The View From Centercourt

10 Reasons to attend the 7th Annual Centercourt Classic

 

10.  As always, FREE Parking

What can I say?  Free is free!

 

9.  The ONLY way to watch is Live 

The Centercourt Classic will not be streamed or available on pay-per-view.  Updates on Twitter will be less informative and less frequent on the days of the event.  And this weekend is specifically chosen to not compete with other basketball events, or the NFL.  Just a great weekend to take in some live high school basketball.

 

8. It's the best event of the Regular Season

It’s not biased, it’s just facts.  I have attended multiple regular season events every year for well over a decade, and while I certainly drew the inspiration for the Centercourt Classic from many stops along the way, the one held this weekend at St. Joe's has truly become the marquee event of the regular season.  Featuring 11 teams ranked both locally and in the state, the Top 5 Large Schools in WNY, 8 of the Top 10 Large Schools in WNY, and 15 players from the 2024 All-Centercourt Team.

 

7. The best program

Upon entry, you will find a QR code to scan.  This will provide an amazing commemorative program, complete with every teams roster, and results from the season.  It’s first class all the way.

 

6.  The Experience

Music is played during all game stoppages.  Hot pizza and other refreshments are always available during the Classic.  Game MVPs are awarded to one player from each team, following the game.  Shirts and pizza are provided to all players courtesy of Empire Electric.  Atmosphere is always exciting because the best teams, coaches, & players put on a show!

 

5. Watch the best in the state

At least one of the teams in this event will go on to play for a state championship.  Maybe more. I t happens every single season, literally.  This Classic has had a team go on to play for a state championship every single time.

4. Watch the best player in WNY this season

You will get to watch the 2025CC MVP for WNY‘s Player of the Year.  That is correct, every single Centercourt Classic has featured the eventual Player of the Year, and this season will be no exception.

 

3.  Niagara Falls vs Lockport &  Williamsville South vs Nichols 

Both in the same session, back-to-back!  Niagara Falls may have left the NFL to go independent but old rivalries die hard and the one that exists between the Wolverines & Lockport is still alive and well.  The Lions have their best team in several seasons, along with the best front court in WNY.  Falls is Falls, and that’s never gonna change.  

Something tells me this one’s gonna be a good one between Nichols & South.  Nichols brought most of its team back from last season & South did the same.  These guys are friends off the court, and about to become rivals on it.  South comes in ranked #10...if there was a #11 or even a #10.1, it would be Nichols.

 

2. St. Joe's vs Jamestown

Do you like watching really skilled players shift into overdrive and fly up and down the court scoring a boatload of points?  Do players swinging from the rims and banging 3-pointers left & right sound like an entertaining way to spend Friday night?  Have you ever seen the Rowdies when they get all wound up??  This game has that #Wooo factor!  Just get your butts to St. Joe’s, I promise you won’t be disappointed!

 

1.   Randolph vs Westfield

It's the battle  -  #1  vs  #2  -  in BOTH the local and New York State rankings.  Randolph delivered 2 of the best 3 games played in Centercourt Classic history and they are coming back to give us another for the 3rd year in a row.  I know both of these coaches well and they both want this one badly.  It’s a rematch of last season's epic Class C Final that needed overtime.  I’m guessing not too many of you have jumped in the car to drive to the Southern Tier to see these guys, but heard plenty about them.  You are welcome Buffalo!

 

 

-🏀centercourt🏀

The 7th Annual Centercourt Classic

 

Presenting the 7th Annual Centercourt Classic

at St. Joe's  845 Kenmore Avenue  Buffalo, NY

Friday, January 31st

Session 1

Akron vs St. Francis - 6 pm

St. Joe's vs Jamestown - 7:45 pm

 

Saturday, February 1st

Session 2

Timon vs Starpoint - 12 pm

Williamsville South vs Nichols - 1:45 pm

Niagara Falls vs Lockport - 3:30 pm

Session 3

Randolph vs Westfield - 6:15 pm

Canisius vs Health Sciences - 8 pm

 

Click here for Tickets 

 

 

Centercourt Classic History

 

-🏀centercourt🏀

Random Smatterings: 2025 - Week 7

 

- The victory on Saturday afternoon for Timon on Delaware Avenue by 24 points seemed to have some historical relevance so I took a look back through time.  What I found was that the Crusaders haven’t lost that badly to a league opponent on their court since February 7, 2017 when Park came in and defeated them 72-44.

 

- The Canisius loss also got me thinking about how rare it is to see them defeated by any team in their league by double figures. But a closer look shows that hasn’t been the case as much recently, at least not when it applies to one particular team from South Buffalo.  Timon has now won 4 of the last 5 matchups against Canisius, and all of those victories for Timon came by double figures.

 

- After falling behind early by a score of 18-3, Nichols dug in & dug themselves out of a deficit, ultimately earning a 68-59 victory.  In the win, junior guard Tre Paulfrey recorded a career-high 36 points.  Paulfrey has been a standout all season, becoming the team’s new bucket-getter.  He could end up with his name on the rock climbing wall.

 

- More dominance from Randolph in league play, the team that literally hasn’t lost to a divisional opponent in years.  The latest victim was Gowanda, who arrived in 2nd place.  Randolph destroyed them, 72-25.  The lowest scoring output for Gowanda prior to that night was 51 points, scored against Westfield, a game they lost 88-51.  Randolph is allowing the fewest points in WNY at just 35.1 per game this season & 27.4 PPG in its last 5 outings.

 

- Holland's Brady Wiskup dropped a career-high 38 points & grabbed 11 rebounds in the teams 67-48 victory over Global Concepts.

 

-  After falling behind by 6 points in the first quarter on Monday, Panama out scored Falconer 52-22 the rest of the way and earned a 60-36 victory.  Carter Brink scored 35 points in the victory, his 9th game of the season with 30+ points.

 

- Haile Doucet recorded a triple-double in MST‘s 77-60 win over Buffalo Culinary.  The senior scored 13 points to go with 10 assists, 10 rebounds, & 4 steals.

 

- Time for the weekly version of Centercourt is an idiot, and this one has me knocking my fist against my skull.  All this time I have been spelling Orchard Park's Carter Switek incorrectly.  Why I thought I should be squeezing an 'a' into that last name, who knows.  But that got stuck in my brain somehow and I've repeated the mistake multiple times this season.  Carter was a fantastic participant in 5 questions and is a nice enough young man that he never even bothered to tell me I’ve been misspelling his name.  My apologies Carter.

 

- I mentioned it in a tweet, and I mentioned it in the rankings post, but I would like to point out one more time how impressive Lockport's Maurice Woods was in the team's victory over Amherst.  Woods used his size and skillset to change that game, particularly at the defensive end, by limiting the Tigers' success around the basket and clearing the glass.

 

- Sweet Home earned a victory over Niagara Wheatfield in the final game on Friday night, and Marcus Banks earned Game MVP in the win for the Panthers.  This year's Sweet Home team has a lot of dudes that can play ball and Banks was the latest to grab my attention for his impact on the game throughout at both ends.  Also noteworthy, Shadir Rainey played the best basketball I’ve ever seen out of him and scored a career-high in the game, while playing efficient basketball.  Props to Erik O’Brien for running a great event at Niagara Wheatfield where they hosted this season's ECIC/NFL Challenge. 

 

- The playoff bracket in Class B1 is starting to look juicy.  It’s going to be fun to find out which team ultimately wins that bracket, featuring the likes of Olmsted, Akron, Fredonia, Middle College, & Medina.  Class B2 might be even better.  It's still January...but the home stretch to playoffs starts Friday night...

