Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Rivals Medina and Albion will collide in both boys and girls basketball this coming week. Medina’s Je’ne Brown, left, and Albion’s Demetrius Gardner and their Mustangs and Purple Eagles teammates are prepping for the meetings.

The second half of the Niagara-Orleans League basketball season gets underway this week highlighted by a key matchup of rivals Medina and Albion.

Currently both the Medina boys and girls teams are in first place and undefeated at 6-0. The defending champion Mustangs boys squad holds one game lead over Newfane (5-1) while the girls team holds a one game advantage over defending champion Wilson (6-1) with Albion two games off the pace at 4-2.

The Medina boys will host Albion at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. Looking to play the spoilers role, the Purple Eagles bring a 1-5 N-O record into the contest. The Mustangs downed the Purple Eagles 70-47 in their earlier season meeting.

The Albion girls will entertain Medina at 7 p.m. Friday. The Mustangs nipped the Purple Eagles 48-45 earlier in the season.

The Medina wrestling squad also holds a special event this week, the annual Gary Gross Memorial Tournament on Saturday. The tournament is dedicated to the memory of Medina Coach Eric Gross’ dad who was a long time Mustangs fan and supporter.

The N-O swim season will conclude this week as Akron hosts the All-League boys meet at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday and Newfane hosts the All-League girls meet at 5:30 p.m. Friday.
Weekly Schedule
Tuesday
Boys Basketball: Akron at Wilson, 6 p.m.; Albion at Medina, 6:30 p.m.; Newfane at Roy-Hart, Lyndonville at Wheatland-Chili, Pavilion at Kendall, 7 p.m.
Girls Basketball: Rochester Academy Charter at Lyndonville, 7 p.m.
Wrestling: Wilson at Lyndonville, 6 p.m.

Wednesday
Girls Basketball: Barker at Alexander, 7 p.m.
Wrestling: St. Francis at Barker/Roy-Hart, 5:30 p.m.
Swimming: Boys N-O All-League meet at Akron, 5:30 p.m.

Thursday
Boys Basketball: Lyndonville at Attica, Holley at Wheatland-Chili, Kendall at Alexander, 7 p.m.

Wrestling: Akron at Lyndonville, 6 p.m.

Friday
Girls Basketball: Roy-Hart at Newfane, Wilson at Akron, 6:30 p.m.; Medina at Albion, Attica at Lyndonville, Wheatland-Chili at Holley, 7 p.m.
Swimming: Girls N-O All-League meet at Newfane, 5:30 p.m.

Saturday
Boys Basketball: Rochester Academy Charter at Kendall, 2:30 p.m., Orchard Park at Medina, 6 p.m. Barker at Oakfeld-Alabama, 7:15 p.m.
Girls Basketball: Barker at Oakfield-Alabama, 5:30 p.m.
Wrestling: Medina’s Gary Gross Memorial Tournament, 9 a.m.

N-O Standings
Boys Basketball: Medina 6-0, Newfane 5-1, Barker 3-3, Roy-Hart 3-3, Wilson 3-3, Albion 1-5, Akron 0-6
Girls Basketball: Medina 6-0, Wilson 6-1, Albion 4-2, Newfane 3-4, Akron 2-4, Barker 1-5, Roy-Hart 0-6
Boys Swimming (Final): Roy-Hart 10-0, Albion 8-2, Barker 6-4, Medina 4-6, Newfane 2-8, Akron 0-10
Girls Swimming (Final): Newfane 10-0, Akron 7-3, Roy-Hart 7-3, Barker 4-6, Medina 2-8, Albion 0-10
Wrestling (Final): Newfane 10-0, Akron 8-2, 6-4, Barker/Roy-Hart 3-7, Wilson 3-7, Medina 0-10

Moving one step closer to clinching a berth in the upcoming state tournament, the Tri County Bantam Travel team posted a 10-3 victory over Fredonia Saturday in a Western New Work Hockey League game.

Breaking away from a 1-1 deadlock, Tri County exploded for 6 goals in the second period to improve to 9-7-1 in the league and 11-13-1 overall.

Patrick Ricker scored 3 goals, Jeremiah Rausch and Mike Holding both added 2 and Dominic Viola, Jake Esposito and Luke Lach 1 each. Rausch also had 5 assists.

Tri County next visits Oleans on Saturday looking or a win that would clinch the tournament berth.

Batavia Ramparts streak snapped

The Batavia Ramparts Bantam A team visited Cheektowaga Friday evening for a crossover game and had their 15-0 record blemished with a 4-2 loss.  After falling behind in the first period 2-0, the team evened the score on goals by Nick Call and Alex Totten.  Cheektowaga scored in the third period to take a 3-2 lead and finished the scoring with an empty net goal to seal the victory.

On Saturday and today, the Ramparts played a home and home series with the Perinton Blades.

