The View From Centercourt

Barker's Haight is now the all-time great

 

On another night of widespread cancellations across the WNY high school basketball scene, I found a game to watch that was close to home, and it wound up holding quite the subplot.  Barker's game at Wilson had been moved to Wednesday night, making it a no-brainer for me.  When I arrived, I found out that Raiders' 2013 All-Centercourt Fifth Team selection, Jake Haight, needed just 11 points to become the school's all-time scoring leader.

 

The first shot of the second half was the one for the record books.  Just nine seconds into the third quarter, Haight hoisted up a 3-pointer from the left corner that drew nothing but net, and an ovation from the entire crowd in Wilson's gymnasium when the historic moment was announced moments later.  A comment left on this site from Jake's father earlier does a great job of explaining the context.  I've copied & pasted it below:

 

"WILSON -- The Boys' Varsity Basketball team improved to 13-0 after defeating Wilson 56-34 on Wednesday night. Jacob Haight had game high honors scoring 22 points. Mitchell Luckman and Bryce Moeller each add 12 points.

Congratulations to Jacob Haight for becoming Barker's all-time leading scorer in the game against the Lakemen. Haight passed 1996 Barker graduate and current Niagara County Community College Men's Basketball Coach, Billy Beilein when he scored his 1198 career point. Haight's total stands at 1209 career points in his 4 years as a Varsity Basketball player."

 

The Raiders led by just five at halftime, but came out for the third quarter seemingly on a mission, and quickly put the game out of reach.  Haight's trey spurred a 20-6 quarter for Barker, as he scored nine of his game-high total in the stanza.  When I asked Haight about his accomplishment following the contest, his response was simple - "It's an honor" said Haight.

 

The interesting twist to the whole story is that the former record holder, Thunderwolves coach Bill Beilein, is very familiar with Haight.  Not only do the two hail from the same small community in the northern portion of Niagara County, Beilein spent the summer watching Haight play and is actively recruiting him to play for his nationally ranked squad with a 20-2 record this season.  I had a chance to catch up with Beilein, who had his record fall after standing for 17 seasons, and the Barker alumni couldn't be happier for Haight.

 

"I wouldn't want to lose the record to anyone else," Beilein said.  "I don't think scoring is ever his mission.  He plays within the game to keep his team undefeated".

 

"Jake's a very competitive, high motor player that makes tremendously good decisions on the court.  As a teammate, he's a leader just by bringing positive energy all the time".

 

Beilein is hopeful that the two can continue to be linked as Haight begins his journey at the next level.

 

"He's better than a Division III player and I think with the right opportunity and exposure, he'll realize that potential.  I'd love to get the chance to coach him"  Beilein said.

 

Wherever Haight ends up, his humble approach and willingness to be a good teammate first should serve him well.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

State Rankings - Week 7

 

The seventh state rankings of the season have been released by the NYSSWA.  Below are the WNY teams that made the cut:

 

Class A 

Canisius #5

McKinley #17

Amherst #20

 

Class B

East #4

Olean #5

 

Class C

Middle College #7

Barker #14

 

Class D

Sherman #4

 

** According to the rankings: 

- Canisius is still ahead of Albany Academy, the defending Class A Federation Champs who own wins over Long Island Lutheran and Bishop Ludden

- East's losses to McKinley & Franklin were viewed as better losses than Olean's pair to Canisius & Greece Athena.  Either way, look for East to fall significantly after the loss this week at Middle College.

- Middle College drops five spots, and is now behind two teams from Section V

- Sherman's loss to Randolph cost them a state championship as they fall three spots

 

Click here for a complete list of state rankings.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

Middle College earns a big win over East

 

On Thursday, December 5th, East, Middle College, & McKinley all played in consecutive games at the Pastor-Cooper Showcase.  East and McKinley both won going away and grabbed the attention of area high school hoops fans in the process.  For Middle College, they started slowly against St. Mary's and couldn't shake off a sluggish start in time to overcome the Lancers, losing a close one.  Since then, all the talk surrounding the Yale Cup has centered around two teams, McKinley and East.  Meanwhile, the Kats have quietly awaited their opportunity to become a player in the Yale Cup I race.  On Monday night, Middle College showed that league titles are not decided in December, and certainly not decided through the opinions written by media types.

 

Bri'an Brown scored a game-high 24 points and Joseph Staton add 14 points as Middle College used a big third quarter to down East, 61-49, in a key Yale Cup I contest.  With the win, the Kats move into a tie for first place in league play with McKinley...who just happens to be coming to twon this Friday night.

 

"It's a great win for us, but let's call it what it is - they're a completely different team without their 6-8 big man (referring to Tyree Tyson).  I don't know if he makes up 12 points tonight, but I bet he would have made up at least 10 points" Middle College head coach Randy Rich said with a grin.  "It's still a great win for us".

 

The two Yale Cup I powers, who are quickly becoming rivals in the newly reformatted Yale Cup, were dead even through one quarter, 12-12, and only a bucket in the waning moments of the first half from East's Damone Brown gave the Panthers a 24-23 advantage at halftime.  Brown scored four of East's six points through the first portion of the third quarter and still had his team in front of the Kats, 30-29, with under 12 minutes left in the contest.

 

That's when Staton, a Middle College sophomore, knocked down his second 3-pointer of the game to give the Kats the lead.  It turned out to be for good.  Brown followed Staton's trey with his second bucket of the quarter, and he was just getting warmed up.  He scored 11 consecutive points for the Kats as part of a 17-4 run.  

 

"I knew I needed to help the team out after we struggled to score in the second quarter, so I just tried to pick up the slack" Brown said.   The three-year varsity starter, who was coming off a 40-point performance against Bennett two games prior, is so much more aggressive this season.  He gets to the basket with ease, gets up high, and finishes very well.

 

The run that had began with a Staton '3', ended the same way, as the guard drained one from the left side with 11 seconds left in the third quarter to punctuate the run, draw a roar from the senior night crowd on hand, and push the score to 46-34.  During the final stanza, East climbed back to within four points after Shawn Young connected from beyond the arc in the corner.  However, the Kats came right back down the court and got the ball to Staton, who banged another timely 3-pointer to spark a 12-4 finish to the game for Middle College.

 

Following the game, I asked Rich if the sophomore had the green light to fire up the long range bombs.  "I'd say he's got the greenest light we've ever given" said Rich of the sharp-shooting Staton.

 

Middle College used a 2-3 zone against East for most of the game, and it worked wonderfully.  The Panthers struggled to find production in the paint, and found it equally difficult connecting from beyond the arc, with the exception of three treys from Young, who is the team's 3-point ace.  East senior transfer AJ Ayala had an off night from the perimeter and never even attempted a shot fake and drive, which seemed to be one of the few things the zone was offering up, as it paid special attention to Johnathan Lewis and Percy Bryant whenever they possessed the ball.

 

Rich, in his sixth year as head coach of the Kats, deserves credit for cranking out another top notch team this year.  Yes, he's had some talent to work with there, but that's not the only reason Middle College has been so successful (three sectional titles in four years, with two trips to Glens Falls, including a state championship in 2010).  The second-ranked Class C team in NYS plays hard, but always under control, and does an excellent job of executing on both ends of the court.