 

- There are 4 teams in WNY without a loss to another team from WNY:

Grand Island, Randolph, Westfield, & Salamanca

 

- There are 8 teams averaging over 70 points per game:

Timon, Jamestown, McKinley, Cheektowaga, Westfield, Grand Island, Eden, & Amherst

 

- There are 3 teams allowing fewer than 40 points per game:

Randolph, Grand Island, & Health Sciences

 

- Still 5 teams without a victory this season, but just 1 team left without a loss - Grand Island.

 

 - Very excited for my week ahead:  Falls at Amherst on Monday, Olean at Salamanca Tuesday evening, a battle for Main St. on Thursday at Williamsville South, and then of course the 7th Annual Centercourt Classic - a total of 7 games between Friday night & Saturday.  

 

-🏀centercourt🏀

Ranking the Top 10 Large & Small 2025 - Week 7

 

Large Schools

1. St. Joe's (AA) -  Cruised to victory in 3 outings last week, taking a pair from St. Mary’s, and dishing Health their third loss.  More on why I’ve already moved them back to this spot, below, after losing at Canisius just over a week ago.  The Marauders host Nichols on Tuesday, ahead of a Friday night Centercourt Classic showdown with Jamestown.

2. Niagara Falls (AAA) -  Took down another Williamsville on Monday, this time the one from Paradise Road, before losing a pair of out of state games, including one to Kobe Bryant's former team.  A couple good ones on tap for the Wolverines this week, beginning Monday night at Amherst, before wrapping up the week with another Centercourt Classic appearance, where they will take on former league rival Lockport.

3. Timon (AA) -  The Tigers put on a display of dominance Saturday afternoon on Delaware Avenue. From the opening tip until the final horn sounded, Timon brought the fight to Canisius.  They didn’t just arrive more prepared, they were hungrier.  The two teams ahead of Timon own double digit victories over them, but they more than earned this placement ahead of Canisius.  Thursday night Park pays them a visit and then Timon returns to the Centercourt Classic looking for a third straight victory there in three seasons when they face Starpoint.

4. Canisius (AA) -  After a result like the one that occurred on Saturday goes down, my phone starts pinging with the same question… How do you handle the rankings now?  Believe me, I sat at the table agonizing about that one as soon as the game ended before I even produced a final score post.  After much deliberation and realization that you were going to have to look past results someplace, I went with the following logic...It took a 3-pointer with two seconds left at home against Joe’s and free throws with six seconds remaining against Niagara Falls at home to earn those victories.  On the heels of them getting rolled at home by 24 points, this seemed like the most fair way to handle it, rather than move Niagara Falls or St. Joe’s behind a Timon squad they had both defeated by double figures.

All of the top 4 teams have now faced each other.  Canisius played all 3 at home.  St. Joe's played all 3 on the road.  Falls was home twice, Timon on the road twice.  Here are the combined point differentials for each team against the other three:

St. Joe's +21, Timon +3, Falls +1, Canisius -21

5. Jamestown (AAA) -  A week that saw Jamestown collect 3 more victories, 2 of them scoring over 90 points, and the 3rd taking the season sweep over the team from their league in 2nd place, Orchard Park.  The Red & Green have a couple more league games coming up this week before, a great Friday night match up on Kenmore Avenue against St. Joe’s in the Centercourt Classic.

6. Grand Island (A1) -  Improved to 12-0 on the season and earned a nice win over North Tonawanda along the way.  They’ll face a tough test this week when they visit Kenmore West.

7. Lockport (AA1) -  The Lions finally returned to action on Friday night & delivered a solid victory over Amherst, getting a great offer out of Maurice Woods, who was a beast clearing the glass all evening, along with the return of Mike Griffin, who calmly knocked down 4 important 3-pointers in the victory.  The Lions have a fun game coming up on Saturday afternoon in the Centercourt Classic against a Niagara Falls team they know all too well.

8. Health Sciences (AA2) -  Bounced back with a big victory over South Park on Saturday, after losing handily at the hands of the Marauders on Monday night - before walking out into a snow band that set everyone’s night into a tailspin.  The Falcons have more appearances than any team in Centercourt Classic history, so you can count on seeing them again this year when they face Canisius on Saturday night at St. Joe’s.

9. Amherst (A1) -  Lost for just the 2nd time this season against a tough Lockport team, heading into a week with a couple tough challenges facing the Tigers.  Monday night, Niagara Falls comes in, a rematch of a game won by Amherst last season.  Then on Thursday night comes the rematch against rival Williamsville South, the battle of Main Street.

10. Williamsville South (A1) -  Speaking of the battle, the Billies get to host this round on Thursday after taking on Sweet Home prior.  Also a tough week for South with those two games and then an afternoon clash with the MMA's Nichols in what projects to be one of the best games of the entire Centercourt Classic.

 

Small Schools

1. Randolph (C) -  The Cardinals took on the team from their league that was in second place, Gowanda, and what do you know… another walloping.  Time for a big test, one that I’m sure Randolph will be more than ready for, when they face Westfield on Saturday night in the Centercourt Classic, coming off of a game at Silver Creek the night before.

2. Westfield (C) -  Did I mention that Saturday night‘s clash is not just a battle of the top two small schools locally, it’s also the top two teams in NYS Class C.  Lucky me, and lucky WNY to get a preview of this tilt on Kenmore Avenue.  Westfield will first have to pass a big test against Panama in a rematch on Thursday night.  The Wolverines took round one in Panama by double figures.

3. Salamanca (B2) -  Just one loss this season for the Warriors after earning another victory on Thursday night against Southwestern.  Time for a visit from myself, which I am looking very forward to on Tuesday night when the team hosts Olean.  They close the week with a return to Fredonia on Friday night and a game against East Aurora at the Reilly Center on Saturday.

4. Panama (D) -  The Panthers registered an impressive result in a win over Falconer, but became the latest victim of Randolph the following night.  Panama did take to the road for that one and proved to be the toughest opponent Randolph has seen locally this year and they were in the game all the way.  This week comes the important rematch with Westfield on Thursday night with a chance to pull even in league play.

5. Olmsted (B1) -  The Owls were off last week, but return to action against Bennett on Tuesday, before hosting MST in a rematch of a thrilling victory from earlier this season.   Olmsted is 8-1 on the year and sits atop of the standings in both their league and their sectional bracket.

6. Akron (B1) -  The Tigers put it all together on Friday night, knocking off a tough Wilson team by 24 points.  With just one loss on the season, the Tigers approached a tough stretch of their schedule that will provide some good experience for an upcoming postseason run, beginning with a game at Medina on Tuesday and then a super fun game against St. Francis on Friday in the Centercourt Classic.

7. Eden (B2) - Hail to the Raiders, long overdue in these rankings this season after compiling a 9-1 record.  They get a chance to avenge their only loss of the season against Global Concepts this week, and then a rematch with Tapestry, who they defeated earlier this year by 25 points.

8. Allegany-Limestone (B2) -  The Gators will look to get back into the win column against Southwestern on Tuesday, and then visit Fredonia & Dunkirk to finish off the week.

9. MST (B2) -  I feel like everyone is snoozing on these guys, but I remain convinced that they deserve a place in the rankings and get an opportunity to turn some heads on Thursday night in the rematch with Olmsted.  The Wolves are 8-4 on the year.

10. Fredonia (B1) -  The Billies are 7-6 on the year, but reclaim this last spot in the rankings on the strength of a big win over Falconer, the 2nd time they’ve done it this year.  A tough week coming up with a trip to Lake Shore and then home games against the Gators & Salamanca. 

