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RAC cagers trim Kendall in season opener
Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Kendall’s Brandon Miller puts up a shot over Rochester Academy Charter defender Damien Grant during the host Eagles non league loss to the Racers this evening.
James Longrod puts up a shot for Kendall.
A late rally fell just short as Kendall dropped a 48-43 decision to visiting Rochester Academy Charter this evening in the non league season opener.
Kendall rallied back to within one, 44-43, with less than a minute to play after back-to-back baskets off steals by John Rath and Brandon Miller. However, the Eagles could not pull even.
Miller and Nate Warters both finished with 12 points and James Longrod 10. Miller also had 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks and Longrod 5 rebounds and 3 assists.
Traven Stringer scored 14 and Jermaine Jackson 12 to lead RAC.
Capitalizing on a rash of early Kendall turnovers, RAC jumped out to leads of 9-0 at the outset and 12-4 at the end of the opening quarter.
Threes by Warters and Collin Lewis, along with a bucket by Rath, pulled the Eagles back to within five, 19-14, late in the second quarter which ended with the Racers up 21-14.
RAC maintained a 33-29 lead at the three-quarter mark.
Kendall next visits Barker for another non league contest at 6:30 p.m. Friday.
Powell tops 1,000 points in Albion win
Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Albion senior Chanyce Powell reached the 1,000 point career scoring mark with this jumper early in the Purple Eagles win over visiting Brockport this evening. Defending for Brockport are Dee Dee Allen (21) and Rowan Hamner (15).
Albion senior Chanyce Powell surpassed the 1,000 point career scoring milestone this evening during the Purple Eagles 37-36 non league season opening win over visiting Brockport.
Powell hit a short jumper to score her 1,000 and 1,001 points with 55 seconds to go in the first quarter which gave Albion a 5-3 lead. She had 13 points on the evening to up her career total to 1,009.
“It’s a great accomplishment,” said Albion Coach Lucian Price. “Chanyce is a model of consistency and her teammates really respect her for that.”
Senior Sierra Chudy scored the game winning point for the Purple Eagles on a free throw with 11 seconds remaining to snap a 36-36 tie.
Chudy finished with 7 points as Emily Blanchard and Brylie Hapeman both added 5, Elisabeth Barker 4 and Natalie DiCureia 3.
Sierra Chudy, who scored the game winning free throw for Albion, here drives around Brockport defender Bryn Hayes.
Liz Schultheis scored 13 and Bryn Hayes 9 to lead Brockport.
Albion led 7-4 after one quarter and 13-9 midway through the second stanza after tallies by Baker, Powell and Chudy.
However, Brockport closed the quarter with a 10-0 run, including threes by Emma Laureano and Alyssa Morrison, to take a 19-13 lead at the break.
The Lady Blue Devils increased the lead to 8, at 25-17, early in the third period after three straight baskets by Schultheis.
Albion though battled back to regain a 29-27 advantage late in the period after a 12-2 run on a two and a three by Blanchard, a three-point play by DiCureia and buckets by Powell and Chudy.
Brockport went back up 30-29 at the three-quarter mark and 32-29 at the outset of the final stanza.
Once again though the Purple Eagles came battling back to take a 36-34 lead after a three and a layup by Hapeman and a layup by Powell for the go ahead bucket.
Brockport pulled even one last time at 36-36 but Chudy answered with a clutch free throw with 11 seconds to go giving the Purple Eagles a 37-36 lead and the win.
Lew-Port 43, Barker 21
Jumping out to a 22-7 half-time advantage, Lew-Port went on to defeat host Barker 43-21 in another non league season opener.
Hailey Brown scored 9 and Emily Annable 6 for Barker.
Chanyce Powell celebrates with her teammates after receiving a ball marking her 1,000th career point.
Legion tops Hearts to regain Euchre lead
Reversing the outcome of the previous week’s match, Legion defeated Sacred Heart 37-33 Monday to regain the top spot in the Medina Euchre League title race.