 

Kevin Briggs added 12 points in the win for the Kats.  Lewis led East with 16 points, while Bryant added 11 points.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poll Ballots - Week 6 - 2014

 

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. Canisius (MMA) - Took care of Nichols on Saturday afternoon. Their visit from Timon has been rescheduled for February 18th at 7 pm.

2. St. Joe's (MMA) -  Host an intriguing matchup with St. Mary's on Wednesday after being pushed by Cardinal O'Hara last week, then visit St. Francis on Friday.

3. McKinley (A1) - The Macks are seven wins away from a third straight unbeaten season in the Yale Cup, however two of those matchups are against Middle College and a rematch with East looms at season's end.

4. Timon/St. Jude (MMA) - After taking down Park & St. Francis last week, the Tigers host Olean on Wednesday, where The Militia is sure to treat the Huskies to the finest hospitality South Buffalo has to offer.

5. Williamsville North (AA) - Guess who's alone atop the ECIC I standings?  Here's a hint - they're led by a kid named Taplin.

6. Jamestown (AA) - After splitting with Clarence last week, I'll place the Red Raiders a spot ahead based on a bigger win.

7. Clarence (AA) - The Red Devils ended a 16-game losing streak to Jamestown when they scored their huge bounce-back win on Friday night.  This week, they host Frontier at 7:30 pm on Friday night and get about 13 hours to rest before running with McKinley on Saturday morning at 10:30 am.

8. Amherst (A2) - Another week and three more ECIC III wins for the Tigers.

9. Lockport (AA) - No longer climbing, the Lions look to stay on top when they host North Tonawanda this Friday.

10. Kenmore West (AA) - Host Niagara Falls Tuesday night, where the Blue Devils will be the favorites over the Wolverines for the first time ever.

 

Small Schools

1. Olean (B1) - The Huskies looked as good as I've ever seen them at St. Mary's last week (except for last year's 1st half against Canisius when they led 47-21).

2. East (B2) - Without Tyree Tyson in the lineup, the Panthers lost to Franklin & the top spot on this ballot.

3. St. Mary's (MMA) - Head-to-head win over Park keeps them ahead of the Pioneers.

4. Park (MMA) - Will look for the sweep against Nichols tomorrow night, after flirting with the upset at Timon.

5. Middle College (C1) - With two games left against McKinley & East, the Kats could still win Yale Cup I.

6. Nichols (MMA) - Blew out Tapestry and battled at Canisius last week.  Tomorrow night, they get a second chance with Park.

7. Fredonia (B2) - The Hillbillies welcome in Maple Grove & Bennett this week, a pair of who nearly got the better of them in previous meetings this season.

8. Barker (C1) - The only unbeaten team in WNY is creeping up this ballot.

9. Cleveland Hill (B2) - Winners of five straight in ECIC IV are the same squad that won the Maryvale Tournament over break.

10. Sherman (D) - Suffered its first loss of the season in a rematch at Randolph.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

Top games of the week ending 2/2/14

 

 

Here's a list of what I think are the top games to follow this week:

 

Monday, January 27th 

Alden @ Holland - 6:30 pm

St. Francis @ Lake Shore - 6:30 pm

Timon @ Canisius - 7 pm

East @ Middle College - 7 pm

Williamsville East @ Sweet Home - 7 pm

Cheektowaga @ Amherst - 7:30 pm

 

Tuesday, January 28th

Niagara Falls @ Kenmore West - 6:30 pm

Lockport @ Batavia - 7 pm

Clymer @ Westfield - 7:30 pm

Maple Grove @ Fredonia - 7:30 pm

Park @ Nichols - 7:30 pm

 

Wednesday, January 29th

Park @ Cardinal O'Hara - 6:30 pm

Olean @ Timon - 7 pm

St. Mary's @ St. Joe's - 7 pm

 

Friday, January 31st

Alden @ Cleveland Hill - 6:30 pm

North Tonawanda @ Lockport - 6:30 pm

Lake Shore @ Cheektowaga - 6:30 pm

Williamsville North @ Sweet Home - 6:30 pm

McKinley @ Middle College - 7 pm

MST Seneca @ Lackawanna - 7 pm

Cardinal O'Hara @ Nichols - 7:30 pm

Salamanca @ Randolph - 7:30 pm

Sherman @ Cassadaga Valley - 7:30 pm

Panama @ Clymer - 7:30 pm

Amherst @ East Aurora - 7:30 pm

 

Saturday, February 1st

McKinley @ Clarence - 10:30 am

Silver Creek @ Randolph - 7:30 pm

RAP CLASSIC @ East High School in Rochester

Canisius vs. Webster Schroeder - 5:15 pm

Olean vs. Greece Athena - 7:00 pm

Jamestown vs East (Rochester) - 8:45 pm

 

Game of the Week - Take your pick between any of the three at the RAP Classic

- Canisius vs. Webster Schroeder:  After considerable routs of Olean, St. Joe's, & McKinley, the Crusaders face one of the better teams from Rochester.  Last season, Webster Schroeder beat Niagara Falls in the classic and were considered the best Class AA team in Section V, until Bishop Kearney put it all together at season's end and knocked them out in the Class AA1 title game, enroute to winning it all in NYS.

- Olean vs. Greece Athena:  This one will be a rematch of a game played in Olean a month prior.  The Huskies won round 1 convincingly, 87-71, behind a strong performance from Sam Eckstrom.  Not only was that the lone loss on the year for Athena, they haven't won a game by less than 17 points all season.  They are considered the top team in all of Section V, and between round 2 being in Rochester & Athena stinging a bit from its only loss, I expect the rematch to be a closer affair.

- Jamestown vs. East (Rochester):  East has long been a Class AA powerhouse in Section V.  This season, the Orientals drop down to Class A, meaning they are quite likely the team our Class A rep would see in the regionals come March.  How Jamestown fares on East's court in the event's headliner will provide some gauge for WNY fans as to the chances of our rep getting past this program if they are indeed the Section V Class A winner.  The polls say our Class A rep will be McKinley again, and the Macks have been ahead of Jamestown in the local polls all season.  A strong showing from the Red Raiders could get everyone excited about our chances of winning more games than not against Section V at regionals this year.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

 

 

Lockport is back on top in the NFL

 

 

On Friday, the Lions' Den at Lockport High School was packed and there was a buzz in the air.  League-leading Kenmore West was in town for a game with huge implications on who will win the NFL title.  The Blue Devils were co-champs of the league with the then mighty Niagara Falls in 2012.  Lockport last won the league in 2006, but that was with Falls playing an independent schedule.  This season, someone has an opportunity to take that title away from the Wolverines.  Lockport needed the win to avoid all but falling out of the race to dethrone Falls, and its senior laden squad was up to the task.

 

Lockport knocked the Blue Devils down early and never allowed them to get all the way back up, scoring a 55-49 win in a crucial NFL contest.  The victory earns the Lions a share of first place in league with their counterpart as the teams make their way through the back end of the regular season schedule.

 

Ryan Lawrence led three Lions finishing in double-figure scoring with 19 points, and also hauled in 11 boards.  Moziah Townsend also netted a double-double, finishing with 13 points and 14 rebounds.  Charlie Sobieraski had a big night inside as he collected 20 rebounds, while Colin Dougherty was a stablizing force for Lockport all evening with timely buckets, instictual defense, and a knack for making a play when his team needed one - he finished with 15 points.

