Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Leading Albion into the up coming season will be this group of veterans. In front is Aaliyah Jones. Kneeling are Mia Standish, Shayla Higgins, Aubrey Gannon, Julia Button and Ava Woolston. Standing are Lux Froman, Ava Ludwig, McKinley Knight, Kailee Anstey and Brittany Lewis.

Albion will open the girls soccer season by hosting the Purple Eagles annual  tournament next Wednesday and Friday (August 27 and 29).

The Purple Eagles will face Alexander in the opening round as the other semifinal will have Newfane vs. Oakfield-Alabama.

Albion, which went 2-7-1 in Niagara-Orleans League action and 7-8-1 overall last year, will begin N-O competition on September 10 at home against Akron.

Anchoring the Purple Eagles lineup will be the veteran group of seniors Mia Standish, Ava Ludwig, McKinley Knight, Julia Button, Aubrey Gannone and Kailee Anstey along with juniors Ava Woolston, Shayla Higgins, Brittany Lewis and freshmen Aaliyah Jones and Lux Froman.

Button, Anstey and Woolston all earned N-O All League Honorable Mention last fall.

The Purple Eagles key graduation losses included N-O first team All League honorees Cami London (25 goals) and Kenzie Snook and second team honoree Rori Higgins.

“We lost some good kids so we have some holes to fill especially scoring,” said Coach Maggie Orbaker. “Scoring goals will be the key for us.”

Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Lyndonville’s veteran laden lineup includes, in front, Logan Fonda, Barrett Alexander, Jesus Rosario-Reyes, Maddox Smith, Gavyn Draper and Raul Morales. In back are Amir Zimmerman, Chanse Amsdill, Brody Hazel, Austin Fonda, Colton Smith, Michael Alexander, Shannon Withey and Iziah Rodriguez.

Last fall Lyndonville made a return to boys varsity soccer competition with an all underclassmen squad after not competing in 2023 due to low numbers.

That youthful nature of that 2024 team is certainly paying dividends now as the Tigers return their lineup virtually intact. In fact the only player not back is exchange student Juan Alberdi.

The Tigers veteran laden roster includes seniors Austin Fonda, Colton Smith and Raul Morales; juniors Shannon Withey, Jesus Rosario-Reyes, Michael Alexander and Brody Hazel; sophomores Gavyn Draper, Chanse Amsdill, Amir Zimmerman and Logan Fonda along with freshmen Maddox Smith, Izaiah Rodriguez and Barrett Alexander.

“I’m excited. We have a very experienced group,” said Lyndonville graduate Casey Winiecki who has taken over the coaching reins from Wes Bradley who came out of retirement last fall to guide the Tigers return to varsity competition.

Lyndonville will open the season on September 4 with a non league game at Newfane and then begin Genesee Region League competition at home on September 8 against defending champion Kendall.

Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Leading the Kendall girls varsirty soccer team into the up coming season will be this group of veterans. In front are Brooke Rodas, Alea Barrett, Izzy D’Agostino, Sophia Picardo and Ryleigh Denning. In back are Haley Ball, Stella Kwiatek, Addison Kludt, Keara Reed and Brynn Hardenbrook.

Anchored by a veteran laden lineup, the Kendall girls soccer team is prepping to defend their Genesee Region League Division 2 title.

Kendall, which went 12-1 in G-R action and 18-2 overall last fall, will open the season by hosting Bishop Kearney in the semifinals of the Lady Eagles Tournament at 5 p.m. next Wednesday (August 27). The consolation and championship games will be held on Friday August 29.

Senior goalie Brooke Rodas  leads the Lady Eagles large veteran contingent which also includes four G-R All-Stars – senior Stella Kwiatek, juniors Addison Kludt and Sophia Picardo and sophomore Ryleigh Denning – along with five G-R Honorable Mention selections – senior Alea Barrett, juniors Keara Reed and Haley Ball and sophomores Brynn Hardenbrook and Izzy D’Agostino.

Picardo had 17 goals and 27 assists and Denning 16 goals and 9 assists for the Lady Eagles last fall.

“We do have a large, very experienced returning group which is really good,” said Coach Angel Rosario. “It is a good blend of a group and they know what to expect. Our goals are the same and we are looking for a good season.”

Following the tournament, the Lady Eagles will also host Newfane in a non league game on September 3 before opening the G-R season at Wheatland-Chili on Sept. 9.

Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Holley’s veteran group includes, in front, Chase Kempa, Hunter Pachla, Dylan Warner, Cameron Kelley, Kohle Pachla and Miguel Vazquez Pulcino. In back are Josh Silpoch, Blake Coleman, Cooper Wolf, Aidan Kelley, Logan Gillespie, Gage Yockel and Cam Mosier.

Over a dozen returnees anchor the lineup for the Holley boys varsity soccer team which will open the season next Wednesday (August 27) with a special game marking the reopening of the Hawks renovated Woodlands soccer facility.

