Oakfield United Methodist Church Winter BBQ
Oakfield United Methodist Church
Annual Winter Chicken BBQ
March 21st 4-6
Take outs only
$5.00
1/2 chicken and salt potatoes
Call 948-5550 for tickets and information
Oakfield
Spring Into Nature at Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge
Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Alabama, NY, will be holding its Spring Into Nature celebration on Saturday, April 25 from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Admission and parking are Free.
Located at the refuge headquarters on Casey Road the event offers activities for the whole family with over 20 nature related exhibits plus live birds of prey, retriever demonstrations, guided bird walks and door prize drawings. For the kids there will be crafts, face painting and nature activities. Guest speakers include: Wendi Pencille on wildlife rehabilitation (more are being finalized). In addition, spotting scopes will be set up at Cayuga Overlook with volunteers on hand to help identify birds in the area, including bald eagles.
Planned exhibits include: Ducks Unlimited, the Lower Great Lakes Fisheries Resources Office, Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners, the New York State Bluebird Society, Ron Pastor – custom flies, Erie Canalway Heritage Corridor, Niagara County Trappers (NYSTA) the Historical Club of the Tonawanda Reservation, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historical Preservation, the Buffalo Audubon Society and more.
Please contact refuge staff at 585.948.5445 or visit our web site at http://www.fws.gov/northeast/iroquoisfor further information.
Iroquois NWR is located midway between Buffalo and Rochester, NY and is managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Individuals with disabilities and any other person who may need special assistance to participate in this program should contact the Refuge at 585/948-5445 or at the Federal Relay No. 1-800-877-8339.
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.
Free Nature Programs at Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge
Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge invites everyone to “Go Outside” and enjoy nature. As spring arrives office hours for Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge will be expanded to include weekends 9:00 am to 5:00 pm from Saturday, March 28 through May 9. This is in addition to our regular office hours of Monday – Friday 7:30 am – 4:00 pm, except holidays. The refuge office/visitor contact station, located at 1101 Casey Road, Alabama, NY has maps and other information about the refuge as well as exhibits of native wildlife. Be sure to stop by the Flyway Nature Store, operated by the Friends of Iroquois NWR, Inc., for unique gift ideas for yourself or the nature lover in your life.
Weekend hours will coincide with the spring schedule of “Iroquois Observations”, a series of free nature programs which are presented in partnership with the Buffalo Audubon Society. On March 28 the season opens with a bald eagle watch and an owl prowl. Visitors are invited to join knowledgeable volunteers at Cayuga Overlook for the bald eagle watch, 1 pm – 4 pm to view one of our two nesting pairs of bald eagles. Spotting scopes are provided. That evening bring a flashlight and join the nocturnal trek to look for owls, 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm. Pre-registration is required for the owl prowl. Please, contact refuge staff at 585-948-5445 to register. Programs are free and open to the public.
The refuge’s nature trails, overlooks and fishing areas are open sunrise to sunset, seven days a week, year-round and provide many opportunities to view wildlife or just relax and take in the natural beauty the refuge has to offer.
For further information or a schedule of nature programs contact refuge staff at
585-948-5445 or visit our website http://www.fws.gov/northeast/iroquois and click on the link for “annual calendar” and scroll down to “Iroquois Observations”.
Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge is located midway between Rochester and Buffalo, NY and is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.
Novak's ESPN U debut
Oakfield-Alabama grad and Section 5 Talksback legend Matt Novak received national attention on ESPN U.
But, he didn't get the chance to express himself thanks to editing.
Zero in the first, 23 in the second; Smith leads Oakfield-Alabama
If you've ever heard on of Oakfield-Alabama coach Gary Kurkowski's "pep talks", you know what you have to do.
As mild as Kurkowski is away from the basketball court, his passion often turns to a voice that can be heard all over Oakfield during a game. O-A guard Tim Smith didn't score a point in the first half, caused a few turnovers and wasn't himself.
So Kurkowski gave him a little "pep talk" at halftime.
