The View From Centercourt

South is finally the jolliest

When the Williamsville South starters came out of the game during the fourth quarter of the Billies 61-46 tournament championship win over Williamsville North, they congratulated each other and really relished in the moment before sitting down.  It was the first time in the seven-year history of the Williamsville Holiday Basketball Tournament sponsored by the Jolly Boys, that South earned the right to hoist the winning hardware.  The runner-up Spartans had dominated the annual tourney by winning it for the first five years.

 

It became very clear early on to all those in attendance, that bragging rights around the Williamsville community meant a lot to both North and South.  A very physical and intensely played game yielded three double-fouls before the teams even reached intermission.

 

Leading by two near the end of the first quarter, the Billies used a 14-1 run to blow the game open, highlighted by a big time block by Kevin O'Connell who turned it into an assist to the always fast-breaking Phil Stasiak.  Williamsville South lead by 15 points at the break and by as many as 24 during the fourth quarter.  Despite the margin between the teams on the scoreboard, the game was very entertaining and hard fought by both teams.

 

Joe Licata lead the Billies with 24 points, O'Connell finished with 16 points, and Stasiak ended up with 11.  Nick Konotopskyj and freshman Sterling Taplin each registered 10 points for the Spartans.

 

Williamsville North reached the championship game by defeating Newfane the night before, 69-56.  The Spartans were all over the Panthers early and built a 25-8 lead at the midway point of the second quarter.  During the third quarter, an 11-0 Panther run cut the North lead to 43-40, but Taplin dashed any hopes of a comeback with a pair of baskets and a great steal and assist to teammate Jonathan Safir.  Taplin lead Williamsville North with 18 points, Brandon Maranto scored 17 points, and Edwin Young added 13.  Rohn Pierce acored a game-high 19 points for Newfane and Dan Hambruch added 15 points.

 

The Billies won in the opening round of the tournament against St. Francis, 76-65.  South held a large lead for much of the game and got everyone into the game early in the second half.  Despite being outmatched, the Red Raiders  played hard the entire game and refused to go away.  Sophomore Cory Cullen showed great energy off the bench for St. Francis, and lead his team with 12 points.  The Billies were lead by 21 points from Licata, on seven first half 3-pointers.  Stasiak scored 19 points and O'Connell finished with 16 points.

 

St. Francis downed Newfane in the consolation game, 62-55.  After trailing throughout the first half, the Red Raiders traded leads with Newfane for most of the final 16 minutes, before pulling away late.  It was a strong two-day showing for St. Francis, capped off with a good win over the Panthers.  Chris Miller lead St. Francis with 20 points and Mark Cassidy added 15 points.  Rohn Pierce took game-high scoring honors with 22 points, while Dan Hambruch scored 16 for Newfane.

 

Tournament MVP - Kevin O'Connell, South

Sportsmanship Award - Joe Licata, South

All-Tournament Team

Phil Stasiak, South

Sterling Taplin, North

Jonathan Safir, North

Chris Miller, St. Francis

Rohn Pierce, Newfane

 

** Phil Stasiak became the all-time leading scorer at Williamsville South during the Billies win over St. Francis, surpassing Mike Mitchell's 1321 career point total.  The milestone basket came off an inbound play designed for Stasiak, resulting in a lay up.

** Joe Licata became the all-time Section VI leader in 3-pointers, eclipsing the mark held by Ritchie Campbell.  Licata tied the mark with a NBA-range bomb against Williamsville North and broke the record from a spot on the left wing in front of a large contingent of Licata's family members.

** Joe Licata surpassed the 1,000 point mark for his career on December 18th at Jamestown.

** The Spartans were without 6-4 starter Farhan Hussain for both games of the tournament, as he was out of the area.

** The Billies won the tournament despite horrible production from the free throw line on both nights.  They went 11 for 28, followed by 11 for 31.  That's a two-day total of 22 for 59, or 37 %.  Maybe they should back up to the 3-point line when fouled.

 

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Random Smatterings - Week 3

Someone locked Niagara Falls coach Sal Constantino in the locker room during halftime of the game at Canisius on Saturday.  Giulio Colangelo was later spotted running down West Ferry Street.

 

Jerome Ross of Cleveland Hill entered the game against Tonawanda last week and promptly drilled a 3-pointer, which excited everyone watching.  The reason the shot got such a response is because Ross would be undersized on most modified teams.

 

I enjoyed watching the Marauders' Reggie Agbeko and Grover's Kadeem Hillman battle for rebounds at St. Joe's on Monday.  It's a pretty safe bet that those two get up higher than anyone else in WNY.

 

I mentioned this in my recap of Newfane's win against Roy-Hart, but it's worth repeating.  Rohn Pierce, a first team all-league selection in the N-O last year,  scored 29 of his 35 points in the first half.  If you haven't heard of Pierce yet, you will more as the season goes on.  He's a threat to score from anywhere on the floor, has great body control, and plays very aggressively.  Pierce will attend Canisius College next year and play baseball.

 

Another thing from the Newfane/Roy-Hart game that was a first for me to see.  The Rams' Tim Parks picked up his third personal foul with 6:21 left in the first quarter.

 

So far this season, size does matter.  There have been seven games played this season between a top ten large school and a top ten small school.  The large schools are 7-0 in those games.  The next game of its kind will be Newfane (#5 small) against Williamsville North (#7 large) at the Jolly Boys Tournament December 28th.

 

I won't be saying Falls is back when I do my poll ballots next week.  A two-point home win against Kenmore West is a lack of focus.  Get the focus back, so I can say Falls is back.  Here's the story from Ryan Nagelhout at the Niagara Gazette.

 

Jamestown (Class AA) beat Fredonia (Class B2), 106-25, in the first round of its United Way Tournament.  I know teams want to play in the championship game of their tournaments and non-league games are tougher to schedule after losing two games overall.  But noone expected that game to be close and an 81 point margin wastes a quarter of the non-league schedule for both teams.  Maybe Bishop Timon-St. Jude could be an option for next season.

 

Whatever it is that happens in the rafters of the Canisius home games, it's pretty cool.

 

The way Marcus Feagin of Niagara Falls goes after rebounds and the explosiveness when he leaps, reminds me of Henry Mingo from Buffalo East in 2008-2009.

 

In the last Prep Talk live chat, a blogger referred to Batavia as being to Section V what Niagara Falls is to Section VI.  I think calling them the Olean of Section V is a much more accurate comparison.  Rochester doesn't have a Niagara Falls.  Falls is a state power that has been to five Class AA state title games since 2004.  Batavia has never played for a state title.

 

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Marauders were in the zone against Grover

On Monday night, International Prep at Grover Cleveland visited the Marauders and quickly pressed them into some turnovers.  But then the ninth ranked large school started getting in the zone and Grover couldn't get them out of it.

 

St. Joe's clogged the middle with a zone defense and pounded the glass against the top ranked small school in WNY, defeating the Presidents, 57-49.   The Marauder 'D' forced Grover into taking long three-point attempts and broke up several passes to the paint.   The defensive energy also seemed to be a remedy for a team that was looking to take better care of the ball. 

 

Grover looked good in the early going, getting 3-pointers from Chris Holland and Dartwon Brooks, and a strong dunk by Kadeem Hillman off a missed shot.  The Presidents lead 11-6 with 3:12 left in the first quarter, when Marauder coach Mark Simon subbed Chad Kelly, Jake Spitler, and Steve Moser into the game to join starters Connor Rehbaum and Reggie Agbeko.  The change in the lineup jump started the zone defense, which immediately put the clamps on the Presidents offensively and began making things happen for the Marauders in transition.  St. Joe's went on a 19-2 run that included scoring from all five on the floor. 

