elba

The score may not reflect it, but the Elba Lady Lancers played an intense, hard-fought game against archrival Notre Dame on Tuesday night.

They came up short, 51-31.

"Elba's very well coached," said Notre Dame Head Coach Dave Pero. "They're hard-nosed girls. They're going to be reckoned with all year. We're fortunate to do what we did."

The Lancers' game plan called for a pressure defense that would attempt to hold the Fighting Irish to 12 points or under per quarter.

All went to plan in the first half. Notre Dame scored only eight in the first quarter (six on a pair of threes from Shea Norton) and 11 in the second quarter.

Unfortunately for Elba, their shots weren't falling either and the Lancers trailed 19-10 at the half.

"I thought we both played good defense in the first half," said Tom Redband, head coach for Elba. "They started to pick it up in the second half and our shots continued not to fall. We had some untimely turnovers and the rest is history."

Pero said his team was pretty hyped up about playing Elba, but they relaxed in the second half and that, along with some adjustments to deal with Elba's press, made the difference.

"The listened to what we needed to do," Pero said. "That's a sign of good quality girls. They'll listen to you when you need to make adjustments." 

Notre Dame features three starters who are all six-feet tall and over. Elba's shooters repeatedly found their shots being knocked down, and rebounds were hard to come by.

"You practice the boxing out and you practice the crashing, but it's hard to simulate the 6-1, 6-2," Redband said. "They get an extra hand on the ball. It's a tough match up for us."

While both teams are in the Genesee Region League, Elba is Class D and Notre Dame is Class C.

Elba, now 3-1, looks like a team that can make a run at sectional play, though Redband is taking a one-game-at-time approach.

"We have some work to do like we all do this time of year," Redband said. "It's only our fourth game. It's a long season. Fifteen more games. We've got two more games before the break, then we've got 16 days off, so we'll be able to fine tune some things before the new year."

Guard Alex Riegle scored 14 ponits (with four three-pointers) for the Lady Lancers and proved a deft ball handler and capable court leader, even against Notre Dame's pressure defense.

For Notre Dame, Rebecca Krenzer had 15 points, Norton 13 and Emma Francis 11.

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A car has hit a utility pole on Route 98 near Batavia-Elba Townline Road, Elba.

It's unknown if there are injuries at this time.

Elba fire responding.

UPDATE 6:30 a.m.: A caller on location reports no injuries and minimal damage.

Lyndonville got a good taste Thursday night of the kind of team the Elba Lady Lancers hope to be in 2014-15: an aggressive defense that generates turnovers and a disciplined offense that uses spacing and passing to create open looks.

The result, Elba 64, Lyndonville 32.

"We try to share the ball," said Head Coach Tom Redband. "If we don't, we're not going to be very good. And we try to eliminate shot attempts."

Possession after possession Thursday, the Lancers swatted the balls from Tiger hands or snatched passes midflight.

The turnovers were often created by pure pressure on ball handlers.

The Lady Lancers are a team that will be looking to define itself early in the season following the graduation of last year's point guard Kelsey Bezon.

"She was our leader," Redband said. "She was our facilitator. We had to wait and see how everyone reacted to new roles and they're doing a great job of dealing with it. People have been filling roles. They step in and they step up."

Returning as starters are Alex Reigle, Alyssa Bogue, Jennifer Pedro and Haley Brown.

Redband is looking for big things from that core group to help Elba make another run at post-season play.

Uriel Ramirez-Perez, 26, of Oak Orchard Road, Elba, is charged with first-degree rape, a Class B felony. The defendant was arrested after allegedly raping a female victim at an Elba residence. The charge is related to the previously reported charges of rape against three other Elba men. This defendant was allegedly present during the Nov. 16 incident. He is in county jail on $25,000 cash bail or $50,000 property bond. The incident was investigated by investigator Kristopher A. Kautz, deputy Dana Richardson and Angel Santos, investigator with the State Police.

