The first state rankings of the season have been released by the NYSSWA. Below are the WNY teams that made the cut:
Class AA
Jamestown #25
Class A
Canisius #5
McKinley #11
Timon #25
Class B
Olean #1
East #2
St. Mary's #16
Class C
Middle College #5
Silver Creek #15
Randolph #19
Class D
Sherman #2
Clymer #7
** According to the rankings:
- Canisius is the top Class A CHSAA team in the state
- McKinley is heading back to Glens Falls
- An Olean/East crossover game at Buffalo State would serve as the real Class B Federation championship game
- Middle College makes it to Glens Falls
- Sherman should play for a state championship this year
** The most glaring omission in my opinion is Fredionia in Class B - not even an honorable mention.
Click here for a complete list of state rankings.
-centercourt
Will North gets beat at home tonight. While I am sure it will be a close game we all know where close games are won and lost---thats right coaching. How did the games go at North last night rumor has it a Jamestown sweep. Tonight the girls blast the north girls and our boys bring home the w on the road marking two home league losses for the best player in wny
Posted by: The bottom line | Tuesday, December 17, 2013 at 02:01 PM
Yeah yeah yeah, Coach Drake is the greatest Coach in all of New York State. There is no one that can hold his jock strap, he once dunked on Michael Jordan and out coached Phil Jackson...in the same game. He's so cool that when he goes to sleep, sheep count him. He's more interesting than the "World's Most Interesting Man". We get it "The Bottom Line". Can we please move on.
Posted by: StateChamps2003 | Tuesday, December 17, 2013 at 02:23 PM
From the state rankings:
It's interesting to note that there are 4 teams in Section 5 ranked higher than Jamestown:
10. Webster-Schroeder
12. Greece Athena
20. Aquinas
24. Fairport
I noticed that W-S has a nice win over perennial power Rush-Henrietta, Greece smacked Jamestown, Aquinas has wins over Joe's and Timon and even Fairport has a win over CBA of Syracuse so is Section 5 really THAT much better than section 6 in Class AA?
Posted by: StateChamps2003 | Tuesday, December 17, 2013 at 02:27 PM
This year, I think they really are. The positive spin would be that locally, Class AA is the most competitive it's been in a while. Multiple teams have a legitimate shot at winning there this season.
Maybe we can send four teams to Glens Falls this season. Current state rankings suggest we could.
Posted by: centercourt | Tuesday, December 17, 2013 at 02:34 PM
I wouldn't put much stock into the opening state rankings...just look at the girls rankings(Amherst and Fredonia ranked?? yikes) Schroeder is a solid team with a good big man in Holt, but the win over Rush isn't anything great...Rush is not a strong team this year not were they last year. I would've thought AQ should be higher than Schroeder. Fairport is another solid, well-coahed team that will be a tough out ut is not oozing with talent. I would certainly say Athena is the class of section V...Deion Hamilton is probably the best player in section V.
I like Middle's chances in C...SC could have easily won the title last year. Lake George has Winchowski(a junior) who is a tremendous shooter but they didn't have to face a team with the athleticism of a Middle or a Tuckahoe who were the class of C in past years.
Olean and East would both likely be in the top 10 in class A...I would expect both to fixtures in the top 3-4 all season but as we all know, that means nothing if you don't get to Glens Falls. Whoever comes out of the section, it should be a fun regional against Charlotte/Franklin.
Posted by: TML1000 | Tuesday, December 17, 2013 at 04:42 PM
I can't wait to hear what "The Bottom Line" has to say about tonights game.
Posted by: StateChamps2003 | Tuesday, December 17, 2013 at 10:01 PM
Can we just confirm that Coach Drake wasn't sick or something and actually was present and took a loss to Will North tonight? According to The Bottom Line's logic that would be very hard to believe.
Coaching is very important yes, but when it comes down to it the players are the ones on the floor executing and deciding the outcome.
Posted by: wnybball | Tuesday, December 17, 2013 at 10:30 PM
Coach Sweirski sucks and coach Drake is awesome! Should be a fun week on the blog with all you morons. Great game North. Oh yeah Taplin must suck too. #sarcasm . go watch barker.
Posted by: Me | Wednesday, December 18, 2013 at 12:29 AM
The reason Jamestown lost is because they missed 8 of 12 FT's in the 4th. Yikes! HUGE 3's by Jack and a great win 4 North.
Fredonia WAS supposed 2 b HM, editor screwed up. Rankings r usually close 2 being right. AA this year is down in Section 6 will b VERY tough 2 win that Regional game. I like Sherman think they will b a tough out in D.
I also feel East and Olean r the top 2 teams in WNY PERIOD. Ahead of Canisius, Jamestown, etc. That game when they play Tuesday 3/4 will b the game of the year.
Also why does EVERY PIECE of pizza they sell at Will North look like trash? Cheese coming off, it's sickening. And this weather - r u kidding me? It's not even Winter yet?
Posted by: McShea is God | Wednesday, December 18, 2013 at 12:45 AM
I'll retract my comment about Hamilton...dontay Carruthers from East High in Roch is probably the best player in section V.
Posted by: TML1000 | Wednesday, December 18, 2013 at 10:20 AM
TML1000 - I just saw that he scored his second 50 point game of the season yesterday! Wow! I've seen his names in the box scores over the years so he seems to have been playing for East High pretty early on. I also noticed that East High of Rochester is down in Class A this year. That's a first for that school if I'm not mistaken.