Vets Club downed JR Wilson 38-32 in the other match.
Now holding a slender one point lead, Legion is 296-264 on the season. Sacred Heart is close behind at 295-265 followed by JR Wilson 269-291 and Vets Club 260-300.
League competition resumes on December 5 with JR Wilson at Sacred Hear and Vets Club at Legion.
Barker/Roy-Hart matmen prep for opener
Photo by Mike Wertman – Getting set to lead Barker/Roy-Hart into the upcoming wrestling season is this quintet of veterans. In front are Aaron Miller and Brent Bachman. In back are Murphy Lang, A.J. Schafer and Tyler Choate.
Facing a bit of a rebuilding task after losing 11 seniors to graduation, Barker/Roy-Hart will begin tuning up for the Niagara-Orleans League wrestling campaign by visiting perennial Section VI power Fredonia on Wednesday and then competing in the Sweet Home Duals on Friday and Saturday.
Barker/Roy-Hart will then begin N-O competition on December 7 against Wilson at Barker.
Anchoring the Barker/Roy-Hart lineup will be senior Brent Bachman, juniors Aaron Miller, Murphy Lang and Tyler Choate and sophomore A.J. Schafer. Bachman and Schafer both placed second at last year’s N-O All-League Tournament.
“We’re young but we should be tough,” said Coach Keith Jones.
Barker/Roy-Hart’s graduation losses include N-O champions Cameron Swick, Sam Dauphin and Kirk Fay.
Barker/Roy-Hart Schedule
Nov. 30 – at Fredonia
Dec. 2 and 3 – at Sweet Home Duals
Dec. 7 – Wilson, 6 p.m. at Barker
Dec. 10 – at Depew Duals Tourney
Dec. 14 – at Akron, 6 p.m.
Dec. 21 – Lyndonville, 6 p.m. at R-H
Dec. 28 – at Akron Tournament
Jan. 4 – Medina, 6 p.m. at R-H
Jan. 6 and 7 – at NCCC Tournament
Jan. 11 – at Newfane, 6 p.m.
Jan. 13 and 14 – at Lockport Tournament
Jan. 18 – Akron, 6 p.m. at R-H
Jan. 21 – All-League Tournament at Akron, 3:30 p.m.
Jan. 25 – St. Francis, 5:30 p.m. at R-H
Kendall girls to host season opening tourney
Photo by Mike Wertman – Getting set to help lead Kendall into the upcoming basketball season are veterans, from left, Daniela Volkmar, Lyndsay Wright and Taylor ReQua. Missing from the photo is Lizzie Rath.
Kendall will tune-up for the Genesee Region League girls basketball campaign by hosting a season opening girls basketball tournament this Wednesdayy and Saturday.
The opening round on Wednesday will have Kendall hosting rival Holley at 7 p.m. and Medina taking on Northeast /Northwest High of Rochester at 5:30 p.m. The consolation and championship games will be held on Saturday at 3 and 5 p.m..
The Lady Eagles will then begin G-R competition at Lyndonville on December 7.
A quartet of returning regulars including seniors Lizzie Rath and Daniela Volkmar along with juniors Taylor ReQua and Lyndsay Wright anchor the lineup for Kendall which also includes experience in seniors Rachael Bakutis and Emily Mattle.
The Lady Eagles are also looking to junior Kacey Menge and sophomore Jenna Regan.
“We’ve got four starters back so we’ll be competitive,” said Coach Jeff Parizek. “The keys will be rebounding and taking care of the ball.”
Kendall’s graduation losses include Maya Rutland, Taylor Rutland, Bridget Miller and Amelia Patrick.
The Lady Eagles went 3-10 in the league and 7-13 overall last year.
Kendall’s Schedule:
Nov. 30 – Kendall Tournament (Medina vs. NE NW at 5:30 p.m.; Holley vs. Kendall at 7 p.m.)
