Sports

In the eight-man state football championship on Saturday, the Pembroke Dragons jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead and didn't look back on its way to its 13th win of the season by a score of 36-0 to capture the title.

It's the second consecutive state title for Pembroke in eight-man football.  It's the first time a Pembroke football team finished the season with a perfect 13-0 record.

The Dragons once again topped the half-century mark in total yardage with Tyson Totton gaining 401 himself on the ground and scoring five touchdowns. He finishes the year with more than 4,000 yards and 70 TDs.

Fullback Caleb Felski had 102 yards rushing as well as converting on three two-point conversions. 

Defensively the Dragons were led by Felski with 16 tackles and an interception, while Totten, Sean Pustulka, Jayden Mast, Jayden Bridge, Octavius Martin, Hayden Williams, and Vijay Dhanda all had five or more tackles.  Jayden Bridge also added a sack and a blocked punt.

Submitted info and photos.

Press Release:

Byron-Bergen Central School District proudly announces that on Friday, Nov. 3, senior Mackenzie Hagen signed a letter of intent to attend Roberts Wesleyan University as a member of their women’s soccer team. At Roberts Wesleyan, she plans to enter the Pre-Veterinary Medicine program, majoring in Biology. 

Her commitment to Roberts Wesleyan was witnessed by her parents, her sister Crystal, and Byron-Bergen Varsity Girls Soccer Coach Wayne Hill. 

“Mackenzie is ready for the next level of soccer competition,” said Byron-Bergen Athletic Director Rich Hannan. “Her outstanding work ethic and speed make her an incredible athlete, but she is also a gifted leader on and off the field. I wish her the very best at Roberts Wesleyan.” 

Hagen is a 6-year Varsity Soccer player and a member of three consecutive Section V championship teams. She participates in Varsity Track and Field where she is a member of the record-holding 800m Sprint Medley Relay team. She is also a Scholar Athlete and Genesee Region All-Star. In addition to sports, Hagen is a member of the National Honor Society. She would like to thank her parents, sister, and coaches.

The Caryville Inn in Oakfield sponsored its annual Turkey Trot on Thursday morning.

It was a new, and for the first-time certified, course for this year's event.

Hoops runs in the McCulley Family DNA, and that trait was fully on display on Tuesday in Rochester when cousins Callie and Amelia took the court against each other for the first time in their respective college careers.

Callie is in her final year, as a fifth-year senior and the University of Rochester. Amelia is just starting at William and Smith College.  Both young women helped their respective Notre Dame squads win Section V titles and both scored more than 1,000 points in their high school basketball careers.

Callie graduated in 2019 and Amelia last year.

U of R got the win on Tuesday, 83-72. Calle scored 22 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Amelia scored five points and had three rebounds.

Photos by Pete Welker.

More than two dozen football players from Genesee County made the West's roster for the Eddie Meath All-Star Game, which was played Monday at U of R's Fauver Stadium.

The East beat the West 21-6.

Genesee County players on the West roster:

• Trent Woods, Alexander
• Clayton Bezon, Alexander
• Case Hill, Alexander
• Landyn Thomas
• Cole Grazioplene, Batavia
• Mekhi Fortes, Batavia
• Brian Calderon, Batavia
• Damon Linzy, Byron-Bergen
• Anthony Leach, Byron-Bergen
• Max Wilson, Byron-Bergen
• Tony Piazza, Le Roy
• Jackson Fix, Le Roy
• Drew Strollo, LeRoy
• Cal Koukides, Le Roy
• AustinPangrazio, Oakfield-Alabama/Elba
• Ashton Bezon, Oakfield-Alabama/Elba
• Bodie Hyde, Oakfield-Alabama/Elba
• Angelo Penna, Oakfield-Alabama/Elba
• Tyson Totten, Pembroke
• Jeremy Gabbey, Jr., Pembroke
• Sean Pustulka, Pembroke
• Jaden Mast, Pembroke
• Brennan Royce, Pembroke
• Joe Bauer, Pavilion
• Tyler Brady, Pavilion
• Austin Cummings, Pavilion

Ella Mattice of Le Roy participated as a cheerleader.

