After 17 straight wins to start the 2021-22 season, Oakfield-Alabama fell to Wheatland-Chili (15-3) on Friday 62-54.
Kam Cusmano scored 16 points for the Hornets. Gaige Armbrewster scored 13 and Kaden Cusmano scored 12.
Photos by Kristin Smith. For more, click here.
As a state mask mandate for schools creeps toward its Feb. 21 expiration date, at least one Genesee County school plans to be officially armed.
Oakfield-Alabama Central School has set an emergency Board of Education meeting this week to vote on a resolution regarding masks in schools. The meeting is at 6:45 a.m. Wednesday at the Junior-Senior High School, 7001 Lewiston Road.
“We’re waiting on a final determination about whether it will be extended or lifted,” Superintendent John Fisgus said to The Batavian Monday. “There’s a lot of advocacy out there …we want some type of end goal in preparation for the possibility for the mandate to be lifted. Our board wants to be proactive. When and if it’s lifted, we will be prepared when it's lifted. Masking will be optional.”
At the beginning of this year, the choice for masking was “split down the middle,” Fisgus said. That has shifted.
“An overwhelming majority want it to be a personal choice,” he said. “I’m not advocating for masks; I’m advocating for personal choice. In the last month or so there’s been a huge movement to lift the mandate and let people decide on their own.”
The board's resolution reads, in part: “The Board of Education seeks to allow parents and students the freedom to choose whether to wear a mask indoors on school property or on a school bus.” It will give the superintendent the executive power necessary to implement protocols and procedures which allow parents and students the freedom to choose whether or not to wear a mask within and on school property.
This move also includes the authority to modify school protocols “if the need arises due to future health concerns, emergency situations and/or necessary means for the health and safety of students and school staff alike.”
Oakfield-Alabama was one of eight Genesee County public school districts to sign a letter for New York State Governor Kathy Hochul requesting that each district be granted authority to create and enforce its own COVID-19 rules, rather than being told what to do by the state.
Batavia City Schools Superintendent Jason Smith sent the letter on behalf of Alexander, Byron-Bergen, Elba, Le Roy, Oakfield-Alabama, Pavilion, and Pembroke school districts. Although there’s been a strong focus on whether or not to wear masks, the letter did not have that emphasis, Smith said.
“It’s not just about masks, it’s how schools are run,” he said. “I’d say for every 10 emails, at least eight are for local control about the masks, and are strongly opposed to the mask mandate. We’re engaged in conversations, and listening to the parents and to the medical folks. We’ll be ready when the time comes to have a plan.”
The state mandate is set to expire on Feb. 21. Batavia’s Board of Education meeting may be a venue for further discussions, Smith said. It’s set for 6 p.m. Feb. 17 at Batavia High School’s library, 260 State St., Batavia.
In other school news, Le Roy Central and Pembroke Central school districts have board meetings this week. Le Roy’s meeting is at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the Wolcott Street Elementary School memorial auditorium and includes a budget presentation for the 2022-23 school year.
Likewise, Pembroke’s agenda includes a budget presentation for its meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Jr/Sr High School Library Media Center, routes 5 and 77 in Corfu.
Oakfield-Alabama beat Lyondonville in girls basketball on Saturday, 68-34.
Scoring for O-A:
Also in girls basketball on Saturday, Alexander beat Wheatland 68-12
In boys basketball, Byron-Bergen lost to Wheatland-Chili, 61-52
Photos by Kristin Smith. For more, click here.
Oakfield-Alabama beat Alexander in girls basketball on Thursday night, 55-49.
For the Hornets:
For the Trojans:
"This was an incredibly well played high school game, said O-A head coach Jeff Schlagenhauf. "Both teams played at a very high level. This was a great win for our kids. Marcia's teams are extremely well coached and they play hard from start to finish. I think the largest lead tonight was 6 points."
Photos by Kristin Smith. For more, click here.
And now they're 15-0.
Oakfield-Alabama's flawless season in boys basketball rolled forward on Wednesday with a 69-39 win over Holley.
Stats:
Also on Wednesday in boys basketball:
In girls basketball, Le Roy beat Letchworth, 51-30
Photos by Kristin Smith. For more click here.