 

By halftime, the Marauders were out in front 32-17.   A bucket from Kelly to open the third gave St. Joe's its largest lead of the game, but Holland scored six points during an 8-0 run that quickly cut the deficit back under double-digits.  Following a timeout, the Marauders were able to build their lead back up to 17 points early in the fourth quarter, as  Agbeko and Spitler combined for 13 points during that stretch.

 

The Presidents made one last push and were able to get within six points, before a three-point play on a drive from Agbeko sealed Grover's fate.   To their credit, the Presidents kept rallying late and refused to take the loss lying down.  It was a much improved team from the one that took the court at Daemen in the end of November.

 

Rehbaum and Agbeko shared game-high honors with 16 points each, while Kelly and Spitler scored eight points apiece.  Agbeko also ripped 14 boards and blocked nine shots.

 

Holland lead Grover with 15 points, while Brooks added 11, and Hillman scored nine points.

 

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Poll ballots - Week 2

As a pollster for the Buffalo News, I'm asked to send in my weekly ballots ranking the top ten large and small schools.  The polls are based on the games played through Sunday of each week.  Here's a look at how I see them and some of the rationale used to get there.

 

Large Schools

1. Niagara Falls (AA) - If they don't receive ten first place votes, someone needs their head checked.  I repeat, Falls is back.

2. Jamestown (AA) - Looked real good for three quarters against Williamsville South, then were fortunate to get the win after the Billes came storming back.

3. Williamsville South (A1) - If Aaron Adams is wearing a uniform instead of a cast or if they play the Red Raiders anywhere else but Jamestown, they are still number two. But rankings should be result based, not hypothetically driven.

4. Canisius (MMAA) - After seeing the Crusaders in the Wilson Tipoff Tournament, I didn't think they'd be sitting behind three other teams.

5.  Williamsville North (AA) - After a close call with Lancaster, they travel to Orchard Park on Tuesday night.  ECIC I will be a fun race to follow this season.

6. Riverside (A2) - With their non-league schedule complete after winning on the road against the Quakers, the Frontiers now shift the focus towards winning the Yale Cup.

7. East (A2) - The Panthers face a big test next week in the Rush Henrietta Tournament, opening against Section V's defending AA champ, the East Orientals. 

8. St. Joe's (MMAA) - They looked like a well-oiled machine against Lackawanna, then looked like they hadn't ever practiced together against Aquinas.  That inconsistency slides them down a spot.  We'll see which team wants to play the Presidents tonight.

9. McKinley (AA) - The Macks get a whole month off after beating Orchard Park, with their next game after the New Year against South Park.  McKinley still moves up a spot, because...

10. Bishop Timon-St. Jude (MMAA) - slid down two spots.  Why?  Cheektowaga had a larger margin of victory over Nichols than the Tigers, and Timon needs to step up its schedule.  Home games against Oracle Charter and MST Seneca, and a home tournament including Maritime Charter, Buffalo Academy of Science, and Iroquois isn't exactly a meat grinder for a large school in the MMAA. 

 

Small Schools

1. I-Prep at Grover (C) - Took care of business against Iroquois last week.  Face a big challenge at St. Joe's tonight.

2. OTC Middle College (C) - Defeated Nichols by 11 after a long drive south to St. Bonaventure.  The day after Christmas, they return to face Olean.

3. Wilson (B2) - Had no trouble beating Medina on Friday.  Host Lew-Port December 30th.

4. St. Mary's (MMAA) - Picked up a nice win against Clarence at the AdPro ECIC/Monsignor Martin Challenge.

5. Newfane (B1) - Conventional wisdom has Lackawanna as the favorites in Class B1.  My preseason pick was these Panthers, and I'm very comfortable with that.  Williamsville North would be wise not to look past Newfane in the Jolly Boys Tournament.

6. Tapestry Charter (C) - These guys are 5-0, and have now scored at least 90 points three times. 

7. Portville (C) - Won all three games they played this week, including a 15 point win over Archbishop Walsh.  They face Randolph in the championship game for the small schools at the IAABO Tournament on December 26th.

8. Dunkirk (B1) - Led by Vincent Bomasuto, the Marauders have started 3-0, most recently winning at Olean by 16.  Could this be the team to dethrone the Huskies as league champs?

9. Maple Grove (C) - Measuring stick game against Westfield this week was postponed.

10. Tonawanda (B1) - The Warriors are off to a good start.  The TNT rivalry game on Wednesday, at 7 pm in NT, looks to be a very good one.

 

Let me know how you'd have the teams ranked and where you disagree with my rankings.

 

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Friday night fuel saver: Newfane rolls

When I entered the Panther's Den for tonight's N-O game between Roy-Hart and Newfane, I was greeted with "what are you doing here, this was the best game tonight?"  I was aked the same thing twice more before I left.  With a trip to Jamestown on tap for tomorrow night, I thought it might be a good idea to keep the gas tank full and stay local tonight.  

 

Newfane (2-1,2-0) came out with a  full-court pressure defense that rattled the Rams (1-2,1-1) for the entire first half and built up a 31 point lead before the break, leading 48-17.   After calling the pressure off in the second half, the Panthers unloaded their bench and went on to get a 76-45 victory. 

 

The Panthers were lead by a monster performane from Rohn Pierce, who scored a game-high 35 points, with 29 coming before halftime.  During his 17 point second quarter, Pierce's teammates kept saying "he's a beast".  Dan Hambruch added 15 points for Newfane.  Chris Bowers scored a team-high 10 points for Roy-Hart.

 

Next up for the Panthers is a trip to Main Street, where they will face Williamsville North on December 28th in the opening round of the Jolly Boys Tournament at Williamsville South.  In game two, the Billies will play St. Francis.

 

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Tonawanda off to a good start

After winning just four games a season ago, the Tonawanda Warriors are already one win away from equaling that total after starting the 2010-11 campaign at 3-0.  The start by Tonawanda is even more impressive when you look at how they are winning...by a lot.

 

The Warriors opened the season with a 35 point win over Roy-Hart and followed that up by beating Alden by 20.  Last night, Tonawanda went on the road to face division foe Cleveland Hill, finalists in Class B2 last year.  For the third straight time, the Warriors were victors by at least 20, beating the Golden Eagles, 45-25.

 

Tonawanda has a solid starting five, led by junior Jesse Lalka, who scored a game-high 19 points in the win over Cleveland Hill.  Lalka is a pure scorer who can shoot from anywhere and also put the ball on the floor.  Senior Kyle Schroeder has good size and is tough on the boards inside.  Schroeder also has good hands and passed the ball well when it came to him inside against the zone.  Sophomore Clayton Hess is tall and broad, and is a nice inside/outside threat.  During the second quarter, Hess showed a soft touch on a pair 0f 3's and defended well in the post.  Steve Stich handles the point and came up with several timely steals.  Stich, along with Shane Foster, make good decisions with the ball and do a good job setting up the offense.

 

The improvement from Tonawanda this season should make for a good league race in ECIC IV, where Lackawanna is going through some early season struggles.  JFK looks like a formidible team as well, after wins against Niagara Catholic and Cleveland Hill.  The Warriors visit the Bears on January 4th and host Lackawanna on January 7th.  If the early season success continues for Tonawanda, they could also be a factor during sectionals in Class B1, where Lackawanna, JFK, Newfane, and Dunkirk all look to be contenders.

