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Terry Hills opening for new golf season

By Howard B. Owens

We received this in e-mail from Terry Hills:

Restaurant Opening!
The Terry Hills Restaurant will be opening Thursday, April 9th.
 We will be offering an exciting new menu that includes several new lunch items as
well as fantastic new appetizers and seafood dinners.

League Openings
Terry Hills has league openings for our Mens, Ladies and Friday Morning Seniors'.
We have also started a Friday Evening Couples League that will run 8 weeks this summer. 
All of our Leagues are shot gun start.  You start and end the same as everyone, no waiting around!  Call the Pro Shop for more information. 343-0860

Back on the course

By Brian Hillabush

Apparently, golf is just like riding a bike. 

I haven't been on a golf course in two years because of carpal tunnel in both wrists, so I've been missing the game that I've been playing since the age of 17. I had surgery over last summer and Dr. Hoy did a great job of getting my wrists in decent shape.

So I'm playing again this season and went out for my first time in a couple of years this afternoon, on a perfect day for golf.

I normally play at Terry Hills but didn't feel comfortable going out and getting my butt kicked on that course, so I headed out to Meadow Brook, and executive course on Woodland Drive in Batavia. It isn't very challenging and the greens definitely are not in good shape, but it was a good starting place for me.

I had about the most discouraging start imaginable as I blasted my 7-iron well right of the green on the 156-yard par-3 first hole. I hit a little runner up to the green and it came up just short. Luckily I two-putted for the bogey.

The third hole is the second longest on the course and the first chance I had to hit driver. I was expecting the worst and shocked myself, hitting a 240-250 yard drive right down the middle of the fairway. But, a three-putt gave me my third consecutive bogey.

I continued to hit my driver well and got my first par of the season on the 241-yard fifth hole. I was getting confidence and knew that a good drive would give me a shot at a par or even a birdie. 

A big swing led to a perfect drive, just over the bunker to the left of the green. The chip was a little long because the pin was right up on the left side of the green. A couple of putts later and I had a par.

I followed that up with another big drive and par on the sixth hole. Then things went to hell.

My drive on seven was pushed to the right, directly under a small tree. I couldn't get the next shot on the green and took a bogey.

At this point my left wrist was starting to get tender and starting to swell up a bit, but it was a mental mistake on the eighth hole. I was lined up wrong and pulled my 9-iron on the 122-yard par-3. I chipped onto the green and then three-putted for a double bogey.

A pitching wedge on the 103-yard ninth hole went long and I finished up with a bogey.

So after two years without a swing, I'm pretty pleased with an 8-over par 41 for nine holes. And best of all, it was a great day for golf.

Cardinals affilation with NY-Penn league teams shows mixed results

By Howard B. Owens

The Cardinals Nation blog runs down the history, going back to 1981 when the Cardinals added the New York-Penn League to its farm system, of Cardinals-affiliated teams.

Only seven times in nearly 30 years in the league have Cardinals farm teams reached the playoffs.  The capper, of course, is the 2008 championship season of The Batavia Muckdogs.

Ralph Wilson is not dead

By Brian Hillabush

 There is a rumor that has been circulating on the net and word of mouth that Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson died last night.

It is not true.

The 90-year old Hall of Famer is still alive and the Bills confirmed this with a Twitter post saying "There is absolutely no truth to the internet rumor referencing Ralph Wilson’s health."

If Wilson were to have passed away last night, it would leave the future of football in Buffalo in question. If Wilson cares about keeping football in Buffalo, it is time that he sells the team or sets something up where nobody can purchase the team from his family if they plan on moving the team out of Western New York.

Genesee Lancers u19Girls post perfect weekend capturing 2 tourney titles

By Chris Chilano

The SC Genesee Lancers u19 Team took first place at both the 5th Annual Red Creek Indoor Tournament March 21 and the 2nd Annual Amanda Mabon Memorial Tournament in Elba on Sunday, March 22.

At Red Creek, the ladies went 4-0-1 on the day, finishing with a 9-1 crushing of host Red Creek in the final.

On Sunday, at the 2nd Annual Amanda Madon Memorial Tournament, the ladies were dominating all day, going 5-0-1 and defeating the Souther Tier Flash FC in the final 6-1.