 

-🏀centercourt🏀

History of the Centercourt Classic

 

Prior to the 2018 season, Gabe Michael, who at the time was the head coach at Williamsville South and my closest friend, had a conversation with me about the best high school basketball events in WNY.  As the conversation progressed, Coach Gabe made a declaration…"You should have your own event."  Despite my initial resistance, it was Coach Gabe’s confidence in me and his desire to help me along that quickly turned a concept into the reality it is today. "But where would we even have it?" I asked.  Coach Gabe knew exactly where he wanted to see it, it would be right here at The Home of the Billies.

The grand concept for the classic was an event unlike others that took place toward the end of the season, rather than most traditional events which take place during the first few weeks of the season in December. There were also some various MLK showcases and small events that occurred in January.  We wanted to see the classic being an event that featured our area's prominent teams in playoff-type matchups outside of league play, shortly before the postseason began.  It needed to be both an attractive event to want to attend, and of course, a fun one to be at.

For the first season, I wanted to start small as to not bite off more than I could chew.  So the inaugural event was just four games that all took place in the same day and the first three games were small school games.  The main event would feature the host school and eventual player of the year, CC MVP Greg Dolan, taking on Health Sciences, led by the the standout headed to Tennessee, Davante Gaines a.k.a. The Ticket.  The big game was wildly exciting and delivered an overflow crowd. And so the Centercourt Classic was born.

That season would be the final one at Williamsville South for Coach Gabe, who left to take the position at St. Joe's the following season. The event continued on in the seasons to come, touring different venues each year, with one constant. The two coaches from that headline game would always agree to bring their teams to the event. To this day, Ty Parker and Health Sciences have not missed a Classic. 

Prior to the start of the 2024 season, Coach Gabe, who had his Marauders participate in each subsequent event and had been suggesting St. Joe's as an ideal location, asked me late in the summer where it would be for the 2024 season. When I told him I was still without a venue for that season, he said to let him know when I was ready to get serious about his newest offer.  Less than a week later, he had a sandwich meeting in place for me to hear the pitch from St. Joe’s.  Everyone left that meeting excited, perhaps no one more so than Coach Gabe. The event was returning to his home court.  

Less than four months after that and days prior to the start of the season, all of WNY was devastated by his sudden passing.  St. Joe’s remained committed to putting on a first class high school basketball event for the community.  Once again this season, the Classic remains at St. Joe's in the honor of Coach Gabe.

 

Purchase tickets for the 7th Annual Centercourt Classic

 

Below you will find:

- Fun Facts

- Records for player points in a game

- Record for most player points all-time

- Records for player rebounds in a game

- Records for most team points in a game

- Records for least points allowed in a game

- Biggest margin of victory

- Top 3 games in Classic history

- Game results with MVPs for every Classic

- All-time Centercourt Classic team W/L records

 

Fun Facts

- Every Centercourt Classic has featured a team that went on to play for a state championship

- Every Centercourt Classic has featured the eventual CC MVP for WNY's Player of the Year

- A team has gone on to win a state championship following 4 of the 6 Centercourt Classics

- Canisius coach Kyle Husband earned his 400th career victory at the Centercourt Classic

- West Seneca West's Adrian Baugh scored his 1,000th career point at the Centercourt Classic

 

Record for most points scored in a game by a player:

Jakye Rainey, Nichols - 43 points  (2024)

Greg Dolan, Williamsville South - 36 points  (2018)

Willard Anderson, East - 36 points  (2018)

Max Schneider, Williamsville East - 35 points  (2022)

Carson Conley, Randolph - 33 points  (2023)

Jaiden Harrison, Timon - 32 points  (2023)

Montrice Webster, Health Sciences - 31 points  (2024)

Jakye Rainey, Nichols - 30 points  (2022)

 

Most points scored by a player all-time

Jakye Rainey, Nichols - 99 points  (2024, 2023, & 2022)

 

Most rebounds in a game

Quentin Nnagbo, Park - 18 rebounds  (2019)

 

Most points scored by a team

Niagara Falls 94 points vs Nichols (2022)

St. Joe’s 88 points vs Lew-Porter  (2020)

Health Sciences 85 points vs Nichols  (2024)

Timon 85 points vs Jamestown  (2023)

Olean 83 points vs Williamsville East  (2022)

 

Least points allowed in a game

Amherst 38 points vs St Joes  (2022)

Frontier 40 points vs Hamburg  (2022)

Olean 42 points vs St. Francis  (2019)

Canisius 44 points vs Niagara Falls  (2024)

Health Sciences 47 points vs Randolph  (2019)

 

Biggest margin of victory

 31 points - East 74, St. Mary’s 43   (2018)

 

Top three games in classic history

3. Williamsville South 82, Health Sciences, 77  (2018)

2. Salamanca 55, Randolph, 54 in OT  (2024)

1. Randolph 82, Nichols 78 in OT  (2023)

 

Game Results & MVP Awards

6th Annual Centercourt Classic

at St. Joe's in 2024

St. Joe’s 56, Amherst 48 - Game MVPs:  Cole Kaufman (St. Joe's) & Amir Dunn (Amherst)

Timon 81, Victor 57 - Game MVPs: Jaiden Harrison (Timon) & Nick Leonard (Victor)

Canisius 52, Niagara Falls 44 - Game MVPs: Nick Purdie (Canisius) & Ephraim Strong (Niagara Falls)

Salamanca 55 Randolph 54 - OT Game MVPs: Lucus Brown (Salamanca) & Drew Hind (Randolph)

Health sciences, 85, Nichols 57 - Game MVPs: Montrice Webster (Health Sciences) & Jakye Rainey (Nichols)

Jamestown 66, Saint Francis 59 - Game MVPs: Jaydian Johnson (Jamestown)  & Jeremiah Neely (St. Francis)

 

5th Annual Centercourt Classic

at Hamburg in 2023

Canisius 67, Amherst 58 - Game MVPs: Shane Cerone (Canisius) & Jordan Alexander (Amherst)

Timon 85, Jamestown 75 - Game MVPs: Jaiden Harrison (Timon) & Trey Drake (Jamestown)

Randolph 82, Nichols 78 OT - Game MVPs: Carson Conley (Randolph) & Jakye Rainey (Nichols)

Health Sciences 66, St. Joe’s 50 - Game MVPs: Xavier Benton (Health Sciences) & Isaiah Odom (St. Joe's)

Niagara Wheatfield 76, Williamsville East 54 - Game MVPs: Xander Fletcher (Niagara Wheatfield) & Mason Evans (Williamsville East)

Frontier 60, Hamburg 40 - Game MVPs: Nate Errington (Frontier) & Nolan Smith (Hamburg)

Hamburg (Girls) 57, Frontier (Girls) 29 - Game MVPs Clara Strack (Hamburg) & Mya Brown (Frontier)

 

4th Annual Centercourt Classic

at Hamburg in 2022

Canisius 68, Jamestown 54 - Game MVPs: Declan Ryan (Canisius) & Trey Drake (Jamestown)

Rochester East 68, Health Sciences 55 - Game MVPs: Damani Barley (East) & Kydale Staton (Health Sciences)

Amherst 57, St. Joe’s 38 - Game MVPs: Teddy McDuffie (Amherst) & Justin Glover (St. Joe’s)

Olean 83, Williamsville East 75 - Game MVPs: Kamdyn McLean (Olean) & Max Schneider (Williamsville East)

Niagara Falls 94, Nichols 70  - Game - MVPs: Josiah Oliver (Niagara Falls) & Jakye Rainey (Nichols)

Niagara Wheatfield 59, Iroquois 54 - Game MVPs: Xander Fletcher (Niagara Wheatfield) & Trey Kleitz (Iroquois)

Hamburg 72, Cardinal O’Hara 57 - Game MVPs: Benjamin Bills (Hamburg) & Chris Wright (Cardinal O’Hara)

 

** 2021 

The event was unable to take place in 2021 due to Covid.  The regular season was shortened to 7 weeks and restricted fan access in person. Lew-Port was set to host that year and excited to do so, with the likes of Roddy Gayle, Jalen Duff, and Coach Matt Bradshaw.

