Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Roy-Hart’s Allie Dent, left, and Samantha Albright, go for the ball during the Rams home court sectional loss to Eden this evening.

Perennial Section VI volleyball power Eden posted a straight set 25-19, 25-12, 25-19 win over host Roy-Hart this evening in a Class C1 semifinal round contest.

Eden, which is seeded No. 4 after playing an independent regular season schedule primarily against larger schools, advances to the finals with a 14-5 record while top seeded Niagara-Orleans League champion Roy-Hart finishes at 13-2.

The Lady Raiders will face No. 7 Allegany/Limestone, a three set winner 25-17, 25-10, 26-24 over No. 3 Akron in the other semifinal, in Wednesday’s Section VI Class C1 title match.

Roy-Hart pulled even at 10-10 midway through the opening set after a run of three straight service points by Ava Brigham but the Lady Rams could not grab the lead.

Eden pulled away for a 25-19 win keyed by three point runs of service points by Emalee Ballou (17-19) and Ashley Ballou (22-24) as Brianna Rigley had a pair of spiking kills for points during both runs.

Eden used a pair of big serving runs to key the 25-12 second set win. Rigley served up points 8-11 with one ace and Emalee Ballou points 17-22 including three aces. Rigley also had a kill for the set winning 25th point.

Roy-Hart did take a narrow 12-11 lead midway through the third set after a kill by Alex Stern but Eden answered with a key four point run of service points by Emalee Ballou (13-16) to regain the lead for good. An ace capped off the run which also featured a kill by Rigley.

Emalee Ballou, Rigley and Maeve Musielak then all registered kills for points down the stretch to help the Lady Raiders close out the 25-19 set and the match.

In a Class C2 semifinal No. 2 Gowanda defeated No. 6 Wilson 25-12, 25-16, 25-15.

Roy-Hart’s Alex Stern spikes over Eden defenders Emalee Ballou (8) and Gracie Williams (11).

Provided photos

ORCHARD PARK – Geno Allport of Albion was introduced as the Buffalo Bills Fan of the Year to a packed crowd at Highmark Stadium on Sunday.

Allport was introduced to the crowd and his name was displayed on the huge scoreboard.

He wears a Bills jersey with the number 74. That is the year his family started being season ticket holders. Allport and his siblings bought a brick outside the Bills store in honor of their late father, Gene “Lou” Allport. They presented the brick at the last game he attended on Nov. 28, 1999.

Allport works as preceptor and alumni coordinator at Vertus Charter School, where he helped start the school’s new football program which is coached by Ocie Bennett of Albion.

Allport is commissioner of the Albion Youth Sports Athletic  Program, volunteering for the youth football program as equipment manager, fundraising coordinator, statistician, water boy, set-up and clean-up crew, coach and fan/player safety coordinator.

Allport started coaching when his son Tre was 7 and has stayed on the sidelines since.

As the Bills Fan of the Year, Allport will be able to attend the Super Bowl, where he hopes the Bills will represent the AFC.

Geno Allport, wearing number 74, acknowledges the crowd during Sunday’s game in Orchard Park.

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Roy-Hart players and coaches here celebrate Saturday’s Section VI Class B2 shootout win over Fredonia with the championship trophy and banner. The Lady Rams will next face B1 champion Lew-Port on Tuesday for the Section VI Class B berth in the state playoffs.

Having already captured Niagara-Orleans League and Section VI Class B2 titles, the Roy-Hart girls soccer team is now taking aim at earning a berth in the state playoffs.

Roy-Hart will face B1 champion Lew-Port for the Section VI Class B berth in the state playoffs at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Williamsville East.

Roy-Hart’s Allie Trombley, shown here working to gain control of the ball against Fredonia’s Rylee Beers during Saturday’s Class B2 title game, and her Lady Ram teammates will now face Lew-Port Tuesday for the Class B state playoff berth.

Roy-Hart advanced by outlasting top seeded Fredonia 4-2 in a shootout Saturday while Lew-Port blanked City Honors 5-0 to capture the B1 crown.

Lew-Port, which brings a 14-1-1 record into the contest, is led offensively by the duo of Sophia Auer (30 goals, 12 assists) and Sarah Woods (27 goals, 28 assists).

The Roy-Hart offense is led by Kara Choate with 38 goals and 9 assists. Kaitlyn Mettler has 7 goals and a team leading 13 assists and Nadia White 6 goals and 7 assists which included the Lady Rams only goal in regulation time against Fredonia.

Volleyball
Top seeded Roy-Hart will host perennial sectional and state champion No. 4 Eden in a Section VI Class C1 semifinal match at 6 p.m. Monday.

