Contributed Photos – Zachary Johnson and Alecia Hinkson received the Coaches Award at this week’s annual Lyndonville sports banquet.

The presentation of a number of special awards highlighted this week’s annual Lyndonville High sports banquet.

The Coaches Award was presented to Zachary Johnson and Alecia Hinkson and the Babe Ruth Sportsmanship Award to Nathan Poler and Grace Hayes.

The Alfred L. Schmitt Memorial Award was presented to Zachary Johnson and Anna Lewis, the “Bub” Meland Memorial to Natalie Ostrowski and the “Doc” Layer Memorial to Noah Heinsler.

The Tri-Athlete Award was presented to Anna Lewis (soccer, basketball and softball) and Alecia Hinkson ( volleyball, basketball and softball).

Anna Lewis and Grace Hayes received the G-R League Scholar-Athlete Award.

Anna Lewis and Grace Hayes also received the Genesee Region League Scholar-Athlete Award.

The Trevor Cook Memorial Athletic Award was presented to Kane Flynn and Stacy Buckland, the Harold Dix Memorial Soccer Award to Nathan Dillenbeck and Ella Lewis, the Paul Howell Memorial Basketball Award to Zach Johnson and Alecia Hinkson, the Mike Fuller Memorial Wrestling Award to Brennan Munn and the Ted Hettig Memorial Baseball/Softball Award to Nathan Dillenbeck and Chloe Stinson.

Noah Heinsler and Hannah Despard received the U.S. Army Scholar-Athlete Award and Matthew Hess and Cassidy Boyce the U.S. Marine Corps Award.

Most Valuable Player Awards were presented to Grace Hayes (Varsity Girls Soccer), Natalie Ostrowski (Varsity Girls Volleyball), Steven Kage (Varsity Boys Volleyball), Kortney Boyce (JV Girls Soccer), Lorelei Dillenbeck (JV Girls Volleyball and JV Girls Basketball), Russell Stephens (JV Boys Soccer), Zach Johnson (Varsity Boys Basketball), Alecia Hinkson (Varsity Girls Basketball and Varsity Softball), Becca Woodward (Varsity Cheerleading), Chase Stinson (Varsity Boys Wrestling), Noah Poler (JV Boys Basketball), Evan Horn (Varsity Boys Track), Erin Kiefer (Varsity Girls Track), Dillon Burt-Hodgins (JV Baseball) and Haley Shaffer (JV Softball).

The three sport Scholar-Athlete Award winners included Lorelei Dillenbeck (volleyball, basketball, softball), Nathan Dillenbeck (baseball, basketball, soccer), Evan Horn (basketball soccer, track), Devin Rounds (baseball, basketball, soccer) Jonathan Slingerland (basketball, soccer, track), Anna Lewis (basketball, softball, soccer) and Ella Lewis (basketball, softball, soccer).

Those student/athletes who received senior awards included Cassidy Boyce (volleyball, softball), Stacy Buckland (soccer, softball, basketball), Tanner Burt-Hodgins (volleyball, basketball, baseball), Hannah Despard (volleyball), Kane Flynn (soccer, basketball, baseball), Grace Hayes (soccer, basketball, track), Noah Heinsler (soccer, baseball), Matthew Hess (soccer, football, basketball, baseball), Alecia Hinkson (volleyball, basketball, softball), Ritajane Isaacson (volleyball), Zachary Johnson (football, basketball, baseball), Anna Lewis (soccer, basketball, softball), Paige McDonald (soccer, basketball, softball), Natalie Ostrowski (volleyball, softball), Nathan Poler (basketball, track), Carlie Russo (volleyball), Jonathan Schroth Jr. (volleyball, track), Evan Silversmith (soccer), Chase Stinson (soccer, wrestling, baseball), Chase Woodward (soccer, baseball), Carly-Grace Woodworth (volleyball, track, cheerleading).

Zach Johnson received the G-R League and Section V Class C2 baseball Player of the Year Award and baseball Coach Shane Price the G-R and Class C2 Coach of the Year Awards.

Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Medina players celebrate after capturing the 2003 Section VI Class B championship with a 10 inning 11-9 win over Allegany-Limestone. In front are Andy Watts, Paul Osborne, Jake Rosenbeck, Cory Frasier, Bobby Brown and Ryan Hodgins. In back are Brett Bielak, Joe Rosenbeck, Zach Baldwin, Matt Heiligenthaler, Brandon White, Brett Grollmes and Tom Schoenle.

