Niagara Catholic
Thursday, November 15, 2018
Monday, April 23, 2018
All-State Teams 2018: Classes B, C, & D
(Willard Anderson of East High is the NYS Class D Player of the Year /Photo: Harry Scull,Buffalo News)
Class B
First Team: Davonte Gaines (Health Sciences)
Second Team: Mike Schmidt (Olean)
Third Team: Justin Hemphill (Cardinal O'Hara)
Fourth Team: Kam Briggs (Health Sciences)
Fifth Team: Jalen Bradberry (Niagara Catholic)
Eighth Team: Nate Brawdy (Gowanda)
Ninth Team: Mason Goodridge (Springville)
Tenth Team: Jalin Cooper (Medina)
Eleventh Team: Hakeem Dobbins (Middle College)
Twelfth Team: Christian Szablewski (St. Mary's)
Fourteenth Team: Devaun Farnham (Dunkirk)
Honorable Mention: Nasir Benton (Cardinal O'Hara), Chad Biersbach (Depew), Aziyon Clemons (Middle College), Kyle DeVoogel (Newfane), Max Weber (Newfane)
Class C
First Team: Devin Pope (Chautauqua Lake)
Second Team: Tyler Hind (Randolph)
Third Team: Dorian Plummer (Tapestry)
Sixth Team: Tariq Eubanks (Tapestry)
Seventh Team: Sam Flanders (Allegany-Limestone)
Eighth Team: Carlos Rosa (Lafayette)
Ninth Team: Hercules Rasha (Salamanca)
Ninth Team: Michael Wolfgang (Allegany-Limestone)
Honorable Mention: Jarmani Benton (Silver Creek), Brady Woleben (Silver Creek)
Class D
Player of the Year: Willard Anderson (East)
First Team: Justin Allen (East)
First Team: Elliot Bowen (Ellicottville)
First Team: Sam Erickson (Franklinville)
Fifth Team: Isaac Kopp (Franklinville)
Seventh Team: Griffin Chudy (Ellicottville)
Honorable Mention: Darren Clark (Franklinville), Jared Gleason (Sherman), Austin Grinols (Ellicottville), Waunya Shaw (East), Jahahd Maryon (East)
To view the complete All-State Teams for Classes B, C, & D - Click HERE
-centercourt
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
The 2018 All-Centercourt Team: The Best in WNY
The 2018 CC MVP
Greg Dolan - Williamsville South, Senior
28.6 PPG / 8.8 RPG / 7.1 SPG / 6.9 APG
- The first ever four-time All-Centercourt player
- Voted All-ECIC Player of the Year
- Voted ECIC II Player of the Year
- Selected to the Section VI Class A1 All-Tournament Team
- Game MVP at the Centercourt Classic
- Selected to Chaminade All-Tournament Team
- Selected to Canisius' Tom Keenan All-Tournament Team
- Scored a career-high 47 points in a win at O'Hara
- Scored over 30 points in eight games & over 20 points in 20 games
- Sat the entire 4th quarter of nine games this season
- Holds school records for career points, rebounds, steals, & wins
- Two-time All-Centercourt Defender
- Career 2,000 point scorer
(Photo: Buffalo News)
First Team All-Centercourt
Noah Hutchins - Park, Junior
13.1 PPG / 6.6 APG / 5.0 RPG / 2.6 SPG / 1.3 BPG
- Returning All-Centercourt selection
- NYS Federation Class A Champion
- MVP of the NYS Class A Federation Tournament
- Scored 19 of 24 points in 2nd half of the Federation Final
- Scored 8 points in the last minute of the Federation Final
- Hit the game-winner at the buzzer of the Federation Final
- Game MVP at The Park School Showcase
- Dished 18 assists in a win over St. Mary's
- Scored a season-high 27 points in a win over Middle College
- Shot over 57% from the field on the season
- Two-time member of the Centercourt #BOOM Squad
- Two-time All-Centercourt Defender
(Photo: Larry Scheur)
Dan Scott - Park, Junior
16.9 PPG / 2.8 APG / 2.7 RPG / 1.9 SPG / 1.0 BPG
- Returning All-Centercourt selection
- NYS Federation Class A Champion
- NYS Class A Federation All-Tournament Team
- Scored over 20 points in nine games
- Scored a season-high 26 points in a win over Niagara Catholic
- Scored 25 points in a win over Canisius
- Efficient scorer that shot over 50% from the field
- Connected on 3-pointers 64 times this season
- Two-time member of the Centercourt #BOOM Squad
- Two-time All-Centercourt Defender
- Career 1,000 point scorer
(Photo: Larry Scheur)
Willard Anderson - East, Senior
25.7 PPG / 6.3 APG / 6.1 RPG / 3.2 SPG / 0.5 BPG
- Returning All-Centercourt selection
- MVP of the NYSPHAA Class D State Championship
- MVP of the Section VI Class D Tournament
- Game MVP at the Centercourt Classic
- Game MVP at the Bishop Kearney Showcase
- Game MVP at the Cataract City Classic
- Scored a season-high 41 points in a win over I-Prep
- Scored over 30 points in seven games & 19 games over 20 points
- Career 1,000 Point scorer
(Photo: Buffalo News)
Davonte Gaines - Health Sciences, Senior
18.0 PPG / 8.8 RPG / 5.2 APG / 4.2 SPG / 2.5 BPG
- Returning All-Centercourt selection
- Player of the Year in Charter Cup
- MVP of the Section VI Class B2 Tournament
- MVP of Lancaster Tip-Off Tournament
- MVP of St. Francis Christmas Tournament
- Game MVP at the Centercourt Classic
- Scored a career-high 52 points in a win over BASCS
- Scored over 30 points twice & 10 games over 20 points
- Had 22 double-doubles, 4 triple-doubles & 3 quad-doubles
- Two-time member of the Centercourt #BOOM Squad
- Career 1,000 point Scorer
(Photo: Buffalo News)
Juston Johnson - West Seneca West, Junior
24.8 PPG / 8.0 APG / 7.3 RPG / 3.4 SPG
- Voted First Team All-ECIC
- Voted ECIC I Player of the Year
- MVP of the Section VI Class A1 Tournament
- MVP of the Pioneer Motorsports Tournament
- Scored a career-high 43 points in a win over South Park (school record)
- Scored over 40 points twice, five games over 30 points, & 13 games over 20 points
- Registered four triple-doubles & 17 double-doubles
- Set the school record for points in a season (619)
- Career 1,000 point scorer
(Photo: Buffalo News)
Second Team All-Centercourt
Devin Pope - Chautauqua Lake, Senior
30.2 PPG / 9.3 RPG / 4.3 SPG / 2.8 APG / 1.0 BPG
- Returning All-Centercourt selection
- Voted Player of the Year in CCAA I West
- Section VI Class C All-Tournament Team
- Game MVP Honors at the United Way Showcase
- Led all Section VI players in points per game
- Scored a career-high 52 points in a win over Panama
- Scored over 40 points four times, 13 games over 30 points, & 17 games over 20 points
- Had a triple-double (40 pts, 18 boards, & 12 steals) against Franklinville
- Career 2,000 point scorer
(Photo: Dunkirk Observer)
Ryan Bradley - Canisius, Senior
12.4 PPG / 8.0 RPG / 2.4 APG / 1.2 BPG / 1.0 SPG
- Returning All-Centercourt selection
- Voted Monsignor Martin Player of the Year
- Tom Keenan All-Tournament Team
- Scored a career-high 32 points in a win over St. Joe's
- Recorded a double-double in a win over Irondequoit
- Scored over 20 points in six games
- Member of the Centercourt #BOOM Squad
- WNY's top big man
(Photo: Buffalo News)
Jayce Johnson - Canisius, Senior
12.6 PPG / 6.1 RPG / 3.4 APG / 1.3 SPG / 0.9 BPG
- Returning All-Centercourt selection
- Voted First Team All-Catholic
- MVP of the Tom Keenan Tournament
- Scored a season-high 24 points in a win at Aquinas
- Two-time member of the Centercourt #BOOM Squad
- Three-time All-Centercourt Defender
(Photo: Buffalo News)
Julian Cunningham - Timon, Junior
18.5 PPG / 4.1 APG / 4.0 RPG / 1.9 SPG
- Returning All-Centercourt selection
- Voted First Team All-Catholic
- Bishop Kearney Tournament All-Tournament Team
- Scored a career-high 28 points against Park
- Finished with 27 & 26 points in wins over St. Francis & St. Mary's
- Scored over 20 points in six games
- Shot 50% from 3-point range
- Team leader in points, assists, & steals
- Two-time All-Centercourt Defender
- Career 1,000 point scorer
Trevor Book - North Tonawanda, Senior
25.5 PPG / 9.1 RPG / 3.0 APG / 2.2 SPG / 1.4 BPG
- Returning All-Centercourt selection
- Voted First Team Niagara Frontier League
- Section VI All-Tournament Team
- MVP of the Jolly Boys' Bob Hettler Tournament
- Scored a career-high 40 pts w/ 8 treys in a win at Ken West
- Scored over 25 points in 11 games & 16 games over 20 points
- Holds school records for pts in a season (536) & career 3-pointers (144)
- Career 1,000 point scorer
Third Team All-Centercourt
Austin James - Canisius, Senior
13.8 PPG / 3.6 RPG / 3.0 APG / 1.2 SPG
- Voted First Team All-Catholic
- Tom Keenan All-Tournament Team
- Scored a season-high 28 points in a win - over Park
- Recorded a double-double in a win at St. Francis
- Scored over 20 points in five games
- Member of the Centercourt #BOOM Squad
Master Radford - Timon, Senior
13.8 PPG / 9.8 RPG / 4.5 BPG / 1.2 APG / 0.8 SPG
- Voted First Team All-Catholic
- MVP of the Bishop Kearney Tournament
