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Under the Stars first under the wire in Batavia Downs feature

By Billie Owens

By Brian Mazuek, for Batavia Downs

Under The Stars and driver/trainer Jim McNeight were first under the wire in the featured $8,500 Open I-II Trot at Batavia Downs on Friday night (Nov. 16).

Under The Stars had finished second in three of his last four starts in the Open trot but finally broke through for the win.

Sitting second over going to the three-quarter pole, Under The Stars ($11.60) swept three-wide around the final turn and trotted around the pace-setting and favored Perfect Man (Dave McNeight III) and the cover of Big Baller (Dan Noble).

Down the lane Under The Stars trotted strongly to the wire, beating the pocket sitting Starbux Eden (John Cummings Jr.), by a length in 1:59.2, while Ziegfeld (Jim Morrill Jr.) rallied late to finish to third.

Owned by Mike Calimeri of Falconer, N.Y., it was the fourth win of the season for Under The Stars, a five-year-old Yankee Glide gelding. The win also moved his seasonal winnings to $44,952.

A 12-race program is slated for tonight at 6:25 p.m. with some top late-season races on tap.

The $27,000 Henry Tojj Pacing Series finale is the feature, scheduled for the seventh race. Johnny Grippa, with driver Jim Morrill Jr., is the morning line choice at 5-2 starting out of the four post.

The $10,000 consolation of the Henry Tojj will follow as the ninth race with D J Supreme and driver Shawn Gray the favorite from the four spot at 5-2.

The weekly $9,000 Open Pace will go as the sixth race with What The Sheik with Jim Morrill, Jr. in the sulky as the 6-5 morning line favorite despite starting from the eight hole.

To watch all the action via streaming video or for more information on the track, go to www.batavia-downs.com <http://www.batavia-downs.com

Oakfield resident Jack Flanigen vies for milestone win Wednesday night at the Downs

By Billie Owens

Press release:

The “Jack Flanigen Milestone Watch” has officially begun. When racing resumes on Wednesday night at Batavia Downs Casino, all eyes will be on Flanigen, who is closing in on 4,000 lifetime wins in the sulky.

The veteran driver, a lifelong resident of Western New York currently sits at 3,992. The 46-year-old Flanigen is a native of the Buffalo suburb of Hamburg and now lives a little more than five miles from the Batavia track, in Oakfield. In two-plus decades of driving he has become Western New York's winningest driver, and now he's closing in on another milestone.

He reached 3,000 victories on Oct. 20, 2007. There are other drivers from the Batavia-Buffalo Raceway circuit -- past and present -- who have won more races. Jeff Gregory of nearby Churchville is the current leader with 6,583 lifetime wins. Jim Morrill Jr., is at 5,432; Hall of Famer Buddy Gilmour 5,381; Ken Holliday 5,092; Ben Webster 4,378; and John Stark Jr. 4,119.

But most of their wins came at other racetracks. For Flanigen it’s been all about Western New York. Well, at least after the very beginning. His first career drive (and win) didn’t come on his hometown circuit but rather at Lake Shore Meadows, in Erie, Pa. He sat behind a horse named Mighty Mite for trainer Jim Crossan. By 1990 Jack was one of the most sought-after drivers on the Western New York harness racing circuit.

During the '90s he drove in 11,899 races and won 2,279 times. His best year was 1996, when he brought home 271 winners. During his career the horses he has driven have earned more than $11 million. His 3,992 wins best WNY legends, Ed McNeight Jr. (3,456), Jim McNeight (3,089) Gaston Guindon (3,080), Dave Vance (2,894) and Gerry Sarama (2,630).

Flanigen was the Downs dash leading reinsman in 2011. He missed the entire 2008 Downs season with concussion suffered on closing night at Buffalo Raceway. This season, during the 2012 summer-fall meet, he is currently fourth in the driver standings with 74 wins.

And to think it wasn't all that long ago that he actually pulled back on his driving career. In 2001, Flanigen began a second career, taking a full-time job with the New York State Department of Transportation as a truck driver.