The results were as expected, and even more, as Smith went off for all 23 of his points after the break, leading the Hornets to a convincing 67-46 win over visiting Canisteo-Greenwood in the opening round of the Section 5 Class C1 tournament.
The Hornets were in serious trouble in the first half as the Redskins were able to show off their athletic ability to take a 12-10 first quarter lead. O-A was missing easy shots and turning the ball over at a rate higher than any time this season.
The third seeded team had a real chance to be upset by the No. 14 seed.
Oakfield-Alabama played a little better in the second quarter, but still looked to be trying to figure out Canisteo-Greenwood.
O-A only had a 22-21 lead at intermission.
The words "not a good half" were heard often as the squad walked off the court and into the locker room at the break. Then the team came out with a different attitude in the second half.
Brad Riner and A.J. Kehlenbeck had each scored early, but the Hornets still only had a two point lead. That was when Smith woke up.
He grabbed a loose ball and scored. Then he hit a 3-pointer. Another basket just seconds later and O-A was starting to catch fire.
Riner scored five straight points and Smith hit a pair of 2-pointers in a row to give the Hornets a 45-31 lead after three periods of play. Smith's 11 points and Riner's eight had broken the Redskins.
Smith drained four 3-pointers in the first half of the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach and Riner converted all four of his free throws down the stretch and a close game turned into a blowout.
Riner wound up scoring 12 points with seven assists and Noah Seward was held to nine points, but grabbed 16 rebounds. Kehlenbeck kept the Hornets in the game early and finished the night with 13 points.
The Redskins (7-14) were led by Bryce Davis, who scored 12 points.
Oakfield-Alabama (18-3) moves on to host No. 6 Bloomfield (17-4) on Friday.
Oakfield-Alabama grad Matt Novak on ESPN U
ESPN U was looking for a Syracuse student to talk with and test his knowledge on how the NCAA selects teams to play in the NCAA Tournament in March.
They picked a pretty knowledgeable freshman to talk with after Syracuse's loss to Villanova on Sunday.
Oakfield-Alabama graduate Matt Novak was picked for the interview and knew how the process works.
Novak was the "ultimate fan" of basketball while at Oakfield-Alabama, where he was the captain of the O-A Crazies, which is the school's student cheering section.
Novak's knowledge of sports has also been shown on Section 5 Talksback, where he has posted over 5,200 times and works as a moderator.
The interview will appear on ESPN U either tonight or tomorrow night between 7 and 10 p.m.
Here is some video footage of the interview, which was taken by a friend. One of the guys stopping to get on camera during Novak's interview is Syracuse starter Arinze Onuaku.
HS girls highlights for Saturday
The 11th seeded Oakfield-Alabama girls basketball team had a 20-6 advantage in the fourth quarter and defeated No. 8 Canisteo-Greenwood 48-44 in the opening round of the Section 5 Class CC playoffs.
Brynn Perfitt hit two foul shots with about 2 minutes left in the game to put the Hornets ahead for good. She scored 12 points in the game.
Hillary Bates scored a career-high 16 points to lead O-A (11-10) and Lindsay Chatt added seven points.
Reagan Ryan scored 20 points for Canisteo-Greenwood (15-6).
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Kelsey Lewis dropped in the game winning basket late in the fourth quarter as No. 8 Pembroke topped No. 9 Caledonia-Mumford 37-36 in the opening round of the Class CC tournament.
Lewis scored five of her seven points in the frame.
Nicole Sharick had eight points and five rebounds with Jackie DuBois and Katie Hackett scoring eight points apiece for the Dragons (13-8).
Christina Harmon had 16 points for the Red Raiders, who end the year 11-10.
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Top-seeded Alexander cruised past winless Red Creek 67-29 in the first round of the Class C playoffs.
The Trojans are 15-4.
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Dundee tipped Kendall 40-28 in the first round of Class C.
Casi Strait had 16 points and Niki Muoio pitched in 10 for Dundee, which improves to 11-10.
Meghan Fahy scored 12 points and Samantha D'Agostino had 11 for the Eagles (7-13).
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No. 3 Avon had little trouble in knocking Byron-Bergen out of the Class CC playoffs with a 58-31 win.
