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Oakfield-Alabama grad Matt Novak on ESPN U

By Brian Hillabush

ESPN U was looking for a Syracuse student to talk with and test his knowledge on how the NCAA selects teams to play in the NCAA Tournament in March.

They picked a pretty knowledgeable freshman to talk with after Syracuse's loss to Villanova on Sunday. 

Oakfield-Alabama graduate Matt Novak was picked for the interview and knew how the process works. 

Novak was the "ultimate fan" of basketball while at Oakfield-Alabama, where he was the captain of the O-A Crazies, which is the school's student cheering section.

Novak's knowledge of sports has also been shown on Section 5 Talksback, where he has posted over 5,200 times and works as a moderator. 

The interview will appear on ESPN U either tonight or tomorrow night between 7 and 10 p.m.

Here is some video footage of the interview, which was taken by a friend. One of the guys stopping to get on camera during Novak's interview is Syracuse starter Arinze Onuaku.

 

HS girls highlights for Saturday

By Brian Hillabush

The 11th seeded Oakfield-Alabama girls basketball team had a 20-6 advantage in the fourth quarter and defeated No. 8 Canisteo-Greenwood 48-44 in the opening round of the Section 5 Class CC playoffs.

Brynn Perfitt hit two foul shots with about 2 minutes left in the game to put the Hornets ahead for good. She scored 12 points in the game.

Hillary Bates scored a career-high 16 points to lead O-A (11-10) and Lindsay Chatt added seven points.

Reagan Ryan scored 20 points for Canisteo-Greenwood (15-6).

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Kelsey Lewis dropped in the game winning basket late in the fourth quarter as No. 8 Pembroke topped No. 9 Caledonia-Mumford 37-36 in the opening round of the Class CC tournament.

Lewis scored five of her seven points in the frame.

Nicole Sharick had eight points and five rebounds with Jackie DuBois and Katie Hackett scoring eight points apiece for the Dragons (13-8).

Christina Harmon had 16 points for the Red Raiders, who end the year 11-10.

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Top-seeded Alexander cruised past winless Red Creek 67-29 in the first round of the Class C playoffs.

The Trojans are 15-4.

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Dundee tipped Kendall 40-28 in the first round of Class C.

Casi Strait had 16 points and Niki Muoio pitched in 10 for Dundee, which improves to 11-10.

Meghan Fahy scored 12 points and Samantha D'Agostino had 11 for the Eagles (7-13). 

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No. 3 Avon had little trouble in knocking Byron-Bergen out of the Class CC playoffs with a 58-31 win.

Marcy Manning had 13 points and 10 boards to lead the Braves (19-2).

Kizzy Heale had eight points for the Bees (9-12).

Spencerport hockey tops Batavia

By Brian Hillabush

The Batavia hockey team's run through the Section 5 Class B sectionals has come to an end.

Spencerport topped the Blue Devils 5-2 at the ESL Centre Saturday and Batavia's season comes to an end.

Mike Leone scored his first goal of the season for Spencerport and it proved to be the game winner at 1:57 of the second period.

Rocky Grattaudaria, Steve Doud and Kevin Keacock also had goals with Steve Hogan dishing out three helpers.

Pat Finnell and Will Mulcahy had the Batavia (11-10-2) goals, with Adam Kurek stopping 20 shots.

Tyler Lariviere had 26 saves for Spencerport (14-7-2). 

Underdogs rise to the top at SuperSectionals

By Brian Hillabush

 

Attica's Luke Pariso wasn't supposed to beat defending New York State Public High School Athletic Association champion Cody Hutcheson of Bath. Pariso has won a couple of sectional titles, but Hutcheson was a monster.

Pariso won the 171-pound title at SuperSectionals Saturday at Rochester Institute of Technology, but that was far from the biggest upset of the day.

Holley's Kyle Steadman has a season record of just 35-10 after the weekend, but he's moving on to states after shocking the thousands of people there to watch the SuperSectionals. He beat Genesee Region League foe Dave Jennings of Attica at 189 pounds, 3-1 in overtime, to move on.

"It feels really good, coming back from sixth place and taking the title," Steadman said.

Steadman wasn't even ranked in the top five by armdrag.com and was seeded sixth in his weight class. It was the second Holley grappler to win the championship on Saturday and could be the fourth to advance to states next weekend.

"I hope Tim (Banks) goes because he has a lot of points," Holley coach John Grillo said. "He should go to states because of his past reputation and history of going to states. Quinton Murphy had an electrifying match, but Kyle Steadman was a surprise. He had a lot of losses, but has wrestled quality kids all year. We knew he had it in him and we just had to get it out of him."

Steadman had an escape early in the second period of the finals and Jennings had one early in the third, but there wasn't much offense in the title round. But Steadman had a takedown in overtime, beating the fourth-ranked wrestler in the weight class.

"I wrestled him before and I know he's really strong on top," Steadman said. "I just had to go my hardest and give it all I had - never quit."

Steadman had a pin and a decision in Friday's opening two rounds before winning a 7-2 decision over Caledonia-Mumford's Jon Grann in the semifinals.