- - Scored a career-high 34 pts & with 20 boards in a win over Notre Dame (Ontario)
- Recorded one triple-double & eight double-doubles on the season
- Had 19 points, 11 boards, & 9 blocks in a win over St. Francis
- Led all WNY players in blocked shots
- Member of the Centercourt #BOOM Squad
- 2018 All-Centercourt Defender
- WNY's top post defender
(Photo: Buffalo News)
Mike Schmidt - Olean, Junior
16.6 PPG / 6.4 APG / 5.2 RPG / 3.5 SPG
- Voted Player of the Year in CCAA I West
- MVP of the Section VI Class B1 Tournament
- MVP of the Olean HS Tip-Off Tournament
- MVP of the IAABO Tournament
- Scored a season-high 29 points in a win over Gowanda & had seven games over 20 points
- Recorded 15 assists in a win over Chautauqua Lake
- Registered two triple-doubles on the season and six double-doubles
- 2018 All-Centercourt Defender
(Photo: Buffalo News)
Justin Hemphill - Cardinal O'Hara, Junior
20.5 PPG / 13.5 RPG / 3.5 APG / 2.6 SPG / 2.6 BPG
- Player of the Year in Monsignor Martin Class B
- Scored over 30 points in three games & 14 games over 20 points
- Scored a season-high 34 with 17 boards against Canisius
- Recorded 23 double-doubles on the year
- Had 27 points & 20 rebounds in a win over Niagara Catholic
- Holds school record for career rebounds (847)
- Member of the Centercourt #BOOM Squad
- Career 1,000 point scorer
(Photo: Buffalo News)
Jalen Bradberry - Niagara Catholic, Freshman
20.3 PPG / 4.6 RPG / 2.4 APG / 2.1 SPG / 0.7 BPG
- Selected MVP of the Manhattan Cup in Class B
- Voted First Team All-Catholic
- MVP of the Wilson Tip-Off Tournament
- Earned Game MVP at the Cataract City Classic
- Scored a season-high 31 points in a win over O'Hara
- Scored over 20 points in 11 games, including 29 & 27 twice
- Knocked down 65 treys on the season
(Photo: Buffalo News)
Fourth Team All-Centercourt
Justin Allen - East, Senior
15.0 PPG / 12.7 RPG / 2.8 SPG / 2.5 BPG / 2.5 APG
- NYSPHAA State Championship All-Tournament Team
- Section VI Class D All-Tournament Team
- Scored over 20 points in seven games
- Hauled in over 20 rebounds in 3 games
- Recorded 20 double-doubles on the season
- Erupted for 27 pts & 20 rebounds in Regional win over Clyde-Savannah
- Had 64 points & 49 boards over last 3 games (Regional & State Tournament)
- Member of the Centercourt #BOOM Squad
(Photo: Buffalo News)
Sam Erickson - Franklinville, Senior
21.0 PPG / 11.2 RPG / 3.1 APG / 2.5 SPG / 2.1 BPG
- Returning All-Centercourt selection
- Voted Player of the Year in CCAA II East
- Section VI Class D All-Tournament Team
- MVP of Rick Hughes Memorial Tournament
- IAABO All-Tournament Team
- Game MVP at the Centercourt Classic
- Game MVP at the Cataract City Classic
- Scored a season-high 36 points & 13 boards in a sectional win over Panama
- Scored over 30 points twice & 12 games over 20 points
- Recorded 14 double-doubles
- Career 1,000 point scorer
(Photo: Buffalo News)
Elliot Bowen - Ellicottville, Senior
19.7 PPG / 12.6 RPG / 2.7 BPG / 2.0 SPG
- Returning All-Centercourt selection
- First Team All-State as a sophomore & as a junior
- Voted Player of the Year in CCAA II East
- Section VI Class D All-Tournament Team
- MVP of the Joe Decerbo Tournament
- MVP of the Holiday Valley Tournament
- Salamanca Tip-Off All-Tournament Team
- Game MVP Honors at the Centercourt Classic
- Had two games over 30 points & 20 rebounds
- Scored over 20 points in 13 games & eight games over 15 rebounds
- Registered 18 double-doubles
- Ellicottville's All-Time leader in points (1,586) & Rebounds (1,079)
(Photo: Buffalo News)
Jack Capen - St. Joe's, Senior
24.4 PPG / 7.1 RPG / 1.3 SPG / 1.2 APG
- Voted First Team All-Catholic
- Game MVP at the Can/Am Showcase
- Selected to the Lockport All-Tournament Team
- Selected to the Ken-Ton All-Tournament Team
- Attempted 253 free throws on the season
- The Monsignor Martin's leading scorer
- Scored a career-high 37 points in three different games
- Scored over 30 points in eight games & over 20 points in 18 games
(Photo: Buffalo News)
Brandon Smith - Park, Senior
14.0 PPG / 2.4 RPG / 1.9 APG / 1.4 SPG / 1.0 BPG
- NYS Federation Class A Champion
- MVP of the Manhattan Cup
- Scored a combined 46 points in Manhattan Cup playoffs
- Finished with a season-high 27 points in a win over South Park
- Scored over 20 points in six games
- Connected on 3-pointers 62 times this season
(Photo: Larry Scheur)
Fifth Team All-Centercourt
Kam Briggs - Health Sciences, Junior
12.9 PPG / 3.1 SPG / 1.8 APG / 1.5 RPG
- Voted First Team Charter Cup
- NYSPHAA Class B All-Tournament Team
- St. Francis Christmas All-Tournament Team
- Lancaster Tip-Off All-Tournament Team
- Scored a team-high 23 points in the NYSPHAA Class B state semifinal
- Earned a pair of game-clinching steals in the final minute of the Regional qualifier
- 2018 All-Centercourt Defender
(Photo: Buffalo News)
Jalin Cooper - Medina, Senior
21.3 PPG / 9.5 RPG / 3.3 SPG / 2.2 APG / 2.2 BPG
- Returning All-Centercourt selection
- Voted Player of the Year in the Niagara Orleans League
- Game MVP Honors at the Centercourt Classic
- Game MVP Honors at the Cataract City Classic
- Scored a season-high 39 points in a win over Barker
- Scored over 30 points twice & had over 20 points in 13 games
- Registered 11 double-doubles
- Set school record for points in a season (468)
- Two-time member of the Centercourt #BOOM Squad
- Career 1,000 point scorer
(Photo: Buffalo News)
Nate Brawdy - Gowanda, Senior
23.6 PPG / 15.0 RPG / 4.8 APG / 2.7 SPG
- Voted First Team CCAA I East
- Olean Tip-Off All-Tournament Team
- Turned in the stat line of the decade in a win at Roy-Hart, scoring a career-high 43 points and grabbing a career-high 31 rebounds
- Scored over 30 points four times & had 14 games over 20 points
- Recorded 19 double-doubles
- Led all of WNY in total rebounds (331) & rebounds per game (15)
- Finished his career with 1715 points, 888 rebounds & 361 assists
Tyler Hind - Randolph, Sophomore
23.3 PPG / 6.6 APG / 4.2 RPG / 3.1 SPG / 0.5 BPG
- Voted Player of the Year in CCAA I East
- Section VI Class C All-Tournament Team
- Rick Hughes Memorial All-Tournament Team
- Scored a season-high 40 points with 8 assists in a win over Gowanda
- Scored over 30 points in seven games & had 15 games over 20 points
- Canned at least seven 3-pointers in five games
- Led WNY in 3-pointers made on the season (88)
- Had 11 games with at least seven assists
- Career 1,000 point scorer
(Photo: Post Journal)
Ray Mushat - South Park, Senior
17.4 PPG / 4.2 RPG / 1.8 APG / 1.7 SPG / 0.4 BPG
- Voted First Team Yale Cup I
- Section VI Class A2 All-Tournament Team
- Park Tournament All-Tournament Team
- Maryvale Christmas All-Tournament Team
- Scored a career-high 39 points in a win over Emerson
- Scored over 30 points twice & nine games over 20 points
- Recorded 12 double-doubles on the season
- Career 1,000 point scorer
(Photo: Buffalo News)
Honorable Mention
Kyle Burley - Pioneer, Senior
22.2 PPG / 10.8 RPG / 3.1 APG / 2.3 SPG / 0.8 BPG - First Team ECIC III
Chad Biersbach - Depew, Senior
22.0 PPG / 8.3 RPG / 2.1 APG / 2.1 SPG / 1.0 BPG - First Team All-ECIC
Hakeem Dobbins - Middle College, Senior
20.5 PPG / 4.9 APG / 4.4 RPG / 3.2 SPG / 0.5 BPG - First Team Yale Cup I
Kyle DeVoogel - Newfane, Senior
19.7 PPG / 3.7 RPG / 3.5 SPG / 1.5 APG / 0.5 BPG - First Team Niagara-Orleans League
Kyle Ebert - Frontier, Senior
19.2 PPG / 5.0 RPG / 1.2 APG / 0.9 SPG / 0.5 BPG - First Team ECIC I
Devaun Farnham-DeJesus - Dunkirk, Senior
17.8 PPG / 7.4 RPG / 4.8 APG / 3.0 SPG / 1.0 BPG - First Team CCAA I West
Ray Blackwell - Maryvale, Senior
17.6 PPG / 4.0 RPG / 3.0 APG / 3.0 SPG - First Team ECIC III
Isaac Kopp - Franklinville, Senior
17.5 PPG / 5.1 RPG / 2.5 APG / 1.2 SPG / 0.5 BPG - First Team CCAA II East
Johnathan Park - Lake Shore, Senior
16.7 PPG / 13.5 RPG / 3.3 BPG / 1.7 APG / 1.7 SPG - First Team ECIC III
Griffin Chudy - Ellicottville, Senior
16.6 PPG / 5.8 RPG / 4.3 APG / 3.6 SPG - First Team CCAA II East
Alex Wayland - West Seneca West, Senior
15.4 PPG / 4.0 RPG / 3.0 SPG / 2.9 APG - First Team ECIC I
Nasir Benton - Cardinal O'Hara, Senior
15.3 PPG / 4.7 RPG / 4.0 APG / 3.7 SPG - First Team All-Catholic
Christian Szablewski - St. Mary's, Senior
15.0 PPG / 8.2 RPG / 1.8 APG / 1.4 BPG / 1.1 SPG - First Team All-Catholic
Max Weber - Newfane, Senior
14.2 PPG / 7.3 RPG / 6.6 APG / 2.7 SPG / 0.8 BPG - First Team Niagara-Orleans League
