Sports

Spring is in the air and so are footballs with several of them tossed last night at Cal-Mum by Alex Penepento to lead the Le Roy Oatkan Knights to a 19-0 win over Dansville to open the pandemic-shifted 2021 season.

Penepento was 11-17 passing for 151 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 63 yards on 14 carries.

Nate Andres carried the ball 11 times for 26 yards and a TD. Andrews also caught four passes for 65 yards.  

Cody Lytle caught three passes for 46 yards and two TDs.

Cole Rauscher led the defense with six tackles.

The Knights gained 228 offensive yards to 103 for Dansville. The Knights also led in first downs 15 to 6.

Press release:

The Pembroke Central School District added a team to its athletic lineup this school year in Unified Bowling. Special Olympics Unified Sports joins people with and without disabilities to play and compete on the same team to bolster friendship, understanding, inclusion, and tolerance in schools.

Through Unified Sports, regardless of any disability, all athletes matter and are provided opportunities to proudly wear their school uniform while having a chance to shine athletically.   

Pembroke was ready to field its first-ever Unified Basketball team last spring, but the pandemic and subsequent nationwide quarantine waylaid those plans. The school community was elated to learn that it could participate in Unified Bowling this season, even though everyone must wear masks and socially distance.

Section VI has graciously accepted Pembroke’s Unified team into its league, giving Pembroke athletes the chance to compete with schools that are geographically closer than some of its Section V counterparts.

This bodes well for some of Pembroke’s athletes who face unique transportation needs. When pandemic restrictions are finally lifted, the team will travel to its away matches at locations in Section VI. Until then, meets will continue to be held virtually.

The Mancuso Bowling Center in Batavia has been a wonderful host for Pembroke Unified Bowling meets and has been very accommodating. Under normal circumstances, competitors travel to various bowling lanes in WNY to compete in person against other schools, but this season, all meets are completed virtually with each school bowling at their respective lanes and scores being reported online.

Unified Sports truly brings out the best in everyone, and Pembroke is honored to continue developing a school community rooted in inclusion, tolerance, and acceptance.

According to Principal Nathan Work, Ed.D., “Even though we all have masks on, you can still see the smiles shining through. There is not a day that goes by that one of these athletes or partners doesn’t inspire me and warm my heart; this is truly humanity at its finest.” 

There are 17 students on the team and they are coached by Alex Kaminski, Matthew Lingle, and Work. Pembroke’s next Unified Bowling meet is scheduled for Friday, March 19th at 3:30 p.m. 

The season runs from Feb. 23rd to March 25th and athletes will participate in a total of seven meets. School officials plan to add additional sports to Pembroke’s Unified Sports program as pandemic restrictions and resources allow. 

Without a doubt, Batavian Nathan Cordes is on a roll.

For the third straight week, Cordes led the way in the 12-team Toyota of Batavia Thursday 5-Man League at Mancuso Bowling Center.

This time, the 31-year-old right-hander fired 247-235-279 for a 761 series, a bit better than his teammate, Rich Wagner, who posted a 748 series.

Last week, Cordes rolled a 300 game in a 754 series and the week before that, he had a 280 game in a 772 series. The recent outburst has raised his average to 220.

In other action in the Genesee Region USBC, Hall of Famer Fred Gravanda of Batavia popped a 275 game en route to a 748 series in the Turnbull Heating Triples League at Mancuso's.

For a list of high scores, click on the Pin Points tab at the top of this page.

GRUSBC Association Tournament Starts Friday

The 14th annual Genesee Region USBC Association Tournament gets underway at 7 p.m. Friday.

Rose Garden Bowl in Bergen is hosting the Team (four-person) event while Legion Lanes in Le Roy is hosting the Doubles & Singles events over the next two weekends.

Team squads are 7 p.m. on Fridays; noon and 3 p.m. on Saturdays; noon and 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 20, and 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 28. The Team event is limited to 80 teams.

Doubles & Singles squads are 7 p.m. on Fridays; 1 p.m. on Saturdays; 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 21, and 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 28. The D & S event is limited to 68 doubles teams.

Bowlers are urged to contact Mike Pettinella, Genesee Region USBC association manager, at mikep@bowlgr.com or at (585) 861-0404 as soon as possible to reserve their spots.

Already, the noon squad on Sunday, March 21 for the Team event is full.

The per person cost per event is $30. The All-Events (total of Team, Doubles and Singles) fee is $10.

Press release:

The operation of youth sports in the LeRoy community will never be more important than in the coming months. Today LeRoy Youth Softball's Board of Directors announce that it is getting a grant for $3,700 from the Victor L. Blood and Maudaline L. Blood Charitable Foundation to support youth athletics in the community of LeRoy.

Youth softball in Le Roy has been steadfast for decades, in the local community.