Oakfield-Alabama continued to run the table in the 2021-22 hoops season -- they're now a perfect 13-0 -- with a 69-51 win over Byron-Bergen at home on Thursday night.
Kam Cusmano scored 19 points for the Hornets, while Kyle Porter scored 18, and Gaige Armbrewster scored 13.
For the Bees, David Brumsted scored 13 and Colin Martin scored 12.
Also in boys basketball on Thursday,
There were no local girls'd basketball games on Thursday.
The Oakfield-Alabama Lady Hornets are no longer among the undefeated after being defeated Wednesday by the Elba Lady Lancers 42-38.
For Elba, Dakota Brinkman scored 10 points and both Laci Sewar and Adrianna Long scored nine points. Long hit a pair of three-point shots.
For O-A, MacKena Reding scored 11 points and Alea Groff scored 10. Kelsey Schlagenhauf scored seven points to go along with 13 rebounds. Caitlin Ryan had 12 rebounds.
The Hornets are now 10-1 and Elba is 5-4.
In other girls basketball games:
In boys basketball:
Photos by Kristin Smith. For more, click here.
The Oakfield-Alabama Hornets are 10-0 on the season after beating Elba on Tuesday 64-53.
For the Hornets:
For Elba:
Also in boys basketball on Tuesday:
In girls basketball:
Photos by Kristin Smith. For more, click here.
The Hornets stayed undefeated at 8-0 on Friday after beating Notre Dame 62-45.
For Oakfield-Alabama:
For the Fighting Irish:
Notre Dame is now 7-3 on the season.
Also on Friday in boys basketball:
There were no local girls games on Friday.
Photos by Kristin Smith. For more, click here.
Kelsey Schlagenhauf scored 12 points, 11 rebounds, and five steals to help lead Oakfield-Alabama to a 51-28 win over Kendall on Tuesday night in girls basketball.
Caitlin Ryan had 12 points, Makena Reding, nine, and Broke Reding, eight.
"Our girls played a solid 32 minutes against a well-coached and physical Kendall team," said Head Coach Jeff Schlagenhaufj. "All eight girls contributed. Brooke Reding was all over the court tonight.
"I can't say enough about the job Piper (Hyde), Alea (Grof) and Alaina (Manges) did defensively when they came in," he added. "They maintained our defensive effort and played extremely well for younger players. They improve each and every day."
The Hornets are now 11-0 on the season.
Photos by Kristin Smith. For more, click here.
Oakfield-Alabama prevailed over Notre Dame on Thursday to win the small schools division of the 39th Annual Pete Arras Lions Tournament at Genesee Community College.
The final score was 74-61.
Kaden Cusmano scored 20 points for the Hornets, Kam Cusmano, 18, and Gaige Armbrewster, 11.
For Notre Dame, Jordan Welker scored 24 points and Cody Henry scored 17 points.
The small schools' all-tournament team:
Photos by Kristin Smith. For more photos, click here.
In a first-round game of the small schools' division of the annual Lions Tournament at GCC, Oakfield-Alabama beat Elba 60-44.
For the Hornets:
For Elba, CJ Gottler scored 25 points.
O-A is now 5-0 on the year.
Photos by Kristin Smith. For more, click here.
The Oakfield-Alabama boys basketball team moved its season record to 4-0 with a 66-45 win over Attica on Tuesday.
Scoring:
Also in boys basketball on Tuesday:
In girls basketball:
Oakfield-Alabama beat Alexander in boys basketball on Wednesday night 54-38.
For the Hornets,
For the Trojans:
Photos by Kristin Smith. For more, click here.
Also, in girls basketball, Elba beat Wheatland-Chili, 49-36. Game write-up by Drew Muehlig:
Led by senior Dakota Brinkman, Elba defeated Wheatland-Chili 49-36 Wednesday night in Genesee Region girls basketball.
The senior baller notched a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Lady Lancers.
Elba also got strong performances from freshman Sydney Reilly (11 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists), senior Adrianna Long (5 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists) and sophomore Halie Deville (8 points and 6 rebounds).
Elba (1-2) led 29-13 at the half and led by as many as 19, but held off a valiant comeback effort by the Wildcats in the second half.