Shannon Ann Caton, 39, of Fisher Road, Oakfield, is charged with: driving while intoxicated with a previous conviction within the last 10 years; resisting arrest; attempted escape, 3rd; speed not reasonable and prudent; and following too close. She was arrested Nov. 19 on the charges after she allegedly rear-ended another vehcile twice on East Main Street near Harvester Avenue in the City of Batavia. While at police headquarters, she slipped out of handcuffs and attempted to escape. She allegedly physically resisted her re-apprehension and was then jailed without bail. She is also charged with refusing to take a breath test. The incident was investigated by police officers Jason Ivison and James DeFreze.

Thomas K. Lee, 51, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with resisting arrest and obstruction of governmental administration. He was arrested Nov. 18 after allegedly interfering with a Batavia police officer's investigation into a domestic incident involving Lee. He allegedly resisted arrest and "attempted to kick patrols." He is in jail in lieu of $2,500 bail. The incident was investigated by police officers Jason Ivison and Chad Richards.

Shane Zimblis, 43, of Hutchins Street, Batavia, is charged with: operating a snowmobile with a BAC of .08 or higher, first offense; operating a snowmobile without liability insurance; no/inadequate headlight; operating an unregistered snowmobile; and following too close. The charges stem from an accident Nov. 18 on Pearl Street in the city wherein Zimblis was allegedly operating his snowmobile and struck an SUV. He is to appear in city court on Dec. 3. The incident was investigated by police officers Chad Richards and James DeFreze.

April L. Walradt, 37, of Bank Street, Batavia, was arrested Nov. 11 and charged with second-degree harassment. She allegedly made comments to another person and a youth that caused them alarm. She was issued an appearance ticket for city court. The incident was investigated by police offier Matthew Wojtaszczyk.

Matthew Michael Biggins, 25, of Rail Road Avenue, Alexander, is charged with third-degree forgery and petit larceny. He was arrested Nov. 14 after allegedly stealing three checks, making the checks out in his own name and then cashing them. He was issued an appearance ticket and is to appear in Alexander Town Court on Dec. 2. The incident was investigated by Sheriff's deputy Cory Mower.

Terrance Trae Allen Harley, 18, of Frandee Lane, Rochester, was arrested Nov. 22 on Clinton Street Road in Stafford and charged with unlawful possession of marijuana, speed violation (67 in a 55 mph zone), and having no or inadequate taillights. The charges were issued following a traffic stop for alleged vehicle and traffic law violations. Harley is to appear in Stafford Town Court on Dec. 11. The incident was investigated by sheriff's deputy Joseph Corona, assisted by deputy Andrew Hale.

Jennifer Lynn Stack, 28, of South Main Street, Batavia, is charged with criminal contempt, 2nd. She was arrested Nov. 23 after she entered the Batavia Walmart and remained in the store. These alleged actions violated an active order of protection issued by Batavia Town Court, prohibiting her from being on the premises. She was issued an appearance ticket and is to appear in court on Dec. 18. The incident was investigated by Sheriff's deputy Chad Minuto.

Adam Paul Hoopengardner, 34, of Bank Street Road, Elba, is charged with DWI, driving with a BAC of .08 or more and speeding (52 in a 40 mph zone). He was stopped on Lewiston Road Nov. 23 for allegedly speeding and an investigation revealed he was allegedly intoxicated while driving the vehicle. The incident was investigated by Sheriff's deputy Thomas Sanfratello.

James Russell Kosiorek, 22, of East Main Street, Batavia, was arrested Nov. 20 on a state parole warrant. He responded to the Sheriff's Office to turn himself in and was placed in county jail.

Gloria Susan Moretti, 37, of Main Road, Corfu, was arrested Nov. 7 and charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle. She was a co-renter of a vehicle from Sikes Enterprises, which allegedly has not been returned and has not been paid for. She was issued a computer-generated appearance ticket and is due in city court Dec. 2. The incident was investigated by Batavia police officer James DeFreze.

Three men in Elba are accused of forcibly raping a young woman at their home on Oak Orchard Road on Saturday night.

The men are charged with rape in the first degree and were jailed on $25,000 cash bail or $50,000 bond.

All three men were out of federal custody on bail after previously being charged with being in the country illegally, said Investigator Kris Kautz.