 

The Lions broke an early tie two minutes into the game with a 14-2 run over the last six minutes of the opening quarter that included seven points from Lawrence, four from Dougherty, and a 3-pointer from senior guard Daniel Bronson (five assists).  Lockport held an 18-8 advantage after eight minutes and never trailed during the contest.  Late in the second stanza, Dougherty was fouled hard on a breakaway and drew an intentional foul.  It resulted in a four-point swing for the Lions, as Dougherty hit both free throws, before Townsend scored on the ensuing inbounds, allowing his team to maintain its 10-point lead, 27-17, at the break.

 

During the second half, Trent White came off the bench to provide some energy for the Blue Devils, as they attempted to get back into the game.  White, along with senior starter Noah Whalen combined for 23 of Kenmore West's 32 second half points.  During the third quarter, the two led a 7-0 run that cut the deficit to five points and  during the final minute of that quarter, the Blue Devils got to with in four points - the closest they had been since the opening minutes of the game.  However, a traditional three-point play for Townsend with 10 seconds remaining in the stanza lifted Lockport's advantage back to 36-29 heading into the final frame.

 

Whalen quickly popped a trey for Kenmore West and had his squad back within four in the opening minute of the fourth.  After the teams traded buckets, Lawrence asserted himself for the Lions and led the charge that would put the game away.  Lawrence scored eight points in just over 90 seconds as part of a 10-3 run that pushed the score to 48-37, and sealed the fate of the Blue Devils.  The closest Kenmore West could get to the Lions over the game's final four minutes was five points with under 30 seconds to go.

 

Whalen led Kenmore West with 20 points, while White added 10 points.

 

If both schools win the remainder of their NFL games, they would share a league championship.  Lockport still has key games against North Tonawanda, Niagara Falls, and recently resurgent Lew-Port.  Kenmore West also faces Lew-Port for a second time, along with a pair of games coming up against the team the league has gone through for a decade, Niagara Falls.  They will undoubtedly be keeping an eye on the results of the other over the final weeks of the season, in hopes that the other stumbles, giving them the prize outright.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

State Rankings - Week 6

 

The sixth state rankings of the season have been released by the NYSSWA.  Below are the WNY teams that made the cut:

 

Class A

Canisius #7

McKinley #19

Amherst #21

 

Class B

East #2

Olean #5

 

Class C

Middle College #2

Barker #14

Silver Creek 19

 

Class D

Sherman #1

 

** According to the rankings:

- The only thing separating McKinley & Amherst is Nazereth, the defending CHSAA state champ who Canisius edged in the Tom Keenan Memorial Tournament

- East is now a state runner-up - the Panthers lost the top spot to Westhill, and will likely fall farther from the top spot after losing to Section V's Franklin

- A regional matchup between Middle College and Clyde-Savannah would be the defacto state championship game in Class C

- Sherman will follow in the footsteps of Argyle last season and hoist the state championship hardware with a 24-0 record

 

Click here for a complete list of state rankings.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

Olean wins in clinical fashion

 

After playing together over the last four seasons, Olean has developed into a legitimate state contender.  Three members of this year's Huskies team, Luke Hennessey, Nick Schmidt, and Sam Eckstrom, have been four-year starters together, while Cornell commit Wil Bathurst is starting for a third year at Olean.  The sting of a heartbreaking loss against Batavia in the regionals last year has them hungrier than ever.  A pair of road losses suffered during their grueling independent schedule this season has them more focused than ever.  And their time spent together in an excellent program run by head coach Jeff Anastasia has the Huskies more cohesive than ever.  That combination was on full display at St. Mary's last night, as Olean put on a clinic for fans of high-level basketball.

 

The Huskies got a game-high 30 points from Eckstrom, six 3-pointers from Schmidt, a highlight reel alley-oop dunk finished off by Bathurst, and another well orchestrated game from floor general Hennessey, as they ran away from host St. Mary's, 79-51.  The win backed up Olean's #1 ranking in the small school poll.  The Lancers, who  were coming off of a victory at Nichols the day before, entered the contest as the third ranked small school in WNY.

 

Despite having less than fresh legs, St. Mary's looked good in the early going as they got 12 points from senior Tyler English in the first eight minutes, while scoring 21 as a team during the opening quarter.  Unfortunately for the Lancers, Olean was incredibly efficient in its own end to start the game, and scored a wopping 28 first quarter points.  Eckstrom scored 12 of those first quarter points using his array of post moves and soft touch finishes.

 

Olean opened the second quarter on an 11-0 run, stretching its lead to 39-21.  The Huskies got scoring from seven different players during the stanza, and limited St. Mary's to just seven points in the process as they built a commanding 49-28 halftime lead.  Just before the intermission, Schmidt lobbed a pass beautifully for Bathurst, who came towards the rim from the right corner and elevated up to flush a two-handed slam with ease to put an exclamation point on a near perfect first half for Olean.

 

St. Mary's outscored the Huskies by three points in the third quarter and attempted to hang around, before the Huskies officially put things out of reach with another 11-0 run to begin the fourth quarter.  Schmidt sank back-to-back 3-pointers during the final push, with the second one a catch-and-shoot in transition from NBA range.

 

Schmidt finished with 21 points, while Bathurst added 12 points.

 

English led St. Mary's with 17 points and Matt Wrobel added 13 points in the loss.

 

Click here to watch postgame interviews with Hennessey, Schmidt, Bathurst, & coach Anastasia.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

Poll Ballots - Week 5 - 2014

 

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. Canisius (MMA) - They beat Olean, St. Joe's, & McKinley by a combined 67 points.  The Crusaders closest game against an opponent was a 12-point win at Park.

2. St. Joe's (MMA) - Wins over McKinley, Timon, Middle College, and Lockport give the Marauders the second best resume for WNY large schools.

3. McKinley (A1) - The Macks character showed as they gutted out a second half comeback at East to keep their Yale Cup win streak going.  This year's cast has done a great job after stepping into some huge shoes.

4. Timon/St. Jude (MMA) - The Tigers' game against Park on Tuesday should be highly entertaining for the fans and also give us an idea of where they're at after a big loss at Aquinas last week, followed by a big win over Hutch-Tech.

5. Williamsville North (AA) - If the Spartans continue to play the way they did Friday at Clarence, they'll continue to be the highest ranked team in WNY's Class AA.  

6. Jamestown (AA) - The Red Raiders only game against a ranked team from WNY this season was their loss at North.  They'll get a pair of chances this week with a home & home against Clarence.

7. Clarence (AA) - After occupying the second spot on my ballot for two straight weeks, the Red Devils drop five spots after a 17-point home loss to Williamsville North.  

8. Amherst (A2) - A home loss early in the season to Clarence could mean #8 is the Tigers' poll ceiling on my ballot until they face a top 10 caliber team in the postseason.  

9. Kenmore West (AA) - Blue Devils are in the driver's seat in the NFL as they enter their biggest week of the regular season with upcoming games against North Tonawanda and Lockport.

10. Lockport (AA) - The Lions slip into this spot heading towards a huge league game against the Blue Devils on Friday night.

