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There's a fine line between arrogance and cockiness. Confidence can breed complacency. Desire can succumb to expectations that lead to a catacomb of missed opportunities. A season can unravel in the difference between resolve, determination and grit versus just showing up and settling for an "I tried" shrug and a "pass the Gatorade." 

It's that difference Batavia Blue Devils Head Coach Brennan Briggs must negotiate as he heads into the 2015 season leading a team that a year ago, by all accounts, shouldn't have won a sectional title but did, and now is stocked with talented, seasoned seniors who are talking about a repeat on the first day of practice.

"That's going to be biggest battle I'm going to be fighting this season is telling these guys the 2015 football team hasn't won a single game yet together," Briggs said. "Last year, yes, we won a championship, but we were fortunate. We had 24 kids. We stayed healthy. We had zero injuries. We caught quite a few breaks and we made some big plays when we needed to. Nothing is guaranteed. It's very, very difficult to win a back-to-back championship, so honestly I don't like that they're talking about championships or anything like that."

The Blue Devils start pre-season camp with 31 players, and 18 of them are seniors. Some of them are stars if not solid contributors. Greg Mruczek is back at QB. He'll be joined offensively by Trevor Sherwood, Malachi Chenault, Adonis Davis, Anthony Gallo, Dominick Mogavero and Noah Dobbertin.

The depth and versatility is noticeable to the players and they can't help but talk of a repeat.

"We're ready to step back up," Mogavero said. "I feel like the whole team is ready to step up its game."

Gallo agrees.

"We're definitely after another championship," Gallo said. "I feel like we're all ready for it. I feel like that's everybody's goal. We want to win and we just want to get back where we were last year."

Briggs wants to see his players focus on getting better every day. Every day, they play against a faceless opponent on their own internal clock and only they know the score, but the outcome of those matches will determine what happens on Friday nights.

While Briggs wants to tap down the championship talk, he also gets that he's dealing with a group of confident kids, and it was confidence that carried this team from a tough opening loss in 2014 against Livonia through big wins to close out the season and bring Batavia its first sectional title in football since 1991.

Briggs calls it "swag," a characteristic the coach talked about as the wins began to pile up last season.

"I do appreciate that they do have a little bit of swag to them, I guess you could call it that, and it is good, because as we found out last year, we were in some tight games toward the end and that kind of pushed us though," Briggs said. "They had confidence that they could get the job done. I think with all of their off-season work and the commitment they've put into the program, and the buy-in, that does help with every single game, day-in-and-day-out, to know that we have what it takes to win a championship, but saying it and feeling it is a little bit different than going out and doing it."

At the end of Monday's workout, Briggs had a straightforward message for his team: "You have a target on your backs."

If the 2014 team was one that came into the season just hunting for a few extra wins, it's now the team to beat for every local gridiron warrior in helmets and pads.

"Nobody is going to give you anything - nobody," Briggs said. "Nobody is going to say, 'Ah, we're playing Batavia, we're going to back down.' Everybody who plays us is going to want to beat us because it might make their season. That might be it. On their calendars, there might be a star, 'We've got a shot to prove something. We've got a shot to beat Batavia. They think they're on top right now. We're going to go out and show everybody else that we're better than them.' "

But the players do think they're better, maybe not yet better than University Prep, better than Wilson, better than Penn Yan and better than Geneva, but they believe they're better than last year, and that's the team that marched through that championship season with a lot of swag.

"Really, I expect to win another championship," Wilson said. 

His job, as he sees it, is to help keep his teammates focused on that goal and fired up for every minute of every practice, because that's what wins games.

"The seniors want to make it happen again, so there's a lot of pressure to do it again," Davis said.

There's peer pressure, then there are community expectations, something Mruczek acknowledges. 

"This community has a lot of expectations," Mruczek said. "With me being the senior quarter people think I need to step up as a leader and I've been trying to do that more; lead this team in the right direction to win another championship. My goal is to put in another solid season, do my 1/11th on the offensive side of the ball and lead this team to another championship."

Briggs thinks Mruczek is ready for the challenge. He isn't a player, the coach said, who worries about his own stats. He gets ready for each game, each play, and knows what his role his.

"He knows how to keep a level head on his shoulders," Briggs said. "I've never questioned his competitive edge or how hard he works, so I'm not too worried about anything like that. He knows what his job is -- go out there and manage the game and be a leader, and hopefully make some big plays when he needs to."

If all eyes are on him as the senior QB, Mruczek is fine with that role, he said.