The other Holley wrestler to win a championship was Murphy at 119 pounds. The defending state champion at 103 pounds didn't need much time in the finals to get a return ticket to the big show. 

After a technical fall and two pins earning him a trip to the championship match, he dropped Palmyra-Macedon's Tyler Marlow in 1:36.

"It felt great," Murphy said. "I'm really known for that move so when I knew it was there, I went for it."

Banks was the other Holley finalist at 130 pounds, but lost to Pal-Mac's Matt Hausbrouck 3-1 in overtime.

Murphy says that he "just wants to re-win" a state title, while it is a different story for Steadman. He will be working with 2004 state champion Andrew Grillo - John's son - over the next week to prepare for another shot at an upset.

"Coach has to get me prepared because I've never been to states before," Steadman said.

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 Hutcheson will get to states with a wild card, but his loss to Pariso definitely stung. 

The Attica senior was ranked second but very few gave him a shot to knock off a state champion because he had never advanced past sectionals. But Pariso scored early and then got defensive to earn the title and a trip to Albany next weekend.

"I knew I had to go hard," Pariso said. "He has really good endurance so I knew I had to push the pace on him. I had that inside trip and put him on his back."

Pariso got that 2-point takedown with just 15 seconds left in the first period and then had an escape midway through the second to make it 3-0. He simply hung on in the third period to get the 3-0 decision.

"I didn't want him to get a reversal and put me on my back," Pariso said. "It could be 4-0, 4-3 or maybe a pin. I just rode him real tight and kept on at his cross-wrists and rode him for the rest of the match."

Pariso had two decisions on Friday and then topped Batavia's Anthony D'Aurizio 3-1 to advance to the finals. Now he looks forward to facing an even bigger challenge than what he's seen in Section 5 next week.

"I can't wait," Pariso said. "There is a real tough kid from Section 4, Kyle Beckwith, who has won a couple of national titles. I'm going to have to push the pace and beat him to, win a state championship."

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 The Batavia wrestling team had nine grapplers compete in SuperSectionals, but end up with just one champion.

Nick Lazarony was the second ranked wrestler at 112 pounds and won three decisions to make it to the finals, where he was paired up with top-seeded Joe Smaldone of Geneva. 

Both were going to get a trip to states via wild card, even if they lost. That was enough reason for Smaldone - who took second at 112 last year - to forfeit his finals match. 

Lazarony had a crack at states last year and will have another one this season. 

"He's looking good," Stewart said. "There are a couple of good kids we've scouted so far. He is in the top six there for sure. He still has to wrestle, but it's well deserved. He's given us four good years."

Ryan Darch was seeded No. 1 at 160 pounds and three easy decisions en route to the finals, where he was paired up with Brandon Mills of Canisteo-Greenwood, who was the No. 2 seed.

Darch took a 1-0 lead in the first period when Mills was called on a technical violation, then scored another point in the second period on an escape.

But Mills had a takedown at the mid-point of the frame and tied the match at 2. He had an escape in the third period and then kept Darch from making a move the rest of the way. He tried, making a few attempts to lunge and get ahold of Mills, but the Canisteo grappler was too slippery.

"It was a very defensive match," Stewart said. "He got caught in that little scramble there and tried to battle back from it. It is what it is."

Darch should get a wild card trip to states, but we will not know until it is announced Monday night.

Batavia's Troy Ireland lost to Mills in the semifinals, but won his wrestle-back to take third. He won a 7-6 decision over Wellsville's Ethan Lamphier.

After losing to Pariso in the semifinals, D'Aurizio lost his bid for third place against Byron-Bergen's Zack Green. Green won the third-place match with a pin at 3:53.

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The highlight match of the Division II card was at 135 pounds, where two three-time defending state champions and NCAA Division I scholarship recipients squared off.

Warsaw's Ian Paddock - who will attend Ohio State next year - won a 3-0 decision over Pal-Mac's Alex Ekstrom - who will attend Oklahoma. 

Two other Genesee Region League wrestlers made the finals but lost as Kendall's Jake Requa took second at 96 pounds and Lyndonville's John Brabon was second at 140.

 

Notre Dame boys get top seed; Rapone set to make more history

By Brian Hillabush

 Notre Dame coach Mike Rapone will accept Notre Dame's 11th top seed in sectionals Saturday night.

You might think that even though the other 10 plaques are in his basement, because of a lack of room to display them, this one doesn't mean anything. But it does.

"It is nice because it is a nice accomplishment," Rapone said. "I always use the expression, and the kids never get it, that the top seed a $1.61 will get you a cup of coffee at Dunkin Donuts. All it does is put a bulls-eye on your back. It is a nice accomplishment, but it makes you the No. 1 target."

Even though the Genesee Region League has had some strong teams, as have Le Roy and Batavia, this is the only local team to earn a top seed in the boys tournaments.

The Fighting Irish are 17-3 and have been tested, playing strong GR teams like Oakfield-Alabama, Pembroke, Elba and Kendall as well as non-league foes like Prattsburgh and Houghton.

"I think my goal is always to get as competitive a regular season as I can," Rapone said. "You want your team to be ready for what the future brings. I think our schedule this year was one that will have us ready."

