The Notre Dame Fighting Irish modified football team played its final game of the season on Saturday, winning 48-0 over Pavilion/York/Wyoming to complete a 6-0 run for the year.
The Irish squad typically won by 50 points or close to it in each game.
On Saturday, Chase Antinore and Bradley Gabehart each scored two touchdowns. T.J. Cepheus, Jr., Matthew McCulley, and Timmy Bartz each scored one TD each.
Notre Dame High School boys basketball Coach Mike Rapone (NDHS 1971) has not coached a game in well over a year, but that has not stopped the accolades from rolling in on his record-breaking career.
The school was informed that the Basketball Coaches Association of New York Executive Board has selected Rapone for induction into the New York State Basketball Hall of Fame. Rapone was previously inducted into the Notre Dame High School Hall of Fame in 1996 and the Section V Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.
During his 42-year career at Notre Dame, he amassed a record of 728-212 with an eye-popping winning percentage of over 78%. To put that in perspective an average season over the entire span of his ND career ended with 17 wins and only 5 losses.
He began his varsity career in the 1980-1981 season and promptly won his first Genesee Region Title and the school’s first-ever Section V Championship in Boys Basketball. The rest would be New York State basketball history as his teams would go on to win 17 consecutive Genesee Region titles to begin his career and 32 out of his first 34 seasons in total.
During an 11-year span from 1992-2002, his teams would accumulate a record of 225-44 (84%), win 10 GR titles, appear in 9 Section V Championship Games, win 5 Section V titles, and 2 New York State Championships.
In addition to the 728 victories, Rapone’s career totals include 34 Genesee Region Titles, 10 Section V Championships, 5 NYS Far West Regional victories, and 2 New York State Championships (1992 and 2001). He is the current holder of Section V records in wins (728), championship game appearances (19), Section V Championships (10), Section V Tournament #1 Seeds (19), and championships in 4 different classifications (B, C, D, and DD).
The New York State Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place in March 2024, and more details will be provided as they are made available.
Photo of Big Chic Magnet courtesy of Wendy J. Lowery.
There was an obvious front-end speed bias at Batavia Downs on Saturday night (Oct. 21) and the winners of the top two paces took full advantage of that route to victory.
In the $15,000 Open I Handicap, Joesstar Of Mia A (Jim Morrill Jr.) overcame interference by the breaking Avion Seelster (Dave McNeight III) in the first turn and made his way to the front at the quarter in :27.1. From there, the field stayed single file until three-quarters where Stranger Things (Kevin Cummings) had made his way to second and was at the leader’s tail. Stranger Things bid folded in the final turn leaving the tripping Mirragon A (Austin Sorrie) the only horse left with a shot. But Morrill closed that door as well and he urged Joesstar Of Mia A to the line on top by 1-¼ lengths in 1:53.
Joesstar Of Mia A ($4.90) is owned by Dowse Racing and is trained by Gareth Dowse. It was one of three wins for Dowse on the card.
Morrill would go on to win five more races to take a six-pack home with him on Saturday. Beside Joesstar Of Mia A, Morrill also won with Parmesan N (1:54.4, $3.10), Epic Ace (1:52.2, $3.60), Angelo J Fra (1:57, $5.30), Odds On Delray (1:54.2, $2.70) and Runrunjimmydunn N (1:54, $2.10). Morrill was only scheduled to drive in seven races on Saturday and he won five consecutive before finishing out in his sixth assignment. Morrill’s UDR for the night was .857.
Another Saturday gate-to-wire effort was turned in by Big Chic Magnet (Dave McNeight III) in the undercard feature $13,000 Open II pace.
McNeight had Big Chic Magnet pacing sharply on the lead and amassed a 2-½ length bulge at the quarter in :28. As the race passed the stands the first time, Gunslinger Hanover (Drew Monti) came with a rush and made his way to second, crossing over to the pegs at three-quarters. However, this challenge didn’t phase the leader as Big Chic Magnet rounded turn four in full flight and dashed home on top by 2-¼ lengths to win in 1:54.1.
Big Chic Magnet ($19.40) is owned by EVM Racing and Rodney Long. David Russo trains the winner.
