A late comeback bid fell short as Medina dropped an 82-71 decision to host Oakfield-Alabama in a non league boys basketball game this evening.

Trailing by 15, 74-59, with less than three minutes to go Medina put together an 11-1 run to slice the deficit to five, 75-70, with 1:10 remaining. That rally included a two and a three by Preston Woodworth, a layup by Jerrell Nealy and a pair of free throws by Cole Callard.

However, the Mustangs could get no closer as the Hornets closed with a 7-1 run, all from the free throw line, to lock up the win.

Gavin Armbrewster scored 19, Avery Watterson 18, Brady Williams 13, Mason Watterson 9 and John Cianfrini 8 to lead the way for the Hornets which improve to 3-3.

Woodworth took game high honors with 23 for Medina as Nealy had 16, Callard 11, Christian Moss 8, Kolton Fletcher 6, Jayzon Wills 4, Avion Johnson 2 and Gordan Young 1.

Medina did jump out to a 12 point, 18-6, lead at the outset as Woodworth scored 6, Nealy 5, Callard 4 and Fletcher 3.

Oakfield-Alabama though answered with a 13-5 run to close the quarter and slice the Medina lead to four, 23-19.

Keeping the momentum, the Hornets went on to outpoint the Mustangs 18-12 in the second quarter to take a 37-35 half-time lead and 24-15 in the third period to extend the advantage to 11 at 61-50.

Avery Watterson scored 11 for the Hornets over the middle two periods as Mason Watterson had 7, Armbrewster and Williams 6 each and Cianfrini 5.

Keeping rolling, the Hornets built the lead to 15, 74-59 late in the final quarter and then turned back a late Mustangs rally to notch the win.

Now at 1-5, Medina will next host Kenmore East at 12:30 p.m. Monday in a non league make-up game.

The Roy-Hart/Barker/Medina Club Hockey team scored an exciting overtime victory today to improve to 5-2 in the season.

Two goals by Sean Mettler (R-H) within a span of less than two game minutes gave RBM a 5-4 overtime win over West Seneca.

Austin Woodward (W) opened the scoring with an assist from Aiden Cronkhite (N).

West Seneca was able to tie the game, but Gavin Ickowski hit an unassisted goal to give RBM a 2-1 lead at the end of the first.

In the second, West Seneca scored twice taking the lead into the final period.

The visitors were able to increase their lead to 4-2 at the beginning of the period, but Ickowski scored again unassisted at the 2:03 point of the game.

Mettler then provided the heroics with a power play goal with just 33 seconds left in regulation from David Ward (RH) and Woodward. That sent the game into overtime.

With 1:15 left in the OT, Mettler lit the lamp for the game winner on another power play with the assist to Connor Woodward (W). Jordan Johnson (M) picked up the win in goal.

RBM’s next game is at Cheektowaga on Sunday, January 5th at 8:30 p.m.

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Barker’s Owen Harris drives in for a layup as Noah Morehouse (22) and Jonny Conte (1) defend for Kendall. The action took place during Barker’s win this evening in the semifinals of the Kendall Tournament.

Moving on top to stay with a big scoring burst to close the first half, Barker went on to down host Kendall 67-55 in the semifinals of the Eagles boys basketball Holiday Tournament this afternoon.

Trailing 19-14, Barker closed the second quarter with a 16-2 scoring surge to rally into a nine point, 30-21, half-time advantage.

Anthony Taliaferro hit two threes and Jackson Prynn and Donovan Hefferon each had one to lead that uprising. In all, 7 of Barker’s 11 first half baskets came from three point range.

The Bulldogs maintained a nine point, 44-35, advantage at the three-quarter mark as Taliaferro scored 6 and Isaac Monaco 4 in the third period.

Back-to-back baskets by Jonas Rhodes and CJ D’Agostino pulled Kendall to within seven, 53-46, early in the final period but the Eagles could get no closer.

Trailing 10-7 after the first period, Kendall rallied into what proved to be a brief 19-14 lead by opening the second quarter with a 12-4 run including 7 by CJ D’Agostino.

However, Barker answered with the decisive 16-2 run sparked by four threes to regain the lead for good 30-21 at the half.

Logan Murrell scored 17, Taliaferro 13 and Monaco 12 to lead the way for Barker as Owen Harris added 9 and Hefferon and Jackson Prynn 8 each. Murrell had a total of five threes.

CJ D’Agostino took game high honors with 22 and Rhodes had 16 to pace Kendall as Jonny Conte added 8, Michael Hallowell 4, Vinnie D’Agostino 3 and Sammy Conte 2.

Barker will now face CG Finney in the championship game at 6:30 p.m. Monday following the 5 p.m. consolation game between Kendall and Global Concepts. Finney defeated Global Concepts 65-47 in the other semifinal.

Kendall’s CJ D’Agostino and Barker’s Anthony Taliaferro battle for a rebound.

Kendall’s Sammy Conte drives ahead of Barker’s Jackson Prynn.