“I wasn’t sure which way the business was headed; Batavia was closed and Buffalo was racing reduced dates,” Flanigen said. “So I decided I needed to get a job with benefits just in case.”

When purses climbed at Batavia and Buffalo Flanigen gave up driving trucks for the DOT in 2009 to go back driving horses full-time. He also added training to his resume again, something he hasn’t done since 1994.

“I was just looking for another way to supplement my income so I went back training," he said. "I currently have six in my barn.”
 
Looking back Flanigen said his career has been a bit of a surprise.

“I never dreamt sitting on driver/trainer Franny Bond‘s lap when I was 10-years-old, while he was out jogging horses, that I would have ever come close to his accomplishment."

Repeat sweet for Antolos

By Eric Geitner

It was a sweet repeat for Notre Dame Senior Jeffrey Antolos at the New York State Cross-country Championships at Elma Meadows. Jeffrey won the Class C race to become only the 5th Section V cross-country runner in history to ever win more than one XC State Title.

Jeff's time of 15:41 beat out second place by 26 seconds and was the 7th fastest time of the day. Jeff will next compete at the NXN Northeast National Qualifier on November 24 at Bowdoin Park in Wappinger Falls.

The girls' team made ND history by placing 4th in Class D to become the best placing XC state team in ND's history. The Irish were led by 9th-place finisher Laurie Call who covered the course at Elma Meadows in 19:42. Anna Warner's third state meet garnered her a 20th place finish with her time of 20:09. Emily McCracken wasn't too far behind in taking 29th place with her time of 20:35.

Shelby McGinnis rose up to run her best race of the year with her time of 21:38, good for 54th place. Rose Flumerfeldt was again ND's 5th girl, running 24:33 and placing 93rd, with Madison Gluck closing out her high school cross-country career with a time of 25:28 and a 99th-place finish, while Emily Sherman took advantage of the day to run 26:16 good for 105th place.

Congratulations to all the runners and their parents on a great 2012 cross-country season, one of the best in NDXC history!

Photos by Bare Antolos.

GCC Swimming and Diving earns tri-meet sweep

By Andrew Crofts

The Genesee Community College swimming and diving team came away with a tri-meet sweep on Wednesday night, defeating both Alfred State College and Mercyhurst North East.

The men’s team downed Alfred 48-46 and Mercyhurst North East 70-17. The women edged Mercyhurst North East 37-33 and defeated Alfred 44-16.

(Melissa Krause competes in the 200 yard IM for the GCC Swimming and Diving team on Wednesday night)

 

Calla Wolfley got things going for GCC by placing first in the 200 yard free with a finishing time of 2:21.80, and followed it up later in the night by winning the 500 yard free. Kylie Bank tallied a pair of first place finishes, topping the 50 yard free and the 100 yard breaststroke. Brianne Strong paced the 100 yard backstroke, winning by more than 14 seconds with a finishing time of 1:12.11.

Yusuke Inami continued his strong start to the season on the men’s side with a pair of first place finishes. He won the 100 yard butterfly with a finishing time of 53.10 and the 100 yard free with a finishing time of 51.71. Randi Rudnik and Jacob Finkney also earned top finishes for the Cougars, winning the 200 yard IM and 500 yard freestyle respectively.

The Cougars will return to action next Wednesday when they travel to Jamestown Community College for a 6pm start.

Genesee splits in season-opening tournament

By Andrew Crofts

Vaughn Boler scored 21 points and grabbed six rebounds for the Genesee Community College men's basketball team on Sunday afternoon, but it was not enough as the Cougars fell to Delaware Tech Community College, 82-71 in the finals of the Erie Community College Tip-Off Tournament.

GCC built an early lead but Delaware took a 38-28 advantage into the break.

A 4-0 start to the second half had Genesee back within six, but the Spirit responded and extended their lead back to double-digits and to as many as 17 with twelve minutes remaining.

GCC fought back and cut it down to five late in the second half, but Delaware held off the Cougars and converted at the free-throw line to seal the victory.

E.J. Blackwell added 14 points for Genesee, Theirry Ngarambe grabbed 11 rebounds and Joe Gray and Malik Brown each chipped in ten points.

