- My trip to Panama last week reminded me of a similar trip four years ago. Westfield was the team I predicted to win Class D that season, so I wanted to look at them & went down to see that at Westfield. Panama was visiting that evening and I found multiple freshman playing in that game with promising futures. Carter Brink, Bryce Hinsdale, and Alex Barmore were all starters for that Panama team, while eventual 2022 Class D Champion, Westfield, had one freshman starter that really made an impression, Carson Swanson.
- If you ever make the trip to Panama for a game, don’t worry about finding someplace to eat along the way. Taco-in-a-bag is waiting for you upon entry.
- I wasn’t sure how much support I would find around Carson Swanson in Westfield this season after they graduated a pair of big guys who gave opposing teams fits from last Season. What I found was what I think is an even better version of the team this year, complemented by the shooting of junior Lincoln Thomas, the inside play of Grant Beadle, and the significant improvement in Zach Maguire’s game.
- Jayce Wylke and Dane Brown are standouts for this season's Grand Island team, but the supporting roles played by Jonathan Neville, Nico Fratello, and Jake Castiglia, along with contributions from KJ Wilkes off the bench, are what make them a complete team. The Vikings have played with excellent chemistry together in the two outings I’ve watched.
- I showed up last Tuesday in Lew-Port well prepared for the night ahead. Had my five questions ready to go, stayed on top of the game, and had a final score tweet, along with point totals, prepared as the final seconds ticked down. As the game ended and the players lined up to shake hands, my computer screen went black. I lost everything I had worked on! After a sprint to the men's room and back, I feverishly worked on getting my computer back up and the posts re-typed out. Jayce Wilke and Grand Island coach Chris Simpson then appeared in front of me 15 minutes later as I’m still scrambling to get everything back. He was there to do five questions. I reached in my pocket to pull out the questions...they were gone (lost them in the sprint). Complete end-of-game meltdown on my end. I later found the questions laying in the hallway.
- Following the Williamsville East loss at St. Joe's, the team account on X posted thanks to the Marauder Rowdies for creating a great high school atmosphere. Props to the Flames for not only scheduling St. Joe’s again this year, but also for welcoming a hostile environment on the road. An elite student section can take a quality high school environment to another level.
- St. Joe's is loaded with talent this season and plays a fast and furious style. Something that stands out when watching them this season, is how important Gionni Zelasko and Mahli Shabazz are to the team's success. I see them as the team's two most efficient players, who just play ball within the flow of the game. Gionni is the team's orchestrator on offense, while Shabazz sets the tone defensively.
- MST improved to 4-0 with an 87-46 win against Burgard last week. Four players finished in double figures, led by Terrance Watson-Cole, who recorded a double-double with 21 points.
- On Wednesday night, Matt Siener scored 29 points with 13 rebounds in an overtime win over Hamburg. He also made the shot that forced OT.
- BASCS: you have my attention! After going into Akron and taking them to overtime, they went to Fredonia and knocked off the Hillbillies by 9 points. Buffalo Academy of Science Charter School is now 4-2 on the season and also has a 23-point win over Lake Shore, who just won the Hamburg Lion's Tournament. The Wolverines are a Class A2 large school and early indications suggest they are in the top four of that class - the kind of team that reaches #BuffState.
- Bennett's Demario Badger scored 18 points, dished 11 assists, and grabbed 10 rebounds in the Tigers' win over Burgard on Tuesday.
- Five tournaments took place in WNY last week. Williamsville North won the Depew Tournament with freshman Chris Fagnan taking MVP honors. Harlem Brannon of Kenmore West was awarded MVP following Ken-Ton Tournament championship. Kyle McNamara was honored as tournament MVP when Lake Shore won the Hamburg Lions Tournament and Carson Swanson earned MVP for Westfield at the Southwestern Tournament. Akron won the Jack Silvernail Tournament with victories over BASCS & Pembroke and Brayden Lamont was awarded the MVP.
- Kenmore West junior Harlem Brannon has recorded a double-double in his last three games, after beginning the season with three straight games of double figure scoring with four or more steals, assists, and rebounds in each outing.
- The guy who does the PA at Ken West is very good at his job!
- One more thing with Ken West… I can usually find a good parking spot when I hit these games, if anyone’s got any secret parking strategies for Ken West, please!
- How is JJ Shanklin only a freshman? The Cheektowaga standout has a control over his game that you rarely see at his age.
- Following the Jamestown win at Lockport on Saturday, I did five questions with Dominic Gonzalez, after watching him earn a pair of steals in the final minute that allowed the Red and Green to go ahead on the scoreboard. Footage of his answers was scrapped after the video was interrupted halfway through by the custodian firing up the leaf blower, making the answers impossible to hear upon watching it back.
- Niagara Falls has just four seniors on its roster this season and only one of them saw minutes against St. Joe's on Monday night. The future remains bright in the Cataract City and it’s not exactly dimly lit at the moment either with team ranked #3 in the area.
- St. Joe’s had four players finish in double figures in its 51-39 win at Falls, with three of them throwing down a #BOOM in the victory. They became the first team from WNY to win by double digits in Niagara Falls since eventual state champion Park did it on December 7, 2018. The Marauders have won all five of their games against local competition this season by double figures.
- Apparently, the NFHS Pep Band got into a little too much eggnog over the weekend prior to the big tilt on Monday night in Falls. When the team took the floor for warm-ups, there was definitely something missing from the usual atmosphere, despite the place being packed with fans and littered with former high school standouts & First Team selections all over the place. I’m thinking if Vegas set lines on our local high school games, the Pep Band would have to be worth at least three points.
- There were 11 teams that suffered their first loss of the season last week, reducing the number of undefeated squads from 25 to 14. There were 16 different teams earning their first victory of the year, leaving just 10 teams without a win.
- Despite having one loss on their record, McKinley still has the highest point differential of any team in WNY, currently at +31.1. Those wins came over East, City Honors, & Niagara Wheatfield.
- There are only two players in WNY averaging 30 or more points per game. Westfield's Carson Swanson and Randolph's Drew Hind. As luck would have it, those two square off in the night session of the Centercourt Classic on Saturday, February 1st.
- Lew-Port freshman Devan Barnwell is averaging 18.6 points per game with at least four 3-pointers in every game through five outings. He leads WNY with 28 treys so far this season.
- My pick for the best action to catch the week after Christmas would be the Hoops for Hope Tournament at Hilbert College on December 27th & December 28th, opening with Health Sciences against Pioneer & Timon against Fairport on the other side of the bracket. It leaves the potential for a Timon vs Health Sciences championship game, a matchup for some reason we’ve never been treated to in this area. If you were looking for something a little further south, the IAABO at Allegany-Limestone is the way to go!
- 🦌🦌🦌🦌🦌🦌🦌🦌🎅🏻
🎁🎁🎁🎁🎄 🎁🎁🎁🎁
☃️Merry Christmas ☃️
-🏀centercourt🏀
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