Sports

Boys Basketball:

Attica beat Byron-Bergen 66-58 on Tuesday night. For Attica, Dawson Nelson scored 19 points, snagged 16 rebounds, and had three assists, two blocks and a steal. Frankie Bisceglie added 17 points, six assists, and six rebounds. Marco Magarelli scored 11 points.

Head Coach Rob Crowley said, "I was really happy that we stayed together tonight. Bergen played a good game, Stuccio was on fire from outside and we weathered the storm to come away with a hard fought game on the road. Nelson played great in the second half and showed some good leadership for us. Bisceglie came threw for us from the free throw line as well."

Le Roy improved to 2-1 on the season with a 52-30 win over Perry. Reece Tresco scored 23 points. He had 16 rebounds. Colm Roster scored nine points and had seven rebounds. For Perry, Michael Hockey scored 13 points.

Oakfield beat Holley 55-39.

Lyndonville beat Notre Dame 72-58.

Girls Basketball:

Perry 38, Le Roy 29. Perry led 17-10 at the half and kept the lead through the fourth quarter. It was Perry's first win of the season.

For Perry, Bailey Fisher scored 11 points and had five rebounds. Chelsea Pascoe scored six points and grabbed 14 rebounds and six assists. For Le Roy, Kiaya Condidorio scored 10 points and Bryn Luckey scored five points.

Perry is 1-2 opens division play Friday at home against Pavilion.

See also: Batavia girls win second straight, 66-42 over host Greece Athena

Three players scored in double figures tonight as the Batavia High Lady Devils defeated host Greece Athena, 66-42, in a Monroe County girls basketball interdivisional game.

Senior guard Ryan Stefaniak led the way with 20 points -- nine of them in the first quarter, which ended with Batavia up 16-13. 

Sophomore guard Bryn Wormley had six of her 14 in the second quarter as the Devils expanded the margin to 34-21. They stayed comfortably in front the rest of the way, with junior forward Emma Krolczyk scoring eight of her 15 points after intermission.

Mackenzie Reigle (six), Kennedy Kolb and Jenae Colkey (four each) and Meghan Houseknecht (three) rounded out the scoring for Batavia, 2-0. Stefaniak also grabbed nine rebounds and came up with three steals while Reigle dished out four assists.

For Athena, 1-3, senior guard My'Ana Davis and junior forward Kelechi Dimgba tallied 14 and 13, respectively.

Batavia plays at Class AA powerhouse Bishop Kearney on Friday night and opens the home portion of its season next Tuesday against Eastridge.

Press release:

The Millgrove Sportsmen Club, Alden Rod & Gun Club and the Genesee Sno-Packers Snowmobile Club are sponsoring a NYS Snowmobile Safety course to be taught at Alden Rod & Gun Club next month.

Part 1 will be held from 7 to 10 p.m. on Jan. 17 and Part 2 will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Jan. 19.

The Alden Rod & Gun Club is located on 12 County Line Road in Alden.

The course is free to children from 10 to 18 years of age.

New York State’s Snowmobile Law requires that youngsters ages 10-18 acquire a safety certificate before they may lawfully operate a snowmobile. Youngsters may qualify for their safety certificates by taking an eight-hour safety course and passing the examination given at the end of the course. The course and all materials are furnished free.

The course is also open to adults.

The instructors for snowmobile Safety Course are certified by NYS. 

You must sign up for the course and attend BOTH classes, where you register. All materials for the Snowmobile Safety Course will be furnished. Those who pass the written exam will be issued a patch, certificate and a license. 

If your child is interested in taking the course and would like to law-fully drive a snowmobile, pre-register by calling 716-481-2623 after 5:30 p.m.

A pair of 299 games and a bunch of lofty 700 series highlighted Genesee Region league bowling action for the week ending Dec. 9.

On Monday at Oak Orchard Bowl in Albion, Robbie Hanks came within a pin of his fifth USBC-certified 300 game with a 299--743 effort in the Sneezy's Monday Night League. He left the 2-pin on his last ball.

Robbie's father, Randy, posted a 300 game in the league on Nov. 19.

