The Girls Basketball squads for Elba and Oakfield-Alabama played with a purpose on Tuesday in memory of Jordyn Torrey Augello.
The "Playing with a Purpose" "game is a fundraiser that honors Augello, a 2005 graduate of Elba remembered to her contributions to the community as a basketball player, coach, and advocate for the community's youth. She passed away in 2017.
The Lancers beat the Hornets for the second time this season. The score was 54-42.
It was a big night for O-A's Alea Groff, however, who scored 16 points and became the program's all-time leader in three-pointers, sinking her 127 shot from beyond the arch. Kylie Schlagenhauf was the former record holder.
Scoring for Elba:
Sydney Reilly, 18 points
Brea Smith, 11 points
Lydia Ross, 9 points
For O-A:
Alea Groff, 6 points, 5 steals
Piper Hyde, 8 points, 7 rebounds
Alexa Clark, 5 points, 7 rebounds
Jessica Sosnowski, 5 points
Rylee Denny, 3 points, 5 rebounds
"I'm Really proud of my kids' effort tonight," said O-A Coach Jeff Schlagenhauf. "Elba is an excellent basketball team. We were able to cut the lead to 42-40 with about 4 minutes to go. They made a few more shots down the stretch, but I can't say enough about how hard my girls competed tonight."
The Jordyn Torrey Augello Memorial Foundation supports individuals with cancer and their families, as well as local youth athletic programs.
Elba picked up its 14th consecutive win in Girls Basketball on Friday over York, 69-60.
Sydney Reilly once again dominated, scoring 31 points for the Lady Lancers. Mariah Ognibene had another big game, scoring 12 points. Brea Smith scored nine.
Byron-Bergen beat Kendall 58-45 in Girls Basketball on Thursday.
Scoring:
Janessa Amesbury, 32 points
Olivia Senf, 11 points
Riley Shallenberger, 8 points
Izzy D’Agostino scored 13 points for Kendal.
"Janessa Amesbury, for the second game in a row, scored 32 points. Twenty of those came in the first half. It was the best first half we had all season, scoring 35," said Coach Rick Krzewinski. "Olivia Senf is also in double figures with 11. With the win, we move to 10-2."
A great team win from start to finish," said Coach Jeff Schlagenhauf. "We were able to force a number of turnovers that led to some easy baskets in the first half."
Notre Dame improved to 11-4 on Monday on Tuesday with a 53-37 win over Pembroke in Girls Basketball.
Sofia Falleti led the way for the Irish with a game-high 24 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 blocks. Lucia Fiorentino also contributed 10 points and 7 rebounds.
“This was a big Genesee Region match-up for us tonight," said Coach VInny Falleti. "We knew Pembroke was a good team and could shoot well. Our team did a great job defensively and was able to have the majority of our team contribute offensively as well.”
"Great team win with balanced scoring and contributions from all 10 players," said Coach Jeff Schlagenhauf. "We played well offensively in the second half, and defensively, we played well for 32 minutes."
Fired by 32 points from Janessa Amesbury, Byron-Bergen beat Wheatland-Chile in Girls Basketball on Friday 51-38.
Megan Jarkiewicz scored six points for the Bees.
For Wheatland, Vanessa Guerro scored 14 points.
"WC played well with a very young team," said Bees Coach Rick Krzewinski. "Chad Annis is doing a really nice job with his team. The win moves us to 9-2 with a home game Tuesday against Lyndonville. Tonight’s game was only our third in a month, so it will be nice to get into a rhythm for the last month before sectionals."
Notre Dame, now 9-4, beat Alexander in Girls Basketball on Friday, 56-37.
The Falleti sisters, Gianna and Sofia, led the Irish in scoring with 17 points each. Gianna Falleti added 4 assist and 4 steals while Sofia added 9 rebounds and 2 blocks. Shirley Thompson contributed 9 points and 6 steals. Emma Fitch had 6 points and 6 steals.
“We started out very slowly tonight after eight days off but were able to come around in the second half and get a good effort from the whole team on offense and defense," said Coach Vinny Falleti.
Coach Buddy Brasky pictured with his team, former students, and parents now helped celebrate his 500th career win over Eastridge 83-79 at Batavia High School Friday evening. Photo by Steve Ognibene
Genesee County Undersheriff Brad Mazur was there for Buddy Brasky's first win as Batavia's varsity basketball coach, and on Friday, he was in the Batavia High School gymnasium for Brasky's 500th win.
Mazur played on Brasky’s first squad in 1990-91, and this season, his son Brady, a senior, and his son Casey, a sophomore, who is a big part of the team's current success.
"What a great honor for Coach Brasky to win number 500," Brad Mazur said. "He's done a great job throughout all these years. His dedication to the program, the dedication to the student-athletes, the community, and I tell you what, he won 500 games in the Monroe County League. So that says a lot. The Monroe County league is a difficult League, and doing that is an incredible accomplishment."
The win didn't come easily on Friday, with Eastridge holding close through all four quarters before the Blue Devils locked down a 83-79 win.
Over two dozen former players who Buddy Brasky coached in his 35-year career were on hand to support him.
It was tremendous, Brasky said, to see so many former players turn out for what was expected to be his 500th win.
