The View From Centercourt

Manhattan Cup Finals - 2018

(Park's Brandon Smith rises up over a defender / Photo:Harry Scull,Buff News)
 

 

(2) Park 62, (1) Canisius 54

The Park School proved to be WNY's top program this season, knocking off the three-time defending champions who came into the game ranked #1 in the area, to win its first Manhattan Cup in Class A.  Brandon Smith earned Manhattan Cup MVP honors, scoring a game-high 22 points, with 13 of those coming in the first half.  The shots Smith was knocking down were impressive, as was the Pioneers defense, the play inside from Julian Eziukwu, Quentin Nnagbo, & John Orogun, and the constant dribble penetration and distribution by Noah Hutchins.  Park never trailed in the second half and had an answer for every shot Canisius managed to knock down, tempering any late game dramatics.  They will face St. Anthony's in Long Island this Saturday for the right to advance to the CHSAA state championship game in Class A.

 

Park          13 - 15 - 14 - 20 = 62

Canisius  13 - 12 - 13 - 16 = 54

 

Point Totals

Park:  Brandon Smith 22, Dan Scott 13, Quentin Nnagbo 9, Julian Eziukwu 9, Noah Hutchins 7, John Orogun 2

Canisius:  Jayce Johnson 17, Austin James 14, Nick MacDonald 8, Dwayne Vass 8, Ryan Bradley 7

 

******        ******        ******        ******   

 

(3) Niagara Catholic 73, (1) Cardinal O'Hara 65

 

Niagara Catholic entered the tournament as the #3 seed, but took down the two teams seeded ahead of them to earn the 2018 Manhattan Cup in Class B, the first time the school has ever earned the honor under that name.  When the school last win a Manhattan Cup in 1962, it was named Bishop Duffy.

 

Freshman Jalen Bradberry earned Manhattan Cup MVP, scoring a game-high 27 points in the championship victory and providing a pair of highlight flushes at the rim in the process.  Haakim Siner scored 17 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for the Patriots, who started five underclassmen all season under the guidance of head coach Giulio Colangelo.  Niagara Catholic began to gain some separation in the third quarter, gaining contributions from Raejuan Smith, Jaemon Turner, Avion Harris, and Mehki Starks.  The win earns a chance at a CHSAA state championship in Class B on March 10th against the winner in NYC.

 

Niagara Catholic  13 - 20 - 18 - 22 = 73

Cardinal O'Hara  13 -  16 - 15 - 21 = 65

 

Point Totals

Niagara Catholic:  Jalen Bradberry 27, Haakim Siner 17, Jaemon Turner 9, Raejuan Smith 9, Mehki Starks 7, Avion Harris 4

Cardinal O'Hara:  Justin Hemphill 23, Nasir Benton 20, Jaedin Cottman 11, Jermaine Haynes 9, Joseph Turri 2

 

 

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Class C Semifinals - 2018

(Randolph's Tyler Hind dropped a game-high 33 points in the Class C semifinal win)

 

(3) Tapestry 62, (2) Allegany-Limestone 57

 

After falling behind by six points in the third quarter, Allegany-Limestone used a 15-3 run to put themselves in the lead by a six points as the game headed to the final stanza.  Once there, the excitement of playoff basketball treated the fans at JCC to a battle in the fourth quarter that left the game tied at 54-54 with under two minutes to play.

 

A turnover by the Gators in their own end led to Cameron Wilson sending a long pass to a streaking Mike Towns, who went straight to the rack, finished against a hard foul, and earned the 'And 1".  Tapestry took a 57-54 lead and never trailed again, earning a trip to the Class C Final against Randolph on Friday night.  The Thunderhawks last appearance in a Section VI Final came in 2015, when DeJuan Owens & JaQuoine Fogan led the team to a title.

 

Tapestry  9 - 21 - 12 - 20 = 60

All-Lime   11 - 17 - 20 - 9 = 57

 

Point Totals

Tapestry:  Dorian Plummer 22, Mike Towns 12, Emmanuel Trueheart 11, Dayshawn Nance 6, Cameron Wilson 6, Tariq Eubanks 4, Frank Williams 1

Allegany-Limestone:  Sam Flanders 26, Michael Wolfgang 12, Conner Golley 8, Casey Curran 7, Sean McAfee 4

 

******        *******        ******       ******        

 

(1) Randolph 74, (4) Chautauqua Lake 59

 

The defending champions of Class C2 at Randolph faced the Class C1 defending champions from Chautauqua Lake, who ended the Cardinals season last year, before a packed house at JCC.  This year, it was Randolph who ended the Thunderbirds campaign to advance to a second consecutive Section VI Final.  In a game that featured Chautauqua Lake's 2,000 point scorer Devin Pope against Randolph sophomore Tyler Hind, who recently eclipsed 1,000 points and is on pace join Pope in the 2K Club, it was the underclassman and his even younger teammate who stole the show.

 

Hind erupted for a game-high 33 points, including five 3-pointers, while 8th grader Gabe McCoy added 17 points to lead the Cardinals to victory.  A one-point game heading into the second quarter, Randolph outscored the Thunderbirds 22-5 in the second frame to take a 20-point lead into halftime.  Chautauqua Lake would never get back within striking distance the rest of the way, as Randolph dominated the boards and found other offensive options after Chautauqua Lake made stopping Hind its main focus.  For McCoy, his performance was a culmination of steady improvement throughout the season that came together for one of his finest outings of the season in a crucial playoff test.  The Cardinals face Tapestry, ranked #7 in NYS Class C, for the Section VI crown and the right to advance to the Far West Regionals.

 

Randolph  23 - 22 - 16 - 13 = 74

C. Lake       20 -  5 - 16 - 18 = 59

 

Point Totals

Randolph:  Tyler Hind 33, Gabe McCoy 17, Andrew Bernard 10, Calvin George 5, Kaleb Stweard 4, Isaac Wakefield 3, Dakota Donaldson 2

Chautauqua Lake:  Devin Pope 16, Zach Fischer 13, Kyler Majka 11, Alex Gleason 8, Nate Adams 8, Bryan Anderson 2, Collin Wood 1

 

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Poll Ballots 2018 - Week 10

(Noah Grabar and Lackawanna earned a big win over CSAT and a place on my ballot)

 

Large Schools

1. Canisius (MMA) - Defeated St. Francis for a third time this season, earning a chance to win a fourth consecutive Manhattan Cup title.

2. Park (MMA) - Took the rubber match with Timon in convincing fashion to earn the same chance with Canisius on the big stage this Tuesday night.

3. West Seneca West (A1) - Scored 100 points for the third time in a 36-point win over Grand Island to advance to Buff State for the first time since 2003.  The Indians have only had two opponents get within single digits all season.

4. Williamsville South (A1) - A 40-point win over Hamburg in the quarterfinals earned the Billies a date with McKinley at Buff State for the sixth consecutive season.

5. Niagara Falls (AA) - Took care of business against Frontier to continue the quest for a three-peat.  Next stop - a date with Jamestown at Buff State for the fourth consecutive season and seventh time in eight years.

6. Timon (MMA) - A very solid season for the Tigers ended at the hands of Park in the semifinals.  Junior guard Julian Cunningham reached the 1,000 point mark for his career in that final game.  The Tigers never lost to a team that finished below them all season.

7. Williamsville North (AA) - The Spartans third win of the season against Lancaster advances them to the Class AA semifinals, where they'll face Orchard Park for a third time - a team they own a pair of double figure victories over.  

8. North Tonawanda (A1) - The defending champs of Class A will have to get through the area's only undefeated team in West Seneca West, now 21-0.  The Jacks delivered the upset of the season in 2017 to earn the crown.

9. Cheektowaga (A2) - Winners of eight of their last nine games, which includes victories over South Park, Lake Shore, and Iroquois - the other three teams in the Class A2 semifinals with the Warriors.  The only loss in the last nine games was to Williamsville North.  A rematch of last season's special semifinal against South Park is up next.

10. McKinley (A1) - The last time the Macks failed to reach Buff State, people were still concerned the world would end when the year 2000 came.  After a big overtime win at Sweet Home, Williamsville South is concerned about its annual date with McKinley.

 

Small Schools

1. Health Sciences (B2) - The Falcons' postseason road back to the state final four began with a win over Wilson, thanks to a big second half.  Now they draw the top seed in the Class B2 bracket, Middle College.

2. Olean (B1) - Won their 20th game of the season to earn a semifinal game against Medina at the Huskies' second home - Buff State.  While City Honors won't be getting a poll vote, they do deserve major props for nearly pulling the biggest upset in quarterfinal history.  I could barely concentrate on the game in front of me while waiting to see updates from that one. Wow!

3. Middle College (B2) - Survived a big test from Gowanda to earn another shot in the playoffs with Health Sciences, this year one round later.  The Yale Cup champs should give the Falcons all they can handle.  And then some.

4. East (D) - A bid for a state championship in Class D begins with a semifinal game against an Ellicottville team with a two-time First Team All-State post player in Elliot Bowen.  The game being played at JCC won't do the Panthers any favors either.  The BPS better spring for a spectator bus, because they come out in numbers to support their small schools down there.

5. Franklinville (D) - The Panthers await the winner of East vs Ellicottville for a chance to repeat as champs - IF they can beat Sherman, who hasn't lost since January 6th.

6. Cardinal O'Hara (MMA) - Finished strong in a win over Nichols to earn a shot at the school's first title in 24 years.  Winning it will be a big challenge against a talented Niagara Catholic team that always plays hard.

7. Niagara Catholic (MMA) - Won a battle of wills in a very competitive game and exciting fourth quarter against St. Mary's, giving them the opportunity on Tuesday night to be crowned.

8. St. Mary's (MMA) - The end of the line came for the Lancers in a loss to Niagara Catholic on Saturday night.  I'm not ready to drop them from my ballot though, too many impressive wins to ignore this season.  We'll see how the season plays out, but it'll be tough to come up with 10 small schools better than this group.

9. Tapestry (C) - The only team ranked from Class C all season faces all the pressure this week.  A Section VI title would include two trips to JCC and wins over two very tough teams, beginning Monday night against Allegany-Limestone.

10. Lackawanna (B1) - I held off on voting for the Steelers all season, waiting for a signature win to support its undefeated campaign in ECIC IV.  Wins over Orchard Park (who beat Lockport) and CSAT (who beat NT) certainly qualify.  And after JFK advanced to Buff State in Class B2, those two wins over the Bears stand out even more also.  On Tuesday night, they face Newfane in the Class B1 semifinals.

 

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Manhattan Cup Semifinals - 2018

(Brandon Smith led Park with a game-high 24 points against Timon/Photo: Larry Scheur)

Class A

(1) Canisius 79, (4) St. Francis 56

The Crusaders wasted little time taking firm control against St. Francis, reaching a double figure lead midway through the opening quarter.  Ryan Bradley scored nine of his game-high 21 points in the opening frame, Brendan Trapper netted 11 points in the second stanza, Austin James drilled four 3-pointers on the evening and also registered 21 points, and Jayce Johnson & Nick MacDonald each finished with 10 points.  It is the fourth consecutive Manhattan Cup Final appearance for head coach Kyle Husband's team and their 9th in 10 seasons.  They have won the last three titles and seven since 2009.

 

Canisius     23 - 22 - 15 - 19 = 79

St. Francis  8 - 10 - 14 - 24 = 56

 

Point Totals

Canisius:  Ryan Bradley 21, Austin James 21 , Brendan Trapper 13, Nick MacDonald 10, Jayce Johnson 10, Joe Jamison 4

 

St. Francis:  Justin Poumpey 16, Dorion Ivey 11, Bo Sireika 10, Traevone Scott 6 , Lucas Theisen 5 , Josh Palmer 3, Amiel Collins 3, David Bartholomew 2

 

******        ******        ******        ******       

 

(2) Park 67, (3) Timon 58

 

Tied at 30-30 entering the final minute of the first half, Brandon Smith banged a pair of treys to give the Pioneers a six-point edge at the break.  After halftime, it was all Pioneers.  Park held Timon scoreless until the final second of the third quarter when a foul was called on a step back 3-point attempt.  The Pioneers still kept the Tigers from scoring a field goal in the frame, while taking a commanding 53-32 lead into the final stanza.  Brandon Smith led the way with 24 points, while Dan Scott added 18 points in the win.  The Pioneers advance to the Manhattan Cup Final to face Canisius for the second time in three seasons, looking to avenge a two-point title loss from 2016 and claim their first Class A Manhattan Cup.  The teams split regular season meetings and have been ranked #1 & #2 in WNY all season.