The Hawks will host Cardinal O’Hara at 7 p.m. in the second half of a girl-boy soccer doubleheader. The Holley girls will face O’Hara in the 5 p.m. opener.

Holley’s large veteran group includes seniors Cam Mosier, Hunter Pachla, Logan Gillespie, Blake Coleman, Josh Silpoch, Kohl Pachla  and Miguel Vazquez Pulcino along with juniors Chase Kempa, Cooper Wolf, Aidan Kelley and Gage Yockel; sophomore Dylan Warner and freshman Cameron Kelley.

Kempa, who had 8 goals and 18 assists, earned Genesee Region League All-Star honors while Mosier and Warner were both Honorable Mention selections.

The Hawks lineup also includes senior Avante Walker who played football last fall.

“I’m very pleased with our good numbers for both the varsity and JV teams, “said Coach Zach Ritz. “We have a good experienced group and we’re looking for a good season.”

The Hawks graduation losses included G-R All Stars Will Kruger and Chris Mosier who scored 25 goals.

Holley will also host Batavia in a non league game on August 28 before opening the G-R campaign at home on September 8 against Pembroke.

Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Kendall’s large veteran contingent includes, in front, Mikey Colucci, Ethan Hardenbrook, Brenden Eichas, Brandon Barrett, Pablo Rosario-Reyes and Andrew Cole. In back are Joseph Fagan, Sam Charland, Aidan Kwiatkowski, Jonny Conte, Jonas Rhodes, Vinnie D’Agostino and Jonathan Esposito.

Looking to keep the momentum from last fall’s league and sectional title campaign, the Kendall boys varsity soccer team returns a large veteran contingent.

Seniors Pablo Rosario-Reyes, Brandon Barrett and Jonathan Esposito, who all earned Genesee Region League All-Star honors, and goalie Jonny Conte, who was an Honorable Mention selection, head that veteran group.

Rosario-Reyes, who was named G-R Player of the Year, had 29 goals and 24 assists. Barrett had 13 goals and 11 assists and Esposito 10 goals an 8 assists while Conte registered 13 shutouts in goal and had a 0.58 goals against average.

The Eagles veteran group also includes seniors Vinnie D’Agostino, Ethan Hardenbrook, Joseph Fagan, Brenden Eichas, Mikey Colucci, Aidan Kwiatkowski and Jonas Rhodes along with sophomore Sam Charland and eighth grader Andrew Cole.

Kendall’s graduation losses included the G-R All-Star trio of Will Kludt, Colby Hughes and Pantaleon Reyes-Garcia.

“We lost some good kids but we have the majority of our core back,” said Eagles Coach Rich Esposito. “We know we have a mark on our back after our success last year but I expect we’ll do well. ”

Kendall, which captured both the G-R and Section V Class C2 titles last fall, went 11-0-1 in the league and 18-2-1 overall.

Kendall will open the season by hosting Bishop Kearney in the opening round of the Eagles Tournament at 5 p.m. next Tuesday (August 26). The consolation and championship games will be on August 28.

The Eagles will begin G-R competition at Lyndonville on September 8.

Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Veteran members of the Holley girls varsity soccer team include, in front, Payton Preston, Lily Newman, Hanna Ostrom, Jayna Burris and Brianna Tomasino. In back are Mia Thom, Brynn Thomas, Kyla Burne and Ava Mosier.

The accent is on youth for the Holley girls varsity soccer team’s underclassmen dominated lineup this season.

The Lady Hawks veterans include seniors Lily Newman and Payton Preston; junior Mia Thom; sophomores Jayna Burris, Ava Mosier, Kyla Burne, Brynn Thomas, Hanan Ostrom and freshmen Brianna Tomasino.

Thom, Burne, Thomas and Ostrom all earned Honorable Mention on the Genesee Region League All-Star squad.

“We’re young,” said Coach Renee Wolf. “We’ve got a very good young group coming along and I think they will do well.”

The Lady Hawks graduation losses included G-R All-Stars Alexia Renner, Alivia Wolf and Zoey Wolf.

Holley went 9-4 in G-R competition and 13-5-1 overall last season.

The Lady Hawks will open the season at home against Cardinal O’Hara at 5 p.m. on August 27 in the first half of a doubleheader celebrating the opening of the renovated Woodlands soccer facility. The Holley boys will also face O’Hara in the second game.

Holley will also host Bloomfield on September 5 before beginning G-R competition at home against Pembroke on Sept. 9.

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Albion girls soccer players work on a ball control drill during this morning’s opening practice session.

High school preseason practice got underway today for football, boys and girls soccer, field hockey, volleyball, golf and cross-country.

It will be a short preseason stretch for most sports as contests are on tap for next week for soccer, field hockey and golf.

The N-O golf season will begin next Monday (August 25) including Roy-Hart at Albion and Akron at Medina and the field hockey campaign gets started next Wednesday (August 27) including defending champion Akron at Medina, Barker at Wilson and Kenmore at Roy-Hart.