Chyene Whitcomb led Wheatland-Chili with 10 points and 3 steals despite being in foul trouble throughout the game. Thailaih Sainpaulin added three 3-pointers to finish with 9 points and Reghan LaMere added 6 points for Wildcats.
Oakfield-Alabama beat Pembroke 74-46 on Monday night.
For the Hornets:
For Pembroke:
Photos by Kristin Smith. For more, click here.
Tioga brought to an end a great 2021 run by the Oakfield-Alabama/Elba Aggies on Friday with a 49-6 win in a state semifinal game.
For OAE, Gage Armbrewseter gained 67 yards on 16 carries. Connor Scott scored a touchdown on two carries for 67 yards. Noah Currier gained 44 yards on seven carries. On defense, he had nine tackles.
" While this one may sting for the time being, we cannot let a single bad night take away from everything these boys were able to accomplish this season," said Head Coach Tyler Winter. "After some tough years early in our merge, and a stint in 8-man football, these boys have put the OAE Aggies on the map at the New York State level. I could not be more proud of their efforts, their commitment, and the love they had for one another throughout the journey. The way this group brought two communities together the way that they did is indescribable. This journey truly was a privilege, one full of memories that they will get to carry with them for the rest of their lives. Your Class D Sectional and Regional champions. Two communities. ONE FAMILY."
Photos by Kristin Smith. For more, click here.
The Oakfield-Alabama/Elba Aggies advanced toward every team's ultimate goal -- a chance to play for a state championship -- with 28-22 victory over Randolph in the Far West Regionals.
Bodie Hyde was 6-for-12 passing for 184 yards and three touchdowns in the Friday night game in Jamestown. He also had 107 yards rushing on 20 carries.
Gaige Armbrewster had 122 yards on 15 carries. Noah Currier had a TD reception and a rushing TD, gaining 110 yards on three receptions. Kameron Cusmano had a 44-yard TD reception. Kaden Cusmano had a 25-yard TD reception.
On Defense, Brayden Smith had 15 tackles and a forced fumble. CG Gottler had nine tackles and a sack. Connor Scott, five tackles, a pass breakup and a fumble recovery.
"This had to be our most impressive win of the season for sure," said Head Coach Tyler Winter. "This was a very physical game and Randolph was a very tough opponent.
"To overcome in the second half the way they did was impressive and admirable. Winning this game was a byproduct of their ability to take over the LOS (line of scrimmage) battle that we weren't winning in the first half and own it throughout the fourth quarter to finish the game. Overall, this team is just incredibly excited that they get to keep playing football. The show goes on!"
Photos by Kristin Smith. For more, click here.
The Oakfield-Alabama/Elba Aggies continued their year of perfection with yet another win, this time to capture the Class D Section V title by beating Avon 26-21.
Gaige Armbrewster rushed 16 times for 166 yards and two touchdowns.
Bodie Hyde was 4-5 passing for 68 yards and a TD. He also rushed for 21 yards.
Noah Currier gained 120 yards on nine carries and scored a TD. He also had a 39-yard TD reception.
On defense, Kaden Cusmano had 12 tackles, a sack and he broke up two passes. TJ Andres had 11 tackles as did Brayden Smith. CJ Gottler and Ethan Cramer each and nine tackles and Gottler also had a sack. Cameron Cusmano had an interception as did Armbrewster and Currier.
"I am so incredibly happy and proud for our boys," said Head Coach Tyler Winter. "The composure they showed during moments of adversity tonight is what champions are made of. This group made a promise to themselves after the way that last season ended. They did everything in their power to make sure they would have a shot at winning a sectional championship this fall.
"To look around and see them enjoy the fruits of their labor tonight... I couldn't be more proud. This group has so much fun playing football together, that we are glad the show is not over yet. Our goal as we prepare for the Far West Regionals is to keep working hard, love each other, and play football together as long as we possibly can. HOW BOUT THEM AGGIES !?"
Photos by Kristin Smith. For more, click here.
O-A/E's Gaige Armbrewster looks for running room.
Kameron Cusmano (5) and Noah Currier (20) converge upon Avon QB Andrew Rowland.
Armbrewster carried the day for the Aggies.
Noah Currier breaks a tackle.