 

3rd Annual Centercourt Classic

at Williamsville North in 2020

Health Sciences 53, Canisius 48 - Game MVPs: Jonezy Jones (Health Sciences) & Eric Kegler (Canisius)

St. Joe’s 88, Lewport 64 - Game MVPs: Daesean Ashley (St. Joe’s) & Roddy Gayle (Lew-Port)

Cardinal O’Hara 59,  Middle College 53 - Game MVPs: Chris Wright (Cardinal O’Hara) & Devonte Prince (Middle College)

East 66, Nichols 54 - Game MVPs: Danny Carter (East) & Hugh Purks (Nichols)

Williamsville North 52, Jamestown 51 - Game MVPs: Brett Swiech (Williamsville North) & Demari Jones (Jamestown)

Randolph 65, Iroquois 49 - Game MVPs: Tyler Hind (Randolph) & Trey Kleitz (Iroquois)

 

2nd Annual Centercourt Classic

at Villa Maria College in 2019

Niagara Falls 72, Canisius 59 - Game MVPs: Jalen Bradberry (Niagara Falls) & Dwayne Vass (Canisius)

Park 65, Iroquois 60 - Game MVPs: Quentin Nnagbo (Park) & Keenan Robertson (Iroquois)

Olean 53, Saint Francis 42 - Game MVPs: Matt Droney (Olean) & David Bartholomew (St. Francis)

Lewport 68, St. Joe's 49 - Game MVPs: Roddy Gayle (Lew-Port) & Daesean Ashley (St. Joes)

West Seneca West 58, Timon 57 - Game MVPs: Adrian Baugh (West Seneca West) & Tahron Goudelock (Timon)

Health Sciences 65, Randolph 47 - Game MVPs: Tyron Lott (Health Sciences) & Tyler Hind (Randolph)

 

The Inaugural Centercourt Classic

at Williamsville South in 2018

Williamsville South 82, Health Sciences 77 - Game MVPs: Greg Dolan (Williamsville South) & Davante Gaines (Health Sciences)

East 74, Saint Mary’s 43 - Game MVPs: Willard Anderson (East) & Eric Brown (St. Mary’s)

Newfane 62, Ellicottville 51 - Game MVPs: Kyle DeVoogel (Newfane) & Elliot Bowen (Ellicottville)

Franklinville 81, Medina 53 - Game MVPs: Sam Erickson (Franklinville) & Jalen Cooper (Medina)

 

All-time team records at the Centertcourt Classic

Health Sciences 4–2

Canisius 3–2

St. Joe's 2–3

Randolph 2-2

Jamestown 1-3

Nichols 0-4

Niagara Falls 2-1

Timon 2-1

Amherst 1-2

Niagara Wheatfield 2-0

Olean 2–0

Cardinal O’Hara 1-1

Hamburg 1-1

Lew-Port 1-1

Iroquois 0–2

Williamsville East 0-2

St. Francis 0-2

Following teams are 1-0:  Franklinville, Newfane, Salamanca, Rochester East, West Seneca West, Williamsville North, Hamburg (girls)

Following teams are 0-1:  Ellicottville, Medina, St. Mary’s, Victor, Irondequoit, Middle College, Frontier (girls)

 

-🏀centercourt🏀

Random Smatterings: 2025 - Week 6

 

- Saturday's victory over St. Joe's marked the fourth consecutive in the series for Canisius.  The Crusaders will now assume the top spot in the local rankings, and deservedly so, as they remain undefeated against competition in NYS.  Trailing by 5 points with 2:09 left in the game, sophomore Jack Cullinan buried a 3-pointer to bring the Crusaders within 2 points of St. Joe's who they had trailed since early in the opening quarter.  Then his steal and basket in the final minute tied the game, ultimately allowing the opportunity for Nicholas Purdie to sink the game winning '3' from the corner off an assist from Patrick Cullinan.  

 

- Carson Swanson picked up 3 more 30 pieces for Westfield in victories just last week, one of them earning him 39 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists, and 8 steals.  That’s the second time this season he has scored at least 39 in a triple-double.  He also netted 34 pts in a win at at Clymer & 30 pts against Allegany-Limestone.

 

- Randolph's Broden Brooks scored all 36 of his game-high total in a win over Frewsburg from long range.  Those 12 triples were one shy of tying the local record set on February 17, 2010 when Joe Licata scored 41 points & canned 13 bombs in a 108-84 by Williamsville South at Iroquois.

 

- A couple scores to report from Randolph last week:   a 74-12 victory along with an 82-30 decision.  This includes shutting out a team out during a quarter and allowing just 7 points through three quarters in another game.  Yikes.

Middle College also got into the mix of winning games by big margins last week, steamrolling Burgard 72-20.  Undefeated Forestville even took notice, dropping a 70-22 decision on North Collins.

Ellicottville allowed just 4 points in the first half of a 45-28 victory at North Collins on Monday.  Cattaraugus-Little Valley also got defensive in the first half at Cassadaga Valley, allowing just 4 points scored by the Cougars in the first half.

 

- On Wednesday night, South and Starpoint lit up the scoreboard with the Billies taking an 89-74 decision.  The game featured 55 combined points from Carter Lampke and Nate Wilemski, along with 51 combined points from Jackson Griesmer and Cohen Vogel.

 

- Antonio Andrews now has 7 double-doubles this season, collecting two more last week.  One of them was earned in a win at Williamsville East on Wednesday when the Tigers avenged an earlier loss.  Andrews knocked down the game-winning shot from the corner with less than a second left.

 

- Amherst & South each have just one loss in ECIC II.  The Tigers took Round 1 with the rematch scheduled for January 30th at Williamsville South. 

 

- Justus Kleitz banged 10 triples in a 74-47 victory over Lackawanna, erupting for 45 points on the evening.  The outburst was two points shy of his career-high, which he also earned this season in an overtime victory against St. Mary’s, which is also the WNY season-high in 2025.

 

- Another eruption I must mention is Wilson's Aidan Neumann popping off for 40 points in a victory over MST.   The junior scored 13 times from the field, including a traditional three-point play and six 3-pointers.  The performance came the game following his 30-point game in a 77-56 win over Barker.

 

- There now have been 5 occasions in which a WNY player scored 40 or more in a game this season.  The 30-point mark has happened 61 times already in the 2025 season!

 

- Trailing by a point in the second quarter on Thursday night, Salamanca went on a 31-5 run against visiting Dunkirk to put the game out of reach quickly.

 

- Jamestown's Jaydian Johnson is the newest member of the 1,000 career point club, earning the milestone with a 34-point performance and a big victory over Frontier last week.

 

- Cheektowaga continues rolling along in league play, most recently taking a 30-point lead after three quarters on visiting Pioneer in a 71-50 win.

 

- And then there were two.  With Akron’s loss at Albion on Friday night, just Grand Island and Forestville remain undefeated in WNY this season.  That is until Sherman took down Forestville. The Vikings now stand alone.

 

- We are now down to 5 teams left in the area without a victory.  That number would be 4, however, a game against a pair of winless squads was postponed last week.

 

- Just like last year, Timon is once again, the highest scoring team in WNY this season.  They finish the season with a nonleague game at Jamestown, another team pouring in buckets at a rapid rate.  Last season, the two teams got together and fired shots until a second half avalanche in South Buffalo put the game out of reach.  Should be a much tighter contest this season and projects to be one of the most entertaining of the year.