Marcy Manning had 13 points and 10 boards to lead the Braves (19-2).
Kizzy Heale had eight points for the Bees (9-12).
Notre Dame boys get top seed; Rapone set to make more history
Notre Dame coach Mike Rapone will accept Notre Dame's 11th top seed in sectionals Saturday night.
You might think that even though the other 10 plaques are in his basement, because of a lack of room to display them, this one doesn't mean anything. But it does.
"It is nice because it is a nice accomplishment," Rapone said. "I always use the expression, and the kids never get it, that the top seed a $1.61 will get you a cup of coffee at Dunkin Donuts. All it does is put a bulls-eye on your back. It is a nice accomplishment, but it makes you the No. 1 target."
Even though the Genesee Region League has had some strong teams, as have Le Roy and Batavia, this is the only local team to earn a top seed in the boys tournaments.
The Fighting Irish are 17-3 and have been tested, playing strong GR teams like Oakfield-Alabama, Pembroke, Elba and Kendall as well as non-league foes like Prattsburgh and Houghton.
"I think my goal is always to get as competitive a regular season as I can," Rapone said. "You want your team to be ready for what the future brings. I think our schedule this year was one that will have us ready."
This postseason could be historic for Notre Dame as Rapone is nearing second on the all-time wins list in Section 5. With just one win, Rapone will tie Scio's Roger Rigby for second on the list with 527 career wins.
Ed Nietopski from Cardinal Mooney leads the Section 5 wins list with 545.
"You don't sit down when you start coaching and say this is what you want to do," Rapone said. "As I get closer, I realize that it is a great accomplishment for the school and our basketball program, as much as for myself. It is also about all the players I've coached over the years. They are the ones winning the games."
Notre Dame's top player right now is senior point guard Kevin Francis, who has been on the team through a top seed and two No. 2 seeds that didn't win titles.
"In the last couple of weeks he's been a little more vocal in terms of what we need to do," Rapone said.
Rapone has seven sectional championships and is looking for an eighth this season. Standing in his way could be fourth-seeded Elba (11-9), which knocked the Fighting Irish out of the playoffs in the semifinals last season.
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Oakfield-Alabama won the GR Division I title with a 17-3 record, but are only a third seed in Class C1.
This might be the best team O-A has ever had, but Avon (19-1) and East Rochester (18-2) are the top seeds in what might be the toughest bracket from top to bottom.
Pembroke went 13-7 and are a ninth seed in that class while Byron-Bergen went 4-16 and are ranked No. 15.
The Batavia boys squad went 17-3 and are relegated to a second seed in Class A1. The Blue Devils are behind Aquinas (17-3) in a very competitive group.
Attica (10-10) are the sixth seed in Class B1 and Le Roy (9-11) are the third seed in Class B2. Holley is 4-16 and ninth in the classification.
Kendall went 12-8 and is a fifth seed in Class C2, with a great shot at pulling an upset and winning a title. Alexander (8-12) is 10th and Lyndonville (1-19) is 16th.
O-A drops one spot in state rankings after loss; ND up one and Batavia stays the same
The Batavia and Oakfield-Alabama boys basketball teams had losses this past week against tough squads and both dipped one spot in the newest New York State Sportswriters Association poll.
The Hornets had the lead for almost the entire game, but lost to Akron in the final minute of the Genesee Region/Niagara-Orleans League Showdown Saturday.
Because of the loss, O-A drops from No. 11 to No. 12 in Class C.
Batavia had matchup problems and lost to Class AAA Irondequoit in the opening round of the Monroe County League tournament Monday, but were not faulted in the rankings. The Blue Devils are still the No. 21 ranked team in the state in Class A.
Notre Dame beat Elba and Lima Christian and are bumped from No. 9 to No. 8 in Class D.
Oakfield-Alabama rolls to win over Alexander on senior night
After blowing a lead and the game against Akron in the Genesee Region League/Niagara-Orleans League Showdown on Saturday, the Oakfield-Alabama boys basketball team was looking to end the season on a positive note before going into sectionals.
