Villa Maria College is the place to be this coming weekend. The 2nd Annual Centercourt Classic will be the marquee event of the regular season, featuring a blockbuster lineup of playoff-type matchups served up just one week before the regular season ends. What makes this unique is that all the games are played between teams who won't cross paths in the postseason, but that the matchups themselves are playoff-caliber and take place so late in the season.
A total of 12 teams are participating in this event, with two games on Friday night and four more in an action-packed Saturday. And these aren't just any teams, they are among the top programs in WNY, along with one of the very best from Section V. Included are all five of the MMA large schools, the two highest-ranked public large schools, the top-ranked team in NYS Class B, the defending NYS Class A Federation Champion, and five defending sectional champs. Six of the top 10 large schools from our area will be on hand, along with two top 10 small schools. Nine out of the 12 teams participating will appear in this week's NYSSWA State Rankings.
Friday, February 8th
Health Sciences vs. Randolph - 6 pm
- Health reached the NYSPHAA Class B Final Four in each of the last two seasons. They are currently the #10 large school in WNY and Honorable Mention in NYS Class A. The Falcons are led by Kam Briggs, who earned Fifth Team All-Centercourt and Fourth Team Class B All-State in 2018
- Randolph was the Class C Section VI Champion in 2017 and the runner-up in 2018. They are currently the #9 small school in WNY and #18 in NYS Class C. The Cardinals are led by Tyler Hind who earned Fifth Team All-Centercourt and Second Team Class C All-State in 2018
Timon vs. West Seneca West - 7:45 pm
- West is the defending Section VI Class A Champion, led by Adrian Baugh who earned All-Centercourt Honorable Mention and Honorable Mention in NYS Class A.
- Timon is led by Tahron Goudelock, who has stepped into a prominent role for the Tigers in his senior season. What makes this matchup so intriguing is the backstory. Des Randall, the current head coach at West, was the head man at Timon for two seasons before resigning in the spring of 2017. Some of the players on the talented roster he had assembled there left the school to play elsewhere the following season, including Baugh, who followed Randall to West Seneca West. Former two-time Player of the Year, Jason Rowe, took over the program at Timon and put his own stamp on the team. Friday night is the first meeting between West and Timon since all of this went down and is certain to have both teams motivated for a win.
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Saturday, February 9th
St. Joe's vs. Lew-Port - 1:30 pm
- St. Joe's is led by freshman standout Justin Glover, one of the top players in the Class of 2022. The Marauders also gained a pair of transfers who have helped keep them very competitive in 6-8 Greg Poland and Daesaen Ashley, who earned All-Centercourt Honorable Mention as a sophomore at Amherst
- Lew-Port is currently the #6 large school in WNY and Honorable Mention in NYS Class A. The Lancers are led by freshman phenom Roddy Gayle and senior Trent Scott, who both earned All-Centercourt Honorable Mention in 2018, with Gayle also earning Tenth Team Class AA All-State. The team also boasts Jalen Duff, who looks like the top 8th grader in WNY with his consistent high impact at the varsity level this season
St. Francis vs. Olean - 3:30 pm
- St. Francis was the Manhattan Cup runner-up in 2017 and the only local team to push Park to overtime this year. They are currently the #3 large school in WNY and Honorable Mention in NYS Class A. The Red Raiders are led by the senior trio of Dorion Ivey, Justin Poumpey, and Lucas Theisen.
- Olean is the defending Section VI Class B1 Champion. They are one of just two undefeated teams left in WNY, ranked #2 in WNY small schools and the #1 ranked team in NYS Class B. The Huskies are led by NYS Hall of Fame coach Jeff Anastasia and Mike Schmidt, a Third Team All-Centercourt selection and Second Team Class B All-State in 2018. Schmidt was also the sixth man on the State Championship team in 2016.
Park vs. Irondequoit - 5:30 pm
- Park is the reigning NYS Class A Federation Champion, after winning the CHSAA State Title and the Manhattan Cup in 2018. They are the #1 large school in WNY and ranked #2 in NYS Class A. The Pioneers are led by Noah Hutchins who earned First Team All-Centercourt and First Team Class A All-State in 2018, along with Quentin Nnagbo, who was All-Centercourt Honorable Mention in 2018.
- Irondequoit was the NYSPHAA Class A State Champion in 2017 and returned to the State Final Four in 2018 after defeating West Seneca West in the Regional, ending their unbeaten campaign. They are currently a Top 10 large school in Section V and Honorable Mention in NYS Class A. The Eagles are led by Freddy June and Josh Stenglein, with both earning Honorable Mention Class A All-State in 2018.
Canisius vs. Niagara Falls - 7:30 pm
- Canisius has been WNY's most dominant program in the last decade, winning 7 of the last 10 Manhattan Cup Championships. The Crusaders are currently the #3 large school in WNY and Honorable Mention in NYS Class A. The Crusaders are led by Dwayne Vass, averaging 15.5 PPG for the Crusaders.
- Falls has won three consecutive titles in Section VI Class AA. They are currently the #2 large school in WNY and #8 in NYS Class AA. The Wolverines are led by Jalen Bradberry, who earned Third Team All-Centercourt and Fifth Team Class B All-State in 2018, along with freshman Willie Lightfoot, who was Honorable Mention Class AA All-State last season.
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Admission for this event on either day is just $5 at the door and as always, parking is free. The gym will not be cleared, meaning the ambitious fan could catch all four games on Saturday for an average of $1.25 a game! The headliner between Falls & Canisius on Saturday will feature the NFHS Pep Band.
After three straight days of cancellations last week, fans should be chomping at the bit to spend a couple days watching some of the best teams & talents on the hardwood this weekend. Last season's CC Classic was awesome and we expect the Second Annual to be even better. I look forward to having you all there!!
-centercourt
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