 

Julian Cunningham led Timon with a game-high 25 points and went over the 1,000 point total for his career in the process, in just his junior season.

 

 

Park      15 - 21 - 17 - 14 = 67

Timon  15 - 15 -   2 - 25 = 58

 

 

Point Totals

 

Park: Brandon Smith 24, Dan Scott 18, Julian Eziukwu 7, Quentin Nnagbo 6, John Orogun 6, Noah Hutchins 4, Jaylen Stewart 2

 

Timon:  Julian Cunningham 25, Alero World 10, Cullen Tonge 8, Tahron Goudelock 9, Master Radford 4

 

 

******        ******        ******        ******        

 

Class B

 

(1) Cardinal O'Hara 54, (4) Nichols 46

 

Tied at 22-22 in a defensive battle at halftime, Nichols opened the second half looking like the team that had been to four consecutive Manhattan Cup Finals, winning two of them.  The Vikings took a 32-27 lead three minutes into the third quarter and started believing it was their time to score their first win of the season over one of the league's top three.  But O'Hara's senior point guard had other ideas.

 

Nasir Benton took the game over in the third frame, scoring 12 of his 21 points, including a pair of treys.  His hot hand and confident play at the point sparked a defensive mindset in the Hawks.  Over the next twelve minutes of the game, Nichols would manage just two scores from the field.  Justin Hemphill finished with 12 points and Jaedin Cottman scored six of his 10 points in the fourth quarter, as O'Hara used a 22-3 run to take a 49-36 lead and advance to the program's first Manhattan Cup Final in 24 years and its first first shot at a Class B title since the new format began in 2015.  The Hawks will face Niagara Catholic at 6 pm on Tuesday night at the Canisius College Koessler Center for the title and the right to advance to the CHSAA state championship game in Class B.

 

 

O'Hara    14 -  8 - 19 - 13 = 54

Nichols   10 - 12 - 13 - 11 = 46

 

 

Point Totals

 

O'Hara:  Nasir Benton 21, Justin Hemphill 12 , Jaedin Cottman 10 , Jermaine Haynes 8, Brandon Broadnax 3

 

Nichols:  Chris Stineman 14, Aidan Horan 9, TJ Banaszak 8, Jonathan Goodloe 6, Antonio Jones 6, Hugh Purks 3 

 

 

******        ******        ******        ******        

 

(3) Niagara Catholic 67, (2) St. Mary's 60

 

The Patriots got out to a strong start and won the first two quarters, building a 31-20 halftime lead.  After the ten minute break, St. Mary's returned a more determined team and matched Niagara Catholic's intensity.  Turning to senior Christian Szablewski, he delivered 16 of his game-high 34 points in the third quarter, as the Lancers came roaring back and tied things up at 43-43 on the last possession of the frame.  After a 3-pointer by Matt Ciezki to open the final frame gave St. Mary's its first lead of the night, it looked as if the senior laden squad and defending champion that had swept Niagara Catholic in two regular season meetings would once again have their experience win out in crunch time.

 

In the best quarter of basketball the Manhattan Cup playoffs have produced through six games, it was the new kids on the block who would come through in the clutch.  Jalen Bradberry canned his fifth 3-pointer of the night and earned a team-high 22 points.  Jaemon Turner scored seven of his 17 points from the stripe in the fourth and Haakim Siner was once again the difference maker.  The junior and double-double machine for Niagara Catholic delivered 10 of his 18 points in the final stanza to lead his team to its second Manhattan Cup Final in three seasons.  Tuesday night's title game is also a rubber match after the Patriots split meetings with O'Hara in the regular season.

 

 

N.Catholic  14 - 17 - 12 - 24 = 67

St. Mary's    8 - 12 - 23 - 17 = 60

 

 

Point Totals

 

N. Catholic:  Jalen Bradberry 22, Haakim Siner 18, Jaemon Turner 17, Raejuan Smith 6, Avion Harris 4 

 

St. Mary's:  Christian Szablewski 34, Matt Ciezki 8, Brady O'Brien 7, Eric Kegler 3, Jae'lin Russell 3, Frank Propis 2 , Kofi Osei 2, Jake Lukasik 1 

 

 

 

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Manhattan Cup Play-in Games - 2018

(Lucas Theisen gets the reverse to go for St. Francis)

 

Class A - St. Francis 57, St. Joe's 45

 A strong start at the defensive end for St. Francis that didn't yield a single field goal in the opening quarter helped the team jump out to a commanding 13-2 lead.  The Red Raiders had four players finish in double figures and never trailed in the contest, despite competing without the services of senior Bo Sireika, who missed with an injury.  

 

After going to halftime trailing by a score of 26-15, St. Joe's jumped right back into the game in the third quarter.  Keith Norward scored 14 of his game-high 17 points in the frame for the Marauders to get his team within a bucket, 35-33.  But Frannies got refocused at the defensive end for the stretch run and allowed just three scores from the field the rest of the way to advance to the Manhattan Cup semifinals.  The Red Raiders will face the top seed from Canisius at the Canisius College Koessler Center at 6 pm on Friday night.

 

Following the game, St. Joe's head coach Mark Simon announced his retirement from coaching, following 18 seasons with the Marauders.  During that time, Simon led St. Joe's to six Manhattan Cup Championship games, where his teams won four titles.  In addition, Simon's teams won two CHSAA state championships.  I quickly learned in my first season following the WNY HS hoops scene that Mark Simon was one of the good guys and have considered him a friend ever since.  He has been a true gentleman and a class act throughout his 18 seasons & 307 victories, which rank fifth all-time among boys coaches in the Monsignor Martin Association.

 

St. Francis  13 - 13 - 9 - 22 = 57

St. Joe's       2 - 13 - 18 - 12 = 45

 

Point Totals

St. Francis:  Justin Poumpey 12, Amiel Collins 12, Josh Palmer 10, Lucas Theisen 10, Dorion Ivey 7, David Bartholomew 6

St. Joe's:  Keith Norward 17, Jack Capen 10, Trey Boling 6, Kevin Durkin 4, Will Ostrowski 2, Amari Gordon 2, Charlie Carlone 2, John Galvin 2

 

*****        ******        ******        ******        

 

Nichols 58, CCA 50

The Vikings trailed CCA into the second quarter of Tuesday night's play-in game, before a 12-2 run to close the first half gave them the lead for good.  Chris Stineman (team-high 18 points) and Aidan Horan (13 points) each scored five points in the second quarter, with Horan finding Stineman in the lane for a two-handed finish that resulted in a three-point play.  Freshman Hugh Purks came off the bench to bang from the perimeter during the run, with Nichols knocking down three treys in the stanza.

 

The Vikings would add three more from downtown in the third quarter, two coming from Jonathan Goodloe, who finished with 13 points.  Goodloe netted eight in the third frame, while Stineman scored nine.  Nichols advances to face Cardinal O'Hara in the Manhattan Cup semifinals on Saturday night at the Canisius College Koessler Center, 6 pm.

 

Josh Tyson led the Crusaders with a game-high 19 points in the loss, while Ben Lekeneu scored 14 points and Zach Miller finished with 10 points.

 

Nichols  8 - 21 - 21 - 8 = 58

CCA       12 - 12 - 18 - 8 = 50

 

Point Totals

Nichols:  Chris Stineman 18, Aidan Horan 13 , Jonathan Goodloe 13 , Trent Banaszak 7, Hugh Purks 3, Ryan Peterson 2, Jake Bair 2

CCA:  Josh Tyson 19, Ben Lekeneu 14, Zach Miller 10, Patrick Opferbeck 3, Kyle Gold 2, Daniel Tyson 2

 

 

 

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NYSSWA State Rankings 2018 - Week 11

 

The eleventh state rankings for the 2018 the season have been released by the NYSSWA.  Below are the WNY teams that made the cut:

 

Class AA

(Niagara Falls 27)

 

Class A 

Canisius #2

Park #5

West Seneca West #7

Williamsville South #11

Timon #19

 

Class B

Health Sciences #4

Olean #5

Middle College #19

 

Class C 

Tapestry #9

Chautauqua Lake #20

 

Class D

East #2

Franklinville #3

Ellicottville #8

Sherman #19

 

******** According to the rankings above........

 

- Rome Free Academy reappeared in the Class AA rankings, one spot ahead of Falls.  Not that anyone should or would really care about that, but since I've mentioned them multiple times this season (they beat Falls & St. Francis in late December), just keeping you up to date.

 

- Canisius is back at #2 in NYS Class A.  Park, West Seneca West, & Williamsville South all inched up a spot also, meaning WNY now has four of the top 11 teams ranked in NYS Class A.   And that doesn't include Timon, who just lost to LeBron's alma mater and sits at #19.  We even have our top ranked public school ahead of Irondequoit now.  That means Section VI is projected to get past Section V in Class A.  Now that would be something!  The state rankings might project it, but I wouldn't predict it.

 

- Health Sciences & Olean remain #4 & #5 in NYS Class B.  If they play each other this season, it would be exactly two weeks from today.  But Middle College is #19 in NYS Class B and hopes Health Sciences is there in two weeks...supporting them playing the Huskies.  Less than a week away from Middle College vs. Health.  In Section V last week, Northstar Christian (#3 in NYS Class C & 19-1 on the year) knocked off Leadership Academy, the #1 seed in Section V Class A.  That's a huge win for Northstar and I bring it up here because their only loss on the season occurred on the road against Middle College.

 

- Besides Northstar Christian, Section V also has Pembroke who is ranked #4 in class C and is 20-0.  The teams that represents Rochester in the Far West Regional will be the favorite to advance to the state final four.

 

- Tapestry only slipped two spots in the NYS Class C rankings for losing to Section VI Class C #8 seed Maple Grove.  They must have earned a lot of credit this season to get such a pass for that loss.  

 

- In NYS Class D, East and Franklinville are now #2 and #3.  That would project one of them facing defending state champ Moriah at the state final four, something I've predicted all season.  Last week, Prattsburgh was ranked ahead of both.  But a loss for Prattsburgh in the Steuben County Championship game to Addison (unranked in NYS Class C) caused them to drop to #6.  So not the best team from Steuben County, but the best team from Class D in the Far West Region?  No.  That honor will go to the Franklinville vs East winner.  After they beat Clyde Savannah.  

 

Click HERE for complete NYSSWA State Rankings

 

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League Champions - 2018 Season

(Williamsville South won a 5th straight ECIC II title this season/Photo Harry Scull,Buff News)

 

MMA Class A - Canisius (12-1)

 

MMA Class B - Cardinal O'Hara (10-5)

 

Yale Cup I - Middle College (12-2)

 

Yale Cup II - MST Seneca & Olmsted (10-2)

 

ECIC I - West Seneca West (12-0)

 

ECIC II - Williamsville South (12-0)

 

ECIC III - Maryvale (11-1)

 

ECIC IV - Lackawanna (14-0)

 

NFL - Niagara Falls (13-0)

 

N-O - Medina / Newfane (10-2)

 

CCAA I West - Olean (12-0)

 

CCAA I East - Allegany-Limestone & Randolph (8-2)

 

CCAA II West - Sherman (12-0)

 

CCAA II East - Franklinville & Ellicottville (9-1)

 

Charter Cup - Health Sciences (10-0)

 

 

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Poll Ballots 2018 - Week 9

(Health Sciences is the only team in WNY to maintain the same poll ranking all season/Photo: Harry Scull,Buff News)

 

Large Schools

1. Canisius (MMA) - The defending champs got pushed to the brink last week in a double OT win at St. Francis.  Now they wait to see if they'll draw them again, or rival St. Joe's, this Friday in the Manhattan Cup semifinals.

2. Park (MMA) - Winners of their last four, the Pioneers face Timon on Friday night in the semis, a team they split with, but took the more recent meeting in a rout.

3. Timon (MMA) - We find out on Friday night at the Koessler Center if the Tigers have solved their third quarter woes against the best in WNY.