 

Small Schools

1. East (B2) - The Panthers own a much more convincing win over Timon on a neutral court than Olean earned against them at home.  Without Tyree Tyson, East won at Aquinas by 13 --- the same place the Huskies fell a week later.  On Saturday, they took Sweet Home apart at the seams.  For those reasons, East remains here despite a close home loss to McKinley.

2. Olean (B1) - The Huskies return to Lancaster on Tuesday night to face St. Mary's.  The last time they played them was when four of their starters were sophomores, and they beat a Manhattan Cup finalist Lancer team by eight points.

3. St. Mary's (MMA) - The Lancers are winners of six straight games, including Monday's win at Nichols.  Tuesday they host Olean, before visiting Cleveland Hill on Thursday and Iroquois on Friday.

4. Park (MMA) - Wins over St. Joe's, Nichols, Silver Creek, Iroquois, Health Sciences, St. Francis, and University Prep, among others.  Only lost to Canisius by 12.  The top four teams are this ballot seem pretty clear to me.

5. Middle College (C1) - The Kats 24-point win against Cheektowaga on Friday actually dropped their average margin of victory to 32.4 points per game.

6. Nichols (MMA) - After consecutive losses to Timon, Park, and St. Mary's, the Vikings will look to rebound against Tapestry & Walsh, before visiting the Crusaders on Saturday.

7. Fredonia (B1) - After picking up their signature win of the season against Silver Creek, the Hillbillies almost got tripped up in a two-point win at Maple Grove.

8. Silver Creek (C1) - The Black Knights need a win at Maple Grove on Friday to keep pace with the Hillbillies until their CCAA I West rematch.

9. Sherman (D) - The Wildcats made a rare appearance in Buffalo over the weekend and won their second game this season against Olmsted of Yale Cup II.

10. Barker (C1) - Played their closest league game of the season last week - a 13-point victory over Albion.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

Top games of the week ending 1/26/14

 

Here's a list if what I think are the top games to follow this week:

 

Monday, January 20th

East vs. Frankiln (Sec V) @ Monroe CC - 2:45 pm

St. Mary's @ Nichols - 3 pm

 

Tuesday, January 21st

Amherst @ Lake Shore - 6:30 pm

Tonawanda @ Cleveland Hill - 6:30 pm

North Tonawanda @ Kenmore West - 6:30 pm

Park @ Timon - 7 pm

St. Francis @ Lancaster - 7 pm

Olean @ St. Mary's - 7:30 pm

Clarence @ Jamestown - 7:30 pm

Williamsville South @ Williamsville East - 7:30 pm

 

Wednesday, January 22nd

Silver Creek @ Salamanca - 7:30 pm

Maryvale @ Depew - 7:30 pm

 

Thursday, January 23rd

St. Mary's @ Cleveland Hill - 6:30 pm

Hamburg @ Iroquois - 6:30 pm

Holland @ Alden - 7 pm

 

Friday, January 24th

Kenmore West @ Lockport - 6:30 pm

St. Mary's @ Iroquois - 6:30 pm

Hutch-Tech vs. Middle College @ ECC - 7 pm

Jamestown @ Clarence - 7:30 pm

Silver Creek @ Maple Grove - 7:30 pm

Amherst @ Maryvale - 7:30 pm

Williamsville South @ Olean - 7:30 pm

 

Saturday, January 25th

Nichols @ Canisius - 3:30 pm

 

Game of the Week - Kenmore West @ Lockport on Friday, January 24th

- The Niagara Falls Wolverines have dominated the Niagara Frontier League since becoming a team in 2001.  With the exception of 2005 & 2006 when Niagara Falls played an independent schedule, the Wolverines won the league (shared title with North Tonawanda in 2010 & Kenmore West in 2012) in every season they've competed for it.  However this season, that streak will come to an end, and for the first time since the Niagara Falls/LaSalle merger, someone will earn the distinction of being the first to beat out the Wolverines in the NFL.  Friday night's game will likely decide who makes history.

Kenmore West and Lockport currently sit in first and second place in the NFL, respectively.  At the midway point of league action, the Blue Devils are undefeated in league, having beaten every team once already.  For the Lions, their only defeat in the league this season was a three-point loss at Kenmore West on December 17th.  

While the winner of this game isn't guaranteed anything, the result of the contest is likely pivotal in deciding the champion.  The Blue Devils first face North Tonawanda on Tuesday, but even if they lost to the Jacks, a win over Lockport on Friday would keep them in first place.  For Lockport, winning out would ensure at least a share of the title, and the biggest step towards that process would be winning before what is sure to be a huge home crowd on Friday.  

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

 

Taplin sets assist mark in North win

 

Because they had already beaten the Spartans earlier in the season, Clarence came into Friday night's ECIC I contest as the #2 ranked large school in WNY.  But as the game unfolded, it became clear that the one who will go down as the #1 player in Williamsville North basketball history was not going to let it happen a second time.

 

Sterling Taplin made history for Williamsville North once again, and in the process, led his Spartans to a convincing 66-49 victory at Clarence.  It was just the first league loss for the Red Devils this year, while North needed the win to avoid falling two games back in ECIC I.

 

Taplin scored 23 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and dished seven dimes in the win, but it was his first feed that made history.  The Spartans all-time assist record (296), previously held by current Medaille assistant coach Mike Berkun, was surpassed by Taplin (303) early in the first quarter as he looked off the defense and dropped a pass inside for Gearge Attea, who scored in the paint.  Taplin already holds the school record for points scored in a career.

 

Taplin chased his record-breaking dish with a traditional three-point play that was part of a 15-3 run to open the game for North.  Late in the quarter, Taplin and Maceo Jack took turns assisting each other and then Jack sank one from downtown, giving the Spartans a stunning 22-7 lead over the second-ranked large school after just eight minutes.

 

North's lead increased to 25-9 early in the second quarter, before Clarence woke up and began to solicit the support of the large home crowd that was on hand.  Ryan Funk scored all 11 of his first half points during  a four minute stretch where the Red Devils outscored Williamsville North, 15-2, to close within three points.  Taplin was able to stop the bleeding with a bucket and Kolbe Hughes scored the final points of the half to put the Spartans in front, 31-24, at the break.

 

Funk came out firing once again in the third quarter and scored Clarence's first seven points to get his team within two, 33-31.  However, it would be the last run the Red Devils had in them on this night, as the more energetic Spartans took a commanding lead into the fourth quarter, thanks to a 15-3 finish to the third.  North got scoring from five different players during the spurt, while limiting the second chance looks for Clarence.

 

Leading by 12 points after three quarters, the Spartans continued to answer every comeback attempt from Clarence, while building their advantage along the way.  Even a technical foul assesed to Taplin following a two-handed slam did nothing to shift the game's momentum.  Having seen the Spartans fives times already this season, I can say without hesitation that this was the best game I've seen from them.  Even more impressive, they did it without the services of starting guard Sean Hill, who missed the game with an injured ankle.

 

Attea finished the night with 14 points for the Spartans, while sophomore Jack added 13 points.

