Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Medina Stallions defenders Emmanual Taylor and Joseph Cecchini tackle Akron ball carrier David Kalinowski on fourth down during Saturday’s championship win at Vets Park.

Joseph Cecchini hauls in a pass reception for the Medina Stallions as Sean O’Shaughnessy defends for Akron.

The top seeded Medina Stallions romped to a 47-18 victory over No. 2 Akron Saturday in the Niagara Orleans Football Association Varsity Division playoff championship game at Vets Park.

In the JV Division title contest Tri Town downed the Medina Broncos 40-0.

The Stallions roared out to a commanding 24-0 lead as Brian Fry ran for two touchdowns on plays covering 4 and 80 yards and also completed TD passes of 37 yards to Tyler Chinn and 48 yards to Emmanual Taylor.

Fry, who had a total of 268 yards passing and 105 yards rushing, later added touchdown passes of 13 yards to Iverson Poole and 49 yards to Chinn. He also completed a pair of two-point conversion passes to Chinn.

Poole also had a 52 yard touchdown run.

Chinn finished with 121 yards receiving and Taylor 95 yards rushing and 74 yards receiving.

Aidan Smith led Akron by rushing for two touchdowns on plays covering 3 and 6 yards and also completing a 16 yard TD pass to Mitchell Holtz.

The Stallions defense was led in tackles by Rodney Davis with 20 as Taylor had 9, Anthony Monell and Fry 8 each, Conner McNeil 6 and Noah Skinner 4.

Aden Pitts of the Medina Broncos runs between a pair of Tri Town defenders during the JV Division title loss.

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Medina’s Daniel Heil, left, who took first place honors at today’s Niagara-Orleans All-League meet, meets here with his Mustangs teammate Jack Hill who placed fifth.

Medina High junior Daniel Heil captured top individual honors at the annual Niagara-Orleans boys cross-country All-League meet held today at Lakeside Beach State Park.

Heil posted a winning time of 17:47.7. His Mustang teammate junior Jack Hill also earned first team All-League honors with a fifth place finish.

The Barker boys team captured the league championship for the fourth straight year and the 8th time in the last 9 years by winning the meet to complete a12-0 season.

The Raiders garnered 41 points to win the meet as Newfane finished in second place with 63 followed by Wilson 71, Medina 115, Akron 118, Albion 139 and Roy-hart 159.

Barker was led by the 4-6-9-10-12 finish of Jacob Arnold, Jack Hopkins, Adam Wagner, Andrew Jenks and Matt Pestinger.

Medina’s Daniel Heil and Barker’s Barker’s Jacob Arnold battle for position. At right is Newfane’s Kim Goerss who won the girls race for the second year in a row.

Akron’s Mike Swinarski finished second and Wilson’s William Schwarzmueller third as the Newfane duo of Alan Lingle and Samuel Auernhamer placed 7 and 8 respectively to round out the top 10.

Evan Steier was Albion’s top finisher in 11th place while the Wilson duo of Trey Rees and Michale Seeley placed 13th and 14th.

The top 7 finishers earn first team All-League honors while the next 7 comprise the second All-League team.

The Newfane girls completed a second straight 12-0 N-O championship season by romping to a 37 point victory.

The Lady Panthers finished with 23 points followed by Albion 60, Akron 85, Roy-Hart 120, Wilson 143, Barker 144 and Medina 144.

Kim Goerss repeated as the individual champion with a winning time of 20:29.5 to lead the way for Newfane which took 5 of the 10 10 finishing spots. The Lady Panthers also had Nina Burkard second, Vanessa Burkhard third, Lydia Chunco seventh and Caitlin Clack 10th.

Albion had a pair of top 10 finishers as Emma Mathes finished sixth and Hannah Grammar eighth. The Purple Eagles also had Alanna Holman finish 11th and Mallory Adams 13th.

Akron’s Margo Henley placed fourth, Roy-Hart’s Anna Rickard fifth and Medina’s Hannah Heil ninth to round out the top 10.

