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Rhim will play football at U.B.
Contributed Photo – Medina High senior Izaiah Rhim will be continuing his education and his football career this fall at the University at Buffalo. He has been granted a preferred walk-on position for the U.B. football team. He is planning on majoring in Athletic Training/Sports Medicine. Seated with him here are his step-mother Melinda Rhim and his mother Kelly Moriarty. In back are his father Lionel Rhim, Medina football Coach Eric Valley and his brother Jarin Rhim. This past fall he passed for 1,044 yards and 11 touchdowns and also rushed for 535 yards and 10 TDs. For his four year varsity career he had 36 touchdown passes and 22 rushing TDs.
Local G-R girls team face playoff road tests
Holley, Kendall and Lyndonville will all begin Section V girls sectional playoff competition on the road early next week.
In Class C1, No. 9 seed Holley (6-13) will visit No. 8 Warsaw (9-9) at 7 p.m. Wednesday. The winner will visit top seed Gananda (16-4) at 2 p.m. February 23.
In Class C3, No. 11 Lyndonville (4-15) will visit No. 6 Caledonia-Mumford (8-10) at 7 p.m. Wednesday. The winner will visit No. 3 Keshequa (14-5) at 2 p.m. February 23.
In Class D1, No. 9 Kendall (4-14) will visit No. 8 Mt. Morris (7-13) at 7 p.m. Tuesday. The winner will visit No. 1 Fillmore (19-0) at 7 p.m. February 22.
In a regular season finale this evening Lyndonville will host Kendall at 6:30 p.m.
Undefeated Thunderwolves down GCC
Staying perfect at 7-0 in the conference and 26-0 overall, the Niagara County Community College women’s basketball team defeated Genesee Community College 65-52 this evening.
The Thunderwolves were sparked by Kenetria Redfern (Cheektowaga) with 16 points and 9 rebounds; Aubrey Halloran 13 points, 12 rebounds and 3 blocks; Cori Dickson (Cardinal O’Hara) 13 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists and Paige Emborsky (Newfane) 10 points, 8 rebounds and 5 steals.
Medina Unified bowlers best Starpoint
Remaining undefeated at 4-0, the Medina Unified bowling team defeated Starpoint 8-1 this afternoon at Brad Angelo Lanes in Lockport.
The Mustangs were led by Juliana Allis, Jackson Touhey, Steven Secore, Emma Carson, Grace Cogovan and Grace Mahnke.
Medina’s next match will be on February 26 against Newfane and Niagara Falls at Allie Brandt Lanes in Lockport. It will be the Mustangs first tri match.
Banner raising honors Kendall’s state championship girls soccer team
Contributed Photos – The history making state championship earned by the Kendall High girls soccer team last fall was saluted this evening with the raising of a banner honoring the achievement. Coach Pam Barchet, right, and members of the Lady Eagles championship team are shown here with the banner behind them on the wall. The Lady Eagles won seven straight playoff games to capture the school’s first state championship. That run included defeating Fillmore 2-1 in the Section V Class D1 final, Hinsdale 2-0 in the Section V Class D state qualifier, North Collins 1-0 in the Far West Regional, Cincinnatus 2-0 in the state semifinal and finally Fort Ann 1-0 in the Clas D state championship game. In all the Lady Eagles compiled a 18-5 record. A closeup of the banner is shown at the right.
Albion girls use late surge to nip Newfane
A fourth quarter scoring surge earned Albion a come-from-behind 38-35 victory over host Newfane this evening in the Niagara-Orleans League girls basketball season finale.
Traiing 10-5 after the first quarter, 19-12 at the half and 28-25 at the three-quarter mark, Albion put together a 13-7 scoring edge in the final stanza to claim the win.
Lexi Wolck scored 6 points, Brylie Hapeman 4 and Kendall Derisley 3 down the stretch to give Albion the narrow victory.
Hapeman finished with 13, Wolck and Paige Derisley 7, Kendall Derisley 6, Natalie Lathrop 4 and Sydney Mulka 1.
Megan Knoll took game high scoring honors with 14 for Newfane which winds up the N-O season at 3-9.
Albion finishes in a three-way tie for second place with Akron and Medina at 8-4.
The Barker at Roy-Hart game was postponed due to a water main break in Middleport.
Mustangs edge past Lakemen to complete perfect 12-0 N-O League championship season
Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Medina’s Nate Sherman tries to put up a shot against Wilson defenders Jon Littere and Luke Bradley during the Mustangs narrow win over the host Lakemen this evening.
In a tight defensive battle, Medina trimmed host Wilson 49-43 this evening to complete a perfect 12-0 Niagara-Orleans League boys basketball championship season.
Izaiah Rhim took game high scoring honors with 18 and Nate Sherman added 14 to lead the offense for Medina which has now won the N-O title four years in a row. Tyler Chinn and Brian Fry both chipped in with 6, Vincent Montague 3 and Joe Cecchini 2 for the Mustangs.
Steve Frerichs led Wilson with 10 as Luke Bradley and Ian Evans each added 8, Jake Miller 7, Jon Littere 6 and Declan Feary and Julian Andreola 2.