 

Funk was magnificent in the loss, scoring 30 of his team's 49 points, all of which came during quarters two, three, & four.  Clarence has a tough week coming up - at Jamestown on Tuesday night, before hosting them on Friday.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

 

 

Macks still the big dogs in Yale Cup

 

McKinley's 78-74 win at East yesterday was a wildly entertaining affair that lived up to all the billing it got.  Below are the highlights:

 

Pregame

- The game was sold out before it even tipped, with a sign outside that read "GYM IS FULL"

- As I reported via twitter, the teams warmed up to "Hannah Montana" by Migos

- McKinley alum, state champion, & 1st Team All-Centercourt selection Marcus Morris was in attendance cheering on his former squad & his little brother, Devin

- East alum & current Colorado State cornerback, Jasen Oden was in attendance

- As is usually the case for big city games, there were three officials working

 

1st Quarter 

- The first quarter was the most back-and-forth portion of the game, with five lead changes and three ties

- East 6-8 big man and 2013 All-Centercourt Honorable Mention Tyree Tyson started the game, but left just a minute in, as he quickly found out his hyperextended knee was not ready

- East led after one quarter, 13-11

 

2nd Quarter

- Shawn Young scored 14 of his game-high 21 points in the second quarter for the Panthers, 12 of which came during a span of 2:15 and included a pair of treys

- Percy Bryant used a hesitation move to get to the rim in the second quarter that had to be mentioned - it was sick

- McKinley's Jaylen Prophet sank a pair of long-range bombs in the second quarter from NBA range and drew nothing but net

- East built a 12-point lead on three occasions in the second quarter and led 39-27 at halftime

 

 3rd Quarter

- The Macks got within a point of East in the third quarter, 45-44, after a 14-2 run that began with a 3-pointer from D'Andre Steward and ended with a trey from Devin Morris

- East responded with a 6-2 edge in scoring over the next three minutes to extend its lead back to 51-46

- Prophet converted a four-point play for the Macks with 37 seconds left in the third, making it 51-50

- Bryant scored the final field goal of the third, giving East a 53-50 advantage heading into the final quarter

 

4th Quarter

- Young was fouled shooting a '3' and connected on all three of his charity tosses at the 6:13 mark, giving East a 62-55 lead

- McKinley responded with a 12-0 run, sparked by a '3' from Morris and capped by another '3' from Steward

- The Macks took took the lead away from East for good during the 12-0 run at the 4:27 mark on a basket from Steward, making it 64-62

- At the end of the McKinley run, the score was 67-62, favoring the Macks, with 3:51 on the clock

- East pulled to within a point over the final three minutes on three different occasions, but never regained the lead

- Morris buried four treys in the second half, with three of those coming during the decisive stretch of the final stanza

- McKinley went 6/6 from the free throw line in the final 29 seconds to seal the victory, four from Prophet and two from Morris

 

Stats

- With the win, McKinley is tied for first place in Yale Cup I with Middle College, who the Macks visit on January 31st

- McKinley extended its Yale Cup winning streak to 30 games, just five short of breaking the record set by Riverside at 34 games

- The Macks have now won 8 0f their last 11 games against East, including five straight 

 

- McKinley Point Totals:  

Steward 21, Prophet 17, Morris 16, Lenard 11, Thompson 6, Jones 4, Melendez 3

- East Point Totals:  

Young 21, Bryant 20, Lewis 16, Ayala 7, Humphrey 5, Jackson 5

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

State Rankings - Week 5

 

 The fifth state rankings of the season have been released by the NYSSWA.  Below are the WNY teams that made the cut:

 

Class A

Canisius #4

McKinley #16

Amherst #21

 

Class B

East #1

Olean #6

 

Class C

Middle College #4

Silver Creek #20

 

Class D

Sherman #1

 

** According to the rankings:

- WNY will have three state champions: Canisius, East & Sherman

- A pair of Section VI crossover rematches are setting up nicely:

Class B1 Olean vs. Class B2 East  & Class A1 McKinley vs. Class A2 Amherst

- Also, if rankings hold form, Middle College & Silver Creek would play again this season, only this time in a Class C1 final

 

Click here for a complete list of state rankings.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42 

Calling out some twitter police

 

Switching gears slightly today, I wanted to address something that came up last week during my twitter travels.  It concerns what is appropriate when discussing high school athletics, or perhaps I could state it better by saying it concerns what isn't inappropriate when discussing high school athletics.  I believe vulgarity has no place in its discussion and I never think it's okay to personally attack or slam a kid for their athletic performance.  But I also think there's a big difference between high school and tee ball.  In high school, they keep score, have league champs, playoffs, individual awards, etc..  And unlike tee ball where everything's a tie and we all win, high school sports can result in some lopsided results.  

 

Last week as I was scrolling through some tweets, I came across one that caught my attention.  It read

"@AmherstTigers1 dismantling? Shame on Amherst High School in letting this word be used. Educators in this school should be teaching humility."

It had been sent by a certain newspaper photographer.

 

I clicked on @AmherstTigers1 to see what had actually been tweeted and found the following:

"B Basketball continued their winning ways in dismantling Springville  68-42 last night.  Solid all around team performance. #Gotigers #Momentum"

 

When I attempted to retweet it, I was unable to, because it had just been deleted.  A replacement tweet immediately went up, using the word defeat instead of dismantle.  In response, I sent my own tweet out that read:

"There's nothing wrong w/ using words such as dismantle, rout, pound, smother, etc., to describe a win. #feelnoshame"

 

I immediately received a response from a different reporter/sportswriter/photographer saying:

"@centercourt42 you're wrong, in my opinion. This isn't professional sports. These are teenagers. Win w/ respect to your opponent."

 

I didn't bother to respond, because I'm not a big fan of using twitter for lengthy conversations, and I feared a response would lead to one.  I did discover a tweet sent out by the same reporter/sportswriter/photographer that had gone out just before the response came my way. That read:

"Dismantling? That's a word that I'll never use is HS athletics. It's up there with 'killed' & 'destroyed'"

 

What about crush or rout?  Is it up there with those words too?  We'll get into that later.

 

First off, let's address the word dismantling.  I find it curious that this word is receiving harsh criticism, but no where in the above tweets will you find exactly why anyone felt the word shouldn't be used, just that it shouldn't.  

Why not?  It isn't vulgar.  You don't like the way it sounds? Have you stopped to consider what the word even means?  First, here are some synonyms for the word defeat:  overwhelm, conquer, crush, trounce, cream, thrash, etc..  Below is the definition of dismantle:

dismantle - take to pieces

synonyms: take apart, pull apart, break up, break down

 

If I wrote in a story, "In the second half, Taplin began to take apart the defense, breaking down what the opponent was trying do", would that offend an audience?  I don't think so.  But using the actual word is off limits?  

 

Dismantle is a word I had just used to describe Olean's win over Greece Athena days earlier in my Poll Ballots - Week 3.  It's also the same word the president of the NYS Sports Writer's Association, John Moriello, used in print to describe what East did to Aquinas in the second half of its win there.  I polled several people about it from a newspaper editor, to coaches, fans, and even my favorite HS sports reporter.   I was unable to find anyone who thought there was ANYTHING wrong with using the word dismantle.  

 

Interestingly enough, when Canisius defeated St. Joe's on Saturday, the game story in the Buffalo News described it as a rout.  The headline for the story was even more descriptive, "Canisius crushes St. Joe's".