Saturday’s game ended with a 7-1 victory with goals by Totten (2), Call, Matt Frieday (2) Trevor Crawford and Derrick Fedus.  Zach Howard played an excellent game in goal for the Ramparts.

Today’s game in Batavia saw the Ramparts score 2 in the first and 5 in each of the other periods ending with a 12-0 victory.   Leading the way were Totten (6 goals), Jed Reese (3 goals),  and Dominic Peracciny, Nate Ryan, Max Hutchins each with a goal.  Frieday stepped in as goalie and recorded the shutout.

The Ramparts will complete the regular season next weekend with a Saturday evening game in Hamburg and the finale Sunday at home against Monroe County.

Tri County Pee Wee team has win, tie
Playing with only nine skaters, the Tri County Pee Wee team earned a win and a tie over the weekend in league action.

On Saturday, the team traveled to Batavia and capture a 3-1 win over the Ramparts. Maija Young led the scoring for the Eagles with the first 2 goals. Carson Bader added an empty net goal to solidify the win. Brian Hartman had a strong game assisting on both of Young’s goals.

On Sunday, the team hosted the Hamburg Hawks at SUNY Brockport. The back and forth battle ended in a 4-4 tie. As he did in Saturday’s game, goalie Hayden Watt was excellent in net making many key saves for the Eagles. Henry Schultz led the scoring with 2 goals. Will Kennard and Bader each added a goal. Josh Esposito had 2 assists. The strong defensive play and endurance of Brenna Munn, Abby IpenVanZeilen and James Ramsay served as the cornerstone of the weekend success for the Eagles.

Newfane locked up a fourth straight championship by taking top honors at the Niagara-Orleans All-League wrestling tournament held Saturday at Akron.

Newfane, which went 5-0 in the dual match portion of the season, garnered 229 points to win the tournament.

Akron, which went 4-1 during the regular season, finished in second place with 183.5 points followed by Albion 154.5, Wilson 121, Barker/Roy-Hart 106 and Medina 65.

Newfane was led by a quartet of individual weight class champions including Andrew Lucinski (99), Ryan Nugent (106), Zach Brown (132) and Ty Casinelli (285).

In their title matches Lucinski pinned Medina’s Travis Wiseman in 5:38; Nugent pinned Akron’s Josh Cummings in 3:04; Brown pinned Albion’s Preston Flugel in 1:38 and Casinelli decisioned Wilson’s Frank Dispenza 4-3.

Akron likewise had four champions including Johnathan Fieblekorn (145), Robbie PeQueen (160), Jacob Sarow (170) and Brady Jensen (182).

In the finals Fieblekorn decisioned Newfane’s Charlie Johnstone 8-2; PeQueen scored a 16-0 technical fall over Albion’s Jessy Cruz; Sarow decisioned Newfane’s Julian Nixon 3-2 and Jensen decisioned his Akron teammate Millard Young 3-1 in sudden victory.

Barker/Roy-Hart had a trio of champions including Brent Bachman (126),  Nick Fazzolari (195) and Ben Schwab (220).

The title matches saw Bachman decision Newfane’s Nick Voelker 5-0; Fazzolari pinn Akron’s Greiner in 1:54 and Schwab decision Wilson’s Matthew Lange 4-0.

Albion had a pair of champions in Tim Wells (138) and Blake Aina (152).

Wells had a pin and a technical fall win before pinning Newfane’s Allan Lingle in 1:29 in his title bout. Aina registered two pins before scoring a narrow 7-6 decision win over Tyler Choate of Barker/Roy-Hart in the finals.

Rounding out the list of champions are Medina’s Colby Petrie (113) and Wilson’s Jacob Sanborn (120).

Petrie scored pins in his first two matches and then decisioned Newfane’s Josh Everett 5-0 in the finals. Sanborn decisioned his Wilson teammate 5-2 in the finals.

Newfane had five third place finishers in Adam Huntington (99), Camden Rowles (106), Luke Tice (113), Derek Holmes (120) and Jonas Cummings (138).

Albion had a quartet of third place finishers in Ugene Harrison (145), Sam Slick (170), Donamic Farley (195) and Myles Brewer (220).

The third place finishers also included Kevin Hoover (152), Anthony Dispenza (160) and Aaron Welch (182) from Wilson; Thomas Fischer (126) and Gage Baumier (138) from Akron and Da’John Brown (285) from Medina.

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Albion’s Emily Blanchard goes up for a shot against Oakfield-Alabama defender Makayla Hilchey during the Purple Eagles loss to the host Lady Hornets this afternoon.

Oakfield-Aalbama used a 12-4 scoring edge over the final five minutes to claim a 56-47 win over visiting Albion this afternoon in a non league girls basketball game.