It was obvious that it was going to happen as the Hornets jumped out to a 17-3 lead in beating visiting Alexander 73-41 on senior night.
Senior stars Noah Seward and Brad Riner got O-A off to a 9-0 start right off the bat as Riner had five points and Seward four, just a couple of minutes into the contest.
Tim Smith scored seven straight points and all of a sudden the Hornets were ahead by 14 points with just 3 1/2 minutes gone off the clock.
Troy Shelnut ended the fierce O-A scoring with a 3-pointer, but Sam McCracken had four points and Seward added another bucket late in the opening frame to give the Hornets a 27-13 lead after a period of play.
McCracken had two quick baskets in the second quarter and Seward had four points, but Oakfield-Alabama played its worst of four quarters. Josh Athoe also hit a 3-pointer in the frame and O-A actually extended the lead to 38-19 despite not being happy with the way they played in the frame.
The "big 3" of Seward, Riner and Smith were able to rest for most of the fourth quarter, but all three contributed in the third.
Seward had six points, Smith had five and Riner hit a 3-pointer late in the quarter and the game was officially a blowout after the third quarter with Oakfield-Alabama leading 61-28.
Athoe had four points in the fourth quarter and O-A rolled to the 73-41 victory.
Seward had yet another double-double, scoring 14 points and pulling down 13 rebounds, with Riner helping out with eight points and 11 assists.
Smith scored 15 points and A.J. Kehlenbeck had 10 points with 13 boards. McCracken finished with 13 points and Athoe chipped in nine.
Kyle Woodruff had 14 points for Alexander, which ends the season with a 7-12 record.
Oakfield-Alabama improves to 17-3 and will be the third seed in the Section 5 Class C1 tournament and should be hosting Canisteo-Greenwood in the first round.
Genesee Region League boys MVPs
It is often hard to choose MVPs because competition is typically so close in the Genesee Region League.
But this season it is pretty simple to pick the best player from each division as Oakfield-Alabama won Division I pretty easily and Notre Dame clinched Division II several games ago.
The Hornets are 16-3 and Noah Seward is a big reason why.
O-A would have still been in the running for the Division I title with solid players like Brad Riner and Tim Smith, but Seward was a problem for the other team in every game this season. The 6-foot-3 center/forward seemed like he had a double-double every time he got on the court.
The only other player in Division I that I had in the running was Pembroke's Ken Babcock, who dominated at times this season in helping his team to second in the division. But Seward wrapped up the award in my mind when he scored 20 points and pulled down 12 rebounds when the Hornets clinched the title in a 61-39 win over the Dragons last week.
Kevin Francis was easily the MVP in Division II for the Fighting Irish, who are 15-3.
With several question marks as to which players were going to be regular contributors this season, Francis took on the role as quiet leader early in the season and helped the young players like Vinny Zambito and Matt Thompson find their niche on the team.
His stats were also incredible as he was able to go off for 20 points on any given night at the point guard position while playing a well rounded game. Francis also distributed the ball, caused turnovers and grabbed rebounds.
Who is the overall MVP of the Genesee Region League?( polls)
HS girls highlights for Monday
The Genesee Region League Division I champion Alexander girls basketball team wrapped up the regular season and clinched the top seed in the Section 5 Class C tournament with a 54-28 win over visiting Oakfield-Alabama Monday.
Anni Lehtola led the way for the Trojans (14-4) with 24 points, four steals and five rebounds with Katie Kochmanski finishing with a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds.
Brynne Perfitt had 11 points to lead the Hornets (10-10).
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Nichole Hart scored 24 points - including five 3-pointers - as Notre Dame thumped visiting Wheatland-Chili 57-24.
Jill Marshall had eight points and Trisha Pike added six for the Fighting Irish (16-4).
Lauren Drago had 10 points to lead the Wildcats (4-16).
Area residents are excited about Google's Latitude Application
Everywhere I go I see people texting or talking on their cell phones. Now the craze of constantly checking each other’s status has gone to the next level. Technology today offers numerous ways to not only stay connected to friends and family, but to keep a constant eye on them, to know wherever they are, whenever.
