretty nice. It never hurts your recruitment to have your video as accessible as possible.

You can email me the link to your video at kdevaney@lohud.com or just post it in the comments section. Be sure to include your school, position and year of graduation.

Two things I want to make you aware of over the next week:

First, Journal News columnist Rick Carpiniello will be hosting a New York Rangers chat on Lohud.com on Thursday at 1 p.m. Yes, I’m aware it’s not high school football or basketball. But if you’re a Rangers fan, I strongly suggest you check it out. Carp has covered the team for a long time and is as knowledgable as anybody.

Also, the Journal News spring all-star sections will be released on FRIDAY (not Sunday as originally posted). Again, not football or basketball. But there are plenty of football and basketball players represented. It’s always a fun read.

I got back last night after a great trip down to North Carolina. After an hour or so of rummaging through the comments section of the blog, there was something I needed to pass along.

In case you missed it, check out Devonte Brailsford’s highlight tape on ESPN.com by clicking here. It’s awesome. The Dobbs Ferry senior is a far more physical player than I thought he was. Some of the hits he has on here, as a running back and defensive end, are jaw-dropping.

Watch it all the way through. It’s impressive.

I’m down in North Carolina this week – visiting friends and celebrating my 29th (gasp) birthday, which was yesterday. But I wanted to mention that Poughkeepsie coach Ken Barger emailed me to say Poughkeepsie football star Reuben Frank has committed to play at UConn.

Frank, a defensive end, will be a senior this season. He had offers from Syracuse and Buffalo.

You can watch Frank’s highlight tape by clicking here.

I’ll provide more information when I return this weekend. Hopefully I can get in touch with Reuben and write something up here.