Officially incorporating in 2020 as a 501(c)(3), it has seen a resurgence benefitting from the outpouring of community support including: sponsors, parents, board members and coaches. The Blood Foundation recognizing the significance of youth sports in Le Roy, can be added to list of vital contributors. 

The Blood Foundation, as it is commonly known, was created on April 14, 1989 through the generosity of Vic Blood, a prominent businessman from LeRoy. He envisioned a nonprofit charitable organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for the residents of the Town and Village of LeRoy. Vic Blood passed on in 1996, but his legacy lives on through the work of the Blood Foundation. 

Last summer, LeRoy Youth Softball was able to safely conduct several months of skills, drills and inter-squad scrimmaging. This winter the program has been holding safe indoor clinics for girls who meet the 8U up to 16U criteria. The 2021 season is quickly approaching, LeRoy Youth Softball will have five teams safely competing in the GLOW Academy League this summer. 

The future of youth softball in Le Roy is bright. The contributions from the Blood Foundation will assist with the building of club storage shed to house the equipment needed to support the 70 some girls who will play this summer.

The LeRoy Youth Softball players, coaches and Board of Directors would like to say THANK YOU to the Blood Foundation for its generous contribution.

Two Le Roy wrestlers came away from the Section V tournament on Saturday with championship titles.

Brock Flint won at 160 pounds and Joey Brennan won at 162 pounds.

Coming in second at 138 pounds, Cole Rauscher, and at 152 pounds, Nate Andrews.

Photos by Tim McArdle.

Brock Flint

Joey Brennan

Number 3 seed, at 10-2, Oakfield-Alabama knocked off #1 seed Cal-Mum, at 13-0, by a score of 55-50 to win Saturday's Class C2 Section V trophy at Cal-Mum.

Travis Wiedrich scored 20 points and Kaden Cusmano sunk a trio of three-pointers on his way to a 19-point game.

Photos by Kristin Smith. For more, click here, here, and here.

Notre Dame traveled to South Seneca today as the #2 seed in the Class D1 tournament, with two losses on its record, and proceeded to upset the unbeaten #1 seed 55-48 to win a Section V title.

The Lady Irish were once again lead by sophomore Amelia McCulley who scored 30 points.  Lindsey Weidman scored 14 points. Emma Sisson had 12 rebounds, Maylee Green, 11, Weidman, nine, and McCulley, eight.

Submitted photo.

Five straight section titles are nice, Elba's players will tell you, but they also know there is a "what could have been" question that will forever remain unanswered.

If not for a coronavirus pandemic that wiped out the 2020 postseason and shortened 2021, ending the title push with a sectional championship, could the Lady Lancers have won one, maybe two state titles?

We will never know. But we do know Elba knocked off the #2 seed, Prattsburgh/Avoca,  in a pretty convincing fashion -- a team that regularly won by scoring 60 points or more per game while going 9-1 on the season. The game was never really close. The Lancers won 66-27.

It's the fifth straight Section title for Elba under Head Coach Tom Redband. 

On Saturday, Byrnn Walczak scored 22 points, Taylor Augello, 13, Maddie Muehlig, 12, and Leah Bezon, 9. Muehlig also had eight assists. Dakota Brinkman, who scored five points, had nine rebounds, Walczak, eight, and Augello, seven.

Walczak, Muehlig and Bezon have been part of all five title teams and Augello has been there for the last four. All four graduate this year.

Notre Dame won its Class D1 championship game, so with Elba winning class D2, in any other year, the two archrivals would faceoff in a division consolidation game to determine which team would represent Section V in a Far West Regional championship game. Not this year.

Photos by Debra Reilly.

Top-seeded Palmyra-Macedon held off the gutsy, determined and undersized Batavia Lady Blue Devils tonight to capture the Section V Class B1 girls’ basketball tournament crown on the Wayne County school’s home court.

Despite a decided height disadvantage, Head Coach Marty Hein’s team scrapped and clawed its way back from a double-digit deficit to pull within three points with 2 ½ minutes to play, but could get no closer – eventually falling by a 49-38 score.

The loss was Batavia’s second in as many years to Pal-Mac, which defeated the Lady Devils, 58-48, in the 2020 sectional quarterfinals.

It also marked the end of the Mackenzie Reigle and Bryn Wormley era (from right to left in photo above) that saw both star guards come up to the varsity as seventh-graders and, less than two weeks ago, saw both reach the 1,000-point mark for their careers.

As would be expected, both were inconsolable for several minutes after the final buzzer sounded.

“We had a great season. It didn’t end how we wanted it do; we came up short but I wouldn’t trade it for the world,” said Reigle, the team’s point guard who scored18 points against the Red Raiders’ strong man-to-man defense. “I love this team. It sucks coming up short but it was a fun season considering the circumstances.”

