Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Helping to lead the Holley varsity softball team into the upcoming season are returnees Layne Walker, Leigha Walker, Gabriella Houseknecht and Natalie Foose. Missing are Teanna Church and Ryleigh Weader.

Looking to rebound from last spring’s winless league campaign, Holley is scheduled to begin tuning up for the Genesee Region softball season by visiting Geneseo on Thursday for a non league contest.

Holley returns a veteran nucleus of six players including seniors Teanna Church (Outfield), Ryleigh Weader (Infield), Layne Walker (First base), Leigha Walker (Catcher), Gabriella Houseknecht (Pitcher/OF) and junior Natalie Foose (Third base). Leigha Walker earned G-R All-Star honors last spring.

Sophomores Skylar Gallagher and Lily Newman look to help out with the key pitching duties.

The Lady Hawks roster also includes juniors Kylee Dann (Inf.) and Alyssa Armstrong (Inf), sophomores Alexa VanAmeron (Shortstop) and Cadence Lujan (Inf/Of) and freshman Serenity-Ann Rath (Utility).

Holley’s graduation losses included G-R All-Star pitcher Tia Hoffarth.

Holley is slated to open the G-R season at Pembroke on April 10.

The just released Section VI 2024 high school football schedule will have Medina visiting neighboring Roy-Hart/Barker and Albion making the long trip to the Southern Tier to face Olean to open the season on Friday September 6.

It is a season schedule filled with a sizeable number of Thursday night and Saturday afternoon contests.

The Mustangs and Purple Eagles will then both have their home openers the following Friday, Sept. 13, as Albion hosts Depew and Medina entertains Newfane.

Albion will also host Maryvale on Friday Sept. 20, Dunkirk on Thursday October 3 and Medina on Friday Oct. 25.

The Purple Eagles will visit Lackawanna on Saturday Sept. 28, Springville on Friday Oct. 11 and Lew-Port on Thursday Oct. 17.

Medina will also host Tonawanda on Friday Sept. 27, Akron on Thursday Oct. 3 and Alden on Friday Oct. 11.

The Mustangs will also visit Cleveland Hill on Saturday Sept. 21 and Maritime on Saturday Oct. 19.

Roy-Hart/Barker will also host Newfane on Thursday Sept. 19, Maritime on Friday, Oct. 11 and Franklinville on Oct. 25.

The road games for Roy-Hart/Barker will include Friday Sept. 13 at Akron, Thursday Sept. 26 at Alden, Saturday Oct. 5 at Cleveland Hill and Friday Oct. 18 at Tonawanda.

Albion’s Schedule
Fri. Sept. 6 at Olean
Fri. Sept 13 Depew
Fri. Sept. 20 Maryvale
Sat. Sept. 28 at Lackawanna
Thurs. Oct. 3 Dunkirk
Fri. Oct. 11 at Springville
Thurs. Oct. 17 at Lew-Port
Fri. Oct. 25 Medina

Medina’s Schedule
Fri. Sept. 6 at Roy-Hart/Barker
Fri. Sept. 13 Newfane
Sat. Sept. 21 at Cleve Hill
Fri. Sept. 27 Tonawanda
Thurs. Oct. 3 Akron
Fri, Oct. 11 Alden
Sat. Oct. 19 at Maritime
Fri. Oct. 25 at Albion

Roy-Hart/Barker’s Schedule
Fri. Sept. 6 Medina
Fri. Sept. 13 at Akron
Thur. Sept. 19 – Newfane
Thurs. Sept. 26 at Alden
Sat. Oct. 5 at Cleve Hill
Fri. Oct. 11 Maritime
Fri. Oct. 18 at Tonawanda
Fri. Oct. 25 Franklinville

Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Leading Lyndonville into the upcoming softball season are returnees, from left, Bella Groves, Brooke Robinson, Alexa Robinson, Kayli Miller and Addie Dillenbeck.

Five returnees anchor the lineup for the Lyndonville softball team which is prepping to defend its Genesee Region League Division 2 title.

The Lady Tigers veteran quintet includes senior Kayli Miller (Outfield), junior Addie Dillenbeck (Catcher/Outfield), sophomores Bella Groves (Infield) and Brooke Robinson (Pitcher/Infield) and eighth grader Alexa Robinson (Outfield). Dillenbeck earned G-R All-Star honors last spring.

Lyndonville is also looking to freshman Hannah Fox and seventh grader Braelynn Dillenbeck to help out with the pitching duties.