On Wednesday, Feb. 4, Google launched Latitude, a location-tracking service that uses GPS hardware found in smart phones to pinpoint your real-time position on a map and share that information with friends. The program seems simple to download: enter your cell phone number and wait for the link to arrive to your phone.
Seventeen-year-old Oakfield resident Justin Potter said he would love to try the new Google Latitude application. “Cool, I would love to check this out,” Potter said after he heard what Latitude was all about.
Before users are able to see where their friends are, they must first have an account with Google, have Latitude downloaded, and make sure their phone is compatible. Potter was eager to try it. Unfortunately, his cell phone was not compatible, and the only other way he could use the program was through his computer at home.
“I would rather have it on my cell phone,” Potter said, disappointed.
Even though Potter wasn’t able to download Latitude to his phone, he said this would be an easier way to connect with his friends.“I will definitely check out this program,” he said, adding that his friends would likely enjoy it, too.
At first, Potter thought that anyone would be able to track his location. Latitude’s maps shows the user’s location, marked with a picture of the person that has been uploaded onto their Google account. But users must add friends and then send an invite, similar to the friend request system used with Myspace and Facebook. Your friends must accept before you can track their location.
Batavia resident Alicia Philips, 40, screamed with excitement about using Latitude.
“Heck yes! I would love to use this,” she said. “This would be so beneficial, especially in case of an emergency.” Phillips is the mother of three and said she would love to use it as another means to find out exactly where her children are.
Google gives the user three privacy settings: a user's location can be updated automatically, manually updated, or they can hide their location from friends. And, of course, they can always just turn Latitude off.
Not everyone is so enthusiastic, however. A "privacy" group based in the UK that goes by the name of Privacy International issued a full statement on what they found to be a major security flaw with the program: the potential for a third party to hack into the program. The group's conclusion sounds damning:
Privacy International believes Google has created an unnecessary danger to the privacy and security of users. It is clear the company is aware of the need to create a message alert on Latitude-enabled phones but has chosen to launch the service without universal access to this safeguard. The Director of Privacy International, Simon Davies, said:
"Many people will see Latitude as a cool product, but the reality is that Google has yet again failed to deliver strong privacy and security. The company has a long way to go before it can capture the trust of phone users."
"As it stands right now, Latitude could be a gift to stalkers, prying employers, jealous partners and obsessive friends. The dangers to a user’s privacy and security are as limitless as the imagination of those who would abuse this technology."
As to be expected, Google was swift to respond.
“We recognize the sensitivity of location data, so we've built fine-grained privacy controls right into the application,” Vic Gundtra, Google's VP of engineering wrote in a blog post.
The program can be installed at Google Latitude.
Latitude is currently available in 27 countries, and Google hopes to expand. The program is free but there may be carrier charges. Phones that are enabled to use this program include: T-mobile Android, Blackberry, iPhone, Motorola, Nokia, Nokia S60, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, and Windows Mobile.
Genesee Region/Niagara-Orleans Showdown live blogging - Oakfield-Alabama/Akron
7:34 p.m. - About 15 minutes until tip-off and GCC is packed. Genesee Region League fans are pumped after Pembroke's big win and Ken Babcock's dominant performance and are pumped for the highlight game of the Showdown. All the talk has revolved around J.C. Tretter and Noah Seward, so down low is where the action will probably be.
8:04 p.m. - Tretter is as good as advertised. He might be the first player this season that has made Seward look small. He held O-A's big man to four points in the first quarter, while scoring eight points, but the Hornets are leading 13-12 after eight minutes. Tim Smith hit a 3-pointer with Chris Bucceri, , A.J. Kehlenbeck and Sam McCracken each getting a basket.
8:18 p.m. - The Hornets were doing a good job keeping the ball away from Tretter as Seward had a big quarter, but Akron went on a 7-0 run near the end of the half to get back in the game.
Seward immediately started the second quarter with a bucket and free throw to put the Hornets up 16-12. McCracken had a foul shot and Josh Athoe drained a trifecta to put O-A ahead by eight points.
