(Round 1 is almost here - Canisius at Park on Saturday, January 23rd / Photo by Buffalo News)
Here's a list of what I think are the top games to follow this week:
Monday, January 18th
Cheektowaga @ St. Joe's - 4:30 pm
Tuesday, January 19th
Health Sciences @ Tapestry - 6 pm
Timon @ Park - 6:30 pm
St. Mary's @ Walsh - 6:30 pm
Medina @ Newfane - 6:30 pm
Niagara Catholic @ Cardinal O'Hara - 6:30 pm
North Tonawanda @ Lockport - 6:30 pm
Niagara Wheatfield @ Kenmore West - 6:30 pm
Gowanda @ Silver Creek - 7:30 pm
Wednesday, January 20th
Middle College @ South Park - 6 pm
St. Joe's @ Kenmore West - 6:30 pm
Orchard Park @ Williamsville North - 7:30 pm
Chautauqua Lake @ Southwestern - 7:30 pm
Thursday, January 21st
Silver Creek @ Portville - 6:30 pm
Nichols @ Niagara Catholic - 7:30 pm
Randolph @ Gowanda - 7:30 pm
Friday, January 22nd
East @ Middle College - 6 pm
St. Mary's @ Timon - 6:30 pm
Nichols @ Cardinal O'Hara - 6:30 pm
Lockport @ Niagara Wheatfield - 6:30 pm
Williamsville South @ Starpoint - 7 pm
Lew-Port @ North Tonawanda - 7 pm
St. Francis @ St. Joe's - 7 pm
Jamestown @ Orchard Park - 7:30 pm
Cheektowaga @ Amherst - 7:30 pm
Southwestern @ Dunkirk - 7:30 pm
Saturday, January 23rd
Cardinal O'Hara @ Cleveland Hill - 1:30 pm
Canisius @ Park - 3 pm
Game of the Week - Canisius @ Park on Saturday, January 23rd
- This weekend, the hottest ticket in town will be admission into The Park School on Harlem Road in Amherst on Saturday afternoon. I can't remember a more highly anticipated regular season matchup in this area in my time of following high school hoops, and for good reason. This game offers everything you could want out of a big time high school game.
Canisius & Park are the two top ranked large schools in WNY, and considered by most to be in their own tier of the top ten. Both teams have compiled several wins over the best teams from this area already. Canisius has beaten the likes of Aquinas, Williamsville South, McKinley, Timon, & St. Joe's. Park owns wins over Amherst, Niagara Falls, St. Mary's, Middle College, St. Joe's, & Starpoint. Both teams have beaten Bishop Kearney.
Last season, both teams reached the pinnacle of success for their respective classifications - NYS Federation Championships. Canisius finished its 2015 season off by claiming the ultimate prize in Class A, while the Pioneers did the same thing in Class B, on the same weekend, one day after they watched and cheered the Crusaders on to victory. It was likely the last time they will ever root for a Canisius victory. While Park finished the year as the #1 ranked team in NYS Class B and Canisius earned the same distinction from Class A, the Pioneers moved up to Class A this season.
Now that Park is in Class A with the Crusaders, both share space in the NYS rankings together. Park has been the state's top ranked team in Class A all season, while Canisius is expected to be sitting at #3 when the new state rankings are released tomorrow. With #1 vs. #3 getting it on in Class A this Saturday, Canisius @ Park is not only the 'Game of the Week' in WNY, we are talking about the biggest game in the entire Empire State. Best of all, it should only be the first of an epic trilogy this season.
If you find yourself on the outside looking in this Saturday afternoon, I think you know where you can find updates.
-centercourt
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