Waunya Shaw - East, Senior
14.0 PPG / 7.0 RPG / 2.5 APG / 1.8 SPG / 0.7 BPG - NYSPHAA State Champion
Bo Sireika - St. Francis, Senior
13.8 PPG / 4.5 RPG / 2.6 SPG / 2.3 APG / 1.0 BPG - First Team All-Catholic
Quran DuBois - Niagara Falls, Senior
12.9 PPG / 3.9 RPG / 2.1 APG / 1.6 SPG - Section VI Class AA All-Tournament Team
Nick MacDonald - Canisius, Senior
12.3 PPG / 2.7 RPG / 1.3 APG / 1.1 SPG - Led the MMA in 3-pointers made w/ school record 73
Mason Goodridge - Springville, Junior
24.6 PPG / 3.1 RPG / 2.4 SPG / 2.0 APG / 0.5 BPG - Player of the Year in ECIC III
Zamari Mitchell - West Seneca East, Junior
22.5 PPG / 4.7 RPG / 4.2 SPG / 2.4 APG / 0.6 BPG - First Team All-ECIC
Trent Scott - Lew-Port, Junior
18.6 PPG / 6.1 RPG / 4.9 APG / 3.2 SPG / 1.1 BPG - First Team Niagara Frontier League
Adrian Baugh - West Seneca West, Junior
17.6 PPG / 7.4 RPG / 2.3 SPG / 2.0 APG / 1.2 BPG - First Team ECIC I
Earl Howard - MST Seneca, Junior
17.5 PPG / 6.2 RPG / 3.4 APG / 1.1 SPG - Player of the Year in Yale Cup II
Dorian Plummer - Tapestry, Junior
17.3 PPG / 4.7 RPG / 2.6 SPG / 1.4 APG - First Team All-Charter
Cam Sionko - Grand Island, Junior
16.3 PPG / 7.0 RPG / 5.2 APG / 1.5 SPG / 0.5 BPG - First Team Niagara Frontier League
River Reinhardt - Clarence, Junior
15.3 PPG / 4.6 APG / 3.3 RPG / 2.7 SPG - First Team ECIC I
Haakim Siner - Niagara Catholic, Junior
13.7 PPG / 10.6 RPG / 1.8 SPG / 1.3 APG / 0.8 BPG - Recorded 12 double-doubles on the season
Chris Stineman - Nichols, Junior
12.5 PPG / 10.4 RPG / 2.8 APG / 1.5 BPG / 0.9 SPG - First Team All-Catholic
Devin Degree - Williamsville South, Junior
11.8 PPG / 4.6 APG / 4.1 RPG / 2.7 SPG - First Team ECIC II
Quentin Nnagbo - Park, Junior
6.6 PPG / 6.2 RPG / 1.6 APG / 1.6 SPG / 1.5 BPG - NYS Class A Federation Champion
Julian Eziukwu - Park, Junior
5.9 PPG / 6.5 RPG / 1.9 BPG / 1.6 SPG / 1.2 APG - NYS Class A Federation Champion
Daesean Ashley - Amherst, Sophomore
17.6 PPG / 6.4 RPG / 3.4 APG / 3.3 SPG - First Team ECIC II
John Orogun - Park, Sophomore
5.4 PPG / 6.6 RPG / 1.9 BPG / 1.6 SPG / 1.0 APG - NYS Class A Federation Champion
Tariq Eubanks - Tapestry, Freshman
12.0 PPG / 4.2 APG / 3.5 RPG / 2.9 SPG - MVP of Section VI Class C Tournament
Roddy Gayle - Niagara Falls, 8th Grade
12.8 PPG / 4.3 RPG / 3.2 APG / 1.0 SPG / 0.9 BPG - First Team Niagara Frontier League
****** ****** ******
Sixth Man of the Year
Julian Eziukwu - Park, Junior
5.9 PPG / 6.5 RPG / 1.9 BPG / 1.6 SPG / 1.2 APG
Without question, a starter on any other team in WNY. An aggressive rebounder with a knack for staying with the play and finishing in the paint, Eziukwu's most impressive attribute was his work ethic. Not only did he willingly accept his role as Park's sixth man, he embraced it. Upon entering the game, you would immediately hear him talking on defense and notice a boost in the team's energy at that end due to his presence.
- NYS Federation Class A Champion
- Earned All-Centercourt Honorable Mention in 2018
(Photo: Buffalo News)
All-Centercourt Defenders
First Team
Greg Dolan - Williamsville South, Senior
Jayce Johnson - Canisius, Senior
Master Radford - Timon, Senior
Noah Hutchins - Park, Junior
Dan Scott - Park, Junior
Second Team
Tazaun Rose - Niagara Falls, Senior
Griffin Chudy - Ellicottville, Senior
Dylan Burton - Franklinville, Senior
Kam Briggs - Health Sciences, Junior
Lucas Theisen - St. Francis, Junior
Third Team
Avion Harris - Niagara Catholic, Sophomore
Mike Schmidt - Olean, Junior
Kavon Rogers - McKinley, Senior
Tariq Eubanks - Tapestry, Freshman
Anthony Mack - South Park, Sophomore
Centercourt #BOOM Squad
Davonte Gaines - Health Sciences, Senior
Austin James - Canisius, Senior
Noah Hutchins - Park, Junior
Master Radford - Timon, Senior
Jalin Cooper - Medina, Senior
Liam Carey - Grand Island
Justin Hemphill - Cardinal O'Hara, Junior
Roddy Gayle - Niagara Falls, 8th Grader
Jayce Johnson - Canisius, Senior
Johnathan Park - Lake Shore, Senior
Justin Allen - East, Senior
Dan Scott - Park, Junior
Ryan Bradley - Canisius, Senior
Coach of the Year
Rich Jacob - The Park School
-centercourt
Poll Ballots 2018 - Season Finale
(Noah Hutchins scores at the buzzer in Park's Federation Championship victory / Photo:Harry Scull,Buffalo News)
Large Schools
NYSSWA State Rankings 2018 - Final Rankings
The final 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
Park #1
Canisius #3
West Seneca West #10
Williamsville South #12
Timon #23
Class B
Health Sciences #6
Olean #7
Middle College #17
Niagara Catholic #22
Class C
Tapestry #6
Allegany-Limestone #15
Class D
East #1
Franklinville #4
Ellicottville #5
Sherman #17
******** According to the rankings above........
- It's like I said all season - 'Section VI -- We Have The D's' !!! Three of the top five teams in the state and four of the top 20. Maybe we should be a Section VI party for when the All-State Teams are released, because in a power season like 2018 was, we should be well represented!
- Our Class A nearly as impressive, holding down four of the top 12 spots, including #1 Park and #3 Canisius. Five teams in the top 23.
- In Class B, Health Sciences finished at #6, but ended up as the fourth highest ranked public school. Olean finished one spot behind them at #7 with Briarcliff being the only non-private/non-charter school ranked ahead of them in NYS.
- Tapestry finished the year at #6 NYS Class C with Northstar Christian (who ended their season) and Pembroke (who played a closer game with Northstar) as teams from the Far West Region ahead of them. Allegany-Limestone, who was unranked all season, finished #15.
- Ultimately not too shabby for WNY this season. Between the five classifications, we finished with the best team in two of them, five top 5 teams, and nine top 10 teams! Oh yeah, and We Have The D's!!!
Click HERE for complete NYSSWA State Rankings
-centercourt
Wednesday, February 28, 2018
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
-centercourt
Sunday, February 25, 2018
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.
-centercourt
Sunday, February 18, 2018
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.
-centercourt
Saturday, February 17, 2018
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
-centercourt
Tuesday, February 13, 2018
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
-centercourt
Monday, February 12, 2018
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
Sunday, February 11, 2018
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
Tuesday, February 06, 2018
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
Monday, February 05, 2018
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
Tuesday, January 30, 2018
NYSSWA State Rankings 2018 - Week 8
The eighth 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 30)
Class A
Park #3
Canisius #5
West Seneca West #12
Timon #14
(Williamsville South #26)
Class B
Health Sciences #4
Olean #5
Middle College #18
Niagara Catholic #23
Class C
Tapestry #6
Chautauqua Lake #19
Class D
Franklinville #2
East #3
Ellicottville #8
******** According to the rankings above........
- Niagara Falls finally got its participation trophy. They are now #30 in the NYS top 25 of Class AA. That's right, not really ranked, just listed in the late edition expansion rankings that the state adds when too many teams (more than 25) deserve that coveted "shout out". Although in my experience, that's not who Falls is anyway. They don't need a bunch of love, just another title in Class AA with a shot at Rochester in the end. Besides they have bigger things to worry about than state participation trophies anyway...like starting stronger so they aren't trailing Lew-Port at halftime.
- Ok, let's get right to Timon. Either the state rankings crew were straight blown away by Timon's win over Frannies, or I finally got through. They jumped eight spors in NYS Class A from #22 to #14 with their only activity last week being the St. Francis win. It's fine, we'll call it progress. Or perhaps a very indirect way of saying, "yeah, we screwed up on Timon and saw how you kept raking us over the coals for it." Like I said, progress. Good enough for now, I guess. They deserve to ahead of Irondequoit, both on the strength of being crowned in the Rush-Henrietta Tournament both teams were in and the win over Park, which trumps any wins the Eagles can boast.