 

Would anyone like to try convincing me that dismantle is worse than crush?  Better yet, I wonder if either of the above mentioned twitter police contacted the Buffalo News editor or the sports reporter who wrote the story, to hit them with a "Shame on you".  My guess is absolutely not and here's the reason.  The offense taken by the two "twitter police" had less to do with the word dismantle, and a lot more to do with what is revealed at the end of another tweet I found below from one of them:

" "Kids who work hard day in & day out deserve more than that. Speaking as a reporter and an alum."

 

There you have it..."speaking as an alum".  Turns out, both of the twitter police who work for newspapers and are trying to convince (or shame) people into fearing use of the word dismantle are, you guessed it, alumni of Springville!  

 

Time for me to bring it all home with a lesson on word choice.  The worst, most inappropriate thing that was said through all of this was actually tweeted by the first twitter cop & then retweeted by the second...Shame on Amherst High School.  Are you kidding me?  Shame?  Check out the definition of that one:

shame - a painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the conciousness of wrong or foolish behavior

 

So because a kid running a twitter account is excited about his team's success and accurately describes the win by using a harmless word, he gets taken to task by a pair of overly sensitive Springville alumni who knowingly resort to scolding and shaming?  Shame on you!  Actually, just realize you came on way too strong, from a biased standpoint (which journalists should make every effort to avoid), and learn from it.   Shame should be reserved for heinous, intentional acts, not harmless twitter banter.

 

And to the student behind the @AmherstTigers1 twitter account - keep on keeping on and best of luck to the sports teams at Amherst as they continue to attempt dismantling the competition.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

Poll Ballots - Week 4 - 2014

 

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. Canisius (MMA) - In my opinion, this is the best Crusader team I've ever seen.  In the three Canisius games I've watched this year, they beat a defending CHSAA state championship team in Nazereth that returned four starters, rolled past the same Olean team that tripped them up last season, and dismantled a St. Joe's team that had knocked off the last two #2 ranked large schools in WNY.  The Crusaders have now won 27 straight against MMA competition, and with the proclamation I'm making today, it's a streak that I see continuing for a very long time.

2. Clarence (AA) - Game against McKinley that was postponed would have either solidified this spot for them or knocked them from it.  Tonight they make a short trip to Lancaster for a border war, and on Friday will look to sweep the series when they host Williamsville North.

3. St. Joe's (MMA) - Falling behind by 20 points in the second quarter against Canisius speaks more to the strength of the Crusaders than a lack of it from the Marauders.  

4. McKinley (A1) - The Macks did what they do best to Williamsville North - they wore the Spartans down.  A much taller order lies ahead this week - about as brutal a local schedule as a team could have.  McKinley faces the top two teams in WNY within four days this week: at East on Wednesday and versus Canisius on Saturday in the headliner of the MLK Classic at City Honors.

5. Timon/St. Jude (MMA) - Took care of business last week, earning a pair of road wins against Nichols and Walsh.  Visit Hutch-Tech on Wednesday night.

6. Williamsville North (AA) - The tough loss at McKinley should serve them well down the road.  Enduring that kind of pressure, at that pace, has to be a character builder.

7. Jamestown (AA) - The Red Raiders slipped back one spot due to McKinley leap frogging some teams after its win over North, who topped Jamestown earlier this year.

8. Amherst (A2) - The Tigers likely won't face a ranked opponent again this season unless they win Class A2 and reach the overall Class A crossover game.

9. Sweet Home (A1) - The Panthers let a 15-point lead slip away in the fourth quarter at Williamsville South, but did enough in overtime to come away with the victory.  A key ECIC II game this week on Tuesday at Hamburg, before facing another Panther squad on Saturday...East High.

10. Kenmore West (AA) - Won its rivalry game against Kenmore East in a  rout.  Niagara Wheatfield and Grand Island on tap for the Blue Devils this week.

 

Small Schools

1. East (B2) - The Panthers' goals this season begin with winning the Yale Cup, and in order to do that, it will require putting an end to McKinley's 29-game league winning streak on Wednesday when the Macks visit.

2. Olean (B1) - Battled back from 10 points down on the road at Aquinas to lead in the fourth quarter, but let things slip away late.  But the purpose of the independent schedule they're playing this year was to have them battle-tested for a postseason run, and the sting of losses like that one should certainly help that cause.

3. St. Mary's (MMA) - They got out of Walsh with a win, which is all you are really hoping for when you make the long trip to face an always game Eagles team.  Cardinal O'Hara & Niagara Catholic are on the slate for this week, before traveling to Nichols on Monday for a MLK Day showdown.

4. Nichols (MMA) - The Vikings home loss to Timon doesn't carry any poll implications in my mind.  But an upcoming game at Park on Friday, along with the aforementioned showdown with St. Mary's on Monday sure will.

5. Park (MMA) - They were the third most popular team at the Canisius/St. Joe's rivalry game on Saturday, as Canisius' Blue Crew spent the afternoon reminding the Marauders of their loss at Park.  The Pioneers, who lost by six at St. Mary's, host a very important game against Nichols on Friday night.

6. Middle College (C1) - The Kats will get a nice test against Cheektowaga on Friday night as part of the MLK Classic at City Honors.

7. Fredonia (B1) - Will look to chase a big win against the Black Knights with a road win at Maple Grove this week, who knocked off Health Sciences a couple of weeks ago.

8. Silver Creek (C1) - Shook off a tough loss at Fredonia by handing Randolph an 18-point defeat.

9. Sherman (D) - Now ranked #1 in the state in Class D, the Wildcats visit Clymer and Olmsted this week as they look to remain undefeated.

10. Barker (C1) - Speaking of undefeated, here's another of those schools making its debut on my ballot.  The Raiders should see their record remain unblemished well into the postseason this year.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

Top games of the week ending 1/19/14

 

Here's a list of what I think are the top games to follow this week:

 

Monday, January 13th

Salamanca @ Allegany-Limestone - 7:30 pm

Clarence @ Lamcaster - 7:30 pm

Sherman @ Clymer - 7:30 pm

 

Tuesday, January 14th

Holland @ Lackawanna - 7 pm

Canisius @ Bishop Kearney - 7 pm

Iroquois @ Williamsville South - 7:30 pm

Sweet Home @ Hamburg - 7:30 pm

Williamsville East @ Frontier - 7:30 pm

 

Wednesday, January 15th

McKinley @ East - 6 pm

 

Thursday, January 16th 

Lackawanna @ Alden - 7 pm

Williamsville South @ Hamburg - 7:30 pm

 

Friday, January 17th

Nichols @ Park - 6:30 pm

Niagara Falls @ North Tonawanda - 7 pm

Iroquois @ Sweet Home - 7:30 pm

Williamsville North @ Clarence - 7:30 pm

MLK Classic at City Honors High School

Tapestry @ City Honors - 4:30 pm

IPrep vs. Maritime Charter - 6 pm

Middle College vs. Cheektowaga - 7:30 pm

 

Saturday, January 18th 

MLK Classic @ City Honors High School

St. Francis vs. Hutch-Tech - 11 am

East vs. Sweet Home - 12:30 pm

Canisius vs. McKinley - 2 pm

 

Game of the Week - McKinley @ East on Wednesday, January 15th

-  The Yale Cup is the name of Buffalo's city league, and also the name of the trophy every team competing in that league covets.  East and McKinley have combined to win five of the last seven Yale Cups, including the last three.  East won it in 2007, 2009, & 2011.  McKinley hoisted it back-to-back the last two seasons, 2012 & 2013.  The Cup was won by Grover in 2008, before McKinley knocked them out of the playoffs...only to have its season ended by East, who advanced to Glens Falls in Class A that year.  Needless to say, these two programs are the gold standard of city basketball.