Boler was named to the All-Tournament Team for Genesee, who returns to action next Saturday at the Monroe Community College tournament.
 




On Saturday...

The Genesee Community College men's basketball team downed conference rival Niagara County Community College 82-77 in their opening contest of the season at the Erie Community College Tip-Off Tournament on Saturday afternoon.

Genesee used a late surge to take a 20 point lead late in the first half, before taking a 43-28 lead into halftime.

The Thunderwolves got off to a fast start in the second half and cut the GCC lead to single-digits before Terryl Coombs scored nine straight points for the Cougars to extend their lead back to 15.

Niagara CCC hung around and closed the gap to within two at 79-77 with about two minutes remaining, but GCC was able to convert three out of four at the freethrow line and came away with defensive stops to hold off the Thunderwolves.

Vaughn Boler and E.J. Blackwell each scored a game-high 18 points for GCC. Boler also added six rebounds and Blackwell chipped in five assists. Coombs ended the game with 14 points, all of which came in the second half. Malik Brown was also in double-digits for GCC, scoring 13 points, Carlton Wright scored nine points and Maurice Bailey added seven points.

Le Roy can't stop Hornell's march toward a Section V record, come up short in championship game

By Howard B. Owens

The last time the Hornell Red Raiders lost a football game, George W. Bush was still president.

Le Roy's Oatkan Knights did their best to bring the streak to an end, but came up short in a 21-7 loss in Rochester.

With 49 straight wins, Hornell ties a Section V record (the state record of 55 wins has stood since 1955).

For Le Roy, the Knights missed out on a chance at its 15th Section V title.

"If we make one catch here or there, who knows," said Head Coach Brian Moran. "We just didn't make the plays today. Sometimes that happens. I thought (Hornell) played extremely well. There's a reason they're 49-0. I thought we played as well as we could."

The Knight's took a 7-0 lead early in the first quarter on a Tom Kelso dive into the end zone and held the advantage into halftime.

In the 3rd quarter, the wheels came off.

The Knights, so stout through the first half, let the Red Raiders march the ball down the field and score on a 15-yard run by game MVP Zack Bacon.

On the first play of the next possession, a pitch from QB Mike McMullen to Kelso hit the turf and Hornell recovered the ball on about the 20-yard line. A few plays later on the shortened field, Luke Morgan's two-yard run put Hornell up 12-7.

"The things that usually cost you football games in games like this are penalties and turnovers," Moran said. "Obviously today, we did have a couple of those and it did cost us."

Le Roy continued to fight the tough fight, stopping one drive 10-yards short of the end zone.

There was still hope when a questionable chop-block penalty pushed Le Roy back, followed by a turnover that appeared to be a muffed foward pass ruled as a fumble.

Stuck on their end of the field, Le Roy couldn't advance the ball and on a 4th down play, McMullen was sacked in the end zone for a safety, making it 14-7.

With a little more than two minutes left in the game, Moran's squad tried an on-side kick on the post-safety free kick. The ball traveled a mere eight yards and Hornell recovered.

That put Bacon within striking distance for a 14-yard run make it 21-7.

"He’s good," Moran said of Bacon. "I’d run him, too. He kind of wears you down. He’s a very physical young man. I give credit to him. I’m sure he spends a lot of time getting ready physically and mentally to play."

The 2012 season was a good run for Le Roy, which is well stocked with young players. Moran said his boys came to Sahlen's Stadium ready to play.

"I thought our guys played as as hard as they could," Moran said. "I was proud of them. That’s all you can ask. In high school sports, if the kids come out and give you everything they’ve got, at the end of the day, you’ve got to be proud of them."

Besides Bacon's MVP trophy, awards for Le Roy included Archie Cappotelli for offensive lineman, Tom Kelso for most valuable offensive back and Chris DeFelice for the sportsmanship award.

At halftime, Elba Byron-Bergen's Andy Underhill was named Class C defensive player of the year (photo in slide show).

To purchase prints from this game, click here. If you're unable to view the slide show below, click here.