- Timon's opponent on Friday night is Park, now #3 in NYS Class A. Pay close attention to how that one is handled next week. When the Tigers beat Park in round one, they basically "so what" from the state rankings crew. Would a second win get the same treatment? I don't know, but I bet a loss gets the Tigers dragged straight to the guillotine.
- West Seneca West remained at #12 in NYS Class A, while Williamsville South received another participation trophy. The inscription on the gold plate reads "you're special.'
- Health Sciences and Olean remain #4 & #5 in NYS Class B. The Class B1/B2 crossover game is at 6 pm on Tuesday, March 6, 2018 at Buff State, just in case you were wondering.
- St. Mary's loss at Cardinal O'Hara was reason enough for the rankings to drop the Lancers altogether, despite the win at St. Francis two days earlier. Niagara Catholic, who St. Mary's and St. Francis have beat, is back in at #23 in NYS Class B after placing their shiny participation trophy (#27 last week) in the trophy case in the halls of NC.
- Tapestry remains at #6 in NYS Class C, looking up at a pair of teams from Section V ranked ahead of them - Northstar Christian & Pembroke. Those are two teams that play very different styles, but either will be tough get past in the Far West Regional.
- As the rankings currently stand in Class D, a Franklinville vs. East Class D Final would determine which team draws defending state champion Moriah in the NYSPHAA state tournament. Section V thinks I'm off my rocker to look past Prattsburgh or Clyde-Savanah and assume we send our Class D champ to the state final four, but I turn to a quote or lyrics from Rage Against the Machine - no matter how hard you try, you can't stop us now! By the way, Franklinville, East and Ellicottville - three teams in the top eight in NYS Class D - are all in the Centercourt Classic. Don't forget to check that out on Saturday!
Click HERE to see the complete NYSSWA State Rankings
-centercourt
Monday, January 29, 2018
Poll Ballots 2018 - Week 6
(Juston Johnson and the Indians are the lone remaining team in WNY without a loss)
Large Schools
1. Park (MMA) - Enjoyed their first week at #1 and capped it off with a 90-60 win over Niagara Catholic. Following a trip to St. Mary's on Wednesday, the Pioneers will look to avenge their only local loss on Friday when they host Timon.
2. Canisius (MMA) - After their fall from the number one ranking, Canisius got out of St. Mary's with a 12-point win and then pulled out a victory in Rochester against Bishop Kearney.
3. Timon (MMA) - The Tigers need to stay sharp in a couple potential trap games with St. Mary's & O'Hara that proceed their trip to Park on Friday for the rematch. They were definitely ready for St. Francis on Friday afternoon.
4. West Seneca West (A1) - The Indians broke a school record for most points scored in a game, only to break their own record again in the following game. A total of 207 points were scored in their last two games against competition in Classes AA & A1. They also now have the third longest win streak in the state at 16 games. And yet the pollsters seem to want to poke the bear!
5. Williamsville South (A1) - For this season, the Billies can safely lay full claim to ownership of Main Street after another handling of Amherst. Now they set their sights on the 'Game of the Week' against Health Sciences in the Centercourt Classic, which will be their biggest test since a loss to Chaminade from Long Island.
6. Niagara Falls (AA) - The Wolverines played three in a row last week and won three in a row. That included trips to Toronto & Rochester, built around a 107 point outburst in a win over Niagara Wheatfield. Friday night is the rematch with North Tonawanda at the Lumberyard.
7. St. Francis (MMA) - Tough week for the Red Raiders last week with road losses at St. Mary's and Timon. It doesn't get any easier with the two opponents ahead, Niagara Catholic and Canisius. Monday night's game at home with the Patriots feels like a must win because heading into a game at Canisius on a three-game skid is an unenviable position.
8. Lockport (AA) - The Lions have come a long way from where the season started for them and added two more wins to the column last week over Amherst and North Tonawanda.
9. Williamsville North (AA) - Spartans coach Chuck Swierski earned his 200th career victory on Friday night in the team's fifth straight win. They hope to make it six straight and 201 on Tuesday when they host West Seneca West in ECIC I.
10. North Tonawanda (A1) - The Jacks seven-game win streak ended in Lockport last week. They'll try to get another one started and if they do, it'll be impressive with Falls coming in on Friday night.
Small Schools
1. Health Sciences (B2) - The Falcons have been rolling teams heading into the stretch run of the season. The back end of their schedule is loaded, beginning with a showcase of future Division I players in Saturday's 'Game of the Week' at Williamsville South.
2. Olean (B1) - The last two wins for the Huskies have come against Maryvale and Williamsville East, good for a nine-game win streak which improved the team to 13-1. They visit Dunkirk on Friday night and could all but wrap up another league title with a win there.
3. East (D) - After dropping three of four heading into the New Year, the Panthers are 5-0 since the calendar flipped and gaining momentum. They need a win at McKinley on Tuesday night, who beat them by three in December, to stay in first place in Yale Cup I. On Saturday, the Panthers face St. Mary's in the Centercourt Classic.
4. Middle College (B2) - Watched the Kats get out to a big lead on McKinley early on Friday and never relinquish it. That win keeps them in a tie with East at the top of the Yale Cup. Tuesday they draw the defending champs from South Park and the Sparks are looking to play spoiler.
5. Franklinville (D) - Avenged one of their two losses on the season by beating Burgard last week. The Panther have a rematch against Ellicottville on Tuesday that will decide how CCAA II East is won and then head north on Saturday afternoon to take on Medina in the Centercourt Classic.
6. Niagara Catholic (MMA) - How good is Park to beat these guys by 30? The Patriots are in the heart of their MMA schedule right now, having just faced Timon & Park, while looking ahead to games at St. Francis and against Canisius & St. Joe's this week. No nights off is what you sign up for in the MMA.
7. Cardinal O'Hara (MMA) - Speaking of no nights off, the Hawks just won three in a row last week against MMA competition. Now they'll try to keep it going at Timon on on Wednesday and at Canisius on Saturday.
8. St. Mary's (MMA) - The Lancers gutted out a great win on Wednesday night over visiting St. Francis, but the victory came with a high premium. Regular starters Eric Brown and Brady O'Brien were both knocked out of action that night and a 25-point loss at O'Hara followed with the team still missing Brown. Not the best time to be banged up with games coming up against Timon, Park, and East.
9. Tapestry (C) - Two impressive wins for the Thunderhawks happened last week, as they handled their business against Maritime, followed by a 12-point road win at Randolph.
10. Ellicottville (D) - The Eagles also won at Randolph this season by 11 points and also boast a 17-point win over Chautauqua Lake. They'd like nothing more than to add to their collection of impressive victories this week, hosting Franklinville for the league hardware on Tuesday night and a nonleague date with Class B Newfane in the Centercourt Classic at Williamsville South on Saturday afternoon.
-centercourt
Sunday, January 28, 2018
Top Games of the Week: 1/29/18 -- 2/4/18
(Health Sciences' game at South on Saturday will be the hottest 'Ticket' in town)
Monday, January 29th
Medina @ CSAT - 6 pm
Niagara Catholic @ St. Francis - 6:30 pm
Tuesday, January 30th
Iroquois @ Cheektowaga - 6:30 pm
East @ McKinley - 6:30 pm
South Park @ Middle College - 6:30 pm
Franklinville @ Ellicottville - 7:30 pm
West Seneca West @ Williamsville North - 7:30 pm
Jamestown @ Clarence - 7:30 pm
Amherst @ Williamsville East - 7:30 pm
Allegany-Limestone @ Silver Creek - 7:30 pm
Wednesday, January 31st
Cardinal O'Hara @ Timon - 6:30 pm
Canisius @ Niagara Catholic - 7:30 pm
Thursday, February 1st
Lancaster @ Clarence - 6 pm
Newfane @ I-Prep - 6:30 pm
Lackawanna @ Depew - 7:30 pm
Friday, February 2nd
Timon @ Park - 6:30 pm
Amherst @ Sweet Home - 6:30 pm
North Tonawanda @ Niagara Falls - 6:30 pm
McKinley @ South Park - 6:30 pm
City Honors - Riverside - 6:30 pm
St. Francis @ Canisius - 7 pm
Olean @ Dunkirk - 7:30 pm
Iroquois @ Maryvale - 7:30 pm
Fredonia @ Chautauqua Lake - 7:30 pm
Gowanda @ Allegany-Limestone - 7:30 pm
Saturday, February 3rd
Centercourt Classic at Williamsville South HS
Medina vs. Franklinville - 12 pm
Newfane vs. Ellicottville - 2 pm
St. Mary's vs. East - 4 pm
Williamsville South vs. Health Sciences - 6 pm
* Game of the Week - Health Sciences @ Williamsville South on Saturday, February 3rd
For several years, I considered trying to arrange an event similar to the ones that fill up the calendar in December, but I wanted the concept to be a little different. Nothing ground breaking, just a lineup of games with matchups that were intriguing for different reasons. Well, heading into Saturday's Centercourt Classic, I love the four games that are being played, but the event's headliner is downright special.
Health Sciences against Williamsville South. Davonte Gaines against Greg Dolan. I could stop right there and say 'See you Saturday'.
Dolan has put together a four-career at Williamsville South will have him mentioned among the very best to ever take the court in WNY. As a freshman he led the Billies to the Far West Regional in Class A. He was a First Team All-Centercourt selection as a sophomore after advancing South to Glens Falls. Last season, his Billies spent time as the #1 ranked team in the area. This year, he's been downright filthy with the things he does on the court and the numbers that accompany those performances, like 29.5 ppg and a season-high 47. Once again, he has his team piling up wins and regarded among the best teams in this area.