This postseason could be historic for Notre Dame as Rapone is nearing second on the all-time wins list in Section 5. With just one win, Rapone will tie Scio's Roger Rigby for second on the list with 527 career wins.

Ed Nietopski from Cardinal Mooney leads the Section 5 wins list with 545.

"You don't sit down when you start coaching and say this is what you want to do," Rapone said. "As I get closer, I realize that it is a great accomplishment for the school and our basketball program, as much as for myself. It is also about all the players I've coached over the years. They are the ones winning the games."

Notre Dame's top player right now is senior point guard Kevin Francis, who has been on the team through a top seed and two No. 2 seeds that didn't win titles.

"In the last couple of weeks he's been a little more vocal in terms of what we need to do," Rapone said. 

Rapone has seven sectional championships and is looking for an eighth this season. Standing in his way could be fourth-seeded Elba (11-9), which knocked the Fighting Irish out of the playoffs in the semifinals last season.

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Oakfield-Alabama won the GR Division I title with a 17-3 record, but are only a third seed in Class C1.

This might be the best team O-A has ever had, but Avon (19-1) and East Rochester (18-2) are the top seeds in what might be the toughest bracket from top to bottom.

Pembroke went 13-7 and are a ninth seed in that class while Byron-Bergen went 4-16 and are ranked No. 15.

The Batavia boys squad went 17-3 and are relegated to a second seed in Class A1. The Blue Devils are behind Aquinas (17-3) in a very competitive group.

Attica (10-10) are the sixth seed in Class B1 and Le Roy (9-11) are the third seed in Class B2. Holley is 4-16 and ninth in the classification.

Kendall went 12-8 and is a fifth seed in Class C2, with a great shot at pulling an upset and winning a title. Alexander (8-12) is 10th and Lyndonville (1-19) is 16th.

Trojans enjoy rare honor, get top seed in sectionals; Elba also best in class

By Brian Hillabush

For Elba, getting the top seed in Section 5 Class DD isn't the biggest deal in the world, because that, and sectional titles have happened more than a couple of times. But for the Alexander girls basketball program, it is something that is beyond rare ... if it has happened at all.

The Trojans are the top seed in Class C and the division's Coach of the Year, Marcia Hirsch, doesn't know for sure but she thinks it might have happened in 1974. It is either the first or second top seed for Alexander.

"It is a really good feeling," said Hirsch, whose squad won the Genesee Region League Division I title with a 14-4 record. "We set goals at the beginning of the season and this wasn't one of them. We really hadn't given it a lot of thought."

Alexander's rise to the top of the division was never a given this season. 

A solid Perry (14-6) team was on their heels all season long and while the Trojans were mostly solid, they weren't able to beat GR powerhouses Elba and Notre Dame.

"(The race for the top seed) hadn't really affected me or bothered me," Hirsch said. "We can't worry about them, we just had to play. I told the girls that if we won out we would get the honor and be the top seed."

Alexander has had some good squads and quality players under Hirsch's leadership, but this group is easily the best she's had. There are many quality players on the roster and Hirsch's fun approach to practice and the game of basketball has definitely given the team a fun attitude. The winning has given them a swagger that breeds more winning.

"These girls are always prepared," Hirsch said. "They always play hard. Usually we start quick and slow down in the second quarter. But we always find a way, we dig in and play hard. I never count us out of a game. These girls are ready (for sectionals)."

Alexander will open up the playoffs on Saturday with a game against 0-19 Red Creek. The Trojans will get a second straight home game in the second round before the semifinals are played at a neutral location.

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Elba coach Tom Nowak has been one of the best in Section 5 for a long time and his squad has won numerous sectional titles and he himself has been named Coach of the Year 12-14 times, by his estimation.

But the Lancers only have about five top seeds going into sectionals, mainly because Nowak schedules the stiffest competition possible for his team during the season.

"We have won more sectional titles when we had lower rankings," said Nowak, who is the Class DD Coach of the Year. "We played in the Hilton Tournament years ago. We would lose one or two games and not get the top seed, but we played really good competition."

Nowak's squad is the top seed in the upcoming Class DD tournament and they've done it in an unconventional manner. The Lancers start five girls, then have five girls coming off the bench to replace them. This innovative style of coaching has given Elba fresh lungs and a better team late in games.

"This whole year has really been great because you tell a bunch of kids that they are making a sacrifice that is good for the team, and they are for it," Nowak said. "Often today, kids aren't willing to do that; it's all about their stats. My kids are all about the team and they sacrifice their own stats for the team."

Nowak didn't show his team the top-seed plaque at practice Thursday, and didn't have to. The sectional championship - and beyond - is the real prize.

"That isn't going to score us any points or get us any wins," Nowak said. "It is a piece of hardwood that is something we can remember down the road."

The Lancers get a bye in the opening round and will face the winner of Avoca and Bolivar-Richburg in the second round. But there is no easy way to a championship as Jasper-Troupsburg (19-1), Notre Dame (16-4) and two-time defending champion Romulus (12-8) are expected to be in the mix.