Team members for the weekend were Jenna Ferrando, Alesha Amend, Audrey Rath, Jenn Lonnen, Kelsey Fenton, Jessie Jaszko, Brittany Hein, Stacy Hein, Leslie George, Julia Medwid, Emily Starowitz, Lindsay Wellspeak, and Brittany Luckey. The team is coached by Chris Chilano.

Goal Scores were Britt any Luckey with 12. Alesha Amend and Julia Medwid with 5 each. Jessie Jaszko and Lin Wellspeak each tallied 3. Stacy Hein, Kelsey Fenton, and Emily Starowitz with 2 each, and Jenn Lonnen and Jenna Ferrando each with 1. Hein also posted a shutout in her only game in goal, and Leslie George had 4 shutouts in goal going 8-0-2 over the weekend in net.

 

Alexander's Lehtola and ND's Francis are GR Players of the Year

By Brian Hillabush

Alexander's Anni Lehtola was recently named Genesee Region League Player of the Year by Birdseye Foods.

The 5-foot-9 senior averaged 16 points with five rebounds and two assists per game. The foreign exchange student from Finland led her team to a top seed in Class C and the sectional finals.

Notre Dame senior guard Kevin Francis received the honor for boys basketball, helping his team to a top seed in Class D1.

Francis scored 20.9 points with 5.7 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 5.1 steals per game. He set school records with 130 assists and 112 steals.

Both players are selected to play in the Ronald McDonald all-star game.

 

Here is a video feature on Lehtola from the season.

Batavia comes close, but can't topple J-D

By Brian Hillabush

 The Batavia boys basketball team prides itself on its defense. And it is because of defense that the Blue Devils nearly shocked Jamesville-Dewitt Saturday morning in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class A semifinals.

J-D has been the top ranked team in the state all season long and has a senior guard that is heading to Syracuse next year on a basketball scholarship, but Batavia's game plan was perfect and they forced the Red Rams to play at Batavia's pace.  Batavia only gave up 40 points, but lost the game 40-32.

The Blue Devils came out and surprised J-D with an early run, taking an early 8-3 lead. Batavia led 10-5 after one period of play, with Andrew Hoy hitting a pair of 3-pointers.

Batavia held J-D star Brandon Triche to just two points in the opening frame.

But the Red Rams went on a 14-0 run to open the second quarter and took a seven point lead. Batavia's defense kept them in the game though and the Blue Devils only trailed 20-13 at the break.

Andrew and Robert Hoy each had 3-pointers in the third quarter and J-D's lead was cut to 24-23.

The Red Rams went on a run after that and opened up a five point lead. Robert hit another 3-pointer and Batavia was only down 32-30 with just two minutes left in the game. Triche answered right back with a bucket and J-D hit some free throws down the stretch, ending an amazing season for the Batavia basketball team.

Triche ended up with 17 points but Batavia did a good job fighting the size disadvantage again. Coleman only scored two points in the contest.

Andrew Hoy led the Blue Devils with 15 points.

Batavia ends the season with a 22-4 record and has the honor of being just the second team in the program's history to make the state final four. Jamesville-Dewitt is now 25-1 and will be playing Peekskill in the finals tomorrow afternoon.

 

Batavia has tough bump in the road to state title

By Brian Hillabush

The Batavia basketball team is favored on the court more often than not. Saturday morning will be different.

The Blue Devils will be taking on a team that has been the top ranked team in the state all season long, has a player getting a full ride to Syracuse and is the defending state champion.

Senior Brandon Triche scored 28 points in Jamesville-DeWitt's 90-61 win over Scotia-Glenville in the regional game and is the biggest name on the roster because he will be playing for 'Cuse next season. But he isn't the only big-time player on the roster.

The biggest challenge Batavia faces is a youngster. Dajuan Coleman is a 6-foot-8 freshman that is going to cause serious matchup problems. The Blue Devils have been undersized all year and have done well against big players for the most part. But there have been times that players with this kind of height have dominated. 

Batavia forward Joe Schlossel has had a tremendous season and has played much bigger than his listed size of 6-2. But he's going to need a lot of help with Coleman.