Posted by: StateChamps2003 | Wednesday, December 18, 2013 at 11:12 AM
True about ROCH-EAST IN single A now. Unfortunately; their 2nd best player transferred to KEARNEY so CARUTHERS doesn't have much help other than TOMMY BANKS. Will still be a tough out in A though.
Posted by: fullcourt1 | Wednesday, December 18, 2013 at 12:45 PM
How did the great coach Drake blow a 15 point lead bottom line???????????????????????????????
Posted by: buffbball | Wednesday, December 18, 2013 at 12:46 PM
The Bottom Line must be tired from beating up on From The North to reply!
Posted by: Guest | Wednesday, December 18, 2013 at 01:12 PM
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Wonder who wrote that...
Posted by: Are You Serious | Wednesday, December 18, 2013 at 01:22 PM
bottomline writes:
"Will North gets beat at home tonight. While I am sure it will be a close game we all know where close games are won and lost---thats right coaching"
Eat your crow and shut your arrogant mouth. the only bum is you. your messiah of a coach blew a big lead and a close game last night. karma always hunts down idiots like you!!!!!!!
Posted by: jamestown is 1-2 | Wednesday, December 18, 2013 at 01:54 PM
I hope the kids that play the game don't follow this Blog.....
Posted by: Guest | Wednesday, December 18, 2013 at 02:43 PM
Where are you bottom line. We are waiting for your reaction. Dont hide now.
Posted by: Guest | Wednesday, December 18, 2013 at 09:15 PM
Just watched video of Macoe hitting the 3 to beat Jamestown and came away confused. Looks like there is still time left after the shot goes in, but Jamestown shows no urgency to answer at the end and doesnt even take a shot. Also heard they had timeouts left which I really doubt. Does anyone know what happened, like how much time was left or if they still had timeouts? Find it hard to beleive Drake just forgot how to coach and choked under pressure!
Posted by: fan | Thursday, December 19, 2013 at 10:03 AM
Can someone answer this, how does a school like Niagara Falls end up with such a young roster 2 seniors? That tells me there is a problem what is it?
Posted by: Confused | Thursday, December 19, 2013 at 11:19 AM
Falls had 8 seniors out of 11 rostered players last season. Watkins was ruled ineligible and the other two juniors from last season did not return.
Posted by: TML1000 | Thursday, December 19, 2013 at 12:08 PM
Sometimes it's more advantageous to go with a young Fresh and Soph) varsity squad that shows more potential than it is going with possibly more talented seniors for one season. As TML1000 pointed out, they did lose a lot from last year.
Posted by: StateChamps2003 | Thursday, December 19, 2013 at 01:19 PM
I am sorry for my absence and decided using my real name is a must. You all are right Drake blew it, I wasn't there on the bench because we played the night before and that night North scheduled a boys/girls doubleheader simply so I couldn't carry Drake on the bench like I have been since his first season when I led the team to-----go figure----a sectional title as a player.
Posted by: Coach Miley | Friday, December 20, 2013 at 12:22 PM
I will admit that I've been quite obnoxious and definitely wrong. Obviously I over estimated Coach Drake's abilities in close games and we blew a big lead to a better team. We have just as many wins as N. Falls this year and a long way to go.
Posted by: The bottom line | Friday, December 20, 2013 at 01:46 PM
I think the BL must have just watched A Christmas Story or something.
Posted by: centercourt | Friday, December 20, 2013 at 05:13 PM
I really like the 'Wrecking Ball' video
Posted by: McShea is God/Miley Cyrus | Saturday, December 21, 2013 at 12:14 AM
Just wondering if NF is still looking to go to an Independent schedule after lumping up GI last night.
Posted by: oneup | Saturday, December 21, 2013 at 12:36 PM
we ask every year, why don't people put their real names up on blogs, who are you scared of
Posted by: sal | Saturday, December 21, 2013 at 01:35 PM
YES; NF is down this year but I challenge someone to name ANY PUBLIC school program who would do ANY better with ZERO returning players?? The answer is NONE!
Posted by: fullcourt1 | Saturday, December 21, 2013 at 04:05 PM
Just watched the Canisus v. Olean game and Canisius was by far the superior team. They play so smooth, always finding the open man. Howard and Stafford are already a highlight reel(Howard lobbed an alley-oop to Stafford during the game)..oh and they are only sophomores. Yep...this team is pretty much already an unstopable force and it's 2 best players are only sophomores...wow.
Posted by: Impressed Commenter | Saturday, December 21, 2013 at 05:53 PM
I can think of a public school program. In the same city actually. In 1988 LaSalle under Pat Monti and Frank Rotondo (who should be the coaches of Falls still now) lost 7 of their top 8 players from a 27-0 State Title team in Class B, and the next year jumped up to Class A and made the STATE FINAL. So that's 1. Then in 1993 Pat and Frank led LaSalle to the State Class a final 4, lost all 5 starters, and the next year made the State Final 4 again. Fullcourt1 does that answer your question?
Posted by: Gulio | Sunday, December 22, 2013 at 01:27 AM
Those were great teams led by great coaches but the circumstances were not the same; this year's NFHS has ZERO returning Varsity players and NO transfers; the 89 LASALLE team had Starter and D1 bound ELON MCCRACKEN back as well as reserves MILO SMALL and ERIC PARMER in addition to DUKE DAVIS transferring from NC. The 94 team had key reserves JODY CRYMES and TIM WINN back so the comparisons are not valid; once again those were great teams/coaches but they didn't have to start at square one.
Posted by: fullcourt1 | Sunday, December 22, 2013 at 02:00 AM