But the veteran coach likes his team's chances.

"You really have to be ready and play every game," Nowak said.

Nowak mentioned retirement a few years back, but that is nowhere near something he is thinking about right now. He should be around to compete for sectional titles for years to come.

"I tell everybody that life is a one day contract," Nowak said. "You wake up and hope to sign the contract and move on. I have enjoyed coaching, it keeps me young. Somewhere down the line I'll make a decision as to how long I'm going to stay in coaching. We have a philosophy on our team that you can't worry about things you don't control. We cross things when we get there."

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While Alexander and Elba won top seeds, other local teams will be fighting for sectional championships.

Elba's biggest competition every year seems to be Notre Dame, which went 16-4 and earned the third seed.

Lyndonville (9-11) is the ninth seed in Class C and would love another crack at Alexander.

Pembroke had a solid 12-8 record, but is just the sixth seed in Class CC. Oakfield-Alabama (10-10) is 11th and Byron-Bergen (9-11) is 12th in the class.

Holley (5-11) is the fifth seed in Class B with Le Roy (2-17) coming in at the bottom ninth seed.

Attica (1-19) is the ninth seed in Class BB and Batavia (14-5) is the fifth seed in Class A.

 

O-A drops one spot in state rankings after loss; ND up one and Batavia stays the same

By Brian Hillabush

 The Batavia and Oakfield-Alabama boys basketball teams had losses this past week against tough squads and both dipped one spot in the newest New York State Sportswriters Association poll.

The Hornets had the lead for almost the entire game, but lost to Akron in the final minute of the Genesee Region/Niagara-Orleans League Showdown Saturday.

Because of the loss, O-A drops from No. 11 to No. 12 in Class C.

Batavia had matchup problems and lost to Class AAA Irondequoit in the opening round of the Monroe County League tournament Monday, but were not faulted in the rankings. The Blue Devils are still the No. 21 ranked team in the state in Class A.

Notre Dame beat Elba and Lima Christian and are bumped from No. 9 to No. 8 in Class D.

Batavia hockey overcomes Geneseo/Livonia and officials

By Brian Hillabush

 The Batavia hockey team had a speed advantage over Geneseo/Livonia, but didn't get much of a chance to use it and because of that had a close game in the opening round of sectionals, which they won 3-2 at Faletti Ice Arena Wednesday.

The fifth-seeded Blue Devils couldn't get the offense going against the 12th seed because officials called a total of 15 penalties in the game.

"I think we tend to play at the other team's level," Batavia coach Paul Pedersen said. "I told the team that anytime you are in sectionals, any team can beat any other team. We have been coming out flat and we need to fix that."

Batavia had a power play early in the first period, but couldn't capitalize and Geneseo/Livonia didn't wait long before starting the scoring. Max Hartnett scored off assists by Jeff Webster and Xavier Copeland at the midpoint of the frame.

It took five minutes, but the Blue Devils managed to tie the game with 2 1/2 minutes left in the opening period when Erik Pokornowski scored an unassisted goal.

The Lakers didn't wait long to get the lead back, scoring just 40 seconds later when Webster scored off passes by Copeland and Mike Donals.

"When we fell behind 2-1, we knew we had to work hard," Pokornowski said. "We had to keep working our system and just work hard and we would be okay."

Batavia failed to convert on three more power play chances before finally taking advantage of one. Geneseo/Livonia's Rick Hilimire was whistled for a cross-check and a game misconduct, meaning the Blue Devils had a power play for 1:30 and Hilimire had to sit for 10 minutes. Pat Finnell scored seconds later to tie the game off an assist by Pokornowski.

All momentum had shifted and Blake Polito scored 1:30 later to give Batavia an edge they wouldn't give up. It was his first varsity goal.

Geneseo/Livonia had some quality chances in the closing minutes, but a pass to the point bounced over a players puck with seconds left, killing any chance of a comeback.

Batavia (14-8) had a 29-16 shots on goal advantage as Austin Thiele made 26 saves for G/L (3-19-2) and Adam Kurek had 14 stops for Batavia.

The Blue Devils will play No. 4 Spencerport at the ESL Centre at Noon on Saturday.

"They beat us pretty good the first time," Pokornowski said. "Our goal is to win sectionals and we are going to have to play our best to beat them."

Batavia gets the Sutherland monkey off its back

By Brian Hillabush

It may have just been a consolation game, but for the Batavia boys basketball team it was a must win.

The Blue Devils had lost to rival Pittsford Sutherland twice during the regular season and didn't want to head into the Section 5 Class A playoffs with two straight losses. So Batavia came out and had a 15-2 first quarter advantage and held on to beat Sutherland 55-52 in the consolation game of the Monroe County League Tournament.

"If we would have lost both games it definitely would have been a set-back heading into sectionals," Batavia coach Buddy Brasky said. "It is a positive getting the win because when you lose, doubt starts to set in. It was just a consolation game, but it was an intense game. It was definitely a good way to end the regular season and it gives us momentum heading into sectionals."