Jamesville-DeWitt is extremely athletic and will attempt to run the floor. If Batavia can get rebounds, they should be able to slow things down. The Blue Devils need to get into a half court game to have a shot in this matchup.

Batavia has won games this season because of a strong perimeter game, led by sophomore Andrew Hoy. The Blue Devils will have to put up some impressive shooting numbers from beyond the arc to win this game.

The game is at 10:45 Saturday morning and the winner will battle either Peekskill or East Hampton at 1 p.m. Sunday. 

March Madness is here

By Brian Hillabush

 For many sports fans, the NCAA Tournament is one of the best times of the year. 

The excitement of following your office pools, watching for upsets and seeing if your favorite team can make a run towards the final four is one of the greatest things in athletics.

The players aren't making millions of dollars like in the NBA and are playing the game for the love and not wanting the season to come to an end.

The tourney starts today, with games already going and not stopping until late tonight. What is your favorite thing about the NCAA Tournament?

 

What is your favorite thing about the NCAA Tournament?
( surveys)

Genesee's Lady Cougars Capture Conference Championship

By Howard B. Owens

Press Release:

BATAVIA, NY -- After finishing regular season play with a record of 16-7, the Genesee Community College Lady Cougars basketball team had high hopes of winning a regional championship. The Lady Cougars went into regional play at Genesee seeded number one and came out successful as they beat Erie Community College in the first round in a powerhouse win.

The Lady Cougars then went on to beat Jamestown Community College 72-40 in the championship game. The Lady Cougars also had many players make the All Region Team.  Brittany McCray, Bianca Jones, Jamia Martin, De'Yara Burrell and Cynnetha Bellinger were honored. Jamia Martin, a freshman at Genesee, was named Most Valuable Player of the Regional Tournament.

"This has been a great season and our team is ready to take on the Nationals this coming week," coach Christie McGee-Ross said. "Every player has been contributing her best, and together they are passing, scoring and working as a cohesive squad."

The Lady Cougars basketball team is lead by coach Christie McGee-Ross and assistant coach Matt Phifer and is made up of Cynnetha Bellinger of Binghamton, NY, De'yara Burrell, Shayla Fulton and Ciara Twillie all of Rochester, NY, Bianca Jones of Long Island City, NY, Jayvonna Kincannon of Buffalo, NY, Jamia Martin and Akebulynn Stephens of Syracuse, NY, Brittany McCray of Lyons, NY, Tierra Saunders of Bronx, NY, and Katelyn Thurber of Medina, NY.

The Lady Cougars now travel to East Peoria, Illinois for the National Tournament March 16 - 18.  The Lady Cougars are excited and ready to compete and bring home a National Championship.

Comments from Batavia after winning Far West Regionals

By Brian Hillabush

After a dominant performance last night, the Batavia basketball team was on cloud nine. The Blue Devils really weren't tested and destroyed Section 6 Class A champion McKinley 54-40 at Brockport, earning a trip to the state final four.

I had a chance to talk with Joe Schlossel (game-high 17 points), Marcus Hoy (15 assists) and coach Buddy Brasky after the game.

Joe Schlossel

On how it feels to go to states

"It feels unbelievable. I mean, people didn't even think we could compete because of our size and we are going to the state semifinals. It is an amazing feeling."

Talking about breaking the McKinley press

"In practice we played against seven guys so in the game it wouldn't seem that bad. We were able to break that easy. After playing teams like Freddie Thomas and Marshall, it was great preparation for us in this game."

Explains his huge second half (13 points)

"I wanted to make up for some missed shots I had in the first half. I knew I had to do it to help us get to the next game. We all did our part and played a great game."

 

Marcus Hoy

Talks about breaking the press

"I knew that was the main goal. We worked on it all week, going 5-on-8 in practice. I knew that's what I had to do. Early on I struggled but I got it together in the second half and was able to handle it."

On if the team gained confidence as the game went on

"We know we are a good shooting team. When shots aren't falling early, we know they are going to fall late. And our defense kept us in the game early. We knew that if we kept it up we were going to win."

On how exciting it is to go to states

"It's amazing. I didn't expect to be here so it's awesome. This is one of the wildest dreams. This is awesome."

