Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Albion’s Matthew Kania, left, in action in the 100 Breaststroke and Keira Sidari in the 200 Individual Medley during today’s meet at Medina.

A win in the final relay event earned Medina a narrow 78-75 victory over visiting rival Albion in a Niagara-Orleans League boys swim meet this evening.

The foursome of Jackson Reese, Brandon Brueckner, Jonathan Dix and Bryson Ford teamed up to score the decisive victory in the 400 Freestyle Relay.

Ford also won the 100 Free, Brueckner the 500 Free and Reese the 100 Backstroke.

Albion had a pair of individual event double winners as Leo Bolton took the 200 Individual Medley and the 100 Butterfly and Matthew Kania the 200 Free and 100 Breaststroke. Justin Kania also took the 50 Free for the Purple Eagles.

Bolton, Matthew Kania, Justin Kania and Logan Kast combined to win both the 200 Medley Relay and the 200 Free Relay.

Medina is now 1-3 and Albion 0-3.

Albion girls down Medina
Albion earned a split on the day as the Purple Eagles girls squad downed Medina 80-73.

Willow Gaines was an individual event double winner for Albion in the 50 Free and 100 Breaststroke. The Purple Eagles also had Aubrey Brunning win the 200 Free, Keira Sidari the IM and Anna Grillo the 100 Free.

Gaines, Sidari, Grillo and Jillian LeBaren teamed up to win both the 200 Medley Relay and the 200 Free Relay.

For Medina, Madison Watts won the 100 Butterfly, Maya Anderson the 500 Free and Payton Denniston the 100 Backstroke.

Albion is now 1-2 and Medina 0-4

In action for Medina are Sophia Goyette, at left, in 100 Breaststroke and Juan Gonzalez in the 500 Freestyle.

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Medina’s Jayzon Wills puts up a shot against Newfane defender Miles Czekaj during the Mustangs home court win over the Panthers this evening.

Pulling away in the second quarter, Medina went on to down visiting Newfane 71-43 in a Niagara-Orleans League boys basketball game this evening.

Preston Woodworth poured in a career high 33 points, including seven threes, to spearhead the Medina offense. Jerrell Nealy added 13, Cole Callard 8, Kolton Fletcher, Jimmy Dieter and Gordan Young 5 each and Christian Moss 2.

Mac Capen scored 16 and Nasir Spencer 11 to pace Newfane.

Medina jumped out to a 21-16 first period lead as Woodworth scored 9. Capen matched that 9 to keep Newfane close.

The Mustangs then broke the contest open with a key 17-4 second period scoring surge to open up an 18 point, 38-20, half-time advantage. Woodworth hit two threes and Callard one during that uprising for the Mustangs.

Medina maintained an 18 point, 52-34, advantage at the three-quarter mark as Woodworth hit two more threes and Nealy added a pair of baskets.

Woodworth finished his big evening with 12 points in the final stanza including two more threes.

Medina, which next visits rival Albion on Friday, is now 2-1 in N-O action and Newfane 0-4.

Wilson 52, Albion 51
Wilson nipped visiting Albion 52-51 as Ryan Hough scored 22 and Aiden Neumann 19 to lead the Lakemen.

Isaiah Riley scored 24, Tyler Cody 10 and Wesley Olles 8 to pace Albion.

Wilson is now 3-1 and Albion 2-2 in N-O action.

Akron 52, Roy-Hart 51
Front-running Akron improved to 5-0 in N-O competition with a narrow 52-51 win over visiting Roy-Hart which slips to 0-3.

Ben Gerstung and Derren Brooks each scored 15 and Syras Jonathan 10 to lead the way for Akron.

Dan Aquilina took game high honors with 24 for Roy-Hart as Erique Powell added 13.

N-O Standings: Akron 5-0, Wilson 3-1, Medina 2-1, Albion 2-2, Barker 1-2, Roy-Hart 0-3, Newfane 0-4.