Joe Schlossel had another big game for Batavia and has turned into the team's second scoring option. Early in the year, Brasky believes Schlossel wasn't scoring this much because he played football and took time away from basketball. But now he's hitting his stride.

The senior forward scored eight of his 13 points with eight rebounds in the first quarter to get the Blue Devils out to the big lead.

"He's playing with more confidence," Brasky said. "Joe played football and it took him a while to get rounded back into basketball shape. He was playing well during the summer and football was a major commitment. He didn't touch a basketball for three months."

Just like any other Sutherland game, it wound up being a battle.

Batavia missed a few easy layups in the second quarter and Brian Lewis, Wayne Dillworth and Dan O'Keefe hit 3-pointers to get the Knights back into the game. Sutherland was back within three points near the end of the first half, but Andrew Hoy hit a 3-pointer to give Batavia a 27-20 lead at the break.

The third quarter was even and Sutherland cut the deficit to three points with two minutes left. But Hoy hit a 3-pointer, Schlossel had two free throws and Marcus Hoy hit 1-of-2 attempts and the Blue Devils held on for the three point win.

Hoy led all scorers with 21 points as Batavia (17-3) will be hosting Marshall in sectionals on Saturday, Feb. 28. In the meantime, Batavia will be scrimmaging East High and C.G. Finney to prepare for the tournament.

Genesee Region League girls MVPs

By Brian Hillabush

 I believe that the MVP of a league should usually be the best player on the best team, but picking that player for Division II of the Genesee Region League is impossible this year.

Elba didn't lose a league game all season long and were obviously the best team in both divisions. Picking an MVP from that squad is not so obvious.

Coach Tom Nowak has used a unique style of play for his squad this season where he rotated two groups of five players and they pressed the heck out of their opponents. It worked, but there was no one player that stands out as the MVP of that squad.

It would not be fair to vote Cassy Engle or Sarah Schwartzmeyer as the top player when girls like Chelsie Pangrazio, Julie Marshall and Rachael Cook were also just as important to that team.

So with that being the case, the MVP award for Division II is deferred to the best player on the second place team. Notre Dame has several stars as well, but I'd give the division MVP award to Nichole Hart.

Hart is a pure shooter that had many big games for the Fighting Irish. With Liz Geandreau and Brittany Morelli providing a solid inside presence, Hart's ability to hit long jumpers and 3-pointers makes Notre Dame a tough team to defend.

The Division I MVP is a much easier call as Alexander's Anni Lehtola was a scoring machine. The addition of the foreign exchange student from Finland turned a very good team into a great team. 

There was little doubt this season that the Trojans were going to win Division I, and the team is the top seed in Class C.

Who is the overall girls MVP of the Genesee Region League?
( surveys)

Players of the Week

By Brian Hillabush

Batavia point guard Marcus Hoy was named Monroe County League Division III Player of the Week this week.

The senior scored nine points while handing out 15 assists with five steals in Batavia's 68-46 win over Lackawanna of Section 6 on Friday.

Byron-Bergen's Tyler Sass earned the honor for Genesee Region League Division I after a week in which he averaged 16.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and three assists per game over three contests. 

The Bees beat Holley while losing to Alexander and Barker.

Andy Lund from Wheatland-Chili picked up the award for Division II after scoring 18 points with eight rebounds in a win over Lyndonville and 11 points with nine boards in a loss to Kendall.

Alexander's foreign exchange student from Finland, Anni Lehtola, was the girls Player of the Week for Division I.

She scored a whopping 35 points with 21 rebounds and six assists in wins over Attica and Byron-Bergen.

Elba's Cassy Engle won the award in Division II after scoring 23 points in wins over Notre Dame and Lyndonville, helping the Lancers wrap up an undefeated league season.

HS girls highlights for Tuesday

By Brian Hillabush

The Batavia girls basketball team was outscored 21-2 in the fourth quarter and lost to Pittsford Sutherland in the opening round of the Monroe County League tournament Tuesday.

Kayli O'Keefe had 10 of her 14 points in the frame and Caitlin Ryan added eight points and 10 rebounds in the game for the Knights (13-6).

Brittany Wormley had 14 points and Brittany Mazurkiewicz added 11 for the Blue Devils (14-5). 

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Elba wrapped up the top seed in the Section 5 Class D playoffs with a 47-27 win over Lima Christian in girls basketball action.

Rachael Cook had 12 points and five boards with Cassy Engle scoring eight points and McKenzie Bezon getting seven for the Lancers (18-2).

Alexis Mairano had nine points for Lima Christian (7-13).

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Kelsey Lewis and Nicole Sharick had 14 points apiece as Pembroke downed host Byron-Bergen 50-42.

Danielle Kelsey added 10 points for the Dragons (12-8).

Rori Partridge had 12 points for Byron-Bergen (9-11).

HS boys highlights for Tuesday

By Brian Hillabush

Matt Thompson hit four 3-pointers and scored a game-high 16 points to lead Notre Dame to a 64-43 win over host Wheatland-Chili Tuesday.

The Fighitng Irish had a 21-10 advantage in the first quarter, 13-10 in the second and 19-5 in the third.

