(Jalen Bradberry and Jaemon Turner have helped turn Niagara Catholic into a serious contender)
Well, the New Year is not off to the best start with cancellations and a less-than-spectacular lineup of games this week to begin 2018. However, I always begin this post each year at this time and there's still a game being played this week that's worthy of the title 'Game of the Week'. So here's a list of what I think are the top games to follow in this shortened week (And don't get too excited for Friday's lineup, I'm sure they all all get cancelled because it's winter):
Wednesday, January 3rd
Kenmore West @ North Tonawanda - 6:30 pm
St. Francis @ Cardinal O'Hara - 6:30 pm
Maritime @ Burgard - 6:30 pm
Olmsted @ I-Prep - 6:30 pm
Timon @ Canisius - 7 pm
St. Mary's @ Niagara Catholic - 7:30 pm
Frontier @ Maryvale - 7:30 pm
Thursday, January 4th
Cheektowaga @ South Park - 6 pm
Orchard Park @ West Seneca West - 6:30 pm
Williamsville North @ Clarence - 7:30 pm
Lancaster @ Jamestown - 7:30 pm
Dunkirk @ Olean - 7:30 pm
Randolph @ Silver Creek - 7:30 pm
Friday, January 5th
Williamsville South @ Williamsville East - 6:30 pm
Niagara Wheatfield @ Grand Island - 6:30 pm
Lockport @ CSAT - 6:30 pm
Burgard @ East - 6:30 pm
City Honors @ Olmsted - 6:30 pm
Kenmore West @ Lew-Port - 7 pm
St. Joe's @ Niagara Catholic - 7:30 pm
Lake Shore @ Maryvale - 7:30 pm
Saturday, January 6th
Williamsville North @ Sweet Home - 2 pm
St. Joe's @ Park - 5 pm
Newfane @ Clarence - 6 pm
Tapestry @ Randolph - 7:30 pm
United Way Showcase at Jamestown HS
Southwestern vs. Frewsburg - 12:30 pm
Silver Creek vs. Sherman - 2:15 pm
Maple Grove vs. BASCS - 4 pm
Chautauqua Lake vs. Oracle - 5:45 pm
Jamestown vs. Fredonia - 7:30 pm
* Game of the Week * - St. Mary's @ Niagara Catholic on Wednesday, January 3rd
The Lancers of St. Mary's entered this season as the defending Manhattan Cup champions in Class B. Yet coming into this season, I have found myself having to remind people of that on multiple occasions. When talking with area hoop-heads about a preseason top 10 in the small school ranks or who was the favorite to win the league & Cup, it was as if St. Mary's was just another team in the mix because they always are, rather than the highly regarded team they deserved to be.
When the first local small school poll of the season came out, St. Mary's was #6 in WNY, behind a team at #5 that didn't reach the final last season and welcomed five new starters - Niagara Catholic, who already had a loss to defending Class D champion Franklinville. When the first state rankings of the season came out one day later, the Lancers were unranked, while Niagara Catholic sat at #19 in NYS Class B.
It's not like the Lancers graduated several key contributors from last year's squad, but rather they brought back five players who saw time in their rotation, including a 2017 All-Centercourt Honorable Mention selection in Christian Szablewski. They were a group that I had slept on entering last year with a young, unproven rotation, but came into this year very high on.
On the other hand, Niagara Catholic became what I've called an overnight sensation, reminiscent of the power that Park became in 2014 - its first season in the MMA and one year before winning the NYS Class B Federation championship. Another 2017 All-Centercourt Honorable Mention selection, Jalen Bradberry, left Niagara Wheatfield after starting there as an 8th grader and enrolled at Niagara Catholic, instantly raising their stock. But he wasn't the only new addition. Three other starters for the Patriots are new additions this season and friends of Bradberry, while Jaemon Turner took a big step forward after seeing some minutes at Niagara Catholic as a freshman.
Since the first rankings came out, both teams are unbeaten. The Lancers ended up leapfrogging Niagara Catholic in both the state and local poll, perhaps on the strength of a season-opening victory over Lancaster. They also won the Depew & Five Guys Tournaments, which included a victory over Williamsville North. Niagara Catholic scored a victory over Class AA Clarence and also traveled out of state to win a tournament.
So what this game offers is a lot of contrast and even more talent. St. Mary's is the veteran team with four seniors in its starting lineup and believes this is their year. Niagara Catholic starts five underclassmen, none of who started last year for the Patriots, and four are new to the program. The Patriots believe they are embarking on something special and are eager to earn a statement win that backs up where the polls had them in early December and where they see themselves. What a way to tip-off the 2018 Monsignor Martin schedule - the defending champion visiting the serious young contender who many already view as the favorite. Sounds like 'Game of the Week' material to me.
-centercourt
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