Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Lyndonville’s Mario Fidanza work toward a pin over Nico Cacique of Roy-Hart/Barker during the Tigers non league win this evening at Middleport.

Taking six of the seven bouts decided on the mat, Lyndonville posted a 49-21 victory over Roy-Hart/Barker in a non league wrestling match this evening at Middleport.

A first period pin by Mario Fidanza (285) and a second period fall by Chase Stinson (120) led the way for Lyndnville as Seth Heveron (132) added a major decision win and Brennon Munn (126), Isaac Becket (138) and Dillon Burt-Hodgins (145) all scored decision victories.

The Tigers also benefitted from four forfeit wins good for a total of 24 points.

Andrew Hill (220) had a decision win for Roy-Hart/Barker whose other 18 points came via three forfeit wins.

Roy-Hart/Barker’s Andrew Hill in route to earning a decision win over Lyndonville’s Maddox Stirk.

OrleansHub Sports celebrates New Year’s Day by featuring the top six stories in the 18 from 2018 series. It is a special group of stories from this past year which has team and individual state champions in the top two spots and teams which reached the state semifinals in the No. 3 and No. 4 positions.

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Kendall players and coaches proudly display the plaque and medals they earned by capturing the state Class D soccer championship.

For the underclassmen dominated Kendall High girls varsity soccer team this fall was a season for the ages.

Boasting a lineup which included 7 freshmen, 5 sophomores, 4 juniors and only 3 seniors, the Lady Eagles made school history by going 7-0 in postseason play to capture Kendall’s first state soccer championship.

The history making run saw the Lady Eagles give up only 2 goals in the seven outings while registering 5 shutouts, including the Section V state qualifier (2-0 over Hinsdale), the Far West Regional (1-0 over North Collins), the state semifinal (2-0 over Cincinnatus) and the state championship (1-0 over Fort Ann).

Sophomores Lizzy Woodams and Brianna Wakefield took turns scoring the goals against Hinsdale. Junior Hailee Mitchell, who scored a team leading 30 goals on the season, then accounted for the tallies in the three state playoff games.

Mitchell scored with just 3:48 remaining to earn the narrow win over North Collins, She then scored twice in the first half to key the state semi win. Continuing to show a flare for the dramatic, Kendall then captured the state title when Mitchell  who was named state Class D Player of the Year, scored the lone goal with 17: 59 remaining in the second half.

Kendall junior center defender Lizzie Sutphen was also named to the state Class D first team and Coach Pam Barchett earned Class D Coach of the Year honors.

Junior midfielder Hailee Mitchell scored Kendall’s goals in the state semis and finals. Action here is from the championship win over Fort Ann.

Contributed Photo – Medina High’s Melanie Green is shown here with her father, Ron Green, after winning the state championship.

It was a very memorable year on the links for Medina High junior Melanie Green who last spring captured both the Section VI and New York state Public High School Athletic Association golf championships.

A third place finisher at the state championships the year before, Green took top honors this time winning the title by two strokes in the tournament held at Bethpage on Long Island.

Prior to that she captured the Section VI championship for the second year in a winning the title by a whopping 13 strokes over her closest challenger.

Green also had a very special summer winning the Western New York PGA district title and also a qualifying tournament, victories which earned her a berth in two major national tournaments, the Girls JR PGA Championship at Lexington Kentucky and the USGA Nationals held at the famed Pebble Beach complex in California.

This fall she helped Medina capture the Niagara-Orleans League championship.

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Roy-Hart players and coaches celebrate after capturing the  Far West Regional title. 

It was a record setting season for the Roy-Hart baseball squad which captured Niagara-Orleans League, Section VI Class B and Far West Regional titles before being downed 7-1 by Seton Catholic of Binghamton in the state semifinals at Binghamton.

The Rams first captured the Niagara-Orleans League title for the third straight year with a 10-2 record.

Roy-Hart then claimed its first sectional title  with three narrow wins including 5-2 over Gowanda in the quarterfinals, 7-6 in nine innings over Southwestern in the semis and then 4-2 over rival Medina in the Section VI Class B2 title contest which was played at Gowanda.

Roy-Hart then bested B1 champion Olean 12-9 to earn its first  Section VI Class B berth in the state playoffs.