Eden, which has played an independent schedule this season mostly against larger schools, brings a 13-5 record into the semi.

N-O champion Roy-Hart, which is 13-1, has been led offensively by Ava Brigham (46 kills, 25 aces, 23 blocks), Samantha Albright (72 kills, 43 aces), Marissa Scott (45 kills, 69 aces), Samantha McIntyre (26 kills, 26 aces) and Alex Stern (67 kills, 32 aces).

The other C1 semi will have No. 3 Akron hosting No. 7 Allegany/Limestone.

Field Hockey
Top seed Akron will face No. 2 Barker for the Section VI Class C field hockey championship at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Williamsville North.

It marks the 13th time in the last 20 years that the two N-O rivals have met for the sectional title. Barker holds a 9-3 lead in the previous 12 meetings but Akron won last year 3-0.

Akron advanced by downing Roy-Hart 7-0 in the semifinals while Barker trimmed Medina 1-0.

Football
Top seeded defending champion Medina will host No. 5 Lackawanna in a Class C semifinal at 7 p.m. Friday. The contest will be a rematch of a regular season interdivisional game which saw the Mustangs down the Steelers 34-16.

Lackawanna blanked No. 4 Salamanca 14-0 in the quarterfinals while Medina downed No. 8 Eden 30-14.

The other Class C semi will have No. 7 Southwestern at No. 3 Fredonia.

In Class B, No. 3 Albion will visit No. 2 Iroquois in a semifinal on Friday at 7.

Albion advanced by nipping No. 6 Olean 8-7 while Iroquois belted No. 7 Cheektowaga 49-0.

The other Class B semifinal will have No. 4 West Seneca East at No. 1 Maritime.

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Roy-Hart Coach Rich Jennings and team captains Reanna Perkins, Kara Choate, Brooke Livergood and Ava Owens hold the championship plaque high after the B2 title contest this evening against Fredonia at Williamsville North.

Making school history Roy-Hart earned a share of its first girls soccer sectional title by playing to an overtime tie with top seeded Fredonia in the Section VI Class B2 championship game this evening at Williamsville North.

No. 3 seed Roy-Hart and Fredonia battled to a 1-1 tie after 80 minutes of regulation play, two 10 minute overtime periods and two 5 minute sudden death overtime periods resulting in the two teams being declared B2 co-champions.

However, Roy-Hart did claim victory on the evening by outscoring Fredonia 4-2 in a penalty kick shootout earning the Rams a berth in Tuesday’s Section VI Class B state qualifier game.

Roy-Hart’s Kara Choate heads the ball between Fredonia defenders Sophia Gullo (21) and Emily Timmerman (9).

In the order in which they shot, Kaitlyn Mettler, Nadia White, Kara Choate and Grace Parker scored the shootout goals for the Lady Rams as Reanna Perkins made two huge saves on Fredonia shots to help lock up the win.

“This is a dream come true for our program,” said Roy-Hart Coach Rich Jennings. “This is something we’ve been working for for several years. It was a real hard fight and I’m just very proud of the way the kids played.”

Roy-Hart will now face B1 champion Lew-Port for the Section VI Class B berth in the state playoffs at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Williamsville East.

The game’s two regulation time goals both came in the second half.

After banging shots off both the post and the cross bar early in the second half, Roy-Hart grabbed a 1-0 lead when White scored on a long looping shot with 17:09 remaining in regulation time off an assist from Allie Trombley.

However, Fredonia rallied to tie the score on a penalty kick goal with just 2:24 to go in the second half.

The Lady Rams nearly claimed the win in the second 10 minute overtime but could not capitalize on two corner kick chances and on a penalty kick opportunity.

Roy-Hart will now take a 13-1-2 record into the Class B state qualifier while Fredonia ends the season at 116-0-3.

Click here to view a video of the awards ceremony and of Grace Parker’s game winning penalty kick goal.

Roy-Hart goalie Reanna Perkins makes her second clutch save in the shootout.

Roy-Hart’s Ava Livergood sends the ball up field as Annie Gondek comes in to defend for Fredonia.

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Roy-Hart’s Peter Martillotta puts a shot on goal which is stopped by Lackawanna goalie Joseph Ahmed and defender Riyadh Ahmed during this afternoon’s Section VI Class B2 title contest at Williamsville South.

A pair of second half goals earned No. 5 seed Lackawanna a 2-0 win over No. 3 Roy-Hart in the Section VI Class B2 boys soccer championship game this afternoon at Williamsville South.