Kautz said the victim was a young woman with ties to the migrant labor community in the Elba area. She didn't know the three men, but had seen them around. She had gone to their home because an acquaintance was visiting there and called and asked for a ride home.

When the alleged victim arrived, she tried to get her friend to come out of the house, Kautz said, both by yelling inside and trying to reach her on her phone.

When the friend didn't come out, she went in and that's when things went bad, Kautz said.

Only one of the men spoke a little English, so agents from Immigration and Custom Enforcement were called in to assist in the investigation and translate.

Arrested were Santiago Hernandez-Ruiz, 19, Darwin Zuniga-Rocha, 29, and Eliseo Mateo-Perez, 20.

Deputy Dana Richardson assisted in the investigation.

Also arrested at the same location as a result of the investigation was Catalino Lopez-Leiba, 43, who was charged with criminal possession of a forged instrument, 2nd. Lopez-Leiba allegedly possessed a forged Social Security card.

Press release:

This year, members of the Elba Central School District’s Celebration Committee would like to establish an Alumni Hall of Fame.

The Alumni Hall of Fame program will recognize outstanding achievements by alumni who, after graduation, have greatly contributed to the well-being of our society through their hard work, talents and leadership.

There are three categories for nominees: a graduate of Elba High School, community member or an honorary selection (non-alum). The induction ceremony will be held later this school year.

If you would like to nominate someone for the inaugural Alumni Hall of Fame, please complete a 2014-15 Nomination Form. Nomination Forms are located on the school Web site and in the District Office. The deadline for nominations is Jan. 1.

“The purpose and tradition of Elba Central School District and its community is to empower and inspire our students to be continuous learners who are challenged to succeed.”

The Oakfield/Elba Titans in the Mini Division won their league's championship today, beating Albion 27-19.

Photo and info provided by Kevin Zito.

Carolina M. Frias, 34, of Law Street, Batavia, is charged with theft of services, petit larceny and criminal mischief. She was arrested Oct. 23 at about 6:20 p.m. in front of 140 W. Main St. for alleged petit larceny, criminal mischief, 3rd, and theft of services stemming from an incident on Oak Street on Oct. 22. Frias is suspected of damaging and removing various items from a hotel without permission along with not paying for her stay. She was jailed in lieu of $2,500 cash or bail. The incident was investigated by officer Nedim Catovic, assisted by officer Eric Foels.

Abner C. Black, 60, of Liberty Street, Batavia, is charged with third-degree assault and criminal mischief, 4th. Black was arrested in front of City Centre on Oct. 25 following an incident on Oct. 24 in which he was allegedly involved in a domestic dispute on Chandler Avenue. He allegedly shoved a female against a refrigerator and took her cell phone when she tried to call 9-1-1. He was jailed in lieu of $3,000 cash or bail. The incident was investigated by officer Nedim Catovic.

Donna Ann Corcoran, 41, of St. Mary's Street, Pavilion, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, unlawful possession of marijuana, and second-degree promoting prison contraband. She was arrested in the Town of Pavilion on Oct. 24 and brought to jail for an incident related to a DWI investigation. While inside the Genesee County Jail, it is alleged that Corcoran possessed a controlled substance and marijuana, which led to the aforementioned charges. She was issued an appearance ticket and is to answer the charges in city court on Nov. 19. Corcoran was also charged with driving while ability impaired by alcohol, failure to keep right and consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle in the Town of Pavilion. She received traffic tickets for those alleged offenses and is to appear Nov. 18 in Pavilion Town Court. The incident was investigated by deputy Joseph Graff.

William J. Mellema, 50, of Almay Road, Rochester, is charged with unlawful possession of marijuana, aggravated unlicensed operation, unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, and driving over state 55 mph limit. On Oct. 11 on Route 98 in Elba, Mellema was arrested on the charges following a traffic stop in which he allegedly admitted to having a bag of pot and a glass smoking pipe. He was arraigned in Elba Town Court and jailed on $800 cash bail or $2,000 bond. He is scheduled to reappear in Elba Town Court on Nov. 18. The incident was investigated by deputy Joseph Loftus, assisted by deputy Joseph Graff.

