Mustangs celebrate a four sectional title year

Photos by Cheryl Wertman – Senior Brian Fry was a member of all four of Medina’s sectional championship football, basketball, soccer and baseball squads during this school year.

Junior Joe Cecchini was a member of the Mustangs sectional championship football, basketball and baseball teams.

Hayden Woodroe, a Medina junior, was a key contributor on the basketball, football and baseball teams.

Because of Covid-19 Pandemic restrictions this past school year has been a most challenging one to be sure for high school student-athletes, coaches and athletic directors.

However, for Medina High it will be remembered as a very special year in athletics as the Mustangs captured what is believed to be a school record four Section VI championships in football, basketball, baseball and soccer.

“Winning a sectional title is pretty amazing in any year but winning four during this Pandemic year shows so much resilience by our student-athletes. It’s certainly nice to have some bright spots to celebrate after all everyone has gone through,” said Medina Athletic Director Eric Valley.

Senior Brian Fry was a member of all four of those title teams.

Juniors Joe Cecchini and Hayden Woodroe were both on three (football, basketball and baseball).

In all at least a dozen Mustang student-athletes were on at least two of those championship squads. Senior Corey Saj and junior Xander Payne were members of both the football land baseball teams, seniors Dontae Rhim and Tyler Chinn and junior Jarin Rhim were on the football and basketball squads, seniors Miles Hartway and Cole Seefeldt on the football and soccer teams and seniors AJ Seefeldt and Jack Rutkowski and junior Zach Fike on the soccer and baseball squads.

Interestingly, with the Pandemic restrictions eliminating neutral sites for sectional games the Mustangs were home for all of the football, basketball and baseball playoff games by earning top seeds.

Only the soccer team had to play on the road and the Medina/Lyndonville squad bested Lackawanna 4-0 in the quarterfinals, East Aurora 1-0 in the semis and then tied Tonawanda 2-2 in overtime resulting in the teams being declared Class B2 co-champions.

The Mustangs football squad defeated Eden 54-6 in the Class C semifinals and Southwestern 21-13 in the title contest.

The top seeded basketball team bested Alden 68-48 in the Class B2 quarterfinals, Newfane 64-45 in the semis and Lackawanna 68-57 in the title contest.

And most recently the top seeded Mustangs baseball squad defeated Southwestern 10-0 in the quarterfinals, Akron 7-3 in the semis and Roy-Hart 7-0 in the Class B2 finals.

The Mustangs football team also captured the C North Division title while the basketball and baseball squads also both claimed Niagara-Orleans League championships.