Live racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Wednesday (Oct. 25) at 6:00 p.m. and there will be a $408 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.
Photo of Joesstar Of Mia A courtesy of Wendy J. Lowery.
Batavia players react at the end of time to Pal-Mac in their 2-0 loss on Saturday in the Class A Girls Soccer quarterfinal playoff game at Van Detta Stadium while Pal-Mac players celebrate their win. Photo by Howard Owens.
With only one loss, Batavia went into the postseason with one of its best -- perhaps its best -- seasons ever in Girls Soccer, as the #3 seed in Class A and hoping to advance.
The Blue Devils were 14-1-1 in the regular season, but Coach Roger Hume said he knew Palmyra-Macedon would be tough to beat, even though the Raiders finished up the regular season 10-5-1 and the #6 season in Class A.
The Blue Devils 2-0 on Saturday, then, was clearly disappointing to the Batavia squad.
Hume said he was proud of his team's effort and success over the course of the season.
"We had the best record in my 15 years (as head coach)," Hume said. "This group surprised me by how they weren't worried about anyone. One game at a time. They came back and won two games in OT to keep their undefeated record. We had five seniors who were all leaders with no drama. It was fun to come to practice. They have set the bar high, but last year the bar was set for this group, and they crushed it. Next year's group will be as strong, too."
Pal-Mac's forward, Lillian Boesel, scored both goals for the visiting team.
Batavia played hard through both halves of the match, firing 15 shots, but Pal-Mac keeper Marianna Hodgins came up with 10 saves against shots-on-goal.
The Blue Devils have had five chances to score on corner kicks.
The Raiders took 13 shots, with five on goal saved by Ava Higgins.
"We had enough to beat them," Hume said, "but they took advantage of their opportunities.
The Batavia soccer program -- boys and girls -- has been on the upswing since the move into Van Detta Stadium. The boys finished the season 8-7-1 with a first-round sectional loss to Pittsford Mendon, 9-1.
Girls Sectional Summary:
Class B: #8 Le Roy lost to #1 Haverling 1-0 in the quarterfinals.
Class C1: Oakfield-Alabama beat Letchworth in quarterfinals 3-0. The #3 seed will play #2 Williamsville on Tuesday at 5 p.m. at Cal-Mum.
Class C2: #12 Alexander lost to #5 Dundee/Bradford in the pre-quarterfinals 2-1. #4 Byron-Bergen beat #13 Bolivar-Richburg in the quarterfinals 9-0 and next face #1 seed Ganada on Tuesday at a time and location to be determined.
Class D: #10 Notre Dame beat #7 Mount Morris 6-2 in the pre-quarterfinals and lost 1-0 to Northstar Christian Academy in the quarterfinals.
Boys Sectional Summary:
Class B: #7 Le Roy lost to #2 Livona 1-0 in the quarterfinal after beating #10 Attica/Alexander in the pre-quarterfinal 4-0.
Class C: #13 Pembroke lost #4 Keshequa 8-0 in the pre-quarterfinals. #5 Pavilion/York lost on penalty kicks to Avon after a 2-2 tie in regulation time in the quarterfinals. In the quarterfinals, #2 Byron-Bergen beat #10 Holly 5-0. On Wednesday, the Bees face #3 Addison at 5 p.m. at Geneseo High School.
To view more photos from Batavia's game and to purchase prints, click here.
Ava Varland. Photo by Howard Owens
Ella Shamp Photo by Howard Owens
Jaimin Macdonald Photo by Howard Owens
Ella Shamp Photo by Howard Owens
Adyson O'Donnell with a shot on goal in the first half. Photo by Howard Owens
Isabella Walsh with a pass downfield during second half. the Photo by Howard Owens
Jamie Masters, in black shorts at right, instructs the Batavia High Unified Bowling team during a practice session at Mancuso Bowling Center. At left is Assistant Coach John Kirkwood. Photos by Mike Pettinella.
More and more students in the Genesee Region are finding their athletic niche by participating in Unified Bowling, a component of the Special Olympics Unified Sports program.