Medina’s Jimmy Dieter drives against Newfane’s Isaac Zachery.

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Kendall’s Addison Kludt battles for a rebound with Holley’s Alexis VanAmeron and Mia Thom during the Lady Eagles rivalry win over the host Lady Hawks this evening.

Leading from wire to wire, Kendall bested rival Holley 38-25 in a Genesee Region League girls basketball game this evening at Holley.

Mia Price scored 11 to lead Kendall’s balanced attack as Izzy D’Agostino and Stella Kwiatek both had 8, Addison Kludt 7 and Ava LaMay 4.

Alivia Wolf scored 11 and Zoey Wolf 9 to pace Holley as Hanna Ostrom and Desiree McCormack both had 2 and Brynn Thomas 1.

Kendall jumped out to a 12-3 first quarter lead as Kludt tallied 5, D’Agostino 4 and Kwiatek 3.

Two second period threes by Zoey Wolf helped pull Holley back to within four, 19-15 at the half.

Holley then sliced the deficit to just one twice early in the third period at 19-18 and again at 21-20 after a three and a two by Alivia Wolf but the Lady Hawks could get no closer.

Kendall answered with a 9-3 run to close the period, including a three and a two by Price, to regain a 7 point, 30-23, advantage at the three-quarter mark.

The Lady Eagles then outpointed the Lady Hawks 8-2 down the stretch to lock up the win. Price made a four point play to open the period extending the Lady Eagles lead to 11 at 34-23.

Kendall is now 3-2 in the league and 4-3 over all while Holley is 1-2, 3-2.

Kendall’s Ava LaMay puts up a shot as Desiree McCormack and Hanna Ostrom defend for Holley.

Pembroke 65, Barker 22
Pembroke downed visiting Barker 65-22 in a non league contest as Seneca Calderon had 19 points and 11 rebounds, Peyton Liss 15 points and 10 steals and Onolee Easterbrook 12 points and 7 rebounds.

Jordyn Kinne had 10 points and 10 rebounds and Elise Monaco 7 points and 11 rebounds for Barker.

Holley’s Alivia Wolf drives in for a layup ahead of Kendall defender Brooke Rodas.

Avenging an early season 8-1 loss, Cheektowaga turned the tables on the Roy-Hart/Barker/Medina Club Hockey team Sunday evening at home with a 7-2 victory.

The hosts took a 2-0 lead midway through the first period, eventually increasing that lead to 6-0 in the second before Austin Woodward (Wilson) scored from Gavin Ickowski (R-H). Woodward would add an unassisted goal in the third period.

RBM was outshot 45- 25 in the game.

Now 5-3 on the season, RBM’s next game is this coming Saturday at 1:50 p.m. at the Cornerstone Rink against 8-3 Team Buffalo.

Monday
Girls Basketball – Barker at Pembroke , 6:30 p.m.; Kendall at Holley, 7 p.m.

Tuesday
Boys Basketball – Albion at Wilson, 6 p.m.; Newfane at Medina, Akron at Roy-Hart, 6:30 p.m.; Kendall at Lyndonville, Holley at Notre Dame, 7 p.m.
Girls Basketball – Medina at Newfane, Wilson at Albion, Roy-Hart at Akron, 6:30 p.m.
Swimming – Albion at Medina, Newfane at Roy-Hart/Barker, 5 p.m.
Wrestling – Roy-Hart/Barker vs. Holley/Kendall at Kendall, 6 p.m.

Wednesday
Boys Basketball – Barker at Alden, 6:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball – Kendall at Lyndonville, Albion at Attica, 7 p.m.
Wrestling – Wilson at Medina, Albion at Newfane, Roy-Hart/Barker at Akron, Lyndonville at Alexander, Holley-Kendall at Byron-Bergen, 6 p.m.

Thursday
Boys Basketball – Lyndonville at Alexander, Kendall at Elba, 7 p.m.
Swimming – Medina at Newfane, Albion at Akron, 5 p.m.