While the loss was disappointing in itself, Reigle said she is saddened by the fact that about nine years of bouncing the ball with Wormley have come to an end.

“There’s nothing I’ll miss more than playing with Bryn. We’ve been playing together since the third grade and I hope we’ll get a chance to play against each other in college,” she said.

Reigle will be attending Geneseo State College and Wormley has enrolled at St. John Fisher, and both intend to continue playing the sport they love.

Wormley, who scored 10 points tonight, including a three-point shot that sliced Pal-Mac’s lead to 39-36 with 3:27 to play, called it a “blessing that we were able to play together for so long.”

“That was something really special and I wouldn’t give it up for anything,” she said.

Hein said Reigle and Wormley set their bar high, giving it all to get to 1,000 points and then striving for a sectional title after watching, as seventh-graders, “two of the best players that Batavia has had in Tiara Filbert and Maddie McCulley when we won the sectional title in 2016.”

Calling it “heartbreaking that we’re coming home in second,” Hein said he appreciated how hard this team, which includes seven seniors, worked during this short season to reach the finals. Batavia, the No. 3 seed in the tournament, finishes with a 10-5 record.

“I watched everyone of these girls progress,” he said. “Tess (Barone) and Bella (Houseknecht) are two of the hardest working players in basketball. Haylee (Thornley) suffered through two ACL injuries and it took two years away from her basketball and to see how far she has come after that devastation. Kennedy (Kolb), we had for four years on varsity.”

Hein said he plans to return for an eighth season at the helm, but looks forward to a night or two with no games on the schedule to be able to watch Reigle and Wormley in collegiate action.

As far as tonight’s game, senior guard/forward Sophie Lyko scored 13 of her game-high 23 points in the first quarter as Pal-Mac took a 15-10 lead, and added four more points in the first four minutes of the second quarter to spark the home team to a 23-12 advantage.

Batavia rallied, however, as Reigle sank two three-pointers in the last minute to cut the deficit to 26-20 at halftime.

A 15-footer by Thornley and a driving layup by Reigle to start the third quarter made it 26-24, before the Red Raiders outscored Batavia 9-3 the rest of the way to stretch the lead to 35-27.

There was no quit in the visitors, however, as Reigle scored two baskets and Kolb swished an 18-footer to pull Batavia within two at 35-33 with 4:40 to play. Grace Seither and Lyko scored inside to make it 39-33 before Reigle hit from beyond the three-point line.

Pal-Mac’s Tatum Smyth got a friendly bounce off the front rim at 2:55 before Barone converted a pass from Reigle to make it 41-38 with 2:35 remaining.

Unfortunately for the Lady Devils, that was the end of their scoring as they missed five shots down the stretch. Pal-Mac controlled the boards – holding Batavia to one shot on each trip down the floor while grabbing three offensive rebounds that led to a layup by 6-foot-1 junior Ryley Trail and game-sealing free throws by seniors Seither and Lyko.

“Our lack of size kind of plagued us all season,” Hein said. “We help and we overcommit with the help and now on the weak side, we’re too far underneath the basket and we’re not taller than anybody so we’re losing that fight. We just give up those weak side rebounds and that hurt us a bunch.”

Wormley agreed that Pal-Mac’s length made a big difference.

“When you’ve got three girls at 6 foot or taller and we play small ball – we started all guards (with the tallest at 5-8) – sometimes against those big girls, there’s not much you can do about it,” she said. “We played well in spurts but against those big girls, you can box them out all you want but it’s tough.”

Pal-Mac Head Coach Dan Harris also mentioned that his girls asserted themselves on the boards and “that led to some offensive rebounds and second and third chances, and that obviously was the difference.”

He was quick to point out the Lady Devils’ tenacity in its pressing defense and the team's athleticism.

“Those kids are very well coached and they had a lot of returning players that, unfortunately, their careers are over, but they play so hard, so well. And they’re so athletic and they have great basketball skills, too, which is a dangerous combination,” he said.

Reigle had six assists and five rebounds to go with her 18 points while Wormley grabbed six rebounds and Thornley had four points and four rebounds.

Reigle on the fast break, ahead of Pal-Mac's Grace Seither (14) and Tatum Smyth (2) and teammate Bryn Wormley.

Wormley stretching out as she battles Pal-Mac forwards Sophie Lyko (21) and Ryley Trail (22).

Lyko and Batavia's Haylee Thornley jockey for position.

Head Coach Marty Hein draws up a play late in the game.

Bottom four photos by Steve Ognibene.

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Pavilion's undefeated season came to a disappointing end Friday night in the Class C2 Section V championship game as York took home the trophy with a 57-49 win.

The game was a battle with Pavilion taking an early lead, falling behind, and regaining the lead before the end of the second half. But the Lady Gophers lost that lead early in the second half and never regained it.