 

The fast start for Tonawanda also makes for an intriguing non-league rivalry game next week.  Last year's NFL champ  and Class AA semifinalist, North Tonawanda, will host the Warriors at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, December 22.  I'm sure Tonawanda would be happy with any margin of victory in that one.

 

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Classifications & Leagues

    Class AA                                                                         Class A1

    Niagara Falls - NFL                                                       Hamburg - ECIC II

    Lancaster - ECIC I                                                         Sweet Home - ECIC II

    Lockport - NFL                                                               Williamsville East - ECIC II

    Frontier - ECIC I                                                            Kenmore East - NFL

    Clarence - ECIC I                                                           Hutch-Tech - Yale Cup I

    Orchard Park - ECIC I                                                 Bennett - Yale Cup I

    Jamestown - ECIC I                                                      Grand Island - NFL

    Kenmore West - NFL                                                   Williamsville South - ECIC II

    Williamsville North - ECIC I                                     Lafayette - Yale Cup I

    West Seneca West - ECIC I                                        Iroquois - ECIC II

    North Tonawanda - NFL                                             West Seneca East - ECIC II

    Niagara Wheatfield - NFL                                           Starpoint - ECIC II

    McKinley - Yale Cup I                                                   Lake Shore - ECIC III

 

    Class A2                                                                          Class B1

    Amherst - ECIC III                                                        Tonawanda - ECIC IV

    Riverside - Yale Cup I                                                   Lackawanna - ECIC IV

    Buffalo East - Yale Cup I                                              Newfane - N-O

     Albion - N-O                                                                     Dunkirk - CCAA I

    Lew-Port - NFL                                                                 Alden - ECIC IV

    Cheektowaga - ECIC III                                               Medina - N-O

    Pioneer - ECIC III                                                          Eden - ECIC IV

    Maryvale - ECIC III                                                       JFK - ECIC IV

    Burgard - Yale Cup I                                                      Buffalo Arts - Yale Cup II

    South Park - Yale Cup I                                                Akron - N-O

    Olean - CCAA I                                                                 Roy-Hart - N-O

    East Aurora - ECIC III

    Springville - ECIC III

    Depew - ECIC III

 

    Class B2                                                                      Monsignor Martin

    Fredonia - CCAA I                                                         Canisius - A

    Cleveland Hill - ECIC IV                                             St. Joe's - A

    Emerson - Yale Cup II                                                 Bishop Timon-St. Jude - A

    City Honors - Yale Cup II                                          St. Francis - A

    Southwestern - CCAA I                                               St. Mary's - B

    Wilson - N-O                                                                    Cardinal O'Hara - B

    Gowanda - CCAA I                                                         Nichols - B

    Falconer - CCAA I                                                          Niagara Catholic - B

    Allegany-Limestone - CCAA I                                  Archbishop Walsh - B

    CSAT - N-O

    Cassadaga Valley - CCAA II

 

    Class C                                                                             Class D

    Salamanca - CCAA II                                                   Pine Valley - CCAA III

    Oracle Charter - Independent                                  Brocton - CCAA III

    OTC Middle College - Yale Cup II                          North Collins - CCAA III

    Maritime Charter - Independent                            Ellicottville - CCAA IV

    Holland - ECIC IV                                                         Forestville - CCAA IV

    I-Prep at Grover - Yale Cup II                                 Panama - CCAA IV

    Silver Creek - CCAA II                                                Olmsted - Yale Cup II

    Cattaraugus-Little Valley - CCAA II                      Sherman - CCAA IV

    Tapestry Charter - Independent                             Clymer - CCAA IV

    Randolph - CCAA II                                                      West Valley - CCAA IV

    Frewsburg - CCAA II                                                     Ripley - CCAA IV

    Portville - CCAA II

    Westfield - CCAA III

    Buffalo Science Charter - Independent

    Maple Grove - CCAA III

    MST Prep at  Seneca - Yale Cup II

    Chautauqua Lake - CCAA III

    Franklinville - CCAA III

    Barker - N-O

Random Smatterings - Week 2

Coming into this season, I heard several people suggest that Joey Licata would struggle to get 3-pointers off without Mark Coppola there to set him up.  So here's a bold prediction - Licata will make more 3's this season than he did last season. 

 

Tapestry Charter is the only school from WNY to have already scored 90 points in two games, their only two games.

 

I was happy to see Jordan Street from Falls playing up to his potential in the first quarter of the Jamestown game.  He was dominating in spots and the only thing that slowed him down was picking up his third foul.

 

On Saturday at the Classic, Batavia head coach Buddy Brasky, who's Blue Devils played in a tournament with Olean, Maple Grove, and  Hornell, was asked if Olean was down this year.  He replied, "They're not down, they're just young.  They'll be just fine".

 

Right before the Jamestown/Falls game began, a pizza delivery guy comes walking right past the scorer's table and approaches NFHS coach Sal Constantino with four boxes of pizza.  Apparently, someone decided to prank the new coach and have some pizza sent courtside, as the coach prepares for tipoff.

 

New St. Joe's forward Reggie Agbeko positionihas some serious athletic ability.  Once he improves on his positioning and boxing out, rebounds could be very hard to come by for those competing with him.

 

When Dale Stewart came into the Falls/Jamestown game on Friday, his defensive energy was hard to miss.  It reminded me of another Falls football star on the hardwood, Stewart's brother and current Green Bay Packers running back, James Starks.

 

During a third quarter run against Williamsville South, Canisius sophomore Adam Weir scored 13 consecutive points for his team.

 

I picked Panama to win Class D in Section VI this year.  Ripley has a basketball team again for the first time in several years.  The two teams played last week.  Final Score: Panama 83, Ripley 11. 

 

All five starers scored in double figures, as Clymer beat Panama, 71-67, on Monday night.

 

I wrote last week that  if I were starting a list of the Top 10 games this season, St. Mary's OT win over Newfane would be right at the top.  Since then, I've seen Will South's win over Canisius, Falls win over Aquinas, and Wilson's last second OT win over the Lancers.  Move way over St. Mary's vs. Newfane.

 

I want to know what play Sal Constantino is calling when he starts flailing his arms like a swarm of bees is attacking.  Did anyone else see what I'm talking about?

 

Prior to Aquinas and Falls tipping off on Saturday, I was looking around the Wolvarena at the banners, reflecting on the team's history over the past decade, and thinking about guys like Flynn, Starks, Harris, Garrison, Gamble, Lynch, etc..  It made me think that when schools from outside this immediate area come to Falls, they must feel like they're at a special place.

 

Coaches who are emphasizing ball movement and motion in their offense should take their team to a Williamsville South game.  The Billies are clinical in the way they run the offense.

 

 In David Hill and Tyler Funk, Clarence has two of the better players in WNY.  But the team has gotten off to a disappointing start based on the expectations that the returning talent created coming into this season.  Last year's AA finalist came into this year aiming for the top of ECIC I, but after the first couple weeks of play, that goal seems to be a lofty one,  Besides having Jamestown in the same league, Williamsville North and Frontier look like they've moved ahead of the Red Devils as well. 