About two dozen schools – including Batavia, Pavilion, Le Roy and Perry -- are participating in the Section V Unified Bowling League this season.
Matches get underway this coming week, with the Batavia team opening against Churchville-Chili at Spencerport Bowl and the Perry team taking on the combined Pavilion/Le Roy squad at Perry Bowling Center. Both of those matches are set for 4 p.m. Tuesday.
What makes Unified Bowling (and Unified Sports, in general) unique is that it combines students with intellectual disabilities and students without intellectual disabilities to produce interscholastic sports teams for practice sessions and competition.
“It’s all about creating a team atmosphere,” said Jamie Masters, the first-year head coach of the Batavia squad. “Whether they have disabilities or not, they're all working together as a team.”
She said that the matches consist of three games, with two games of doubles competition and the last game as a team competition. Local bowling centers scheduled to host matches over the next several weeks are Mancuso Bowling Center in Batavia, Le Roy Legion Lanes and Perry Bowling Center.
Masters, a physical therapist for the Batavia City School District, said the program also aims to increase friendship both on the playing field – or lanes, in this case – and in school.
“A goal is to build camaraderie in the school, such as sitting with each other during lunch or having conversations during the school day. It’s goes beyond bowling,” she said.
The Unified Sports initiative fosters inclusive activity as a way to tear down stereotypes and build relationships, while providing students with and without intellectual disabilities the chance to take on leadership roles in their schools and the community. Specific campaigns tied to the program include Fans in the Stands, Pledge and Plunge and the R-word Campaign.
According to the Special Olympics, more than 8,300 schools across the United States take part in Unified Sports.
Batavia – Lena Boris, Andy Burton, Jennifer Ewert, Aleigha Frith, Kaelee Kelso, Max Kongmany, Esayas Reinhardt, Aiden Bellavia, Landon Hamilton, Jayla Odom, Price Parris, Rahmeto Reinhardt, Lylianalynn Santos-Baez, Benjamin Sputore and Marisha Tucholski. Coach: Jamie Masters. Assistant Coach: John Kirkwood. Volunteer assistant: Ryan Hamilton.
Pavilion/Le Roy – Carter Blaisdell, Alex Boldt, Case Cummins, Chris Doody, Corina Dunn, Jackson Fix, Merritt Holly, Hudson Klein, James Kingsbury, Jordin Kreutz, Adam Leitten, Dannielle Morehead, Alaina Powers, Morgan Powers, Arianna Pray, Reilly Powers, Landon Stoddard, Andrew Strollo, Mia Strollo, Joey Vernaccini, Makayla Washburn and Zoe Washburn. Coach: Michelle Milligan. Assistant Coach:PJ Puccio.
Perry – Hunter Clark, Todd Claud, Ashlee Davenport, Alexandra Faryna, Dominik Forrester, Nicolas Gutierrez, Hunter Henchen, Mason Herman, Olivia Herman, Kiara Hughes, Peyton Lyke-Scott, Koleden Osborne, James Shearman, Bryce Tallman, Landon Warner, Sawyer West, Victoria Wilson. Coach: Kris Goodell.
Batavia High senior Ben Sputore delivers the ball during the Unified Bowling practice session. Sputore recently rolled a 300 game in USBC-certified competition at Mancuso Bowling Center.
Oakfield-Alabama finished the regular season Friday night on a disappointing note, losing to Avon 40-0.
Aggies stats:
Junior RB Avery Watterson - 14 Carries, 72 Yards
Senior QB Austin Pangrazio - 11 Carries, 76 Yards
Senior LB Ashton Bezon - 12 Tackles
This weekend in Genesee County football:
Batavia beat Dansville/Wayland-Cohocton 34-28. Zailen Griffin, 25 rush, 235 yards, three TDs Bronx Buchholz 7-15 passing, 156 yards, two TDs, 1 interception, 13 carries for 81 yards. Cole Graz, four receptions for 74 yards and two TDs. Maggio Buchholz two receptions, 50 yards.
