Less than two weeks before a decision was due, Nick Robinson, the standout offensive lineman on the Baldwinsville football team, made a verbal commitment to attend Syracuse University on Sunday, less than a week after head coach Doug Marrone offered a scholarship. Robinson stands at 6-6 and 285 pounds, and he anchored a dominant front line that pushed the Bees to back-to-back Section III Class AA championships in 2009 and 2010 – this after the program went 20 years without a sectional title. Last fall, Robinson earned Central New York Player of the Year honors – the first time a lineman ever received that honor. He also was a first-team Class AA All-State selection. Robinson was considering Tulane University in New Orleans, plus the University at Buffalo and Western Michigan, before SU made its late, and successful, push. Robinson said he was hoping the Orange would go after him, adding that playing in front of friends and family for a team he grew up rooting for made the decision easier. This continues the success Marrone, who led SU to an 8-5 record and a victory in the Pinstripe Bowl, is having as he strives to keep the top players in Upstate New York close to home. A month ago, he got a verbal commitment from state Class AA player of the year Ashton Broyld, who led Rush-Henrietta to the state title by, among other things, beating Baldwinsville in the state semifinals. The official signing day for all high school seniors electing to play Division I college football is Feb. 2.