Roy-Hart’s 2004 and 2005 girls basketball championship teams will be inducted into the Proud To Be A Ram Wall of Fame at 6:30 p.m. this coming Friday January 3 in ceremonies prior to the Lady Rams game against The Park School.

The Lady Rams 2004 and 2005 teams both captured Niagara-Orleans League and Section VI Class B2 championships.

The 2003-2004 team went 13-1 in the league and 20-3 overall while the 2004-05 squad went 11-1 in the league sharing the title with Albion and 19-5 overall.

The lineup for the 2003-04 team included Kristen McIntyre, Janessa Vandegriff, Amanda Vandegriff, Jessica Smith, Rachel Giroux, Holly Corser, Natalie Simons, Sarah Szpaicher, Vanessa Bright, Amanda Diel, Natalie Bragg and Abby Bronson.

The roster for the 2004-05 team included Kristen McIntyre, Janessa Vandegriff, Liz DeWaters, Jessica Smith, Shannon Anderson, Meghan Phipps, Natalie Simons, Taryn Anderson, Sarah Szpaicher, Vanessa Bright and Romira Andrade.

The ceremonies will feature Coach Don Baker honoring his N-O and sectional championship teams.

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Roy-Hart’s Erique Powell puts up a shot against LeRoy  defender Jake Higgins during the Rams semifinal tournament loss at Genesee Community College this afternoon.

A big 36-15 scoring edge over the middle two quarters keyed LeRoy to a 67-40 victory over Roy-Hart this afternoon in the Large School Division semifinals of the Batavia Lions Club Tournament at Genesee Community College.

Leading 16-11 after the first quarter, LeRoy used an 18-8 second period scoring edge to extend the lead to 15, 34-19, at the half. Matthew Hockey scored 9 and Aaric Luce 5, both including threes, during that stretch.

Keeping the momentum, LeRoy then outpointed Roy-Hart 18-7 in the third period to stretch the lead to 26, 52-26, at the three-quarter mark. Jean Agosto tallied 10 during that stretch.

Agosto finished with 16, Hockey 11, Adam Woodworth 10 and Luce 7 to lead LeRoy.

Erique Powell netted 14 and Dan Aguilina 13 to pace Roy-Hart. Tysen McCaa added 5 and Matt Aquilina and Brayden Ricker 4 each for the Rams.

Roy-Hart will face the loser of this evening’s other semifinal between Attica and Batavia, in the consolation game at 3 p.m. Monday at GCC. LeRoy will play in the championship game at 8:15 p.m. Monday.

Roy-Hart’s Dan Aquilina (5) and Matt Aquilina (0) go after a rebound against LeRoy’s Adam Woodworth and Jake Higgins.

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Lyndonville’s Addison Dillenbeck and Medina’s Cassidy Janas battle for a rebound during the Lady Tigers home court win this afternoon.

Steadily pulling away, Lyndonville posted a 57-35 win over visiting Medina in a non league girls basketball game this afternoon.

Addison Dillenbeck poured in a game high 33 points, including six threes, to spearhead the Lyndonvllle attack.

Isabella Groves added 10, Alexa Robinson 6, Emily Dill 4 and Hannah Fox and Lilly Raduns 2 each for the Lady Tigers.

Alexa Demmer scored 11 and Honesty Hill 10 to lead Medina as Ariel Smith and Tatianna Maxon 5 and Cassidy Janas and Roswyn Oakes 2.

Up 16-13 after the first period, Lyndonville extended its lead to 30-21 at the half and 48-31 after three quarters by outpointing Medina 14-8 in the second quarter and 18-10 in the third.

Dillenbeck, who scored 9 in the opening quarter, tacked on 7 in the second and 8 in the third including a pair of threes in each of those two quarters.

Lyndonville’s Emily Dill puts up a shot against Medina defenders Roswyn Oakes (10) and Honesty Hill (15).

Tatianna Maxon puts up a shot for Medina as Addison Dillenbeck defends for Lyndonville.

Competition will begin in the Kendall boys basketball Holiday Tournament on Saturday afternoon.

Kendall will host Barker in one semifinal at 3:30 p.m. The other semi will have CG Finney vs. Global Concepts at 12:30 p.m.

The tournament will conclude on Monday with the consolation game at 5 p.m. and the championship contest at 6:30 p.m.

GCC Tournament
Roy-Hart will face LeRoy at 3 p.m. Friday in the Large School Division semifinals of the the Batavia Lions Club Tournament at Genesee Community College. The other semifinal will have Attica vs. Batavia.

The tournament will wrap up on Monday with the Large School Division consolation contest at 3 p.m. and the championship game at 8:15 p.m.

Non League Contests.
Lyndonville will host Medina in a non league girls basketball game at 12:30 p.m. Friday.

The Medina boys basketball team will visit Oakfield-Alabama in a non league contest at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.

Wrestling Tournaments
Albion, Lyndonville and Roy-Hart/Barker will all be competing in the Akron Tournament on Saturday.

Holley-Kendall will be competing in the Greece Arcadia Tournament on Saturday.

Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Melanie Green

Getting a chance to be home for the Christmas holiday with her family, Medina pro golfer Melanie Green took a little time this week to reflect on her summer of very successful international golf tournaments and on her equally successful four years of competition at the University of South Florida.

Green capped off her collegiate career by earning second team All American honors and by being named the American Athletic Conference
Player of the Year and the AAC Women’s Golf Scholar Athlete of the Year.

Grateful for all those honors, however, her fondest remembrances of being on the USF golf team was the strong relationships and bonds her teammates had with each other.

“I loved my college experience. The team we had. The personalities we had, the characters all blended together was quite an experience,” she said. “We all came from different backgrounds and we had to create a family there and I think we did a really good job. You lean on them a lot.”

“I ended on a high note,” she said of her career at USF. “I played good golf and I had good people around me. The experience was phenomenal.”

That collegiate experience set the stage for what was a very busy and very successful summer which saw her win the R&A Women’s Amateur
Championship in Ireland, compete for Team USA in both the Arnold Palmer Cup Tournament in Ireland and the Curtis Cup in England and in the LPGA’s major tourney, the Amundi Evian championship and in the Canadian Open at Calgary. She also reached the match play round of 32 at the U.S. Women’s Amateur championship.

“The summer of 2024 was one for the books,” she said. “It was a lot of fun competing at the level I was. I had a blast.”

She was most pleased by the support she received at the R & A championship. “Everybody welcomed me with open arms, ” she said. “The
fans treated me like I was one of their own. It was really special. I just tried to have fun and it was a lot of fun. The whole tournament was surreal.”

She noted that playing on the European links courses is a challenge. “You have to learn to play the links. You can’t fight it or you lose.”

Her travels have enabled her to play at some very famous courses including Augusta and Pinehurst. “Augusta is pretty phenomenal and I’ve always loved Pinehurst,” she said. “I feel very blessed and fortunate to have been able to play them.”

When asked about what part of her game she needs to work on as she looks forward to playing on the Epson Pro Tour and hopefully qualifying for some LPGA events in 2025 she said “everything could use improvement.”

Having turned professional in November, she made a solid pro debut by finishing second at an event in Maryland.

Her strong faith and golf skills have combined to enable her to make a steady climb up the ladder of golfing success since she captured two state championships during her scholastic days at Medina High.

Anchored by that faith and golfing skill she added that “I’ve got the grace and the gift and a wonderful community around me that pushes me to be the best I can be.”

To view the entire interview, click here. Be sure to watch until the end as Melanie has a message to all of you who have supported her.

Contributed Photos – Kendall’s Jonas Rhodes drives against Northstar defender Johnny Daby during the Eagles game on Cleveland Cavaliers court Monday.

It was a special Christmas holiday week trip for the Kendall boys basketball team as the Eagles traveled to Cleveland on Monday to play Northstar on the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse court following the Cleveland Cavaliers 124-113 win over the Jazz.

Northstar emerged with a 59-52 non league win over Kendall as 7 points was the biggest lead either team could manage.

Kingston Downs led Northstar with 21 .

CJ D’Agostino scored 18, Jonas Rhodes 14, Vinnie D’Agostino 7 and Noah Morehose 6 to lead Kendall.

Trailing 19-11 after the first quarter and 27-22 at the half, Kendall used a 17-14 third period scoring edge to rally back to withinin two, 41-39 at the three-quarter mark.

CJ D’Agostino and Rhodes both scored 6 to spark the Eagles comeback in the third period.

However, Northstar answered with s an 18-13 fourth quarter scoring edged to claim the win. Downs tallied 8 during that key stretch.

Kendall’s players and coaches meet for a group photo on the Cleveland Cavaliers court.

Orleans County’s five high schools have a total of 25 fall varsity teams which have earned New York State Public High School Athletic Association Scholar-Athlete Team Awards.

In order to qualify for the award as a team 75 percent of a team’s average GPA for the season must be equal to or greater than 90 percent.

Albion has a total of five teams which have earned the award including Boys Soccer, Girls Soccer, Volleyball, Golf and Girls Cross-Country.

Holley likewise has five honored teams including Boys Soccer, Girls Soccer, Volleyball, Cheerleading and Unified Bowling.

Lyndonville has three honored squads including Boys Soccer, Girls Soccer and Volleyball.

Kendall has a quartet of honored teams including Boys Soccer, Girls Soccer, Volleyball and Boys Cross-Country.

Medina leads the county with eight honored squads including Boys Soccer, Girls Soccer, Field Hockey, Volleyball, Football, Boys Cross-Country, Girls Cross-Country and Golf.

Neighboring Roy-Hart has seven honored teams including Boys Soccer, Girls Soccer, Volleyball, Field Hockey, Boys Cross-Country, Girls Cross-Country and Golf.

Barker has four honored quads including Boys Cross-Country, Girls Cross-Country, Field Hockey and Golf.

Rounding out the Niagara-Orleans League schools Akron, Newfane and Wilson all have an area best total of nine honored teams including Boys Cross-Country, Girls Cross-Country, Cheerleading, Golf, Football, Boys Soccer, Girls Soccer, Field Hockey and Volleyball.