   

If the weather permits it, I'm hopping in the car and going straight from Canisius to Jamestown on Saturday.  Hopefully Bennett and Fredonia is a hack fest that goes to quadruple OT.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday's AdPro ECIC/Monsignor Martin Challenge games rescheduled

 UPDATE:  All of the games from Tuesday that were postponed have been rescheduled. The new schedule for today is as follows:

 

Lancaster vs. St. Francis - 4:00 pm

Cheektowaga vs. Nichols - 5:30 pm

JFK vs. Niagara Catholic - 7:00 pm

Lackawanna vs. St. Joe's - 8:30 pm

 

Thursday, December 23, 2010 @ St. Mary's

Amherst vs. Bishop Timon-St. Jude - 6:00 pm

 Sweet Home vs. Canisius - 7:30 pm

 

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Poll ballots - Week 1

As a pollster for the Buffalo News, I'm asked to send in my weekly ballots ranking the top ten large and small schools.  The polls are based on games played through Sunday of each week.  Here's a look at how I see them and some of the rationale used to get there.

 

 

Large Schools

1. Niagara Falls (AA) - I'll say it...Falls is back! 

2. Williamsville South (A1) - Those of you who thought the Billies would take a step back after graduating Mark Coppola were, in a word, wrong.   South looked outstanding in its first two games.  Considered them for number one, but gave it to Falls on the strength of two wins over top teams.  If the Billies can go in to Jamestown and win, I may pull the old switch-a-roo.

3. Canisius (MMAA) - There's no shame in losing to South or in how they lost.  Saturday's game against NFHS is a must see.

4. Jamestown (AA) - If they play Falls at home, things may have turned out differently.  In all likelihood, they will play Williamsville South at home this weekend.

** This weekend, if Canisius beats Falls and Jamestown beats Williamsville South, we'll be right back to the drawing board with nothing sorted out!

5. Williamsville North (AA) - They showed me something at the Cataract City Classic and beating Batavia makes their resume good enough to earn this spot for now.

6. Riverside (A2)  - Looked very impressive in wins against Wilson and St. Joe's.  But in the loss to Canisius, they weren't up to the challenge.

7.  St. Joe's (MMAA) - I'm placing more value on beating Depew by 18 on a neutral court, than by...

8. Bishop Timon-St. Jude (MMAA) - beating OTC Middle College by 17 at home.  I'm looking forward to seeing the Tigers play tonight. 

9. East (A2) - They dismantled Nichols and beat OTC Middle College by 10 at the Pastor-Cooper tournament.

10.. McKinley (AA) - They've been a second half team in wins over St. Mary's and Orchard Park.

 

Small Schools

1. I-Prep at Grover (C) - They have the talent and the team to hold this spot among the small schools from start to finish.

2. OTC Middle College (C) - This year's version of the Kats aren't dominant like last year, but there's no question that they're a top small school. 

3. Wilson (B2) - Made plays when they needed to down the stretch against St. Mary's.

4. St. Mary's (MMAA) - Overtime win against Newfane, overtime loss against Wilson, puts them in this N-O sandwich.

5. Newfane (B1) - Seeing the Lakemen beat St. Mary's bothers them almost as much as the loss to the Lancers did.  

6. Maple Grove (C) - The defending Class D state champs have already beat Olean and Randolph.

7. Tapestry Charter (C) - Scoring points, shooting 3's, and pressing at a dizzying pace...sounds a lot like a team from last season.

8. Lackawanna (B1) - Edged St. Francis to open with a win, but then took one on the chin at home against Orchard Park.

9. Portville (C) - I'll be banging the Portville drum until I'm proven wrong.  They are led by a pair of talented seniors and nearly beat CG Finney after leading by ten in the second quarter.

10. Tonawanda (B1) - Lackawanna could have some real competition on their hands in ECIC IV.  The Warriors opened with a 35 point win over Roy-Hart, followed by a 20 point win against Alden.

 

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AdPro ECIC/Monsignor Martin Challenge tips off today

The annual three-day challenge mainly comprised of teams from the ECIC and Monsignor Martin Athletic Association begins today at St. Mary's in Lancaster.  The ten game challenge features a headline game to close each night.  I go for the basketball, but I must say, there is no greater hospitality room for coaches, officials, and media at a high school event, than the one set up by St. Mary's Athletic Director and head coach, Dan Gill. 

Here is the schedule of games:

 

Monday, December 13, 2010

Grand Island vs. Christian Central Academy - 4:00 pm

Holland vs. Archbishop Walsh - 5:30 pm

West Seneca East vs. Cardinal O'Hara - 7:00 pm

Clarence vs. St. Mary's - 8:30 pm

 

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Cheektowaga vs. Nichols - 5:00 pm

Amherst vs. Bishop Timon St. Jude - 6:30 pm

Sweet Home vs. Canisius - 8:00 pm

 

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Lancaster vs. St. Francis - 5:00 pm

JFK vs. Niagara Catholic - 6:30 pm

Lackawanna vs. St. Joe's - 8:00 pm

 

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A "Classic" weekend in review

Yesterday, one of the tournament officials from the Cataract City Classic told me he was disappointed because due to budget restrictions, they weren't able to get any marquee state powers in for the two-day event.   Well from my experience at this event, there has never been a better collection of games put together.  Five of the nine games were decided in the final seconds, and only one of the nine games was a double-digit win.

 

Alright, things didn't exactly get off to a roaring start with the first game that Lancaster won over Niagara Wheatfield, 43-34.  The first quarter was almost unwatchable, with the teams tied at three after eight minutes.  It wasn't some defensive clinic going on out there, and a half court shooting competition would yield more buckets.  But the teams did settle in and make a game out of it by the second half.   The Redskins were coming off an exciting win over Clarence so maybe they weren't as focused as they should have been.  One player who was focused the whole game was 5-7 senior Jake Kroll.  Kroll played with energy from start to finish (he accounted for his team's three points in the first quarter) and did a nice job keeping his teammates involved in the game.  Jack Mulcahy, just a sophomore, showed some good things for the Falcons, and the team was never lacking for effort.

 

St. Joe's wound up beating Depew going away, 45-27.  It was only a five point game at half and seemed like the chess match I had billed it to be.  But the Marauders opened the second half with a press and the defensive pressure led by Keith Louie, Steve Moser, and Chad Kelly, spurred a 10-0 run that opened the game up. 

 

Niagara Falls beat Jamestown in WNY's first battle between two heavyweights this season, 62-54.  The Wolverines couldn't have started the Sal Constantino era any better.  Falls came out very fired up in front of its home crowd and matched its defensive intensity with a decisive and aggressive offense that led to a 38-19 lead at the half.  The Red Raiders adjusted in the second half and were able to get within four points, but the guard play by Falls was the difference down the stretch.  Game MVP, Taijay Williams, hit some timely 3's and JJ Wilkins was active late defensively, while Darin Butts and Jaysean Paige from Jamestown  were both held in check.

 

 

Day two began with the only overtime contest of the weekend, as Wilson edged St. Mary's, 61-59.  A good game throughout, it was the late stages that provided some big moments.  Tied at 52 with under two minutes to play, the Lakemen's Brennan Moxham and the Lancer's Jake Denz traded 3-pointers.  Following a Wilson turnover, Moxham dove on a loose ball to give his team possession, then got to the line and put his team back up by two.  As regulation expired, Nathan Meyers connected on an improbable shot to force the extra session.  In OT, Moxham scored the final four points, with the game winning bucket coming as the shot clock expired from just inside the three-point line, with under ten seconds remaining.

