Sports

The Byron-Bergen Bees won its state championship semifinal against Burke Catholic on Saturday, 4-0.

The Bees play for the state championship on Sunday against Stillwater High School.

Byron-Bergen jumped to an early lead with a goal at 1:20 into the game. Riley Shallenberger scored on an assist from Mia Gray.

Bee's goalie Natalie Prinzi saved a penalty kick with 29:39 left in the first half.

Mia Gray scored the Bees' second goal with 25:00 minutes left in the first half.  Grace DiQuattro scored a goal 41 seconds later on an assist from Libby Starowitz.  

In the second half, Mia Gray scored the Bee's final goal, assisted by Grace DiQuattro, with 12:42 left in the game. 

Megan Jarkiewicz was awarded The Sportsmanship Award.

Photos by Jennifer DiQuattro.

The Pembroke Dragons claimed its third straight Section V 8-Man Football title on Friday, beating the Holley-Lyndonville Hawks 52-16.

The Dragons are now 10-0 on the season.

Caleb Felski ran for 325 yards on 16 carries. He scored five touchdowns. 

Also scoring were Josh Von Kramer and Caleb Kimmel. 

Defensively, the Dragons were led by Jacob Johnson, who had a team-high 11 tackles. Landen Santini and Vijay Dhanda each snagged interceptions. 

The Dragons will face the Frewsburg Bears out of Section 6 for the Far West Regional on Saturday, Nov. 23.

By Connor Beagle

Women’s Triathlon is an “emerging sport” at the NCAA level. When Alexander Central School alum Jadyn Mullen transferred to Roberts Wesleyan University this past fall, she wanted to give Triathlon a go in hopes of using it as a way to cross train for the upcoming track and field season. 

This past weekend Mullen capped off her successful rookie season as a member of the Redhawks triathlon team with a 43rd place finish at the NCAA DII National Championships, helping lead the Redhawks to a 10th place team finish in their second season as a program.

Mullen had a phenomenal first season with the team, coming in already having a background in running as a cross country and track and field athlete, as well as swimming, three sports she competed in at Alexander Central. All Mullen needed to perfect was her biking.

In her first ever Triathlon event Mullen placed 9th overall, leading her team to a 3rd place finish at the Patriot Sprint in Williamsburg, Virgina. Heading into the second week of the season, Mullen had fallen ill, so she did not compete at the Duquesne University Invitational.

However, Mullen would return the following week and travel with the team to Richmond, Virginia for the Robious Landing Triathlon. Hurricane damage in Virginia eliminated the swim portion of the event, making it a duathlon. Mullen again would lead the way for the Redhawks, finishing 37th overall, helping the Redhawks finish 9th overall as a team and 3rd out of Division II competitors.

Next on the schedule for Mullen and the Redhawks was the NCAA East Region Qualifier in Wake Forest, North Carolina. The Redhawks finished 5th among the Division II teams and 14th overall, with Mullen coming in at 24th overall, which helped secure her spot in the NCAA DII National Championships. 

At the NCAA DII National Championships in Clermont, Florida this past weekend, along with three of her teammates Mullen finished 43rd, fellow Redhawks Joane Arzalluz Garzon, Jenna Maendel, and Paige Kern each finished 53rd, 61st, and 65th out of 69 total Division II competitors.

Last season the Redhawks sent Avon High School Alum Brett VanBoden to Nationals, where she placed 145th overall. This season saw much more success for the Redhawks who managed to place within the top 10 of Division II as a team.

Mullen hopes to continue to grow stronger as a triathlete heading into the 2025 season and help make an impact on the track and field team this season for the Redhawks. Mullen opens up the indoor track and field season at the Mike Kowal Multi Meet at Edinboro University on Dec 7-8.

Byron-Bergen is again advancing to the state championship tournament in Girls Soccer after beating Frewsburg in double overtime on Saturday.

The Bees and Frewsburg were knotted at 1-1 at the end of regulation play. 

That one goal for Byron-Bergen came on a head ball by Janessa Amesbury, assisted by Megan Muscarella.

Mia Gray scored the winning call with 9:33 left in the second OT period with an assist from Grace DiQuattro.

Photos by Jennifer DiQuattro.

Byron-Bergen lost the Class C2 volleyball championship on Friday with a 3-0 loss to Bloomfield.

Sets:

• 25-13
• 25-15
• 25-13

Bloomfield had not lost a set all season.  

The Bees finish 18-2 on the year. 

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Elba, ranked #3 in Class D2 in volleyball, beat #4 Fillmore three sets to zero to capture the sectional trophy on Friday.

Stats:

• Alexa Ocampo: 12 kills, four digs, three aces
• Sydney Reilly: 12 digs
• Mariah Ognibene: nine kills
• Jada Fite: 29 assists

Mariah Ognibene and Sydney Reilly were named to the all-tournament team and Alexa Ocampo was named MVP.

Photos by Kristin Smith

Le Roy made its fifth-straight appearance in a volleyball sectional champion game on Friday and came away with its third title in that span.