Karlee Zinkievich scored 17 points and Lauren Kingsley scored 16. Emily Kingsley scored six and Shea Amberger scored six.

The Batavia Blue Devils boys’ basketball team suffered a heartbreaking defeat tonight, losing 56-55 to Wayne in the championship game of the Section V Class B1 Tournament at the Batavia High School gymnasium.

Junior guard Mason Blankenberg’s 15-foot jumper from the left side of the foul line with 7.8 seconds to play erased Batavia’s one-point lead and lifted the Eagles to their third sectional title in the past five years.

Batavia had a chance to pull out a victory but Wayne successfully defended on a drive to the basket by Alex Hale, one of eight seniors on the Blue Devils’ roster, as the clock expired – igniting a wild celebration by the visitors and their fans, while dashing the hopes of the home team and its faithful.

Both teams came into the game with 14-0 records, with Wayne capturing the Finger Lakes East crown and Batavia cruising to the title in Monroe County Division 4.

Following Blankenberg’s clutch shot, Batavia inbounded the ball and quickly got it over the midcourt line to enable Head Coach Buddy Brasky to call a timeout with 4.3 seconds remaining.

Brasky said the play call was a “progression” that would hopefully give his team more than one option.

“We had a progression with Zach (Gilebarto) in the corner, Stone (Siverling) in the post and then Alex after he inbounds it, comes to get it and goes to the basket. That’s what we tried to do,” he said.

After throwing it in, Hale received a return pass from Faraz Idrees and drove into the lane with Wayne’s Eli Schichtel guarding him. As he crossed the foul line, he was sandwiched by Schichtel and Tyler Reynolds, and then stumbled to the floor – unable to get off a shot as the horn sounded.

Gilebarto and Siverling had been positioned on the right and left baseline, respectively, but the opportunity to get either of them the ball failed to materialize. Siverling was unable to break free from the double-teaming of Blankenberg and Devon Forrest, and Blankenberg then released to follow Gilebarto to the left side of the key.

Brasky said that Wayne’s height advantage with Blankenberg at 6-foot-3 and Forrest and Schichtel both at 6-2 was a deciding factor.

“Their size, in the end, got us,” he said. “They were able to put Blankenberg on Gilebarto and that bothered him some (Gilebarto was held to 18 points, five under his average). They put a 6-3 kid on him and it’s tough for him to shoot over him as he’s 5-11.”

When it was mentioned that everybody in the building was thinking that Gilebarto would take the final shot, Brasky said, “Well, they knew that, too, so I’ll have to watch the film to see if he was open, but you’ve got to figure they would deny him – which is why we had the other progressions.”

Wayne Coach Bill Thomson, who called Brasky “a coaching legend who runs an amazing program,” said he was shocked that neither Gilebarto nor Siverling touched the ball in the final seconds.

“Yes, I was very surprised. They put them both on the baseline and I didn’t know – I was shocked, shocked when I saw that,” Thomson said. “And I actually thought they traveled twice on that play at the end of the game.”

The game’s first 16 minutes was a tale of two contrasting halves as Batavia jumped out to an 18-6 lead en route to a 21-11 edge after the first quarter before Wayne roared back, outscoring the Blue Devils 19-10 to pull within one at intermission.

Senior Luke Rogers swished three three-point shots in the first quarter (and a fourth in the second period) while Siverling and Gilebarto added six apiece, before Blankenberg scored seven of his game-high 23 in the second quarter to spark the Eagles’ rally.

Reynolds erupted for 10 points, including a pair of deep three-pointers, to offset Siverling’s eight and Gilebarto’s six as the teams traded baskets in the third quarter. Batavia broke a 37-37 tie on a three-pointer by Gilebarto and layup by Siverling, before Wayne came back behind Reynolds and Blankenberg to take a 46-44 lead entering the fourth period.

Siverling, who led Batavia with 21 points, rebounded his own miss and scored with about six minutes left to put Batavia up 51-48, but Reynolds stole the ball and went in for an uncontested dunk to make it 51-50 at the 3:35 mark.

A spinning layup by Blankenberg put Wayne back on top but Siverling converted a pass from Gilebarto to put Batavia ahead, 53-52, with two minutes left. Wayne responded as Forrest hit a 17-footer at 1:35 before Gilebarto drove in for a basket with 25 seconds to play to give the Blue Devils a 55-54 lead.

Brasky credited Rogers for giving his team an early boost against Wayne’s 2-3 zone defense.

“He’s one of our shooters and I told him that when he was open, shoot it with no hesitation. He did and to his credit he made them and got us off to a good start,” he said.

The Eagles switched to a man-to-man defense and that, coupled with their hot outside shooting, got back in the game in the second quarter.

“We knew when we went on that early run that they would score and go on a run of their own. I wasn’t surprised that they would come back – they’re undefeated,” Brasky said.