Both teams will enter the game undefeated in league play.  In fact, McKinley has been unbeaten in the Yale Cup in each of the last two seasons and enters the game with a 29-game winning streak in the Yale Cup.  That would be a remarkable feat for any team in any league to win that many in a row, but especially in a talent-laden league like the Yale Cup.  The Macks winning streak is closing in on history - Riverside holds the benchmark at 34 games dating back to the Mike Williams era in 2005 & 2006.  If you include postseason & nonleague games against Yale Cup schools, McKinley has won 33 consecutively versus Buffalo Public Schools.

The Macks were ranked sixth in last week's large school poll, and will likely move up, possibly as high as #2, following a win over Williamsville North on Friday.  McKinley is also considered a top 20 team in NYS in Class A.  East will enter the game as not only the top ranked small school in WNY, but in all of NYS. 

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

 

Hillbillies take control of CCAA I West

 

Fredonia and Silver Creek both enjoyed very successful campaigns last season, but despite only being separated by one exit on the NYS thruway, never faced each other last year.  The 2014 campaign brought divisional realignments in the CCAA ranks, based more on what made geographical sense.  Among the changes, the Hillbillies and Black Knights found themselves playing in the same league, meaning we would get to see the two stellar small school basketball programs play twice this season.  Last night was the first meeting between the two, and each came in unbeaten in league play.  Score round one for Fredonia, who now sits atop of the standings.

 

Dylan Meyer scored a game-high 21 points and the Hillbillies clamped down defensively in the second half, to earn a 62-49 victory over visiting Silver Creek.  The win improves Fredonia 3-0 in CCAA I West and 6-3 overall, while the Black Knights dropped their first league contest since 2011.

 

Emotions were running high right out of the opening tip, with players chirping at each other, an intentional foul call, and a noticable intensity from both teams, particularly Fredonia.  The Hillbillies raced out to a 10-0 lead before Silver Creek finally netted its firstbucket of the game, over three minutes in.  John Piper had the hot hand early on for Fredonia, canning three 3-pointers in the opening quarter to help his squad out to a 17-11 lead after one quarter.

 

Midway through the second quarter, Fredonia had built a 10-point lead at 27-17, before the Black Knights finally found their groove.  Kaine Kettle stroked a pair of treys and Frank Wolf added another as part of a 17-3 run that gave Silver Creek a 34-30 lead late in the first half.  Junior Alec Ambrose sank a floater just four seconds prior to the break for Fredonia, and they headed into the locker room trailing 34-32.

 

Foul trouble was one of the game's subplots for Silver Creek, as starters Bill Brooks and Connor Gates each entered the second half with four fouls apiece, while Kaine Kettle quickly earned his fourth foul in the third quarter.  Halfway through the quarter, the Black Knights were in front 41-37, but the inability to defend aggressively would begin to hinder them, while at the same time, Fredonia dialed up its defense to another level over the stretch run of the contest.  The Hillbillies closed the quarter on a 12-4 run, including a 3-pointer from sophomore Patrick Moore that put his team in front for good.

 

Fredonia crowded the paint and was successful in limiting the touches for Brooks over the game's final 12 minutes.  During that stretch, Brooks was held to just one field goal, as the Hillbillies closed the game on a 23-8 run.  Meyer scored eight of his 21 points in the fourth quarter.

 

Piper finished the game with 16 points for Fredonia, with 14 of those coming in the first half.  Point guard Nick Johnston added 13 points.

 

Brooks racked up a team-high 20 points for Silver Creek, along with 15 rebounds and 13 blocked shots.  Kettle added 11 points.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

State Rankings - Week 4

 

The fourth state rankings of the season have been released by the NYSSWA.  Below are the WNY teams that made the cut:

 

Class A

Canisius #4

St. Joe's #21

McKinley #22

 

Class B

East #1

Olean #3

Nichols #17

 

Class C

Middle College #5

Silver Creek #18

 

Class D

Sherman #1

Clymer #14

 

** According to the rankings:

- Within one week, the two Section VI Class B powerhouses (East & Olean) knocked off the very best Section V has to offer. Greece Athena is the highest Class AA team ranked from Section V at #15, while Aquinas is ranked at #17 in Class AA.

- For a third straight week, not a single Section VI team is top 25 worthy in Class AA

- Canisius remains the top catholic Class A school in the state

- Nichols is the top catholic school in the state in Class B

- Middle College should cancel it's hotel reservation in Glens Falls. Clyde-Savannah of Section V has moved a spot ahead of them.

- Sherman is now considered the top dog in Class D in NYS

 

Click here for a complete list of state rankings.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42 

Poll Ballots - Week 3 - 2014

 

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. Canisius (MMA) - Went 2-1 over the break in a Jesuit Tournament, suffering their first and only loss to St. Peter's Prep of NJ.  The week ahead for the Crusaders includes a trip to Lancaster tonight to face St. Mary's, a visit from Aquinas on Wednesday, and a rivalry game at the Koessler Center against St. Joe's on Saturday.

2. Clarence (AA) - Winners of their own tournament over the break included a 38-point trouncing of Iroquois.  The Red Devils, who have just one loss this season (St. Mary's), will have their composure put to the test tonight when they host McKinley.

3. St. Joe's (MMA) - After suffering a big home loss to Aquinas and falling at Bishop Kearney & Park, the Marauders are back on track and looking like a completely different team.  Since, they scored wins against McKinley and Timon, both ranked number two at the time, along with beating Cheektowaga & Middle College to win their tournament.

4. Timon/St. Jude (MMA) - The Tigers stay at number two lasted two weeks, thanks to taking a week off of polls due to the break.  They did hang 104 points on UPrep of Rochester, who apparently thought running with Donte Williams & Timon was a good idea.  It was a good idea for Donte, who dropped a career-high 43 points that night.  The Tigers host Bishop Kearney tonight and visit Nichols on Friday.

5. Williamsville North (AA) - The Spartans are winners of five straight, including a Five Guys Tournament title after knocking off St. Mary's & Pittsford Sutherland.  They'll try for the sweep Wednesday at Jamestown, before stepping into the dog's pen on Friday for a tilt with the McKinley Macks.

6. Jamestown (AA) - Will look to move up on this ballot and in the poll when Williamsville North comes a knocking Wednesday night.  They'll be plenty motivated to beat them after dropping a home game against the Spartans last season by 14 points and letting a 15-point lead evaporate in the final three minutes earlier this season.

7. McKinley (A1) - Mack High has an opportunity to jump right back up to the second spot on this ballot with wins during a competitive week ahead.  They face Clarence, Hutch-Tech, & Will North over the next five nights.

8. Amherst (A2) - Winners of the Jolly Boys Tournament after beating St. Francis & Williamsville South.  Only setback remains buzzer-beating loss to Clarence.

9. Sweet Home (A1) - The Panthers bust onto my ballot after chasing a win over Williamsville East in mid December, with a Ken-Ton Tournament title that saw them knock off both Kenmore West & East.

