Football previews in sports
This is a huge weekend for area high school football as five teams are still alive. The Batavian will have coverage at every game featured this weekend.
All of the previews are done, and all have video. Check them out.
pembroke
Class C, semifinals: Pembroke vs. Oakfield-Alabama
Pembroke (7-1) vs. Oakfield-Alabama (8-0)
4 p.m. Saturday, at Aquinas
Here we go again.
Oakfield-Alabama and Pembroke is the best Genesee Region League rivalry and the buildup for the regular season game was huge, the game was even better than could be imagined and now the two powerhouse squads are matching up in the Section 5 Class C semifinals.
Tim Smith scored a late touchdown and Brad Riner ran in a two-point conversion as the Hornets won the regular season contest 25-24 in Week 6, giving fans the best show in the rivalry game's history.
O-A went on to beat Holley in the final week of the regular season and won the league title outright, going undefeated for the first time since 1986. Pembroke beat Attica in the final week of the season and finished one point away from the title and a perfect season.
The Hornets thumped Dansville 63-34 in the opening round of the playoffs and the Dragons had a big second half to beat Bishop Kearney 32-12. Now the scene shifts to Rochester, as the game will be played on the turf at Aquinas High School.
Smith and Riner were the stars in the first game and will be the focal point of the O-A offense yet again as the two GR all-stars are having monster seasons.
Smith has 112 rushing attempts for 971 yards and 15 touchdowns while Riner has tallied 817 yards and 12 scores on 108 rushes. Joe Natalizia, Jason Stanley and Josh Athoe will also see the ball.
The Hornets didn't have to throw the ball much in the regular season game, but if Pembroke is successful in stuffing the run, look for A.J. Kehlenbeck to put the ball in the air. The quarterback has a great arm but has had not had to use it much this year because of O-A's run-first approach.
Kehlenbeck has thrown to seven different receivers while completing 18-of-41 attempts for 271 yards and six touchdowns.
Some people might give Pembroke's offense the advantage because of the playing surface with speedster Andrew Wright and cutting-runner Mike Dibble.
Wright can do it all and has excelled on special teams, running the ball and catching it. He is looking forward to running on turf and adding to his 896 rushing yards with 10 touchdowns and 340-plus receiving yards with three scores.
Dibble is over 800 yards rushing with 10 touchdowns.
Quarterback David Kleckler and tight end Ken Babcock are a great passing duo, with Kleckler completing 33-of-62 attempts for 733 yards and 11 scores.
The Dragons are dealing with some injury issues, most notably starting center Josh Hanel, who is out for the game. O-A has some minor injury issues, but comes in mostly healthy.
Oakfield-Alabama is ranked eighth in the state while Pembroke comes in at No. 17.
5 local teams still alive
I'll be visiting the five teams that are still playing in the Section 5 playoffs this week, doing video previews as well as my written ones. They will all be on The Batavian on Thursday to help fans get ready for the games.
Notre Dame will be playing Dundee on Saturday at noon at PAETEC Park in the Class D finals.
Le Roy will play Letchworth at 1 p.m. with Pembroke vs. Oakfield-Alabama to follow at Aquinas in the Class C semifinals on Saturday.
Then Attica will play Bath at 6 p.m. Sunday at PAETEC in a Class B semifinal game.
I attended two practices today and will visit the other three teams on Wednesday and Thursday. You will get the most in-depth previews for local teams as we go deeper into the playoffs here at The Batavian.
I will also be covering games this weekend as well as doing a radio preview and guest appearance during the game on WVIN for the Attica/Bath game on Sunday. You will be able to hear the broadcast locally at www.localsportsedge.com.
WBTA will also be broadcasting local games this weekend. The Notre Dame/Dundee game can be heard on 1490 AM or at www.wbta1490.com, and then at the conclusion of that game, Le Roy/Letchworth will be picked up. WBTA will stay on the air to cover the Oakfield-Alabama/Pembroke contest.
You will be able to see video highlights, a game story and photos of each game as soon as possible on The Batavian as well.
GR gets four Players of the Week
With four teams still alive in the Section 5 playoffs, the Genesee Region League is having a heck of a postseason.