“We’ve got a really young team,” said Coach Joe Moore. “It depends on our pitching. A big key is for us to gain confidence. Right now we just lack experience so it’s really important to get some games in and get some experience.”

The Lady Tigers main graduation losses included G-R All-Stars Haley Shaffer (Pitcher/Catcher), Lorelei Dillenbeck (Shortstop/Pitcher) and Brianna Krisher (Third base).

Lyndonville, which went 10-3 in the league and 15-4 overall, is scheduled to begin tuning up for the April 9 G-R opener at Elba by hosting Wilson at 5 p.m. Thursday in a non league contest.

Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Anchoring the lineup for Kendall this season will be this group of senior veterans. In front are Jacek Kwiatkowski and Jimmie Swift. In back are Nate Shaw, James Fox and Louie Conte.

It will be a special Easter week break for the Kendall varsity baseball team as the Eagles will travel to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for a series of scrimmages and games at the Ripken Experience complex.

The Eagles are scheduled to have three scrimmages, two games and a number of practices while at the Ripken Experience before returning to begin the Genesee Region League season at Byron-Bergen on April 10. Before leaving the Eagles are also slated to face Barker in a non league game this Wednesday at Lyndonville at 5 p.m..

“It’s going to be good,” said Coach Tige Noni of the trip to Myrtle Beach. “It will be great. All the fields are turf so we should get a lot of work in. It should be fun.”

Leading the Eagles is the veteran senior quintet of Nate Shaw (First base), James Fox (Pitcher/Outfield), Louie Conte (Shortstop), Jacek Kwiatkowski (Third base) and Jimmie Swift (Catcher/Pitcher).

The Eagles other returnees include sophomores Nick Cole (Pitcher/First base), Vinnie D’Agustino (Second base), Jonny Conte (Outfield) and Colby Hughes (Catcher/Utility) and junior Gavin Braun (Outfield/Pitcher).

“It’s encouraging to have a veteran group like that back and we’ve have a challenging regular season schedule for them,” said Noni.

Kendall went 10-4 in the G-R and 13-5 overall last spring.

Weekly Schedule
Monday
Softball – Kendall at Medina, 5 p.m.

Tuesday
Softball – Albion at Attica, 5 p.m.
Lacrosse – Wilson at Medina, 5 p.m.

Wednesday
Baseball – Barker vs. Kendall at Lyndonville, 5 p.m.
Softball – Holley at Medina, 4:45 p.m.

Thursday
Softball – Pembroke at Barker, Holley at Geneseo, 4:30 p.m; Springville at Medina, Wilson at Lyndonville, 5 p.m.
Lacrosse – Depew at Medina, 7 p.m.

Friday
Baseball – Roy-Hart at Maryvale, 12 p.m.

Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Getting set to lead Barker into the upcoming baseball season is this roster of Bulldogs. In front are Noah Sandolfini, JJ Prynn, Alex Ark, Ireland Brady, Owen Harris and Tristen Garcia. In back are Logan Flint, Michael Kalynycz, Daniel Barry, Justin Higgins, Charlie LaGreca, Isaac Monaco and Blake Schwab.

Barker’s varsity baseball team will have a bit a new look this coming season.

Barker will be a merged team for the first time as the Bulldogs lineup will include players from Lyndonville which does not have enough players in the upper grades to field a varsity team of its own this season.

Barker and Lyndonville are also merged for girls soccer.

Anchoring the Bulldogs lineup will be the veteran group of senior Charlie LaGreca (Of); juniors Isaac Monaco (Inf), Noah Sandolfini (P), Tristen Garcia (Inf), Ireland Brady (Inf), Michael Kalynycz (Of), sophomore JJ Prynn (Of) and freshman Logan Flint (1b)

The Bulldogs roster also includes seniors Blake Schwab (Of/Inf/P), Daniel Barry (Inf) and Justin Higgins (Utility) along with juniors Alex Ark (U) and Owen Harris (Inf). Barry and Higgins are from Lyndonville.

“I’m liking what I’m seeing so far. They are putting in the work,” said Jesse Watts who has taken over the coaching reins as longtime Coach Rob Mucha has stepped down.

Barker’s main graduation loss was pitcher/catcher Aidan Voss who is now playing for Genesee Community College.

The Bulldogs will also be playing their home games on the JV diamond off Haight Road as the site of the current varsity field will be part of Barker’s new multi use artificial turf complex.

Barker, which is scheduled to open Niagara-Orleans League competition on April 15 at home against defending champion Akron, has eight non league tune-up contests slated before that beginning with a game against Kendall on Wednesday.