After Avon won the first set 25-20, Le Roy won three straight (25-15, 25-22, 26-24) to secure the Class C1 title.

"That (last) set was definitely a nail-biter," said senior Kylee Green. "I mean, we got down on ourselves, but we realized that we needed to pick it up to win, play our game and do what we do best. So I knew I had to pick my head up. I got down a few times, but I knew I had to focus, get the serves that I got and pick it up for the team."

Stats:

• Kylee Green, nine service points, two aces, 19 digs
• Sierra Burk, eight service points, two aces, 16 digs, three kills
• Kylie Wilson, seven service points, two aces,19 digs
• Shea Williams, 14 digs, 11 kills, one block
• Eleah Dowell, nine kills, five blocks
• Gabby Zitz, eight kills, five blocks

Le Roy's tournament all-stars were Gabby Zitz, Green, and the MVP was freshman Shea Williams.

To view or purchase photos, click here.

The Pembroke Dragons will play for another Section V 8-Man football title this week after winning its semifinal game over Red Jacket 46-14.

It is the fourth time in five years the Dragons have played for a sectional title.

Caleb Felski ran for 328 yards on 16 carries and four touchdowns. Other scores were by Vijay Dhanda and Caleb Kimmel. 

Defensively, the Dragons were led by Jayden Bridge and Octavius Martin, who each had 12 tackles. Madden Perry added nine while Felski and Dhanda each had interceptions. 

The Dragons will face the Holley-Lyndoville Hawks for the sectional final. 

Photos by Elizabeth Gabbey.

Alexander topped Oakfield-Alabama/Elba in a battle of Genesee County rivals in the Class D semifinal at GCC on Friday night.

The Trojans won 14-7. 

For Alexander, touchdowns were scored by Ryder Reichert and Jacob Brooks on a 21-yard pass from Kaden Torres. 

OAE Statistics:

• Sr RB/LB Avery Watterson - 9 Carries, 62 Yards, 10 Tackles, 2 TFLs
• Sr DL Ryan Stymus - 11 Tackles, 2 TFLs
• SR LB Jack Cianfrini - 8 Tackles,  2 TFLs
• JR RB Hunter Tobolski - 1 Rushing TD (5 Yards)

The Class D title will be decided on Saturday at 3 p.m. at Rush Henrietta High School, with Alexander facing the Avon Riverawks.

 Photos by Kristin Smith.

It was a sectional semifinal game but the battle was decided early as Batavia scored 50 points in the first half on the way to a 56-6 win over East Rochester Prep on Friday night.

Stats:

• Bronx Bucholz, 7-11 passing for 83 yards and three touchdowns. 
• Zailen Griffin, 73 yards on nine carries
• Jameson Motyka, 33 yards and two TDs on three receptions, plus a fumble recover TD
• Carter Mullen, one reception for six yards and for a TD plus a 69 yard punt return for a TD
• Maggio Bucholz, seven tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery
• Luke Gutman, seven tackles

Batavia gets a shot a block on Saturday at SUNY Brockport. The Class B title game is at noon.

Photos by Jim Burns.

When 1978 Batavia High School grad Phil Zickl Jr. becomes part of the Greater Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame later this month, he knows his late grandfather Robert E. Noonan (1907-1965) would be proud and cheering him on if he could.

Noonan was an avid football fan and player who aspired to get into the NFL. Despite a chain of missteps, including a twice-broken leg, he never made it. He had been a strong supporter of his grandson, who went on to play football into his sixties, scoring big at 64 this year when he and his team, the Syracuse Express, were named to the Hall of Fame.

“My mother and my aunt, and both are deceased now, but they used to talk about how family-oriented he was and how supportive he was. And so my initial thought is how supportive he would be of this happening, especially because he was so athletic, and he wasn't just successful in football, even though football was his first love … but he would be very positive and very supportive of just the induction,” Zickl said during an interview with The Batavian. “I remember when I first heard, one of my former teammates called me and left a voicemail. But the voicemail,  it was hard to hear everything, it kind of crackled a little but I heard him say something about Hall of Fame, and I thought he was calling to tell me that he got inducted to his high school Hall of Fame. So I called him back, got his voice mail, and I said, ‘Hey, Mike, congratulations; I didn't hear the message completely, but it sounded like you said something that you were inducted to your high school hall of fame.’ 

“So, he called me back and said, 'No, no, Zick, it’s our team, the Syracuse Express.' it's a big deal. It's not that high school Hall of Fames are not a big deal, every Hall of Fame is a big deal as far as I'm concerned. This is the Greater Syracuse Hall of Fame. We’re being inducted as one of the teams of honor,” Zickl said. “And I’ve got to say that it caught me off guard. It's one of those things you don't expect somebody to call you on the phone and tell you that. I'm not going to forget that night any time soon.”

His team will be honored during an awards dinner Nov. 11 in Syracuse. The GP/Syracuse Express went 36/6 across the 1985-86-87 seasons and won a pair of Minor Professional League championships in 1985 and 1987. 