On Wednesday at Scopano's Lanes in Oakfield, substitute Charlie Pangrazio posted a 299 middle game en route to a 749 series in the County Line Stone League. Pangrazio's 12th ball came high on the headpin, leaving the 3-6. The 6 then fell and rolled into the 3, but didn't knock it down.

Series-wise, at Rose Garden Bowl in Bergen, Jason Heimlich registered 267-259-266 for a 790 series in the Wednesday Men's Handicap League while Kevin Wezelis fired a 289 game and 783 series in the Every-Other-Saturday League.

Also, in the Sneezy's league, Curtis Foss led all shooters with a 771 series.

For a list of scores, click on the Pin Points tab at the top of this page. Mike Pettinella's next Pin Points column is scheduled to be posted this Thursday.

Genesee Ice Devils visited Geneseo Ice Knights last evening at SUNY Geneseo State College. Both teams were exchanging possession but remained scoreless through the first period.

Senior Jackson Backus found the back of the net three minutes into the second period; assist by AJ Versage.

Both teams had a wide variety of penalties until eight minutes into the third period when Genesee's Evan Dusky tied the game 1-1 off a pass from Noah Martin that finished the game through regulation.

Genesee started the overtime down two players from penalties, but defense protected goalie Alexander Hunt who was a star saver for the Ice Devils that stopped 43 shots. Isaac Sweet made 25 saves.

Genesee Ice Devils Head Coach John Kirkwoods said following the game,  "I’m proud of our team tonight after dropping a tough game on Tuesday. This past week was a focus of a few tough practices.

"I preach to our guys all the time that we are a very hard working team, we don’t quit and we keep coming at you, no matter the score or the situation. Our squad is a coming together to be a very competitive team. 

"I am very proud of our guys. Tonight improved our abilities to overcome challenge teams like Geneseo. It was a step forward for us for our program."

Next game for Genesee is at home against Aquinas this Tuesday night, Dec 11th, at Falleti Ice Arena at 6 o'clock.

To view more photos click here.

Pembroke fell to Attica in a Friday night matchup in Attica, 55-59.

Attica's Dawson Nelson led all scorers with 16 points. He also had 15 rebounds and two assists. Tyler Meyer added 13 points and Frankie Biscelgilie scored 15.

For Pembroke, Trevor Vaughn scored 14 points and Jarrod Ludwig scored 10 points.

From Attica Head Coach Rob Crawley:

"Attica Held Pembroke to five field goals in the second half, but Pembroke was 20-22 from the free-throw line. 

"I am incredibly proud of our team tonight. With it being such a later season opener for us, I was very concerned about going up against a well-prepared and well-coached team like Pembroke. We kept our composure from start to finish which shows a lot of growth from our players.

"We used our depth tonight nine players scoring for us. Bisceglie hit back-to-back 3s to start the second half. Nelson did a great job inside as well. All of our guys stepped up and accepted their role tonight to help us get the win."

The Elba and Notre Dame early-season matchup at Elba was everything you expect an Elba vs. Notre Dame game to be: raucous crowd, and a battle to the end between two talented teams.

This time, the Lancers came out on top 52-48, but it wasn't easy.

The Fighting Irish built up a 10-point lead, thanks to some hot shooting from Lucas Calarco and Spencer Masiti, and led 33 to 27 at the break but Elba kept the pressure on throughout the second half and seemed to wear Notre Dame down by the fourth quarter.

"We shot the ball pretty well," said Notre Dame Head Coach Mike Rapone. "Our biggest thing tonight is we didn’t execute the last four minutes. We took some bad shots. We made some bad turnovers and made a few defensive mistakes. When you’re doing that on the road, you’re not going to come out on top against a good team."

The Lancers were led by Jon Boyce, who scored 28 points and snagged 19 rebounds.

"John's one of the best players in Class D basketball," said his Coach Ciaci Zambito "The way he worked, the way he's gotten himself into shape and just his dedication, he deserves a game like tonight. He went out on his last home game against Notre Dame and I think he made a statement for himself. I'm super proud of him."

With Elba down two key players, Colton Dillon and Gregory Huntington, Boyce said he knew his role on the team but that didn't put any pressure on him.

"It sometimes feels like it's on me but then again it's not on me because I look at our team, I look at who is out there, who's out there playing with me," Boyce said. "Everyone knows their roles. We all have our own strengths."