Lackawanna scored what proved to be the game winner at the 29 minute mark of the second half on a shot off a cross by Abdoullaye Ba. The Steelers then added an insurance tally 10 minutes later on a rebound shot by Archie Saeed.

Roy-Hart’s best scoring opportunity came in the first half when Peter Martillotta broke into the goal area but his shot from close range was stopped by the Steelers goalie Joseph Ahmed and defender Riyadh Ahmed. The Rams were also unable to capitalize on four corner kick opportunities in the half.

“If we could have capitalized on a couple of chances we had in the first half it might have been different but it was a great battle by both teams and I’m very proud of the way our boys played,” said Rams Coach Greg Martillotta.

Roy-Hart, which captured the Niagara-Orleans League title for the second year in a row, finishes the season at 13-6.

Section V Class C2
Keshequa 4, Kendall 0
Three first half goals keyed top seeded Keshequa to a 4-0 win over No. 6 Kendall in the Section V Class C2 boys soccer championship game this afternoon at Avon.

“We had a couple of good chances but their goalie made some great saves. They were the better team,” said Kendall Coach Rich Esposito. ” But I couldn’t be more proud of these boys though to get as far in the sectionals as they did.”

Kendall, which finishes the season at 10-8-2, advanced to the finals by defeating No. 3 seed HAC 3-1 in the quarterfinals and No. 2 Bradford/Dundee 1-0 in overtime in the semifinals.

Keshequa advances to the Section V Class C state qualifier game with a 17-2 record.

Roy-Hart’s Caleb Verratti works to keep the ball away from Lackawanna’s Abdoullaye Ba.

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Following the blocking of Roosevelt Mitchell (63) Medina’s Noah Skinner (42) breaks loose for a touchdown run during the Mustangs sectional win over Eden at rainy Vets Park this evening.

Steadily pulling away over the first three quarters top seed Medina opened defense of its Section VI Class C title with a 30-14 win over No. 8 Eden this evening at rain drenched Vets Park.

Medina jumped out to a quick 8-0 lead in the first four minutes on a 17 yard touchdown run by Iverson Poole and a two-point conversion carry by Noah Skinner. A 32 yard pass from quarterback Xander Payne to Greg Thompson and an 18 yard run by Skinner set up the opportunity.

The Mustangs then pulled away to a 24-0 lead at the half by scoring twice in the final four minutes of the second quarter.

Skinner scored the first touchdown on a 18 yard run and also added the two-point conversion. A 26 yard Payne to Joe Cecchini pass completion and a 27 yard run by Thompson highlighted the drive.

Payne then connected with Jarin Rhim on a 21 yard touchdown pass play with just four seconds remaining as Skinner again added the two-point conversion. A 37 yard run by Thompson highlighted the drive which was set up by a pass interception by Cayden Lilleby.

Earlier in the half the Mustangs defensive unit stopped three Raider drives inside the Medina 25. An interception by Poole at the goal line stopped the first threat and the Raiders misfired on field goal opportunities ending the other two drives.

Skinner scored Medina’s final touchdown on a 55 yard run midway through the third quarter upping the lead to 30-0.

Eden scored two touchdowns in the final eight minutes on short runs by Matt Sweet and Quinn Harrington.

Staying undefeated at 9-0, Medina will next host No. 5 Lackawanna in the semifinals next Friday. Lackawanna defeated No. 4 Salamanca 14-0.

Medina’s Greg Thompson holds onto Eden quarterback Quinn Harrington as he attempts to pass.

No. 3 seed Albion slogged to a narrow 8-7 win over No. 6 Olean in a rain soaked Section VI Class B quarterfinal game this evening at muddy Spierdowis Field.

Trailing 7-0, Albion rallied into the lead for good in the second quarter.

Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Javon Jones scored the game winning touchdown for Albion.

First, Jahmeek Riley blocked an Olean punt and the ball rolled through the endzone for a two point safety.

Then, Javon Jones then scored what proved to be the game winning touchdown on a 25 yard run.

Neither team could generate much of an offense with the weather and field conditions as Albion had only 102 yards total on the evening and Olean 85.

Jacob Hughson finished with 65 yards rushing and Jones 37. Hughson had a big 31 yard run late in the fourth quarter to help close out the win as the contest ended with the Purple Eagles at the Huskies 1.

The Albion defense was led by Brendan LeBaron with 5 tackles ,Riley and Alex Hafner 4 and Jones and Jr. Morales 3.

Improving to 6-2, Albion will now visit No. 2 Iroquois  in the semifinals next Friday. Iroquois defeated No. 7 Cheektowaga 49-0.