"As a coach, you hope you're making an impact on kids that goes beyond basketball, and you never really know until the players get older, and they get on with their lives, and to have so many of them take their time to come back and just in case I won that game last night, to be there, it really meant the world to me," Brasky said.
Jeff Redband, part of the 2013 squad that vied for a state championship, said it was an honor to return to his alma mater to watch Brasky pick up his 500th coaching win.
"Tonight was very special to see all the alumni, all my old teammates, and just the camaraderie that we all had from playing for Coach Brasky, going through that experience together, and just what he taught us," Redband said. "It was great to give back to support him as much as he supported us in the past."
The Batavian reached Brasky on Saturday to talk about the big win.
"It's a big accomplishment. Obviously, I know how big of an accomplishment it is. I mean, I didn't know this, but I found out today that I'm only the sixth coach in Section V history to get 500 wins," Brasky said. "That's very gratifying to me."
Among Brasky's 500 wins are six Section V titles and four regional titles, which have sent the Blue Devils to the state's final four. But Batavia has never made it to the championship game.
The closest a Brasky-coached squad came, he said, was in 2005. The Blue Devils took the semifinal game to overtime after being down 19 points. Kevin Saunders hit a three-pointer with 16 seconds left in OT to put Batavia up by one point.
"It looked like we were going to win, and they hit a shot at the buzzer to beat us," Brasky said. "Funny how you don't forget those things."
It was pretty special, Brasky said, to have Brad Mazur at the game, who was part of that big first win, while his son, Casey, played a big role in the 500th win.
Casey Mazur was Batavia's top scorer on Friday, hitting seven three-pointers, all in the first half, for 21 points. Carter Mullen and Justin Smith each scored 20 points, and Gavin White scored 19.
Every season, every year, Brasky finds the boys playing for him are a special group of guys, and the 2024-25 team is no different. They're young, but they're willing to be coached and learn.
He called the team a "work in progress."
With two big guys who can score at forward, Smith and White, matched with guards who can shoot, Mazur and Mullen, he had to convince the team that the best strategy is for the guards to feed the big guys early in the game to open up the outside shooting later in the game. That means Mazur and Mullen need to pass up open shots to get the ball in low.
"They have been willing to buy into the change," Brasky said. "I wasn't sure they would be willing to do it. Winning helps, for sure."
The second team, Brasky noted, is a big part of this team's success, and he thinks those players don't get enough recognition for what they contribute.
"I got two sophomores and two juniors on that second unit, and some of the games they play a little bit, and some games they don't, and they're good players," Brasky said. "On a lot of teams in this area, they'd be starters and there is no sign of unhappiness. They cheer for the first group, and when they get in, they play their tails off and try to do their best job, no matter how many minutes they're getting."
The big test for the team and how it holds together will come if some adversity hits. That will be the "true sign," Brasky said.
"When some adversity hits, an injury, someone gets in trouble in school., that's when we'll see if it's really taken hold, but so far, it's been really enjoyable," Brasky said.
However, some adversity did hit the team this season -- when their coach was diagnosed with cancer and took a break after the first two games of the season to have a kidney removed.
Brasky's surgery was on Dec. 17. He attended the Christmas Tournament, sitting behind the bench, but wasn't able to coach a game until the Blue Devils played Newark on Jan. 4. Batavia won 67-53 and hasn't lost since. The team is currently 10-3.
"It was a different experience. It was not easy," Brasky said. "While sitting out, with the new technology, I could watch practices on the computer, and it showed me I'm not ready to retire. It was very hard to just sit at home."
After his cancer timeout, there is an extra dimension to getting his 500th win just a few weeks later, Brasky said.
"I had cancer in my kidney. They removed the kidney, so the cancer is gone, and I kind of hope that it doesn't reappear anywhere else in the body because there's no evidence that it's anywhere now," Brasky said. "After going through something like that, you know, I've been a pretty healthy guy my whole life, and it just makes you realize -- tomorrow's promised to nobody. When something you love is taken away from you for a period of time, it makes you appreciate those moments, to be honest with you. So yes, that really, really made it even more special in that way."
Perhaps the biggest reward of a career that brings 500 wins is the success in life he sees of his former players as adults, Brasky said.
"Some guys are successful, you know, lawyers, doctors, coaches, and there's also guys who are successful working in the factory and raising a family," Brasky said. "When I see guys when I go out to dinner or whatnot, and I see guys out, and they'll come over and make it a point to talk to me and thank me and let me know that I made an impact on them -- that's why you coach. Everybody thinks it's the wins and losses, and it is. Every coach wants to win, but those other things are what really make coaching special. It's the greatest job in the world."
Coach Brasky looking on with under two seconds left in game to secure his 500th win as Section V basketball coach. Photo by Steve Ognibene
Batavia fans show support of Coach Brasky's monumental achievement. Photo by Steve Ognibene
Batavia's squad post game celebrating with thier coach on his 500th career win. Photo by Steve Ognibene
Left to Right two generations of Mazur Family, dad Brad who was on Coach Brasky's first team and win in 1990 and Brady and Casey who currently play on his team, 35 years later. Photo by Steve Ognibene
Coach Brasky celebrating his 500th career win with a trophy presented by Superintendent Jason Smith. Photo by Steve Ognibene