 

 

-🏀centercourt🏀

Ranking the Top 10 Large & Small 2025 - Week 6

 

Large Schools

1. Canisius (AA) -  To be the best you’ve got beat the best and that’s exactly what the Crusaders did on Saturday afternoon against their rivals from Kenmore Avenue.  Canisius made it a defensive battle which always favors their style, even though they trailed the entire way.  Two more Top 10's on the slate this week with a nonleague game against South on Monday and another Saturday afternoon on Delaware Avenue, this time against the defending champions from Timon.

2. St. Joe's (AA) - Worked hard to build a double-digit lead at Canisius in the second half, only to watch it evaporate down the stretch.  The Marauders will have to do two things to win a title this season, get better at closing out games and beat their rivals.  Back at it against Health Sciences on Monday and then trips to O’Hara & St. Mary’s.

3. Niagara Falls (AAA) -  Found a tough test from Williamsville South on Monday night at home, but passed that challenge.  Monday, they head to Hilbert to take on another Williamsville, the Flames from East.  Then another grueling weekend tournament against teams from PA… Chester and Lower Marion.

4. Timon (AA) -  Following a 30-point win over O'Hara, the Tigers got into a battle against Nichols, but came out on top.  A rematch with league rival St. Francis at home on Wednesday night, before the first of two games against Canisius beginning Saturday afternoon.

5. Jamestown (AAA) -  The Red & Green continue to fly through league play, earning big victories over Lancaster and Frontier, then they lit up the scoreboard on Saturday afternoon in a victory over visiting St. Mary’s.  Next up for Jamestown, hosting Clarence on Wednesday and then Orchard Park on Saturday.

6. Grand Island (A1) -  The Vikings are for real, as evidenced by a comeback victory in the second half against a tough Lockport team on the road.  They finished off the week with a rout over Niagara Wheatfield.  Another quality opponent is on the slate for next week when Orchard Park visits on Tuesday, followed by a league game with North Tonawanda on Thursday.

7. Lockport (AA1) -  The Lions suffered their first league loss of the season on Tuesday night at the hands of visiting Grand Island.  Lockport will try to get right in a road trip to Lew-Port on Tuesday, before facing another quality opponent from Class A who have been rolling along, the Amherst Tigers.

8. Health Sciences (AA2) -  The Falcons take on St. Joe’s in the nightcap of the MLK event at Hilbert College on Monday night and then head to South Park Saturday afternoon.

9. Amherst (A1) -  The Tigers redeemed themselves with a late victory at Williamsville East on the last second shot from the corner made by Antonio Andrews, the double-double machine.  The winning ways continued at Hamburg and against Starpoint to close out the week.  On Wednesday night, they head to Pioneer before a nonleague challenge against Lockport at the ECIC/NFL Challenge.

10. Williamsville South (A1) -  The Billies are sure playing good basketball right now after nearly coming away with a victory in Niagara Falls on Tuesday, they defeated Starpoint and then unloaded a can on district rival Williamsville East Friday night.  Your reward Williamsville South, a date with the new WNY number one team, the Canisius Crusaders on Monday night.

 

 

Small Schools

1. Randolph (C) -  Have you seen the scores these guys are winning by down in Randolph?  Check the Random Smatterings for more on that, but suffice it to say, the Cardinals still haven’t lost a game in league play in several years and it doesn’t appear likely that’s happening this year.  Panama comes in Tuesday and then Gowanda visits Friday.

2. Westfield (C) -  More road victories for the Wolverines as their winning streak continues to mount and the points continue to pile up for Carson Swanson.  Then on Sunday afternoon, the Wolverines added another victory over a Top 10 Small School when they defeated Allegany-Limestone.  Friday night they visit Sherman.

3. Salamanca (B2) -  The Warriors remained undefeated in league play with a victory at Falconer on Monday night and a big win over Dunkirk at home Thursday.  One game on the schedule next week, at Southwestern Thursday night.

4. Akron (B1) -  After knocking off Newfane last week, the Tigers got tripped up for the first time on the season when they visited Albion.  They will take their 10-1 record into Barker on Wednesday night before hosting the Lakemen from Wilson on Friday, who continue to be a problem for teams.

5. Panama (D) -  After wins at Sherman and at home against Chautauqua Lake, the Panthers still have just one loss this season at the hands of Westfield.  Monday, they have a tough nonleague matchup with Falconer and another scheduled for Tuesday at Randolph.

6. Olmsted (B1) -  The Owls got a big victory over Middle College last week and have an idle week ahead to reset for the second half of the season and begin thinking about a postseason run.

7. Allegany-Limestone (B2) -  The Gators took their second loss of the year at Olean and then on Sunday lost for a third time against Westfield at SUNY Fredonia.  Three games ahead this week, and they’re all good ones.  Monday a nonleague matchup against Holland at JCC and on Wednesday night, a rescheduled game at Fredonia.

8. Falconer (B2) -  Rebounded from a loss to Salamanca with a victory over Southwestern.  Monday, they take on Panama at JCC and host Fredonia on Friday.

9. Wilson (B2) -  Watched the Lakemen earn an overtime victory over previously ranked MST on Monday, before another overtime victory against Medina on Friday night.  These guys have earned their place in the Top 10 and could really cement that position with a victory on Friday night in the rematch with Akron.

 

10. MST (B2) -  The Wolves bounced back from the overtime loss at Wilson to knock off Bennett by 9, followed by a 20-point win over Holland.  

 

 

-🏀centercourt🏀

Centercourt 'Game of the Week' 2025 - Game 7

 

Centercourt 'Game of the Week'

* Tuesday, January 14th at 6:30 pm *

 

Grand Island Vikings  (8-0, 3-0)

Class A1  -  NFL  -  Ranked #8

at

Lockport Lions  (7-3, 4-0)

Class AA1  -  NFL  -  Ranked #6

 

Game of the Week LINK

 

* Centercourt & 2017 Coach of the Year Ryan Mountain on the call *

** Brought to you by Empire Electric **

 

-🏀centercourt🏀

Random Smatterings: 2025 - Week 5

 

- I deserve to be fed to the gators!  After publishing rankings on Sunday and settling into some NFL playoff action, I ended up receiving a couple text messages later that night - one asking me if I forgot and the other saying they were surprised about my decision.  "Did you forget to rank A-L?" the first message read.  I have copied and pasted my response back to that text:  

"I forgot to rank them 🤢.  Like I didn't forget about them, I just pasted the teams from last time and pulled them out to move them down and somehow lost my way.  I feel so stupid."

Allegany-Limestone arrived at Salamanca last week undefeated and I had them as the #3 ranked small school going in.  Due to the 19-point loss, I had intended to move them from #3 down to #5.  My mistake and my sincere apologies to the Allegany-Limestone Gators.

 

- Westfield's Carson Swanson did 2K the right way, earning the 2,000+ point career milestone and an 87–40 victory over Maple Grove at home.  The senior dropped a 43-point triple-double on the evening, with 12 steals & 10 assists.

 

- Tacari McCray accounted for 28 of his teams 47 points last week in Olmsted’s one-point victory at MST.

- CSAT picked up just their second victory of the season, but it came against a quality opponent in BASCS by six points, led by a game-high 27 points from James Floyd, and 22 points from Jayden Adams.

 

- Medina sophomore Preston Woodworth has been solid all season for the Mustangs and just scored a career high 33-points in the Mustangs 71–43 win over Newfane.

 

- Akron sophomore Derren Brooks is a legitimate big man for the Tigers and is part of what makes his team so imposing.  He scored 15 points, grabbed 13 boards, & swatted 4 shots in the victory at Roy-Hart last week.