 

Amherst held a slim lead over Section V's CG Finney during much of the game, but a late surge by the Falcons gave them a 53-44 win.  Leading the game by a point half way through the final quarter, Amherst let the game get away from them during a decisive 14-2 run by the Falcons.  The Tigers did a good job defending Finney star Jamell Johnson, and he still finished with a game-high 25 points. 

 

Williamsville North made an early season statement in gutting out a huge victory over Section V power Batavia, 56-53.  Freshman guard Sterling Taplin looked experienced beyond his years, drilling five second half 3-pointers, en route to a game-high 28 points.  The Blue Devils had the ball with a chance to tie in the final seconds, but the Spartan defense blanketed Batavia and did not allow a shot to get off.

 

In the Classic's best game from start to finish, Williamsville South knocked off Canisius, 68-67.  In a fast-paced, ultra intense game, the Billies came back from down ten to set up a thrilling back-and-forth finish.  With under two minutes to play, the Crusaders' Matt Hart hit a '3' to put his team up by two.  The Billies' Phil Hansen answered with a '3', only to have Hart come back and bury another, to restore the two-point lead.  So it was only fitting that Hansen provided the late-game heroics for South, by swishing a second straight 3-bomb (his third of the quarter) with under ten seconds left, to raise his team up to victory.

 

The weekend still hadn't seen a game-ending buzzer beater, so that's exactly what Niagara Catholic provided in defeating East Aurora, 55-53.  With the event's finale already pushed back an hour later than it was supposed to start, it looked like the Patriots and Blue Devils were heading to overtime, tied at 53.  Instead, it was freshman Jonathan Jackson who took an inbound pass, dribbled toward the lane, and pulled up to can a jumper and time expired for the stunning finish.

 

The host Wolverines overcame a rocky start to close out the Cataract City Classic with a bang, winning 47-44 over Aquinas of Section V.  Falls lacked the same intensity it sshowed early on against Jamestown, and quickly fell behind by double-digits in the early going.  The Little Irish maintained that lead for most of the first half, before a late push by the Wolverines closed the gap to 23-20 at halftime.  The game stayed close the rest of the way, but Aquinas seemed to always have a slight advantage.  With the game tied at 44 and less than a minute to play, Falls had possession.  After taking the shot clock all the way down, the Wolverines had a tough time getting a good look against the Little Irish defense.  With one tick left on the shot clock, sophomore Jermaine Crumpton elevated over his defender and let a 3-pointer fly, which connected in dramatic fashion.  Aquinas couldn't answer in the final seconds, and Niagara Falls celebrated its second big win in as many nights.

 

The Cataract City Classic Committee should be commended for putting together a first-class event  that exceeded all expectations.  Congratulations to Sal Constantino for beginning his career in style and helping to get people excited about Falls again.  Also, a shoutout to the Wolverine Pep Band for always makes the environment a special one at NFHS.

 

-centercourt

 

 

 

Day 2 of the Cataract City Classic

I'm back at center court for day two of the Classic and will provide some updates for the games until Keith McShea arrives and begins his live coverage.  Today showcases twelve teams, beginning with St. Mary's taking on Wilson.

 

12:39 pm - It's halftime of the first game with St. Mary's holding on to a 27-25 lead over Wilson.  The Lakemen have held Peter Notaro and Devin Redden scoreless, but are struggling to generate their own offense outside of Brennan Moxham, who has 14 of his team's 25 points at the break. 

12:54 pm - With 2:43 remaining in the third quarter, the Lancers lead Wilson, 38-35.  Notaro just went to the bench with his fourth personal foul.

1:00 pm - After three quarters, it's St. Mary's still leading, 44-41.  A very good game between two teams that are going right at each other.  Erik simmons had six in the quarter for the Lancers, while Tyler Martin and Tyler Truesdell did the same for Wilson.

1:09 pm - Still a three-point game, 50-47 Lancers.  St. Mary's stretched its lead to seven, but Wilson cut right back into it.  There's 4:21 remaining.

1:15 pm - A 3-pointer from Wilson's Tyler Martin has knotted this game up at 50 with 3:16 to play.

1:18 pm - A big development: Wilson takes the lead, 52-50, and Notaro fouls out for St. Mary's.

1:24 pm - There's 1:02 remaining and it's tied 55-55.

1:29 pm - Wilson leads 57-55, St. Mary's ball with six seconds left.

1:31 pm - Nathan Meyers throws up an awkward prayer...and hits it. This one is going to overtime!

1:40 pm - This game is tied, 59-59, Wilson's ball with 39 seconds remaining.

1:41 pm -  With the shot clock buzzer sounding, Moxham drains one from just inside the arc to put Wilson up 61-59.  Lancers ball with ten seconds left.

1:42 pm - The Lancers are unable to connect on their final shot and Wilson gets the win, 61-59.

 

With Wilson trailing by two, Moxham scored the game's final four points to lift his team to the victory in overtime.  In a great overall performance that earned him game MVP honors, Moxham finished with a game-high 27 points, went 14 of 14 from the charity stripe, hit three 3-pointers, and sank the game winning shot with ten seconds left on OT.  Tyler Truesdell finished with 13 points, while Tyler Martin added 11 for Wilson.

 

"Our defense was much better today than last night" (in a win against Barker), Wilson coach Brett Sippel said.  "We drew multiple charges and defended the ball screen well". 

Erik Simmons took game MVP honors for the Lancers, finishing with 11 points, while Jake Denz netted a team-high 15 for the Lancers.

 

Peter Notaro was in foul trouble for much of the game before being charged with his fifth in the fourth quarter.  Wilson was without starter Pat Walch and key reserve Joe Parrott, who were at a football awards banquet.

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  2:43 pm - At halftime, Amherst leads CG Finney of Section V, 23-21.  Mike Derr leads the Tigers with ten points, while Jamell Johnson has eight points for Finney.

2:53 pm - Amherst calls a timeout with 3:13 left in the third quarter, with the score 30-30.

3:00 pm - Heading into the fourth quarter, Amherst and Finney are tied, 34-34. 

3:11 pm - Amherst was leading by a point, but an 8-0 run by Finney has put them up 45-38, with 3:13 left to play in the game.

3:23 pm -  Finney pulls away in the last four minutes of whatv was a close gamen throughout and comes away with a 53-44 victory.

 

Jamell Johnson (Finney) and Mike Derr (Amherst) took game MVP honors.  Johnson finished with a game-high 25 points, while Derr scored 16 points in the loss. 

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For live updates of the last four games, visit the Prep Talk blog.

 

Live and center court at the Cataract City Classic - Day 1

5:08 pm - Lancaster and Niagara Wheatfield have tipped-off, with Lancaster leading 3-0.  The Redskins are coming off a big win over Clarence last night.

5:19 pm - At the end of the first quarter, the score is 3-3.  The first eight minutes featured two cold teams and several missed shots.  Things can only get better from here.

5:28 pm - Lancaster head coach Conrad Walters just turned to those closest to where he was standing and said "This is the worst offensive performance I've ever seen in my life.  I apologize, you guys should get your money back".  The score is 8-8 with just over three minutes remaining in the half.

5:35 pm - Lancaster scored six straight points to close the first half and are up 14-8 at the break.

5:56 pm - With 1:45 remaining uin the third, the Redskins lead the Falcons 27-16.