Gaines is in his third varsity season at Health Sciences and his accolades there during that span are eye-popping. As a sophomore, I remember watching 'The Ticket' & the Falcons play at Park, and it was glaringly obvious he was a future big time player that night, watching him shine against a bevy of talent on that Pioneers' team that included Jordan Nwora & Noah Hutchins. After a junior season that saw Gaines take his game to another level, he took his team to the next level as well. Health Sciences, just as South did the year prior, advanced to the state final four. Then came the offseason and the offer he was waiting for, which he accepted - Tennessee! His senior year has already produced the best numbers all the way around - a pair of quadruple-doubles and a WNY game season-high 52 points.
The Billies & Falcons are two teams that can really defend and their points allowed per game combined is under 100, but they can fill it up too. Both teams are very comfortable playing fast and that's exactly what I think we're going to see. Fast in a good basketball kind of way, not out of control. One thing I'm very confident predicting about this game is entertainment. Look for some fun in the open court and a high scoring affair. If you've never watched Dolan or Gaines, this is your chance...and you're in for a treat.
See you on Saturday for a great afternoon of basketball during the Centercourt Classic at Williamsville South High School. I would come as early as possible to get a seat and enjoy all four games. You will not want be on the outside during this special presentation of 'The Game of the Week' !
-centercourt
Tuesday, January 23, 2018
NYSSWA State Rankings 2018 - Week 7
The seventh 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 #5
Canisius #6
West Seneca West #12
Timon #22
(Williamsville South #28)
Class B
Health Sciences #4
Olean #5
St. Mary's #15
Middle College #19
(Niagara Catholic #27)
Class C
Tapestry #6
Chautauqua Lake #20
Class D
Franklinville #3
East #4
Ellicottville #8
******** According to the rankings above........
- The Class AA saga rolls on for the entire Far West Region. However, Rome Free Academy, who has wins over Niagara Falls and St. Francis, has cracked the rankings at #25. So there's hope. The loss to RFA for Falls was the game that got them dropped.
- There's a new #1 in NYS Class A and it's not Park, who knocked off the former #1 Canisius this week. Park is now #5, while the Crusaders fell five spots to #6.
- Here's where it gets really interesting...When Timon defeated Park, they were #25 in NYS Class A and Park was #4. That win got Timon moved up two places to #23. They are currently #22 this week. So over in Section V last week, Pittsford Sutherland (#10 in NYS Class A at the time) losses to unranked Pittsford Mendon. So how do they handle a win over #10 when you're unranked? Well you come crashing into the rankings at #15 of course. That's right, previously unranked Mendon is now #15 for beating #10, while Timon who was #25 when they beat #4 only got to #23 for the win and still sits at #22. So Mendon jumped in over Timon. Are you freaking kidding me? Outrageous! Or uninformed? Or lazy? Or biased? It's one of those. Or a combination of those. There's only one logical explanation for this - we screwed up. Usually there's an attempt at a comedic undertone when I do this. I'm not trying to be funny today. This deserves an explanation! Otherwise, we should safely assume it's all about who you know - politics.
One last recap in case this gets confusing:
#25 Timon beats then #4 Park. That takes them to ---> #23
Since then, Timon has not lost, while Park has since knocked off #1 Canisius. Timon is currently #22
Unranked Pittsford Mendon beats #10 Pittsford Sutherland. That takes them to ---> #15 ???
** Neil Kerr, who compiles these state rankings, welcomes your feedback: [email protected]
- Williamsville South earned the equivalent of a participation trophy this week when the state rankings suddenly expanded the rankings to include 30 teams in Class A. The Billies are #28. You mean they could've been ranked all this time, possibly sitting at #30 last week. Or #33 the week prior, should you ever take it up to 35 spots? There's only even 20 teams ranked in Class C.
- Health Sciences falls from #2 in NYS Class B to #4 because they lost to an out-of-the-area team that the panel knows nothing about. The same thing happened to Mount Vernon last week, but they hung on to the top ranking in the whole state, #1 in NYS Class AA. Reports suggest Neil got a hoodie out of that deal, an upgrade from last year's tee shirt.
- Olean is now just one spot behind the Falcons, at #5 in NYS Class B. Those two should play each other this year.
- Niagara Catholic is another interesting case this week, but it should quickly become clear what's going on - it's the Timon Bias! After earning a big road win at O'Hara - the team who won at NYS Class B #15 St. Mary's, Niagara Catholic lost to Timon. The Patriots dropped from #24 in NYS Class B to #27 - another participation trophy. So rather than reward the O'Hara win and have perspective on the Timon loss, they apply the Timon Bias. Timon is a nobody in the state's eyes and a loss to them is a punishable offense.
- Chautauqua Lake hangs on to a state ranking in Class C, coming in at #20 this week after losing both its games last week. The Thunderbirds are now 8-5. Yet Silver Creek sees its 11-game win streak end to Class B Gowanda and slips to 11-2 on the season and falls out completely.
- We finally have the highest ranked teams in the Far West Region, as Franklinville and East both passed Prattsburgh of Section V who lost last week. Good. It's about time. Section VI is winning the Class D regional this year.
Click HERE for the complete NYSSWA State Rankings
-centercourt
Monday, January 22, 2018
Poll Ballots 2018 - Week 5
(John Orogun & Park reject the notion that any other teams deserves the #1 ranking/Photo: Larry Scheur)
Large Schools
1. Park (MMA) - To be the best, you have to beat the best. Or beat the team the pollsters have been ranking as the best. Well, the Pioneers did that and then some. In fact, they did so in dominant fashion for most of the game in their win over Canisius. Park led by as many as 18 points and were up by double figures for the majority of the game. Of the teams we're comparing Park to in this poll, only Timon has clipped them - by one point at home. I gave that game respect when it happened and I have to give Park its due now, they earned it.
Sunday, January 21, 2018
Top Games of the Week: 1/22/18 -- 1/28/18
(Former St. Francis guard Julian Cunningham scores at Timon in 2017)
Monday, January 22nd
Medina @ Newfane - 6:30 pm
Lockport @ CSAT - 6:30 pm
Lake Shore @ Cheektowaga - 6:30 pm
Ellicottville @ Randolph - 7:30 pm
Tuesday, January 23rd
Grand Island @ Wilson - 6 pm
Maritime @ CSAT - 6 pm
Williamsville East @ Iroquois - 6:30 pm
Depew @ Lackawanna - 6:30 pm
MST Seneca @ Riverside - 6:30 pm
Cheektowaga @ Pembroke - 7 pm
McKinley @ Jamestown - 7:30 pm
Lockport @ Amherst - 7:30 pm
JFK @ Maryvale - 7:30 pm
Burgard @ Franklinville - 7:30 pm
Wednesday, January 24th
UPrep @ Cardinal O'Hara - 5 pm
Global Concepts @ MST Seneca - 7 pm
St. Francis @ St. Mary's - 7:30 pm
Thursday, January 25th
Maritime @ Tapestry - 6 pm
Newfane @ Roy-Hart - 6:30 pm
Medina @ Albion - 7 pm
Friday, January 26th
St. Francis @ Timon - 4 pm
St. Mary's @ Cardinal O'Hara - 6:30 pm
Niagara Catholic @ Park - 6:30 pm
North Tonawanda @ Lockport - 6:30 pm
Grand Island @ CSAT - 6:30 pm
Middle College @ McKinley - 6:30 pm
Burgard @ South Park - 6:30 pm
Riverside @ MST Seneca - 6:30 pm
Lackawanna @ JFK - 7 pm
Amherst @ Williamsville South - 7:30 pm
Williamsville North @ Orchard Park - 7:30 pm
St. Joe's @ Nichols - 7:30 pm
Cheektowaga @ Maryvale - 7:30 pm
Silver Creek @ Randolph - 7:30 pm
Chautauqua Lake @ Maple Grove - 7:30 pm
Saturday, January 27th
Niagara Falls @ Aquinas - 1:30 pm
Williamsville East @ Olean - 2:30 pm
Canisius @ Bishop Kearney - 3:30 pm
Tapestry @ Randolph - 5 pm
* Game of the Week - St. Francis @ Timon 0n Friday, January 26th
Timon and St. Francis are long-time rivals in the Monsignor Martin and are each in the top seven of the Large School Poll. St. Francis beat Williamsville South this year, who beat Timon. That alone makes it the game to be at this week. But this season, there's a little something extra making this one a highly intriguing contest....
The Juice is loose - in South Buffalo!
Last season, St. Francis swept The Park School and made it all the way to the Manhattan Cup Final, its first appearance since the 2007 season. The Red Raiders had a special team, led by a pair of underclassmen - Bo Sireika & Julian "Juice" Cunningham. Sireika is back for his senior season. Cunningham, who was a sophomore in 2017, did not return to St. Francis. Instead, he dawned Timon Green and is now the straw that stirs the drink for the rival Tigers. Cunningham spent two seasons as the starting floor general for St. Francis beginning his freshman year. He and Sireika had formed quite the one-two punch and had me making trips to Frannies, with pit stops at Hoak's last year.
Now, Cunningham's slick passes are heading into the paint at Timon, where Master Radford is waiting to finish them off with force at the rim. Meanwhile, junior Justin Poumpey has taken the reins over at the maestro for the Red Raiders and has delivered beyond expectations. St. Francis remains a top WNY team this season and the ball still moves like a thing of beauty for Brian Ferris' crew.
Both Timon and St. Francis have four new starters taking the court from last year's versions, but desire to knock each other off will be nothing new once this Friday matinee tips. Rivalries run deep in the MMA and these two haven't been spotted kissing or making up anywhere in the last few months. I couldn't bear to watch that anyway. Game of the Week, South Buffalo-style. Be there!