Dec. 3 Kendall Tournament – consolation 3 p..m and finals 5 p.m.
Dec. 7 – at Lyndonville, 7 p.m.
Dec. 9 – Rochester Academy Charter, 5:15 p.m.
Dec. 13 – Elba, 7 p.m.
Dec. 15 – at Wheatland-Chili, 7 p.m.
Dec. 21 – Notre Dame, 7 p.m.
Jan. 3 – Rochester Prep, 6 p.m.
Jan. 6 – Oakfield-Alabama, 7 p.m.
Jan. 10 – at Byron-Bergen, 7 p.m.
Jan. 12 – at Holley, 7 p.m.
Jan. 17 – Pembroke, 7 p.m.
Jan. 19 – at Attica, 7 p.m.
Jan. 30 – Alexander, 7 p.m.
Feb. 1 – Lyndonville, 7 p.m.
Feb. 3 – Rochester Academy Charter, 5:15 p.m.
Feb. 7 – at Elba, 7 p.m.
Feb. 9 – Wheatland-Chili, 7 p.m.
Feb. 13 – at Notre Dame, 7 p.m.
Feb. 14 – Rochester Prep, 6 p.m.
Youth football league honors Holley Buildings & Grounds Department
Provided photo: Robin Silvis, a member of the Holley Board of Education, is pictured with John Sherman at last week’s BOE meeting in Holley.
HOLLEY – The Holley Central School District Buildings & Grounds Department has been honored by a youth football league for its upkeep of its playing fields.
Holley recently was awarded the Jim Ellegate Memorial Award by the Niagara Orleans Football Association. The award was presented to John Sherman, the district’s director of facilities, during the regular meeting of the Board of Education on Nov. 21.
Robin Silvis, vice president of the Board of Education, presented Sherman with the award. She explained that Jim Ellegate was a football coach for the Roy-Hart Rams Beginner Football Team. He tragically lost his life coming home from a football game.
“He was a man that gave freely of his time, not only volunteering to coach football, but he was involved in coaching baseball and was also a Cub Scout leader,” Silvis said. “With Jim’s passing, the Niagara Orleans Football Association executive board and its commissioners wanted to keep his spirit alive, and this is how the Jim Ellegate Memorial Award was created. This award is given to a person or an organization that shows their passion for the love of the game and for the love of the children.”
The Holley Central School District Buildings & Grounds Department was nominated for the award by the Eastern Orleans Jr. Hawks because of “stellar conditions of not only the youth football field on district grounds, but for our district facility as a whole,” Silvis says. “It is very well maintained, clean, and a very welcoming facility that shows much hard work and dedication by those that take care of it, and demonstrate the ultimate in Holley pride.”
The Buildings & Grounds Department supports our community’s youth by going beyond their job expectations, putting in a lot of extra time.
“Our football fields and the areas surrounding always are top notch,” Silvas said. “They made it possible for our youth to not only play on beautiful grounds, but they made it so that we have a portable scoreboard for each contest, which is absolutely outstanding. This team always had the cheer mats available for our cheerleaders and seamlessly made everything available to these youth.”
Silvis adds that the district is very fortunate to have such hard working and dedicated people caring for its buildings and grounds.
Mustangs prepping for N-O title defense
Photo by Mike Wertman – Veteran members of the defending champion Medina basketball squad include, in front, Tyler Howard, Johnny Salone and Jalin Cooper. In back are Michael Cardone, Tyrellis Atkins and Mason Lewis.
Six returnees anchor the lineup for Medina as the Mustangs prep to defend their Niagara-Orleans League basketball title.
Junior Jalin Cooper, the squad’s lone returning starter who earned first team N-O All-League honors last season, heads that group of returnees which also includes seniors Tyler Howard, Tyrellis Atkins, Michael Cardone, junior Mason Lewis and sophomore Johnny Salone.