6:00 pm - The score is the same as the teams head into the final quarter.  N-W head coach Erik O'Bryan entertained the press row when an errant pass came his way and he spiked it in frustration (his team threw the pass).

6:14 - Two minutes remain in the game and the Falcons have closed the gap, trailing 36-28.

6:22 - The Redskins still lead by eight, 42-34, with :27.9 seconds to go.

6:27 - Final Score: Lancaster 43, Niagara Wheatfield 34. 

Game MVP awards went to JJ Harrington from Lancaster, and Jake Hughes from Niagara Wheatfield.  Each player finished with 11 points.  Hughes scored 10 of his 11 in the fourth quarter.

 

For live updates from Depew vs. St. Joe's and Niagara Falls vs. Jamestown, visit the Prep Talk blog.

To listen to a broadcast of the St. Joe's vs. Depew game, click here.

 

 

Cataract City Classic lineup and reasons to see all nine games

My favorite two-day high school basketball event in WNY is the annual Cataract City Classic, held at Niagara Falls High School on 4455 Porter Road.  Each year, Sal Constantino organizes the nine-game event which showcases some of the top programs from WNY and surrounding areas.  This season, Constantino will be extra busy, as he will be coaching the host school each day.  Recently hired as the head coach of WNY's premier hoops program, Constantino will look to return the Wolverines to the status they held for nearly a decade after the team failed to advance to the postseason semifinals last year for the first time in its history.  Niagara Falls will open its season with a grueling pair of  games that headline each night of the Classic.  Here is the schedule:

 

Friday, December 10, 2010

Niagara Wheatfield vs. Lancaster - 5:00 pm

- Erik O'Bryan makes his debut as the new head coach for the Falcons on the same court where he led North Tonawanda to a historic win over Niagara Falls a season ago.  Now, O'Bryan begins a new chapter of his coaching career with a Niagara Wheatfield team that has some size, led by 6-6 Jake Hughes.  Lancaster opened the season with a pair of victories by winning its own tournament.  The Redskins will need a strong outing from JJ Harrington, a 6-7 big man who has some range from the perimeter.

 

St. Joe's vs. Depew - 6:30 pm

- A very interesting game between two traditionally strong programs.  The Marauders come in with a size advantage and are a bit more physical, but neither of those assets worked to their advantage in the teams home opener against Riverside.  Depew head coach Larry Jones was on hand to scout that game and will surely devise a plan to slow the game down and run long half court sets.  If you like a good chess match, this would be the game to see. 

 

Niagara Falls vs. Jamestown - 8:00 pm

- This could very well be a preview of the Class AA championship game in March.  Jamestown has a ton of talent back from the team that won the Class AA crown last season and something to prove.  The Red Raiders have never beaten Niagara Falls, and for the first time ever, come into this season favored ahead of the Wolverines.  But beating Niagaara Falls on its home court will be a tall order - the only ECIC team to ever accomplish that was Clarence, during sectionals last year.  The atmosphere for this one should be off the hook.  The Niagara Falls Pep Band will be fired up and firing up the Falls faithful, while Jamestown fans always travel well and are among the loudest in WNY.

 

Saturday, December 11, 2010

St. Mary's vs. Wilson - 12:00 pm

- Fresh off an exciting overtime win against Newfane, the Lancers face another top small school in Wilson.  The Lakemen opened with losses to Riverside and Brunswick, OH (a school larger than Niagara Falls) but still showed the same trademark hustle and grit that keeps them competitive each year.  Wilson hopes to get into the win column and grab early bragging rights over rival Newfane, by beating the team the Panthers just lost to.  The Lancers hope establish their rank among the small schools in the area and will look for Peter Notaro and Devin Redden to build on the their strong play inside.

 

Amherst vs. CG Finney - 1:30 pm

- This game provides a barometer for other schools in WNY.  Finney of Section V is a Class D private school that plays at a much higher level than other schools of its size.  Last season, the school opted to play up in Class B2.  They earned five point wins over both Portville and Class AA McQuaid of Section V, who plays Canisius and St. Mary's next week.  Amherst is coached by Chris Kensy, whose team opened the year with a win over Grand Island.  How the Tigers perform in this game will offer some perspective for multiple teams.

 

Williamsville North vs. Batavia - 3:00 pm

- Led by a freshman point guard in Sterling Taplin, the Spartans future looks bright.  They face a Batavia team that has advanced to Glens Falls for the state final four in two separate classes the past two seasons.  Led by all-state guard Andrew Hoy and legendary coach Buddy Brasky, the Blue Devils are always a top team.  Williamsville North will face tough competition all season in league and the postseason, and getting a win here would be momentum builder moving forward.

 

Canisius vs. Williamsville South - 5:00 pm

- This one just might wind up being the best game of the nine played.  Both teams are very highly regarded in the large school ranks, and what better way to sort out which one should be slotted higher than to pair them up on a neutral court.  Last season, the two teams got together at the ECIC/MMAA Challenge, with Canisius coming away with a 68-64 win.  The Billies were without Mark Coppola in that game, and he's the only impact player that graduated.  This year, the game should be equally close and entertaining, and the outcome will likely hang in the balance until the final seconds.

 

East Aurora vs. Niagara Catholic - 6:30 pm

- Joe Lowery returns to his old high school with his new team, the Patriots.  Niagara Catholic opened the year by winning the A. Leslie Lawrence Tournament.  They face an East Aurora team with new coach Chris Koselny, who will look to get the most out of his club.  Last year at the Classic, the Blue Devils had a strong showing in a win over Medina.  East Aurora is led by Jameson Arnold.

 

Niagara Falls vs. Aquinas - 8:00 pm

- The final game of the Classic pits the Falls up against a team many feel will represent Section V from Class A in the Far West Regionals.  The Little Irish rolled St. Francis to start their season behind the strong play of Phil Valenti.  Niagara Falls will present a much tougher matchup with the imposing front court of Jordan Street, Jermaine Crumpton, and Marcus Feagin.  I'd be willing to bet that Willaimsville South hangs around for this game, just in case they see Aquinas down the road.

 

** I'll be courtside for the games and providing updates for all of them throughout.  If you can't make it out to Porter Road for any of the nine games, check here for the latest.

 

-centercourt

Riverside earns a big win at St. Joe's

To say you'd rather work the kinks out and lose one now might sound cliche, but it is true.  However, dropping one to the team you just watched your rival clobber is not the way you want to start the season out at home.

 

Riverside smothered St. Joe's to start the second half and hung on down the stretch, earning a big road win in non-league action.  The victory improves the Frontiers to 2-1, while St. Joe's falls to 1-1.

 

Deon Artis lead the victors with a game-high 23 points and 17 rebounds, while sophomore Justice Feggans scored 18 and Gilbert Herrera added 17 points.  "It was a great team effort tonight" Riverside head coach Ron Killinger said. 

 

After taking a three-point lead into the intermission, Riverside opened the third quarter on a 15-1 run and took firm command of the game with a 52-35 lead.  The Frontiers capitalized on Marauder misses, frustrated them into careless turnovers, and dictated the tempo of the game during the decisive run. 

 

St. Joe's seemed to struggle matching up with the smaller and quicker Yale Cup squad.  After closing the deficit to 56-44 heading into the fourth quarter, Riverside came out quickly again and stretched its lead to 18 points, 62-44.

 

"We have to defend a lot better than that.  We couldn't stop their penetration, we tried switching to a zone...we're still a work in progress", St. Joe's head coach Mark Simon said.