Five Orleans County wrestlers have earned spots on the Genesee Region League All-Star team.

Lyndonville is represented by senior Sebastian Temich, junior Ty Holmes and freshman Brody Hazel.

Temich went 39-8 on the season while Holmes was 26-10 and Hazel 24-19. Temich had a career record of 155-42 while Holmes’ career total is now 88-48.

Holley-Kendall has placed juniors Hunter Jewell-Smith and Will Kruger.

Jewell-Smith, who qualified for the state championships, went 38-7 and Kruger 30-9.

G-R champion Byron-Bergen leads the way with six All-Stars including Malachi Smith, who earned Wrestler of the Year honors, Roman Smith, JC Starowitz, Solomon Smith, Travis Shallenberger and James Lamb.

Rounding out the All-Star squad is the Alexander/Pembroke quintet of Ryder Reichert, Brody Heckman, Jayden Mast, Austin Post and Max Heckman.

Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Helping to lead Medina into the upcoming softball season are veterans, from left, Lila Class, Baileigh McAdoo, Lorelei Sanders and Samantha Heschke.

Looking to rebound from last spring’s 2-10 league, 3-15 overall record, Medina is tuning up for the Niagara-Orleans softball campaign led by a large group of returnees.

That veteran contingent includes seniors Baileigh McAdoo (Catcher), Lorelei Sanders (Infield), Iyla Lilleby (Inf), Ki’Mani Poole (Outfield), Breanne Demmer (Inf/Of) and Taylor Frentz (Inf/Of); juniors Sophia Goyette (Inf/Of) and Eva Lacy (Inf/Of), sophomore Lila Class (Pitcher/Inf) and freshman Samantha Heschke (P/Inf).

Lilleby earned first team N-O All-League honors last spring and McAdoo was an Honorable Mention selection.

The Mustangs roster also has a trio of newcomers including junior Makenzie Alverez (Inf.) and sophomores Molly Cook (Inf/Of) and Natalie Herbert (P/Inf).

“We’re working hard to instill a detail-oriented approach to the game,” said new Mustangs Coach Annmarie Beutel. “We look forward to competing each and every time we step foot on the diamond.”

Medina is scheduled to tune-up for the April 10 N-O opener at Roy-Hart with a series of non league contests. The Mustangs are slated to host Kendall at 5 p.m. Monday, Holley at 4:45 Wednesday and Springville at 5 p.m. Thursday at Vets Park.

Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Kendall’s large veteran group includes, in front, Alea Barrett, Gracie Robb, Angelina Aguirre, Makaila Abrams and Kylie Marion. In back are Brooke Rodas, Danielle Offhaus, Lia Larson and Ella Christ. Missing is Amber Harrier.

Boasting veterans at virtually every position, Kendall has plenty of experience as the Lady Eagles prep for the upcoming Genesee Region League softball season.

Senior pitcher Danielle Offhaus and sophomore catcher Brooke Rodas head that veteran group which also includes seniors Angelina Aguirre (OF), Amber Harrier (OF), Kylie Marion (OF) and Gracie Robb (IB/OF); juniors Makaila Abrams (OF/Inf), Ella Christ (SS/2B), Lia Larson (3B) and sophomore Alea Barrett (Inf/Of).

“We have a very veteran team back this year with 10 varsity returners from last season’s roster including a whole battery and majority of infield returning with one starting outfielder in all 6 out of 9 starters are back,” said Coach Jeff Parizek. “We also added some great players in transfer Maggie Zastrow and freshman Sophia Picardo with two 8th Graders Isabella D’Agostino and Teagan Shaw from a very talented JV Team last year.”

Rodas earned G-R All-Star Honorable Mention last spring for the Lady Eagles which went 4-9 in the league and 6-11 overall.

Kendall’s graduation losses included G-R All-Star Lauren Pilon and Honorable Mention selection Taigan Guerrero.

“Offensively we have some solid bats that return to the lineup including Offhaus, Rodas, Christ, Barrett, and Larson,” said Parizek. “We need to make the routine plays defensively, take advantage of runners in scoring positions as much as possible, and work hard day in and day out in a very competitive Genesee Region League. I truly feel that we will be playing our best softball when the time is right as we will get stronger as the year progresses! This group has been working hard in the off season together to really make this season a special one to remember!”

Kendall is scheduled to visit Medina for a non league game at 5 p.m. Monday to begin tuning up for the G-R opener on April 10 against Byron-Bergen.