"I like the pressure," Mruczek said. "I'm confident in this team. We've got a lot of guys with a lot of confidence. I don't really feel any pressure right now. I'm out here having fun my senior year."

A motor-vehilce accident with unknown injuries is reported at 427 E. Main St. in Batavia. City firefighters and Mercy medics are responding.

A man who stole $6,000 from the bedroom of an acquaintance admitted in County Court today to one count of fourth-degree grand larceny and faces a possible term of one to three years in state prison.

Benjamin J. Bullard, 28, of Maple Street, is out of jail under supervision of Genesee Justice until his sentencing Oct. 13.

Bullard has a prior conviction for grand larceny in City Court; he entered that plea in October.

He was arrested earlier this month on the grand larceny charge, accused of stealing the $6,000 from a residence on Swan Street while the occupant was on vacation.

A Stafford resident accused of dealing drugs in a parking lot off Main Street, Batavia, in March, admitted in County Court today to one count of criminal possession of a controlled substance, 5th.

The plea deal means a possible prison term for Joseph C. Wind, 45, of Horseshoe Lake Road, Stafford, of two to five years.

Wind was observed by members of the Local Drug Task Force participating in a drug deal and was arrested following a traffic stop. 

Investigators found Wind in possession of heroin.

Sentencing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m., Oct. 14, in County Court. He is being held on $50,000 bail.

A 23-year-old Batavia resident will spend three-and-a-half years in prison as the result of his guilty plea last month to one count of criminal possession of a narcotic drug with intent to sell.

Dillion M. Brito, with an address on Highland Park at the time of his arrest in June, was sentenced in Genesee County Court today by Judge Robert C. Noonan.

Brito was arrested in the parking lot of Kibbe Park after being found with a quantity of crack cocaine.

Upon his release from state prison, Brito will be on two years post-release supervision.

Press release from City fire Lt. Martin Hinz:

The City of Batavia Fire Department will be flushing fire hydrants on Tuesday, Aug. 18, from approximately 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the general area of West Main Street, Oak Street and Richmond Avenue. Homes and businesses nearby will be affected.

These tests may result in a temporary discoloration of water in that area. As in the past, please do not attempt to wash any clothing if your water appears discolored. If you do experience a discoloration of your water, run cold water for about five minutes or until clear.

A car struck a gas pump at the Citgo Station at 16 Clinton St., Batavia. No injuries. The vehicle is leaking fluids, but it's not yet known if the gas pump is leaking. Town of Batavia Fire Department is responding.

To purchase prints, click here.

Joey Belladonna, lead singer of the metal band Anthrax and native of Oswego, brought his cover band Chief Big Way to Center Street Smoke House on Friday night. The room was packed with fans as the trio, with Belladonna on drums, powered through big rock hit after hit. Tom Mazurkiewicz, who became friends with Belladonna after meeting him at Darien Lake, helped arrange the appearance.

For local Dunkin' Donut franchisee Mike Mikolajczyk, he thinks he's found the perfect location to open up a second shop, but the problem is, for the second time, land-use planners disagree.

In September of last year, the City Planning Board listened to objections raised by nearby residents and rejected a plan for a donut shop on West Main Street on a small lot between Five Star Bank and Barrett's Batavia Marine.

Mikolajczyk and his architect presented a new plan that they hope addresses traffic flow concerns to the Genesee County Planning Board, but the board voted to recommend disapproval of the site plan.

That doesn't kill the project. The City Planning Board can still approve the plan with a majority-plus-one vote.

The revised plan, said architect Kip Finley (photo), would allow for eight cars in queue before backing up into the parking lot, and the parking lot could accommodate an additional five cars before they would start backing up onto West Main. 

Mikolajczyk's existing Dunkin franchise location, on West Main and Ellicott Avenue, captures mostly westbound commuter traffic in the morning. The proposed new location, said Finley, would help the small business owner capture more business from eastbound commuters.

With the recommended disapproval, it's back to the drawing board, Mikolajczyk said, to try and come up with a project that planners will favor. It's important enough to him, he said, to keep trying.

"It's a good location for the type of business we are," Mikolajczyk said. "That's the best location. I don't want to do a location just for the sake of putting another one in, another Dunkin' in. I want to make sure I have the right location."