That was shown this week as four league players earned Player of the Week honors.
Notre Dame thumped Perry 56-0 in the Class D semifinals and got both the offensive and defensive POY.
Running back Mike Pratt rushed the ball nine times for 109 yards and three touchdowns and gets the offensive honor. Pratt is a 5-foot-9, 180-pound sophomore that led the Fighting Irish as the team rushed for 259 yards in the contest.
6-foot-1, 225-pound senior linebacker Craig Houseknecht had a sack on the opening Perry possession and finished the game with six solo tackles, six assists, the sack, a forced fumble and 1 1/2 tackles for losses of 26 yards to earn the defensive honor.
Pembroke beat Bishop Kearney 32-12 and 6-foot-5, 220-pound defensive end Ken Babcock was named the defensive POY. He had eight solo tackles, seven assists and knocked down a pass in the victory. Babcock also caught a touchdown pass in the win.
Attica's Dave Jennings was key in a historic 18-0 victory over East Rochester/Gananda this past weekend.
The 5-foot-10, 205-pound linebacker had nine tackles, a sack and an interception in the victory as the Blue Devils won a sectional football game for the second time ever.
Attica will be playing Bath in a semifinal game on Sunday while Oakfield-Alabama and Pembroke play each other in the semifinals on Saturday. Notre Dame gets to try to avenge last season's loss to Dundee in the finals on Saturday as well.
Snub alert: Oakfield-Alabama's Tim Smith rushed for 196 yards, had 331 all-purpose yards and scored six touchdowns in a 63-34 win over Dansville in a Class C game. How did he not get recognized?
Pembroke VS Oakfield-Alabama
The Pembroke Dragons are just waiting eagerly for the rematch with O-A. They are pumped and ready to roll from the get-go. It's going to be a nail grinder, but Pembroke has the where-with-all to pull this one off. There are no surprises from O-A this time - the Dragons are ready to win!
Dragons win and get another shot at Oakfield-Alabama
Sloppy playing conditions held Pembroke down early, but the Dragons got rolling late in the game and topped Bishop Kearney 32-12 Saturday.
The win sets up a semifinal game against league-rival Oakfield-Alabama at Aquinas next Saturday.
"It was a great game the first time around and I'm glad both teams won and we get to play again," said Pembroke coach Chip Foster. "We are going to be playing on a great turf surface; it's going to be a great game."
Andrew Wright and David Kleckler both had huge games, with Wright rushing the ball 20 times for 122 yards and three touchdowns and Kleckler rushing six times for 77 yards and a score. He also completed 3-of-6 pass attempts for 82 yards and a TD.
Kearny took the lead in the second quarter when Quentin Gause picked up a fumble and took it 38 yards into the end zone.
Late in the second quarter, Pembroke took the lead when Wright broke a 48-yard touchdown run on a fourth-and-2 and Matt Phelps hit the extra point.
Kearney took a third quarter lead when Jake Meek hooked up with Blaine Roberts on a 46-yard touchdown pass, but that was it for the Kings scoring.
Wright scored the game-winning points on a 66-yard touchdown run later in the third.
Kleckler hooked up with Ken Babcock on a 23-yard TD pass, Wright had a 1-yard touchdown run and Kleckler scored on a 53-yard keeper late in the game for the final score.
Kearney drops to 4-4 while the third-seeded Dragons improve to 7-1 and will be playing No. 2 O-A in the semifinals.
High School football playoff previews in sports
All of the high school football previews are set in sports. Here's the list of playoff games with links.
South Seneca/Romulus at Le Roy
Perry vs. Notre Dame, at East Rochester
And just in case you missed it earlier in the week, here are the Genesee Region League all-stars.
Class C, first round: Bishop Kearney at Pembroke
Bishop Kearney (4-3) at Pembroke (6-1)
1:30 p.m. Saturday
Pembroke got a pretty tough draw in the opening round.
Kearney had the same record last year and played at Oakfield-Alabama, pulling off the upset.
Coach Chip Foster and his Dragons will be preparing for this game like it is the sectional finals, especially knowing the heartbreak of getting knocked out of sectionals in the semifinals and finals of the last two years; with both losses coming to Le Roy.