When Medina takes to the turf field at Lockport on Saturday for the Far West Regional it will mark just the second time the Mustangs have ever competed in the state baseball playoffs.

The first time came 16 years ago and if ever there was a team that lived up to the old sports adage of “peaking at the right time” it was that 2003 Mustangs squad.

Coming off a so-so 8-6 Niagara-Orleans League season, the No. 7 seeded Mustangs caught fire in the post season rattling off five straight Class B victories, four against higher seeds and three in extra innings, to advance all the way to the state semifinals.

Setting the tone for that amazing run, Medina nipped No. 10 East Aurora 1-0 in 8 innings at Vets Park in the opening round of the Section VI Class B playoffs on a two out RBI single by Bobby Brown in the bottom of the eighth.  Joe Rosenbeck went the distance on the mound limiting the Blue Devils to only 2 hits while striking out 12.

The Mustangs only “breather” during that run then came in the quarterfinals with a 19-2 romp over No. 2 City Honors at Buffalo.

Things quickly got back to tense in the semifinals as Medina nipped host No. 3 Eden 4-3 in 9 innings. Tom Schoenle drove in the winning run in the top of the ninth and then triggered a clutch double play in the home half of the frame to lock up the narrow win.

That extra inning trend continued in the Section VI Class B championship game as Medina had to go 10 to outlast top seeded Allegany-Limestone 11-9 at Sal Maglie Stadium in Niagara Falls. An RBI single by Jake Rosenbeck drove in the game winner in the 10th and an error added an insurance tally.

The Mustangs had to rally from deficits of 4-1 after two innings and 8-4 after five. A two-run triple by Joe Rosenbeck keyed a third inning rally which tied the game at 4-4. A two-run single by Cory Frasier, an RBI single by Ryan Hodgins and an error then reknotted the contest at 8-8 in the sixth.  The Mustangs later retied the gam at 9-9 in the seventh as Joe Rosenbeck tripled and came home on a fielders choice playoff the bat of Brown forcing extra innings.

That wild win sent Medina into the state playoffs for the first time and the Mustangs kept their post season win streak going with a 4-0 victory over Section V champion Sodus in the Far West Regional at Dwyer Stadium in Batavia. Joe Rosenbeck hurled a sparkling 1 hitter with 9 strikeouts. A three run fourth inning on two fielders choice plays and an RBI single by Matt Heiligenthaler provided more than enough offense.

That victory advanced Medina to the state semifinals at Binghamton for what proved to be a rain interrupted two day contest and  a 9-1 loss to Carle Place (Section 8).

The contest started on a rainy Saturday morning and Medina quickly grabbed a 1-0 lead on a home run by Joe Rosenbeck.  However, the Mustangs would get no more runs and just one more hit off South Carolina University bound Carle Place pitcher Billy Simpson.

Carle Place pulled even with a run in the second inning before increasing hard rain forced play to be suspended until Sunday.

Sunshine greeted the teams on Sunday morning and Carle Place wasted little time in taking the lead for good at 3-1 on a two-run homer in the third inning. Carle Place then broke the contest open with a big four run fifth inning highlighted by back-to-back home runs,

Carle Place went on to capture the state title with a win over Marlboro.

Saturday Medina will look to begin that state title quest again when the Mustangs face Section V champion LeRoy in the Class B Far West Regional at Lockport’s Beattie Ave. turf field at 3 p.m.

The Medina-Lyndonville United U15 boys team opened the Buffalo and Western New York Junior Soccer League season  by defeating the Akron Panthers 4-1 in Akron Thursday.

Zaric Boyce and Jack Whipple scored in the first half to get United off and rolling.

Jackson Moreland and Wyatt Zelazny then scored in the second to lock up the win.

Boyce and William Rousch chipped in with assists.

Jack Whipple, Bryson Costich, Connor Bell, Diego Gonzalez, Gavyn Snook played well at defense and Kevin Travis made 4 saves in goal.

Kendall scored a goal in each half to edge past the visiting Genesee Lancers 2-1 this evening in the U18 Division of the Rochester District Youth Soccer League.

Chloe Maloney scored in the first half and Grace Robinson in the second for Kendall which is now 1-1 on the young season.

In the season opener, Kendall dropped a 2-1 decision to Canandaigua. Robinson netted Kendall’s goal.