-centercourt
Thursday, January 18, 2018
Patriots finish strong at O'Hara
(Avion Harris looks to move the ball for Niagara Catholic)
Niagara Catholic 64, Cardinal O'Hara 50
A competitive first half and a one-point game at the break gave way to a big second half for Niagara Catholic. Big runs for the Patriots, aided by poor shooting and shot selection by the Hawks quickly swung the game in favor of the visitors, after host Cardinal O'Hara had collected a pair of important wins on the road at St. Mary's and Nichols in its prior games. Haakim Siner scored 14 of his game-high 19 points in the second half and was a force on the glass, piling up 18 rebounds in the win. Jalen Bradberry was consistent throughout and scored 18 points, along with eight boards. The outcome of the game left Niagara Catholic, Cardinal O'Hara, and St. Mary's all with one loss apiece against Class B foes in the MMA.
Niagara Catholic 20 - 7 - 19 - 18 = 64
Cardinal O'Hara 9 - 17 - 12 - 12 = 50
Point Totals
Niagara Catholic: Haakim Siner 19, Jalen Bradberry 18, Jaemon Turner 10, Avion Harris 8, Mehki Starks 7, Roman Wright 2
Cardinal O'Hara: Justin Hemphill 17, Nasir Benton 11, Yehshua Lee 10, Jermaine Haynes 6, Jaedin Cottman 6
Niagara Catholic: 10-2, 4-1 / Next game vs. Timon on Friday January 19th
Cardinal O'Hara: 5-6, 2-2 / Next game at Walsh on Friday, January 19th
Niagara Catholic: Haakim Siner 18 rebounds & 3 steals / Jalen Bradberry 8 rebounds & 3 steals / Mehki Starks 3 steals
Cardinal O'Hara: Justin Hemphill 16 rebounds
Niagara Catholic (1): Jalen Bradberry
Cardinal O'Hara (6): Nasir Benton (3), Yehshua Lee (2), Justin Hemphill
Tuesday, January 16, 2018
NYSSWA State Rankings 2018 - Week 6
The sixth 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
Canisius #1
Park #11
West Seneca West #13
Timon #23
Class B
Health Sciences #2
Olean #8
St. Mary's #16
Middle College #23
Niagara Catholic #24
Class C
Tapestry #8
Chautauqua Lake #14
Silver Creek 19
Class D
Franklinville #4
East #5
Ellicottville #10
******** According to the rankings above........
- Same story again in Class AA this week, we got nothing. Neither does Section V. In fact, of the 25 teams ranked in NYS Class AA, only 10 teams play in the NYSPHAA. After seeing the talent from the PSAL, CHSAA, and AIS that arrives at the Federation Tournament each year, they might be on to something there.
- Canisius stays at the top of NYS Class A for another week.
- Timon climbed ALL THE WAY UP to #23 in NYS Class A for beating Park, who was ranked #4. That's quite the jump - two whole spots. Park is still way ahead of them in the state rankings at #11, although they were punished seven spots for the loss. Other teams ahead of Timon include Irondequoit (#9), Pittsford Sutherland (#10), Greece Athena (#12), West Seneca West (#13), and Leadership Academy (#14). Ready for the lengthy list of wins over state-ranked teams all of those teams have? I count two. Pittsford Sutherland beat Greece Athena AND Leadership beat East, our East ranked in Class D. That's it. A reminder that Timon beat Park, ranked #4 in Class A at the time, along with beating Rush-Henrietta who was ranked in Class AA at the time and had just defeated Irondequoit the night prior. They don't like you Timon. They think your wins are either lucky or easily explained away.
- Williamsville South also remains unranked. They were ranked until losing at Chaminade (#5 in NYS Class A) in Long Island.
- Health Sciences is now just one spot away from being the top-ranked team in NYS Class B following its win at Tapestry last week.
- St. Mary's fell five spots for losing at home to unranked Cardinal O'Hara. I think they got off easy for that one.
- Middle College also fell five spots in NYS Class B for getting rolled by East last week.
- Niagara Catholic moved up one place to #24 in NYS Class B. They also expanded Class B and only Class B to now include 30 teams instead of 25. That is a move to me that's lamer than a lame duck in heat. Maybe we should let three teams play for the NFC Championship because the Saints should have made that tackle and had a good season.
- Tapestry actually went down one spot to #8 in NYS Class C for its loss to Health Sciences, now #2 in a higher class. Why? You could have sooner made the argument for moving them up after playing a competitive game they led at halftime. Sigh.
- Chautauqua Lake moved up three spots to #14 in NYS Class C.
- Silver Creek finally cracked the top 20 in NYS Class C, debuting at #19 after winning its 10th straight game.
- East did not move up in NYS Class D. Even though they beat Burgard by 42 points, who beat the team one spot ahead of them (Franklinville). East also did not move up, even one spot, in Class D for beating Middle College by 23 points.
Click HERE for complete NYSSWA state rankings
-centercourt
Monday, January 15, 2018
Poll Ballots 2018 - Week 4
(Master Radford and Timon had the win of the week over Park)
Large Schools
10. Williamsville North (AA) - Picked up a win over Lancaster last week before Friday's game at Jamestown was delayed. This week they host Kenmore West, a team they always seem to draw in the Class AA sectionals. However, this year the Blue Devils are in Class A1, so the Spartans brought them in for a nonleague tilt.
Sunday, January 14, 2018
Top Games of the Week: 1/15/18 -- 1/21/18
(Julian Eziukwu and the Park Pioneers host Canisius on Saturday)
Monday, January 15th
Park vs. Pine Ridge Secondary *at Park* - 3 pm
Tuesday, January 16th
Williamsville South @ Sweet Home - 6:30 pm
Cardinal O'Hara @ Nichols - 6:30 pm
Grand Island @ North Tonawanda - 6:30 pm
South Park @ McKinley - 6:30 pm
City Honors @ MST Seneca - 6:30 pm
St. Mary's @ St. Joe's - 7 pm
Amherst @ Lancaster - 7:30 pm
Kenmore West @ Williamsville North - 7:30 pm
Randolph @ Gowanda - 7:30 pm
Wednesday, January 17th
Park @ St. Francis - 7 pm
Southwestern @ Chautauqua Lake - 7:30 pm
Thursday, January 18th
St. Mary's @ Nichols - 6:30 pm
Iroquois @ Lake Shore - 6:30 pm
West Seneca West @ Clarence - 7:30 pm
Orchard Park @ Lancaster - 7:30 pm
Williamsville East @ Williamsville South - 7:30 pm
Allegany-Limestone @ Randolph - 7:30 pm
Gowanda @ Silver Creek - 7:30 pm
Jamestown @ McDowell (PA) - 7:30 pm
Friday, January 19th
Wilson @ Newfane - 6:30 pm
Middle College @ Burgard - 6:30 pm
Olmsted @ Riverside - 6:30 pm
St. Francis @ St. Joe's - 7 pm
Dunkirk @ Chautauqua Lake - 7:30 pm
Timon @ Niagara Catholic - 7:30 pm
Saturday, January 20th
Niagara Falls @ Lockport - 2:30 pm
Canisius @ Park - 3:30 pm
* Game of the Week * - Canisius @ Park on Saturday, January 20th
Was there even a question of which of the games out of this week's lineup would get the nod?
In 2015, both teams won Federation championships in Class A & Class B respectively. Those followed CHSAA state championships, which followed each team winning the Manhattan Cup. The two teams remain the only ones from WNY to win NYS high school basketball's highest honor in the last six years.
Following the two Monsignor Martin Association powers winning the Federation over the same weekend in Albany in 2015, Park was moved up in classification to compete in Class A. The implications of the move were that now they would have to go head-to-head twice during the regular season and compete in the same playoffs for the Manhattan Cup.
During the 2016 regular season, Canisius swept the two games against Park. The first was a victory on the Pioneers' home floor, accomplished with a strong second half, after falling behind by double figures in the second quarter. The second meeting of the regular season was a low-scoring defensive affair that favored the Crusaders style of play. After both teams advanced to the Manhattan Cup Final, the Pioneers had a chance at redemption, but it was Canisius who won for a third time in an epic overtime title game. The Crusaders would go on to win two more games and secure a second straight CHSAA Class A state championship. Canisius and Park finished the 2016 season ranked and regarded by everybody as the top two teams in WNY. The leaders and First Team All-Centercourt selections from each team landed in the Division I ranks - the Crusaders' Stafford Trueheart to Hofstra and Park's Jordan Nwora to Louisville.
Last season, Park finally had the Crusaders' number, and it wasn't even close. A 26-point pounding on Delaware Avenue was followed by a 28-point rout a month later at Park and it looked as if it was finally the year when the Pioneers would hoist its first Manhattan Cup in Class A. But St. Francis dashed the hopes of Park with a victory in the Manhattan Cup semifinals, its third of the season over the Pioneers, before falling to Canisius in the final. So even in a season when Park swept Canisius by an average margin of 27 points, the Crusaders still finished with all the glory.
So now the rivalry resumes, and when you stop to consider it, very little has actually changed since they met last year. Park has everything back from last season except Joe Jones, along with a new head coach. Canisius graduated Colby Moultrie from last season's rotation. Aside from that, we basically have all the key pieces back. However, don't expect a rout to be the result this season. Expect to see a pair of heavyweights beat on each other for 32 minutes. It's Park versus Canisius and it's the 'Game of the Week'!
-centercourt
Tuesday, January 09, 2018
NYSSWA State Rankings 2018 - Week 5
The fifth 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
Canisius #1
Park #4
West Seneca West #15
Timon #25
Class B
Health Sciences #3
Olean #9
St. Mary's #11
Middle College #18
Niagara Catholic #25
Class C
Tapestry #7
Chautauqua Lake #17
Class D
Franklinville #4
East #5
Ellicottville #7
******** According to the rankings above........
- For a second consecutive week, there's not a top 25 team from Buffalo or Rochester in NYS Class AA. I blame the Romans and their Free Academy.