Keeping the momentum, the Rams downed Section V champion Midlakes 10-1 at Rochester to win the Far West Regional title.

The Rams history making run though finally came to an end with the loss to Seton Catholic in the state semis.

Roy-Hart catcher Noah Hardy awaits the throw at home plate during the state semifinals.

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Barker players and coaches celebrate capturing the Section VI Class C title.

It was a memorable three title season for the Barker field hockey squad.

The Lady Raiders first claimed the Niagara-Orleans League title going 11-1 and then captured the Section VI Class C title for the 13th time in the last 17 yard with a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Eden.

Trailing 1-0, the Lady Raiders pulled even on a goal by Katrina Clare with 14 minutes remaining and then netted the game winner on a tally by Natalie Bruning with just 20 seconds to go.

Barker also had a thriller in the Class C semifinal nipping N-O rival Akron 2-1 in overtime on a goal by Ciara Gregori.

Keeping the momentum, Barker then outlasted East Rochester with a come-from-behind 4-3  overtime to win the Far West Regional as Clare’s third goal of the game and her 30th of the season with just 1:30 to go in overtime earned the victory.

Advancing to the state semifinals for the fourth time in the last nine years Barker dropped a 5-0 decision to Carle Place from Long Island.

Ciara Gregorie and her Barker teammates claimed league, sectional and regional titles to gain a berth in the state semifinals.

Photo by Cheryl Wertman -Albion’s Brylie Hapeman and her Purple Eagle teammates put together an undefeated Niagara-Orleans League title season.

Snapping a decade long drought, Albion captured the Niagara-Orleans League girls soccer championship this fall with a perfect 10-0 record.

A 3-2 overtime victory over Newfane, along with narrow 2-1 wins over Akron and Wilson, highlighted that run which earned Albion its first league title since 2008.

The Purple Eagles went 15-0-1 during the regular season and improved that record to 17-0-1 with sectional wins over Springville (3-1) and top ended East Aurora (2-0) to advance to the Class B1 finals for the second year in a row.

Breaking away from a 1-1 deadlock,  Albion topped Springville in the quarterfinals on late goals by Claire Squicciarini and Abby Scanlan. Brylie Hapeman then scored both goals, one in each half, in the semifinal win over East Aurora.

However, Olean bested Albion 3-0 in the title contest.

Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Record setting senior Jalin Cooper helped lead Medina to a third straight Niagara-Orleans League title.

Making it three title years in a row, Medina shared the Niagara-Orleans League boys basketball championship with Newfane at 10-2.

The Mustangs swept both meetings from the Panthers but lost twice to Wilson causing the co-championship.

The Mustangs season was highlighted by senior Jalin Cooper’s setting new school records for most points in a season (468) and in a career (1,383). During the season Cooper accepted a Division I football scholarship from Toledo University.

Photo by Cheryl Wertman – Surrounded by a trio of defenders, Gracie Hughes puts up a shot for Medina during this afternoon’s win over visiting Tonawanda. The Lady Warriors defenders include Madylyn Taylor, Alexis Verrall and Kaitlyn Wood.

Racing out to an 18 point first quarter lead, Medina went on to defeat visiting Tonawanda 68-34 this afternoon in a non league girls basketball game.

Camri King poured in a game high 23 points as Kharise Johnson added 12 and Maddie Williams 11 to lead the Medina attack.

Tyesha Robinson puts up a shot for the Mustangs over Lady Warriors defenders Madylyn Taylor and Heaven Jackson.

Tyesha Robinson and Gracie Hughes both added 6 points for the Mustangs as Sarah Cochrane, Jarielys Flores-Medina, Nodia Osby and Mikayla Albone each chipped in with 2.

Lexus Frears and Heaven Jackson both scored 10 points to place Tonawanda.

Medina jumped out to a commanding 26-8 first quarter lead as King dominated inside with 12 points, Williams hit two threes and Johnson had a pair of baskets.

The Mustangs doubled their advantage over the Lady Warriors by maintaining leads of 34-17 at the half and 46-23 at the three-quarter mark. Robinson, Johnson and Hughes each had a pair of baskets in the third period.

Now at 2-4 overall, Medina next hosts Newfane in a Niagara-Orleans League game at 6:30 p.m. Friday.