Harold Chinn, 49, of North Main Street, Oakfield, is charged with petit larceny for an incident that happened on Sept. 23 on Veterans Memorial Drive. Chinn allegedly stole a cell phone that another patron of Walmart had left behind at the check-out counter. He was arrested Oct. 19 and issued an appearance ticket for Batavia Town Court on Nov. 3. The incident was investigated by deputy Joseph Loftus.

Monique Annette Mcmillian, 30, of Elmdorf Street, Rochester, is charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, 3rd, and operating a vehicle with a suspended registration on Oct. 9 in Stafford. Following her release from Monroe County Jail, Mcmillian was turned over to the Genesee County Sheriff's Office and subsequently arrested and jailed on $175 bail or $250 bond. She is to reappear in Stafford Town Court on Nov. 13. The incident was investigated by deputy Joseph Graff.

Samuel Christopher Dilcher, 31, of Lewiston Road, Oakfield, is charged with assault, 3rd. Dilcher is accused of punching a patron in the face at the Stumblin Inn in Elba causing the person to require medical attention, including several stitches. Dilcher was issued an appearance ticket.

Justin David Moscato, 21, of Riddle Road, Lockport, is charged with driving while impaired by drugs and uninspected motor vehicle. Moscato was arrested following a citizen complaint of a person staggering around a vehicle at 12:55 p.m. Wednesday at a location on Hopkins Road, Pembroke.

Before facing off against Elba/Byron-Bergen, Alexander's Head Coach Tim Sawyer offered an assessment of what it would take the Trojans to beat the Lancers.

"We need 48 minutes of perfect football," he said.

After the game, Sawyer said his team got pretty close.

"I feel like we get maximum effort out of our boys, a good effort, but we still continue to make some mistakes," Sawyer said. "Today we played a pretty complete game. I'd say 42, 44 minutes of pretty good football."

The result was a 21-0 win, giving Alexander a 5-2 record on the season and carrying them into sectional play on a four-game win streak.

Pre-game, the meeting of the two 4 and 2 Genesee Region rivals promised to be a close battle, and for the first 11 minutes of play, that's exactly what it was. But as the scoreless first quarter drew to a close, LB Derrick Busch cut in front of a Lancers receiver to snag a Garrett Chapell pass and dash 28 yards unimpeded for the score.

"That gave us the momentum that carried us through the game," said senior Tyler Laird.

In the second quarter, RB Tristan Aldinger scored on a 44-yard run and RB Jacob Wozniak scored on a 50-yard run.

"Running up the middle, my fullback, Al Hadsall, had a really good block on the inside, so I broke it off on the outside of him and the whole team really put it together on that play and helped me score," Wozniak said.

Sawyer said he knew coming into the game that the Lancers feature a strong, aggressive defense, and he came prepared.

Six different players took snaps and four backs took turns taking handoffs.

"We wanted to use our speed early to get out wide and get them to spread and they did," Sawyer said. "Then we started running zone run up the middle, and you guys saw the game kind of open up for us."

Wozniak and Aldinger shouldered most of the load out of the backfield. Wozniak had 23 carries for 108 yards and the TD, and Aldinger had 128 yards and a TD on 14 carries.

Elba/BB isn't an easy team to shut down offensively. It's a good team with Chapell, John Hochmuth and Steele Truax to power the scoring.

Yet, they were shutout.

"I give all the credit to (Defensive Coach Matt) McCracken," Sawyer said. "I think he's under 30, but he's (the) mastermind."

Laird said the defensive line really sparked the performance.

"Our guys were working hard," Laird said. "Our D-line has got a push and they were opening up the lanes for me to make tackles. That goes for me and the other linebackers Cody Trzecieski and Jake Wozniak. The linemen really opened it up for us."

This is the second year the Trojans have run a three-man front on defense, and it's kind of a secret weapon, Sawyer said.

"I think that confuses our opponents a bit and we're getting pretty good at it," Sawyer said.

On Saturday, Alexander travels to Honeoye Falls for a first-round sectional game against Avon.

Last year the Trojans made it all the way to Section V finals. This year's team is a very different kind of team, with more speed and not as much power, but Laird said that's the only difference between each year's teams.