A shortened season marked by COVID-19 restrictions that prevented many family members and fans from watching the Blue Devils has ended on a down note, but Brasky said he will remember it as one of his most satisfying.

“I love these kids,” he said. “I told them in the locker room that they made me love coaching again. We’ve had a couple of tough groups here in the last few years that were a little harder to coach, but these kids rekindled my love for coaching. They’re a great group of guys.

“The whole senior group was a committed group and they are a great, great group. And they will be successful in their lives because they understand about hard work, dedication and sacrificing for the good of the team. They understand all of that, and that is what is going to take them on in life in whatever they choose to do.”

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Photos by Steve Ognibene.

Photos: The photo at top tells the story as the Batavia Blue Devils' sit dejectedly on their bench moments after losing by one point to Wayne. Other photos: Zach Gilebarto (21) and Stone Siverling (24) score inside, Alex Hale and Wayne's Eli Schichtel (1) battle on the boards, and Wayne's Mason Blankenberg makes a move around Gilebarto toward the hoop. 

A gas leak reported earlier today at Pavilion High School has been dealt with by RG&E and tonight's championship game between the Lady Gophers and York will start at 7 p.m. as scheduled.

If you just looked at the score (67-50), you would think the Lady Irish had a pretty easy time of it against C.G. Finney in their Class C2 Section V semifinal game played at Notre Dame.

If you took that view, you would be mistaken. The Falcons are a small, fast, aggressive, scrappy team led by a diminutive sophomore (her height isn't listed on the roster), Jahniya Johnson, who is as dangerous outside the arc as she is driving the lane and tossing up one of her stock-in-trade floaters.

Johnson scored 35 points. But with no other Falcon presenting much of a scoring threat, Johnson couldn't carry the team alone, especially against one led its own young stars, such as Amelia McCulley and Lindsey Weidman. 

McCulley, herself just a sophomore, was also hard to stop and she scored 29 points. Weidman scored 16. Sarah McGinnis scored nine and Judah Macdonald added seven.

Maylee Green led the Irish with 16 rebounds. Weidman and Emma Sisson, who also scored six points, had 12 apiece.

The D1 championship will be decided Saturday at 7 p.m. in South Seneca. South Seneca is 13-0 and #1 seed in the division. Notre Dame is the #2 seed.

Kaden Cusmano exploded for 30 points Thursday night against Harley-Aliendale-Columbia to lead Oakfield-Alabama to a 80-57 win in the Class C2 Section V semifinal.

The win puts #3 seed O-A in the championship game on Saturday at Cal-Mum against Cal-Mum, the #1 seed at 13-0. Game time is 6:30 p.m.

Gaige Armbrewster scored 20 points for the Hornets and Travis Wiedrich scored nine.

Photos by Kristin Smith. For more, click here.

It was a big night for Brynn Walczak on Thursday and her 28 points helped propel the Elba Lady Lancers to a 68-42 win over Northstar in the Class D2 semifinal game at Elba.

Walczak also snagged 10 rebounds. 

Maddie Huehlig scored 10 points, Leah Bezon, nine, Taylor Augello, eight, and Dakota Brinkman, seven. Brinkman also had 10 rebounds, and Augello and Bezon, eight each.

Alavna Garwood scored 18 points for Northstar.

Elba, now 13-0, will host Prattsburgh/Avoca (9-1 and the #2 seed) at 7 1 p.m., Saturday, for the Class D2 Section V championship game.

Photos by Debra Reilly.

Seven Genesee County teams will be playing for Section V basketball tournament titles this weekend:

FRIDAY NIGHT'S GAMES
BOYS
Class B1 -- Wayne (14-0) at Batavia (14-0), 6 p.m.
Class D2 -- Notre Dame (7-6) at Avoca/Prattsburgh (10-0), 7 p.m.
GIRLS
Class C2 -- York (9-3) at Pavilion (12-0), 7 p.m.

SATURDAY NIGHT'S GAMES
BOYS
Class C2 -- Oakfield-Alabama (10-2) at Caledonia-Mumford (13-0), 6:30 p.m.
GIRLS
Class B1 -- Batavia (10-4) at Palmyra-Macedon (11-3), 6 p.m. -- Note time change
Class D1 -- Notre Dame (11-2) at South Seneca (13-0), 7 p.m.
Class D2 -- Avoca/Prattsburgh (9-1) at Elba (13-0), 1 p.m. -- Note time change

Update, 9:30 a.m. March 12:

The time of Saturday's game at Pal-Mac has been changed to 6 p.m.

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The Batavia Lady Blue Devils' kept their dream of a Section V Class B1 girls' basketball championship alive tonight, but just barely, when star point guard Mackenzie Reigle connected on a step-back three-point shot from the right side with 1.9 seconds left to beat host Midlakes, 51-50.