The Mustangs lineup also includes juniors Alex Allis, Brendan Luthart, Jorge Phillips and Trenton Jones along with sophomores Izaiah Rhim who was injured last year, and Vincent Montague.
“It’s a bit of a youth movement this year,” said Coach Tom Forrestel. “We lack experience but this group certainly has some potential and now we’re working to build team chemistry.”
THe Mustangs, which went 13-1 in the league and 15-7 overall a last season, will tuneup for their N-O title defense with an ambitious non league schedule which includes facing Williamsville North in the Cataract City Classic this Friday and O’Hara in the I-90 Holiday Showcase at Villa Maria College on Devcember 30.. The Mustangs will open the N-O season at Albion on December 16.
“It’s an honor to get invited to those events. You get better as you play up in talent,” said Forrestel of the Mustangs non league schedule.
Medina’s Schedule
Dec. 2 – vs. Williamsville North at the Cataract City Classic at Niagara Falls High School, 6:30 p.m.
Dec. 6 – at Tapestry, 6 p.m.
Dec. 9 – Burgard, 6:30 p.m.
Dec. 12 – CSAT, 6:30 p.m.
Dec. 16 – at Albion, 7 p.m.
Dec. 21 – at Elba, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 30 – vs. O’Hara at I-90 Holiday Showcase at Villa Maria College, 8:15 p.m.
Jan. 5 – at Roy-Hart, 7 p.m.
Jan. 10 – at Wilson, 6 p.m.
Jan. 13 – at Newfane, 7 p.m.
Jan. 17 – Barker, 6:30 p.m.
Jan. 20 – Akron ,6:30 p.m.
Jan. 24 – Albion, 6:30 p.m.
Jan. 28 – Orchard Park, 6 p.m.
Jan. 30 – Buffalo Academy of Science, 7 p.m.
Feb. 3 – Roy-Hart, 6:30 p.m.
Feb. 7 – Wilson, 6:30 p.m.
Feb. 9 – Newfane, 6:30 p.m.
Feb. 14 – at Barker, 6:30 p.m.
Feb. 16 – at Akron, 6:30 p.m.
Ramparts win 2; Golden Eagles in tourney
Contributed Story
The Batavia Ramparts won two games at home this weekend to stay perfect at 11-0 on the season.
On Saturday, the undefeated West Seneca Wings came to Batavia and lost 12-1. Max Hutchins and Jed Reese both scored 3 goals and Vinnie DiRisio 2 to lead the Ramparts as Alex Totten, Drew Bower (Akron), Nate Ryan and Corey Saj (Medina) each added a goal. Dominic Peracciny (Roy-Hart) assisted on Ryan’s goal.
Today’s game saw the host Ramparts down the once beaten Niagara Junior Purple Eagles 4-0.
There was no scoring in the first period, but Katie Carmichael connected on a slap shot, to give the Ramparts to lead. Peracciny then scored for Batavia, with DiRisio and Hutchins adding goals in the last period.
Jenna Snieszko was called up to play goal and recorded the shutout.
The Ramparts have now scored 94 goals while surrendering just 10.
Batavia’s next game is Sunday, December 11 at Fredonia.
TriCounty in Riverworks Tourney
The Tri-County Golden Eagles Bantam Travel Team capped off a busy weekend of competition at the Riverworks Tournament in Buffalo by rallying for a 4-3 win over South Towns.
Trailing 3-1, the Golden Eagles rallied for three late goals on tallies first by Jeremiah Rausch, then by Michael Holding and finally the winner by Patrick Ricker to claim the victory. Tucker Johnson made several big saves in goal.
Earlier in the tourney Tri-County lost 10-0 to the Hamburg Hawks, 4-3 to Cazenovia and 3-2 to South Towns. Rausch scored 2 goals and Alonzo Storey 1 against Cazenovia. Storey then netted both goals against South Towns.
Kendall, R-H tourneys to highlight week
Kendall and Roy-Hart will both host season opening girls basketball tournaments this coming week.
