Three decades after the program's last appearance in the Batavia Rotary Club Girls Basketball Tournament, the Elba Lancers are the tournament's new champions.
The Lancers beat the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 55-44 at GCC on Thursday.
Elba outscored Notre Dame 21 to six in the first quarter and never looked back.
Sydney Reilly scored 27 points for Elba. She was the only player on the team to score in double digits. Brea Smith scored seven, and Lydia Ross scored six.
For the Irish, Sofia Falleti scored 28 points and was also the only player on her team to score in double digits. Gianna Falleti and Shirley Thompson each scored five.
Notre Dame knocked off the defending champs in the first game of the Batavia Rotary Club Girls Basketball Tournament at GCC on Tuesday.
The Irish (6-2) topped Cal-Mum 54-46.
ND is riding a three-game win streak going into the final on Thursday against Elba.
After trailing 15-0 in the first quarter, the Irish rallied to take the lead in the fourth quarter.
Sofia Falleti led the Irish with a team-high 19 points and five rebounds. Lucia Fiorentino had 10 points and eight rebounds. Also contributing were Shirley Thompson with nine points, Clairissa Milliman with six points, Gianna Falleti and Emma Fitch with four each.
“What a comeback! From being down by 15, we had to get in our rhythm and fight back point by point," said Coach Vinny Falleti. "Our defense was key tonight against a talented, veteran Cal-Mum team, which is very well coached. We have such a young team with no seniors, and our objective is always to compete. Amazing effort. I am so proud of our Lady Irish."
Notre Dame improved to 5-2 Saturday afternoon in Girls Basketball with a 63-22 win over Wheatland Chili at home.
Every Irish player contributed for a balanced win.
Leading ND were the Falleti sisters, Sofia and Gianna, with 12 points each. Also contributing were Lucia Fiorentin with 11 points, Emma Fitch, 7, Riley Yunker, 7, Shirley Thompson, 6, Clairissa Milliman, 4, and Penny Jo Thompson, 4.
“Back-to-back games are very difficult, and I was happy that the girls could come out and have everyone contribute both on offense and defense,” said Coach Vinny Falleti.
Notre Dame, now 4-2, beat the previously undefeated Lyons in Girls Basketball on Friday 69-63.
The Irish were led by sophomore Sofia Falleti, who scored a career-high 33 points and grabbed nine rebounds. She hit five three-pointers.
Gianna Falleti also contributed 11 points and three steals.
Shirley Thompson, eighth grade, added 10 points and six rebounds.
For Lyons, Carmella Parker scored 19 points, Janiyah Bell 17, and Jayla Bell 16.\
“Our team played a phenomenal game against a talented and undefeated Class B school on our home court," said Coach Vinny Falleti. "This was a tremendous effort from our whole team tonight to take this win.”
A full slate of both girls and boys basketball is scheduled for February 8 and we hope to see you there. Batavia High School will take on the Notre Dame Irish for a full day of both JV and Varsity girls and boys basketball. All proceeds from this event will benefit the Michael Napoleone Memorial Foundation.
Game times are to be determined and will be played at both Batavia High School and Genesee Community College.
Admission will be Adults $5 & Students $2, Children 5 & under -free!
There will be a 50/50 raffle at each game.
The Foundation will be running concessions and are looking for donations of soda, water, pizza, candy and chips! Monetary donations are also gratefully accepted. All donations assist our fundraising efforts!
The Foundation will also be looking for volunteers during the games to assist with raffles and concessions. Students will be awarded community service hours if volunteering.
Please call Laurie for any donations, volunteering, or questions at 585-409-3275.
The Michael Napoleone Memorial Foundation was established in 2007 in memory of Michael Napoleone who died at the age of 8 of Burkitts Lymphoma, a form of pediatric cancer. Since its start, the Foundation has given over $750,000 to families facing the challenges of a pediatric cancer diagnosis. They have donated over $75,000 to Youth programs from their grant funding, and supported research in the amount of $95,000. They also donated $50,000 to Golisano Children's Hospital and recently just completed their $25,000 gift to United Memorial Medical Center in Batavia.
The Foundation depends solely on volunteers and less than 3% of monies raised are applied to administrative costs.
Come out and watch your hometown teams and support a great cause!
Alexander wins small school Lions Tournament at GCC. Photo by Steve Ognibene
Alexander won the Pete Arras crown in the small school division at GCC on Monday night, beating Notre Dame 58-50.
The Trojans led at the half 24-16, but the Fighting Irish pulled even three times in the fourth quarter. Alexander hits some key baskets in the final three minutes to seal the victory.
Kingston Woods was selected tournament MVP.