Reigle's heroics advance third-seeded Batavia, now 10-4, into the title match on Saturday at top-seeded Palmyra-Macedon, 11-3.

Pal-Mac advanced with a 49-32 victory over No. 5 Livonia.

The Lady Devils led by 10 points, 47-37, with about five minutes to play but Midlakes, a sectional champion in 2018 and 2019, staged a furious rally -- scoring 11 consecutive points, capped by senior guard Cara Walker's driving layup with 30 seconds to play.

Reigle responded with an aggressive move to the basket. Her shot went around the rim and out, but she was fouled on the play with :17.4 on the clock. The senior left-hander, who along with Bryn Wormley has played on the varsity team since seventh grade, missed the first foul shot, but made the second to knot the score at 48-48.

Batavia thwarted the Lady Screaming Eagles' first attempt to put the ball in play -- knocking it out of bounds -- but Midlakes was successful in getting it to Walker on the second try and she dribbled the length of the court, untouched, for a layup with 9.1 seconds left to put the home team up 50-48.

After a Batavia timeout, Wormley inbounded the ball to Reigle, who took two dribbles into the right corner, before handing it off to senior guard/forward Haylee Thornley. Two dribbles later, the ball was transferred to Wormley, who headed back to the right corner where Reigle was stationed. 

Wormley was cut off but got the ball to Reigle, who dribbled once, stepped back about a foot behind the three-point line and, with a smooth stroke, lofted the ball over the outstretched arm of Midlakes' Mary Givens. The shot was true, swishing through the net and Batavia had a 51-50 lead.

Midlakes, with no timeouts, got the ball into Walker, but a desperation heave from well beyond the half court line fell way short, prompting a wild celebration on the Batavia bench.

"We had been running 'side W' all night; it had been working pretty good. We were getting Bryn to drive on her right side -- strong side -- and I was on the right side -- strong side -- for the shot," Reigle said about the winning shot. "Bryn didn't get the drive and that (passing the ball to Reigle) is exactly what happened."

Asked what she was thinking when she let it fly, Reigle said, "It better go in."

And it did, much to the joy (and relief) of Head Coach Marty Hein, who had made the tough decision to sit Reigle, who had picked up her fourth foul with 4:25 to play.

Reigle went to the bench at the 3:53 mark with Batavia up 47-42, and Midlakes capitalized with two uncontested layups by sophomore forward Grace Murphy to pull within one. She returned with 2:09 to play and, after consecutive misses by both teams, Midlakes called a timeout with at :35.4.

Five seconds later, Walker drove to the basket and scored to put Midlakes on top for the first time since it led 21-20 in the opening minute of the third quarter -- setting the stage for the frantic finish.

Hein said he weighed his options and decided to take Reigle out for a bit, knowing that the team would need her in the closing moments.

"If she fouled out ... we were kind of down and they were already in the bonus, and we were still at two fouls," Hein said. "Sometimes the officials look at that type of thing and go, 'Well, OK, the next one is close.' We didn't want that to be on Kenzie and she'd be out of the game.

"We still had the lead. If she fouls out, we're in big trouble. So, her sitting for that minute and a half, if that made that back to even (so be it because) we had her there at the end."

Batavia started slowly, scoring only six points as Midlakes, behind Givens' three layups, led 13-6 after one quarter. The home team was up 15-9 with 3:25 left before halftime when the Lady Devils went to a full court press.

While the tight defense stymied Midlakes, it seemed to ignite Batavia on the offensive end as it went on an 11-4 run to lead 20-19 at intermission. Wormley hit a three-pointer and a running one-hander, and Mack Harmon, Thornley and Tess Barone each contributed a basket. 

In the third quarter, three-pointers by Wormley and Reigle gave Batavia a 27-23 lead and the Lady Devils kept that four-point margin, 37-33, heading into the final period.

Batavia then scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter to go up 44-33 with 6:50 remaining.

Wormley was the game's high scorer with 21 points and grabbed six rebounds, while Reigle tallied eight assists, eight rebounds and seven steals to go with her 16 points.

Barone had five points, Thornley four, Kennedy Kolb three and Harmon two to round out the Batavia scoring.

For the Lady Screaming Eagles, Givens scored 13, Cara Walker 10, and Callie Walker, Murphy and Hanna Godkin eight apiece.

Midlakes Head Coach Nate Rich said his girls played "pretty good defense on her but sometimes better offense wins."

Rich said "it was a shame either team had to lose as both teams played really well and battled."

"I am proud of my kids for coming back, but you have to tip your hat to her (Reigle). She hit a great shot."

Midlakes, the No. 2 seed in the tournament, ends its season at 9-4.

Photo: Mackenzie Reigle, left, gets ready to celebrate with teammate Haylee Thornley moments after sinking the game-winning basket in Batavia's 51-50 victory over Midlakes on the Clifton Springs school's home court. Photo by Mike Pettinella.