This game, freshman Zack Marshall stepped up and contributed 11 points, hitting three three-point shots in the second half to help give Elba the boost it needed to mount a comeback.

For Notre Dame, Gabe Macdonald scored 15 points. Misiti and Calarco each scored nine points.

To purchase prints, click here.

Head Coach Buddy Brasky has warned us that, at least at the start, this will be a challenging season for the Batavia Blue Devils and the team got off to a rocky start with a 43-39 lose to Honeoye Falls-Lima.

An 18-point fourth-quarter rally might be something for Batavia to build on, but it wasn't enough to overcome HFL's 15-point lead at the end of three quarters.

Batavia was beset by turnovers early in the game and went through one four-minute period in the second quarter without hitting a basket.

The team has lost a key component of the offense with Antwan Odom out for the season after getting arrested late in the summer and Mason McFollins, Ethan Biscaro, Cam White, and Caeden White are all out of action, too.

The team is also off to a slow start because the football team had such a great season, reaching the state championship game, so prior to last night's game, Brasky had been able to lead only four practices with a full squad.

Luke Grammatico led Batavia's scorers with 11 points, including a pair of threes in the fourth quarter. Zach Gilebarte scored eight points and Joe Martinucci added six.

For HFL, Trevor Chamberlain scored 19 points and Josh Vogt scored 16.

Photos by Steve Ognibene. To view or purchase photos click here.

Frank Gioia, of Batavia, was photographed in Buffalo in September when he won first place in his age group in the USA Track and Field Championships. 

Frank Gioia has been serious about running since he was young. He's 65 now.

A son of Babe and Dolly Gioia, Frank was born and grew up in Batavia, where he ran all through high school, he said. He was the first one from Batavia to qualify for cross country in the state championships, he said. 

He attended Genesee Community College for two years, and for about five years took a break from running to play softball.

“Back then, everybody was playing softball,” Gioia said. “There were ball teams then all over town.”

As a young man, he had married the former Pattie Walker and had three children, during which time his running took a back seat. He went to work as a welding foreman for the railroad, retiring from CSX Transportation.

Now, as a senior citizen, with time to devote to his love of running and the desire to keep fit, he is chalking up some wins on the USA Track and Field circuit.

In 2016, Gioia placed eighth in a USA National 5K Championship road race in Massachusetts. This past August, he was third our of 15 in the nation in a 5K road race in Atlanta, with a time of 21 minutes 6 seconds.

In his most recent victory, he finished first among 14 in the nation in September in the USA Track and Field Championships in Buffalo with a time of 21 minutes 36 seconds.

His first-place finish was 30 seconds longer because it was in the grass in Delaware Park, Gioia said, while the Atlanta race was on pavement. All races were in age groups. 

He has also traveled to races in San Francisco and Virginia.

He thinks what attracted him to running was because you don’t have to be a member of a team to run. 

“I always enjoyed running, and I could just go run any time I wanted to,” Gioia said. “And when you do good, that makes it all the more pleasurable.”

Although all of his children and three grandchildren are serious about sports, none shared his passion for running.

During good weather, he runs nearly every day, but during the winter he runs on the treadmill at the YWCA four days a week.

He is going to take a break for three or four weeks while he waits for next year’s schedule for the national races to come out.

“I have accomplished everything I really wanted to do, and I’m happy now just maintaining what I’m doing,” Gioia said.

Gioia just learned he has been named The Buffalo News “Runner of the Year” in the 65 to 69 age group. Out of the seven races in the series, he won the first six and placed second in the last race.

He also recalled several other honors to his credit, including running the 1983 Philadelphia Distance Classic half marathon in one hour and nine minutes. That placed him 55 out of more than 3,000 runners.

In 1984, he ran the Skylon International Marathon in two hours and 29 minutes, placing seventh out of 1,153 runners.

And, in 1985 and 1986, he won gold medals at the New York Empire State Games in the 10K on the track.

Photo below: In August, Frank Gioia, of Batavia, placed third in the nation in the Masters 5K USA Track and Field Championships in Atlanta.

The Lions Club of Batavia is promising area basketball players a more competitive tournament with a revamped tournament format and for fans that should mean closer, more intense games.