When Notre Dame challenged in the second half, Alexander coach Justin Smith remained confident in his team.
"Our second half is normally our worst, to be honest, but I felt that they were going to get on a run, and I knew that we just had to settle down," Smith said. "Our offense was going to be there. We just had to be more disciplined on defense. Once we did that, I knew the game would swing our way."
Notre Dame beat Eugenio Maria de Hostas 66-61 in the small school division of the Peter Arras Memorial Basketball Tournament at Genesee Community College on Friday.
Makyell Walker scored 29 points for the Fighting Irish. Aiden Bellevia scored 12, and TJ Cephus and Evan Fitzpatrick scored eight each.
Notre Dame, on the road for its season opener, beat Lyondville in Girls Basketball on Friday night, 58-34.
Sofia Falleti scored 22 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and seven steals.
Gianna Falleti had 12 points and five steals, Lucia Fiorentino had 11 points, and Clairissa Milliman had six points.
“We came out tonight ready to get this season started," said Coach Vinny Falleti. "These girls were ready to play. We have a very young team this year, and I was excited to see how cohesive and energized they play."
The Lady Irish Basketball Program is hosting its 3rd Annual Golisano Toy Drive to benefit the children who are in the hospital and cannot be home for the holidays.
The toy drive will conclude with the Notre Dame vs. Oakfield game at ND on December 12. At this game, there will be basket raffles, 50/50s as well as toy donations to contribute to the children in need.
Anyone from the community who would like to donate can do so at the ND Main Office during regular school hours.
Alexander beat Notre Dame in football on Saturday at Van Detta Stadium, 49-6.
The Trojans rushed for 355 yards.
Kingston Woods ran for 118 yards and scored three touchdowns. Damien Hale ran for 100 yards and a TD on 10 carries. Sean Pietrzkowski and Tyler Caldwell also scored rushing touchdowns.
Back Brody Heckman ran an interception back 32 yards for a score in the third Quarter.
Melissa Sawyer was 3-4 on point after attempts.
Sean Pietrzkowski led the Trojans' defense with eight total tackles, two for loss, and one sack.
Duke Snyder had four tackles and sacks, along with an interception. Damien Hale recorded three tackles and an interception for the Trojans. Jacob Smith, Micah Pulliam and Dylan Pohl all recorded sacks.
No stats were submitted for Notre Dame.
The Trojans are now 7-1 on the season and will host Attica in the first round of sectionals Friday night.
"After last Friday's game, the message to our team this week has been about getting back to basics and re-setting our program standard," Coach Tyler Winters said. "We felt the boys had a phenomenal week of practice answering that challenge, so it was nice to see them come out tonight and finish a week of execution like we know they are capable of. We will enjoy the win and look to grow from it as we prepare for the next challenge that our Class D schedule presents us with."
Also on Friday:
Batavia beat Arcadia 34-0. Bronx Bucholz was 11-14 passing for 159 yards and one TD. He rushed for 119 yards on 14 attempts and scored twice on the ground. Zailen Griffen gained 88 yards rushing on 10 carries. He scored two TDs. Nolan Ball scored at TD, gaining 20 yards on three attempts. Lakoda Mruczek had five tackles and two interceptions. Brock Bigsby had 7.5 tackles.
Letchworth/Warsaw/Perry beat Le Roy/Cal-Mum 25-21. Jack Egeling gained 65 yards on 14 carries and had a kickoff return of 80 yards for a TD. Brady McClurg was 5-11 passing for 56 yards. Xavier Bown had seven tackles and an interception.
Notre Dame is pleased to announce their 2024 Athletic Hall of Fame Class. This year’s inductees include:
Dan Burns (1982)
Jeff Weaver (2001)
Katie Francis (2004)
Maurin Lawrence (2004)
Ashley Napoleone (2004)
Jeff Antolos (2013)
Eric Geitner, long-time Notre Dame Cross Country, Swim, and Track Coach
Also being inducted is the 1982 Football team that posted a record of 8-0-1, winning sectionals and snapping Cal-Mum’s state record 47-game winning streak.
The celebration event will be held on Saturday, November 11. More info to be released shortly.
Notre Dame Boys Basketball Coach Mike Rapone will again conduct a youth basketball league at Notre Dame that was a huge success last fall.
This league is for boys & girls broken into two divisions: Grades 2,3 & 4 who play on a 8ft basket and Grades 5 & 6.
The season runs from September 29 through December 1. Each team will play 10 games with stats and standings posted weekly. Games are held on Sunday mornings at 9 & 10 a.m.
The cost is $125 during the early registration period that runs thru September 1. After that, the cost is $150. For more information or to register, go to www.notredamebataviaboysbasketball.com.