Photos by Debra Reilly

Scoring more than 100 points in a game is one way to ensure you punch your ticket to a state championship game, and that's how the Pembroke Dragons did it on Saturday, beating Section III's Frankfort-Schuyler Maroon Knights 107-64.

"I started my coaching career as a modified assistant for Batavia Football in 2007 I can honestly say I have never seen anything like this game in my entire career at any level of football," said Pembroke's head coach, Brandon Ricci.

The Dragons did it all on the ground -- not even arching a punt across the field. 

Tyson Totten ran for 626 yards and 10 touchdowns.  Ricci called his performance, "one of the most spectacular displays of athleticism in Dragon history."

Fullback Caleb Felski gained 146 yards and scored three touchdowns. He converted five two-point conversions. 

QB Vijay Dhanda also ran for a TD.

The score by quarter:

• 1st quarter 28-16
• 2nd quarter 51-42
• 3rd quarter 91-56
• 4th quarter 107-64

The Dragons take a 12-0 record in 8-man football when they play for the state championship in Cicero on Friday. They will meet another undefeated team, the Moravia Blue Devils, from Section IV.

Submitted info and photos.

A touchdown 16-yard pass from Payton Bradley to Isaac Maddox with six seconds left in the Far West Regional broke a 13-13 tie, giving Salamanca the win 21-13 and delivering Le Roy its first and final defeat of 2023.

Scoring up to that point had been tit-for-tat on Saturday. Le Roy scored in the first quarter on a one-yard run by Drew Strollo, and Jack Currin converted the point-after. In the second, Arlen Newark scored on a 45-yard pass for Salamanca. Newark also kicked the extra point.

Le Roy answered two minutes later on a 3-yard run by Strollo, but the PAT kick was blocked.

Midway through the third quarter, Salamanca knotted things up on a 33-yard Isaac Maddox run but also had its kick blocked.

For Le Roy, Strollo gained 68 yards, scored two touchdowns, gained 17 yards on three receptions, and on defense had five tackles.

Tonny Piazza gained 77 yards on 19 carries.  Tommy Condidoria was 4-7 passing for 12 yards.  Holden Sullivan and D.J. O'Geen had six tackles each on defense.

The Oatkan Knights finish 2023 with an 11-1 record. That 11th win was the program's record-setting 16th Section V title.

Press Release:

Robbie Hanks added to his impressive record at his home bowling center this week when he registered an 802 series in the Thursday Men's Triples League at Oak Orchard Bowl in Albion.

Hanks, who is employed at the center owned by his father, Randy, rolled games of 290-268-244 for his seventh 800 series at Oak Orchard. He came through with two strikes and nine pins in the final frame to secure the honor score.

It is the first 800 series in league play in the Genesee Region USBC this season.

Elsewhere around the GRUSBC:

-- Jeff Parton stayed hot at Rose Garden Bowl in Bergen, spinning a 280 game and 741 series in the Wednesday Men's Handicap League. Steve O'Dell was close behind with 736.

-- Lefties Tom Baker and Rich Wagner led the way in the Toyota of Batavia 4-Man League at Mancuso Bowling Center with 278--751 and 265--742, respectively.

-- Michele Larson started with 244 en route to a 669 series in the Meyer's RV Monday NFL League at Mancuso's.

In tournament action:

-- The team of Ron Ricker, Josh Bowman and Greg Daniels captured first place at the 9th annual PAWS Triples No-Tap Tournament at Oak Orchard Bowl on Nov. 12, taking home the top prize of $750. Eighty-five teams competed in the event that raised about $4,000 for the PAWS Animal Shelter in Albion.

-- On Sunday, four GRUSBC bowlers cashed in the Tommy Kress 60-and-Over Tour stop at Oak Orchard Bowl. Fred Gravanda (623 qualifying score) and Kevin Gray Sr. (658) each made it to the second round, earning $110 each, and Mike Pettinella (687) and Bob Hodgson (596) made it to the first round of the finals, winning $80.

Dan Eberl and Mike Domicolo tied for first place, posting 236 in the title match, to split the first place ($400) and second place ($300) money.

Prior to the start of racing this past Saturday night (Nov. 11) at Batavia Downs, members of the the local driver, trainer, groom and owner colony gathered trackside for a moment of silence to remember and honor their peers at Tioga Downs who lost their horses and their livelihoods as a result of what officials called "a despicable act of arson" that befell that track this past week. 