There were 15 former Orangemen who helped the Express to football glory during those title years.  They included Ray Seals — the former Hotel Syracuse doorman who, as a starter for the Pittsburgh Steelers, would later sack Dallas’ Troy Aikman in Super Bowl XXX, and Dave Jacobs and Chuck Cassidy.

It was an athletic combination that defeated the Chicago Cowboys (7-3 at muddy Griffin Field in 1985) and the San Jose Bandits (17-10 in glitzy Las Vegas in 1987) for their crowns, a worthy choice for one of the Greater Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame’s “Teams of Honor” for 2024. Listed on a program titled “Welcome to ‘Express’ Football” is #65 Phil Zickl with fellow Outstanding Syracuse Players teammates. 

The Express competed in the Empire Football League. The team was owned by Greg Portzline, coached by Tom Anthony, and cheered by supportive crowds at old Griffin Field in Liverpool. This year, it’s being recognized as a Greater Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame Team of Honor for the excellence it demonstrated from 1985 to 1987. 

Ever since high school, where he was named Most Outstanding Lineman in his senior year, Zickl played minor league football for 25 years, being named to the American Football Association’s semi-pro records for Most Years of Service, which at the time it was compiled was 20 years. His age when listed as Most Aged Player was 55, having played for the Syracuse Express, Batavia Bandits, Hornell Dragons, Batavia Titans and Buffalo Gladiators.

After graduating BHS, Zikl went on to University at Buffalo and was briefly profiled as an alumnus for his athletic and professional achievements per the following:

“Zickl has continued playing semipro football well into his fifties after a successful playing career at UB as an offensive guard and defensive end in the 1980s.  Since 2018, Phil has expanded his health and wellness business (Total Personal Wellness) to include education on American football.  He is an American Football specialist and has participated in the sport for more than 40 years as both player and coach.”

Before branching out with his own business, Zickl worked in education as a social worker at Batavia Middle School while also still playing ball in Syracuse. He was able to arrange a schedule of driving to only one weekday practice, followed by a second one on Friday that included an overnight stay, and he would then play the weekend game. He was definitely hooked on the sport.

While he loved the game of football, he also enjoyed the ambition taken on by the group of athletes, he said.

“You’re all trying to work for the same goal. You’re everybody’s teammate, just being on a team working toward a common goal,” he said. 

Zickl established his wellness business in 2017, making presentations on various related topics of maintaining and regaining good health; however, the pandemic shut down those in-person activities. The business, as he puts it, “went into hibernation.” He also has a penchant for song lyrics, having written at least 100 sets of parodies that he has licensed, with no certain path for what he’s going to do with them all other than using one as a team warm-up rap song.

He is rethinking the scope of his speaking topics and wants to circle back to what he perhaps knows and loves best: football and the history of American football, dating back to 1869. He has learned plenty of other lessons, though, while immersing himself in the sport, including while with the Express. 

“It was a real city of Syracuse team, and the majority of the players were African American, and so I was a minority. And I was a minority for months at a time. And it really made me think that every human being who is capable of understanding being a minority situation should have that experience. Because to me, I think it allows you, I mean, this is aside from what I said before about the team all pulls together, but it also allows you to feel, like, 'walk a mile in my shoes,' type of thing,” he said. “It gives you that opportunity to walk a mile in someone else's shoes, especially because I'm European American, so I don't remember any other times when I was a minority, but I remember early on, you know, first, second year on the team, I remember thinking, this is a really good experience.”

For more information about the Hall of Fame and upcoming event, go HERE.

A Batavia High School legend, died Wednesday in Atlanta at age 88.

Bossler, a fullback, played seven seasons with the Washington Redskins, amassing 3,112 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns. He was drafted by the Redskins in the ninth pick of the first round of the 1957 draft.

He was heavily recruited coming out of Batavia HS and was a four-year starter at the University of Miami.  In his senior year, MIami finished 8-1-1 and the team was ranked sixth in the nation.  He is a member Batavia High School Athletic Hall of Fame, the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame, and the College Football Hall of Fame.

He rushed for 1,642 yards at Miami. He was a first team all-American in 1956 (Jim Brown and Johnny Majors were also in that backfield) and was named MVP of the Senior Bowl when he ran for 187 yards. 

While at Miami, one sports writer referred to him as "The Batavia Bulldozer."

The Byron-Bergen Bees are once again driving deep into the postseason in Girls Soccer.

On Tuesday, the Bees beat Williamson 2-1 in the Class C crossover again to advance to the Far West Regionals.

Mia Gray and Grace DiQuattro each scored for the Lady Bees.  Lauren Schmeelk scored for the Marauders.  

The regional championship is at 11 a.m. Saturday against Williamsville East at Frewsburg.

Photos by Jennifer DiQuattro.

The Elba Lancers secured a shot at a Section V title in volleyball with a 3-0 Class D2 victory over Arkport-Canaseraga on Tuesday.

Elba won the three sets 25-9, 25-15, and 25-16.

Mariah Ognibene had 10 kills and Alana Ocampo had 6. 

The championship match is Friday, 7 p.m., at Pavilion High School.

Photos by Kristin Smith.