GCC swimming and diving Invitational

By Andrew Crofts

The Genesee Community College swimming and diving team held their season-opening invitational meet on Saturday afternoon, competing against Jamestown Community College, SUNY Delhi, Alfred State and Herkimer County Community College.

The men's team combined for 260 points and a second place finish and the women's team combined for 181 points and a third place finish.

 

Men (team totals):                                                

SUNY Delhi- 296                                                  

Genesee- 260                                                       

Alfred State- 252                                                  

Jamestown Community College- 207             

Herkimer County Community College- 86       

 

Women (team totals):

Jamestown Community College- 346

SUNY Delhi- 184

Genesee Community College- 181

Alfred State- 136

Herkimer County Community College- 118

 

Brianne Strong led the way for the women with first place finishes in the 200 yard free, 100 yard free, 100 yard backstroke and was part of the top 200 yard medly relay team. Melissa Krause earned the top spot in the 100 yard breaststroke with a finishing time of 1:20.22, and Calla Wolfley added a second place finish in the 1000 yard free.

Yusuke Inami was the top swimmer for the men's team, earning three first place finishes. He paced the 100 yard fly, the 50 yard free and the 100 yard free. Randi Rudnik swam to a second place finish in the 100 yard breaststroke.

The Cougars will swim again on Wednesday night when they host Alfred State and Mercyhurst North East at 6pm.

Big day for Notre Dame at cross country sectionals

By Howard B. Owens

Notre Dame girls dominated the Class D Section V Cross Country Championship today to take the title, and Jeffrey Antolos repeated as a Section V champion in the boys run.

Laurie Call won the Class D girls race with a time of 20:25. Teammates Anna Warner and Emily McCracken came in second and third with times of 20:58 and 21:29. Shelby McGinnis was seventh at 22:15 and Rosemary Flumerfeldt was 11th at 22:56.

Antolos was tops in Class C and CC boys at 16:09.

In Class DD girls, Oakfield-Alabama's Kerry Mills was third at 21:08.

Photos submitted by Bare Antolos.

Notre Dame's great 2012 run hits a brick wall against Avon

By Nick Sabato

Notre Dame’s football season came to an abrupt end.

The Avon Braves downed the Fighting Irish on Saturday afternoon, 43 to 7. The loss eliminates Notre Dame from sectional playoffs, just one game shy of the Far West Regional.

Notre Dame got off to a fast start on their first possession of the game, taking the ball 82 yards on 13 plays, capped off by a Tim McCulley 1-yard touchdown run to take an early, 7-0 lead. Shortly thereafter, things began to go south for Head Coach Rick Mancuso and company.

“We lost the turnover battle,” Mancuso said. “We made a lot of mistakes that we haven’t in the past few weeks.”

Avon got on the board on their next possession after a 30-yard touchdown pass from T.J. Crye to Jake Martinez. The Braves then forced Notre Dame to put on the ensuing possession, and McCulley’s punt hit one of his blockers in the back. Avon marched 39 yards and Martinez punched in the go-ahead score from a yard out.

When the Fighting Irish got the ball, the Braves pounced on an Andrew Mullen fumble, giving them the ball at the ND 34-yard line. Crye hit Brandon McCaffery four plays later and converted on the 2-point conversion to take a 22-7 lead.

McCulley and his offense did not give up just yet, as they drove all the way to the Avon 1-yard line. However, the Braves defense stood strong, denying Notre Dame of any points and taking over on downs.

Crye, the Section V Class DD Offensive Player of the Year, would then take over on his own 3-yard line, and proceed to drive 97 yards in 2:35 before punching in a back-breaking touchdown run with 39 seconds remaining in the half to make the score 28 to 7 at intermission.

Notre Dame would never get any closer coming out of the half as their state championship dreams were dashed. Avon keyed in on McCulley, holding him to 6-of-17 passing for 57 yards.

“I hand it to Avon,” Mancuso said. “They are a great group of kids and (Head Coach) Andy Englert does a great job with them. They took full advantage of our mistakes and it just wasn’t our day.”