When it came to her own education, Lindsay Warner had no qualms about where she was going.
She would follow the same path as her father, siblings, cousins and Uncle Mike. That path led her to Batavia’s Notre Dame High School, as it does now.
“For me, there was no other way. My family was a Catholic family; that’s how we grew up. I had friends who went to public school; the thought just never crossed my mind that I would go. My father and his siblings all went to Catholic school, and it’s just what all my cousins did. When I was in high school, when I was a senior, I had two cousins, Mikey and Joey Rapone, who were juniors and then Francesca and Sierra were sophomores, and my sister Jessica was a freshman. I think my own family has inspired me to pursue this job that I’m in right now.”
Warner, a native of Le Roy who lives locally with her husband Jeremy and their four children, began her role as the new principal at Notre Dame in July. She will be working alongside longtime Athletic Director and former interim Principal Michael Rapone, aka Uncle Mike.
“He’s one of my biggest role models. And I mean, really, he's the role model for a lot of people who went here,” she said. “He's a model of dedication and faith and everything it means to stand up for something. So it's a privilege to have gotten to work with him, and it's an even bigger honor to say ‘that's my uncle.’”
Warner obtained her first teaching job at Notre Dame after 11 years of coaching while raising her family. She became the assistant principal in 2023 and earned her certificate of advanced study in school leadership from Stonybrook State College this past May.
Her transition from teacher to administrator didn’t come without some trepidation, she said.
“My biggest fear was that I wouldn’t have that connection with students because that’s what I loved so much about my job, was getting to know the kids and helping them through. As a business teacher, I was a work-based learning coordinator, so I was helping them come up with career plans and college plans, and setting them up for job shadows, and helping them prepare for whatever it is that they wanted to do next. I got to really know the kids, and I was really worried about, ‘Am I going to be at my desk all day?’ And it’s going to be an administrator job, and I’m not going to get to work with the kids?” she said. “I was very happy to see that wasn’t the case at all. It’s equally, if not more, rewarding. I really do like this role, and I also like that you’re not only getting to know students and support students but are also supporting teachers.”
Nothing has compared to the academic environment, she said, such as other impromptu jobs at a bank and insurance agency. In between she worked through BOCES at the Western New York Tech Academy for seven years before the assistant principal position became available, and liked the opportunity to work directly with students as they began to make future plans.
Still, it was Notre Dame that kept calling her heart: “I loved coming to Notre Dame. I loved working with the kids. It wasn’t until a couple of my cheerleaders said to me, you’d be a really cool teacher, that I thought, you know, maybe that’s where I should be. I did a lot of thinking about it and praying about it and realized that’s where I should be.”
Tucked into beginning her family and coaching, Warner went back to school for her master’s in education at Nazareth College to enable her to get that first teaching job.
Now to be taking another rung up the ladder has put her in charge but not very far from her crew, she said.
“It’s very exciting to have the opportunity to be kind of steering the ship,” she said. “I don’t look at it as being on top; I’m just leading the team. Everything that we do, that the school is known for, the excellence that we've really built our reputation on, that comes from the teachers and the coaches and the families. So I'm blessed to have had the background and in my own history and my own personal love of the school that I can use to kind of guide decisions that we make. But all the glory goes to our staff. I mean, they really are amazing people to work with. And so dedicated to the school success and to the student success, and I see that even more so now in this role.”
Contrary to how you might think her former teachers would react to their student now being their administrator, there was no awkwardness at all, Warner said. In fact, it was “a homecoming” for everyone.
“All the staff is amazing,” she said. “My leadership style is a servant leader. I’m here to support, I’m here to help, I want to do whatever I can do to help.”
One of her primary goals this coming school year is to have a better promotional strategy for what’s happening at Notre Dame, and to get the word out about events that are open to the public, such as a dinner theater coming up in December.
“Last year was our most successful year since COVID, we’re happy about that and are setting the goal higher this year,” she said. “It’s all about involvement; how many alumni can we get to participate? It’s the generosity of others that’s kept Notre Dame going.”
The school, which housed 201 students in grades seven through 12 last year, and is finalizing numbers for the 2024-25 season, brings back fond memories of her own cheerleading days, Warner said. A 2001 graduate, she was there when the basketball team made states.
“We got to cheer on the team when they won on St. Patrick’s Day,” she said. “When I look back as an adult, I realize it was about more than cheerleading, and when I went to college, it was how prepared I was and how confident I was. It affects you in a lot of ways.”
Why do students and families choose a private, tuition- and faith-based education? Students come for various reasons, Warner said, ranging from the smaller school atmosphere and Catholic foundation to how people have described the feeling that “we’re a family.”