- Canisius is #1 in NYS Class A once again this week, while Park jumped up from #10 to #4. Less than two weeks until they square off at The Park School for Round One (Saturday, January 20th). Chaminade, who defeated Williamsville South over break, is #2 in NYS Class A.
- West Seneca West crept up two more spots to #15 in NYS Class A. However, the Indians still have three teams from Section V ranked ahead of them. None have played as many games and two have more losses than undefeated WSW. Just when I thought it was all about the record...
- Timon fell from #19 to #25 in NYS Class A for a double figure loss at Canisius. The moral of the story is, win a big tournament in Rochester and the reward is minuscule. Lose to NYS Class A #1 on the road and the punishment is severe.
- Health Sciences is once again #3 in NYS Class B this week, with two NYSPHAA schools ahead of them. Hey panel - have you seen these Falcons play yet? The same ones that took Canisius to the end and beat Frannies on the road? If there's two NYSPHAA schools from Class B better than The Health, I'll start watching from the baseline.
- St. Mary's moved up one spot to #11 in NYS Class B for winning at Niagara Catholic, but the Patriots dropped four spots to #25 for the loss.
- Speaking of Niagara Catholic, they are "tied" for #25 with Center Moriches. That's right, tied. Even Tee-ball thinks that's whack! If Center Moriches played Niagara Catholic, they'd leave Center Morindebt.
- Tapestry is #7 in NYS Class C, while Chautauqua Lake is #17. More notable is there are two teams ahead of those two in the rankings from Section V. Maybe Northstar Christian, but Pembroke deserves a spot ahead of Tapestry? They are 9-0, but ask West Seneca West where that gets you.
- Section VI still has three teams (Franklinville, East, & Ellicottville) in the top seven of NYS Class D, but Section V still has one team ranked ahead of them all. We shall see, but I like our chances just fine in Class D this year.
Click HERE for complete NYSSWA state rankings
-centercourt
Monday, January 08, 2018
Poll Ballots 2018 - Week 3
(Trevor Book & the Jacks won the Bob Hettler Jolly Boys Tournament at Amherst)
Large Schools
10. Williamsville North (AA) - This was a tough spot to fill, mainly because there's a debate surrounding several teams in contention for the last place in the large schools. The Spartans won at Sweet Home on Saturday, which was one of the teams I was considering. Another was Clarence, who did just defeat North, but that came on the heels of five losses in six games, so the body of work just wasn't there. Then there was Jamestown, but they lack that one signature win. However, the Red Raiders host North on Friday night and that should help settle some of this debate.
Thursday, January 04, 2018
Lancers stay unbeaten in comeback win
Wednesday, January 03, 2018
The Schedule: 2017-2018 Season
(Buffalo State Sports Arena during Championship Week /Photo: Harry Scull,Buffalo News)
Top Games of the Week: 1/3/18 -- 1/7/18
(Jalen Bradberry and Jaemon Turner have helped turn Niagara Catholic into a serious contender)
Well, the New Year is not off to the best start with cancellations and a less-than-spectacular lineup of games this week to begin 2018. However, I always begin this post each year at this time and there's still a game being played this week that's worthy of the title 'Game of the Week'. So here's a list of what I think are the top games to follow in this shortened week (And don't get too excited for Friday's lineup, I'm sure they all all get cancelled because it's winter):
Wednesday, January 3rd
Kenmore West @ North Tonawanda - 6:30 pm
St. Francis @ Cardinal O'Hara - 6:30 pm
Maritime @ Burgard - 6:30 pm
Olmsted @ I-Prep - 6:30 pm
Timon @ Canisius - 7 pm
St. Mary's @ Niagara Catholic - 7:30 pm
Frontier @ Maryvale - 7:30 pm
Thursday, January 4th
Cheektowaga @ South Park - 6 pm
Orchard Park @ West Seneca West - 6:30 pm
Williamsville North @ Clarence - 7:30 pm
Lancaster @ Jamestown - 7:30 pm
Dunkirk @ Olean - 7:30 pm
Randolph @ Silver Creek - 7:30 pm
Friday, January 5th
Williamsville South @ Williamsville East - 6:30 pm
Niagara Wheatfield @ Grand Island - 6:30 pm
Lockport @ CSAT - 6:30 pm
Burgard @ East - 6:30 pm
City Honors @ Olmsted - 6:30 pm
Kenmore West @ Lew-Port - 7 pm
St. Joe's @ Niagara Catholic - 7:30 pm
Lake Shore @ Maryvale - 7:30 pm
Saturday, January 6th
Williamsville North @ Sweet Home - 2 pm
St. Joe's @ Park - 5 pm
Newfane @ Clarence - 6 pm
Tapestry @ Randolph - 7:30 pm
United Way Showcase at Jamestown HS
Southwestern vs. Frewsburg - 12:30 pm
Silver Creek vs. Sherman - 2:15 pm
Maple Grove vs. BASCS - 4 pm
Chautauqua Lake vs. Oracle - 5:45 pm
Jamestown vs. Fredonia - 7:30 pm
* Game of the Week * - St. Mary's @ Niagara Catholic on Wednesday, January 3rd
The Lancers of St. Mary's entered this season as the defending Manhattan Cup champions in Class B. Yet coming into this season, I have found myself having to remind people of that on multiple occasions. When talking with area hoop-heads about a preseason top 10 in the small school ranks or who was the favorite to win the league & Cup, it was as if St. Mary's was just another team in the mix because they always are, rather than the highly regarded team they deserved to be.
When the first local small school poll of the season came out, St. Mary's was #6 in WNY, behind a team at #5 that didn't reach the final last season and welcomed five new starters - Niagara Catholic, who already had a loss to defending Class D champion Franklinville. When the first state rankings of the season came out one day later, the Lancers were unranked, while Niagara Catholic sat at #19 in NYS Class B.
It's not like the Lancers graduated several key contributors from last year's squad, but rather they brought back five players who saw time in their rotation, including a 2017 All-Centercourt Honorable Mention selection in Christian Szablewski. They were a group that I had slept on entering last year with a young, unproven rotation, but came into this year very high on.
On the other hand, Niagara Catholic became what I've called an overnight sensation, reminiscent of the power that Park became in 2014 - its first season in the MMA and one year before winning the NYS Class B Federation championship. Another 2017 All-Centercourt Honorable Mention selection, Jalen Bradberry, left Niagara Wheatfield after starting there as an 8th grader and enrolled at Niagara Catholic, instantly raising their stock. But he wasn't the only new addition. Three other starters for the Patriots are new additions this season and friends of Bradberry, while Jaemon Turner took a big step forward after seeing some minutes at Niagara Catholic as a freshman.
Since the first rankings came out, both teams are unbeaten. The Lancers ended up leapfrogging Niagara Catholic in both the state and local poll, perhaps on the strength of a season-opening victory over Lancaster. They also won the Depew & Five Guys Tournaments, which included a victory over Williamsville North. Niagara Catholic scored a victory over Class AA Clarence and also traveled out of state to win a tournament.
So what this game offers is a lot of contrast and even more talent. St. Mary's is the veteran team with four seniors in its starting lineup and believes this is their year. Niagara Catholic starts five underclassmen, none of who started last year for the Patriots, and four are new to the program. The Patriots believe they are embarking on something special and are eager to earn a statement win that backs up where the polls had them in early December and where they see themselves. What a way to tip-off the 2018 Monsignor Martin schedule - the defending champion visiting the serious young contender who many already view as the favorite. Sounds like 'Game of the Week' material to me.
-centercourt
Tuesday, January 02, 2018
NYSSWA State Rankings 2018 - Week 4
The fourth 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
Canisius #1
Park #10
West Seneca West #17
Timon #19
Class B
Health Sciences #3
Olean #9
St. Mary's #12
Middle College #18
Niagara Catholic #20
Class C
Tapestry #7
Chautauqua Lake #19
Class D
Franklinville #4
East #5
Ellicottville #7
******** According to the rankings above........
- The Far West Region of New York State has fallen completely off the Class AA map. There is not one team ranked in the top 25 from Section VI or Section V. Honestly, I can't say I disagree. I did push hard for Niagara Falls, especially when I saw Fairport ranked as high as #13!?!? But now the Red Raiders have come back to earth and after Falls lost to unranked Rome Free Academy at the I-90 Showcase in Buffalo over break, they have zero argument for not cracking the top 25.
- Section V had Rush-Henrietta sitting at #22 in NYS Class AA last week, until Timon went out to Rochester and knocked them off, along with UPrep. The Tigers big reward...an appearance in the Class A rankings at #19. The head-scratching part of this is Irondequoit is ranked ahead of Timon at #12, despite finishing third in the same tournament Timon just won. So I thought to myself, this must be about records, because I know the panel loves a good record with no regard to context. But no, that's not it either. Timon has already played nine games and is 8-1. Irondequoit is just six games into its season and now sits at 4-2. Hamsters?
- Park sits at #10 in NYS Class A after a one-point loss to Iona Prep, ranked #8 in NYS Class AA, in overtime.
- Despite losing its first game of the season in an out of state tournament, Canisius remains the #1 ranked team in NYS Class A. Nazareth, who Canisius defeated already in the Tom Keenan Tournament, is ranked #3.
- St. Mary's is up to #12 in NYS Class B, after debuting at #17 two weeks ago. They have jumped ahead of Niagara Catholic, who opened at #19 in the initial state rankings and currently sit at #20. St. Mary's visits the Patriots on Wednesday night.
- Congratulations to Middle College on being ranked #18 in NYS Class B, after being completely disregarded two weeks ago. Even though they won't take you higher that #18, they really do think you're very good, because Northstar Christian only fell two spots from #1 to #3 in NYS Class C after you beat them.