Taylor ended his high school career on a personal high-note, rushing for 80 yards on 13 carries after receiving the Section V Class D Defensive Player of the Year at halftime and he was voted his team’s Player of the Game by Section V.

Mullen chipped in with 71 yards.

Crye earned Player of the Game honors for Avon after finishing 7-of-16 for 137 yards and two touchdowns while adding another 136 yards and two scores on the ground. The Braves will play Section VI Champion Randolph next Friday for the right to represent Western New York in the State Tournament.

Despite losing, the Fighting Irish (8-2) had an outstanding season. They held a share of the Genesee Region League Championship and won their first sectional title since 2006.

McCulley was 6-17 for 67 yards. Jerad Thornton had two receptions for 15 yards and Taylor caught the ball twice for 16 yards. Anthony Paladino has six tackles and Charlie Hebert, five.

To purchase prints of these photos, click here. If you're unable to view the slide show below, click here.

Batavia Muckdogs announce season and home opener for 2013

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

The Batavia Muckdogs, Class A affiliate of the Miami Marlins, have announced their schedule for the 2013 season. Batavia will open the 2013 season Monday, June 17, when the Auburn Doubledays host the Muckdogs at Falcon Park. Batavia opens its home schedule Tuesday, June 18, when they entertain Auburn at 7:05 p.m.

The Muckdogs will host their annual Independence Day celebration on July 3rd this year, as they are not home on July 4th. In addition to their Pinckney Division rivals, the Muckdogs will welcome the Tampa Bay Rays (Hudson Valley), Baltimore Orioles (Aberdeen), Houston Astros (TriCity) and the Oakland A’s (Vermont) farm teams to Dwyer Stadium in 2013.

Ticket packages, coupon books and season tickets for the 2013 season are all currently on sale. Holiday Packs are also on sale. For just $25, fans can purchase four undated general admission tickets, a T-shirt and a voucher for a 2013 program. They can be purchased by calling 585-343-5454, or in person at Dwyer Stadium Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Le Roy, Notre Dame look to continue sectional run

By Nick Sabato

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (8-1) vs. Avon Braves (8-1)

Notre Dame captured their first sectional championship since 2006 after dominating Clyde-Savannah last week, 26 to 6. The Fighting Irish shut down the Golden Eagles’ offense that came in averaging nearly 46 points per game on the season. They managed to sack star quarterback Tom Molisani seven times and intercept him four times.

The game was billed as a showdown between two standout quarterbacks, but Notre Dame’s Tim McCulley only attempted three passes. McCulley became a defensive stalwart, picking off two Molisani passes. Head Coach Rick Mancuso controlled the game, using the running game to control the tempo. Nick Taylor ran for 189 yards and two touchdowns, while Andrew Mullen picked up 88 and a score.

On the opposite side, Avon used a similar game plan to defeat the undefeated Red Jacket Indians to win the Class DD title. The Braves held the ball for over 28 minutes, and three different players carried the ball 14 or more times. Jake Martinez carried 19 times for 87 yards and a touchdown, while quarterback T.J. Crye carried 18 times for 65 yards and a score.

Avon has three players who have gained over 500 yards rushing this season. Dan Welch (655), Crye (580) and Martinez (504) have led the Braves offensively, while Welch and Martinez have 133 and 99 tackles on the season, respectively.

The winner of this game will advance to the Far West Regional against the winner of the Section VI Class D Championship game, which will either be Randolph (7-2) or Maple Grove (9-0).

Kickoff is set for noon on Saturday, Nov. 3, at Sahlen’s Stadium in Rochester.

#2 Le Roy Oatkan Knights (8-1) vs. #1 Hornell Red Raiders (9-0)

Le Roy is aiming for their 15th sectional championship in program history, and the 14th under Head Coach Brian Moran.

The only problem is that the three-time defending state champion Hornell Red Raiders are standing in their way. Hornell is riding in on a 48-game winning streak after shutting out Attica in the second round of the Class C playoffs last week, 35 to 0.