Many of them, and many of their horses who perished, raced at Batavia Downs, and "the impact of that horrendous event was felt among everyone at the Downs as well as the racing community all across North America," officials said.

When racing got underway, Saturday’s card featured two $15,000 Open I events, which were both won by horses driven by Jim Morrill Jr., who dominated in the bike with a total of five wins on the night. 

In the top trot, Morrill got away sixth with Gracious Triumph while Makadushin N Cheez (Kevin Cummings) led the field to the half in a peppy :57.3. Morrill tipped Gracious Triumph first-over into the breeze as they entered turn three and drew alongside the leader at three-quarters. Gracious Triumph took the lead at the apex of the final bend and drew away to a 2-¾ length victory in 1:56.4, which was a new seasonal mark. 

It was the seventh win of the year for Gracious Triumph ($10.40) and owner Harry Wortzman. Shawn McDonough trains the winner. 

Then in the featured pace, Morrill put Mirragon A on the point off the gate and never looked back. Mirragon A set fractions of :28, :58 and 1:24.4 while Out On Bail (Kevin Cummings) tried to keep pace in the pocket. As they made their way down the stretch, Out On Bail made up some ground, but Mirragon A stayed strong and won by a length in 1:53.2. 

It was also the seventh win of the year for Mirragon A ($7.30) who is owned by his trainer Mike Deters, in partnership with Joel Warner and John Manning. 

Morrill rounded out his quintuple crush with Oreo Dream Xtreme (1:56.4, $6.60), Fox Valley Inferno (1:57.1, $4.20) and Prairie Panther (1:55, $2.70), who reached a major milestone by winning the 70th race of his career. 

Live racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Wednesday (Nov. 15) at 6 p.m. and there will be a $1,153 carryover in the Jackpot Hi-5 pentafecta wager in race 13.

Free full past performance programs for every live card of racing at Batavia can always be downloaded at the Downs’ website (bataviadownsgaming.com) under the “Live Racing” tab and all the racing action can be viewed as it happens for free at the Batavia Downs Live Facebook page.

With 26 minutes left in the first half, Mount Academy's Chris Recinos penetrated Byron-Bergen's defense and, from close range, knocked a ball over the goal line to put the Eagles out in front of Byron-Bergen/Elba in the state championship of Class C Boys Soccer in Middletown.

Eight minutes later, Alexis Mendoza blasted a penalty kick past a diving Bees keeper Martin Mac Connell to put the Eagles up 2-0.

Mendoza scored two more goals, including one on a second-half corner kick, for the hat trick. The Bees' only score was a second-half goal by forward Jack Farner.

The eventual 4-1 win was the second state title in soccer for the eight-year-old private Bruderhof Christian community high school. The Eagles won two years ago as a Class D team and were moved up into Class C, despite a student body of only 200, because of the school's perceived dominance in soccer.

While the game looked evenly matched for the first 18 minutes, the Eagles seemingly became more and more dominant, containing the Bees to their end of the field most of the rest of the way.  The Bees were not without scoring opportunities, even in the second half, but either shots were missed or were blocked.

This year, the Mount Academy girls' team won a co-champion title with a tie score in their game.

Byron-Bergen/Elba was coming off a physically and emotionally draining win against #1 seed Seton Catholic on Saturday in Goshen. That game went to double overtime, tied at 1-1, for 110 minutes of fast-paced football, followed by a best-of-five penalty kick shout that the Bees won 3-2.

The Eagles had their own emotional motivation carrying them into the final after starting midfielder Lenis Arnold suffered a compound fracture in his left in Mount Acadamy's 4-2 win in the semifinal earlier on Saturday against Waterford-Halfmoon. Arnold was on the sideline with his leg in a cast for Sunday's game.

For more photos by Howard Owens and to purchase prints, click here.

For more photos by Jennifer DiQuattro click here.

The Batavian was the only news outlet from Section V with staff at the Class C tournament games for Boys Soccer.  You can help support out local coverage by signing up for Early Access Pass.

The Oatkan Knights won their record-setting 16th sectional title at SUNY Brockport on Saturday with a 27-14 win over Attica/Alexander in Class C.