Following what has been arguably one of the most challenging years for athletics departments across the nation, the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) has recognized Genesee Community College's Assistant Vice President of Student Engagement & Inclusion and Director of Athletics, Kristen Schuth, as the 2020-21 Junior/Community College Athletics Director of the Year.

In addition to the countless impacts the coronavirus pandemic has had on collegiate communities, NACDA has also had to reinvent its recognition ceremony and will present Schuth with the Director of the Year honor at its 56th Annual Convention virtually in July.

"I've always been immensely proud of GCC's athletes and the strong teaching and coaching staff we have," Schuth said. "They make me want to work harder and do more, and so, I love what I get to do and am so grateful for the team I'm surrounded by.

"With athletics facilities among the finest in the region and partnerships with other areas in the College such as Student Success and Student Engagement & Inclusion, our programs and students have demonstrated growth and strengthened relationships.

"I look around the country and I see the amazing things my counterparts are doing to uplift their athletes and support their programs and I am truly humbled by this award."

Schuth first came to GCC as Head Softball Coach in 2004 and became an Adjunct Instructor in the Department of Health and Physical Education in 2005. Between 2004-2010 Schuth compiled a win/loss percentage of .534. Prior to her first season, the softball team went 7-19.

But under her leadership, her teams recorded five winning seasons, finished in the top four in Regional Finals and produced two NFCA (National Fastpitch Coaches Association) All-Americans. In 2010, she was named WNYAC (Western New York Athletic Conference) Women's Softball Coach of the Year at GCC.

After a short three-year break while she served as Assistant Director of Athletics at Finger Lakes Community College, Schuth returned to GCC as the Director of Athletics in 2013.

As part of an effort to more fully integrate Student Engagement and Inclusion initiatives into every aspect of GCC's student experiences, Schuth added this area to her oversight in 2019 in becoming the Assistant Vice President for Student Engagement & Inclusion, in addition to retaining her role as Director of Athletics.

Schuth grew up in Hilton, NY and is a member of the Hilton High School Athletic Hall of Fame. At SUNY Brockport she starred in both softball and basketball, earning letters in both sports all four years as well as being named SUNY Brockport female athlete of the year in two consecutive years. She was an All-American in basketball her senior year. She is a member of the SUNY Brockport Athletic Hall of Fame.

Kristen earned her master's degree from California University of Pennsylvania and now resides in Spencerport with her husband and two sons.

"When I was notified that Kristen would be receiving the Athletics Director of the Year Award from the NACDA, I couldn't have been more proud," said GCC President James Sunser, Ph.D. "Kristen exemplifies what it takes to be a great leader.

"From the wisdom and knowledge to the skill and experience, her students and her staff look up to her and know she will do what it takes to provide leadership and guidance. Throughout the adversities of the last year, Kristen has accomplished so much and has led GCC's Athletics Department with a courage and strength to be envied."

This prestigious award has earned Schuth a place in GCC's Recognition Matters series which highlights the accomplishments of the College's faculty, staff and students. Officials at GCC have embraced this series as a way to acknowledge not only the achievement, but the high quality of the recognized individuals who demonstrate GCC's "beyond expectations" brand.

Lauren Kingsley came up big against Bolivar-Richburg to lead Pavilion to a 53-28 Class C2 semifinal at home on Wednesday night.

Kingsley scored 19 points.  

Karlee Zinkievich scored 13, Emily Kingsley, 11, and Shea Amberger, 8.

The Lady Gophers (12-0, #1 seed) will now face York, who started the tournament as the #7 seed at 7-3 and beat the #2 seed (Oakfield-Alabama) and the #3 seed (Dundee/Bradford) to advance to the championship game.

Game time tomorrow is 7 p.m. and the game will be played at Pavilion.

Also in girls basketball last night, Alexander lost to East Rochester, 63-34.

Tonight's games in girls basketball:

• Elba hosts Northstar at 6:30 p.m., Class D2.
• Notre Dame hosts Finney at 7 p.m., Class D1.
• Batavia is at Midlakes at 6 p.m., Class B1.

In boys basketball tonight, Oakfield-Alabama plays Harley Allendale Columbia at HAC at 6 p.m., Class C2.

On Friday night, Notre Dame travels to Avoca/Prattsburgh to play for the Class D2 title and on Saturday, Batavia hosts Wayne at 6 p.m. in Class B1 for the championship.

Senior guard Zach Gilebarto drilled his first 10 shots from the field – including six three-pointers – on his way to 38 points to power the host Batavia Blue Devils to a 70-58 victory over Palmyra-Macedon in a Section V Class B1 boys’ basketball tournament semifinal game that was closer than the final score indicates.