Kearney is a dangerous team.
There are rumors that the team is dealing with several injuries, including star running back Justin Forte. Forte has 717 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns and could play, even if he's not at 100-percent.
If he doesn't play, the Kings don't have another running back that has had even 10 carries.
So if Forte is banged up, all of the pressure goes on quarterback Jake Meek and the receiving corps. Meet completed 40-of-75 pass attempts this season for 1,002 yards, 10 touchdowns and four interceptions.
His top receiving option is Blair Roberts, who has caught 16 passes for 542 yards and six TDs. Jerome Lewis, Quentin Gause and Mike Robinson are all over 100 yards receiving this season.
Pembroke will look to take an early lead, so there are no worries late in the game.
That is a likely possibility as an explosive offense can so a lot of different things well, all starting at the quarterback position.
David Kleckler is the GR's all-star QB after completing 30-of-56 pass attempts for 651 yards, with 10 touchdowns. He can make passes to Andrew Wright coming out of the backfield or lined up as a wide receiver or can find tight end Ken Babcock down the field.
Wright has caught 13 passes for 340 yards and three touchdowns while Babcock has hauled in 15 passes for 279 yards and five touchdowns.
The run game is also solid with Mike Dibble being the guy that is expected to eat up yardage. The unselfish back has rushed for 522 yards with eight touchdowns and is the quiet player on the field that does all the hard work without the glory.
Wright is the other back and he gets a lot of attention no matter where he is on the field. He has ran the ball for 774 yards and 10 touchdowns and has the ability to break a big play anytime he touches the ball.
Pembroke - ranked 17th in the state - is fairly healthy, but suffered a big blow with OL/DL Josh Hanel getting banged up. With him out of the game, the Dragons couldn't even attempt extra points last week and the squad has probably looked to find a long-snapper to replace him.
A victory could mean another shot at Oakfield-Alabama, which handed the Dragons their only loss of the regular season, 25-24.
Class C, first round: S. Seneca/Romulus at Le Roy
South Seneca/Romulus (3-3) at Le Roy (7-0)
7:30 p.m. Friday
The Oatkan Knights are starting the march towards sectional championship No. 14 and have all the tools to get it done.
Le Roy is the top-seed in Class C, ranked third in the state in Class C and have had very little trouble compiling an undefeated record in the regular season, capturing the Livingston Conference Division II title.
Coach Brian Moran has built another powerhouse in a year many area fans thought Le Roy was going to be down, due the graduation of some great players.
Not the case.
The Oatkan Knights have had a spectacular offense, scoring an impressive 257 points. And the defense has been pretty solid as well, only giving up 103 points.
Travis Fenstermaker earned Offensive Player of the Week for Class C last week after a huge 223-yard, four touchdown performance in a win over Hornell last week. He's had a great year passing the ball and will also serves as a runner as well.
When he's throwing the ball, most of the time it is going in the direction of Mike Humphrey, who has proven to be one of the best in all of Section 5 this season. He has 502 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns.
Le Roy also has a running game because that is usually the way to win a championship. Andrew Alexander is as good as anybody and many times gets overshadowed by the flashy quarterback and receiver duo. But he's for real.
Alexander has 952 yards rushing with nine touchdowns.
South Seneca/Romulus was the fourth best team in a pretty weak Finger Lakes West this year and has been outscored 176-135.
The town of Le Roy would be in shock - and probably shut down - if the Oatkan Knights lose this game. The sectional championship game and state aspirations are deserved by these kids and Le Roy will be in what is expected to be an epic final as a home team on a foreign turf.
(photo borrowed from www.leroyfootball.com)
Area teams getting some state rankings
I am getting a jump on my previews for tomorrow and just saw something that made me crack a little smile.
The newest version of the New York State Sportswriters Association state rankings came out today and our area teams are doing very well.
Le Roy moved up from fourth to third in Class C after demolishing Hornell last week and Oakfield-Alabama made the jump from No. 10 to No. 8.
Pembroke had not been ranked all season long and was getting an honorable mention before losing to O-A in Week 6, but fell off the board after that. The Dragons are making their first appearance on the official top 20 list at No. 17 this week.