Other County Planning Board recommendations:

• Approval of an area variance for a new barn in the front yard of 10528 Pavilion Center Road. The proposed barn meets setback requirements, but the Town of Pavilion's zoning code doesn't permit front yard accessory buildings. County planners said the proposed barn is not likely to have significant community-wide or local impacts and there are other properties in the area with front yard accessory buildings;
• Approval with modifications for a special use permit for a restaurant as an accessory business to proposed hotel at 7758 E. Main Road, Le Roy. Planners want to see more parking for the business;
• Approval for a solar array at 6332 Byron Holley Road, Byron;
• Disapproval of a proposed subdivision for a 17-lot subdivision on Fieldcrest Drive, Corfu. Planners found the proposed subdivision plans do not comply with existing code because of a lack of detail in the plans. Planners also expressed concern about the lack of protection for federally identified wetlands on lots 9, 10, 16 and 17;
• Tabled consideration of a variance for fence height at 8903 Route 237, Stafford. Planners were concerned about the lack of detail. The application lacked plans and pictures. Property owner James Pontillo said he turned in all of the required documents to the Town of Stafford. If he did, the documents were not forwarded to the County Planning Department. Pontillo said he would have his attorney provide the materials by the board's next meeting.

Jason L. Perry, 20, of Batavia, was arrested for criminal mischief, 4th, after he allegedly caused damage to the apartment door and frame after a verbal argument with his roommate, according to State Police. Perry was issued an appearance ticket for Town of Byron Court on Aug. 17.

Kristen M. Stedman, 43, of Blue Aspen Way, Greece, is charged with petit larceny and failure to notify the DMV of a change of address. She was arrested Aug. 12 after Batavia Downs employees allegedly witnessed Stedman stealing alcoholic beverages from the kitchen of one of the restaurants. She was jailed in lieu of $1,000 bail. The case was handled by Batavia PD officers Peter Flanigan and Felicia DeGroot.

Meghan M. Ward, 20, of Auburn, was arrested for unlawful possession of marijuana. Ward was a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped for an improper left turn at the main entrance to Darien Lake Amusement Park. Troopers detected a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. Further investigation allegedly revealed Ward had in her possession a plastic container containing a marijuana cigarette with less than one gram of marijuana, a multicolored smoking device containing marijuana residue and a metal grinder containing loose marijuana. Ward was issued an appearance ticket for Town of Darien Court on Aug. 18. The operator of the vehicle was issued a traffic ticket.

Peter T. Bannon, 55, of East Berne, was arrested for criminal possession of marijuana and commercial vehicle violations when he was stopped on State routes 77 and 5 in Pembroke on Aug. 11. An investigation allegedly revealed about two and a half ounces of marijuana is his possession, according to State Police. He was jailed on $1,000 bail is set to be in court Sept. 8.

Dekota S. Leiser, 23, of Linwood Avenue, Warsaw, is charged with third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle after being arrested Aug. 13 on a warrant from Batavia City Court. Leiser allegedly failed to appear on the July 11 AUO, 3rd, charge, so the warrant was issued. Leiser was jailed in lieu of $500 bail and is due back in City Court Aug. 20. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Christopher Lindsay.

Christine M. Cordes, 30, of East Main Street, Batavia, was arrested Aug. 13 on a bench warrant for allegedly failing to appear on a traffic ticket issued Jan. 25 for third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation. She was jailed in lieu of $500 bail. The case was handled by Batavia Police Officer Jamie Givens.

Friends of the Batavia Peace Garden will hold a pasta dinner fundraiser on Thursday, Sept. 17th, at the Morganville United Church of Christ, located at 8466 Morganville Road, Stafford. Eat in or take out. Time is 4 to 7 p.m.

Tickets are: $8 --presale; $9 at door; $5 -- age 10 and under.

To get tickets in advance, contact:

Dona Palmer
585-297-2230
E-mail:  donamariepalmer@yahoo.com

The Batavia Area Jaycees 29th Annual Labor Day Run & Walk will be held on Monday, Sept. 7, starting at MacArthur Park in Batavia.

The route is USA Track & Field certified (#NY-06038-JG).

Participants should check in between 8 and 9:30 a.m.

Registration fee for runners is $12 if pre-registered and $15 afterward, including day of event. Walkers can register for $10.

The first 100 participants will receive a free T-shirt and awards will be presented to the top finishers.

Registration forms are available online at www.bajny.com and this year you can register online at Score-This. A direct link is:

https://reg.score-this.com/regx/step1.jsp?eventID=1508

The race committee is actively seeking sponsors as well as promotional items for the participants' bags for this event. If you are interested in learning more about sponsorshio, please leave a message at 585-343-5775 or e-mail to bajny@yahoo.com

A bicyclist was reportedly struck by a vehicle at West Main Street and Redfield Parkway. No word on injuries. Mercy medics are responding.