Friday
Boys Basketball – Wilson at Barker, 6 p.m.; Medina at Albion, Roy-Hart at Newfane, 6:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball – School of the Arts at Holley, 5:30 p.m.; Barker at Wilson, 6 p.m.; Albion at Medina, Newfane at Roy-Hart, 6:30 p.m.; Alexander at Lyndonville, 7 p.m.

Saturday
Swimming – Akron at Albion, 10 a.m.
Wrestling – Lyndonville at Cal-Mum Tournament, Holley-Kendall at East Rochester Tournament

N-O Standings
Boys Basketball – Akron 4-0, Albion 2-1, Wilson 2-1, Medina 1-1, Barker 1-2, Roy-Hart 0-2, Newfane 0-3
Girls Basketball – Akron 4-0, Roy-Hart 2-0, Newfane 2-1, Albion 1-2, Wilson 1-2, Medina 0-2, Barker 0-2
Boys Swimming – Roy-Hart/Barker 3-0, Newfane 3-0, Akron 1-2, Albion 0-2, Medina 0-3
Girls Swimming – Roy-Hart/Barker 3-0, Newfane 3-0, Akron 1-2, Albion 0-2, Medina 0-3
Wrestling – Newfane 2-0, Akron 2-1, Wilson 2-1, Roy-Hart/Barker 1-1, Albion 1-2, Medina 0-3

For a scribe who has covered local sports for a long time Friday’s announcement that Medina was switching from 11 man to 8 man football due to low participation numbers was not a shock but it certainly was an attention getter.

Certainly in recent years declining participation numbers have been an increasing concern for high school coaches not only in football but in all sports.

And success  does not guarantee good numbers as the struggle with lower than desired numbers to be sure has been the situation for the Medina football squad over the past very successful five years (five straight C North titles and two Section VI championships).

The decision ends, at least for now,  well over a century of 11 man football participation for Medina and the equally long standing rivalry with Albion.

“That’s scary” said Albion Coach David Skrip of the decision but he quickly added. “It shows the state of football especially in small towns.” He noted that Albion too faced small numbers problems last fall and needed to bring up a number of younger players.

Holley Coach Wil Prince, whose own 8 man Hawks squad has had low numbers problems as well in recent years, agreed. “I am sure there will be other teams doing the same. I think that small schools football is in trouble all around. The kids just are not playing any more.”

However, as has been noted, low participation numbers are not a problem unique to football.

This past fall in N-O cross-country competition Albion, Medina and Wilson could not field compete girls teams and Akron and Wilson could not field complete boys teams. In N-O golf Newfane and Wilson could not field complete teams and in boys soccer it wasn’t until preseason practices were about to begin that Newfane announced it had enough players to field a varsity team.

And one just has to look at the results of most wrestling matches to see the number of bouts which are decided by forfeits to see that low participation numbers are a problem on the mats as well.

Low participation numbers are also evident by the number of merged teams in the area including Roy-Hart and Barker in football, swimming and wrestling, Holley and Kendall in wrestling and Holley and Lyndonville in football.

Medina football coach and Athletic Director Eric Valley has stated that he hopes this switch to 8 man will only be temporary and that the Mustangs will soon be able to get participation numbers up sufficient enough to resume 11 man competition and the rivalry with the Purple Eagles. Hopefully if the JV level team is reinstated that will help in the rebuilding process.

That challenge though to be sure is a big one. The state requires that a team must have 16 players healthy and eligible in order to play in an 11 man football game. However, in order to even practice 11 on 11 and to guard against losing players due to injury or eligibility a squad ideally needs to have numbers at least in the mid 20s.

The hope here is that not only will the numbers increase to enable the Medina football team to return to 11 man competition but that our area teams in all sports will have sufficient numbers to compete successfully.

The challenge is how to get more of our students interested in, and see the fun, enjoyment and camaraderie that comes with being the member of a team and competing in sports.

It is a challenge that we hope more of our students will take up and accept.