 

The Marauders finally found a sense of urgency in the fourth, particularly in the way they defended. But by that point, the lead was too much to overcome.  St. Joe's was unable to get any closer than nine points until the final minute of the game.

 

Connor Rehbaum led the Mauraders with 18 points. Reggie Agbeko scored 17 points, grabbed 13 boards, and blocked four shots, while Chad Kelly scored 13 points to go along with 10 rebounds and five steals.

 

St. Mary's wins a thriller over Newfane in OT

When I approached Lancers head coach Dan Gill following the game, he greeted me with "you can add that one to your top ten".  If I was starting a new list for this season, the game between St. Mary's and Newfane would be right at the top.

 

In a battle between two of the best small schools in WNY that needed an extra session to be decided, it was the host Lancers who eventually came away with a 75-66 win.  A packed Dick Woj Field House watched as the two teams battled back and forth and provided several highlights along the way.

 

The Panthers jumped out to an early 8-1 lead and held St. Mary's without a field goal until Peter Notaro connected with 3:25 left in the first quarter.  Trailing by 10 with 33 seconds left in the quarter, Newfane watched as a sloppy pass sailed over the half court line and assumed an over and back violation would follow.  Instead, it was Jake Denz who ran down the ball and dropped a 3-pointer to cut the Panther lead to seven after one.

 

The Lancers warmed up in the second quarter and tied the game at 22 on Denz's second '3' of the half.  The Panthers came right back with one of their own from Brayden Sears, and the teams continued to trade scores, heading into intermission locked at 27 apiece.

 

The second half was when the action really became entertaining.  Newfane's Dan Hambruch opened the scoring by canning a 3-pointer which spurred a 7-2 Panther run.  Shortly after, St. Mary's rattled off seven unanswered and took its first lead of the game with 1:50 remaining in the third.  Hambruch responded by drilling a pair of '3's, before Nate Meyers came right back with a sweet dish to Notaro.  The two teams were once again tied  at the end of the third quarter, this time it was 42-42.

 

During the final eight minutes of regulation, St. Mary's and Newfane continued trading blows. Hambruch converted a traditional three-point and connected on another long range bomb, while teammate Rohn Pierce converted a four-point play.   The Lancers hit on four '3's, two from Denz, one from Meyers, and one from Erik Simmons.  At the end of the furious eight minutes, the game was tied, 59-59, and Newfane had the ball under its basket for an imbound with eight seconds left.  As the pass entered, the ball was immediately tied up and St. Mary's got possesion with four ticks on the clock.  A three-point attempt by Denz just missed at the buzzer, and the two headed for OT.

 

The Lancers would go on to own the extra session, scoring more in the final four minutes than they scored in the first or third quarters.  Notaro and Devin Redden each had key blocks and Simmons scored eight points in the OT.

 

For St. Mary's, Notaro led a very balanced attack, scoring 15 points and pulling down 12 boards.  Denz, Simmons, and Redden each scored 13 points.

 

Hambruch had a game-high 25 points for the Panthers, including five for five from downtown.  Pierce added 18 points, while Steve "Five Fouls" Kneeland (who didn't foul out) scored 12.  Sean Seefeldt and Drew McCullough each turned in a tremendous defensive effort in the loss.

 

The game featured 16 lead changes and five ties.  Three of the ties were at the end of the half, third quarter, and regulation, while 14 of the lead changes occured during the games final 14 minutes.

 

 -centercourt

Random Smatterings - Week 1

When I wrote a preview for Prep Talk, I gave a preseason top ten for the large and small schools.  The hardest part was easily the first four large schools, which I had: 1. St. Joe's; 2. Williamsville South; 3. Jamestown; 4. Canisius.  Then I saw the Crusaders play twice.  Now I'm not changing anything yet, because I haven't seen the other three, and I'm confident they will all be quite impressive as well.  But I do think those four schools are bunched together at the top and it will be a lot of fun watching that sort out.  Oh yeah, then there's Niagara Falls, who might be quietly hiding in the shadows of a team that underachieved a year ago.  If they are (I'm guessing that's the case), make it a top five.

 

After seeing multiple city schools from Buffalo this week, I think the Yale Cup large schools will be a lot of fun to watch this year and very competitive.  East and McKinley both won at the Pastor-Cooper Tournament, while Riverside and Hutch Tech each looked good as well.   Bennett brings back a lot from last year and under the new format, every team plays a home-and-home, meaning Lafayette gets everyone once in its gym - never an easy place to win at.

 

St. Mary's hopes to rebound this week after losses to McKinley and Grover.  The Lancers next face a pair of top ten small schools and the elite of the N-O League, when they host Newfane tomorrow and play against Wilson on Saturday.  Then next week, they get Class AA finalist Clarence.  No other small school opened its season with a tougher schedule.

 

I was chatting with a fellow hoops junkie who questioned what Maple Grove had back to make them competitive.  When I began rattling names off, he said "now you're just reading names from their roster".  Now I realize that Chris Secky was nothing short of phenomonal in leading the Red Dragons to the Class D title last season, but I also saw them play seven times and there are a lot of good players back from that championship team.  They all benefitted from playing a grueling independent regular season schedule and finished by defeating the top Class D teams in the state. 

Well I'm not sure how many noticed, but Maple Grove opened its season by going on the road and defeating the defending four-time overall Class B champion Olean Huskies, 50-43.   Go ahead and tell me Olean is down this year...my response...Olean is Olean and they are a Class A2 school.

 

Tremmell Fisher was awesome in his 34 point effort against OTC Middle College, leading his East High Panthers back from a 10-point halftime deficit.  He plays strong inside, handles the ball well, shoots the three, and is very good defender.  Look for a big-time season from Fisher.

 

Davon Alexander gets most of the hype at OTC Middle College and he was very effective in the Kats first two games.  But OTC has several weapons on the team hoping to repeat as Class C champs.  Junior Khalid Brown has averaged 17 points in the first two games, Emmit Middlebrooks came off the bench to score a team-high 20 points in the loss to East, and Curtis Harper is solid player running the point.

 

Looking for this year's version of Clarence, a team that surprises many with its vast improvement?  Well it just may be the Williamsville East Flames, who interestingly enough started the season with a double-digit win over Clarence and won the Amherst tournament. 

 

Tomorrow the Buffalo News high school basketball preview is out.  Check out these team previews from the Niagara Gazette: Niagara Falls, Grand Island, Lew-Port, Niagara Wheatfield, Lockport, and Niagara  Catholic.

 

A player who is primed for a breakout season is Connor Rehbaum from St. Joe's.  He has all the tools to be one of the top guards in WNY and is coming off a solid performance in the Empire State Games this summer.  I heard that new Marauder Reggie Agbeko turned heads with a nasty baseline dunk on Friday night, as St. Joe's beat host Lockport, 60-43. 

 

The Barker Raiders got a pair of double-doubles from a pair of underclassmen in their 67-44 victory over Section V's Byron Bergen.  What makes it more interesting is that the pair are brothers.  Junior Josh Haight scored 28 points and grabbed 10 boards, while freshman Jake Haight netted 18 points and 13 rebounds. 

 

Kenmore East defeated Alden and host Iroquois to win the Greg D. Martin Tipoff Tournament.

 

Lackawanna opened its season with a one-point victory over St. Francis, while Frontier cruised past Hamburg in the first round of the Hamburg Lions Tournament. 