More production from Armbrewster.
A great grab for Gaige.
QB Bodie Hyde just gets the pass away.
The Oakfield-Alabama/Elba Aggies advanced Friday in Section V Class D semifinal competition with a resounding 54-20 win over Cal-Mum/Byron-Bergen.
Gaige Armbrewster gained 161 yards on 14 carries and scored three touchdowns. Noah Currier had four carries for 152 yards and scored twice. He also had a 63-yard interception.
QB Bodie Hyde was 2-for-5 passing for 64 yards, and he rushed for 56 yards on six carries and scored two TDs. On defense, he had 11 tackles.
Brayden Smith had 17 tackles, CJ Gottler 12 and a fumble recovery. Ethan Cramer and TJ Andrews had nine tackles each and Kaden Cusmano had eight. Connor Scott came up with three tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery return for a 35-yard TD.
"It was nice to see our boys get a big win on their home field in a semifinal matchup," said Head Coach Tyler Winter. "We did a lot of good things tonight, but also need to clean up a few things to be ready for next week.
"We're excited about the win, but we are already thinking about the next game. Our group is focused and ready for the challenge that next week is going to present."
Photos by Kristin Smith. For more, click here.
Press release:
The Retired Educators of New York Teacher Grant Committee awards the Hudson-Kramer Memorial Grant annually to an educational professional in memory of Ross C. Hudson and Florence Coulter Kramer who were public school teachers and outstanding members of the New York State Retired Teachers Association. The purpose of the grant is to fund an innovative project or program in a New York State public school. Oakfield-Alabama's FFA program that is run by Todd Hofheins was selected to receive the grant this year to support his vision for raising market animals to support the local food pantry. The student who will be overseeing the project purchased with the grant money is Owen Zeliff (8th Grade). Owen comes from the family who have started the food pantry that has been so beneficial to our community, and we are sure he’s again excited to give back! Mr. Hofheins is a very busy teacher, but he agreed to sit for a Q and A session with our student reporter, Lily Haacke, to talk about the grant.
(Lily Haacke ) : What is the project that you will use the grant funds for?
Mr. Hofheins: The OA FFA students currently raise market animals in our school barn but have expressed an interest in helping our local food pantry while also educating the community by explaining the health benefits of using fresh beef. Funds from the grant will be used to purchase a market steer (bought as a calf and raised by our FFA) to provide the Oakfield Community Center/Food Pantry with fresh beef.
(Lily Haacke ): That sounds like a great project, How did the idea come about?
Mr. Hofheins: Oakfield-Alabama FFA Strives to develop student members that are well rounded in Agricultural knowledge and involved with different Community Service opportunities. Several FFA members were involved with a community garden last Summer 2020 and noticed a high demand from local families for fresh foods to offer for a complete and healthy meal. This sparked an interest to raise a market steer and donate the fresh beef to the Food Pantry.
(Lily Haacke): Do you see this as an area of need in Oakfield-Alabama?
Mr. Hofheins: Yes. Many families do not have access to fresh meat due to transportation issues. Others have lower or fixed incomes and fresh beef has become too costly to purchase from the supermarket. Instead, people rely on more affordable but less healthy processed foods which deteriorates their health.
(Lily Haacke ): Is it possible that demand outweighs supply? What will you do if there isn’t enough beef to meet the demand?
Mr. Hofheins: The Oakfield-Alabama-Elba FFA Alumni has offered to help with expenses if needed. Also, the Oakfield-Alabama FFA is also applying for a “Living to Serve” grant to offset the other money needed to raise and finish this project.
(Lily Haacke): Mr. Peterson (Middle School and High School Principal) has bragged about OA students having “authentic experiences” as part of their education here, is this an example of that?
Mr. Hofheins: Absolutely! This project helps support FFA students as part of their supervised agricultural experience by teaching calf selection, animal husbandry, nutrition, showmanship, marketing, and community service.
*This article was written by Lily Haacke as part of a class called OA Pride. The class (taught by Mrs. Tracy Schlagenhauf) includes project-based learning where students take the lead in researching and showcasing positive achievements within the Oakfield-Alabama school and community. The photos were taken by Alexis Main, a student in Mr. David Carpino’s digital photography class.
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