Notre Dame received its first honorable mention this week in Class D after thumping DeSales last week.
It is nice to see the state is giving props to teams from our area. Now hopefully our local teams can prove them right.
Drago is Player of Year and leads GR all-stars
Wheatland-Chili's Lauren Drago had a tremendous season and led her Wildcats to the Genesee Region League Division II title.
W-C went 13-3-1 and Drago - a senior midfielder/forward - scored 23 goals and dished out 13 assists, scoring 59 points to earn GR Player of the Year.
She is one of three Wildcats on the Genesee Region League all-star squad, getting selected as a forward.
Chloe Smith is a junior midfielder and earned all-star props after scoring three goals with five assists. Junior defender Lindsey Hall is also an all-star, for leading the defensive unit.
Holley won the Division I title after an epic race for the championship with an 11-3-4 record, and coach Jill Mann was named Coach of the Year.
Three members of her team are named to the all-star squad.
Sophomore goalie Julie Brooks was in net for every 1,480 minutes the team played this season and made 118 saves while allowing just nine goals. That's an amazing .486 goals per game average.
Brooks got a lot of help from fellow all-league selection, junior defender Corinne VanSchoick.
Junior midfielder Emily Troup led the team in scoring with 11 goals and four assists for 26 points.
Troup battled Alexander's Hannah Wilson to a 0-0 tie in the final game of the season that determined the division winner, and Wilson was also named an all-star keeper.
Wilson allowed just 24 goals while making 161 saves, averaging 1.289 goals per game.
Two other Trojans made the team.
Senior midfielder Rachel Pettys was selected after scoring eight goals with two assists, for 18 points, and eighth-grade defender Abby Shilvock is also on the team.
Shivlock had three goals with a helper this season.
Elba had a pair of players make the team in junior midfielder Julie Marshall and senior forward Chelsi Clark.
Clark was a scoring machine, getting 24 goals with six assists for 54 points. Marshall had a goal with seven helpers.
Stacy Maskell and Todne Crowe were selected as all-stars from Byron-Bergen.
Maskell - a junior forward - scored 12 goals with three assists, for 27 points, and Crowe - a senior midfielder - added four goals and five assists.
Pembroke had a pair of all-stars in senior defender Rachel Warren and senior forward Nicole Sharick.
Sharick scored 25 times and had 11 assists, finishing with a league-high 61 points. Warren dished out three assists.
Midfielder Hillary Bates of Oakfield-Alabama makes the squad as a senior. She scored five goals this season.
Attica senior defender Christina West is an all-star after scoring six goals with an assist and Kendall sophomore forward gets the all-star nod after scoring eight goals with six helpers.
Oakfield-Alabama gets nine GR all-stars
No surprise here.
The Oakfield-Alabama football rolled to a perfect 7-0 season and captured the Genesee Region League title, and nine players from that squad were named to the GR all-star team Monday night.
Coach John Dowd was named Coach of the Year as well for delivering the first undefeated regular season for the Hornets since 1986.
O-A has rushed for a whopping 2,242 yards as a team during the regular season. Week 7 counts as non-league games because the Class D teams were already in the playoffs.
That being said, two of the three running backs on the squad and three offensive lineman lead the way.
6-foot-3, 275-pound Chris Williams was a unanimous choice at guard and 6-foot-1, 275-pound center Craig Campbell also was a key on the best offensive line in the league. Both were all-state selections two years ago, with Williams making all-stars for a third-straight year.
5-foot-8, 200-pound tackle Derek Hicks also made the all-star squad.
The O-A offensive line opened many holes for Tim Smith and Brad Riner, who both earned all-star recognition as seniors.
Smith led the Hornets in rushing with 771 yards and 11 touchdowns through six games, then rested in the final game of the season against Holley. He was the offensive Player of the Week for Class C in Week 4.
Riner, a fullback, picked up 639 yards and 10 scores this season, including a three TD game in the final game of the season.
Noah Seward had 29 tackles, an interception and four sacks and Tyler Kowalczyk had 2.5 sacks, an interception and 23 tackles. Both made the all-star team as defensive linemen.
It is Seward's second all-star nod.