Barker’s Gabrielle Baker placed 12th and Newfane’s Marina Ersing 14th to round out the second All-League team.

The field in the girls race breaks away from the starting line.

Medina’s Hannah Heil, left, and Barker’s Gabrielle Baker make the turn on the scenic Lake Ontario shoreline portion of the course.

The field in the boys race comes out of the first turn.

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Kendall’s Madison Rath spikes the ball over Genesee Valley’s Sabrina Schmidt during the host Lady Eagles sectional victory this afternoon.

Lexi Payton sets over the net for Kendall.

Combining a fast start with a strong finish, No. 2 seed Kendall outlasted visiting No. 7 Genesee Valley 25-8, 21-25, 23-25, 25-10, 25-18 this afternoon in the quarterfinal round of the Section V Class D2 volleyball playoffs.

Madison Rath had 15 spiking kills, 2 blocks and 17 digs to lead the way for Kendall as Emily Mattle added 7 kills, 5 service aces and 13 digs; Jenna Regan 8 kills, 1 ace and 2 digs; Chelsea Wright 9 assists, 7 aces and 9 digs; Jessica Coble 23 assists, 7 digs and 2 kills and Lexi Payton 5 kills, 5 aces and 11 digs.

Kendall got off to a fast start romping to a 17 point win in the opening set as Mattle served up points 4-9, Wright 11-16 and Rath 20-25. Rath, Regan and Payton each had 2 kills.

Genesee Valley though came rallying back to take the next two sets with key late runs of service points to grab a 2-1 lead in the match.

However, Kendall answered the challenging by capturing the fourth set 25-10 to knot the match.

The Lady Eagles built up leads of 6-0, 11-3, 16-5 and 21-8 in the set as Coble served up points 2-7 and Mattle 11-13.

Keeping the momentum, the Lady Eagles then posted a 25-18 in the decisive fifth set to close out the victory. Mattle scored points 4-6, Payton 9-11 and 20-21 and Rath 23-25.

Kendall will next face No. 6 Honeoye in the semifinals at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at Livonia. Honeoye defeated No. 3 Fillmore 25-15, 25-19, 25-8.

Kendall’s Jenna Regan spikes over the net as Lexi Payton backs up the play.

Avenging a pair of regular season losses, No. 2 seed Barker nipped top seeded defending champion Akron 1-0 in a shootout in the Section VI Class C field hockey championship game at Orchard Park this afternoon.

Barker outscored Akron 3-2 in the shootout on goals by Natalie Menz, Casey A’Hearn and Grayce Weller.

Cara Fox made 3 saves in goal for the Lady Raiders in the shootout.

Abby Stone and Olivia Diebel scored the shootout goals for Akron.

Akron had bested Barker during the Niagara-Orleans season by scores of 2-0 and 4-0 in route to capturing the league title.

Barker, which has captured the Class C sectional title 8 of the last 9 years, will next face East Rochester in the Class C Far West Regional at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Hilton.

No. 6 seed Roy-Hart romped to a straight set 25-18, 25-5, 25-12 victory over host No. 3 Buffalo Arts this evening in the quarterfinals of the Section VI Class B2 volleyball playoffs.

Victoria Stanczyk had 15 service points, 4 of which were aces, Aspen Moore 14 points, 3 aces and 4 spiking kills, Skyler Christopher 6 kills, Bea Bacon 9 points, 4 aces and 12 kills and Olivia Vorholzer 5 points, 3 aces and 5 kills to lead the way for the Lady Rams.

Roy-Hart will next visit No. 2 Alden in the semifinals on Tuesday.

City Honors 25-25-25, Medina 18-21-16
Top seeded City Honors bested visiting No. 9 Medina in straight sets in another B2 quarterfinal.

Emily Kams had 4 kills, 7 digs and 7 assists, Molley Gross 7 kills, 4 digs and 2 blocks, Je’ne Brown 6 kills, Maddie Williams 2 kills and 5 digs, Carley Schultz 2 kills, Grace Masse 7 kills and 9 assists, Alyssa Beyer 4 digs and Brandi Guild 3 digs for Medina.