UPDATE 12:26 p.m.: A responder reports no injuries. Nothing blocking traffic.

A car is stuck in a creek and the driver is injured at 8900 Creek Road. Town of Batavia Fire Department and Mercy medics are responding.

The car reportedly struck a pole and went off the road into the creek. The pole and wires are down across the roadway. The location is between Lehigh Avenue and Dorman Road.

UPDATE 12:55 p.m.: Howard at the scene reports the driver is out and her only apparent injury is a rash from the shoulder harness of the safety belt. She was swatting at a bee and apparently lost control of the car. She was driving a black Chevy Malibu, which struck a pole, and there's a wire across the roadway, put no pole is down. This occurred at the curve on Creek Road between Lehigh Avenue and Lehigh Road. The vehicle landed, not in a creek, but in a ravine which is sometimes filled with water.

With 344 employees, O-AT-KA Milk Products is already Genesee County's largest private employer, and CFO Michael Patterson promised the Genesee County Economic Development Center Board a taxpayer-assisted expansion will result in a workforce expanded by 21 positions.

The expansion, at a cost to O-AT-KA of $20 million, will result in greater efficiency, a product and market expansion and greater employee safety, Patterson said.

"This is a real game changer for O-AT-KA," Patterson said. "It will allow us to grow while we focus on efficiency and employee safety."

Patterson described the region as "heavy with milk," and the expansion will help O-AT-KA improve its capacity to create new products and expand into additional markets.

O-AT-KA is seeking $2.26 million in sales tax and property tax exemptions.

In making a motion to set a public hearing on O-AT-KA's application, Board Member Craig Yunker said, "This is really important to our region and our dairy industry, which is the back bone of our local economy. I don't know of a more important project."

The date of the hearing, which the board approved unanimously, has not yet been determined, but will be within the next two or three weeks so the board can vote on whether to grant the tax exemptions at its next meeting.

“This is a tremendous investment being made by one of the largest private-sector employers in Genesee County,” said GCEDC Board Chairman Paul Battaglia. “It also demonstrates a long-term commitment to our community by the company in building a state-of-the-art facility to enhance its manufacturing operations now and in the future.”

CALLING ARTISTS OF ALL AGES: Enter for a chance to win one of several great prizes, including our top prize of $250 for 1st Place! Right now we have very few adult artists signed up to chalk so your chances of winning big are, well... BIG! We also have a People's Choice category for the public to vote on their favorite with the winner receiving a gift basket from Alex's Place Restaurant!

Teens can walk away with a $75 cash prize and our youth prize is a $75 gift basket from Adam Miller Toy and Bicycle! The contest takes place during Summer in the City this Saturday, Aug. 15th. Artists can start at 9 a.m. and work until 5 p.m. Judging and awards will be presented immediately after and announced on stage!  Artists can enjoy food, drinks and entertainment from the Summer in the City festival.  

With every artist's registration, you will receive a goody bag consisting of a box of 24 chalks to get started, an event T-shirt from T-Shirts Etc., and a Snapple beverage from CH Wright!  

If you are an area artist and are a member of GO ART! or Batavia Society of Artists, your registration is discounted by 50 percent!   

This contest is raising money for future art events through GO ART!, and will help fund the youth art program at GO ART!, which helps bring art programs to children all around our county.  

A huge shout out to our platinum city sponsors that have made this event possible: Main Street Pizza Co., Alex's Place, Batavia Business Improvement District, Adam Miller Toy and Bicycle, CH Wright and T-Shirts Etc.! And many many more! Register today by click here.

It's a year today since local musician Frank Penepento started playing the National Anthem on his trumpet every morning at 7 a.m. at the VA Center in Batavia.

This morning, he was joined by several other players, including Mitch Cayea, now in the Navy and home on leave, who was in high school when he first filled in for Penepento on a morning Penepento couldn't play.

Penepento missed a period of playing while recovering from neck surgery, so other trumpeters filled in for him, and all but one of those stand-ins joined him this morning.

Besides Cayea, playing this morning were Harold McJury, Donny Allen, Ross Chua, Don Shirk and Tom Cecerce. Unable to play this morning was Richard Samsel.

Together, the group has performed the National Anthem at 7 a.m. at the VA Center through rain, sleet, snow, zero-degree mornings and golden ones like today.

Previously: Trumpeter plays National Anthem every morning at VA to honor veterans, and his father