4. West Seneca West (A1) - Now a perfect 20-0 and a top 10 team ranked in NYS Class A, the Indians are ready for another postseason run.  The Fall season certainly went well enough for them.

5.  Williamsville South (A1) - The Billies ride an 11-game win streak into the postseason, after capturing a fifth straight league title in ECIC II.

6. Niagara Falls (AA) - After a resounding win in the NFL championship game, the Wolverines head into sectional play with one thing in mind - three-peat!

7. Lockport (AA) - It's been a long time since the Lions played for a Class AA title, but after securing the #2 seed with a solid season, Lockport is the favorite to get there.

8. St. Francis (MMA) - The Red Raiders found plenty of reason to believe they could be this year's Manhattan Cup spoiler when they nearly defeated the Crusaders last week.  A third win this season over St. Joe's on Tuesday would give them that opportunity. 

9. Williamsville North (AA) - Finished the regular season off with a good win over a tough team from Cheektowaga.  The Spartans are big and they can really defend, which should give them a legitimate chance in Class AA.

10. North Tonawanda (A1) - Started last week with a loss to CSAT, before rebounding with a win over Grand Island.  They could draw Williamsville East on Friday night, which would be a an all 2-3 zone affair.

 

Small Schools

1. Health Sciences (B2) - They've been ranked #1 all season, but enter the postseason as the #4 seed in Class B2 thanks to a flawed seeding system.  The implication is a collision course with Middle College in the semifinals.

2. Olean (B1) - The Huskies enter sectional play with the second longest win streak in the area at 15 games, along with the second best record of 19-1.   

3. Middle College (B2) - The Yale Cup Champions would have to get past Health Sciences to win Class B2 regardless, but shouldn't have to worry about that game until the final, after earning the #1 seed.

4. East (D) - For the first time, the Panthers prepare for a postseason run in Class D and will have to get through a pair of ranked teams to win it.

5. Franklinville (D) - The Panthers won the coin toss against Ellicottville, which ultimately meant they could avoid East or Ellicottville until the final, provided they can get past the likes of Panama & Sherman first.

6. Cardinal O'Hara (MMA) - Came back to knock off Nichols on Friday to ensure themselves the top seed in the Class B Manhattan Cup playoffs.  Now they may need a repeat victory over the Vikings to move on.

7. St. Mary's (MMA) - The Lancers have their squad back and healthy for a postseason run.  Now the focus becomes playing playoff basketball.

8. Niagara Catholic (MMA) - Dropping two games to St. Mary's in the regular season doesn't mean much.  These Patriots have as good a shot as any to emerge as tournament champions.

9. Tapestry (C) - The body of work throughout the year keeps them here for me, but an end of season loss at Maple Grove shakes up the whole way you look at Class C.

10. Ellicottville (D) - The Eagles get their postseason started with the winner of Frewsburg/Brocton on Friday night, where a win could earn them a possible date with East.

 

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Sectional Preview - 2018

(Niagara Falls is the only team in Section VI going for a three-peat/Photo: Harry Scull,Buffalo News)

 

 The Section VI postseason begins Tuesday night with five First Round matchups.  The winner moves on to participate in the Pre-Quarterfinal round on Wednesday night at 7 pm.  On Friday, 32 Quarterfinal games will decide which teams move on to Buffalo State and JCC for the semifinals.

Below I take a look at some of the best matchups we could potentially see in the pre-quarterfinals, quarterfinals, semifinals, and even the championship games, along with sleepers, some winning streaks, and predtictions.

 

** Please note that many of the games below are based on my predictions of who will win in prior rounds.  I've been wrong before - just ask North Tonawanda

 

Most exciting brackets, top to bottom:

7. AA

6. B2

5. D

4. B1

3. A2

2. A1

1. C

-  How exciting is the Class C bracket this postseason?  So much so that I'm considering my first ever trip to JCC for the semifinals, which would have me missing opening night at Buff State.  The Class C bracket is giving us Silver Creek at Chautauqua Lake and Maple Grove at Randolph for Quarterfinals!!!  In case you missed it, Maple Grove just beat Tapestry.  Tapestry has been the only ranked Class C team all season and Maple Grove is the #8 seed.  If the brackets were to hold out, we'd have (1) Randolph, (2) Allegany-Limestone, (3) Tapestry, and (4) Chautauqua Lake at JCC.  But honestly, who knows?!?  Randolph split games this season with Silver Creek and Allegany-Limestone, losing the more recent meeting by 18.  That Maple Grove team that just beat Tapestry lost three times to Chautauqua Lake this year.  Last year, Class C was split into C1 & C2.  Randolph beat East High to capture C2, before falling to Chautauqua Lake in the crossover.  This year, they threw them all in one bracket and created an all-out royal rumble.  Love the  C bracket!!

 

Sleepers from each bracket

AA - Orchard Park:  The Quakers would have to earn it right from the start, traveling to #2 seed Lockport for the Quarterfinals.  But why can't these guys be the big splash team of the postseason?  They are healthier than when the season began - a season that began with an emphatic win over St. Francis.  They also just beat Clarence and won at Jamestown this year for the first time since Kyle Perla was distributing basketballs.   I know the Lions are a tough & athletic matchup, but OP can take comfort in knowing they hung around twice in 11-point losses with another tough and athletic team from West Seneca West, who no one has beat this year.

A1 - McKinley:  Maybe the easiest sleeper choice ever, considering the Macks are the #6 seed.  No team wants to face them in the playoffs.  While it's been an up & down year at Mack High, they have everything a team needs for success in the postseason.  Coaching, guard play, size inside, defense, and all sorts of experience.  So much so, that McKinley has reached Buff State in every season over the last 18 - the longest streak in Section VI.

A2 - Lew-Port:  In a year where Class A2 is as wide open as this year is, the Lancers are prime candidates to catch you snoozing.  They have the benefit of playing some tough competition in the NFL and showed they could hang with the likes of Niagara Falls and Lockport in losses this season.  Remember a couple years ago when Lew-Port showed up and showed out at Buff State, playing in two of the week's most memorable games?  

B1 - Burgard:  Yes, the Bulldogs are just 9-11 on the season.  But let's take a closer look at some of those losses - Middle College by 5, South Park by 8, East by 7, South Park by 2, McKinley by 2, and Franklinville by 3.  They do have a win over Franklinville this year, along with a 27-point road win at Medina.  Dunkirk hosts a dangerous team on Wednesday night.

B2 - Gowanda:  It's admittedly tough to round up a sleeper in a bracket that has both Health Sciences and Middle College, because let's face it, one of them is winning Class B2.  But I've seen the top eight seeds play this season and the Panthers have a good team with a standout in Nate Brawdy, along with a polished post player in Ture Hassler.  Brawdy has enjoyed a nice career at Gowanda and this is his last shot at taking his squad to Buff State, so the stakes are high.

C - Maple Grove:  I could write a bunch of catchy stuff here, but I'm picking the Red Dragons as the Class C sleeper for one simple reason - they just beat Tapestry by the same margin Health Sciences did and by more than Middle College did.  Zzzzzzzzzz

D -  Panama:  The Panthers have a 6-3 sophomore in Cam Barmore who keeps getting better and they just pushed the #2 seed Sherman in a two-point loss at the end of the season.  Head coach Ed Nelson led Panama to Glens Falls just two seasons ago.

 

Top 10 Pre-Quarterfinal Games (Wednesday, February 21st)

10. Salamanca @ Silver Creek

9.  Kenmore West @ Hamburg

8.  I-Prep @ City Honors

7.  Niagara Wheatfield @ Frontier

6. Fredonia/Alden @ MST Seneca

5. CSAT @ Depew

4. Starpoint @ Iroquois

3.  Kenmore East @ McKinley

2.  Grand Island @ Hutch-Tech

1.  Burgard @ Dunkirk 

 

Top 12 Quarterfinal Games (Friday, February 23rd)

12. North Tonawanda @ Williamsville East

11. Amherst @ South Park

10. Orchard Park @ Lockport

9. MST Seneca @ Newfane

8. Silver Creek @ Chautauqua Lake

7. Burgard/Dunkirk @ Medina

6. Starpoint @ Maryvale

5. CSAT @ Lackawanna

4. Lew-Port @ Lake Shore

3. Clarence @ Jamestown 

2. McKinley @ Sweet Home

1. Maple Grove @ Randolph

 

Most Exciting Potential Semifinals

8. East vs. Ellicottville (D)

7.  Newfane vs. Lackawanna (B1)

6. West Seneca West vs. North Tonawanda (A1)

5.  Lockport vs. Williamsville North (AA)

4.  Cheektowaga vs. South Park (A2)

3.  Randolph vs. Chautauqua Lake (C)

2. Allegany-Limestone vs. Tapestry (C)

1. Middle College vs. Health Sciences (B2)

 

Most Exciting Championship Games

5. Class AA

4. Class A2

3. Class C

2. Class D

1. Class A1

 

Winning streaks heading into sectionals

West Seneca West - 20

Olean 15  (and 19 of last 20)

Williamsville South - 11  (and 16 of last 17)

Sherman - 11  (and 12 of last 13)

Olmsted - 8  

Maryvale - 6  (and 8 of last 9)

Franklinville - 5  (and 12 of last 13)

Middle College - 5  (and 9 of last 10)

Williamsville North - 5

Lackawanna has won 14 of last 15

Niagara Falls has won 12 of last 13

Ellicottville has won 10 of 11

MST Seneca has won 9 of 10

Allegany-Limestone has won 7 of 8

Cheektowaga has won 7 of 8

Newfane has won 7 of 8

 

Predictions

AA - Niagara Falls

A1 - Williamsville South

A2 - Maryvale

B1 - Olean

B2 - Health Sciences

C - Allegany-Limestone

D - Franklinville

 

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Brackets Central - 2018

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sectional Preview 2018

Manhattan Cup

Class AA Bracket

Class A1 Bracket

Class A2 Bracket

Class B1 Bracket

Class B2 Bracket

Class C Bracket

Class D Bracket

 

Manhattan Cup Finals

Manhattan Cup Semifinals

Manhattan Cup Play-in games

 Class C Semifinals 

 Section VI 2018 All-Tournament Teams

2018 League Champions

 

Brackets 2017    Brackets 2016     Brackets 2015     Brackets 2014    Brackets 2013     Brackets 2012     Brackets 2011

 

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Manhattan Cup Playoffs - 2018

 

Play-in Games - Tuessday, February 20th

AT Villa Maria - 6 pm & 7:45 pm

Class A - (4) St. Francis 57, (5) St.Joe's 45

Class B - (4) Nichols 58, (5) CCA 50

 

Class A Semifinals - Friday, February 23rd

AT Canisius College Koessler Center - 6 pm & 7:45 pm

(1) Canisius 79, (4) St. Francis 56

(2) Park 67,  (3) Timon 57

 

Class B Semifinals - Saturday, February 24th

AT Canisius College Koessler Center - 6 pm & 7:45 pm

(1) Cardinal O'Hara 54, (4) Nichols 46

(3) Niagara Catholic 67, (2) St. Mary's 60

 

Manhattan Cup Finals - Tuesday, February 27th

AT Canisius College Koessler Center - 6 pm & 7:45 pm

Class B - (3) Niagara Catholic 73, (1) Cardinal O'Hara 65

Class A - (2) Park 62, (1) Canisius 54

 

2018 Manhattan Cup Champions - The Park School Pioneers

2018 Class B Manhattan Cup Champions - Niagara Catholic Patriots

 

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Class AA Bracket - 2018 Sectionals

Pre-Quarterfinals - Wednesday, February 21st

(8) Frontier 61, (9) Niagara Wheatfield 36

 

Quarterfinals - Friday, February 23rd

(1) Niagara Falls 62, (8) Frontier 32

(4) Jamestown 68, (5) Clarence 59

 

(7) Orchard Park 65, (2) Lockport 62 

(3) Williamsville North 54, (6) Lancaster 48

 

Semifinals - Thursday, March 1st

AT BUFFALO STATE - 6 pm & 7:45 pm

(1) Niagara Falls 48, (4) Jamestown 39

(3) Williamsville North 65, (7) Orchard Park 64 OT

 