The Pembroke Dragons finished the regular season on Friday with a 43-14 win over Holley/Lyndonville moving their record to 8-0 and making them the only team in Section V 8-Man Football with a spotless record.
They'll head into the postseason as the #1 seed. The postseason schedule has not been posted yet.
The Dragons racked up 400 yards on offense on just 20 plays. Coach Brandon Ricci credited the line of Ben Steinberg, Jayden Mast, Jayden Bridge, Madden Perry, JJ Gabbey, Octavius Martin and Hayden Williams for the dominant offensive game.
Tyson Totten ran for 137 yards and two touchdowns on three carries to eclipse 2,000 yards rushing on the season.
Fullback Caleb Felski had 160 yards rushing and two TDs on just a pair of carries. He also added a 55-yard receiving touchdown from Quarterback Vijay Dhanda.
Sean Pustulka finished the scoring for the Dragons with a 42-yard rushing touchdown and a 24-yard field goal.
Defensively the Dragons were led by Jayden Bridge with seven tackles. Dom Boldt, Aidan Balduf and Hayden Williams each chipped in five tackles, while Vijay Dhanda had the game's lone fumble recovery.
The Dragons will host a home playoff game against an opponent yet to be determined next week.
Since coming into trainer Mike Deters’ barn in September, Burn Notice has had a reversal of fortunes that have seen him not finish off the board in five starts. And his class ascent continued at Batavia Downs on Friday night (Oct. 20) after he won the $15,000 Open I Handicap trotting feature.
Jim Morrill Jr. put Burn Notice on the point and was peerless for the rest of the mile. Burn Notice went moderate quarters of :28.3, :58 and 1:27 and only the pocket-sitting Lunar Credit (Jim McNeight Jr.) was close enough to make a bid. However even he was overmatched to make a run as Burn Notice turned for home and peeled away by 2-½ lengths in a 1:57.1 romp.
Scoring his third win in his last six starts, Burn Notice ($7.70) continued his recent success for owners Deters, Joel Warner, and John Manning.
One race earlier in the $13,000 Open II Handicap trot, 22-1 outsider Ricky Be Sharp (Mike Baumeister) got away fifth, and 12 lengths behind the front running Discus Hanover (Kevin Cummings) who was the prohibitive post time favorite. As the race moved around turn three and approached three-quarters, Ricky Be Sharp followed the outside lead of BJ Laredo (Jim McNeight Jr.) until the top of the stretch where Baumeister tipped him three deep into the center of the track. From there, Ricky Be Sharp flew to the wire under a line drive and won by a length in 1:59.
Ricky Be Sharp ($47.80) is owned by Jennifer Signor and trained by Ron Baumeister.
Kevin Cummings had four driving wins during Friday night.
Live racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Saturday (Oct. 21) at 6:00 p.m. and there will be a $175 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.
Photo of Ricky Be Sharp courtesy of Wendy J. Lowery.
Photo of Won Surreal Deal courtesy of Wendy J. Lowery.
One week removed from beating the best female pacers on the grounds, Won Surreal Deal doubled down and did it again by winning her second straight $15,000 Open I Distaff Handicap pacing feature at Batavia Downs on Wednesday night (Oct. 18).
After coming from off the pace last week, Won Surreal Deal (Kyle Cummings) did a 180 and went right to the front and led the single file field through quarters of :28.1, :56.4 and 1:25 without any challenge from behind. As they went into the last turn, the pocket-sitting Miley Rose (Dave McNeight III) was the only one with a shot but as they turned for home, Won Surreal Deal just paced away from her and won handily by 1-¾ lengths in a swift 1:54.1.
It was the fifteenth lifetime win for Won Surreal Deal ($7.30) which is owned by the Parsimonious Racing Stable and trained by Jeff Sorenson.
In the $11,500 mid-level conditioned pacing nightcap, Escape The House (Jim McNeight Jr.) followed P L Notorious (Kevin Cummings) from the start of the race until the top of the stretch, where McNeight tipped Escape The House into the passing lane and out-brushed So Amazing (John Cummings Jr.) and It’s Mesmerize N (Kyle Swift) to win by a neck in 1:56, scoring a major upset at 22-1.
