Four area high school teams seek sectional or state titles this week

By Mike Wertman, Sports Writer Posted 2 November 2014 at 12:00 am

Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Barker’s Lydia Dewart and her Lady Raider teammates will face Niagara-Orleans League foe Akron for the Section VI Class C field hockey title on Wednesday. The Albion volleyball, Kendall girls soccer and Barker boys cross-country teams will also all be seeking titles this week.

Four area teams are still in the running for sectional and state level championships this coming week as the fall high school sports season winds down.

On Tuesday, No. 2 seed Albion will take on No. 4 Cheektowaga for the Section VI Class B2 volleyball championship at Lockport High School at 8 p.m. Albion, which has reached the finals four of the last five years, bested Cheektowaga in a non league match this season winning in three sets. The winner will face the B1 champion (either Williamsville South or Starpoint) on Thursday at Lockport for the Section VI Class B berth in the state playoffs.

On Wednesday, top seeded six time defending champion Barker will face No. 2 seed Niagara-Orleans League foe Akron for the Section VI Class C field hockey title at 5:30 p.m. at Amherst High School. It marks the sixth time in the last seven years that the Lady Raiders and Lady Tigers have met in the championship game.

Also on Wednesday, Section V Class CC champion Kendall girls soccer team will look to claim the Section V Class C berth in the state playoffs by taking on either Avon or York at a time and site still to be announced. Kendall captured the CC title by nipping Caledonia-Mumford 2-1 in double overtime Friday in a rematch of last year’s final which was won by Cal-Mum. Avon, which earned the Class CCC title, and York which took the Class C crown, will meet Monday at Cal-Mum at 6 p.m. with the winner advancing to Wednesday’s game against Kendall..

This coming Saturday, the now eight time defending Section VI Class D champion Barker boys cross-country team will compete in the state championship meet at SUNY Canton. The Raiders have placed in the top three at the state meet each of the last six years taking the title in both 2009 and 2011.

This will make a bit of a transition week as Section V schools, including Holley, Kendall and Lyndonville, will begin practice for the upcoming winter sports season. Section VI schools, including the N-O teams will not begin winter sports practice until November 10.