In a Class C1 quarterfinal, top seeded Niagara-Orleans League champion Akron defeated visiting No. 8 Wilson in straight sets.

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Albion’s Chanyce Powell registers one of her 30 spiking kills over Olean’s Victoria Certo during the host Purple Eagles marathon sectional win over the Lady Huskies this evening.

In a marathon five set thriller, No. 3 seed Albion came from behind twice to outlast visiting No. 6 Olean 22-25, 26-24, 19-25, 25-22, 25-23 this evening in the quarterfinal round of the Section VI Class B1 volleyball playoffs.

Chanyce Powell had a huge night at the net pounding out a total of 30 spiking kills to spark the Albion attack.

Trailing two sets to one, Albion pulled even by rallying to take 5 of the final 6 points to claim the 25-22 win in the fourth set.

Powell had a kill to pull the Purple Eagles even at 21-21. Emilie Barleben then served up points 22 and 23 and Isabella Gibbs point 25. Powell had a total of 6 kills in the set and Kaitlyn Van Skiver 2.

Keeping the momentum, Albion grabbed an early 5-2 lead in the decisive fifth set on a pair of kills by Powell sandwiched around a service ace by Gibbs.

However, Olean battled back to take a 10-7 lead as Julie Ash served up points 6-10, including 2 aces.

Albion though answered the challenge first tying the set at 12-12 after an ace by Van Skiver and a kill by Powell. The Purple Eagles then regained an 18-13 lead after a big run of five straight service points by Barleben, a run highlighted by 3 kills by Powell.

Albion’s Haley Smith spikes over Olean’s Victoria Certo.

A kill and a block by Powell followed by kills by Caitlynn Snook and Van Skiver kept the Purple Eagles up 22-19.

Another kill by Powell, her 9th of the set, upped the Albion lead to 24-20.

Olean though battled back to within one at 24-23 on a pair of service points by Mariah Moses.

However, the next point, the set and the match belonged to Albion as Haley Smith registered a kill for the clinching point advancing the Purple Eagles to the semifinals.

“I’m just so proud of our kids the way they battled back,” said Albion Coach ann Capacci. “Olean is a very scrappy, very good team. Our kids played great defense though. It took us a little while to get going but once we did we did all right.”

Olean jumped out to the early lead taking the opening set 25-22 as the Lady Huskies 7 of the last 8 points to erase a 21-18 deficit. Makenna Anastasia served up points 20-23 to key that comeback.

The Lady Huskies kept rolling early in the second set grabbing an 11-6 lead a Anastasia served up points 8-11.

Allbion though battled back to take a 14-12 lead as Powell had 4 kills and a block for points to highlight the rally which saw Barleben serve up points 10-14.

Three service points by Sierra Newton kept Albion up 19-16 but again Olean came rallying back.

The Lady Huskies took 7 of the next 10 points to regain a slender 23-22 lead.

The Purple Eagles though again answered the challenge by winning 4 of the final 5 points to claim the 26-24 overtime win as Powell capped off the rally by registering kills for points 25 and 26.

The sea-saw third set saw Albion pull even for the last time at 16-16 after a four point run on 2 kills and a block by Powell followed by an ace by Barleben.

The Purple Eagles though managed only 3 more scattered points as the Lady Huskies claimed a 25-19 win and a 2-1 lead in the match as Anastasia seres up aces for points 24 and 25.

However, Albion put together a big comeback by taking the next two sets as Powell led the way with 15 kills during that stretch.

Albion will next visit No. 2 East Aurora in the semifinals at 6 p.m. Tuesday. East Aurora defeated No. 7 Depew 3 sets to 1.

Albion’s Caitlynn Snook taps the ball over Olean’s Mariah Moses as Kaitlyn Van Skiver and Emilie Barleben support.