Three local teams will be competing in the Kendall Tournament which gets underway on Wednesday as Medina will face Northeast/Northwest of Rochester at 5:30 p.m. and Kendall will take on rival Holley at 7 p.m. The consolation and championship games will be held Saturday.
The host Lady Rams will face Lyndonville at 6:30 p.m. Friday in the opening round of the Roy-Hart Tournament. Tonawanda will take on Oakfield-Alabama in the first game at 5 p.m. The consolation and championship games will be held Saturday.
In boys basketball, Medina will open the season by facing Williamsville North at 6:30 p.m. Friday in the Cataract City Classic at Niagara Falls High School.
Week’s Schedule
Tuesday
Boys Basketball: Rochester Charter Academy at Kendall, 5:30 p.m.; Barker at Alexander, 7 p.m.
Girls Basketball: Lew-Port at Barker, 6:30 p.m.; Brockport at Albion, 7 p.m.
Swimming: Albion at Alexander, Pembroke at Barker, Medina at Attica, Roy-Hart at Oakfield-Alabama, 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday
Girls Basketball: Kendall Tournament (Medina vs. Northeast/Northwest, 5:30 p.m.; Holley vs. Kendall, 7 p.m.)
Wrestling: Barker/Roy-Hart at Fredonia, 6 p.m.
Thursday
Swimming: Notre Dame at Albion, Wheatland-Chili at Barker, Alexander at Medina, Attica at Roy-Hart, 4:30 p.m.
Wrestling: Albion at Alexander, 6 p.m.
Friday
Boys Basketball: Medina vs. Williamsville North at Niagara Falls High School, Kendall at Barker, 6:30 p.m.; Albion at Pembroke, 7 p.m.; Roy-Hart at Gowanda, 7:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball: Albion at Elba, 7 p.m.; Roy-Hart Tournament (Tonawanda vs. Oakfield-Alabama, 5 p.m.; Lyndonville vs. Roy-Hart, 7 p.m.)
Saturday
Girls Basketball: Kendall Tournament, Roy-Hart Tournament
Swimming: Attica at Barker, 11 a.m.
Wrestling: Holley/Kendall Team Tournament at Holley, 10 a.m.; Lyndonville at Tonawanda Duals, Medina at Byron-Bergen Tournament, Barker/Roy-Hart at Sweet Home Duals
Holley grad is part of a special victory
Contributed Photo – Nicole Blackburn celebrates with teammate, freshman, Aayana Nedd, after their Mary Baldwin University basketball team ended a lengthy losing streak.
Contributed Story
When Holley High School and North Country Community College graduate Nicole Blackburn chose to finish her collegiate basketball career at Mary Baldwin University she knew there was one large elephant in the room.
The MBU Fighting Squirrels hadn’t won a basketball game in over 4 years. 0 for the last 103 to be exact. The last Fighting Squirrel came on February 11th, 2012. Until yesterday afternoon in Macon GA. when the MBU ladies topped Wesleyan College 43-42 and broke the history making losing streak that had grown to 106 games.
Blackburn played 39 minutes scoring a pair of points but added to the victory with 9 boards and 2 steals.
After the game, Head Coach Andrew Stephens said, “Today is a great day for our basketball program. We showed some toughness at a challenging place to play. This is a sign of progress. We just have to keep working hard to get where we want to be.”
Blackburn is not only a co-captain for the Fighting Squirrels, but is also their only upper-classman. The 8 player team consists of 4 Freshman and 3 sophomores along with Nicole , a junior, who leads her team in rebounding. She is also ranked 7th in the USA South Conference Div. III in rebounds/game and 25th in Division III nationally in defensive rebounds/game.
Blackburn was the leading scorer and MVP at Holley her senior year as well as a 2 year captain. At NCCC she was captain her sophomore year and was named Defensive Player of the Year by her team.