Kevin Francis scored 13 points and Greg Barr and Nick Wetherwax each contributed seven points for Notre Dame (16-3), which will be the top seed in Class D1.

Rick Agosto scored 14 points with five boards for the Wildcats (4-14), with Evan Price pitching in 12 points.

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Tate Westermeier went 8-of-8 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter and scored 13 of his team-high 23 points in the fourth quarter as Attica dropped Holley 54-46.

Zach Fleiss had 10 points and Brad Clark added seven for the Blue Devils (10-10).

Brian Mitchell had 24 points and John Wharram added six steals and four dimes for the Hawks (4-16).

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Ken Babcock had the top performance in the Genesee Region/Niagara-Orleans League Showdown on Saturday, and he followed it up with another huge performance Tuesday to lead Pembroke to a 67-52 win over visiting Byron-Bergen.

Babcock poured in a game-high 30 points on 13-of-14 shooting in the win.

Andrew Wright and Eric Leffel had 10 points apiece for the Dragons (13-7).

Trevor Laurie had 13 points to lead the Bees (4-16).

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Josh Laureano had 23 points as Kendall beat Lyndonville 60-45.

Laureano was helped up by Phil Kludt's 12 points and Colt Tooley's 11 as the Eagles improve to 11-8.

Erik VanWycke scored 23 points with eight boards and Muhammad Akram scored eight points with seven assists for the Tigers (1-18).

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Lima Christian needed two overtimes to beat visiting Elba.

LC beat the Lancers 70-62 as Trevor Maiorano went 4-of-4 from the foul line in the second overtime session. He finished the day with 13 points as Lima Christian improves to 11-9.

Darius Cox had 21 points with 12 boards and Josh Arnold scored 16 points.

Sonny Giuliano scored 19 points and Phil Ostroski added 18 for the Lancers (11-9).

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The Notre Dame hockey team was knocked out of the Section 5 Class B playoffs as Brockport won 1-0 in the opening round.

The only goal of the game came at 4:29 into the first period as Zach Stahl scored off an assist from David Roberts.

Thomas Dehr stopped 43-of-44 shots in net for the Fighting Irish, who end the year with an 8-10-2 record.

Mike Picard only had to stop 13 shots for Brockport (11-9-5) in the shutout.

 

Oakfield-Alabama rolls to win over Alexander on senior night

By Brian Hillabush

 After blowing a lead and the game against Akron in the Genesee Region League/Niagara-Orleans League Showdown on Saturday, the Oakfield-Alabama boys basketball team was looking to end the season on a positive note before going into sectionals.

It was obvious that it was going to happen as the Hornets jumped out to a 17-3 lead in beating visiting Alexander 73-41 on senior night.

Senior stars Noah Seward and Brad Riner got O-A off to a 9-0 start right off the bat as Riner had five points and Seward four, just a couple of minutes into the contest.

Tim Smith scored seven straight points and all of a sudden the Hornets were ahead by 14 points with just 3 1/2 minutes gone off the clock.

Troy Shelnut ended the fierce O-A scoring with a 3-pointer, but Sam McCracken had four points and Seward added another bucket late in the opening frame to give the Hornets a 27-13 lead after a period of play.

McCracken had two quick baskets in the second quarter and Seward had four points, but Oakfield-Alabama played its worst of four quarters. Josh Athoe also hit a 3-pointer in the frame and O-A actually extended the lead to 38-19 despite not being happy with the way they played in the frame.

The "big 3" of Seward, Riner and Smith were able to rest for most of the fourth quarter, but all three contributed in the third.

Seward had six points, Smith had five and Riner hit a 3-pointer late in the quarter and the game was officially a blowout after the third quarter with Oakfield-Alabama leading 61-28.

Athoe had four points in the fourth quarter and O-A rolled to the 73-41 victory.

Seward had yet another double-double, scoring 14 points and pulling down 13 rebounds, with Riner helping out with eight points and 11 assists.

Smith scored 15 points and A.J. Kehlenbeck had 10 points with 13 boards. McCracken finished with 13 points and Athoe chipped in nine.

Kyle Woodruff had 14 points for Alexander, which ends the season with a 7-12 record.

Oakfield-Alabama improves to 17-3 and will be the third seed in the Section 5 Class C1 tournament and should be hosting Canisteo-Greenwood in the first round.

Batavia wrestling coach Stewart is D3 Coach of the Year

By Brian Hillabush

When Rick Stewart took over the Batavia wrestling team in 2002-2003, there were only six kids on the roster and the city had very little interest in the sport.

 But Stewart started a youth program and recruited some good athletes that had the potential to be good wrestlers. Now there are 27 wrestlers listed on the roster and the Blue Devils ended the season with an 18-6 record.

Stewart was named Monroe County League Division III Coach of the Year this week because of the record-setting year for the program.

"It is nice being recognized for the year that we had," Stewart said. "It isn't just me, it's the entire coaching staff. Kenny (Darch) was as big a part of this as I am. This is a team thing here. I was kind of surprised when I found out we were given the award."

It really has been an amazing year for Batavia as the team had a Monroe County League champion in Nick Lazarony for the first time in 23 years and both he and Ryan Darch repeated as sectional champions last weekend.