Linebacker John Koenig had 17 tackles and two fumble recoveries and is joined by A.J. Kehlenbeck - one of only two juniors - on the all-star squad. Kehlenbeck had three interceptions and 17 tackles.
The Hornets are ranked No. 10 in the state for Class C and open up the Section 5 playoffs with a home game against Dansville Friday night.
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Pembroke ended the year one point away from the league title after its only loss came to Oakfield-Alabama, 25-24, in Week 6.
Quarterback David Kleckler had a stellar year and leads the group of seven Dragons to make the team.
Kleckler completed 30-of-56 attempts for 651 yards with 10 touchdowns and five interceptions this season. He also rushed for 301 yards and two touchdowns.
Andrew Wright made the team as a wide receiver, but could have been selected as a running back. He gained 774 yards on the ground and got into the end zone 10 times, while catching 13 passes for 340 yards and three TDs.
He also had a 99-yard kickoff return for a TD, a 58-yard punt return for a score and returned a fumble for a touchdown.
Tight end Ken Babcock caught 15 passes for 275 yards with five touchdowns and made the team because of his big-play ability in the red zone. He is a two-time all-star.
Graham Jensen is 5-foot-11, 210-pounds and made the team as a guard while 6-foot-2, 235-pound Matt Klotzbach is an all-star defensive lineman.
Jensen had 42 tackles on defense and Klotzbach had 45 stops with a sack.
Josh Hanel - a 5-foot-10, 200-pounder - was selected as a linebacker and safety Mike Dibble was selected as a defensive back.
Hanel had 45 tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery and Dibble made 62 tackles. Dibble also rushed for 522 yards and eight touchdowns.
It is the second all-star appearance for both Babcock and Jensen.
Pembroke opens up the Class C playoffs with Bishop Kearney on Saturday.
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Notre Dame gets four all-star selections after going 4-2 in the regular season. The Fighting Irish are 5-2 and playing Perry on Saturday at East Rochester in the Class D semifinals.
Kevin Francis made the squad for the second straight year as a wide receiver. He caught 27 passes for 337 yards with five touchdowns in six regular season games.
Francis returned five kickoffs for 145 yards and nine punts for 142 yards and a touchdown.
Craig Houseknecht is a 6-foot-2, 235-pound senior and made the team as a guard while Rick Lair makes it as a linebacker.
Lair had 41 tackles and 34 assists with two forced fumbles and eight tackles for a loss.
Matt Thompson is only a junior but garners all-star recognition for the second time as a kicker/punter.
Thompson converted on 26-of-30 extra point attempts and had a season-long 35-yard field goal. He averaged 43.5 yards on kickoffs with 10 touchbacks while averaging 40.4 yards per punt, including four inside the 20.
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Attica went 4-3 during the regular season and gets three all-stars.
Andy Ruddock earned offensive Player of the Week for Class B in Week 3 and is an all-star for the second time. He rushed for 936 yards with 10 touchdowns and caught 10 passes for 127 yards and a score.
Shawn Dupuis had 29 tackles with a fumble recovery and makes the team as a defensive back. He was the leading receiver for the Blue Devils, catching 26 passes for 530 yards and six touchdowns.
Kevin Gallinger was the defensive Player of the Week in Week 6 and had a huge year at linebacker. Gallinger had 54 tackles and an interception.
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Barker went 1-5 and nearly shocked top-seed Clyde-Savannah in the Class D playoffs last week.
Defensive lineman Ray Paul makes the all-star squad with 33 tackles and a sack.
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Honorable mentions:
Alexander - Joe Aurrichio, Lucas Czechowski, Steve George, Jordan Leitten, Ryan Piechocki, Ryan Wilson.
Attica - Luke Pariso, Brandon Rollins.
Barker - Cody Blackley, Greg Brown, Rob Johnson, Josh Sonberg.
Elba/Byron-Bergen - Brent Crawford, Zach Green, Brandon Shuknecht, Cody Torpey.
Holley - Cory Blood, Guy Hills.
Notre Dame - Greg Barr, Nick Bochicchio, Eric Houseknecht, Kevin Schildwaster, Cam McDonald.
Oakfield-Alabama - Josh Athoe, Jon Fisher.