It was the third win in the last four starts for Escape The House ($46.00) which is owned and trained by Taylor Fritz.
Escape The House also spearheaded the winning Jackpot Super Hi-5 pentafecta combination of 9-8-6-1-2 that paid $8,677.50 for a 20-cent wager.
Kevin Cummings led all drivers Wednesday with four wins while trainer Sam Smith topped his conditioning cohorts with a triple during the night.
Live racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Wednesday (Oct. 18) at 6:00 p.m.
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.
Notre Dame basketball coach Michael Rapone is running a Sunday morning basketball league for fifth and sixth graders and for third and fourth graders.
The league is open to children from throughout the GLOW region and no Notre Dame affiliation is required.
Rapone said it's the Buff Rice league, inspired by a league his age group played in in the 1990s at the YMCA, which was run by Sonny Love.
He provided the photos and this recap of the second week of play on Sunday.
Fifth and sixth-grade scores:
Warriors (2-0) 39 Celtics (1-1) 10
Drew Schultz and Sawyer George led the Warriors with 14 and 13 points respectively. Teagan Porter chipped in with 4 points and 7 assists. Ethan Thom had 6 points and 7 rebounds. For the Celtics, Preston Newton had 4 points, and Nolan Rogers had 2 points and 5 rebounds.
Heat (1-1) 25 Lakers (0-2) 23
This game came down to the final possessions, and the Heat got the defensive stop that they needed at the buzzer. The Heat were paced by two scorers, Patrick Casey and Lincoln Metz who each had 10 points. Ryker Schultz pitched in with 3 and 6 rebounds. Lakers were led by Liam McAlister who had 9 and Vinnie LaBarbara who had 8.
Third and fourth-grade scores:
Duke (1-1) 24 Syracuse (0-2) 20
Duke got their first win of the season behind a strong game by Barrett Jones who had 12 points and while Mateo Spink chipped in with 8 points. Gino Fava had 3 and Alex Tommy rounded out the scoring with 1 free throw. Jackson Therrien had 16 in the loss and Sammy Rapone threw in a bucket and a couple free throws for 4 points.
Carolina (3-0) 41 Syracuse (0-3) 17
Syracuse played the doubleheader this week and ran into Luke Hungerford. Hungerford led the unbeaten Carolina team with 21 points and 5 assists. Denny Crowley and Amaeus Largeroy each had 10 points to round out the Carolina scoring. Jackson Therrien led Syracuse with 10 points. Mia O’Connor, Braden Coffey, and Charlie Rapone all had a bucket for Syracuse.
Photo of Avion Seelster courtesy of Wendy J. Lowery
Dave McNeight III had a huge night at Batavia Downs on Saturday (Oct. 14) as he won five races during the evening. The most notable win came with Avion Seelster who despite making a jump in class to the featured $15,000 Open I pace, won his third straight race and ninth overall of the year.
McNeight put Avions Seelster on the point and after a leisurely stroll to the half in :58.2, had a lot of work to do the second time around. Stranger Things (Aaron Byron) pulled first over and brought Lanjo Lee (Kyle Cummings) with him as they headed up the backstretch. Stranger Things took the lead at three-quarters and pulled away by almost a length, but he could not clear Avion Seelster. At the top of the stretch, Avion Seelster came back on to regain the top spot but had a target on his back for Lanjo Lee, who streaked down the middle of the track. McNeight rocked and knocked Avion Seelster while Lanjo Lee was gobbling up ground. The two battled all the way to the wire where Avion Seelster hung on by a mere nose in 1:55.
The win pushed Avion Seelster ($17.40) to $99,732 in earnings for the year, but he also eclipsed the quarter-million mark lifetime, now boasting $255,845 in the bank. Marissa Russo owns the David Russo-trained gelding.
McNeight also won with Tiger Baron (1:55.1, $2.10), Hot Shot Joe (1:56.4, $4.90), Carrythetorchman (1:55.4, $16.00) and Knocking Around (1:56, $31.20).
There were also a pair of $12,500 upper-level conditioned paces on the program Saturday.