Starpoint lost a hard fought battle at Lew-Port on Saturday night.  The Spartans started freashnman Julian Mott at point guard after the former starter, senior Lucas Smith, left the team.

 

I found this pretty interesting: Section V's CG Finney is back is Class D after playing up in B2 last year.  On Saturday night, Finney defeated McQuaid, a Class AA school, 63-58.  McQuaid will be in Buffalo on December 17th to play Canisius and December 18th to play St. Mary's as part of the Tom Keenan Memorial Tournament.  Finney opened its season by winning the Allegany IAABO Tournament.  In the championship game, Finney beat Portville (Section VI Class C) by five - the same margin as the win over McQuaid.  Portville held an early 10-point lead in that contest.

 

Hinsdale has joined Section V and will compete in Class D2 there.

 

* Tomorrow night, I'll be at St. Mary's to watch the Lancers take on the Newfane Panthers.  It should be a very good game.  If you can't make it out, I'll have a post on the game.

 

By the way, there's a comments section on this blog.  Pick a name, use an email address, and say something.  It's that easy - no registration required.  

 

-centercourt

Crusaders down Riverside; win Wilson Tipoff Tournament

A guy from Wilson who was sitting next to me at the end of the tourney championship game said "I can't imagine any team in WNY being better than Canisius".  After what I saw from the Crusaders in their first two games, he just might be on to something.

 

Tournament MVP Aaron Nevins lit the Frontiers up for 31 points, and led Canisius to a 97-73 victory.  Sophomore Adam Weir came off the bench to score 23 points for the Crusaders.

 

In the consolation game, Brunswick of Ohio defeated Wilson, 71-51.  Pat Forsythe led Brunswick with 21 points, while Brennan Moxham finished with a game-high 22 points for Wilson.

 

All-Tournament Team

Gordon Lyons - Canisius

Deon Artis - Riverside

Gilbert Herrera - Riverside

Pat Forsythe - Brunswick

Brennan Moxham - Wilson

 

 -centercourt

Canisius and Riverside look very impressive

With the weather postponing the last couple night's games at the Pastor-Cooper Tournament, it made my choice pretty easy when deciding which games to take in tonight.  I hit the Wilson Tipoff Tournament to see three local programs that are always in the mix and one out-of-state school with a 6-10 West Virgina signee.

 

There's nothing like the anticipation of what a team will look like the first time they take the court for the season.  Tonight was my first viewing of Canisius, Riverside, and Wilson.  I knew all three would be good this year, but after seeing them play, I'm here to tell you that all three will definitely be heard from in league and the postseason. 

 

Aaron Nevins scored eight points in the tightly contested final quarter of a tightly contested game, to lead the Crusaders to a 48-45 victory over the Brunswick Blue Devils of Ohio.  Nevins finished with a game-high 21 points, including a pair of gritty traditional three-point plays down the stretch, to lift his squad.

 

Trailing 15-7 late in the first quarter, Canisius head coach Kyle Husband called a timeout.  When they came back out on to the court, he had his Crusaders playing the kind of defense that will make them very difficult to beat.  The Crusaders would allow just five points over the next ten minutes and served notice to Brunswick and everyone else watching, they were playing the rest of the way for keeps.

 

Gordon Lyons battled and scrapped with the much taller Pat Forsythe, who will be playing for the Big East Conference Moutaineers next year.  The D1 recruit earned  all 19 of his points and was often beaten to the spot and the ball by Lyons.

 

A pair of sophomores, Matt McDonald and Aaron White, showed no sign of being new to the varsity level for Canisius.  From the way White defended the opposition, it sure looked like he picked up a thing or two from new Crusader assistant and former LaSalle great, Modie Cox.

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In the first game, Riverside couldn't miss a 3-pointer for anything, played tough defensively, and crashed the boards all game, as the Frontiers cruised past Wilson, 72-57.  Riverside closed out the first half on an 18-2 run, allowed just one field goal in the second quarter, and owned a 47-21 lead at intermission.  The Lakemen looked much better in the second half and never allowed Riverside to let up, but were in too great a hole to dig out of.

 

The Riverside starting five will present a tough matchup to anyone in WNY, as Canisius will experience tomorrow.  Gilbert Herrera and sophomore Justice Feggans scored 18 points apiece and Bennett transfer Deon artis added 11.  Artis is a great addition to this team and his style of play blends right in at Riverside.  Willie Jefferson and Lamont Little round out a starting five that can run, shoot, and defend very well.  6-3 junior Mike Leonard was also an impressive sixth man for Riverside.

 

The Lakemen were lead by Brennan Moxham, who finished with 12 points.

 

The schedule for day two of the tournament:

Wilson vs. Brunswick, OH - 5:30 pm

Canisius vs. Riverside - 7:00 pm

 

-centercourt

 

 

Game on...game off...game on

The Pastor-Cooper Memorial Tournament has postponed tonight's games as well and rescheduled the consolation and championship rounds for this weekend at Daemen College as follows:

 

Saturday, December 4, 2010

St. Mary's vs. Grover - 10:30 am

Nichols vs. Hutch Tech - 2:00 pm AT Hutch Tech

 

Sunday, December 5, 2010

McKinley vs. Orchard Park - 1:30 pm

East vs. OTC Middle College - 3:00 pm

 

The Wilson Tipoff Tournament will be played tonight

Riverside vs. Wilson - 6:30 pm

Canisius vs. Brunswick, OH - 8:00 pm

 

The Amherst Tipoff Tournament will be played tonight

Clarence vs. Williamsville East - 6:00 pm

Grand Island at Amherst - 7:30 pm

 

The Lockport Rotary Tournament has been cancelled.  However, Lockport will host St. Joe's tonight at 7 pm.

 

Lafayette vs. Starpoint at Lew-Port as part of the James Walker Tournament has been postponed.

 

Round two of the Lancaster Tipoff Tournament has been postponed.

 

 -centercourt

Tonight's games at Daemen postponed, other postponements, two games still on

Tonight's consolation matchups at Daemen College have been postponed due to weather cancelling school for all four teams.  It is a strong possibility that the same thing could happen tomorrow night.

 

As of right now, a decision on a makeup date and time has not been made, but tournament officials and coaches are looking into options for making games up on Saturday. 

 

UPDATE - A tentative plan is in place for making up the boys consolation games.  The games are currently rescheduled for Saturday morning, begining at 9:30 am.   However, that plan is contingent on the Buffalo Public Schools being plowed out and back in class tomorrow.  If the Buffalo Schools are closed again tomorrow, the championship games would also be postponed...which could wind up changing everything.

 

FINAL UPDATE 12/3/10 

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The Greg D. Martin Tipoff Tournament at Iroquois (Alden, Kenmore East, East Aurora, Iroquois) has been postponed.

 

The Town of Hamburg Lions Tipoff tournament at Frontier (St. Francis, Lackawanna, Hamburg, Frontier) has been postponed.

 

The James Walker Tournament at Lew-Port (Lafayette, Starpoint, Lew-Port) has postponed the first game between Lafayette and Lew-Port.  ** This is a round robin tournament format with only three teams.  Friday's game between Lafayette and Starpoint will be contingent on whether the Buffalo Public Schools are in session.  Saturday night's contest between Starpoint and Lew-Port will take place @ 7 pm.

 

Cheektowaga @ Emerson has been postponed.

 

Clymer @ Pine Valley and Falconer @ Cassadaga Valley are both still being played this evening at 7:30 pm.

 

-centercourt