The Knights will be their stiffest test yet, especially if quarterback Mike McMullen can duplicate last week’s performance. The sophomore went 7-of-10 for 151 yards and a touchdown in the victory over Bath. He will be an integral part of the offense, because the Red Raiders were stout against the run last week, and he can add balance to the offense.

Le Roy will most likely look to control the tempo of the game with their stable of backs. Leading rusher Peter Privitera’s status is up in the air for the third-straight game after tweaking his knee in the third quarter last week. If he cannot play, Moran will rely on a quartet of backs in Tom Kelso, Marcus Mistersaro, Dylan Johnson and Kylan Carter.

Defensively, the Knights will need to stop Hornell’s double-pronged rushing attack of Zack Bacon and Luke Morgan. Bacon ran for 260 yards on 21 attempts and scored twice, while Morgan ran for 111 yards and a touchdown last week against Attica. If Le Roy can stop the run, they should be raising another sectional banner.

The Class C Championship was originally scheduled for 5 p.m. on Friday, but due to Hurricane Sandy, Hornell was forced to close school on Tuesday. The game has been rescheduled for noon Sunday, Nov. 4. The site will remain Sahlen’s Stadium.

Bulldawgs varsity team takes on BarLyn in NOFA championship game

By Rick Franclemont

The Batavia Bulldawgs varsity squad made it to the NOFA championships after an amazing season of youth football. 

Meeting BarLyn Saturday in Medina, the Bulldawgs took the field on a cold and rainy night under the lights on artificial turf.

Unfortunately for Batavia, the BarLyn team played like a team possessed and brought the ball on the ground and air in wave after wave.

Edward Schildt of BarLyn had six touchdowns, one extra point and three interceptions. 

Eric Neace Jr. added two touchdowns for BarLyn with Christian Wolck receiving a pass for a two-point conversion.

The Bulldawg's lone score came from a long touchdown run by Demetrius Spinks.

Congratulations to the Bulldawgs on a great season!

More pictures from this game, the other playoff games, and previous games this season can be found at Francletography.com

Pembroke takes on Holley in first Section 5 soccer playoff game

By Rick Franclemont

Pembroke dropped a close game in it's playoff debut 2-1 against the Holley Hawks in Holley.

 

The first Holley goal came from Tyler Chmylak with the assist by Ryan Camacho.

The second Holley goal was scored by Will Barniak assisted by Joe DeFelice.

Pembroke's lone goal was scored by Gabe Birkby, assisted by Matthew Colbert.

This was a special night for Holley's coach Dan Orbaker who recorded his 400th win.

 

More pictures from the game can be found at Francetography, here.

 

 

Cougars fall in double overtime

By Andrew Crofts

The Genesee Community College men’s soccer season came to an end on Sunday afternoon after the No.1 team in the country fell to No.2 Herkimer County Community College, 1-0 in double-overtime.

With the Region III Championship and a trip to the NJCAA National Tournament on the line, Genesee and Herkimer matched up for the second time in two weeks. The Cougars defeated the Generals at home on October 16th, but could not get much going throughout the match on Sunday, stalling in what would be their final game of the year.

A physical first half produced no scoring as both teams battled for possession in the opening period. GCC goalkeeper Jake O’Leary cut down a couple of Herkimer scoring chances, denying the Generals on corner kicks, keeping the game scoreless.

Genesee came within inches of taking the lead in the second half when Dom Francis sent a bid on net that beat the Herkimer goalkeeper and nearly crossed the goal line before it was turned aside by a Generals defender. The missed opportunity proved costly as the Cougars never saw a real scoring chance again.

Herkimer nearly ended the game on a free kick about five minutes into the first overtime, but O’Leary made a diving save to keep the Cougars alive.

After nearly 118 minutes of scoreless soccer, the Generals put an end to the GCC season after Alexandre Saliba found a streaking Charlie Anderson, who put a shot from just in front of the Cougars net under the crossbar and into the goal, ending Genesee’s hopes for a repeat national tournament appearance.

It marks the second time in two years that Herkimer has ended Genesee’s season. Last year, HCCC sent GCC home as national runners up after downing the Cougars 4-1 in the national championship game.