In the first, Gunslinger Hill (Drew Monti) turned a first-over move into a half-length victory over Stop Action (Kevin Cummings) in 1:56 to chalk up his ninth win of the year. Jeniffer Giuliani trains Gunslinger Hill ($3.30) for owner Ronald Viele.
Then later, Belmont Major N (Jim McNeight Jr.) followed the exact same script, pulling first-up at the half to eventually run down Fireball (Joe Chindano Jr.) and win in an identical 1:56. Belmont Najor N ($4.80) is owned by the S&K Misfit Stable and trained by Amanda Kelley.
Live racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Wednesday (Oct. 18) at 6 p.m. and there will be a $6,562 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.
Batavia High School senior Benjamin Sputore on Saturday morning became just the seventh United States Bowling Congress-certified youth bowler in Mancuso Bowling Center history to roll a 300 game in league competition.
Competing in the Batavia Youth League, Sputore (photo at right), a 17-year-old right-hander, finished his three-game series with 12 consecutive strikes on lanes 11-12.
The perfect game capped his first 700 series ever, following games of 221 and 199 for a 720 total.
Despite putting the first nine deliveries squarely in the 1-3 pocket, Sputore, son of Mancuso Bowling Center Manager Mike Sputore of Batavia and Julie Hawley Paradowski of Oakfield, said he wasn’t overly confident heading into the 10th frame.
“I expected to leave a 10-pin somewhere in the 10th frame,” the soft-spoken teen said, acknowledging that he was “pretty nervous.”
Using a Storm Dark Code ball that he switched to after the second game, Sputore was equal to the task, however, as he put the ball in the pocket on each of the final three shots on lane 11. The last ball was a bit light in the pocket, but it threw the 5-pin into the 7-pin for the 300.
Sputore’s 300 game comes five years after his father rolled a perfect game at Mancuso’s (on Oct. 21, 2018) and eclipses his previous high game of 278.
He has been bowling in the youth program at Mancuso’s since the age of 6, and also bowls in the T.F. Brown’s Adult-Child League and in the Genesee Region USBC Youth Travel League, where he averaged 193 last season. He also works part-time at the lanes.
Sputore joins Mike Pettinella, Jerry Geissler, Rich Wagner, James Walker, Jordan Fluker and Tony Sprague on the list of youth bowlers with certified 300 games at Mancuso’s.
In Genesee Region USBC adult league action this week:
Warsaw left-hander Kevin Gray Jr. kept the hot hand in the Thursday Owls League at Rose Garden Bowl in Bergen, posting a 297 game en route to a 735 series. Righty Harris Busmire of Bergen took top honors for the night with a 752 series.
Wagner came up with two strikes and nine pins in the 10th frame of game three to carve out a 234 triplicate in the Toyota of Batavia Thursday 4-Man League at Mancuso’s.
Curtis Foss of Medina led the way in the Sneezy’s Monday Night League at Oak Orchard Bowl in Albion with a 278 game and 760 series.
Hayden Allis topped the list in the Sunday Rolloffs League at Medina Lanes with a 258 game and 709 series. Allis posted a 300 game and 765 series in the Wednesday Community League on Oct. 11, four days after getting married. Other recent high scores by Medina bowlers include Alex Allis’ 299 in the Wednesday league on Oct. 4 and Jim Foss’ 300 game at Airport Lanes in Buffalo on Sept. 29.
Gary Macomber of Dalton, 70, registered his first perfect game on Oct. 8 in the Sunday Night Merchants League at Mount Morris Lanes.
For a list of high scores, click on the Pin Points tab at the top of the home page.
The Pembroke Dragons Varsity Football team improved to 7-0 on the season with a 71-42 victory over Wellsville despite having just 17 eligible players.
Behind the blocking of Ben Steinberg, Jayden Mast, Jayden Bridge, Madden Perry, JJ Gabbey, Octavius Martin and Hayden Williams, The Dragons racked up over 500 yards of offense, drawing first blood with a 30-yard passing touchdown to sophomore tight end Madden Perry.
Tyson Totten ran for 345 yards and four touchdowns.