Final - Saturday, March 3rd

AT BUFFALO STATE - 3:30 pm

(1) Niagara Falls 61, (3) Williamsville North 42

 

2018 Section VI Class AA Champions - Niagara Falls Wolverines 

 

 

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Class A1 & A2 Brackets - 2018 Sectionals

Class A1

Pre-Quarterfinals - Wednesday, February 21st

(9) Grand Island 67, (8) Hutch-Tech 54

(12) West Seneca East 52, (5) Williamsville East 45

 

(7) Hamburg 66, (10) Kenmore West 55

(6) McKinley 68, (11) Kenmore East 48 

 

 

Quarterfinals - Friday, February 23rd

(1) West Seneca West 1oo, (9) Grand Island 64

(4) North Tonawanda 59, (12) West Seneca East 43

 

(2) Williamsville South 81, (7) Hamburg 41

(6) McKinley 60, (3) Sweet Home 53 OT

 

Semifinals - Wednesday, February 28th

AT BUFFALO STATE - 5:15 pm & 6:45 pm

(1) West Seneca West 82,  (4)  North Tonawanda 62

(2)  Williamsville South 50,  (6) McKinley 46

 

Final - Saturday, March 3rd

AT BUFFALO STATE - 8:30 pm

(1) West Seneca West 97, (2) Williamsville South 95 -(4 OT)

 

2018 Section VI Class A1 Champions - West Seneca West Indians 

 

******        *****        ******        ******        

 

Class A2

Pre-Quarterfinals - Wednesday, February 21st

(8) Iroquois 65, (9) Starpoint 55

 

(7) Pioneer 46, (10) East Aurora 34

(6) Amherst 62, (11) Emerson 40

 

Quarterfinals - Friday, February 24th

(8) Iroquois 49, (1) Maryvale 44

(4) Lake Shore 50, (5) Lew-Port 49

 

(2) Cheektowaga 55, (7) Pioneer 43

(3) South Park 46, (6) Amherst 45 OT

 

Semifinals - Tuesday February 27th

AT BUFFALO STATE - 5:15 pm & 6:45 pm

(4) Lake Shore 64, (8) Iroquois 49

(3) South Park 69, (2) Cheektowaga 46

 

Final - Saturday, March 3rd

AT BUFFALO STATE - 7 pm

(3) South Park 74, (4) Lake Shore 42

 

2018 Section VI Class A2 Champions - South Park Sparks

 

 

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Class B1 & B2 Brackets - 2018 Sectionals

Class B1

First Round - Tuesday, February 20th

(9) CSAT 57, (16) Tonawanda 31

(13) Fredonia 67, (12) Alden 45

 

(10) Albion 67, (15) I-Prep 58

(11) Burgard 80, (14) Springville 54

 

Pre-Quarterfinals - Wednesday, February 21st

(9) CSAT 42, (8) Depew 38

(13) Fredonia 57, (5) MST Seneca 54

 

(7) City Honors 66, (10) Albion 50

(6) Dunkirk 59, (11) Burgard 45

 

Quarterfinals - Friday, February 23rd

(1) Lackawanna 69, (9) CSAT 52

(4) Newfane 66, (13) Fredonia 41

 

(2) Olean 62, (7) City Honors 54

(3) Medina 67, (6) Dunkirk 60

 

Semifinals - Tuesday, February 27th & Wednesday, February 28th

AT BUFFALO STATE - 8:15 pm

(4) Newfane 54, (1) Lackawanna 53  

(2) Olean 59, (3) Medina 45 

 

Final - Saturday, March 3rd

AT BUFFALO STATE - 1:45 pm

(1) Olean 48, (4) Newfane 35

 

2018 Section VI Class B1 Champions - Olean Huskies 

 

******        ******        ******        ******        

 

Class B2

First Round - Tuesday, February 20th

(9) Roy-Hart 59, (16) DaVinci 36

(12) Riverside 71, (13) Eden 38

 

(10) Southwestern 54, (15) Akron 30

(14) Oracle 49, (11) Buffalo Arts 46

 

Pre-Quarterfinals - Wednesday, February 21st

(8) Gowanda 62, (9) Roy-Hart 43

(5) Wilson 60, (12) Riverside 54

 

(10) Southwestern 53, (7) Cleveland Hill 45

(6) Maritime 62, (14) Oracle 58

 

Quarterfinals - Friday, February 23rd

(1) Middle College 72, (8) Gowanda 67

(4) Health Sciences 64, (5) Wlson 36

 

(10) Southwestern 54, (2) Olmsted 51

(3) JFK 74, (6) Maritime 65

 

Semifinals - Monday, February 26th

AT BUFFALO STATE - 6 pm & 7:45 pm 

(4) Health Sciences 62, (1) Middle College 42

(3) JFK 66,  (10) Southwestern 60

 

Final - Saturday, March 3rd

AT BUFFALO STATE - 12 pm

 (4) Health Sciences 67, (3) JFK 35

 

2018 Section VI Class B2 Champions - Health Sciences Falcons 

 

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Class C Bracket - 2018 Sectionals

 

 

First Round - Tuesday, February 20th

(12) Salamanca 72, (13) Portville 68

 

Pre-Quarterfinals - Wednesday, February 21st

(9) BASCS 79, (8) Maple Grove 70

(12) Salamanca 56, (5) Silver Creek 55

 

(7) Lafayatte 48, (10) Global Concepts 47

(6) Holland 78, (11) Cassadaga Valley 62

 

Quarterfinals - Friday, February 23rd

 (1) Randolph 81, (9) BASCS 52

(4) Chautauqua Lake 60, (12) Salamanca 56

 

(2) Allegany-Limestone 81, (7) Lafayette 35

(3) Tapestry 53, (6) Holland 34

 

 Semifinals - Monday, February 26th

AT JCC - 6 pm & 7:45 pm

 (1) Randolph 74, (4) Chautauqua Lake 59

(3) Tapestry 62, (2) Allegany-Limestone 57

 

Final - Saturday, March 3rd

AT JCC - 6 pm

(3) Tapestry 63, (1) Randolph 54

 

2018 Section VI Class C Champions - Tapestry Thunderhawks 

 

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Class D Bracket - 2018 Sectionals

 

 

Pre-Quarterfinals - Wednesday, February 21st

(9) Forestville 54, (8) Pine Valley 52

(5) Frewsburg 84, (12) Brocton 37

 

(7) Westfield 60, (10) Clymer 43

(6) Panama 67, (11) North Collins 52

 

Quarterfinals - Friday, February 23rd

(1) East 79, (9) Forestville 34

(4) Ellicottville 63, (5) Frewsburg 36

 

(2) Sherman 68, (7) Westfield 53

(3) Franklinville 81, (6) Panama 48

 

Semifinals - Tuesday, February 27th 

AT JCC - 6 & 7:45 pm

 (1) East 62, (4) Ellicottville 61

(3) Franklinville 61, (2) Sherman 45

 

Final - Saturday, March 3rd

AT JCC - 4 pm

(1) East 67, (3) Franklinville 59

 

2018 Section VI Class D Champions - East Panthers 

 

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Newfane basketball enjoys a special night

(Max Weber looks to facilitate for Newfane)
 

Newfane 54, Wilson 37

 

Everything seemed to line up just right on Thursday night, making it a special one for Newfane basketball.  The victory on the road against their long-standing rivals from Wilson completed the season sweep and earned the Panthers a share of the 2018 N-O League title.  In the process, a pair of milestones were reached by two people who have been so important to the program's recent success.  Four-year starting point guard Max Weber drilled a 3-pointer late in the second half to go over 1,000 points scored for his career.  He also added five assists in the game, leaving him just four shy of 500 in his playing days.  The victory was also the 100th on the resume of Newfane head coach Eric Klumpp.

 

Wilson held a one-point advantage after one quarter and at halftime with a solid defensive effort and balance from Nate Fox, Steve Frerichs, & Mac Musall.  But the second half guickly started to get away from the Lakemen as the shots started falling in number for Newfane.  Kyle DeVoogel drilled back-to-back bombs to open the third quarter and scored 11 of his game-high 20 points in the frame.  Weber added a pair of treys in the stanza for Newfane, with the second casually launched from just inside half court, as his team blew a one-point game by outscoring the hosts 19-4.  Wilson regrouped over the final eight minutes and continued to battle, but were unable to make up any ground.

 

Newfane  9 - 12 - 19 - 14 = 54

Wilson    10 - 12 -  4 -  11 = 37

Point Totals

Newfane:  Kyle DeVoogel 20, Max Weber 14, Connor Hill 10, Matt DiTullio 5, Brandon Gross 2, Garrett Srock 2, Umaru Ibrahim 1 

Wilson:  Nate Fox 16, Mac Musall 7, Steve Frerichs 5, Jake Miller 5, Jared Carney 2, Julian Andreola 2

   

Records

Newfane:  15-5, 10-2  /  Next game Class B1 sectionals Wednesday, February 21st

Wilson:  10-10, 8-4  /   Next game Class B2 sectionals Wednesday, February 21st

 

Player of the Game

Max Weber - Newfane

 

Unsung Hero of the Game

Connor Hill - Newfane

 

Key Stats

Newfane:  Max Weber 9 rebounds & 5 assists / Kyle DeVoogel 8 steals, 6 rebounds, & 4 assists

 

Key Runs

Newfane's 19-4 third quarter tells the story of an otherwise even game.

 

3-Pointers

Newfane (8):  Max Weber (4), Kyle DeVoogel (3), Matt DiTullio

Wilson (7):  Nate Fox (4), Mac Musall, Steve Frerichs, Jake Miller

 

Coaches Quotes

Eric Klumpp - Newfane

On Newfane's defense in the 3rd quarter

We had tremendous defensive rotations by Kyle DeVoogel, his defense was outstanding and might have been overshadowed by him making some quality shots on the offensive end in the third quarter.  We talked about our rotations and were making sure there was a hand in their face on the wing and it was a big difference.

On Max Weber reaching 1,000 points

I couldn't be prouder of Max.  He's been the heart and soul of our team for four years and it's just great to watch him play.  Him being a four-year starter, I'm extremely confident when the ball is in his hands.  If he couldn't have done it at home, I think this is the place he'd pick for it.

On earning a share of the N-O title

It's a special thing.  We've focused so much on making connections, caring about each other, and committing to the name on the front of the jersey.  When the guys are talented, you just need them to come together.

 

Brett Sippel - Wilson

On what happened in the 3rd quarter

That's a good question.  We had a couple turnovers, we didn't get a couple stops, Max hits a couple shots and so did Kyle.  We just couldn't get anything going offensively - got some pretty good looks, but just couldn't put it in.  The momentum definitely swung when they started hitting shots.

On how Wilson responded after being outscored 19-4 in the 3rd quarter

I really like my group and I'm not surprised that's how they responded. I'd be more shocked if they didn't.  

On the rivalry & the rivals

The gym was great, there was some great action, and the kids will never forget that.  Credit to Newfane, they've really worked hard.  Max & Kyle showed tonight why they are two of the best players in our league.

 

 

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NYSSWA State Rankings 2018 - Week 10

 

The tenth state rankings for the 2018 the season have been released by the NYSSWA.  Below are the WNY teams that made the cut:

 

Class AA

(Niagara Falls 29)

 

Class A 

Canisius #4

Park #6

West Seneca West #8

Williamsville South #12

Timon #16

 

Class B

Health Sciences #4

Olean #5

Middle College #20

 

Class C 

Tapestry #7

Chautauqua Lake #20

 

Class D

East #3    

Franklinville #4

Ellicottville #9

Sherman #19

 

******** According to the rankings above........

 

- Participation trophies continue bouncing around in the City of Niagara Falls.  In Class AA, the Wolverines got theirs back again with a courtesy appearance in the late addition 26-30 slots, coming in at #29 this week.   Falls is 15-4.  Interestingly enough, Rome Free Academy, who traveled all the way to Buffalo to beat Falls and has a record of 16-3, is unranked and didn't get a trophy.

 

- Jumping down to Class B for a moment while staying with bouncing trophies in Niagara Falls, the other team in the city, Niagara Catholic, lost their trophy again.  In the last four weeks, they've went...ranked - trophy - ranked - unranked.