Leading by a narrow 44-43 margin, the host Lady Hornets closed with a surge on baskets by Makayla Hilchey and Brianna Smith along with 6 free throws by Kylie Schlagenhauf and 2 by Smith to improve to 12-1 on the season.

Smith finished with a game high 20 points and Schlagenhauf 13 as Lauren Reding added 10, Hilchey 6, Lakin Woodward 5 and Hannah Scarborough 2.

Caitlynn Snook scored 11 and Emily Blanchard 10 to lead Albion (8-4) which played without season long scoring and rebounding leader Chanyce Powell due to a foot injury. Janae Doty added 7, Sierra Chudy 6, Natalie DiCureia 5 and Nicole Eldred and Elisabeth Baker 4.

Albion’s Caitlynn Snook drives against Oakfield-Alabama defender Hannah Scarborough.

Traling 6-4 after a low scoring opening quarter, Oakfield-Alabama put together a 12-0 run to open the second period on two threes by Reding and three layups by Smith to take a 16-6 lead.

However, Albion answered with a 10-4 run to close the period and rally back to within 4, 20-16, at the half. Eldred, Chudy and Snook all had buckets during that stretch.

Albion quickly regained a 22-20 lead at the outset of what proved to be a sea-saw third period on two baskets by Snook and one by DiCureia.

In all there were 5 ties and 9 lead changes in the wild period which finished with Albion holding a slender 38-37 lead after a three-point play by Snook with eight seconds to go. Snook had a total of 7, Blanchard 5, Doty and Barker 4 and DiCureia 2 in the stanza.

The lead proved to be the last though for the Purple Eagles as the Lady Hornets opened the decisive final period with a 7-0 run, including a three and a two by Lakin Woodward and a layup by Smith, to move back on top to stay at 44-38.

Albion did rally back to within one at 44-43 with five minutes to go after a layup by Blanchard and a three by DiCureia. The Purple Eagles though could not pull even and in fact could not score again for over four minutes during which time the Lady Hornets built up a 50-43 lead.

Albion didn’t score again until Doty hit a three with just 25 seconds remaining to make it 50-46.

The Lady Hornets though closed out the win on 4 free throws by Schlagenhauf and 2 by Smith in the final 25 seconds.

Albion’s Elisabeth Baker puts up a shot as Oakfield-Alabama’s Brianna Smith tries for the block.

Contributed Photo – Lyndonville’s place finishers at today’s Perry Invitational included, from left, Frankie Carrasquillo, Chase Stinson, Dustin Hinkley, Jeff Gress Jr. and Dustin Joy.

Finishing fifth in the team standings, Lyndonville had a total of five place finishers at today’s Perry Invitational.

The Tigers had a quartet of champions including Jeff Gress Jr. (126), Dustin Joy (145), Dustin Hinkley (160) and Frankie Carrasquillo (285) who each went 5-0 on the day.

Gress earned the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler award for the lightweights.

The Tigers also had Chase Stinson (113) place third with a 3-1 record.

Contributed Photo – Holley-Kendall wrestlers celebrate winning today’s Cal-Mum Tournament title.

Posting a perfect 5-0 record on the day, Holley-Kendall captured top honors at the Caledonia-Mumford Tournament today.

In route to claiming the title, the Hawks defeated McQuaid 84-3, Wilson Magnet 69-9, Pavilion/York 83-6, East 66-21 and Cal-Mum 58-21.

Tristyn Moyer, Jayden Pieniaszek, Brandon Gardner, Erik Balys, Jeremy Browe, Braxton Leary-Hart, Dylan Spellan and Nathan Silversmith all went 5-0 and Chad Miller 4-0 for the Hawks as Nate Schoonmaker, Dawson Custer and Brandson Stewart were all 4-1.

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Lyndonville’s Aubrey Lewis puts up a shot over Elba defender Emily Reynolds during the Lady Tigers loss to the host Lady Lancers this afternoon.

Lyndonville’s Alecia Hinkson looks to drive against Elba’s Emily Reynolds.

Once beaten (13-1) Elba needed a fourth quarter scoring burst to down an undermanned, upset minded Lyndonville squad (2-12) 40-29 this afternoon in a Genesee Region League girls basketball game at Elba.

Trailing by three early in the final period, Elba erupted for a key 14-0 scoring surge, including 12 by Emily Reynolds, to regain the lead for good at 36-25 with two minutes to go.

Reynolds finished with a game high 19 and Maddie Muchlig 13 to lead the way for Elba as Carli Bogue added 5, Tatiana Draper 2 and Madison Howard 1.

Aubrey Lewis led Lyndonville with 15 as Alecia Hinkson added 6, Miranda Lembcke 4 and Grace Hayes and Stacey Buckland 2 each.

Lyndonville, which was missing two regulars, Makenzie Muck and Abi Rodriguez, due to illness, grabbed an 8-6 first period lead as Hinkson had a three and a two.