"This group of kids we have now, I have to thank Kenny for that," Stewart said. "They came up through the youth program and Kenny grabbed these kids and got them into wrestling. He was down coaching modified and he came up with them. He's a big part of this class."

But winning was far from the norm when Stewart became coach.

With just six wrestlers on the roster, wins were impossible and it looked like the sport was on the verge of being dropped at the school because of a lack of interest.

"We started with just six kids and we had very little success," said Stewart, who is a 1996 graduate of Batavia that finished his wrestling career with a 117-16 record. "We had six tough kids with Bobby Darch winning sectionals and Rich Lovria and Brian Greening. We had tough kids, but not a lot of them. We were going into dual meets knowing we weren't going to win. It was an individual sport then. Now it is a team thing."

Getting the young kids involved is how Stewart is going to keep the program growing and hopefully produce more sectional champions in the future. The kids in the youth program get to work with the top wrestlers on the varsity squad.

"The youth program we are running has 36-37 kids from ages five through 11," Stewart said. "We have some good athletes out there and seeing Batavia wrestling doing so well is going to spark more interest. Hopefully we can keep replenishing the youth and keep a nice feeder program going."

A total of nine Batavia grapplers are going to be competing in the SuperSectionals this weekend at Rochester Institute of Technology. That is the highest number the school has ever sent to the event and there are several wrestlers with a chance to move on to the state tournament.

Those numbers show why Stewart won the award, and shows the progress Batavia wrestling has made since he became coach.

"This is the most amount of kids Batavia has ever sent to Supers and we have high seeds and kids with a legitimate shot to go to states," Stewart said. "There are vetarans like (Josh) Mase, Darch, (Troy) Ireland, (Anthony) D'Aurizio, Lazarony and (Dylan) Goodsell as well as the younger kids like (Will) Ely that are going to get good experience wrestling at this level. They are getting a taste of the big show and they know they can get there based on this week's performance."

Genesee Region League boys MVPs

By Brian Hillabush

 It is often hard to choose MVPs because competition is typically so close in the Genesee Region League.

But this season it is pretty simple to pick the best player from each division as Oakfield-Alabama won Division I pretty easily and Notre Dame clinched Division II several games ago.

The Hornets are 16-3 and Noah Seward is a big reason why.

O-A would have still been in the running for the Division I title with solid players like Brad Riner and Tim Smith, but Seward was a problem for the other team in every game this season. The 6-foot-3 center/forward seemed like he had a double-double every time he got on the court. 

The only other player in Division I that I had in the running was Pembroke's Ken Babcock, who dominated at times this season in helping his team to second in the division. But Seward wrapped up the award in my mind when he scored 20 points and pulled down 12 rebounds when the Hornets clinched the title in a 61-39 win over the Dragons last week.

Kevin Francis was easily the MVP in Division II for the Fighting Irish, who are 15-3.

With several question marks as to which players were going to be regular contributors this season, Francis took on the role as quiet leader early in the season and helped the young players like Vinny Zambito and Matt Thompson find their niche on the team. 

His stats were also incredible as he was able to go off for 20 points on any given night at the point guard position while playing a well rounded game. Francis also distributed the ball, caused turnovers and grabbed rebounds.

Who is the overall MVP of the Genesee Region League?
( polls)

HS girls highlights for Monday

By Brian Hillabush

The Genesee Region League Division I champion Alexander girls basketball team wrapped up the regular season and clinched the top seed in the Section 5 Class C tournament with a 54-28 win over visiting Oakfield-Alabama Monday.

Anni Lehtola led the way for the Trojans (14-4) with 24 points, four steals and five rebounds with Katie Kochmanski finishing with a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds.

Brynne Perfitt had 11 points to lead the Hornets (10-10).

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Nichole Hart scored 24 points - including five 3-pointers - as Notre Dame thumped visiting Wheatland-Chili 57-24.

Jill Marshall had eight points and Trisha Pike added six for the Fighting Irish (16-4).

Lauren Drago had 10 points to lead the Wildcats (4-16).

Batavia knocked out in first round of Monroe Tourney

By Brian Hillabush

 The Batavia boys basketball team just couldn't compete with Irondequoit's inside and outside game Monday night and were blown out by host Irondequoit 66-41 in the opening round of the Monroe County League Tournament.

Class AAA powerhouse Irondequoit had a size advantage at every position on the floor and never trailed in the game.

Batavia has no player over 6-foot-2 while the Eagles have seven of that height or taller, including 6-8 big man Jordan Heath.

Tyler Condello opened the game with a pair of foul shots and Chris Culver drained a 3-pointer as Irondequoit led 5-0 to start the contest. Rob Hoy hit a jumper and Joe Schlossel scored twice to keep the game close early. When Marcus Hoy hit a pair of free throws with about two minutes left, Batavia only trailed 11-8.

But Heath scored twice before another Schlossel bucket and the Eagles led 15-11 after the opening eight minutes.

Jeremy Jackson and Heath both scored at the opening of the second quarter to extend the lead to nine points. Rob Hoy hit a 3 and Marcus Hoy and Dakota Irvin hit a bucket to cut the deficit to four points midway through the period.