The Blue Devils opened the scoring in the first quarter with a Joseph Parkhurst 31-yard field goal (one of two FGs for Parkhurst), but Le Roy answered quickly with a Drew Strollo four-yard run for a TD followed by the PAT from Jack Currin. Le Roy held the lead the rest of the way, with Tony Piazza scoring twice and Tommy Condidorio capping things off with a two-yard run.

The final score for AA came in the waning seconds, a 30-yard pass from Trent Woods to Sam Strzelec.

Strollo rushed for 134 yards on 23 carries.  Piazza carried 20 times for 88 yards.

On defense, Strollo had five tackles, D.J. O'Geen, five plus a sack, Piazza, four, and Connor Hegeman, four.

Attica/Alexander did not submit stats.

In its 16^th year, the Triple O Mechanical Singles Handicap Tournament at Rose Garden Bowl in Bergen continues to be a hit with bowlers throughout Western New York.

The latest edition of the popular mid-November event unfolded on Sunday with 70 participants – just two shy of the maximum number for the tournament.

“The success of the tournament speaks for itself,” said Tom Sardou, proprietor at Rose Garden Bowl and Viking Valhalla Restaurant. “We have a loyal following and a sponsor that is committed to the sport of bowling, so we hope to keep it going as long as we can.”

When it was all said and done yesterday – following three qualifying squads and four rounds of eliminator-style finals – Doug Bates of Greece, a 33-year-old right-hander, walked away with the $700 first prize. He is the 16^th different winner since the tournament’s inception in 2008.

Bates, who entered with a 200 average, defeated Justin Wyman of Rochester in the title match by rolling 227 scratch plus 22 pins handicap for 249. Wyman posted 194, and took home $350 for his second-place finish.

The 16-player finals included three women – Caycee Bardol of Brockport, Samantha Hyde of Le Roy and Susan Costello of Rochester. Bardol and Hyde made it to the “final four” and each earned $250 for their efforts.

Seven “senior” (55-and-over) bowlers made it to the finals. They were Jimmy Doerrer of Rochester, John Lowe of Le Roy, former champion Mickey Hyde of Alexander, Pat Brick of Buffalo, Scott Gibson of Oakfield, Mark Mack of Le Roy and Don Perrault of Rochester.

Others making it to the finals were Chris Bardol of Brockport, Scott Dingman of Rochester, Kevin Gray Jr. of Warsaw and Dan Robinson of Rochester.

Lowe, Mack, Doerrer and Costello made it to the second round, winning $125 each. Those eliminated in the first round earned $80 each – doubling their money.

Title sponsor Triple O Mechanical contributed $500, and Rose Garden Bowl donated another $250 into the prize fund.

“This event has stood the test of time, and we truly appreciate all of the bowlers from throughout Western New York and beyond that enter year after year,” Sardou said. “You don’t find many tournaments with this great of a prize list for just a $40 entry fee.”

Bates, employed by Ferguson plumbing and HVAC warehousing, was the high qualifier with 782.

He said he returned to bowling on a regular basis about three years ago following neck surgery “that kind of slowed me down for a while.”

“I bowl in leagues at Domm’s (in Rochester) and have been working my way back,” he said. “My game is on the upswing now.”

His scores throughout the day proved that as he led the qualifying with a 782 three-game series (716 scratch) and followed that with scratch games of 223, 232, 244 and 227 in the finals.

Bates, Doerrer (756), Wyman (749), Lowe (742) and Samantha Hyde (740) earned the five guaranteed spots to the finals. It took 702 to make the finals, with Perrault getting in via the “super senior” incentive with 687.

Highlights of the day included 300 games by Wyman and Dingman during the qualifying round. The tournament is certified by the United States Bowling Congress so the perfect games will be added to their career achievements' list.

TRIPLE O MECHANICAL CHAMPIONS

2008 – Laurie Morgante, Bergen

2009 – Dan Robinson, Chili

2010 – Debbie Falbo, Bergen

2011 – Melanie Balduf, Bergen

2012 – Kevin Gray Sr., Warsaw

2013 – Brian Decker, Rochester

2014 – Albert D’Ambrosia, Rochester

2015 – Rob Husted, Spencerport

2016 – Chris Bardol, Brockport

2017 – John Martorella Sr., Rochester 

2018 – Jeff Dewar, Rochester

2019 – Dan Keenan, Rochester

2020 – Mickey Hyde, Le Roy

2021 – James Townsend, Batavia

2022 – Bill Neubert, Batavia

2023 – Doug Bates, Greece 

Alexis Mendoza scored a hat trick for Mount Academy to help lead his team to a 4-1 victory over Byron-Bergen/Elba in the Class C Boys Soccer Championship at Middletown High School on Sunday.