Pembroke - MIke Wells.
Pembroke beats Attica in offensive show
The game counts as a non-leaguer because the Class D playoffs are underway, but Genesee Region League powers Attica and Pembroke still put on a show Saturday.
Both squads had big games moving the football, but it was the Dragons that defended their home turf, 38-15, and wrapped up the No. 3 seed in the Class C playoffs next weekend.
Pembroke started the game with an 80-yard drive, but missed a field goal. The Blue Devils had a long drive of their own and were able to capitalize when Andy Ruddock finished off an 80-yard drive with a 5-yard TD run.
Pembroke drove again and this time got points as Andrew Wright had a 2-yard scoring run early in the second quarter.
After a stop, the Dragons added seven more points when David Kleckler tossed a 33-yard touchdown pass to Ken Babcock.
Attica had a golden chance to score to start the third quarter when the team marched all the way down to Pembroke's 3-yard line, but then fumbled the ball away. Pembroke drove 98 yards and Kleckler scored on an 8-yard keeper.
Kleckler had officially taken over at this point.
He intercepted a pass and returned it 31-yards for a score on Attica's next drive and then put an end to the following Blue Devil possession with another pick.
Wright took the ball 71 yards for a touchdown to wrap up Pembroke's scoring.
Attica had a late touchdown run.
Wright finished the game with 14 carries for 151 yards and two touchdowns and Mike Dibble added 90 yards on 17 attempts.
Kleckler completed 5-of-6 attempts for 51 yards and also rushed for 52 yards on nine carries.
J.P. Phillips had 48 yards on seven rushes.
The Blue Devils fall to 4-3 and will be at East Rochester/Gananda (not Bath) in the opening round of the Class B tournament next weekend while Pembroke improves to 6-1 and will host Bishop Kearney.
Week 7 football previews in sports
The previews for Week 7 are now up in Sports and I've done special playoff previews for both Alexander and Notre Dame.
As always, readers are encouraged to comment on the games and make predictions.
Here is the list:
Elba/Byron-Bergen at Bishop Walsh
Week 7 Attica at Pembroke prevew
Attica (4-2) at Pembroke (5-1)
1:30 p.m. Saturday
Even though this game counts as a non-league contest, it is a big game between two top Genesee Region League squads that are still playing for a lot.
Pembroke lost out on the GR title with a loss to Oakfield-Alabama last week, but is playing for the No. 3 seed in the Class C playoffs. The Dragons would get the third seed with a victory and could drop to as far as No. 5, which would mean they lose that first round home game.
Attica suffered two losses during the earlier part of the season and is going to be using this game to prepare for the Class B playoffs. The Blue Devils typically do not do well in sectionals but want momentum heading into the tournament.
Attica is coming off a 50-15 drubbing of Holley and is firing on all cylinders offensively.
Andy Ruddock leads the squad in rushing, picking up 847 yards with nine touchdowns on 87 carries. Nate Berry follows with 20 attempts for 225 yards and four scores. Luke Pariso has 143 yards and four TDs.
The passing game has really come into its own.
Brandon Rollins had his best week of the year last week and threw for 205 yards and three touchdowns. He has completed 45-of-70 attempts for 675 yards, 11 touchdowns and six interceptions this year.
His big target is Shawn Dupuis, who caught seven passes for 137 yards and two TDs last week. Dupuis now has 23 receptions for 485 yards and six scores.
Pembroke's defense will have its hands full with this crew. But the Blue Devils also have a big challenge.
Andrew Wright and the Pembroke offense has been amazing this season. Even last week when Oakfield-Alabama was able to hold Wright in check, quarterback David Kleckler stepped up and nearly delivered his team a win with some amazing passes.
Kleckler now has completed 25-of-50 passes for 600 yards with nine touchdowns and five interceptions. He has 259 yards rushing, with a pair of scores as well.
Wright has huge numbers. He has ran the ball 51 times for 623 yards and eight touchdowns, has caught 13 passes for 340 yards and three scores and has returned two kicks for TDs.
Mike Dibble has rushed for 433 yards and eight touchdowns on 77 carries and J.P. Phillips has added 271 yards and six scores.