 

- Canisius' big win over Park, followed by a big win at Timon (along with a road win at Aquinas) has them up one spot in NYS Class A at #4.  Park slipped back from #3 to #6.  Timon got the best treatment of all, remaining at #16 after taking one on the chin for a second straight week.  

 

- West Seneca West & Williamsville South both continue to win games and creep up the NYS Class A rankings.  They are now #8 and #12.  South was unranked for much of the year.

 

- In Class B, Health Sciences got passes for close wins over East & Tapestry and another for the loss to Park.  After all three of those results, along with last week's loss to Williamsville South, the Falcons continue to hold onto the #4 spot, one place ahead of Olean at #5.  I'm sure the Huskies want their shot with Health.  And I'm sure Middle College, who quietly hangs out at #20, is just waiting to break up the party.  The Kats are in Class B2 with Health Sciences.

 

- Side note time.  I think the MMA teams in Class B have a tough go with the state rankings because they schedule tough nonleague games and play the three teams ranked in Class A every year.  The state rankings don't like to see a bunch of losses on your record, regardless where they occur.  My case in point would be Cardinal O'Hara.  Unranked all season.  They are 12-9.  I know, nine losses, yuck.  Well those include state ranked Middle College, Will South, Canisius, & Timon.  Formerly ranked Niagara Catholic & UPrep also.  Two losses were in fact bad losses and I could only attempt to explain that away by saying they happened over Christmas break, when HS hoops should just take a vacation (the worst week of basketball all season, every year - kids off schedule, on vacation, etc * a conversation for another day).  O'Hara is a good team that will be the #1 seed in the Manhattan Cup playoffs in Class B.  They also earned wins over the following teams, who were all state ranked at the time the game was played:  Tapestry, St. Mary's x 2, & Niagara Catholic.

 

- Tapestry & Chautauqua Lake remain the only teams ranked in Class C.  Each slipped back one spot from last week.

 

- No movement in Class D.  East, Franklinville, Ellicottville, and Sherman all remain in the top 20.  Although a few comments came in last week after I boldly proclaimed 'Section VI, We Have The D's'.  Or maybe it was me saying that I didn't think Prattsburgh could handle the pressure at McKinley the way East does (although East lost twice to McKinley this year).  Or maybe it was when I said I didn't think they'd lambaste St. Mary's like East did.  But hey, the comments were fun to read, even if some were a bit off base.  Maybe we'll get some more this week.  I hope so, because time is running out.  No one wants to talk after their team losses the regional, and for Section V Class D, that happens on March 10th.  And this year will make FIVE consecutive seasons that Section VI wins the Class D regional.  That's quite a streak, but when 'We Have The D's,' what else would you expect?

 

Click HERE for complete NYSSWA State Rankings

 

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Poll Ballots 2018 - Week 8

(McKinley's Chris LeCounte & Kavon Rogers try to trap the ball under the basket)

 

Large Schools

1. Canisius (MMA) - I'd say last week was pretty productive for the Crusaders.  Their 24-point win over Park was the most lopsided loss the Pioneers have taken since joining the MMA in 2014.  After a stop in Rochester to beat Aquinas, they followed the Park win with a 21-point win at Timon in a game they led by 29 points in the fourth quarter.

2. Park (MMA) - Bounced back from the Canisius loss in the second half against Health Sciences, when they started really defending and getting contributions from the big guys inside.

3. Timon (MMA) - After picking up a win at St. Joe's on Wednesday, the Tigers unraveled for a second time in the second half of a big game in the loss to Canisius.  They need a strong finish to the regular season before the Manhattan Cup playoffs start, and have a rematch with St. Joe's, along with a Friday night trip to St. Francis coming up.

4. West Seneca West (A1) - The Indians are WNY's only unbeaten team heading into the postseason at 20-0.  Now the two-week layoff begins as the #1 seed in Class A1 awaits their opponent in the quarterfinals.

5. Williamsville South (A1) - Wins over Hamburg and Starpoint pushed the Billies' win streak to nine games with two left before the postseason.  

6. Niagara Falls (AA) - Wins over Lockport & Kenmore West last week have the Wolverines in the new NFL crossover championship game.  Falls, the Niagara champ, will face the Frontier champ from Lew-Port.  A win in Thursday night's game at Niagara Wheatfield would give NFHS an undefeated league title in NFL play.

7. Lockport (AA) - The Lions were right there with Niagara Falls on Saturday, before the Wolverines pulled away late in the game.  Lockport's new focus will become finishing this week with a pair of wins and then trying to earn a rematch with Falls in the upcoming Class AA sectionals.

8. St. Francis (MMA) - The Red Raiders' schedule was back-loaded to say the least...before the win-or-go-home postseason gets underway, they have dates this week with Park, Canisius, & Timon.  

9. North Tonawanda (A1) - Last season, the Jacks were unranked heading into Buff State Week and won the whole thing in Class A.  This year they've been a mainstay in the top 10.  For whatever that's worth.

10. McKinley (A1) - I went through a whole host of teams that could make an argument for this spot.  Any team you vote here has losses you can point to in an attempt to argue it away.  I went with the Macks, who could finish the season 16-4 with a win over Hutch-Tech this week.

 

Small Schools

1. Health Sciences (B2) - Picked up wins over a pair of top 10 small schools in Tapestry & East last week, with a loss to Park in between.  But they hung around with the Pioneers for most of three quarters.  They just got Josiah Haygood back and Ja'Vaughn Jones should be back for the playoffs.

2. Olean (B1) - Two more 20+ point wins for the Huskies last week.  At 18-1, their only loss on the season came at Timon in December.  It was the only game I saw Olean play this season.  Last year, the only two times I saw the Huskies play were losses to Chautauqua Lake and Amherst.  Rumor has it they are petitioning to have me banned from Buff State!  I will remind them that I was along for much of the ride in 2016 when they went 27-0.

3. Middle College (B2) - The Yale Cup trophy is back with the Kats after a win over Emerson this week.  All the talk centers around Health Sciences & Olean in Class B, but watch out for these guys in the playoffs, they are fearless.

4. East (D) - The Panthers went 1-2 last week, with the two losses coming by three points each to Health Sciences & Middle College.  They finish the regular season with a trip to South Park, the team & place they lost the Yale Cup last season.  That, along with not wanting to head into sectionals with three losses in four games should have them pretty fired up.  They'll need to be with the way South Park has played as of late.

5. Franklinville (D) - The Panthers will be in Lackawanna on Monday night to play Global Concepts in their regular season finale.  Then they'll wait to find out where they'll be seeded for sectionals in Class D.

6. Cardinal O'Hara (MMA) - The Hawks are coming off a great week that produced wins over St. Joe's and Niagara Catholic.  They have a shot at the #1 seed in the Class B Manhattan Cup playoffs if they can win two of their final three games.

7. Niagara Catholic (MMA) - The new kids on the block will take another shot at the defending champs from St. Mary's on Tuesday night, after coming so close in a great battle the first time they played.

8. St. Mary's (MMA) - The return of Eric Brown to the lineup should give the Lancers a huge boost heading into the stretch run.  They'll need it and a win over Niagara Catholic on Tuesday night, a team they will likely see for a third time in the playoffs.

9. Tapestry (C) - Like East, the Thunderhawks also dropped a pair to Health Sciences & Middle College last week.  East lost the two games by a combined six points.  Tapestry's losses were by a combined seven points.

10. Ellicottville (D) - Last week when I kept the Eagles here despite a loss to Newfane, I said we'd meet back here this week to re-examine things.  Since then, Newfane dropped a second game to Medina, who Franklinville rolled through.  And Ellicottville just beat Franklinville two weeks ago.  The next wait-and-see for the Eagles holding on to this spot comes with results this week from their game against Gowanda, along with an eye on ECIC IV unbeaten Lackawanna, who could turn some heads in nonleague games against Clarence and Orchard Park.

 

-centercourt

Top Games of the Week: 2/12/18 -- 2/18/18

(Newfane's Max Weber penetrates the Wilson defense)

 

Monday, February 12th

Clarence @ Lackawanna - 6:30 pm

Maryvale @ Niagara Wheatfield - 6:30 pm

Canisius @ St. Joe's - 7 pm

 

Tuesday, February 13th

East @ South Park - 6:30 pm

Niagara Catholic @ St. Mary's - 7 pm

Chautauqua Lake @ Southwestern - 7:30 pm

Maple Grove @ Dunkirk - 7:30 pm

 

Wednesday, February 14th

Lockport @ CSAT - 6:30 pm

North Tonawanda @ Grand Island - 6:30 pm

Kenmore West @ Kenmore East - 6:30 pm

Lake Shore @ Cheektowaga - 6:30 pm

Canisius @ St. Francis - 6:30 pm

Jamestown @ Williamsville North - 7:30 pm

Orchard Park @ Clarence - 7:30 pm

Sweet Home @ Williamsville South - 7:30 pm

JFK @ Depew - 7:30 pm

Gowanda @ Ellicottville - 7:30 pm

 

Thursday, February 15th

Newfane @ Wilson - 6 pm

Tapestry @ Maple Grove - 6:30 pm

Niagara Falls vs  Lew-Port *at Niagara Wheatfield - 8 pm

 

Friday, February 16th

Timon @ St. Francis - 6:30 pm

Cheektowaga @ Williamsville North - 7:30 pm

Lackawanna @ Orchard Park - 7:30 pm

 

Saturday, February 17th

JFK @ City Honors - 11 am

Medina @ Orchard Park - 12:30 pm

 

* Game of the Week - Newfane @ Wilson on Thursday, February 15th

Coming off a week that featured a three-part series of 'Game of the Week' because the biggest dogs in WNY were lining up to take swings at one another, I'm looking to wrap up the regular season with a small town battle that has big implications.  Insert Newfane at Wilson.

 Over the years, these two have given gymnasiums packed from wall-to-wall deep in Northern Niagara County, some of the most exciting games a two-dollar ticket can offer.  There have been several sold out games between the Panthers & Lakemen, and the gatherings between these two communities that are all too familiar with each other always result in creative parking spots, narrowed fire exits, and extra game supervision.  It's a night the JV teams get a taste of a varsity atmosphere.  It's what high school basketball is all about.  It's the rivalry that spawned my love of high school basketball.

With no disrespect meant to any teams or remaining matchups this week, I'll boil down where I see the Niagara-Orleans League race heading into this game.  Medina & Newfane are tied for first place with two losses apiece.  Wilson has three losses and sits in second place.  I think Medina wins its two remaining games and Newfane enters its final game at Wilson having kept pace with Medina and needing a win to force a tie for the league title.  I don't think Wilson has a real shot at a share of the league title because I don't see Medina losing another game, but they could certainly play spoiler to Newfane!  Ultimately, Thursday should be a chance for Newfane to earn a co-championship with Medina (even though its two losses came at the hands of Medina).

Newfane pounded Wilson in the first meeting this year, but I don't see the rematch as a foregone conclusion.  Wilson is more than capable of beating the Panthers, just ask Medina.  Both of Medina's losses came at the hands of Wilson.  You can spin the first loss to the Lakemen any way you like, but Wilson's second win over the Mustangs just happened last Tuesday.  Maybe a bad matchup for Medina.  Or maybe Wilson is just that good when they're healthy and inspired to play.  Thursday's game can't help but inspire the Lakemen to win.  The Zipp Gym at Wilson is a big facility and a great place to see a game when it's packed, which it will be for this one.  Wilson will have a rowdy crowd behind them, with a chance to devastate their rivals.  And Medina, who the Lakemen put in this position, is sure to be there in force, passionately rooting on the Wilson squad that clipped them twice.

A long-standing rivalry game with league championship implications played in front of a full house to end the regular season.  It's a light night on the overall hoops schedule in WNY, so maybe it will even draw some casual fans craving an excellent atmosphere and some passionate play on the hardwood.  This game will have it, and it's a great way to conclude 'Game of the Week' for the 2018 season.