 

Coach Buddy Brasky

Talking about the win

"I am so proud of the players. They fought that lack of size adversity all year long. Everybody kept telling them they weren't that good. They refused to believe them and kept working hard all year long. They worked tremendously hard in the offseason and that pays off. Good things happen to good people and I have a team that's a bunch of good people."

On Marcus' day

"He has to be (in control). He was uncharacteristically tentative in the first half and had five turnovers. It isn't like him. We told him at halftime that he's the leader and he's done it for us all year. He was too tentative to start the second half and we told him to just beat them with his right hand. It's his strong hand. He just had to beat them and start making plays."

Talks about returning to states and comparing this year's team to 2005

"We still have one great scorer in Andrew (Hoy) and a bunch of role players. We had Michael (Chmielowiec) and a bunch of role players and now we have Andrew and a bunch of role players. We are just going to ride the wave as long as we can."

Batavia moves on to state final four with win over McKinley

By Brian Hillabush

 715 p.m. - The Batavia basketball team is off to a nice start in the first quarter of the Far West Regionals at Brockport.

The Blue Devils have a solid 9-2 lead and have done so in a fast-paced period against a far more athletic team. McKinley has given Batavia opportunities with missed shots, many of which were bad attempts. 

It looked like the Macks were going to just be too much physically at the start, but the poor shooting opened the door for Batavia.

The first basket came 1:45 into the first when Joe Schlossel scored two of his four points. Andrew Hoy missed all three of his 3-point attempts but did score a basket.

Batavia's lead wound up being eight points because Adam Pettinella hit a 3-pointer with 1:11 left in the period.

The only McKinley basket came from Mansa Habeeb.

 7:33 p.m. - Batavia leads 22-15 after an ugly first half of play.

It is difficult to comprehend after watching McKinley shoot in the first half that they are the best team Section 6 has to offer for Class A. Again, the Macks would force shot after shot and that doesn't work if they don't go in.

Batavia expanded the lead to 12-2 when Marcus Hoy hit a pair of free throws to start the period, but McKinley looked like a competitive time for the only time in the first half over the next two minutes.

Terri Lowe scored and Kevin Chillis followed with a steal and basket. Chillis then drained a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 11-9.

Batavia answered right back with Andrew Hoy hitting his first 3-pointer of the game - and only one of the half - and Robert Hoy adding a trey and a layup, giving the Blue Devils an 18-9 lead.

Curtis Gardner hit three foul shots and Chillis had a 3-pointer to end the half for McKinley.

7:56  p.m. - This thing is pretty close to over. It is obvious that Batavia is the better team in all aspects. 

The 7-point halftime lead quickly became a 10-point Batavia advantage when Dakota Irvin scored and Andrew Hoy had a 3-pointer with a McKinley basket in between.

Joe Schlossel blew up in the third quarter for the Blue Devils, scoring six points and again taking on players bigger than he is. Andrew Hoy finished with six in the frame and Batavia has a whopping 38-24 lead.

 8:19 p.m. - Batavia wins 54-40.

The game was really decided after the third quarter and fourth was a formality that allowed Batavia coach Buddy Brasky to clear his bench by the end of the frame and the large BHS cheer section an opportunity to storm the floor and celebrate with their team.

Schlossel had the biggest fourth quarter for Batavia with seven points.

He finished the game with a game-high 17 points with seven rebounds. Andrew Hoy scored 13 points and Marcus Hoy dished out a 15 assists.

Batavia's defense held McKinley star Mansa Habeeb to just two points in the game.

The Blue Devils will be playing in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association final four next weekend in Glens Falls.

Batavia's post-season visit's Little League Muckdogs, involved in mentoring youth

By Howard B. Owens

Press Release:

More than 2,500 miles separate Claremont, California from Batavia, New York.  But on Tuesday, March 2, Claremont Little Leaguers got a bit of Batavia right in their own ballpark. 

Jermaine Curtis, third baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals minor league team, the Batavia Muckdogs, paid a special visit to Claremont’s Little League Farm team who bears the same name.   Curtis visited with the 13 youngsters and shared stories about his road to being a professional baseball player including his successful career with UCLA baseball.  Curtis stressed the importance of doing well in school, always trying your best and most of all he told the boys to “always have fun.”