Ken Babcock has 11 receptions for 230 yards and four TDs.
Both teams will kick off the playoffs next weekend.
ND Harriers Take Crown
The Notre Dame Boys Cross Country Team came away with the crown on Saturday at the Pembroke Invitational. ND knocked off Pembroke, the number one ranked Section V small school, by eleven points for the victory. ND has been ranked third in the polls behind the Dragons and Oakfield.
Freshman Quin O'Connor (17:17) placed third in the race, just a couple of seconds behind second place finisher Colin Bartholomew of Pembroke. The Irish placed their top 5 runners in the top 15 of the race to secure the victory over the Dragons. Kevin Pawlak finished 6th for the Irish in 17:51, with Matt Jackson 9th in 18:12, Nate Flumerfeldt 12th (18:26) and Eric Shormann 14th in 18:38.
The Genesee/Livingston Cross Country League finishes up their regular season this Tuesday. The Irish are in a position to win the Division III title with wins over Pavilion and Alexander at Pembroke. HFL looks to have Division I all wrapped up and Oakfield in full control of the Divison II title.
How to post Pembroke news
If you have news about Pembroke to share, tag your post "Pembroke" and it will appear on this page. More help here.
O-A stuns Pembroke in final seconds
When Tim Smith and Brad Riner embraced just moments after the Oakfield-Alabama football team had shocked visiting Pembroke in the final seconds to wrap up the Genesee Region League title, saying it was an emotional moment would be an understatement.
The two tearful O-A stars literally left it all on the field and scored the final points in an amazing 25-24 victory in front of an estimated 2,500 fans.
Smith's story is well known.
He literally walked off the field in the middle of a game last season and quit on his team. But his teammates welcomed him back - and it was Smith that plunged into the end zone with 29 seconds left on the clock to put the Hornets down by one point.
The coaching staff initially wanted to kick the extra point and go into overtime, especially with Smith getting banged up on the touchdown run. But the O-A players made the call to go for two, and coach John Dowd let his players decide if they were going to win the Genesee Region League championship outright on a two-point conversion.
After burning a timeout because of some confusion, the Hornets lined up and gave the ball to Riner, who took a sweep to the left side of the line and dove into the end zone to give O-A the lead.
Riner wrapped up the league title (it is the first time the Hornets have won the title outright since Dowd has been coach) with an interception two plays later.
This was a typical Oakfield-Alabama/Pembroke game, a classic battle between the top two programs in the GR.
There was no smack talk on the field, no cheap shots ... nothing but a hard fought battle between two great teams.
Pembroke looked as if it was going to dominate early on as David Kleckler returned the opening kickoff 70 yards to set up an Andrew Wright 1-yard touchdown run less than a minute into the contest.
Neither team moved the ball after that in the first quarter and it was 7-0 after 12 minutes.
Wright put an end to the battle of the punters with a 41-yard run midway through the second quarter. Matthew Phelps nailed an impressive 39-yard field goal to put the Dragons up 10-0.
O-A started near midfield and quarterback A.J. Kehlenbeck rumbled for 17 yards to set up a Riner 6-yard TD run with about a minute left in the half, making the score 10-7 at the break.
After the second half started with defensive stops, Riner broke off a 16-yarder and Smith eventually scored from 3-yards out to give the Hornets a 14-10 advantage.
The Dragons seemed to have lost it at this point.
Three consecutive conservative rushing calls set up a fourth-and-8 at the Pembroke 30-yard line.
But Kleckler scrambled around for a little bit and launched a pass into the end zone, which was hauled in by Jacob Reeves. It is just the second reception he's had all season long.
Pembroke carried the 17-14 lead into the fourth.
Oakfield-Alabama's power rushing attack led to a 7-plus minute drive that allowed the score to be tied up when Jon Fisher kicked a 24-yard field goal.
On the ensuing drive, Kleckler scrambled for 32 yards and Mike Dibble rumbled for 14 yards, but two penalties in three plays put Pembroke in a tough situation.
The Dragons had a third-and-17 at the Oakfield 23-yard line.
Kleckler dropped back to pass and felt the pressure from O-A's defensive lineman, but he scrambled around for a couple of seconds and found tight end Ken Babcock at about the 5-yard line. Babcock took a few steps into the end zone and the Dragons led 24-17 with 2:42 left in the game.