After Alec Short and Seward exchanged backets, Tretter had a soft layup and grabbed the rebound on a missed dunk attempt by Trevor Short and put that back in to cut the score to 22-19. Alec Short hit a jumper and it was a one point game before Seward scored the final basket to put O-A up 24-21 at halftime.
8:43 p.m. - Akron made a late run in the third quarter and jumped right back into the game and only trails Oakfield-Alabama 38-37.
The Tigers were down six right away as Brad Riner drained a 3-pointer, but the teams exchanged baskets for a while with Akron cutting the deficit to 32-31 when Alec Short hit a trey halfway through the period.
A double-foul was called as Seward and Tretter were getting a little too physical in the paint on the next possession.
Riner and Athoe hit a back-to-back buckets to make the score 36-31, but Alec Short had two foul shots, Trevor Short scored and Ryan Peters finished off the period with a bucket.
9:08 p.m. - Akron scored the first basket and then trailed Oakfield-Alabama the rest of the way. That is until there was 1:09 left in the contest.
The Hornets had a three point lead when Seward banged in a pair of foul shots with 5 1/2 minutes left. Tretter hit one to cut it to three points and a couple minutes later the game was stopped when an Akron player landed on Seward, knocking the wind out of him.
McCracken missed the front end of a one-and-one with 2 1/2 minutes left and Tretter put one in moments later to cut the deficit to 44-43.
Then with 1:09 left in the game, Trevor Short received a pass at about the foul line and hit a turnaround jumper to put the Tigers up 45-44. Riner missed a shot at the other end and O-A got the rebound. This time the ball was poked away from Smith and the Hornets had to foul.
Trevor Short hit both free throws after getting fouled with 22 seconds left. McCracken took the inbounds pass for O-A and took it coast-to-coast for a basket with 15 seconds remaining. Akron had a 47-46 lead and the Hornets had to foul again.
Short again drained both free throws to put the Tigers up three. This time Riner missed a layup and Tretter grabbed his final rebound of the game.
The final score was Akron 49, Oakfield-Alabama 46.
Tretter and Seward each finished with 17 points in the battle of the big men. But the difference wound up being Short, who scored 15 points and was clutch in the closing minutes.
The Niagara-Orleans League won six games while the Genesee Region League had just two winners.
Genesee Region/Niagara-Orleans Showdown live blogging - Saturday games in Sports
Watch live coverage of all six Saturday games from the Genesee Region/Niagara-Orleans League Showdown at Genesee Community College in sports.
Here is the Roy-Hart/Lyndonville game.
Here is the Byron-Bergen/Barker game.
Here is the Alexander/CSAT game.
Here is the Attica/Albion game.
Here is the Pembroke/Wilson game.
Here is the Oakfield-Alabama/Akron game.
HS girls highlights for Friday
The Oakfield-Alabama girls basketball team had a 16-5 edge in the fourth quarter to hold off host Attica and pick up a 42-25 win Friday.
Brynne Perfitt had 13 points to lead the Hornets with 13 points. Lindsay Chatt scored nine and Dani Sage followed with seven.
Breanna Hummell scored eight points with 10 boards for the Blue Devils (1-19). Margaret LaFleur had 10 points.
O-A is now 11-8.
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Christina Harmon had 15 points to lead Caledonia-Mumford to a 49-38 win over visiting Le Roy.
Emily Wade scored nine points with six rebounds for the Red Raiders (10-9).
Allison Macomber scored 14 points and grabbed 12 boards for the Oatkan Knights (2-18). Megan Lowe added 11 points and 12 rebounds.
Several area teams recognized by D&C
Several area schools are represented in this week's Democrat & Chronicle polls.
Batavia, Attica and Holley are all ranked in the small school wrestling poll as we head into this weekend's sectional tournament.
Batavia is the fifth ranked school, with Attica coming in at No. 6 and Holley at No. 8.
Elba has the seventh ranked girls basketball team in the small school category, with Alexander and Notre Dame also receiving votes.
