(Andrew Austin leads Lockport into Niagara Falls on Tuesday for the 'Game of the Week' / Photo by Lockport Star)
Here's a list of what I think are the top games to follow this week:
Monday, January 4th
Dunkirk @ Fredonia - 7:30 pm
Tuesday, January 5th
McKinley @ South Park - 6 pm
Walsh @ Nichols - 6:30 pm
St. Joe's @ Park - 6:30 pm
North Tonawanda @ Kenmore West - 6:30 pm
Lockport @ Niagara Falls - 6:30 pm
Canisius @ Timon - 6:30 pm
Niagara Catholic @ St. Francis - 7 pm
Wednesday, January 6th
Olmsted @ MST Seneca - 6 pm
I-Prep @ Emerson - 6 pm
East Aurora @ Cheektowaga - 6:30 pm
Willaimsville North @ Jamestown - 7:30 pm
Orchard Park @ Lancaster - 7:30 pm
Health Sciences @ St. Mary's - 7:30 pm
Thursday, January 7th
Fredonia @ Olean - 7:30 pm
Salamanca @ Silver Creek - 7:30 pm
Friday, January 8th
Emerson @ Olmsted - 6 pm
Roy-Hart @ Newfane - 6:30 pm
Kenmore West @ Lockport - 6:30 pm
Alden @ Tonawanda - 6:30 pm
St. Joe's @ Canisius - 7 pm
Medina @ Albion - 7 pm
Park @ St. Mary's - 7:30 pm
Maryvale @ East Aurora - 7:30 pm
United Way Showcase at Jamestown HS
Tapestry vs. Randolph - 6 pm
Jamestown vs. Cardinal O'Hara - 7:45 pm
Saturday, January 9th
Willaimsville South @ Aquinas - 2:30 pm
United Way Showcase at Jamestown HS
Dunkirk vs. Bennett - 12:30 pm
Fredonia vs. Silver Creek - 2:15 pm
Maple Grove vs. Panama - 4 pm
Sherman vs. Randolph - 5:45 pm
Olean vs. Jamestown - 7:30 pm
Game of the Week - Lockport @ Niagara Falls on Tuesday, January 5th
- In 2014 after getting hit hard by graduation, Niagara Falls rolled out a lineup of fresh-faced underclassmen that would carry them over the next three seasons. That same year, Lockport boasted a senior-laden unit that would share league title honors in the NFL with Kenmore West. That Lions team was the first to ever sweep the Wolverines in a season and wound up advancing to Buffalo State for the Class AA semifinals.
Last season, it was Lockport that turned to a new group in its rotation, while a year of seasoning had helped the young Wolverines to get back on top of the NFL, sharing league crown honors with North Tonawanda. Niagara Falls returned to Buffalo State in Class AA last season and advanced to the sectional championship.
Entering this season, Niagara Falls came in with its best group since 2013 and were the preseason favorites to win both the NFL and Class AA. The Wolverines second game of the season was against Park, the top-ranked Class A team in NYS, a game they only lost by two points. That same night, Lockport caught the attention of area hoop followers with a 13-point win over St. Joe's.
Since that night, both Falls & Lockport have won all their league games. But it was some nonleague results that really set the stage for the Game of the Week. Starpoint played a game at Park and only lost by three points. They followed that up with a win over Timon. Then just three days later, the highly-regarded Spartans traveled to Lockport, and got thumped by 30 points. That same week, Niagara Falls coughed up a late lead at the ADPRO Challenge and lost to the same St. Joe's team that the Lions beat.
Suddenly, Lockport was the only team from WNY ranked by NYS in Class AA and also moved ahead of Niagara Falls in the local large school poll. The question that then arose - is Lockport now the favorite to win the NFL and Class AA this year? Maybe so, but I'm not making any proclamations just yet. The Lions suffered their first loss of the season to Aquinas over the break in a complete rout, and followed it up with a loss the next night to small school East of the Yale Cup.
Is Lockport back sliding or was it just a holiday slump? Is Niagara Falls still the team to beat after allowing the St. Joe's comeback? Thankfully we have the 'Game of the Week' to sort it all out, where I will be front & center(court) for - and yes, the winner will be the favorites in both the league and the section.
-centercourt
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