(Photo: Shawn Turri)
Monday, February 17th
Orchard Park @ Jamestown - 1:30 pm
Canisius vs. Aquinas * at Canisius College - 4:30 pm
Tuesday, February 18th
Tapestry @ Randolph - 6:30 pm
Wednesday, February 19th
Williamsville North @ Clarence - 7:30 pm
Lancaster @ Orchard Park - 7:30 pm
Wellsville @ Allegany-Limestone - 7:30 pm
Niagara Falls vs. Lew-Port *at Ken West - 8 pm
Thursday, February 20th
Salamanca @ Ellicottville - 7:30 pm
Friday, February 21st
Iroquois @ Randolph - 6 pm
West Seneca East @ North Tonawanda - 7 pm
Silver Creek @ Sherman - 7:30 pm
* Game of the Week - Niagara Falls vs. Lew-Port on Wednesday, February 19th
Two years ago, the Niagara Frontier League created a pair of sub divisions within its league as follows:
The Niagara Division - Niagara Falls, North Tonawanda, Ken West, Lockport, Niagara Wheatfield
The Frontier Division - Lew-Port, Grand Island, Ken East, CSAT
It created a scenario at the end of the season where the teams in the NFL played one final league game at season's end against an opponent to be determined, based on the order of finish during the regular season to that point. The exception being, the team from the Niagara Division that finished with the worst record would play a nonleague opponent that was predetermined at the beginning of the season, based on there being one extra team (five teams to four teams).
Under this new arrangement, the NFL league championship has been played on a neutral court between the teams that finish highest in their respective sub divisions, so in order to play for the title, you have to be the best of the five teams (Niagara Division) or the best of four teams (Frontier Division).
In all three seasons since the NFL moved to this new arrangement, it's been Niagara Falls and Lew-Port finishing ahead of the other teams in their groups and meeting in the championship game. In 2018, Falls rolled past the Lancers at Niagara Wheatfield, 76-46, to earn the title. Last season at Lockport, it was Lew-Port who avenged a 78-60 home loss to the Wolverines and won the rematch to claim a league championship, 75-71.
This season's championship game will be played at Ken West. Once again, the Lancers enter the finale having lost to Niagara Falls the first time around. On January 28th the two teams squared off at Falls, where the Wolverines saw a double figure lead disappear in the closing minutes, as Lew-Port battled back to get within four points in a 71-67 loss. That effort by the Lancers came without the services of 2019 First Team All-Centercourt standout Roddy Gayle, who has since returned to action for his team.
Wednesday night's game offers intrigue on multiple levels. It's now the NFL championship game between the same two teams for a third straight season and a series that is tied 1-1. It's a game with familiarity between the players with two of Lew-Port's starters transferring in over the last two seasons from Niagara Falls in Gayle and Mehki Starks. It's a rematch from this season that the Lancers are eager for, having come close without Gayle already. It's a rematch the Wolverines are looking to win again to show they are the top team, even if Lew-Port has everyone. And for these two teams that have been Top 10 large schools all season with repeat Section VI champion aspirations, it's the 'Game of the Week'!
-centercourt
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