But Culver hit a trey and Heath scored twice to extend the lead to 11. Irondequoit had a 30-21 lead at intermission.

Schlossel had three baskets early in the second half, but the Eagles matched before going on a 11-2 run to end the frame. Culver was fouled shooting a 3-pointer and connected on all three attempts and then hit a jumper and a 3 before Kurt Soppe scored to make the score 47-31 going into the fourth quarter.

Heath dunked twice in the fourth quarter to put the nail in the coffin. He ended the game with 24 points and eight rebounds with Culver finishing up with 19 points and seven assists. Jackson had nine rebounds as Irondequoit (18-1) will play Rush-Henrietta (17-2) in the finals on Wednesday.

Schlossel had 14 points to lead the Blue Devils (16-3), who will try to avenge two regular season losses to Pittsford Sutherland (15-4) in the consolation game Wednesday.

Marcus Hoy had 11 points and seven dimes and leading scorer Andrew Hoy was held to six points, but grabbed seven boards.

Winning a championship for Muckdogs just the cap on a remarkable year

By Howard B. Owens

BATAVIA, NY -- It's cold. There are still patches of snow on the ground with more fluffy showers predicted for this week. But it's not too early to start thinking about spring.

In Arizona and Florida, pitchers and catchers have reported. And Friday Muckdogs faithful gather for the team's annual hot stove league dinner.

But before we look toward a new season, let's reflect once more on an incredible 2008 Muckdogs season.

How incredible? According to Brian Walton of Scout.com, it was remarkable in a number of significant ways.

With a record of 46-28 (.622) the Muckdogs posted the best winning percentage of any team in the St. Louis Cardinals system.

It was Batavia's first championship since 1963 and the first New York-Penn League championship for a Cardinal's affiliate since 1994.

The last Cardinals New York-Penn League affiliate to post a better record than the Muckdogs was the 1992 Hamilton (Ontario) Redbirds. That club went 56-20 (.737). Ironically, their manager was the current leader of the Memphis Redbirds, Chris Maloney.

No Cardinals minor league club at any level had registered a better record than the .622 2008 Muckdogs in the last 15 years! It is tops in the entire system since the 1993 Savannah Cardinals of the Single-A Sally League had a .662 winning percentage (94-48).

For more on the record setting season, read all of Brian's post.

Don't miss Friday's dinner. The 2008 season is well worth Batavians remembering, and we look forward to a great season in 2009 thanks to the Cardinals and Red Wings' organizations.

It is time the Buffalo Bills start to worry about Marshawn Lynch

By Brian Hillabush

 The Buffalo Bills have always claimed to only keep players on the roster that are good people off the field as well as on. Owner Ralph Wilson does not like his players making news for non-football issues.

But one of the faces of the franchise has become a problem.

Running back Marshawn Lynch was arrested over the weekend for possession of a concealed firearm in California last week, making two straight offseasons where he has been in trouble with the law.

Lynch and two other men were in a 2006 Mercedes Benz when they were pulled over and officers found a loaded gun, which belonged to the back that just a week ago was playing in the Pro Bowl.

Lynch was arrested last June when he was involved in a hit-and-run accident on Chippewa Street in Buffalo. He did not turn himself in right away and it took four days before his lawyer contacted the police.

He also made the news as a college student at California when he was the target of a drive-by shooting, which the police eventually said was a case of mistaken identity. There were "character issues"  when the Bills drafted him in the first round of the 2007 draft.

After Willis McGahee was run out of town for negative remarks about the City of Buffalo, Lynch was drafted and has been a decent player on the field in his first two seasons. He rushed for 1,115 yards and seven touchdowns as a rookie and followed that up this past season with 1,036 yards and eight scores. He was an alternate and was added to the Pro Bowl this year.

His numbers are good, but he has not jumped into an "elite" status in the NFL by any stretch of the imagination.

The Buffalo Bills will be asking themselves this offseason if it is worth keeping a player around that makes as much news off the field as on. Lynch will definitely be suspended for some of this upcoming season for violating the league's code of conduct policy, and with his track record there is no assurance that he will not get into trouble with the law again.

The team isn't saying much at this point.

"We can confirm that Marshawn was arrested in California and has retained an attorney," Bills vice president of communications Scott Berchtold said in a statement. "We are in the process of trying to gather the facts and will not offer a comment while that process is ongoing."

Buffalo came into last season with questions about depth in the backfield, but Fred Jackson did a great job last season and some might argue was a more exciting player on the field than Lynch.

Lynch will not be released or traded before the season starts and will probably get another chance with the Bills, but his future is without question in doubt after this latest mishap. The team will probably be focusing on drafting an offensive guard and an outside linebacker early in the upcoming draft, but it might be worth using a pick in rounds 3-5 on a running back. There are always highly ranked players that slip (like Mike Hart to the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round last season). 

Lynch is young and has talent, but is he the future of the Buffalo Bills? If the past and philosophy of the team is any indication, he will be on a short leash until he proves himself.

 

 

 

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