The lead changed hands seven times in the sea-saw second quarter which finished with Elba up 17-16. Muchlig tallied 9, including two threes, to spark the Lady Lancers during that stretch while Lewis had 6 for the Lady Tigers.

There were five more lead changes in a low scoring third period which ended with Lyndonville up 23-22 after a late basket by Hayes.

A layup by Lewis put Lyndonville up by three, 25-22, at the outset of the final period but Elba answered back with what proved to be the decisive Reynolds led 14-0 scoring surge.

Lyndonville’s Stacey Buckland grabs a rebound against Elba defenders Carli Bogue.

Taking first place in every event, host Barker scored a sweep over Medina this afternoon to close out the duel meet portion of the Niagara-Orleans League swim season.

The Barker boys posted a 95-75 victory and the Lady Raiders earned a 109-61 win.

The Barker boys had a quartet of individual event double winners including Adam Wagner (200 Free, 500 Free), Andrew Jenks (200 Individual Medley, 100 Breaststroke), Collin Stevener (50 Free, 100 Butterfly) and Collin Webb (100 Free, 100 Backstroke).

The Barker boys finish the season nat 6-4 and Medina at 4-6.

The Lady Raiders were sparked by a trio of double winners including Christiana Carestia (200 Free, 500 Free), Sara Gendrue (200 Individual Medley, 100 Breaststroke) and Natalie Menz (50 Free, 100 Free).

The Barker girls wind up at 4-6 and Medina at 2-8.

Albion earned a split with Akron taking the boys meet 65-29 but losing the girls competition 71-23.

The Albion boys got wins from Matt Kovaleski (100 Butterfly), Carlitos Sanchez (100 Free), Devin Olles (50 Free) and Harrison Brown (200 Individual Medley).

Andrew Buyea was a double winner in the 200 Free and 500 Free for Akron.

The Albion boys finish at 8-2 and Akron at 0-10.

Julia Dieble doubled in the 200 Individual Medley and 100 Backstroke to lead the Akron girls.

Liz Furmanski won the 50 Free and Michaela Pantano the 100 Butterfly for Albion.

The Akron girls wind up at 7-3 and Albion at 0-10.

No results were reported from the Roy-Hart vs. Newfane meet.

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Roy-Hart’s Matt Borel puts up a shot against Barker defender Shawn Callaghan during the Rams narrow win over the visiting Raiders this evening.

Surviving a tight stretch run battle, Roy-Hart edged past visiting rival Barker 60-54 this evening leaving both teams at 3-3 at the halfway point of the Niagara-Orleans League basketball season.

Jacob Bruning scored 10 of his 19 points, Matt Borel 6 of his 19 and Brendon Hess all 5 of his in the decisive final period to help Roy-Hart claim the win. DJ Davis also had 11, Tim Moriarity 4  and Charlie Brigham 2 on the night for the Rams.

Barker’s Eddie Wasnock grabs a rebound against Roy-Hart defender Jacob Bruning.

Nate Luckman had 14 and Austin Sullivan 10 to lead Barker as Jake Arnold added 8, Eddie Wasnock and Malik Smith 7, Shawn Callaghan 6 and Ryan Voss 2.

Breaking away from a 13-13 tie early in the second period, Barker put together a 14-5 run to open up what proved to be the Raiders biggest lead of 9 at 27-18. Wasnock and Luckman both had 5 during that stretch.

However, Roy-Hart answered with a 6-0 run to close the period, all by Borel, and rally back to within 3, 27-24, at the half.

The lead then sea-sawed back and forth six times in the third period which finished with Roy-Hart holding a slender 39-37 lead on a late three-point play by Borel who had a total of 7 in the period.

Threes by Luckman and Sullivan in the period kept Barker close.

Barker pulled even one last time, at 41-41, early in the final period after a rebound bucket by Voss and a layup by Smith but the Raiders could not regain the lead.

Buckets by Bruning, Borel and Hess gave Roy-Hart a 47-43 led midway through the period.

A three by Smith pulled Barker to within one, 47-46, but Roy-Hart answered back with back-to-back jumpers by Bruning and Hess to regain a little breathing room at 52-46.

The Raiders did pull back to with three twice in the final 2:30, first at 52-49 after a three by Luckman, and again at 57-54 after a three by Sullivan, but could get no closer.

Borel had a layup and a free throw to give Roy-Hart a 56-49 lead.

Three clutch free throws by Bruning in the final 16 seconds then locked up the win for the Rams after the Raiders had pulled to within 57-54.

Roy-Hart’s Jacob Bruning tries to put up a shot against Barker defenders Nate Luckman, left, and Jake Arnold.

Barker’s Malik Smith puts up a shot against Roy-Hart defender Matt Borel.