 

- Speaking of Roy-Hart, I hit the jackpot by heading there on Tuesday last week with one of the best games I’ve seen all season...a one-point victory for visiting Akron to remain undefeated.  Dan Aquilina, a senior who is averaging 18.1 points & 6.9 rebounds per game for the Rams, scored 14 of his 24 points in the second half, drilled three big triples to change the momentum of the game, and grabbed 13 rebounds on the night.

 

- If you’ve never been to 'The Barn' in Roy-Hart for a game, it’s a great place to watch one with tight spaces - you get that small school feel for a high school game.  Also, the cheerleaders there, along with their coach, are accommodating, gracious, and lovely.  They were kind enough to share their cheer space when 'Johnny -Come-Lately' came strolling in right before warm-ups for the varsity game. 

- Cheektowaga is 6-2 on the season and looks to have early control in ECIC III following a 17-point victory at Iroquois, who just earned a victory over Pioneer in the same league.

 

- Amherst picked up bounce back wins over Sweet Home and Williamsville South last week with Elijah Dixon continuing to light up the scoreboard.  The senior guard is averaging 27 points over his last three outings.  In the victory against Sweet Home, they also got a triple-double from Adam Sarzynski & a double-double from Antonio Andrews.

 

- Elijah Farmer was just two dimes short of a triple-double in Jamestown's 30-point victory at Williamsville North last week.

 

- Chris Fagnan registered a career high 27 points in the Spartans loss to Jamestown.  The Williamsville North freshman is averaging 14.6 per routing on the season.

 

- Max Mancabelli and Brody Monaco each missed just one shot from the field in nine attempts during Orchard Parks 87–58 win at Lancaster.  Mancabelli also added 7 steals & 5 assists in the win.

 

- After starting the year 0–6, East has rattled off 4 consecutive victories.

 

- Randolph led Silver Creek 47–8 at halftime on Friday night.

 

- Health Sciences took a 74-7 lead into the final frame against I-Prep on Wednesday.

 

- 11 Marauders scored in St. Joe's 30-point victory over St. Francis on Tuesday.

 

- Portville junior Aiden DeFazio scored a career high 32-points in an 81–28 victory over Cassadaga Valley.

 

- Timon freshman Malak Bontzolakes is shooting 45% from beyond the ark on 31 attempts and is perfect from the free throw stripe this season through 11 games.

- Franklinville did not allow a field goal in the first half against North Collins on Thursday, taking a 31–1 lead to halftime en route to a 64–20 victory.

 

- Forestville scored 36 points in the opening quarter against West Valley on Monday, the same number of points allowed the entire game, a 83–36 win.

 

- Speaking of Forestville, they are 1 of 3 remaining undefeated teams in WNY, along with Grand Island & Akron.  I’m predicting the good times don’t last beyond Monday night, when the Hornets head to Franklinville.  Grand Island receives a huge test on Tuesday night at Lockport, while Akron is in a good position to show up at the Centercourt Classic on January 31st unblemished, that is if they can win a second time over Wilson and not get tripped up at Medina on the 28th.

- Still 7 teams without a win out there in WNY.

 

- High school players will try to mimic everything they see in college & the pros, with the exception of going to the middle of the scorer's table and sitting down when they want to sub in.  In most cases, they half squat in front of the person trying to do the scorebook, until tell them to either sit or go to the middle of the table because they can't see.  

 

- Frank Wolf asked me during our weekly show what 3 gyms I am most excited to walk into a game for.  After reflecting on the question, I realized that my three favorite gyms that I've always looked the most forward to walking into were #BuffState, JCC, & the arena in Glens Falls.

 

 

-🏀centercourt🏀

Ranking the Top 10 Large & Small 2025 - Week 5

 

Large Schools

1. St. Joe's (AA) - After flying past St. Francis by 30, the Marauders earned a 10-point victory in South Buffalo, something they didn’t even do during the 2021 Manhattan Cup Championship season.  The big week is here finally, so after a trip to Park on Monday, preparations will be in full swing for a Saturday afternoon dance at…

2. Canisius (AA) - Delaware Avenue, Home of the Canisius Crusaders, a team who has owned the rivalry series with St. Joe’s on the hardwood.  These guys aren’t buying the power shift suggestion from my season preview for one minute and aim to show WNY who the real McCoy is on Saturday.  They earned a couple victories over Nichols & Park last week, and will need to do the same at St. Francis on Monday.  Then we get to finally watch the top two teams in the area dance! 

3. Niagara Falls (AAA) - Nothing to report here on the Wolverines front, except a pair of double-digit victories over a pair of programs you may have heard of… Health Sciences & Aquinas.  Falls is really good, something Williamsville South will find out on Monday night when they visit the Cataract City.

4. Timon (AA) -  Knocked off Park to start the week off, before falling at home to St. Joe's on Friday.  The Tigers get right back to it on Monday with a trip to O’Hara and then host another Friday night special, this time against what has been a most competitive Nichols squad.

5. Jamestown (AAA) -  The Red & Green are going to start calling league games 'Hammer Time' if this keeps up.  A 30-point victory at Williamsville North, followed by a 21-point victory at Orchard Park make it three straight double-digit victories in league play to open the season.  They return to the cozy confines of 'The Mac' and will try to keep that trend going with visits from Lancaster & Frontier this week, before ending the week with a nongame against St. Mary’s on Saturday. 

6. Lockport (AA1) -  Earned a hard-fault victory over visiting Ken West by just three points, before returning to form with a 40-point blowout at CSAT.  The energy should be at a fever pitch on Tuesday night when undefeated Grand Island visits, can’t wait!

7. Health Sciences (AA2) -  Took an early 9-point lead on Niagara Falls Thursday night, before getting schooled for three quarters.  The Falcons are winning their Yale Cup games by an average margin of 48 points, a 61-point margin if you take out the McKinley win by eight points.  They face Hutch-Tech for a second time on Friday.

8. Grand Island (A1) -  Knocked off Ken East by 28 points and then took down Maritime by a lot more than that.  Time to find out how good these Vikings really are on Tuesday when they put their 8-0 record on the line against a most legitimate Lockport team at the Lions' Den.

9. Amherst (A1) -  Bounced back with a 13-point victory at Sweet Home and then earned their way into the rankings with a 13-point win over rival South on Friday.  The division in ECIC II has started off every bit as competitive as it looked like it would and there’s plenty more fun ahead with Amherst taking to the road for games at Williamsville East and Hamburg, before finishing the week with a third straight Friday night home game, this time against Starpoint.

10. Williamsville South (A1) -  Improved to 6–1 with a 12-point win at Hamburg to start the week before the rubber met the road on Friday night and the Billies were forced to hand over possession of Main Street at the hands of Amherst.  Besides the ultra competitive league they moved into, they also signed up for a grueling nonleague schedule to prepare for another championship run this season.  They won’t find many challenges bigger than the one they signed up for on Monday, a trip to Niagara Falls.   Right back at it on Wednesday against Starpoint, and then their first of two tilts with Williamsville East on Friday.  So many good games to monitor this season, love this stuff!

 

Small Schools

1. Randolph (C) -  The team that hasn’t lost a league game in years is up to their old tricks, demolishing divisional opponents again.  A win at Portville by 34 points was followed by a 72–19 shellacking of Silver Creek.  So great news for Frewsburg and Cassadaga Valley, the two teams that host the Cardinals this week. 

2. Westfield (C) -  A 47-point victory over Maple Grove on 2K night in Swanson Land was followed by a 16-point victory over Chautauqua Lake.  Undefeated locally with games at Brocton and then against Clymer on the slate this week.