Batavia's boys basketball team is ranked No. 9 in the large school rankings while Oakfield-Alabama is No. 8 in the small school poll.
Batavia's hockey team also received votes, but did not crack the top 10.
Oakfield-Alabama clinches Division I title with win over Pembroke
As the crowd chanted "just like football", the Oakfield-Alabama basketball team was looking wrap up a huge win and a second straight Genesee Region League Division I title.
The Hornets played some great defense against the Pembroke stars and gave coach Gary Kurkowski - who returned after a long hiatus from coaching varsity - a division title with a 61-39 win over Pembroke Wednesday.
The two teams have been powerhouses in football in recent years and O-A won the GR title outright by going undefeated this past fall. Many of those kids that played football, won another title in basketball with the win.
The Oakfield gym was packed and the atmosphere was just like the big-time football games the two squads play.
But this was nothing like the close games the football team plays. The Hornets dominated this contest from the start.
O-A built a 19-11 lead after one period of play as the defense of Noah Seward and Tim Smith was keeping Pembroke stars Ken Babcock and Andrew Wright in check for the most part.
Smith was a shooting machine in the first half.
He drained three 3-pointers and scored 11 of his 17 points to lead the Hornets to a 32-21 halftime lead.
Seward took on the scoring duties in the second half with 12 of his 20 points.
The final blow in the contest came early in the fourth quarter as Smith started it off with a basket and Sam McCracken scored five straight points to give his squad a 53-33 lead. O-A wound up outscoring Pembroke 15-6 in the final frame.
Seward had 12 rebounds to go with his points and Smith had five assists and four steals to go with his 17 points. Brad Riner was held scoreless but dished out seven helpers, with A.J. Kehlenbeck scoring eight points and Tyler Tamblin adding seven.
Babcock scored 20 points for Pembroke (11-7), who will be playing Wilson at 6 p.m. Saturday in the Genesee Region/Niagara-Orleans League Showdown on Saturday. Steve Moser scored eight points and Wright was limited to just five.
Oakfield-Alabama (16-2) will be playing Akron in what is going to be the showcase game of the showdown right after the Pembroke game.
Batavia and Oakfield-Alabama boys rise in state rankings
The Oakfield-Alabama and Batavia boys basketball teams both moved up in the newest New York State Public High School Athletic Association state rankings.
Batavia took a major drop a few weeks back after its second loss of the season to Pittsford Sutherland, but moved up a little last week and moved up two spots in Class A this week, from No. 23 to No. 21.
The Blue Devils are 14-2.
Oakfield-Alabama (14-2) has lingered around the same area in Class C and moved up this week, going from No. 13 to No. 11.
Notre Dame did not change position in Class D. The Fighting Irish (13-3) are the ninth ranked team in the state.
Notre Dame and Alexander each get two Players of the Week
Alexander's Kyle Woodruff and Oakfield-Alabama's Tim Smith shared the Players of the Week honors this week for Genesee Region League Division I.
Woodruff averaged 15.5 points, seven rebounds and two blocks as the Trojans beat Holley 65-62 and lost to Pembroke 75-37. Woodruff reached the 30-point plateau in the win over the Hawks.
Smith had solid games in both of Oakfield-Alabama's victories last week. He had 14 points and four steals in a 65-43 win over Byron-Bergen and followed with a seven point, three steal effort in a 68-23 win over Holley. Smith totaled 21 points, 14 rebounds, eight assists and seven steals in the victories.
Notre Dame's Kevin Francis had a huge scoring week to earn the honors for Division II.
The senior guard had 20 points, five rebounds, six assists and seven steals in a win over Lyndonville and followed with a 27-point, six rebound, six assist, nine steal performance in a victory over Kendall.
Notre Dame also had the Player of the Week on the girls side in Division II.
Sophomore Liz Geandreau averaged a double-double in wins over Pavilion, Lyndonville and Kendall. She averaged 11 points and 10 boards in the victories.
Alexander's Anna Dominick wins the award for Division I as she scored a combined 27 points with seven assists and eight steals in wins over Pembroke and Holley.