Smith had a long kick return to midfield and O-A's longest run on the final drive was a 12-yard scamper by Riner.
The win means Oakfield-Alabama is now 6-0 and is league champions. Pembroke falls to 5-1.
With Le Roy's victory over Caledonia-Mumford tonight, O-A is still the No. 2 seed in Class C and Pembroke is at No. 3.
The Dragons play Attica next week.
Week 6 football previews in sports
All of the football previews are now done and in sports, with the exception of the Pembroke/Oakfield-Alabama game. I put that one on the front page as well because I did an insane amount of work on that thing.
I'd like to get you members of The Batavian involved with these previews. Please pick the games you are interested in and make predictions as to what you think will happen and what the final score will be. Maybe we can get some good conversations going.
Here is the list of games:
Batavia at East Rochester/Gananda
Elba/Byron-Bergen at Notre Dame
Also, if you are looking for preview information on Livingston Conference, Albion or Medina games you should pick up a copy of The Daily News tomorrow. They are doing a good job of reporting on these games.
I'm guessing the only statistics and story-lines you are going to see on Batavia, Le Roy or GR games are all on The Batavian today.
Genesee Region League title on the line
Pembroke (5-0) at Oakfield-Alabama (5-0)
7 p.m. Friday
Genesee Region League football fans have had this game marked on their calendars since the schedules came out.
Pembroke and Oakfield-Alabama have had the top two teams in the league all season long and this game will decide the champion.
O-A would clinch the title outright with a victory and avoiding a total meltdown against Holley next week. Pembroke would clinch at least a tie and would claim the title outright with a win and a victory over Attica in the final week of the season.
This game has become the biggest rivalry in the GR in recent years as both teams are powerhouse programs that compete for a sectional title every year.
It shouldn't be any different this year as Oakfield-Alabama is currently the second seed in Class C while Pembroke follows at No. 3.
Le Roy is the top seed and will be playing tough games with Caledonia-Mumford and Hornell in the final two weeks, so the winner of this game could end up getting the prestigious top seed in sectionals.
The Hornets are ranked No. 10 in the state while Pembroke gets an honorable mention.
Pembroke's Chip Foster and O-A's John Dowd became head coaches at the same time and the Dragons have won four out of five meetings between the two powerhouses.
The games are typically defensive battles:
2003 - Pembroke 17, Oakfield-Alabama 13
2004 - Pembroke 14, Oakfield-Alabama 9
2005 - Oakfield-Alabama 34, Pembroke 16
2006 - Pembroke 14, Oakfield-Alabama 6
2007 - Pembroke 13, Oakfield-Alabama 10
The Hornets have a big size advantage on the offensive and defensive line, but Pembroke might have the edge in the amount of skilled players that will touch the football.
Andrew Wright tops that list.
He has rushed the ball 39 times for 539 yards and seven touchdowns while catching 12 passes for 334 yards and three scores.
But Wright is by no means the only offensive weapon.
Mike Dibble has gained 390 yards and scored eight touchdowns, Josh Phillips has 268 yards and six TDs and quarterback David Kleckler has rushed for 230 yards and two touchdowns on just 17 rushes.
Kleckler has completed 21-of-38 attempts for 532 yards with seven touchdowns and four interceptions. His main targets are Wright and tight end Ken Babcock (9 receptions, 198 yards, 3 TDs).
Tim Smith has been the biggest producer offensively thus far for the Hornets, gaining 651 yards with nine touchdowns on 73 carries. But O-A will spread the ball around.
Brad Riner has 413 yards and six touchdowns, Joe Natalizia has 221 yards and two scores and Jason Stanley has pitched in 212 yards with one touchdown.
Josh Athoe returned from a leg injury suffered during baseball season and got the start last week, rushing 16 times for 83 yards with two touchdowns.
A.J. Kehlenbeck has added a pretty good passing attack for the Hornets. He has completed 13-of-24 pass attempts - to seven different receivers - for 145 yards and four TDs. Noah Seward leads the team in receptions with three for 36 yards. He also has four sacks.