Batavia’s win sets up a matchup of 14-0 teams at 6 p.m. Friday, with the top-seeded Blue Devils hosting second-seeded Wayne for the title. Wayne defeated No. 3 Livonia, 59-50, in the other semifinal contest tonight.

Blue Devils Head Coach Buddy Brasky had high praise for Gilebarto's accomplishment.

"I’ve been varsity coach here for 32 years and that goes up there as one of the best shooting performances that I’ve ever witnessed," he said. "I can think of Jeff Redband when he scored 52 against Irondequoit and Jalen Smith had one of those at Pittsford Mendon where he scored 35. But I haven’t witnessed a shooting performance like that in a long, long time."

Brasky said Gilebarto, who made 14 of his 20 shots in the game, is the team's leader on and off the court.

"He's been our ‘go to’ guy all year. He’s a hard worker -- a gym rat -- and he deserves everything that he gets," he said.

With Gilebarto on target from the outside and senior forward/center Stone Siverling finding success near the basket, Batavia took a 16-11 lead after the first quarter. Gilebarto was 3-for-3 from deep while Siverling hit a pair of buckets inside in the period.

Gilebarto was a one-man show in the second quarter, connecting on three more three-pointers and three other shots for 15 of the Blue Devils’ 17 points. He scored 26 points in the half on 9-for-9 shooting.

Despite Gilebarto’s heroics, the Red Raiders hung in there and trailed by only four at 33-29 at halftime behind junior guard Paul Goodness’ 11 points, including three three-point shots, and sophomore forward Sage Hunter’s 10 points.

The third quarter proved to be an exciting back-and-forth affair with Siverling, Gilebarto and senior guard Faraz Idrees leading the way for Batavia while sophomore guard/forward Ian Goodness kept Pal-Mac in the game with four three-point shots.

Two of those long distance baskets by Goodness offset another three-pointer by Gilebarto to knot the score at 37-37. Siverling then took over, hitting a three-pointer, grabbing an offensive rebound and passing to Alex Hale for a layup, swishing a left-handed hook shot and scoring on a drive to the hoop to put Batavia up 46-40.

Ian Goodness connected again from deep, pulling the Red Raiders within 46-45 with 55 seconds left in the quarter before Idrees drained a corner “3” to make it 49-45. After Paul Goodness scored inside, Gilebarto beat the buzzer with his eighth three-point shot of the game to make it 52-47 entering the final period.

Batavia’s defense was the story in the fourth quarter as it held Pal-Mac to 11 points – only three in the final five minutes.

Another three-pointer from the right corner by Idrees gave the Blue Devils their biggest lead at 55-47, but a couple more three-point shots by Paul Goodness narrowed the gap to 59-55.

From there, Batavia forced a couple turnovers and rebounded three straight missed shots before Gilebarto hit a two-pointer from the side to make it 63-55 with 2:30 to play. Idrees then took a charge on the defensive end – the fourth time he got in position for an offensive foul – before Gilebarto hit a running shot in the lane at the 1:00 mark to secure the victory.

"They did a good job breaking down our defense, getting a lot of ball reversals and handoffs and screens, and then number zero (Ian Goodness) caught fire in the third quarter to keep them in the game," Brasky said.

"We went zone for three to four minutes to try to change it up on them and I thought that stymied them for a little bit. Then we switched back to our man-to-man early in the fourth and our defense really shut them down the rest of the way."

When it was mentioned that Idrees was the "unsung hero," Brasky wholeheartedly agreed.

"For sure, he drew four charges and he hit two big threes in the second half while they were making runs at us. He was the unsung hero of the game – he took four charges and that was a key," he said.

Brasky also credited Siverling for his play when Pal-Mac stepped up its defense on Gilebarto.

"We knew they were going to start to try and take Gilebarto away so we went inside with some of our sets to get Stone going and he produced, for sure," he said.

Siverling finished with 20 points.

For Pal-Mac, 9-5, Paul Goodness tallied 24, Ian Goodness 14 and Hunter 10.

Next up for the Blue Devils are the Wayne Eagles, described by Brasky as a "solid all-around team" that plays the Syracuse 2-3 zone.

"They’ve got length on their back line so it makes it very hard to find openings in their zone; they play it very well," he said. "And they’ve got two dynamic guards who both average 20-plus per game – (junior Mason) Blankenberg, number 25, and (senior Tyler) Reynolds, number 15. They’re just a solid all-around team so it should be a good one."

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Photos by Steve Ognibene.

Photo at top: Zach Gilebarto launches one of his eight successful three-point attempts.

Stone Siverling soars high to grab a rebound as Gilebarto and Pal-Mac's Robert Kinslow battle on the boards.

Alex Hale drives to the hoop.

The winning Blue Devils celebrate, knowing they're one win away from a sectional crown.

Zach Gilebarto's father, Phil, capturing some digital memories of his son's terrific night.