No. 7 seed Genesee Valley outlasted No. 10 Lyndonville 25-22, 24-26, 25-18, 26-24 this evening in a Section V Class D2 pre quarterfinal volleyball match at Caledonia-Mumford.

Genesee Valley will next visit No. 2 Kendall in the quarterfinals at 2 p.m. Saturday.

Alecia Hinkson had 11 spiking kills for Lyndonvlle as Paige Gardner added 5 kills and 7 assists, Kennedy Clark 5 kills and 3 blocks, Cassie Maynard 6 kills, Hannah Despart 6 digs and Cassidy Boyce 2 kills and 2 aces.

Class C1

No. 9 Sodus downed host No. 8 Holley 25-20, 25-20, 25-17 in a Class C1 pre quarterfinal.

Jennah McMillion had 5 aces, 4 assists and 2 digs for Holley.

Section VI Girls Soccer

No. 3 seed Newfane blanked No. 2 East Aurora 3-0 in the Section VI Class B1 championship game while No. 2 Fredonia nipped No. 5 Wilson 1-0 in the Class B2 title contest this evening at Williamsville North.

Kayleigh Daniels scored two goals, one in each half, to lead the way for Newfane. Megan Knoll added the final tally for the Lady Panthers.

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Medina/Lyndonville’s Dustin Joy eludes a couple of Pioneer defenders to gain yardage during the Mustangs loss to the Panthers this evening at Vets Park.

Mason Lewis looks to gain yardage for the Mustangs.

Streaking Pioneer made it four wins in a row by downing Medina/Lyndonville 17-6 this evening in a season ending non league game at Vets Park.

Pioneer built up a 10-0 advantage on a 23 yard field goal by Kyle Burley with 42 seconds to go in the first quarter and a 25 yard run with a blocked punt for a touchdown by Jason Gauthier with 10:12 remaining in the third quarter.

Medina/Lyndonville, which crossed midfield only once in the first half, closed the gap to 10-6 as Jalin Cooper swept around end for a 14 yard touchdown run with 4:45 remaining in the third quarter but the Mustangs could not find the end zone again.

A 13 yard fourth down pass from quarterback Izaiah Rhim to Mason Lewis keyed that drive which also included 9 yard runs by Rhim and Ronnie Koonce.

However, the Panthers got that one back midway through the fourth quarter on a 17 yard touchdown run by Gauthier and an extra point kick by Burley to make it 17-6. A big 31 yard fourth down pass completion from quarterback Nick Rinker to Mike Rigerman keyed that drive.

The Pioneer defense then locked up the victory by stopping the Mustangs final possession on an interception by Gauthier.

The Mustangs lone threat of the first half came late as pass completions by Rhim of 14 yards to Cooper and 11 yards to Eric Neace and a 20 yard run by Neace moved the ball to the Panthers 10 where the drive stalled out as the half ended.

The Mustangs, which played without season long rushing leader running back Jake Cotter (829 yards, 8 touchdowns) who was injured in last week’s loss to Lackawnna, also  had Rhim leave the game with an injury in the third quarter as Koonce came on to finish up at quarterback.

The Panthers finish the season at 5-4 and the Mustangs at 6-3.

Mustangs linebacker Eric Neace comes in to sack Panthers quarterback Nick Rinker.

The curtain will ring down on the local high school football season this evening as Medina/Lyndonville hosts Pioneer in a non league game at 6 p.m. at Vets Park.

The Mustangs will be looking to rebound from a 16-8 upset loss to Lackawanna last Friday in the quarterfinals of the Section VI playoffs.

The Panthers on the other hand will be looking to make it four wins in row after having defeated Fredonia 30-6, Gowanda 28-0 and Barker/Roy-Hart 33-6 the last three weeks.

Medina/Lyndonville brings a 6-2 record into the contest while Pioneer is 4-4.

The meeting will be the third ever between the teams. Pioneer won the first two encounters 28-7 in 1995 and 24-16 in 2010 in the quarterfinals of the Class B sectional playoffs.