Junior Fullback Caleb Felski had 126 yards rushing and two touchdowns on just seven carries. He also took the opening second-half kick return 88 yards to the house.
Junior Quarterback Vijay Dhanda and Senior Sean Pustulka each had a rushing touchdown; Pustulka's coming from 20 yards out with 10 seconds left in the first half to break the one-score game.
Defensively the Dragons were led by linebacker Vijay Dhanda with nine tackles. Nose Guard Jayden Mast added eight tackles of his own, while Totten, Kimmel and Perry had seven each. Junior Jayden Bridge added 2 sacks each in a game that saw zero turnovers.
Like he always seems to do, Lougazi started slow but finished fast to claim his 58th career victory in the $15,000 Open I Handicap trotting feature at Batavia Downs on Friday night (Oct. 13).
As Lougazi (Ray fisher Jr.) got away fifth, the heavy post time favorite Dewey Arnold (Kevin Cummings) made a break in turn one and everything changed from there. Burn Notice (Jim McNeight Jr.) took the lead before Showme Some Muscle (Drew Monti) pulled the pocket to take the top and led the short field to the half in a moderate :58.4. There, Gracious Triumph (Shawn McDonough) rolled up first-over and matched strides with Showme Some Muscle to three-quarters, where he finally got the lead. Lougazi was still fifth at this point, but out and moving with cover from I Got The Looks (Dan Yetman) to the stretch. When they hit the straight, Fisher moved Lougazi to the middle of the track and the trotter closed it out, winning by a neck in 1:58.1.
It was the eighth win of the year for Lougazi ($10.00) and his owner Mary Warriner. Ryan Swift trains the winner.
In the $13,000 Open II Handicap trot, City Of Hope (Kevin Cummings) led handily through quarters of :29.2, :59.4 and 1:28.1, facing only a minor challenge from BJ Laredo (Jim McNeight Jr.), which he turned back. As he headed out of the turn for home, City Of Hope bolted under a line-drive by Cummings to a 2-¾ length win in 1:58.1.
The 3-year-old City Of Hope ($3.50) registered his 13th win of the year for trainer David Dewhurst, who also owns the gelding in partnership with Philip Hale.
Drew Monti was the top driver on Friday, scoring a grand slam on the card while Garry Martin led all trainers with two wins during the night.
Live racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Saturday (Oct. 14) at 6:00 p.m. and there will be a $5,792 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.
Photo of City Of Hope courtesy of Wendy J. Lowery.
Photo of Won Surreal Deal courtesy of Wendy J. Lowery.
After hitting the board in three previous attempts at Batavia Downs, Won Surreal Deal finally cracked the winner’s enclosure there after a sharp outing in the $15,000 Open I Handicap pacing feature for fillies and mares on Wednesday night (Oct. 11).
It was a three-mare melee leaving the gate that saw Miss Rockadali (Jim Morrill Jr.) and Louie The Lilac (Kevin Cummings) take turns at the top, approaching and just past the :27.2 quarter. Louie The Lilac finally settled on the point and barked the orders until Won Surreal Deal (Kyle Cummings) pulled from fifth at the half with cover and made her way to second at three-quarters. By the top of the stretch, Won Surreal Deal took over the lead and then held off a late rush from both Center Attraction (Jim McNeight Jr.) and So Amazing (Dave McNeight III) to win by a length in 1:56.1.
It was the fifth win of the year for Won Surreal Deal ($17.00) who is owned by Parsimonious Racing and trained by Jeff Sorenson.
Earlier in the $11,500 upper level pace for fillies and mares, P L Notorious (Kevin Cummings) sat second behind Imprincessgemma A (John Cummigs Jr.) who did the heavy lifting on the front end until the top of the stretch where P L Notorious tipped and paced away down the lane to a convincing two-length win in 1:55.3.
After four consecutive second place finishes, P L Notorious ($4.90) got her third win of the year for owner Mike Torcello. Sam Smith trains the winner.
P L Notorious was one of five wins for Kevin Cummings during the night as he also won with Rd Skippy (1:56, $9.50), Johnny Boy (1:58.4, $5.00), Isla Seelster (1:58.2, $2.90) and Millie’s Spirit (1:57, $4.70).