The Kendall boys and girls varsity soccer teams will host the opening round of their tournaments on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively.

The Albion boys and girls soccer teams will also open with tournament action. The boys will compete at the Wheatland-Chili Tourney on Thursday and Saturday while the girls will host their open tournament on Wednesday and Friday.

The Holley girls and boys soccer teams will host a doubleheader against Cardinal O’Hara next Wednesday to mark the renovation of the Hawks’ Woodland Field soccer facility.

Upgrades to the soccer complex included concession building renovations, new handicap accessible bleachers, field lights, walkway light posts, signage, paving in the parking lot, walkway, and concession area, and a new sound system and scoreboard.

Medina football players work on a defensive drill at Vets Park this afternoon.

Albion players work on a special teams drill at this morning’s practice.

Penelope Schalck puts a shot on goalie Madison Zeiner during the Medina field hockey teams’ practice at Vets Park this evening.

File Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Melanie Green

Registering a flurry of birdies, Medina’s Melanie Green fired a sizzling 6 under par round of 66 today to close out competition at the LPGA Tour’s Standard Portland Classic in Portland, Oregon.

That red hot round enabled her to finish the tournament with a 9 under par total of 279.

Beginning the day at 3 under par for the tourney, Green got rolling quickly on the front nine notching birdies on 4, 5, 6 and 9 to go to 7 under at the turn.

Keeping the momentum, she had a strong finish with birdies on 16 and 18 for a 66, her best round of the four day event.

She opened the tournament with 1 under par round of 71 on Thursday. She followed that up with a 3 under par round of 69 on Friday but slipped a bit to a 1 over par round of 73 on Saturday.

She rebounded strongly from that 1 over round with today’s blistering 6 under round of 66 to finish at 9 under.

Green will return to the Epson Pro Tour next weekend with a tournament at Kansas. Going into this weekend she held the Epson Tour points lead and has already locked up an LPGA Tour Card for 2026.

Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Albion’s Greyson Roberts runs for a two point conversion try during the Eagles Mini Division win over visiting LeRoy Saturday.

Albion scored a three game sweep over visiting LeRoy Saturday to open the Niagara Orleans Football Association (NOFA) season.

Albion won the Beginners Division game 42-0, the Mini Division 30-20 and the JV Division 28-7.

Beginner Division
Albion 42, LeRoy 0
Kenny Almonte’s 108 yards, 2 touchdowns and Matthias Ellis’s 85 yards and 2 touchdowns help lead the Albion attack. Lexington Pridgen and Gunner Jackson both added TD runs. Xavier Weis picked up 20 yards on the ground.

Almonte led the defense with 13 tackles, a forced fumble and a sack. Pridgen had 7 tackles and a fumble recovery, Drake Neri 4 tackles, Weis 3, and Ellis 3. Myles Labarge, Artavion Lewis, Roman Pridgen and Jackson also chipped in with tackles.

Mini Division
Albion 30, LeRoy 20
Trailing 14-12 after 3 quarters, Albion rallied to take the lead for good as Elian Almonte had back to back forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and touchdowns of 46 and 44 yards.

Jaidyn Richardson had 8 tackles, Moses Taylor 7, Hudson Palmer 5, Almonte, Greyson Roberts, Conor Murphy and Mason Cornick 4 each, Landon Stalker 3, Chase Armer, Wyatt Purnell and Zeus Vallejo each had a tackle.

Almonte picked up 141 yards and two touchdowns. Taylor had 19 carries for 107 yards, including 8 carries for 31 yards and a score to seal the victory on the final drive.

JV Division
Albion 28, LeRoy 7
Damareon Shine picked up 121 yards and two touchdowns for the Eagles offense. Camden Holt added 95 yards and a score and Jayce Torres 77 yards and a score. Lincoln Voorhees had 18 yards receiving from Jace DiMatteo.

Kairo Bennett led the Eagles defense with 10 tackles and a fumble recovery. Arthur Lewis III and Holt had 9 each. Shine 6, Torres 5, Matthew Colmerero and Cayden Farrell 4 each, Eddie Hammonds and Kayden Brigham 3 each. Jayden Russo, Jai’Kaih Drisdom, Prince McGill, Dominic Westlund, Isaac Barbz Button, Roman Allport, Kolton Berry, Owen Beecher, Cooper Traxler, Kyle Schomske, Liam Saporito, Elijah Warren were also all in on tackles

The Lyndonville Cubs blanked visitng Attica 13-0 Saturday in a season opening Niagara Orleans Football Association (NOFA) Beginners Division game.

Bryson Holloway scored what proved to be the winning tochdown on a 62 yard run with a minute left in the second quarter.

Camdyn Griffin later added a big insurance touchdown with a 70 yard run with three minutes to go in the fourth quarter.

Attica did win the other two games by scores of 26-6 in the Mini Division and 37-18 in the JV Division.

Lyndonville next hosts Albion on Saturday.