M-L U17 5, South Buffalo 0
The Medina-Lyndonville U17 squad opened its Buffalo Youth Soccer season Wednesday with a 5-0 win over South Buffalo.

Dan Mandujano lead the way with a hat-trick, while Zaric Boyce and Jackson Moreland each chipped in one.

Aidan Owczarczak got the shutout in goal with the help of strong defensive play from Cole Seefeldt, Evan Horn, Hunter Heil, Evan Harris and Devin Rounds.

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Roy-Hart’s Charlie Brigham tags out Notre Dame’a Tim Klotzbach at second base as Akron’s Brandon Orr backs up the play. The action took place during the Niagara-Orleasn League’s win over the Genesee Region League in the annual senior game this afternoon at Genesee Community College.

Scoring in each of the first seven innings, the Niagara-Orleans League bested the Genesee Region League 14-9 this afternoon in the annual senior baseball game at Genesee Community College.

Lyndonville’s Zach Johnson belts a home run in the first inning.

The G-R did jump out to early leads of 2-0 and 5-4 as Zach Johnson (Lyndonville) belted two-run homer in the first inning and Hunter Menze (Kendall) banged out a two-run single in the third inning. Johnson also had an RBI single later in the seventh inning.

The N-O scored once in the first on a double by Charlie Bruning (Roy-Hart) and three times in the second on 5 walks, an error, a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly by Walker Samanka (Roy-Hart) before taking thel lead for good at 6-5 with a pair of unearned runs in the third.

The N-O then pulled away with one run in the fourth on a single by Matt DiTullio (Newfane), two in the fifth on errors, two in the sixth on wild pitches and three in the seventh on a double by Steve Frerichs (Wilson), an error and RBI singles by Jacob Siska (Akron) and Nick Pietrowski (Akron).

Defensively, the N-O turned two double plays both by the combination of Brandon Orr (Akron), Charlie Brigham (Roy-Hart) and Bryce Pritchard (Albion) in the third and fifth innings.

Albion was also represented on the N-O squad by Isaiah Callicutt and Vincent Zona, Barker by Preston Harris and Cole Hanssen, Wilson by Ian Evans and Akron by Dylan Krzykowski.

Lyndonville also had Kane Flynn and Kendall Mickey Gardner on the G-R squad.

Village Spin outlasted Jr Wilson 23-19 in a free scoring, sea-saw Medina Women’s Softball League game Monday.

Mary Jo Pollick had 5 hits, Jenn Demmer, Kelsey Matuszak and Autumn Holloway 3 for Village Spin as Brit Anderson, Emily Johnson and Katt Battagli each added 2. Pollick and Holloway both had doubles.

Laura Valley, Julie Schiavone, Abbey Button, Jenn Thom, Nicki Dresser, Jen Molisani and Hannah Hamilton each had 3 hits for Jr Wilson as Jen Hughes and Audrey Woodruff both chipped in with 2. Madison’s hits included 2 triples.

The first inning set the tone as Jr Wilson erupted for 8 runs and Village Spin 6.  Jr Wilson also scored 7 in the sixth but in-between Village Spin tallied 4 in both the second and third innings, 3 in the fourth and 5 in the fifth to earn the win.

The Somerset Blue Jays edged past the Medina Pirates 4-3 in a Minor Division makeup game Monday to regain the .500 mark at 2-2.

The Blue Jays scored three times in the third inning on a two-run double by Drew LaGreca and an RBI single by Grayson Prynn. LaGreca later drove in the winning run with a triple in the sixth inning which plated Prynn who had reached on a single.

LaGreca finished with three hits, including a pair of triples, and Prynn 2.

For the Pirates, Lathan McKewen-Miller had an RBI single in the third inning and a solo home run in the sixth and Shane Fearby had a solo homer in the fifth.

Fearby finished with a total of 3 hits and McKewen-Miller 2.

Orioles 12, Lyndonville Tigers 1
The Medina Bogan and Tuttle Funeral Home Orioles remain undefeated 6-0 after a 12-1 win over the Lyndonville Tigers.

Hitting for the Orioles were Anthony Reese who had 2 singles and a double, Steven Gobeli 2 singles, Sawyer Lilleby 2 singles and a double, Brennan Allen 2 singles a double and a home run, Maddox Smith  a single and a double, William Tagg  2 singles a double and a triple and Tyler Draper and Triston Post each with a single.

Tagg pitched three innings and struck out 4, Reese, Gobeli, and  Lilleby each pitched one inning to close out the game.