Jim Morrill Jr. also had a big night with four driving wins while trainers Sam Smith, Dave Russo and Kevin Reynolds Jr. all had two wins apiece.
Live racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Friday (Oct. 13) at 6:00 p.m. and there will be a $4,954 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 its 14th win of the season, and no defeats, The Batavia Blue Devils Girls Soccer team clinched the Monroe League Division 4 crown.
Batavia beat division rival Greece Olympia 6-1.
With one regular season game left, the Blue Devils are ranked #1 in Class A at 14-0-1 with 4.367 seeding points and Aquinas trailing at 13-1-2 and 4.188 seeding points.
Batavia's final game is Friday at home against Greece Athena (Class AA, 8-5-0).
On Wednesday, Batavia Sophomore Ella Shamp started the scoring 11 minutes into the game off a pass from Ella Radley. Anna Varland added a penalty kick goal three minutes later, and Ella Shamp added another goal in the first half off an assist from Anna Varland.
Batavia added three more goals in the second half by Ella Radley, Ady O’Donnell, and Anna Varland, with assists from Jaimin MacDonald, Anna Varland, and Isabella Walsh.
"The team is peaking at the right time and is really having fun," said Head Coach Roger Hume."They just want to play and play hard.
Mia Gray scores Byron-Bergen's third goal in the first half. Photo by Howard Owens.
Using artful ball handling and precision passing, Byron-Bergen picked apart Alexander's defense and notched its 13th win of the season in Girls Soccer, beating the Trojans 6-0.
Scoring:
Makenzie Hagen, assisted by Mia Gray
Emma Starowitz, assisted by Mia Gray
Mia Gray, unassisted
Mia Gray, assisted by Libby Starowitz
Grace Diquattro, unassisted
Makenzie Hagen, assisted by Mia Gray
Nova Pocock and Natalie Prinzi combined in goal for the shutout.
"We do have very talented players," said Head Coach Wayne Hill when asked about his team's quality play. "They’ve put a lot of time in over the years working on their skills. We have an excellent JV and modified program with equally fantastic coaches. They prepare our kids to succeed at each level."
The Bees, with one regular season game left at home on Friday against Wheatland-Chili, are 13-3 and seeded #4 in Class C2.
All three losses for the Bees game against higher-class teams -- 2-0 to Class AA Our Lady of Mercy, 4-1 to Class A Aquinas, and 5-4 against Class B Nichols.
"We’ve played a difficult schedule this year, which we are hoping prepares us for a successful postseason," Hill said.
Last season, Byron-Bergen went into the post-season undefeated and didn't lose until the state championship semifinal game in Cortland.
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Elizabeth Starowitz takes at a goal in the first half of play. Photo by Howard Owens.
MacKenzie Hagen reacts to a missed goal opportunity after Alexander goalie Madison Bezon blocks the shot. Photo by Howard Owens.
Mia Gray. Photo by Howard Owens.
Alexander's Sophia Pellegrino with the ball. Photo by Howard Owens.
Emma Starowitz and Coach Wayne Hill. Photo by Howard Owens.
Alexander's Madison Fuller. Photo by Howard Owens.
Mia Gray. Photo by Howard Owens.
Emma Starowitz Photo by Howard Owens.
Emma Starowitz Photo by Howard Owens.
Mia Gray Photo by Howard Owens.
Mia Gray defended by Aaliyah Wright. Photo by Howard Owens.
The Batavia Boys Varsity Soccer team tied Greece Olympia 2-2 in overtime on Tuesday evening.
In this divisional matchup, Troy Hawley (#1) put Batavia ahead early in the game, assisted by Quintin Cummings (#4).
Olympia equalized and then went up 2-1. With 4 minutes left in regulation time, Owen Halpin (#11) headed the ball in the net off Finn Halpin's (#2) corner kick.
Since neither team scored in OT, the game ended in a 2-2 tie.
Batavia’s record improved to 8 wins, 6 losses, and 1 tie with one game left in the season.