 

-centercourt

Crusaders erupt after halftime at Timon

(Canisius' Ryan Bradley waits to finish for two at Timon)

 

Canisius 82, Timon 61

The first half played out like a classic Friday night duel in the Monsignor Martin Association between to of the area's top teams, with Timon holding a three-point edge over Canisius at the break.  But after the 10 minute intermission, the Crusaders exploded for 30 points in the third frame behind the scoring of Ryan Bradley & Jayce Johnson, while dialing up the intensity at the defensive end.  The Tigers were held to just two field goals in the third quarter and six the entire second half, as the Crusaders repeatedly turned Timon over.  An 18-point swing from halftime to the start of the fourth quarter saw the Tigers trailing 61-43 after the eight-minute Canisius blitz.  Brendan Trapper scored seven of his 14 points in the final frame to help the Crusaders increase their lead and thwart any ideas the Tigers had of making up any ground late.  Bradley finished with a game-high 22 points and collected 11 rebounds in the win, along with some slick passing.  Johnson added 20 points and seven assists in the victory, which keeps Canisius in the driver's seat for the top seed in the upcoming Manhattan Cup playoffs with games remaining at St. Joe's & St. Francis next week.

Canisius  18 - 13 - 30 - 21 = 82

Timon      16 - 18 -  9 - 18  = 61

Point Totals

Canisius:  Ryan Bradley 22, Jayce Johnson 20, Brendan Trapper 14, Austin James 10, Nick MacDonald 3, Ish Fairclough 3, Jon Evans 3, Joe Jamison 3, Andrew Hartnett 2, Joe Ingrando 2

Timon:  Julian Cunningham 17, Master Radford 13, Cullen Tonge 10, Alero World 7, Jeremy Glinski 6, Tahron Goudelock 5, John Shields 3

Records

Canisius:  20-2, 10-1  /  Next game at St. Joe's Monday, February 12th

Timon:  16-4, 7-3  /  Next game vs. Nichols Monday, February 12th

 

Player of the Game

Ryan Bradley - Canisius

 

Unsung Hero of the Game

Brendan Trapper - Canisius

 

Key Stats

Canisius:  Ryan Bradley 11 rebounds / Jayce Johnson 7 assists

Timon:  Julian Cunningham 6 assists & 5 rebounds / Master Radford 5 rebounds, 2 blocks, & 2 steals

 

Key Runs

Canisius used a 23-1 run at the start of the second half to blow the roof off the auditorium at Timon.  A 13-0 run in the fourth quarter had the Crusaders leading by a score of 74-45, the largest margin of the night.  Timon responded late with 15 unanswered points.

 

3-Pointers

Canisius (3):  Nick MacDonald, Brendan Trapper, Ish Fairclough

Timon (8):  Julian Cunningham (3), Cullen Tonge (2), John Shields, Tahron Goudelock, Alero World

 

#BOOM

Austin James had one of the best poster dunks of the season for Canisius when he entered the lane at full speed and never slowed down.  Video of it is available on my Twitter timeline.  Master Radford had a two-handed slam in the first half for Timon.

 

Coaches Quotes

Kyle Husband - Canisius

On the big swing in the third quarter

It all starts on the defensive end.  We had a ton of energy and focus, we got the stops, and we were able to get out in transition & make plays.  We were able to find the open guy and did a lot of great things in transition, but it all started at the defensive end.  

On Brendan Trapper

For at least the last week now, Brendan has really turned the corner and is playing great for us and we're a different team when he does that.

On Ryan Bradley's play inside

Ryan has been terrific in big games all year and tonight was another opportunity for him.  He clearly came through with a big performance.

 

Jason Rowe - Timon

On the big swing in the third quarter

We turned the ball over.  Eight turnovers in one quarter after just five in the entire half.  Anytime you have a situation like that, you're digging yourself into a hole and it was tough for us to climb out of.

 

Random Smatterings

- Ryan Bradley's impact at Canisius this season has been immense.  Besides leading the team in scoring and rebounding, he has been unselfish with the ball and delivers not just timely passes, but the type require a certain level of skill and floor vision.  Another bonus for the Crusader big man - he's money at the free throw stripe.  His game-high 22 points came in the first three quarters.

 

- Brendan Trapper is going to make a a nice Division III basketball player for the program that lands him.  He shoots it well, has good size, bangs inside, and does the little things.  Part of what makes Canisius so good is the luxury of a player like Trapper being considered a role player. 

 

- That dunk by Austin James tough....

 

- Jayce Johnson is so good at using subtle hesitation moves to get into scoring position around the basket.  Once he gets there, the finish is near automatic.

 

- The Tigers might want to consider a new halftime routine for big games, because the first two quarters went really well in recent losses to Park & Canisius.  

 

- Timon deserved that feeling you go home with after a crushing loss in a hyped Friday night game against a league rival, for the way they took care of the ball in the third quarter.  But they also deserve a bit of credit for not folding when the lead reached 29 points for Canisius.  The 15-0 run that followed that point for the Tigers was all about pride, because Canisius never stopped coming.

 

 

-centercourt

 

 

Depew boys basketball honors top scorers

(Chad Biersbach hangs in the air for a finish. He is third in all-time scoring at Depew)

 

There will be a special ceremony on Monday night, February 12th, before the boys varsity basketball game between Depew and Cleveland Hill.

 

The top four scorer's in Depew boys basketball history will return together for the first time to the place where they made history.  They will also be unveiling a special banner recognizing their achievements.  Below is the list of honorees:

 

Ray Morningstar - Class of 1973 - leading scorer all-time with 1,660 points

Pete Jerebko - Class of 1984 - 1,444 points (current AD at ECC)

Chad Biersbach - Class of 2018 - 1,256 points

Chris Keicher - Class of 1995 - 1,188 points (current JV coach at Cleveland Hill)

 

Former coach Jim Austin will be in attendance as well.  A reception for the players, their families, alumni, and current team members will take place after the varsity game in the high school cafeteria.  The ceremony begins following the JV contest, at approximately 7:10 pm.

 

-centercourt

Park locks Health up late

(Noah Hutchins led Park past #1 WNY small school Health Sciences/Photo: Larry Scheur)

 

Park 65, Health Sciences 52

 With 2:21 left in the third quarter, Tysheen Lott's 3-pointer tied things up for Health Sciences, the #1 small school, against Park, who entered as the top ranked large school in WNY.  But over the game's final 10 minutes, the high-scoring Falcons had the straps put on them and managed just 11 points the rest of the game, as the Pioneers pulled away.  Health Sciences held a 30-29 lead at halftime thanks to its own strong defense, with Park struggling to find offense against the Falcons' zone.  In the second half, Quentin Nnagbo and Juliam Eziukwu each stepped up their performance for Park, combining for 11 points after no field goals in the first 16 minutes.  Noah Hutchins led the way for Park with a game-high 24 points, adding seven boards and six assists in the win, along with a concentrated effort at the defensive end.

Park      19 - 10 - 20 - 16 = 65 

Health  17 - 13 - 15 -   7  = 52

Point Totals

Park:  Noah Hutchins 24, Dan Scott 13, Brandon Smith 10, Quentin Nnagbo 7, Julian Eziukwu 5, John Orogun 4, Jaylen Syewart 2 

Health:  Tysheen Lott 15, Kam Briggs 13, Davonte Gaines 11, Tayvion Nelson 5, Donovan Miller 4, Shakir Cook 2, Jalil Harvey 2

Records

Park:  16-5, 8-2  /  Next game at St. Francis Monday, February 12th

Health:  15-3, 8-0  /  Next game vs. East Saturday, February 10th

 

Player of the Game

Noah Hutchins - Park

 

Unsung Hero of the Game

Quentin Nnagbo - Park

 

Key Stats

Park:  Quentin Nnagbo 8 rebounds, 2 steals, & 1 block / Noah Hutchins 7 rebounds & 6 assists / Dan Scott 6 rebounds

Health:  Davonte Gaines 12 rebounds

 

Key Runs

Health Sciences finished the opening quarter with an 8-3 run to pull within two of Park, 19-17.  A 13-3 stretch in the second quarter led to the Falcons leading 30-29 at the break.  Park closed the game out with a 16-3 finish to earn a convincing victory when it was a three-point game in the fourth quarter.

 

3-Pointers

Park (7):  Noah Hutchins (3), Dan Scott (2), Brandon Smith (2)

Health (3):  Tysheen Lott (3)

 

#BOOM

John Orogun and Noah Hutchins each threw down two-handed finishes for the Pioneers

 

Coaches Quotes

Rich Jacob - Park

General thoughts

That's a competitive Health Sciences team.  I thought that was a great game, certainly anybody's game, and I'm glad we came out on top.

On Noah Hutchins

He's coming into his own by taking leadership.  He's such a quality character and he cares so much, sometimes that can challenge a great leader.  He's taken upon himself full responsibility for what happens to this team and it shows these days.

On second half improvements

We changed some defenses effectively, were able to stop penetration, and I thought our big guys, specifically in the second half, started to control their side a little better.  We decided to go big coming out of the second half.  Our bigs were effective tonight and we need them to be.  When you have the size, you need to be able to use it.

 

Ty Parker - Health Sciences

On where the game got away

I think the game plan we had for the majority of the game worked, we just fell apart internally at the end.  Tysheen Lott was having a great game and we got away from getting him the ball.

On what needs to change

We've got to learn how to close tight ball games out.  In the second half, we got to going one-on-one instead of playing team ball.  We haven't yet played a 32 minute game and until we do that, we will never win the big games.

 

Random Smatterings

- In a game that was played at the pace of last night's contest, I thought it favored Park.  There wasn't a lot of transition play, so execution came to the forefront.  With Park having Noah Hutchins controlling the ball, they were at an advantage.  Also, the defensive play of Hutchins and Dan Scott on the perimeter was outstanding.  Add to that the size of the Pioneers inside when the Falcons penetrated, and points against Park became few and far between.

 

- Quentin Nnagbo & Julian Eziukwu came to play in the second half after a quiet first half.  

 

- Park's victory was definitely aided with some precise free throw shiooting in the fourth quarter, going 9/10.

 

- It was a game between the the top ranked teams in the large & small school polls and there was an overflow crowd on hand watching.  But the game still lacked energy.  The crowd was mostly quiet and the teams were more methodical than intense.

 

- The 52 points scored by Health Sciences was a season-low.  However, Tysheen Lott was a bright spot for the Falcons at the offensive end, playing aggressive and seeing his shots fall.

 

- Kam Briggs had a play in the game where he dribbled through the defense, took exactly what they gave him, and got the finish.  Against quality defenders and a whole bunch of size, I had to mention it, because it was impressive.

 

- Health Sciences has one game remaining against East on Saturday.  That should provide a decent barometer of where they stand in the upcoming Class B2 sectionals.  Middle College looks to be the Falcons' main competition in that bracket and the Kats split with East during the season, winning the most recent meeting.

 

 

-centercourt

Canisius' split with Park puts them in 1st place

(Austin James puts a punctuation mark on the Canisius win/Photo: Larry Scheur)

Canisius 84, Park 60

 

After Park earned a big 30-point win over Timon last week, there was no doubt left as to which team in WNY was number one.  But less than a week later came the rematch with the defending Manhattan Cup champions from Canisius, who the Pioneers had handled once already this season.  After a dominating performance by the Crusaders over Park on their home court put them into sole possession of first place in the Monsignor Martin Association standings, it looks as if there could be a new number one once again.  Following a close opening frame, began to build a lead heading toward halftime.  Austin James and Nick MacDonald combined for consecutive treys to end the half, with MacDonald's being a swish launched from nearly half court.  A 16-point halftime lead reached as many as 23 points in the third, before Park mounted a rally that cut the Canisius advantage to just seven points.  It would be the closest the Pioneers would get, as the Crusaders allowed just six points in the final stanza to earn the victory going away.  Canisius' James scored 13 of his game-high 28 points in the second quarter, while Ryan Bradley added 20 points in the game to lead five Crusaders in double figures.  

 

Park        15 - 14 -  25 -  6 = 60 

Canisius  18 - 27 - 18 - 21 = 84

 

Point Totals

Canisius:   Austin James 28, Ryan Bradley 20, Nick MacDonald 12, Jayce Johnson 10, Brendan Trapper 10, Jon Evans 2, Connor McCaffrey 2 

Park:   Dan Scott 15, Noah Hutchins 13, Brandon Smith 12, Julian Eziukwu 11, Quentin Nnagbo 7, Jaylen Stewart 2 

 

Records

Canisius:  18-2, 9-1  /  Next game at Aquinas Thursday, February 8th

Park:  15-5, 8-2  /  Next game vs. Health Sciences Thursday, February 8th

 

Player of the Game

Austin James - Canisius

 

Unsung Hero of the Game

Nick MacDonald - Canisius

 

Key Stats

Canisius:  Ryan Bradley 15 rebounds / Brendan Trapper 12 rebounds

 

Key Runs

Canisius closed the half on an 11-4 run to take a 45-29 lead at the break.  Park got within seven with an 18-6 surge in the third quarter.  Canisius ended the game with a 23-6 push.