Medina jumped out to a 13-8 first quarter lead as Rhim had two threes and a layup. Bradley answered with two threes to help keep Wilson close.
Medina’s Izaiah Rhim drives toward the basket as Ian Evans defends for Wilson.
Three baskets by Sherman and another three by Rhim helped keep the Mustangs up by four, 24-20, at the half. Evans had a two and a three and Frerichs a three to pace the Lakemen in the period.
Medina maintained a slender five point, 35-30, lead at the three-quarter mark as Rhim and Sherman both had a pair of baskets in the third period.
The Mustangs finally pulled away to a 12 point, 44-32, advantage by opening the decisive final period with a 9-2 run including a jumper and a three by Sherman and a layup off a turnover by Rhim.
However, the Lakemen came battling back.
Wilson put together a 7-0 run including baskets by Bradley and Frerichs and a three by Evans to cut the deficit to five, 44-39 with less than two minutes to go.
Sherman finally ended Medina’s three plus minute field goal drought with a clutch layup to make it 47-39 with 1:03 to go.
The Lakemen again pulled to within five at 46-41 on layup by Frerichs with 47 seconds to go but could get no closer.
Medina finally put a lock on the hard fought win on two free throws by Fry and one by Chinn in the final 23 seconds for a 49-41 lead.
With the loss runner-up Wilson finishes the N-O season at 9-3.
Newfane 68, Albion 59
Newfane bested host Albion 68-59 to earn a share of second place in the final N-O standings with rival Wilson at 9-3.
Jarrett Gilson scored a season high 24 points, including 9 in the final stanza, to spark the attack for Newfane as Deuce Capen added 15 and Sam Capen and Garrett Srock 6 each.
Deyonci Farley scored 17, Kevin Hillman 11, Dylan Fox 9 and Bryce Pritchard 6 to lead Albion which finishes the N-O season at 5-7.
Newfane held leads of 19-17 after one period, 33-27 at the half and 45-37 at the three-quarter mark.
Notre Dame 69, Kendall 46
Breaking away from a 32-32 halftime deadlock, Notre Dame exploded for a 19-2 third period scoring surge to key a 69-46 victory host Kendall in the Genesee Region League season finale.
Gage MacDonald scored 17, including 15 in the second half, and Spencer Misiti tallied 15 on five threes to lead the way for Notre Dame.
Nate Warters scored 17, Derek Edick 9 and Hunter Menze 7 for Kendall.
Roy-Hart 58, Barker 47
Charlie Brigham scored 14, Charlie Bruning 10, Lance Krieger 8, Hunter Pratt 7 and Quinten Koch 5 to spark Roy-Hart (2-10) to a 58-47 win over Barker (0-12).
Preston Harris scored 16, Hunter Callen 11 and Nick Brandt 10 for Barker which trailed 24-17 at the half..
Final N-O Standings: Medina 12-0, Newfane 9-3, Wilson 9-3, Akron 5-7, Albion 5-7, Roy-Hart 2-10, Barker 0-12.
Local swimmers place at Sec. 6 championships
Local swimmers placed in the top 10 in five events at the Section VI championships held Wednesday at the University at Buffalo.
Albion’s Matt Kovaleski placed sixth in the 100 Breaststroke to lead the local continent.
Kovaleski also teamed up with Thomas Furmanski, Sam Sanchez and Ryan Krenning to earn the Purple Eagles a sixth place in the 200 Medley Relay.
The Medina quartet of August Pietrafesa, Hunter Heil, Ray Paull and Isaac Pace took ninth place in the 200 Free Relay.
Heil also placed 10th in the 100 Backstroke as did Roy-Hart’s Carter Green in the 500 Free.
Two local matmen earn berths to state meet
Contributed Photos – Colby Petrie, Medina and Mario Fidanza, Lyndonville
Two local wrestlers, Lyndonville junior Mario Fidanza (220) and Medina junior Colby Petrie (126), have earned wild card berths to the upcoming state championships.
Fidanza, who is 27-1, placed third and last weekend’s Section V championships while Petrie, who is 27-3, likewise placed third at the Section VI championships.
Three other Niagara-Orleans League wrestlers have also earned wild card berths including Millard Young (195) from Akron along with the Newfane duo of Ryan Nugent (145) and Ty Cassinelli (285).
The state championships will be held February 22 and 23 at Albany.
RBM squad set to begin hockey playoffs
Having completed the regular season, the RoyHart/Barker/ Medina/ Akron Club Hockey team will open playoff competition with a best of three series against Iroquois- Alden begining at 9 .m. Friday at Leisure Rinks in West Seneca.
Although RBM played in the Large School Division for the regular season, they are once again competing as the No.1 seed in the Mixed School Division for the WNY Sectional Championship which they won last year in their inaugural season.
Iroquois- Alden competed in the Small School Division and compiled a 5-10-1 record. The second and third game (if needed) will be played at Cornerstone Arena on Saturday evening beginning at 7:20 p.m.
RBM is led by Michael Kuchey with 13 goals, Jason Kuchey and Dyland Krzykowski with 12 goals each and Dominic Peracciny with 10 goals. The defense is anchored by Tom Paisley and Colin Dodge, while the nets are ably defended by Tyler Lehan and Andrew Warner.