Jack Farner scored the Bees' only goal midway through the second half.

I'll drive back to Batavia before I start editing photos from the game.  It's likely we won't have photos posted until tomorrow.

After 110 minutes of football that saw only two goals, one for each side, the state's Class C semifinal came down to a best-of-five-goal shootout.

One kicker (each team rotating through five hand-picked players) against one goalie for each team.  Byron-Bergen/Elba, the #4 seed in the tournament, against Seton Catholic, the #1 seed.

The Bees coach, Ken Rogoyski, after the game, said he always regrets that a soccer game comes down to a shootout.

"No game should be decided by PKs (penalty kicks)," Rogoyski said. "Unfortunately, we need some way to see who advances."

A penalty kick is essentially a coin flip, a 50-50 chance to make a goal. There's pressure on both sides of the ball.  It's as much a mind game as it is about athleticism. The kicker and the goalie must outguess each other. If the goalie guesses wrong and jumps the wrong way, he has no shot at blocking the shot. If the kicker guesses wrong, he has little hope of putting the ball in the back of the net.

On the first two penalty kick rounds, each goalie guessed right. On the next two, the guessing game favored the kickers.

So, coming into the fifth round, both sides were even at two goals each. 

Braedyn Chambry made his kick to give the Bees a 3-2 edge.

That put the pressure on Carter Prinzi, normally a midfielder but called upon by Rogoyski to provide the keeper position with some fresh legs. Prinzi was well aware he had to outwit the opposing kicker.

He said he tried to use some body language to play mind games with the opposing kicker to hopefully get him to kick the ball where Prinzi wanted it to go.  He was committed to a side, and he wanted to convince the kicker to pick that side. 

We may never know if the trick worked, but the result was the same.  The kicker kicked to his left, and Prinzi dove to his right and got his hands on the ball, batting it away.

"(Blocking the kick) means a lot," Prinzi said. "I mean, it pushed our team to the finals. It's probably one of the best moments in sports I've ever had."

Prinzi won the game within the game, and as a result, Byron-Bergen/Elba will play Mount Academy, the Section IX champs, today (Saturday) at 11:30 at Middletown High School for the state's Class C championship in Boys Soccer.

The championship game comes after the day after a long, hard-fought, high-energy game against Seton. 

Rogoyski said his side would be ready.

"It's all about recovery," Rogoyski said. "Whoever recovers the best between now and tomorrow's game wins."

For much of the game, the Bees were defending a 1-0 lead on a goal by Jack Farner, with an assist from Colin Martin.  

"Yeah, me and Colin, we've been doing it all season, just playing with each other, and I know where he's gonna place the ball, and I just run the way I think it's gonna go, and it just works out," Farner said. 

Seton evened the score with less than 12 minutes left in regular time following a yellow card on a Bees defender within striking distance to the goal. The resulting kick sailed over the head of keeper Martin Mac Connell. 

That led to a pair of 15-minute OT periods, both ending nil-nil and setting up the penalty kick shootout.

Rogoyski credited Seton for playing a great game. 

The Bees seemed to dominate control up until Farner's goal, then Seton adjusted its tactics and began to make more incursions into Byron-Bergen's defense. The sides were evenly matched the rest of the way -- both getting their chances and both facing stout defenses when the scoring opportunities came.

"They played a good game, a great game," Rogoyski said. "They were tough. They were strong."

After such a long, tough game, Farner said he and his teammates will be ready for Sunday's 11:30 a.m. game.

"I'm feeling good," Farner said. "I'm just speechless. That (the shootout) was insane, but I feel confident that we're gonna get this win, and we're gonna come home state champs."

The Batavian was the only media outlet within Section V that had a reporter or photographer at the Class C state championship tournament in Boys Soccer. You can help support our coverage by joining Early Access Pass.