 

3-Pointers

Canisius (8):  Nick MacDonald (3), Austin James (3), Brendan Trapper (2)

Park (3):  Brandon Smith (2), Dan Scott

 

#BOOM

Noah Hutchins knifed through the defense to finish with two hands for Park.  Austin James capped the Crusaders victory in the fourth quarter with a one-handed slam.

 

Coaches Quotes

Kyle Husband - Canisius

On the difference between the two meetings vs. Park

I think we had a lot more consistent effort throughout the game, but we stayed true to a lot of principles on the defensive end - I think it started there.  

On a solid shooting performance

Obviously we made some shots.  Austin got going early, which opens things up.  

On rebounding

We definitely had a lot of focus on it and talked about it quite a bit.  It clearly showed.

On Jayce Johnson's defense

He's one of the best defensive players in the area and he showed that tonight.

Rich Jacob - Park

Knee-jerk reaction

We got our tails kicked

On the difference in the game

They were patient, executed, shot the heck out of it, and beat us up inside.  No one deserves to win if you allow that to happen.

On what Park needs to do better

We have to come ready to work everyday.  This is their home gym, we know they're going to be well-prepared, and we didn't come to work tonight like we have as of late.  We have to get back, look in the mirror, and prepare, prepare, prepare to fight, because we love this league.

On how they can better disturb the Crusader shooters 

We have to fight through screens better.  It's no secret how they run their offense, but we didn't fight through screens with early help & early screens and we paid for it.

 

Random Smatterings

- This game couldn't have felt anymore opposite from the first meeting between the two.  This time, it was Canisius who shot the lights out and defended significantly better.

 

- Ryan Bradley and Brendan Trapper were exceptional in their performance inside against the size of Park.

 

- When the clock was winding down late in the first half and Nick MacDonald had the ball right in front of the scorer's table, I was thinking 'better get up on him or he'll drill one from right there'.  Sure enough...splash.  And it wasn't even like he was unguarded at the time, there was a defender with him, but just not realizing he needed to contest a shot from that distance.

 

- Like an idiot, I tweeted there was a tie for first place at the game's conclusion because the two teams had split.  Fortunately, I had someone quickly come over and ask me about that.  The Crusaders are the only one-loss team in the MMA.  If Canisius wins out, they will be the number one seed in the Manhattan Cup playoffs.

 

- The win for Canisius snaps a three-game skip against Park and marked the first time Canisius has beaten the Pioneers without the services of Stafford Trueheart.

 

- The 24-point loss for Park was the largest margin of defeat the team has been dealt in any game in the last five seasons, since before they competed in the MMA.

 

 

-centercourt

NYSSWA State Rankings 2018 - Week 9

 

The ninth state rankings for the 2018 the season have been released by the NYSSWA.  Below are the WNY teams that made the cut:

 

Class AA

No teams ranked

 

Class A 

Park #3   

Canisius #5    

West Seneca West #10

Williamsville South #15

Timon #16

 

Class B

Health Sciences #4

Olean #5

Middle College #20

Niagara Catholic #25

 

Class C 

Tapestry #6

Chautauqua Lake #19   

 

Class D

East #3    

Franklinville #4

Ellicottville #9

Sherman #19

 

******** According to the rankings above........

 

- Normally this is where I get pretty nit-picky about the movement from one week to the next and how irrational some of the reactions are to wins and losses when it seems perspective was not applied.  But honestly as I look over this week's rankings, there's not much to disagree with.  I see the logic in just about every change from last week, based on the results.  So I say well done NYSSWA.

 

- Niagara Falls lost its participation trophy from a week ago.  Maybe it's because they lost in the rematch on their home court to St. Michael's (Toronto) on Saturday, after winning there last week.  Hopefully it had nothing to do with a game against a Canadian team, eh?  It's not like any of us have the first clue how to apply the exchange rate on that one.  

 

- Park and Canisius remained #3 & #5 respectively in NYS Class A.  Translation, the biggest game of the week in NYS Class A is going down on Delaware Avenue on Tuesday night at 6:30 pm.

 

- West Seneca West's winning ways have seen them finally climb into the top 10 in NYS Class A.  The Indians' 18-game win streak remains the third longest in the state.

 

- Williamsville South's win over Health Sciences at the Centercourt Classic earned them some love on the state level.  Finally, the Billies who have quietly put together a solid season with a couple signature wins and have taken care of business in ECIC II, get more than just a participation trophy from the state. 

 

- Timon's loss at Park caused them to slip from #14 to #16 in NYS Class A.  That's all.  No major sanction from the NYSSWA for losing to the #3 team in the state, just a couple spots.  I saw it, rubbed my eyes to make sure they were working properly, and took another look.  Yep, #16.  Again I say, well done NYSSWA.  

 

- Equally impressive is the fact that Health Sciences remained #4 in NYS Class B, one spot ahead of #5 Olean, despite losing on the road to Williamsville South.  Rather than treat the Falcons like they're actually not a super power in NYS Class B, which they are, the state rewarded South for the win and placed the Billies more appropriately.  

 

- Middle College & Niagara Catholic each fell back two spots in NYS Class B for losses last week to large schools, which was reasonable.  The Kats fell to South Park, while the Patriots lost to Canisius and at St. Francis.  

 

- Tapestry & Chautauqua Lake each held strong in their NYS Class C rankings, retaining the #6 and #19 slots.

 

- Franklinville's loss to Ellicottville last week caused the Panthers to slip from #2 in NYS Class D to #4.  They are now behind East, who remained at the #3 spot and was leapfrogged by Prattsburgh out of Section V.  That one is interesting and probably happened because East lost at McKinley, although they did blast St. Mary's by 30 points later in the week.  Can you imagine Prattsburgh rolling into Mack High to take on McKinley?  I think the pressure might get to them.  I don't think they'd lambaste St. Mary's either.  I guess what I'm saying is East is better.  They're going to win a state championship in Class D this year.  Unless Franklinville does instead.  Or Ellicottville.  However it shakes out round these parts, we're like the Arby's 'We have the meats' commercial here in WNY, except it would go...Section VI, we have the D's!  And one of them will be taking a swing at Moriah and its 36-game win streak a month from now!

 

- Finally, welcome Sherman to the state rankings.  The Wildcats are in, #19 in NYS Class D.  Remember, 'Section VI, we have the D's!

 

Click HERE for complete NYSSWA State Rankings

 

-centercourt

Poll Ballots 2018 - Week 7

(Sam Erickson of Franklinville drives with Elliot Bowen of Ellicottville defending. The teams split their season series in CCAA II East again this year)

 

Large Schools

1. Park (MMA) - Collected three more wins by way of rout last week, and two of those came against Timon & St. Mary's.  We've seen the switch flipped to on before from the Pioneers, and with the way they played in the second half against Timon on Friday, there might be a padlock guarding that switch.  Noah Hutchins was unstoppable and Dan Scott was the stopper.  Game over.  This week has Park in a pair of 'Games of the Week' featuring #1 vs. #2 (Canisius) and #1 vs. #1 (Health Sciences).

2. Canisius (MMA) - The Crusaders are coming off four wins last week, all by double figures.  The week ahead is a monumental one - Park, at Aquinas, and at Timon.  It'll tell us a lot.

3. Timon (MMA) - A great first half of basketball got away from the Tigers quickly over the last two quarters at Park on Friday.  I'm not going to overreact to that loss because the season as a whole tells me they're going to be just fine.  Games this week at St. Joe's and against Canisius await.

4. West Seneca West (A1) - The Indians needed a competitive game and got one at Williamsville North on Tuesday.  They handled it by rising up to the challenge and overcoming adversity.  Juston Johnson was huge in the comeback and dictated the game in the final frame, finishing with a career-high 42 points.

5. Williamsville South (A1) - It's tough to not reward a team for the type of win the Billies scored in the headliner of the Centercourt Classic over Health Sciences.  They looked great and were the better team.  But it's also tough to move a team like West Seneca West who is playing like a team of destiny that began in the football season and never stopped.  Maybe they can settle things at some point.  

6. Niagara Falls (AA) - The Wolverines last two wins over Lew-Port and North Tonawanda came by a combined 13 points and included an overtime session on Friday night in the Lumberyard.  Then they lost a rematch to St. Michael's (Toronto) after beating them in loonie land last week.  They have Ken West and Lockport left on their schedule, both coming up this week.  Then it's playoffs.  Time to turn up Falls.

7. Lockport (AA) - The only local team to beat the Lions in their last 15 games is Niagara Falls.  The rematch is Saturday at Falls.  Lockport already has a pair of wins over North Tonawanda, who just took Falls to overtime.  Stay tuned.

8. St. Francis (MMA) - Put together a strong defensive effort against Niagara Catholic to overcome a halftime deficit last week, before falling to Canisius in the game that followed.  They get Nichols and St. Joe's at home this week.

9. North Tonawanda (A1) - By all accounts, the Jacks nearly pulled out one of the best games played this season in an overtime loss to Niagara Falls on Friday night.  The defending champs from Class A1 are not a team that West Seneca West or Will South should be in any hurry to face.

10. South Park (A2) - Just like last year?  Maybe so.  Winners of four straight since losing to McKinley, with a big win in the rematch.  They also took it to Middle College.  The defending Yale Cup champs are not out of the city race and are coming together at just the right time with a wide open Class A2 sectional chase coming up in a couple weeks.

 

Small Schools

1. Health Sciences (B2) - Davonte Gaines turned in his third quadruple-double performance of the season in a win over Maritime last week.  The Falcons have an important game in the Charter Cup on Monday night against Tapestry, looking to ensure the Thunderhawks don't earn a share.  Then on Thursday night, they'll run with the big dogs from Park, before a game against East high on Saturday.  Big week!

2. Olean (B1) - I got a text from a former coach about the Huskies this week that said "They're never down!"  My replay, verbatim, was "They are the definition of a program. Model of consistency.  Super impressive."  In a year when it looked like Dunkirk might challenge for the CCAA I West title, Olean wins the series by a combined 43 points.  Defense wins championships.  So does Olean.

3. East (D) - The boys from East clobbered St. Mary's in the Centercourt Classic behind another double-double from Justin Allen and 36 points out of Willard Anderson.  If they win out, they win the Yale Cup.  Easier said than done with Middle College on Tuesday, Burgard on Thursday, and South Park next week.  And then there's a nonleague game that should hold some interest in the City of Buffalo - versus Health Sciences on Saturday.

4. Middle College (B2) - Another team that can win the Yale Cup if they win out, and the Kats have an easier road with games against Hutch-Tech and Emerson left.  The problem is, they draw East first on Tuesday night, who took the first round by 23 points.  Another nonleague game coming up on Saturday that should be a good one has them playing Tapestry.

5. Franklinville (D) - The Panthers rebounded from a difficult one-point road loss at Ellicottville, by lighting up Medina in the Centercourt Classic to the tune of 13 treys. They also defended very well in that win and got an MVP performance out of Sam Erickson in the process.

6. Niagara Catholic (MMA) - Finished up the MMA large school tour by scoring an exciting win over St. Joe's.  Now the Patriots will look to secure the top seed for the Manhattan Cup playoffs in Class B, beginning with games this week against O'Hara and at Nichols.

7. Cardinal O'Hara (MMA) - The Hawks look to bounce back from losses to Timon and Canisius on Monday night against St. Joe's.  Then, it's on to Niagara Catholic.  A pair of wins over St. Mary's this season has O'Hara in a good spot heading into this week, but they need wins in the next two games to keep inch ahead of Niagara Catholic in the standings.  They also travel to Lancaster on Saturday.