3. Salamanca (B2) -  One of those Class C teams is going to have to lose for me to move the Warriors ahead of them, but they have certainly handed in an application that would qualify them for a higher ranking.  A 25-point win over Niagara Wheatfield followed by a 19-point victory over previously undefeated Allegany-Lmestone.  Yes, Lucus graduated, it’s just those Southern Tier hoop teams you know?  Salamanca heads to Falconer on Monday and then welcomes in Dunkirk Thursday.  I know I said I wouldn’t make it down before the 28th, but you’ve got me reconsidering plans.

4. Akron (B1) -  All these guys do is win exciting games...well at least that was the case last week.  I got to watch an exciting one-point victory for the Tigers against an equally tough Roy-Hart squad, and then predicted a thriller that delivered just that, when North Tonawanda visited Friday night.  Akron earned their second overtime victory of the season against the Jacks that night after taking down BASCS in the extra session before the holiday break.  Those are the kind of games you need to play in!  

5. Panama (D) -  Victors for the third straight time by a lot of points when they knocked off Clymer last week.  The Panthers are at Sherman on Monday and then host Chautauqua Lake on Thursday night.

6. Falconer (B2) -  Suffered a tough three-point loss at Allegany-Limestone last week.   Any sting left from that one would be long gone with a victory over visiting Salamanca on Monday night.  They also visit Southwestern on Thursday and take on Rochester SOTA at SUNY Fredonia on Sunday.

7. Holland (C) -  The Dutchmen stated their case with a 57-55 victory over Olmsted and now sit at 8-3 on the season with no bad losses.  They’ll get a chance to add a couple good victories to their résumé against a pair of teams just under them in these rankings, with games against Eden and MST coming up.

8. Olmsted (B1) -  After getting clipped by Holland, they were the ones doing the clipping when they took a one-point decision over MST on Wednesday.   The Owls will go for the season sweep over Middle College on Wednesday.

9. MST (B2) -  The Wolves dropped a heartbreaker against Olmsted on Wednesday and are now eyeing up three more tough games this week, been beginning with a trip to Wilson, where a victory will not come easy, if at all.  On Wednesday, they host Bennett and then Saturday they take on Holland over at McKinley.

10. Eden (B2) -  Remember these guys?  The Raiders are still playing good basketball this season and they’ve earned their place in these rankings.  They will need a victory on Monday against visiting Tapestry, a team they’ve already defeated once.  Then on Wednesday, Holland comes to town.

 

-🏀centercourt🏀

Centercourt 'Game of the Week' 2025 - Game 6

Centercourt 'Game of the Week'

* Thursday, January 9th at 7 pm *

 

Niagara Falls Wolverines  (3-5)

Class AAA  -  Independent  -  Ranked #3

at

Health Sciences Falcons  (5-2, 4-0)

Class AA2  -  Yale Cup I  -  Ranked #6

 

Game of the Week LINK

 

* Centercourt & 2017 Coach of the Year Ryan Mountain on the call *

** Brought to you by Empire Electric **

 

-🏀centercourt🏀

Random Smatterings: 2025 - Week 4

 

- In 2023, Niagara Falls had a 23-point lead at halftime over Canisius, but behind Shane Cerone’s career-high 43 points, the Crusaders won that game in overtime.  Last season, Canisius trailed by 13 points against Niagara Falls, but a 27-4 run flipped the game.  On Saturday afternoon, the Crusaders trailed by 16 points, before a 29-3 run got them back in a position to win.

 

- Saturday's game between Canisius and Niagara Falls was just the 6th time the two teams have squared off in the last 15 years, with the Crusaders winning the four most recent meetings.   Canisius hosted matchups in 2011 2020, and this season. The other three games were played on a neutral court, in 2019 at the Centercourt Classic, Hilbert in 2023, and last season at D’Youville. 

 

- Kirill Sorkin and Elijah Dixon treated fans to a classic scorer's duel on Friday night, going back-and-forth with big moments and big shots as both players finished with 35 points by game’s end.  It was a career-high mark for both players.  

 

- The 80-69 victory for Williamsville East at Amherst on Friday night was the first league loss for the Tigers since January 11, 2022 (at Will East), snapping a 32-game league winning streak.  The victory for the Flames was the first time Amherst has lost a league game at home since February 13, 2018 against Hamburg.  The last time the Tigers had lost by double figures at home was against the Gabe Michael & Greg Dolan led Williamsville South Billies on December 22, 2017.

 

- Iroquois junior Justus Kleitz dropped a career-high 47 points in an overtime victory against St. Mary’s and followed it up with two more performances of 30+ points.  His career scoring total is now past the halfway point to the all-time record set by Jaiden Harrison last season.  More importantly, he has led his team to a 6-1 start to the season.

- Kleitz is one of two players along with Westfield's Carson Swanson to have four games of 30 points or more this season. Falconer's Roger Markham has done it three times, while Tacari McCray (Olmsted), Chris Krencik (Eden), Jackson Griesmer (Starpoint), Carson Kwiatkowski (Allegany-Limestone), & Carter Brink (Panama) have all accomplished it twice.

 

- Two of Falconer junior  Roger Markham games over 30 points came against the same opponent, Dunkirk , with the 2nd coming in an overtime victory against the visiting Marauders.

 

- There have been 38 occasions so far this season where a WNY player has netted 30+ points in a game.

 

- Some recent Tournament MVPs:

Frewsburg Tournament - Roger Markham (Falconer),  Live Like Luca Tournament - Matt Zielinski (St. Francis), Westfield Winter Classic - Carson Swanson (Westfield), Clarence Tournament - Riley Lincoln (Clarence), Greg Martin Tournament at Iroquois - Justus Kleitz (Iroquois), Maryvale Tournament - Jaleel Flowers (BASCS), CCA Tournament - Jayce Wylke (Grand Island), & Tully Tournament - Drew Hind (Randolph). 

 

- The Tonawanda Timberwolves have played just three games this season.

 

- At the Hoops for Hope Tournament over break, the Fairport/Timon game was one of the best I’ve watched this season.  Nakyhi Harris had just scored with 5 seconds left to put the Tigers in front, before the Red Raiders went the length of the court and got a corner 3-pointer at the buzzer from Landon Brunken off an incredible assist from Leshard Lowry.

 

- The last second victory for Fairport prevented a game taking place between Health Sciences and Timon, instead moving Fairport onto the championship game.  These two annual Top 10 programs in WNY should be getting together on the hardwood every season to entertain fans.

 

- The Hoops for Hope Tournament was my first look at Health Sciences on the new season.  The additions of Nas Young and Zayvion Hawkins to the backcourt and the way the Falcons are able to attack offensively reminds me similarly of when they had Amir Moye and Xavier Benton in that same role.  Two players who really stood out for Health over the two games were Joel Ball and Angel Pedro.

 

- Antonio Andrews recorded a 22 point/20 rebound double-double in Amherst's 72–53 win over McKinley.  In that same game, junior Adam Sarzynski earned a triple-double with 15 points, 12 dimes, & 10 boards.

 

- Without naming the team, there was an instance recently where a team was left looking for a game after deciding not to reschedule, due to the reason in the game was postponed in the first place.  A team actually backed out of a contest because a player was on vacation and another was injured and thought their opponent would kindly reschedule.  You can’t make this stuff up! 

- Grand Island senior Jayce Wylke scored 26 points in the team's victory over CSAT on Friday night, which placed him in the career 1000 point club.