The club has expanded the field this year to eight teams -- four teams in the small-team division and four teams in the large-team division. This should make games more competitive and lead to some potentially interesting matchups.

For example, if Batavia beats Roy-Hart in its first game it would face either Le Roy or Attica, teams that are natural rivals but Batavia rarely if ever plays.

Notre Dame and Elba have one of the most storied rivalries in the region and could potentially face each other in the championship game but both will face tough first-round opponents in Oakfield-Alabama and Mt. Morris.

"Our kids look forward to this tournament every single year," said Buddy Brasky, the Batavia head coach who will be taking a team to the tournament for the 29th consecutive year. "They talk about right from the get-go. They want to know when is the Lion’s Club’s Tournament? Who’s playing? Who’s in it? It’s really important to them.

"We play in Monroe County so we don’t get a chance to play the area schools very often. We see them in summer at camp. We play some spring league. They really look forward to playing the area schools, the tough area schools, in the Christmas tournament."

It's not a foregone conclusion, as it has been in recent years, that Batavia will be crowned champion. Brasky's squad has only five seniors and one of his biggest scorers, Antwan Odom, is out for the season because of legal issues. Brasky also said there have been some key injuries.

Roy-Hart comes from a tough Section VI and is coached by Joe Pawlak, Notre Dame grad who played in the tournament in 2008, with a loss to Batavia, so he knows what to expect.

"I’m really blessed to have been able to play in it and now coach it," Pawlak said.

If Batavia survives Roy-Hart, the Blue Devils will either face Le Roy or Attica.

Le Roy is anchored by four-year starter Reece Tresco, who is a 6-foot, 4-inch guard/forward who is a threat to score from anywhere on the court and tough under the boards.

Attica has 10 seniors on its squad and Coach Rob Crowley said with five or six big guys on the team and five or six guards, he will be able to play whatever brand of basketball an opponent puts on the court, adjusting his team's look to meet any challenge.

"We can mix in different brands of basketball and match every team and be competitive against every team," Crowley said.

In the small-team division, Mt. Morris is coming off a 15-win season and returning almost all its top players from that squad. Head Coach Brian Stout said he's expecting a quality year from his players.

They open against the Elba Lancers, always a tough squad and this year featuring one of the top players in Section V in 6-foot, 4-inch forward/guard Jon Boyce, along with returning stars Colton Dillon and Collin O'Halloran.

"I’m excited to see what his (Boyce's) senior season holds," said Elba Head Coach Ciaci Zambito. "We've gone from young and inexperienced last year to now one of the older teams experience-wise in the area."

Mike Rapone, Notre Dame's legendary head coach, said he's got the biggest team he's ever led. There are nine players on the roaster who are at least 6-foot, 1-inch tall, including 6-foot, 7-inch returning starting center Keith Szczepanski.

That is no guarantee of anything, however, Rapone said, especially after losing last year's two leading scorers.

"That (size) doesn’t necessarily always translate into what we want it to be, but hopefully it will this year," Rapone said.

Oakfield-Alabama is a young team (only two seniors) with coach, Ryan Stehlar, so their tournament game will be a test and give fans some idea of what to expect on the season.

The Lions Club Tournament is played at Genesee Community College and that's one reason that the players who get to play in the tournament look forward to it. It's a big stage and prepares them for what they might face in post-season play.

It's also the premier fund-raising event for the Lion's Club, which is another reason you should attend.

The first four varsity games are Thursday, Dec. 27. 

• Attica vs. Le Roy, 4 p.m.
• Mt. Morris vs. Elba, 5:30 p.m.
• Oakfield-Alabama vs. Notre Dame, 7 p.m.
• Roy-Hart vs. Batavia, 8:30 p.m.

The consolation and championship games will be played Dec. 28, with consolation games at 4 and 5:30 p.m. The championship game in the small-teams division is at 7 p.m. Tipoff for the large-team division is 8:30 p.m.

Top photo: Frank Biscelie, Attica, Joe Martinucci, Batavia, Charlie Birgham, Roy-Hart, and Reece Tresco, Le Roy.

Spencer Misiti, Notre Dame, Jon Boyce, Elba, Cameron Regal, Mt. Morris, and Joey Burdick, Oakfield-Alabama.