This year's team is just as ready to challenge for a title.

"It was rough at the beginning of the year trying to adjust to a new scheme, but these kids are working just as hard as that team did last year and they just keep getting better every single week," Laird said. "It's basically the same atmosphere as last year. Five and one in the GR and I'm excited. It feels great."

Top photo: Jacob Wozniak breaks free for Alexander's third, and final touchdown -- a 50-yard run.

Elba/BB's Mike Shanley comes close to blocking Zach Shilvock second of three extra points.

Steele Truax dives for a few extra yards in the third quarter.

Tristan Aldinger comes close to a third-quarter pass interception.

Samuel Browne picking up yardage in the third quarter.

Mike Shanley on a run in the third quarter.

UPDATE: Rick Franclemont also took pictures of the game. You can view them here.

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A car/deer accident with injuries is reported at 4189 Drake Street Road. Mercy medics and Elba fire are responding.

UPDATE 7:41 p.m.: The Mercy medic on scene reports to Elba command that the patient is a sign-off. Elba is back in service.

The Harlem Wizards, a traveling basketball team that entertains through trick shots and comedy routines, visited Elba on Tuesday for a charity game against the Sherwood Shooters, a team comprised of community members, including teachers, administrators, pastors, doctors, coaches and family members.

The event was hosted by Batavia Assembly of God Church. Proceeds benefited the church's building fund and the Stan Sherwood Memorial Scholarship.

For the sixth consecutive year, Mike Richenberg won the ARC 5K in Elba on Saturday. He finished with a time of 19:06. Claire Skowronski, 12, finished the race in 22:08.

Richenberg overcame a nagging calf injury to notch the win.

Lindsey Coniber, 13, and Laura Neumann, 12 participated in the race.

One team enters the game 2-0, the other is 0-2. Who do you think is going to win?

It's fair to say, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish upset the Elba/Byron-Bergen Lancers on Saturday with a 15-8 win at home.

The Irish struggled in the first two weeks of the season against Oakfield-Alabama and Alexander. It was looking like it might be a long season for Head Coach Rick Mancuso and his squad.

Meanwhile, the Lancers crushed Pembroke and Holley.

But as Elba's Mike Cintorino said after beating Holley last week, when it comes to matches between the Lancers and Notre Dame in any sport, you can throw the win-loss records out the window. These teams grapple no matter what the expectations.

Mancuso downplayed the rivalry after the win, however. A win is a win, and Notre Dame very much needed a win.

"This is more about us coming together as a team and playing the game and getting our first victory," Mancuso said. "That's really what it was about."

Mancuso credited a defense that held Elba/BB to 148 yards total offense, but what made the difference was an offense that showed it could move the ball effectively.

Take away a couple of turnovers and some mental error penalties and the final score might have been more lopsided than a victory just eked out.

The big difference, Mancuso said, was the offensive line.

"We've got a lot of young guys along the line," Mancuso said. "They may be juniors, but they don't have a lot of varsity experience. I really think they're starting to understand it. They're starting to click. They're working really, really hard. We saw it in practice this week. It started coming together. We're happy with where we're at, but we've got a lot of work to do."

Joe Zickl replaced and injured Connor Logsdon at QB and was six for 10 passing for 67 yards and a TD. Josh Johnson caught that TD pass (top photo) to give the Irish the lead in the third quarter.

Peter Daversa rushed for 84 yards and a TD on 15 carries.

Johnson had three receptions for 32 yards. Jack Sutherland carried the ball nine times for 33 yards.

For the Lancers, Garrett Chapell was 11 for 23 passing for 75 yards. Steele Truax rushed for 70 yards and a TD on 16 attempts. Mike Shanley had three catches for 23 yards and John Hochmuth gained 20 yards on three receptions.

Jack Sutherland had 10.5 tackles for Notre Dame. Johnson had six and Casey Midwick had five. 

Hunter Taylor and Truax each had five tackles for the Lancers. Taylor also had a sack.

Someday, your sons are going to be all grown up and you're going to wish you had some quality photos of them on the gridiron. To purchase prints, click here. Proceeds help improve The Batavian's photography.