8. St. Mary's (MMA) - Not a good look for the Lancers on Saturday at the Centercourt Classic.  Having Eric Brown and Frank Propis out doesn't help, but that's hardly an excuse for their showing.  I don't do this often, but I have to call St. Mary's out for Saturday.  They quit.  It might be because East broke their spirit, but c'mon now.  An impressive resume of wins keeps them here this week, but in seven days from now, it'll be what have you done for me lately.  

9. Tapestry (C) - They could put themselves in position to share the Charter Cup with a win on Monday night.  Their opponent - Health Sciences coming off a loss at South, which is an order taller than Ticket.  

10. Ellicottville (D) - A big win over Franklinville on Tuesday was followed by a loss to Newfane on Saturday at the Centercourt Classic.  Up & down, so I met them in the middle and returned them to the same spot as last week.  The reason I didn't replace them with Newfane, who just beat them, is because of body of work.  The Eagles win over Franklinville deserves respect and the Panthers responded to that loss by cruising past Medina, who won by eight at Newfane.  The Eagles also have two double figure wins over Randolph and one over Chautauqua Lake.  Newfane is at Medina on Friday night for the rematch.  Let's wait for that result and meet back here next week.  Lackawanna might be listening in on that conversation.  Burgard will have an ear out also.  

 

-centercourt

Top Games of the Week: 2/5/18 -- 2/11/18

(Noah Hutchins and Park are dominating the competition & the Games of the Week)

 

Monday, February 5th

St. Joe's @ Cardinal O'Hara - 6:30 pm

Tapestry @ Health Sciences - 7 pm

 

Tuesday, February 6th

Medina @ Wilson - 6 pm

Park @ Canisius - 6:30 pm

Lew-Port @ CSAT - 6:30 pm

Maryvale @ Lake Shore - 6:30 pm

Middle College @ East - 6:30 pm

Holland @ JFK - 7 pm

Jamestown @ Lancaster - 7:30 pm

Clarence @ Williamsville North - 7:30 pm

West Seneca West @ Orchard Park - 7:30 pm

Dunkirk @ Southwestern - 7:30 pm

Gowanda @ Randolph - 7:30 pm

 

Wednesday, February 7th

Cardinal O'Hara @ Niagara Catholic - 7:30 pm

 

Thursday, February 8th

Park vs. Health Sciences * at Daemen - 6 pm

Wilson @ CSAT - 6 pm

Cheektowaga @ Iroquois - 6:30 pm

 

Friday, February 9th

Newfane @ Medina - 6:30 pm

Lake Shore @ Amherst - 6:30 pm

East @ Burgard - 6:30 pm

Olmsted @ MST Seneca - 6:30 pm

Canisius @ Timon - 6:30 pm

St. Joe's @ St. Francis - 6:30 pm

Nichols @ St. Mary's - 7 pm

Cheektowaga @ Pioneer - 7 pm

West Seneca West @ Jamestown - 7:30 pm

Williamsville North @ Lancaster - 7:30 pm

Randolph @ Allegany-Limestone - 7:30 pm

Silver Creek @ Gowanda - 7:30 pm

 

Saturday, February 10th

 I Prep vs. WNY Maritime * at City Honors - 10 am

 Middle College vs. Tapestry * at City Honors - 11:30 am

 McKinley vs. Amherst * at City Honors - 2:00 pm

Lockport @ Niagara Falls - 2:30 pm

Cardinal O'Hara @ Lancaster - 3 pm

East vs. Health Sciences * at City Honors - 3:45 pm

 

* Game of the Week - There's three games in four nights this week that should have the diehards drooling.  

Park @ Canisius on Tuesday, February 6th

It's the rematch of #1 versus #2 in WNY.  Round One at The Park School was all Pioneers until a very late Crusader surge made things interesting in the closing minutes.  This game is big for the obvious reasons, but also from a mental standpoint for the Crusaders.  Although they are the storied program that has dominated the area for a decade, it's Park who has dropped the hammer on Canisius in three straight meetings.  Last year, the Pioneers crushed Canisius twice, but never got the opportunity to do it in a championship game.  Coming into this year, the prevailing thought was that the defending Manhattan Cup champs were a year more experienced and would continue collecting titles.  That is until they rolled into Park on a Saturday afternoon in January and were humbled.  Now heading into Tuesday, the same cast of Crusaders needs to prove to themselves that they can beat this Park team - something that hasn't happened since 2016 and has never happened without Stafford Trueheart in the lineup.

Health Sciences vs. Park at Daemen College on Thursday, February 8th

This is the battle of #1 versus #1, in a matchup of the area's top large & small schools.  The Pioneers will be just coming off a huge game on Delaware Ave, while The Health should be still stinging from a tough loss in the Centercourt Classic at the hands of Williamsville South.  Much like that game from Saturday night, I'd be willing to guarantee an exciting game at Daemen.  If there's one thing I've learned about the Falcons over the last three seasons under Ty Parker, they aren't afraid of anyone and they will come at you in waves for 32 minutes.  I think Health Sciences came into the season regarded as a top three team in all of WNY.  But with losses to Canisius & South already, a loss to Park would change that way of thinking for anyone.  Between Ticket, Noah Hutchins, & Dan Scott, there's three players who will be playing Division I ball within the next three years.  And both teams are completely loaded around their standouts with offers.

Canisius @ Timon on Friday, February 9th

The first meeting between these two was, by all accounts of the game I've heard from anyone in attendance, a total snooze fest!  So why would this be any different?  Location, location, location.  A Friday night in South Buffalo with Canisius in town to take on a Tigers' team that has a win over Park this year and the area's top post defender in Master Radford will be off the chain!  From what I understand, in the 13-point win Canisius had over Timon in the first meeting between the two teams, the game was sorely lacking for energy and atmosphere.  That absolutely will not be the case on Friday and I expect to see both schools well represented with student sections and a full auditorium of fans.  If you enjoy all those Super Bowl side bets, here's a fun one for you to make a prediction on for Friday night - Which number is higher by game's end:  Master Radford's blocks or Nick MacDonald's 3-pointers?

 

-centercourt

Lackawanna stays unbeaten in ECIC IV

(Lackawanna's Noah Grabar penetrates against Depew)

Lackawanna 60, Depew 53

The Steelers withstood a flurry of first half bombs from Chad Biersbach and shook off a sluggish start to the second half to finish off the game at Depew and leave with their unblemished league record still intact.  The victory improves Lackawanna to 11-0 in ECIC IV and the race has been very competitive as the Steelers have won six of their last seven league games by single digits.  London Smith turned in a great all around game, scoring 17 points, to go with 18 boards, five steals, and a pair of rejections.  Noah Grabar led Lackawanna with a team-high 18 points and dished five assists.  Trailing by eight points midway through the third quarter, Lackawanna strung together 12 consecutive points to end the frame, including a pair of 3-pointers late by Robert Rice & Abdul Hamid Albaneh.  They had fallen behind after the Wildcats built a lead with a 19-7 stretch to end the first half and begin the second.  Biersbach was in the zone in the second quarter for Depew and drilled three 3-pointers late in the half, four in the stanza, and six in the game.  The career 1,000 point scorer finished with a game-high 27 points on the evening.

 

Lackawanna 17 - 13 - 16 - 14 = 60

Depew            13 - 19 - 10 - 11 = 53

 

Point Totals

Lackawanna:  Noah Grabar 18,London Smith 17, Noble Smith 7, Robert Rice 7, Abdul Hamid Albaneh 6, Carlton Threeths 3, Khail Horton 2

Depew:  Chad Biersbach 27, Jordan Cieselski 18, Dylan Cwiklinski 2, Sean Miller 2, Jeremy Clark 2, PJ Burns 2

 

Records

Lackawanna:  12-3, 11-0  /  Next game at Tonawanda Thursday, February 6th

Depew:  9-6, 7-2  /  Next game vs. Eden Thursday, February 6th

 

Player of the Game

London Smith - Lackawanna

 

Unsung Hero of the Game

Khalil Horton - Lackawanna

 

Key Stats

Lackawanna:  London Smith 18 rebounds, 5 steals, & 2 blocks, Noble Smith 7 rebounds, Abdul Hamid Albaneh 6 assists, Noah Grabar 5 assists

 

Key Runs

Depew ended the first half on a 9-3 run to take a 32-30 lead at the break and a 12-4 start to the second half had the Wildcats leading 42-34.  Lackawanna answered with 12 unanswered to finish the 3rd quarter and take the lead back 46-42.  With a 52-50 lead late, Lackawanna closed the game with an 8-3 spurt.

 

3-Pointers

Lackawanna (6):  Noah Grabar (2), Noble Smith, Abdul Hamid Albaneh, Carlton Threeths, Robert Rice

Depew (8):  Chad Biersbach (6), Jordan Cieselski (2)

 

 

Coaches Quotes

Kevin Shaddle - Lackawanna

On how he adjusted to Chad Biersbach's six first half treys

When a guy is seeing a hoop that big, what can you really do?  I tried to transition from using a taller post guy yo somebody a little shorter.  I figured it would help against him bringing the ball down to free up space.  I had to try something, the kid was on fire.

On what he told his team when Depew went up by eight points

I just to them we're out here to have fun, but we need to execute in the half court.  We probably had five lazy, careless turnovers in the third quarter when they took that lead.

On how he manages a balanced bench

Whoever's night it is, I'm leaving him in.  It gives them a little more inscentiv to do what they're coached to do in timeouts.

On his staff

My assistant coaches really stepped up for me tonight, helping, getting the boys going, and seeing things I can't.

On London Smith

He brings an inside/outside prescence.  He's not a post player, he's more of a slasher.  He's playing hard for us and ripping it up.

 

Larry Jones - Depew

On having a scorer like Chad Biersbach

Having unlimited range is helpful, guys won't go out that far.  He understands that the green light means the green light.  I'm not yanking him for taking bad shots.  Now maybe that hurt us a little in the second half, but I don't have anyone else confident to step up and make that shot.

On where Depew lost momentum in the third quarter

I think we were a little tired and their length hurts us.  

On Lackawanna's defensive adjustment

Khalil Horton is a physical kid so he can just bump off screens.  Early in the game, Biersbach was getting clear on screens enough to get some really clean looks.  We tried to get downhill more, but everything was on the perimeter.  We didn't get inside the foul line very often and when we did, there was a crowd there.

On the Lackawanna 3-pointers to end the third quarter

The last one killed me because I had three guys playing zone and two guys playing man.  Everyday we talk about communication.  That's why I love watching a guy like Draymond Green who never shuts up and is talking to his teammates constantly.  To me, that's a character thing - coach says I gotta talk, I gotta talk, whether I'm tired or not.

On Jordan Cieselski

He does a lot of great things for us and he's a great little defender.  The one thing we talked about before the game tonight was knowing when to slow down a little...he wants to go 1,000 miles per hour all the time.

 

Random Smatterings

- The return of London Smith to the Lackawanna lineup makes them a very imposing team.  He can hurt you in a variety of ways and was very good running the floor.  It was just his ninth game played after missing the first month of the season.  He's the team's second leading scorer, averaging 13.4 ppg.

 

- Along with L. Smith, the Steelers also have Abdul Hamid Albaneh and Khalil Horton back, who were also out when the season began with a pair of losses for Lackawanna.  They are two of the team's best defenders.  Since an 0-2 start, they have won 12 of their last 13 games and should be considered as capable as any of the teams in a deep Class B1 capable of reaching the final on Championship Saturday.

 

- Chad Biersbach's six 3-pointers in the first half rank up there with some of the best shooting nights I've been able to watch this season.  What made them so impressive is that the entire gym knew he was the guy who needed to score for Depew and he kept delivering them.  Deep treys, step-backs, and all with a defender trying to stop it.

 

-Depew point guard Jordan Cieselski is fearless.  He had several aggressive drives in the game and gets himself into spots that others would be afraid to try to get to.  He had a couple of drives rejected out of bounds, but was unfazed by it, and instead took the ensuing inbounds and went right back to penetrating.  He scored 18 points for the Wildcats, who need that from him with limited scoring options.

 

- Besides Biersbach's explosion of points, my favorite stretch of the game might have been in the second quarter when the teams started to loosen up.  No points were scored for about four straight possessions, but the two teams really started to let it all hang out.

 

- Lackawanna has Cleveland Hill, Holland, and Tonawanda left standing between them and an undefeated season in ECIC IV.  

 

 

-centercourt