 

- The change in venue for the NYSSPA state championships to Binghamton has also tweaked the format for the times games are played.  This season a state championship game in Class B will be played at 10 am and a state championship game in Class A tips at 11:45 am.  I just want know why there is such a hurry to get home on a Sunday night that games couldn't at least start in the afternoon hour as they always have for at least 40 years?  These kids will have reached a state championship, and it says to me that there is more concern for getting home from a long weekend than allowing the game to be played at an appropriate championship time.  It's rare to see a random nonleague game on a Saturday in January tip prior to noon or 1 pm.  I think the kids deserve better here.   

 

- Just 6 teams remain unbeaten in WNY on the season:  

Grand Island, Orchard Park, Akron, Olmsted, Allegany-Limestone, and Forestville.

 

- There are still 8 teams in WNY without a victory on the season.

Grand Island, Orchard Park, Health Sciences, McKinley, and Westfield all continue to have a point differential over +20.

 

- The 8 highest scoring teams in WNY in order this season:  

Grand Island, Timon, Westfield, McKinley, Panama, Lockport, Cheektowaga, & Orchard Park.

 

- The 8 teams allowing the fewest points this season in order:  

Grand Island, Randolph, Health Sciences, Allegany-Limestone, Forestville, Westfield, Silver Creek, and Salamanca.

 

-🏀centercourt🏀

Ranking the Top 10 Large & Small 2025 - Week 4

 

Large Schools

1. St. Joe's (AA) - A 12-point win at Niagara Falls is enough for me to keep the Marauders in the top spot, despite a disappointing showing on the road at Albany Academy, ranked #1 in NYS Class AA.  They take to the road this week for a pair of league games at St. Francis and then a Friday night tilt with Timon. 

2. Canisius (AA) - Traveled to New Orleans over Christmas break for a Jesuit Tournament and returned home with one victory over Regis and a pair of losses to out-of-state teams.  Began the New Year with an exciting one-point victory over visiting Niagara Falls.  The Crusaders will host Nichols and Park this week.

3. Niagara Falls (AAA) - Not too many teams would remain #3 in WNY coming off of four straight losses.  However, they took a long trip to Rome  Free Academy, a team highly ranked in NYS Class AAA above Falls, for one of those losses, another at Cicero-North Syracuse, and the other two to the teams ranked ahead of them locally.  They do own a win over Timon and they visit Health Sciences on Thursday night, where a win would keep everything in perspective.

4. Timon (AA) - Knocked off Pioneer after falling the day prior at the buzzer to Fairport in overtime.  The Tigers also added a 30-point win over Lackawanna on Thursday.  After a visit to Park on Tuesday, Timon will prepare for a Friday night special against #1 ranked St. Joes.

5. Jamestown (AAA) - Long road trips north for afternoon games, one over break at Sweet Home, and the other on a Saturday at Clarence.  Jamestown took home a pair of wins from both trips and presumably snagged some pizza for the ride back.  Two more road trips north this week, first at Williamsville North and then a Saturday afternoon affair with undefeated Orchard Park.

6. Health Sciences (AA2) - Looked thoroughly impressive in a 63-27 win against Pioneer in the Hoops for Hope Tournament, before falling short of the mark against tournament champion Fairport the following day.  Big Health has a big game on Thursday night against an angry Falls squad riding a four-game skid.

7. Lockport (AA1) - Bounced back from a loss at Rush-Henrietta over break to make quick work of North Tonawanda on Friday night.  The Lions will look to remain undefeated in league play, beginning with a visit from Kenmore West.

8. Williamsville South (A1) - Improved to 5-1 on the season, collecting wins at Webster Schroder over break and then at Sweet Home on Friday night.  The Billies can claim sole possession of first place in ECIC II with a pair of victories this week.  They host Hamburg on Monday, a team coming off a victory at Starpoint.  Then, on Friday night, they travel down Main Street, a street they currently own, to put possession of the pavement on the line at Amherst.

9. Orchard Park (AA1) -  Now sitting at 4-0 after a 31-point win at Frontier on Saturday.  The Quakers will get ready for a huge early season league battle with reigning champ Jamestown on Saturday afternoon by making the trip to Lancaster on Tuesday night.

10. Grand Island (A1) -  It has been full throttle for the Vikings through their first six wins of the season, boasting the best point differential in WNY, including a 33-point win over CSAT on Friday night.

 

Small Schools

1. Randolph (C) -  Defeated Southwestern over break and then emerged victorious on the road at the Tully Tournament.  The Cardinals begin league play this week at Portville on Monday and then host Silver Creek on Thursday.

2. Westfield (C) -  Winners of the Westfield Winter Classic over break to improve their record to 8-1 on the season.  The Wolverines can make it 10-0 with victories over visiting Maple Grove and Chautauqua Lake in the days ahead.

3. Allegany-Limestone (B2) -  The team that reached Glens Falls in 2022 is once again making a lot of noise down south. Victories over Cuba-Rushford, Bradford, and Fredonia have the Gators sitting at 7–0 on the season.  They host Falconer on Monday night and then take to the road for a big one at Salamanca on Thursday, so the Gators will get a couple nice tests in the no-nights-off CCAA I West.

4. Salamanca (B2) -  Handled Bradford before dropping their first game of the season to Wellsville the following day.  The sting of their first loss propelled them to a lopsided win at Cleveland Hill, followed by a convincing victory against Southwestern.  The Warriors welcome Niagara Wheatfield to the Southern Tier on Tuesday, ahead of that huge league battle with the undefeated Gators.

5. Akron (B1) -  Conversely, the Tigers from Akron have yet to let a team get within 10 points of them in league play up north in the N-O through four contests.  They will try to keep that trend going on the road at Roy-Hart, never an easy facility to play at, and then host North Tonawanda for a nonleague game at the end of the week. 

6. Panama (D) -  It was like old times down in Panama on Friday night with a Barmore swinging from the rim and the team celebrating a victory.  This time it was a 91–46 blitzing Gowanda.  On Wednesday night they host Clymer.

7. Olmsted (B1) -  Defeated Middle College by 10 points to remain undefeated on the season heading into a week with three games on the slate.  The Owls begin by traveling to Holland and then to MST on Tuesday night in what should be a most interesting game to monitor.  They finish off the week versus Burgard.

8. Fredonia (B1) -  Knocked off Park in the first round of the Clarence Tournament, before falling to the hosts on the following day.  Then the Hillbillies lost again at Allegany-Limestone on Friday by 17.  They'll look to get back in the win column against visiting Olean and Dunkirk this week.

9. Falconer (B2) -  Avenged an earlier loss to Dunkirk and then earned a pair of victories over Chautauqua Lake to improve their record to 6-3 on the season.  The Golden Falcons head to undefeated Allegany-Limestone on Monday night.

10. MST (B2) -  Tough call for the last spot.  Why not Middle College who just beat them handily over break?  Why not Global Concepts, who have only lost to CG Finney & O'Hara?  Why not Forestville, who is undefeated?  Instead of answering why not, here's why...call it a hunch.  Christmas break games can be deceiving.  Resumes boasting quality wins are lacking for any team vying for this spot.  I like the roster at MST.  I like the coach.  I believe their best is yet to come and they will back this up with a strong showing, or even a win, when they host undefeated Olmsted on Tuesday.  If I'm wrong, I'll own it and reassess the situation next week.

 

-🏀centercourt🏀

Centercourt 'Game of the Week' 2025 - Game 5

 

Centercourt 'Game of the Week'

* Friday, January 3rd at 7 pm *

Williamsville East Flames  (3-3, 0-1)

Class AA2  -  ECIC II

at

Amherst Tigers  (6-0, 0-0)

Class A1 - ECIC II

 

Game of the Week Link

 

* Centercourt & 2017 Coach of the Year Ryan Mountain on the call *

** Brought to you by Empire Electric **

 

-🏀centercourt🏀