Counselors, parents and teachers all interact on behalf of the student, and Notre Dame does “a great job at pushing them to reach their fullest potential,” Warner said. All of this makes for an environment she wants to be part of at the Union Street school.
“I’m very excited to be in this role and looking forward to a great year,” she said.
With a parent and siblings who attended Batavia Notre Dame High School, Julia Rogers’ story may sound strangely familiar to that of fellow colleague and newly promoted principal Lindsay Warner.
But then again, there are likely many stories of local residents with family members past and present connected to the only Genesee County-based Catholic institution for students through grade 12.
Nonetheless, it’s a tradition that Rogers cherishes, especially since her mother, Sheila Tehan Rogers, was a graduate of the very first Class of 1955, and her dad, the late Bradley Rogers, coached for the Fighting Irish in Batavia.
“It’s very powerful,” Rogers said of her new role as director of instruction, curriculum and assessment. “I’m definitely following in their footsteps. It’s like coming home.”
A native of Batavia, Rogers opted to attend public schools while some of her six siblings went to Notre Dame. She wanted to teach languages — Spanish and French especially — and Batavia City Schools offered both of those classes.
As it turns out, the city school district drew Rogers in, for a 31-year career that included teaching and administrative roles and also included coordinating initiatives with community organizations, families and students. Then Notre Dame’s board opted to create a brand new position at the school, and it seemed ripe for her career path, Rogers said.
“It came along at the perfect time for what I wanted,” she said. “I worked in curriculum office as the coordinator of instruction and assessment prior to COVID. I will be assisting staff and teachers in building their instruction. I will be more of a teammate assisting the teachers with instruction and brainstorming ideas and opportunities for learning and crafting their art of teaching.”
She will be in charge of assessments, from Regents and SATs and PSATs, and working on local assessment that teachers will be giving to students and working with various grants.
Even as a child, Rogers wanted into the academic scene. As the oldest of seven siblings, she and her family members would play school, and later she discovered the thrill of real life learning in progress.
“It's seeing the light bulb turn on for children when they get something, it is the most amazing sight that you could see as a teacher and as an educator. There's no words for it,” she said. “It's like a Christmas morning. It's that look that a student gets, a child gets, when they've learned something new and they have that sense of accomplishment, it’s like no other, and that's truly why I do what I do.
“This just takes it to another level, where it’s a cabinet role,” she said. “It’s a different impact that you can have.”
Will there be a learning curve between public and private schools?
“I definitely think there will be,” she said. Private schools have different requirements and reporting needs than public schools, though, students are striving for and achieving the same types of diplomas in the end, she said.
What has changed the most about curriculum, what needs to be considered?
“The biggest thing with curriculum is you want to stay ahead of the game. You want to, in this day and age, with curriculum, you have to think about what's going on in society, but also keeping in mind, we're a techno savvy community. When you look at the young people in our community, and I used to describe it as the remote control era, where you don't just stick with one TV show when a commercial comes on, you pop to another one, or you're fast forwarding, or you're moving,” she said. “And as educators, you've got to keep that same energy of keeping things interesting for the students in your classroom, because they just can't get up and leave your class to go somewhere else. You've got to keep that intriguing to them.
“So I think that's even different from when we were in school. You know, it's just everything's faster pace. I guess you would say maybe that's age too, but you can keep that out of it, but … I think also, to make our students be successful in the future, they have to have those opportunities of adding innovation to their learning.”
For example, students that may be into video games may be more adaptable to an opportunity to learn about becoming a game designer, she said.
“One of my first steps is really to look at the curriculum that is being taught here at Notre Dame and also talking to the students to see what they want to do in their future and see how we can assist supporting their dreams and aspirations in their curriculum that they’re learning about,” she said. “And I also feel that we have a very unique opportunity here at Notre Dame to really utilize the Christian faith and the Catholic faith to enhance the students’ learning and making sure that we are also graduating good Christian students here at Notre Dame who have a firm grasp on their beliefs and a great foundation to rely on in the future.”
An important factor for her is that she’s still in the community even though not at the city school district any more: “I’m still working with children of Batavia and now expanding it to children of neighborhood communities,” she said. “My first love is educating children.”
Rogers’ first 30 to 60 days will be filled with meeting the school community as she does a lot of “learning and learning and learning” about this new position and how to proceed toward year one. She can envision a graduation day for students and herself.
“There will be a sense of, wow, this was a powerful year for all of us, and successful for the students,” she said. “The students are going to be graduating, and I will be graduating from year one.”
She’s a believer of community service and is a member of Batavia Rotary, Salvation Army’s Advisory Board, Holland Land Office Museum Board of Directors and a second year chair person for the Alzheimer’s walk.