Declan Brennan, Nathan Rose and Liam Ross were named to the All-Tournament Team for Genesee, who finishes the season with a 17-2 overall record. Herkimer claims the Region III title and advances to the national tournament, which begins on Nov. 8th in Herkimer.

Notre Dame puts together big game in the rain to win Section V title

By Howard B. Owens

Following a 26-6 Section V Class D title victory of Clyde-Savannah, Notre Dame's Head Coach Rich Mancuso said a lot of the credit for the win could go to the offensive line.

"Our offensive line and Anthony Paladino did an absolutely outstanding job of blocking and that’s really controlled the game and won it for us," Mancuso said.

The stout line allowed Nick Taylor to rush for 192 yards on 22 carries and two touchdowns. Taylor was named MVP for the game.

The title is the first for ND since 2006 and the second in Mancuso's eight seasons as head coach.

Clyde-Savannah is a passing team, but the Golden Eagles were really forced to go the air by the third quarter with the Fighting Irish up 20-6.

While QB Tom Molisani was an impressive 17-29 for 246 yards (including a couple of competitions he tossed while in the grasp of ND defenders), the senior passer gave up four interceptions.

"The big thing is, we knew we had to stop them from throwing the ball and we knew we had to control the clock and we had to take care of the ball, which we did," Mancuso said. "We created a number of turnovers on their part. We did a great job with our game plan both offensively and defensively. I couldn’t be prouder of the kids at the moment."

The Irish amassed a total of 322 yards on the ground.

Andrew Mullen carried the ball for 88 yards on 16 carries and scored a touchdown. QB Tim McCulley added 37 yards on four carries.

McCulley was 1-3 for 23 yards, with the one pass completion going to Charlie Hebert for a touchdown.

The junior also had two key second-half interceptions.

Like Mancuso, McCulley was full of praise after the game for the offensive line.

"Our running game (was a key to victory)," McCulley said. "We ran the ball in the throat. Our line played great. Our running backs ran hard and everything just fell in place."

After the game Taylor said the win felt "awesome."

"I've been starting since my freshmen year and we’ve lost every time in the finals so it’s great that in my senior year, we actually win it," Taylor said. "It feels great."

Paladino, who helped led the lines on both offense and defense and was one of the players of the game, said his award wasn't just about him.

"We all work hard," Paladino said. "You shouldn’t really pick one person. The whole defensive line did everything."

On defense, Paladino had three tackles and Taylor had four, as well as a sack.

Jared Thornton had five tackles, Hebert four and Josh Johnson, four. Taylor and Aaron McDonald each had an interception.

Hebert also blocked an extra point try following Clyde-Savannah only TD.

On a night of constant rain for the entire game, neither side gave up a fumble.

Also receiving game trophies were Johnson and James Spear.

Next up for the Irish (8-1), Avon (8-1), who beat Red Jacket 14-6 to capture the Class DD title. That game will be played Saturday in Rochester.

To purchase prints of these photos and the photos in the slide show, click here. If you're unable to view the slide show below, click here.

Le Roy will take a shot at sectional championship after win over Bath

By Nick Sabato

Le Roy football is back in the sectional finals after a 44-27 win over Bath-Haverling at Sahlen's Stadium in Rochester.

After three consecutive seasons without a winning record, the Oatkan Knights will attempt to win their 15th sectional championship in school history, the 14th under Head Coach Brian Moran.

Bath-Haverling entered Saturday afternoon’s contest at Sahlen’s Stadium looking to avenge a blowout loss earlier this season, and they came out fast. The Rams took the opening kickoff and marched 71 yards on nine plays before quarterback Daniel Leonard punched in the first score of the game from a yard out.

Le Roy responded quickly, as Tom Kelso took the ensuing kickoff back 79 yards for a touchdown. The teams would trade touchdowns, as the Knights’ leading rusher Peter Privitera returned from injury to score on a 29-yard scamper to take the lead, 14-13.

Leonard would score his third rushing touchdown of the game to retake the lead as time expired in the first quarter. At that point, the Knights began to put pressure on the senior and it led to good results. After Leonard recovered a fumble, he threw an ill-advised pass under pressure on the very next play that was intercepted by Kelso.