The meeting of Muckdogs from opposite sides of the county was no coincidence.  In 2008, Claremont Little League officials decided to assign the younger players to minor league teams. 

Chairman Bernie Bernstein said, “We thought the designs for the minor league teams were fun and that the kids would really be excited about them.  The 50th anniversary of Claremont Little League was the perfect opportunity to roll out the program.” 

Well who would have known that they would have also provided an opportunity for the youngsters to meet the stars of their respective teams?

Claremont Muckdogs’ coach, Brian DeMott, through a mutual friend, found out that Curtis, whom he had seen at many UCLA games, was drafted by the Cardinals and played for their minor league team, the Batavia Muckdogs. 

Curtis, a graduate of A.B. Miller High School in Fontana, happened to be in town with his family when the call came.   Curtis was enthusiastic about the opportunity to visit with the young Muckdogs and applauded the league for making the decision to use minor league team names and logos for the season. 

Curtis responded to the request saying, “I want to give back to the sport I love so much!  My dad and I took the journey to being a professional baseball player all on our own.  We had little guidance and had to learn along the way.  I want to be able to be a mentor and help young kids who are upcoming athletes.”

Curtis’ outreach to young athletes is just beginning.  He is in the process of launching a new website, upcomingpros.com, which will allow upcoming professional athletes to mentor children and their parents on their road to college sports and the pros. 

Curtis plans to keep in touch with the Claremont Muckdogs and other young athletes through a blog on his site and in time, he plans to bring in other top collegiate and semi-pro athletes to the site to do the same. 

One thing is certain; there are a few new fans of the Batavia Muckdogs in Claremont, California today!
   
 

GCC gets $2 million for athletic facility improvements

By Brian Hillabush

The upcoming major construction project at Genesee Community College received a boost as the Genesee County Legislature authorized borrowing $2.05 million through bonds, in addition to the $4.1 million that was approved last year.

The decision Wednesday will help fund a major overhaul of athletic facilities at the Batavia campus, according to The Buffalo News.

GCC will be installing a synthetic turf soccer field, expanding other fields and refurbishing the gym and locker rooms.

Blue Devils moving on to state quarterfinals

By Brian Hillabush

The Batavia basketball team made the New York State Public High School Athletic Association semifinals in 2005, losing a close game to Mexico.

This year's squad is just one win away from that same level after the Blue Devils handled Pittsford Sutherland 56-46 in the Class A state qualifier Wednesday at the Blue Cross Arena.

A huge run in the third quarter ends up being the key to the game. Andrew Hoy hit two straight 3-pointers and Josh Budlong followed by doing the same thing, giving Batavia 12-straight points and an 11-point lead. The Blue Devils led 37-26 at the end of the third quarter.

But after holding Sutherland's top scoring option, Patrick O'Keefe, in check for the first three quarter, he got his team back into the game with seven points in the first half of the final period.

A 3-pointer by Dan O'Keefe cut the lead to just a point, but Joe Schlossel scored to put Batavia back up four points with two minutes left.

The Knights turned the ball over on the next trip down the floor and the Blue Devils connected on free throws down the stretch to ice the game.

For the Batavia players that were on the sectional finals losing team last year, this was some sweet revenge against a team that capped off a Blue Devil collapse with a buzzer-beater.

Batavia hit 7-of-12 3-point attempts and was again led by sophomore Andrew Hoy, who scored a game-high 17 points. Robert Hoy and Dakota Irvin had 10 points each for the Blue Devils, with Marcus Hoy finishing up with nine.

Patrick O'Keefe had 15 points for Sutherland (18-6).

Batavia (21-3) will be playing Section 6 champion Buffalo McKinley in the Far West Regionals on Saturday at Brockport.

Ronald McDonald all-stars announced

By Brian Hillabush

Notre Dame guard Kevin Francis and Oakfield-Alabama forward/center Noah Seward were regarded as the top players in each division of the Genesee Region League this season.

And now the two will get a chance to play on the same squad in the Ronald McDonald Greater Rochester All-Star Game on March 28 at Rochester Institute of Technology.