10. Kenmore West (AA) - The Blue Devils are a solid squad, but to be considered legitimate Class AA contenders, they'll need start winning more consistently and convincingly.

 

Small Schools

1. East (B2) - After watching them whip Aquinas in the second half while battling foul trouble and without Tyree Tyson in the lineup, the choice for number one was quite clear to me.  Then...

2. Olean (B1) - the Huskies dismantle Greece Athena on Friday - the same Greece Athena that won at Jamestown by 20 points.  So I had to consider a close call against Nichols and go with my gut.  I'll get to see Olean play at Aquinas this Saturday.  Maybe they'll change my mind again.  Stay tuned.

3. St. Mary's (MMA) - The Lancers recent victory against Park, coupled with an earlier victory over Clarence kept them here, ahead of...

4. Nichols (MMA) - the Vikings, who nearly upset Olean at St. Bonaventure.  Tonight they visit Lackawanna, which is no gimme, before hosting the Lancers on Wednesday to settle this poll thing.  I'm hoping the game is a major letdown, snooze-fest - I can't attend that night.

5. Park (MMA) - The Pioneers win against St. Joe's keeps them a spot ahead of...

6. Middle College (C1) - the Kats, who lost to St. Joe's.  Big game coming up on Wednesday as they host East.  

7. Silver Creek (C1) - Only losses came against Olean & Park.  Big week ahead includes visiting Fredonia on Thursday and hosting Randolph on Saturday.

8. Sherman (D) - Haven't played since pulling off the win against Randolph in overtime.  The Wildcats remain unbeaten and ranked number two in the state in Class D.

9. Fredonia (B1) - Was surprised to arrive at the Clarence Tournament and find them in the consolation game, rather thatn the championship round after dropping one to Iroquois the night before.  Then the Hillbillies nearly fell to Bennett the day after.  We'll get some answers about where they're at Thursday when Silver Creek comes to town.

10. Cleveland Hill (B2) - Consecutive wins against Lackawanna, Hamburg, and Salamanca earn the Eagles the last spot on this ballot, ahead of Barker.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

Top games of the week ending 1/12/14

 

Here's a list of what I think are the top games to follow this week:

 

Monday, January 6th

Nichols @ Lackawanna - 7 pm

Bishop Kearney @ Timon - 7 pm

Cleveland Hill @ Alden - 7 pm

Randolph @ Salamanca - 7:30 pm

East Aurora @ Batavia - 7:30 pm

McKinley @ Clarence - 7:30 pm

Canisius @ St. Mary's - 7:30 pm

 

Tuesday, January 7th

Barker @ CSAT - 6 pm

Niagara Falls @ Kenmore West - 6:30 pm

Williamsville East @ Sweet Home - 7:00 pm

Maryvale @ Depew - 7:30 pm

Clarence @ Lancaster - 7:30 pm

Maryvale @ Depew - 7:30 pm

 

Wednesday, January 8th

Hutch-Tech @ McKinley - 6 pm

St. Mary's @ Nichols - 6:30 pm

East @ Middle College - 7 pm

Aquinas @ Canisius - 7 pm

Williamsville North @ Jamestown  - 7:30 pm

 

Thursday, January 9th

Allegany-Limestone @ Randolph - 7:30 pm

Williamsville South @ Sweet Home - 6:30 pm

Hamburg @ Williamsville East - 7:30 pm

Silver Creek @ Fredonia - 7:30 pm

 

Friday, January 10th

Williamsville North @ McKinley - 6:30 pm

Timon @ Nichols - 6:30 pm

Lockport @ Niagara Falls - 6:30 pm

Lancaster @ Jamestown - 7:30 pm

Cheektowaga @ Maryvale - 7:30 pm

 

Saturday, January 11th

Canisius vs. St. Joe's - Round 1 @ Canisius College

Olean @ Aquinas - 5:30 pm

 

Game of the Week - Olean @ Aquinas on Saturday, January 11th

- Yes, I'm picking this game even though the Canisius/St. Joe's rivalry renews just hours before on the same day.  For me, it came down to which game I'm most excited to attend in the upcoming week.   In a week of great matchups throughout, the finale on Saturday night should be a grand one.

By now, I think many are coming around to the notion that the game of the season will happen on a Tuesday night in March at Buffalo State - an Olean/East Class B crossover rematch.  Well the Huskies northeastern journey on Saturday to face Aquinas is as close as we're getting to that one for a couple of months.

East will be just two weeks removed from a win at Aquinas when the Huskies roll in to Rochester, and Olean will be just one week removed from an incredible showing at home against Greece Athena.  At this point, the speculation over which Class B school is better, Olean or East, is running rampant in WNY.  We know for sure that both schools are legit, but Saturday night will offer us a common opponent between the two schools, played at the same location.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42

 

St. Joe's wins another at Timon

 

On December 17th, McKinley debuted as the #2 ranked large school in the Buffalo News large school poll.  Four days later, the sixth-ranked Marauders knocked them off.  Then on December 24th, the second poll came out.  St. Joe's had somehow slipped a spot, back to #7, while there was a new school holding down the number two spot.  The new number two was Timon, who just happened to be hosting St. Joe's last night.  Would another victory over a second-ranked large school drop St. Joe's to eighth in the poll?  They seemed willing to find out.

 

In a game that saw 18 lead changes and eight ties, St. Joe's claimed a 59-55 victory over the host Tigers.  For the Marauders, the victory marked the fifth consecutive year they picked up a road win in this series.

 

The game was back-and-forth the entire way, with each team taking turns riding the game's momentum. In the first half, the Marauders saw an 11-0 run answered by 10 straight points from the Tigers.  Even when a 3-pointer from Justin Jones with just five seconds left in the half put St. Joe's up by three points, Timon responded with a buzzer-beater from downtown made by William Lamar to even the game at 25 each heading into the break.

 

The biggest lead for either squad in the third quarter was four points, held by Timon with under two minutes remaining in the stanza.  A 7-2 scoring advantage for the Marauders over the final 90 seconds of the quarter took care of that and gave them a 42-41 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

 

Jones opened the final frame with a bucket for Joe's, and when Antonio Morreale followed that with his second trey of the game, the Marauders held their largest lead of the half, 47-41.  Timon's Donte Williams, who had just one field goal through three quarters, responded to give the Tigers a late spark.  He scored seven of his team-high 16 points over  three-minute span in the fourth, including a swish from beyond the arc on the left side that moved Timon back in front, 52-50.  

 

Over the final three minutes, the Tigers would score just once more, a trey from Kyler Hairston, while St. Joe's got a late basket from Jones and converted seven of eight free throw attempts, with Justin Hollins sinking five of them.

 

Timon had possesion with the shot clock off, down two points at the end of the game.  The Tigers missed a couple of hotly contested shots in the paint and after a scramble for the ball, Williams was left lying on the court with a cut, while the Marauders had gained possession and drawn a foul with 10.6 seconds on the clock, where they would ice the game.

 

Jones finished the evening with a game-high 17 points for St. Joe's, while Hollins and Morreale each scored 13 points.  Hairston and Derick Simpson each netted 15 points for the Tigers.

 

-centercourt

@centercourt42