“[Leonard] has a great arm, he’s a four-year starter,” Moran said. “We had to put ourselves into a situation to make him move his feet, get him a little uncomfortable, and I thought we did that when we came off the corners.”

Le Roy countered Bath’s passing game with their own aerial attack. After attempting only five passes last week against Holley, sophomore quarterback Mike McMullen came out throwing. McMullen went 7-for-10 passing for 151 yards and a dazzling 37-yard strike to Ryan McQuillen that would put the Knights up for good in the second quarter. Perhaps the most impressive statistic was the fact that he did not throw an interception.

“When they put 10 guys in the box, you have to take advantage of it,” Moran said. “(McMullen’s) a sophomore, but he’s played all year and he needed to step up for us. He played very well today.”

Leonard finshed 9-for-21, with 165 yards passing and three interceptions. He also ran for 109 yards and three touchdowns for Bath (6-4).

Privitera also had a big game for Le Roy, rushing for 126 yards on 14 carries with two touchdowns, including a 57-yard run on the first play of the second half. However, he was forced to leave the game in the third quarter with an apparent knee injury and did not return. The coaching staff is still optimistic that he will be able to play next week.

If Le Roy (8-1) wants to win another championship, they will have a daunting task in front of them as they will face top-seed Hornell. The Red Raiders are a three-time defending state champion and are riding a 48-game winning streak.

The Class C Championship game will take place Friday, Nov. 2, at Sahlen’s Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m.

PHOTOS by Howard Owens

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Genesee on to Regional Finals

By Andrew Crofts

The Genesee Community College men’s soccer team is on to the Region III Finals on Sunday afternoon and will play for a trip to the NJCAA National Tournament. The No.1 team in the country defeated Tompkins-Cortland Community College on Saturday afternoon, to set themselves up with an opportunity for a second-straight appearance in the national tournament.

The Cougars had minimal scoring chances in the first half and were unable to find the back of the net. Dom Francis nearly tallied the game’s first goal midway through the first half off of a free kick just outside the box, but his bid sailed over the top of the TC3 net. Another Francis free kick opportunity later in the half was on the mark, but saved by the TC3 goalkeeper.

Tompkins-Cortland had the best scoring opportunity of the opening period. Having to dive to make a save, GCC goalkeeper Jake O’Leary left a vacated net with a free ball in the box. The Panthers managed to get a shot off, but Genesee defender Sam Cassidy was able to step in to make the save and kept TC3 off the board. Both teams went scoreless into the break.

In the second half, Francis was able to break through and put the Cougars on the board. The sophomore forward fended off a Panthers defender and lofted a lefty shot over the TC3 goalkeeper and into the net for his 28th goal of the season to give GCC a 1-0 lead in the 57th minute.

Genesee kept the pressure on and upped their lead in the 62nd minute when Nathan Rose snuck into the middle of the TC3 defense and headed in a cross that gave the Cougars a 2-0 lead.

GCC added another insurance goal in the 87th minute when George Anthony beat the TC3 goalie, and the Genesee defense held to knock off the Panthers, 3-0.

Genesee will play Herkimer County Community College tomorrow at 1pm for the Region III Championship and a trip to the national tournament on the line. It will be a rematch of an October 16th meeting in which GCC defeated Herkimer, 2-1. During that meeting, Herkimer was the No.1 team in the country and Genesee was No.2. Tomorrow, Genesee will defend the No.1 ranking with Herkimer ranked No.2. Only one team will represent Region III in the national tournament.

Soccerween 2012 with all teams in costume is Saturday at Batavia Sports Park

By Billie Owens

New York Premiere Soccer is holding "Soccerween 2012" this Saturday, Oct. 27, at the Batavia Sports Park.

Age groups are U7 through U13 and all participating teams are guaranteed three games and all teams compete in Halloween costumes. The best dressed teams for each age will win a prize.

For more information, contact Brian Patterson at bpatterson@newyorkpremieresoccer.com or 292-0788.

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