Seward and Francis will be playing on the Gold team and are joined by one tremendous lineup, including Rush-Henrietta's Dane Miller.

That team will be coached by Prattsburgh legend Jim Burke, who announced his retirement after the Vikings lost in the sectional finals on Saturday.

The Genesee Region League representatives in the girls game are on opposite teams as Alexander's Anni Lehtola will be on the Red team and Notre Dame's Jill Marshall is on the Gold squad.

Notre Dame cheerleading coach Lindsay Warner will be coaching the cheerleaders. She will be joined by Holley cheerleader Nikkie Butler.

The complete rosters for the game can be found here.

Genesee Region League girls all-stars

By Brian Hillabush

Elba went undefeated in the league and won the Genesee Region League Division II title this season.

Alexander was the clear-cut winner in Division I. The Lancers had two first-team all-star selections while the Trojans had one and the Coach of the Year, Marcia Hirsch.

Elba's representatives were Cassy Engle and Sarah Schwartzmeyer and foreign exchange student Anni Lehtola was Alexadner's pick.

The other first team selections are Brynne Perfitt (Oakfield-Alabama), Meghan Fahy (Kendall), Nicole Sharick (Pembroke), Rory Partridge (Byron-Bergen), Lauren Drago (Wheatland-Chili), Brittany Morelli (Notre Dame), Jill Marshall (Notre Dame), Nichole Hart (Notre Dame)  and Molly Burgess (Lyndonville).

The honorable mentions are Hillary Bates (Oakfield-Alabama), Lindsey Hall (W-C), Christina West (Attica), Taylor Hrovat (Lyndonville), Kelsey Lewis (Pembroke), Rachael Pettys (Alexander), McKenzie Bezon (Elba) and Samantha D'Agostino (Kendall).

Get your T.O. jersey now

By Brian Hillabush

 With Terrell Owens joining the Buffalo Bills this week, it is time for fans to update their jersey collection.

The team announced on its Web site that Owens jerseys are available for $80.  You will receive the jersey 3-4 weeks after Owens picks a number.

Owens, a controversial player, inked a 1-year contract on Saturday after being released by the Dallas Cowboys.

Batavia looks to even things up with Sutherland, advance in state tournament

By Brian Hillabush

 The Batavia boys basketball team dropped both regular season games against Pittsford Sutherland this year, ending a seven year stretch of winning the Monroe County League Division III title.

But the third time was the charm for the Blue Devils, who beat the Knights 55-52 in the consolation game of the Monroe County League tournament.

While sectionals are over and Batavia won its third sectional title under coach Buddy Brasky on Saturday, the team is going to try and keep going. And getting Sutherland in the Class A state qualifier is just what the team wants.

The Knights took advantage of a Batavia collapse last year to win the Class A title and that loss was a heartbreaker. The Blue Devils couldn't hit a free throw and the tears were flowing when Sutherland hoisted the championship trophy.

When the classifications came out this year, Sutherland was in A1 while Batavia was in A2, so the only way the two could meet was if they both won titles.

Andrew Hoy had 20 points in the loss at Sutherland and just 11 in the home loss, then scored 21 in the win. The sophomore was the team's leading scorer during the season and has been fantastic in the playoffs, scoring 27 and 21 points. His 21 point effort was on seven 3-pointers, all in the second half in a win over Freddie Thomas to win the title.

Andrew's brothers are also going to need good games. Class A2 MVP Marcus is one of the best point guards Batavia has had in recent years, and the program has had some very good players at the position. He will score when needed but excels at driving and getting the ball to the shooters.

Robert scores, gets rebounds and often most dangerous when teams go box-and-1 on Andrew. 

A big reason why the Blue Devils won the title and are still playing is because of big man Joe Schlossel. He is just 6-foot-2 and undersized in almost every game, but he battles in the paint, where he is usually in the right place at the right time. He has been the second scoring option.

Dakota Irivin, Josh Budlong, Adam Pettinella and Mike Lee have all found their roles for Batavia (20-3). 

Sutherland (18-5) is led by A1 MVP Dan Waldbillig and point guard Dylan Sherwood. The game is at 5:45 p.m. Wednesday at the Blue Cross Arena. The winner moves on to face the Section 6 champion on Saturday.

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