- There are three teams from Section V ranked ahead of Tapestry, who is #8 in NYS Class C, just in case anyone was having a tough day getting back on schedule and needed a good laugh.
- Section VI has three teams ranked in the top seven of Class D, but not the highest team ranked in the Far West Region. That distinction goes to Prattsburgh of Section V. So according to the rankings, we go 1-4 in regionals this year. Section V wins Class D, C, A, and of course Class AA, with all the talent back at Fairport.
Click HERE for complete NYSSWA state rankings
-centercourt
Monday, December 18, 2017
Poll Ballots 2018 - Week 2
(Jayce Johnson & the Canisius Crusaders are 4-0 and flying high early in the season)
Large Schools
1. Canisius (MMA) - The Crusaders found themselves in a battle all game with Health Sciences at the ADPRO Challenge, but to their credit, were able to close the game out in the end and leave with an 11-point victory. Four games in, Canisius has four wins by double figures. That should change this week with home games coming against the defending NYSPHAA Class A state champion from Irondequoit, who will enter as the state's top ranked public school in Class A, followed by a visit from the always tough Cathedral Prep.
2. Park (MMA) - Also four games in with four double-digit victories, the Pioneers look every bit as formidable as Canisius. While Noah Hutchins and Dan Scott are household names to hoop followers, it's been senior Brandon Smith who has been the team's standout in the early portion of the season. They travel out of the area for their next four games.
3. Niagara Falls (AA) - The Wolverines host North Tonawanda on Tuesday, coming off a near 50-point victory against Niagara Wheatfield last week, and then travel to Ken West on Friday night.
4. West Seneca West (A1) - These boys are five games in and winning by an average margin of 33 points per game, with their closest test being a 17-point win over a Clarence team that defeated the Lockport Tournament champs from Williamsville East by 18 points. Yikes!
5. St. Francis (MMA) - At this point I can only assume the double figure loss to Orchard Park in the season-opener was a complete debacle. Since then, Orchard Park has lost a ton of momentum, while the Red Raiders went into Williamsville South and put one on the Billies, among other wins.
6. Williamsville South (A1) - Want to see what Greg Dolan and Will South play like after taking it on the chin at home? Timon sure didn't, but there was no stopping the Billies in the first half of their win over the Tigers in the ADPRO Challenge. This week tells us who the team really is with road games at Cardinal O'Hara , along with a big rivalry outing at Amherst on Friday night.
7. Timon (MMA) - In the team's first action against a local squad, they felt the wrath of a scorned Greg Dolan and were looking up at a 19-point halftime deficit against Will South. The second half was a different story, but not enough to change the outcome. More challenges await this week with visits from Aquinas and Olean, before a trip to Bishop Kearney.
8. McKinley (A1) - They went 1-1 last week against the Yale Cup's two top small schools, losing at Middle College prior to a three-point win over East. Home games with Hutch-Tech and Williamsville North await this week.
9. Amherst (A2) - Knocked off Jamestown by 20 points in their only game last week. Williamsville's East & South visit this week, with the latter game being the Battle of Main Street on Friday night.
10. Williamsville North (AA) - With lots of teams to consider for this final spot, I went with the Spartans, who improved to 1-1 with a 16-point win over Orchard Park. Road games loom against a pair of teams ahead of them on this ballot - West Seneca West and McKinley.
Small Schools
1. Olean (B1) - A postponed game with Maryvale kept the Huskies out of action last week. They get a run with Falconer this week to prepare for Thursday night's clash with Timon in South Buffalo.
2. Health Sciences (B2) - The Falcons deserve serious props for the way they competed with the area's banner program from Canisius. They led at halftime and took a brief lead in the final stanza, the Crusaders pulled away in the last couple minutes. This weekend the Falcons play Starpoint in the St. Francis Christmas Tournament, where a victory could likely earn a date with the host Red Raiders.
3. St. Mary's (MMA) - These guys were well worth the wait. The last team from WNY to take the court, the Lancers looked excellent in the first half against Lancaster on Friday night in the ADPRO Challenge and rolled up 49 first half points. This is a team that loks like they enjoy playing hard and playing together.
4. Middle College (B2) - How bout them Kats??? During the preseason, the debates over who would win the Yale Cup this season included South Park, East, and McKinley. But it's Middle College who sits alone in first place and already owns victories over McKinley, South Park, and Burgard, along with a nonleague win against O'Hara. This is a fun team to watch and on Thursday night, they host the #1 Class C team in NYS, Northstar Christian.
5. Burgard (B1) - So the Bulldogs opened with a 27-point win at Medina, before a pair of losses to Middle College and South Park. Then they just knocked off Franklinville at their place last week. If beating the Panthers doesn't earn them a spot ahead of them this week, then why play the game? There's a rematch coming in January, but Burgard deserves credit for a big win. The Bulldogs crashing onto my ballot caused last week's #10 (Tapestry) to fall out, but with a common opponent of Medina, the Bulldog's 27-point win there was far more impressive than Tapestry's 10-point victory in the same gym.
6. Franklinville (D) - The Panthers needed to play some tough nonleague games with the state-mined team they have, and along with that comes the possibility for some losses like the one they suffered at the hands of Burgard. They'll look to rebound against Pioneer on Friday, with the possibility of a game against defending Class C2 champ Randolph the following afternoon.
7. Niagara Catholic (MMA) - Tuck this team right behind the Franklinville team that bested them in overtime. The Patriots pulled out a solid nonleague win over Class AA Clarence at the ADPRO Challenge and will enjoy the holidays, before playing in an out-of-town tournament over break.
8. East (D) - Back-to-back losses for the Panthers will not make for fun practices on Northampton! The Macks came into their place and left with a win after falling to Middle College, and the following afternoon, East fell on the road to an Aquinas team that Will South had little trouble with.
9. Dunkirk (B1) - The Marauders took a nine-point win from their game with Hutch-Tech last week, and have a very busy schedule over the next six days - four games, beginning with Chatauqua Lake on Monday night.
10. Cardinal O'Hara (MMA) - I kept the Hawks in on the strength of their win over Tapestry two weeks ago, even though they were not so impressive at the ADPRO Challenge. So much talent though and if they ever find consistency, they will be scary.
-centercourt
Thursday, December 14, 2017
ADPRO Challenge 2017 - Night One
(Niagara Catholic's Jalen Bradberry drives against Brandon Ferris of Clarence)
Niagara Catholic 70, Clarence 67
N. Catholic 21 - 16 - 20 - 13 = 70
Clarence 20 - 13 - 18 - 16 = 67
Point Totals
Niagara Catholic: Avion Harris 14, Jaemon Turner 14, Quinelle Burch 14, Jalen Bradberry 11, Hakeem Siner 8, Mehki Starks 6, Nick Krupp 3
Clarence: Steve Kabayiza 14, Joe Oliveri 13, Jack Putney 12, River Reinhardt 11, Matt Zuffranieri 6, Brandon Ferris 9, Jake Reger 2
****** ****** *******
Cardinal O'Hara 62, Niagara Wheatfield 42
Cardinal O'Hara 17 - 13 - 9 - 23 = 62
Niagara Wheatfield 5 - 11 - 17 - 9 = 42
Point Totals
Cardinal O'Hara: Justin Hemphill 22, Nasir Benton 15, Brandon Broadnax 7, Jermaine Haynes 5, Michon Dudley 4, Jaedin Cottman 3, Yehshua Lee 2, Quantrail Moss 2, Stephen Boyd 2
Niagara Wheatfield: Davon Ware 16, Anthony Ruffino 12, Nick Clouden 8, Ben Devantier 3, Zach Stanley 3
****** ****** ******
Park 80, Lackawanna 57
Park 16 - 30 - 14 - 12 = 57
Lackawanna 18 - 13 - 20 - 14 = 80
Point Totals
Park: Dan Scott 15, Noah Hutchins 13, Quentin Nnagbo 10, Brandon Smith 9, Jaylen Stewart 8, John Orogun 8, Jack Gompah 6, Julian Eziukwu 4, Eman Wajed 4, Jai'den Dunn 3
Lackawanna: Noah Grabar 26, Carlton Threeths 10, Noble Smith 9, Robert Rice 7, Jeremiah Caviness 5
-centercourt
Wednesday, December 13, 2017
NYSSWA State Rankings 2018 - Week 1
The first 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
Canisius #2
Park #8
Williamsville South #18
West Seneca West #24
Class B
Health Sciences #3
Olean #9
Niagara Catholic #19
Class C
Chautauqua Lake #4
Tapestry #7
Class D
Franklinville #2
East #5
Ellicottville #7
******** According to the rankings above........
- That senior laden Fairport team that completely drubbed Niagara Falls by 30 points in the Class AA regional last season either had an awesome bench that didn't see much time or an undefeated JV team that moved up. They are the only team ranked (#17) from the Far West Region (Sections V & VI). I guess we will see, but I'll be surprised if Fairport shows up in March at Buff State for the regional and even more surprised if Falls doesn't beat them.
- Canisius' #2 ranking in NYS Class A would have them losing in the Federation championship to the PSAL team ranked ahead of them.
- There are six public schools ranked ahead of Williamsville South in Class A and nine publics ranked ahead of West Seneca West
- Health Sciences plays Westhill for a state title in Class B
- Olean loses its first game at Buff State to a team in Class B since the year 2000. Out of sight, out of mind?
- Niagara Catholic plays for a CHSAA state title in Class B, starting five underclassmen
- Chautauqua Lake draws Northstar Christian (yes a private school in Class C) in the regional again this season, with the same result - a private school advancing in the into the final four of the public state tournament in Class C. Please Northstar fans, spare me your enrollment numbers that "justify" it, or I'll mail you a yearbook from Walsh - a private school that competes in Class B, like all our small private schools do
- Franklinville returns to the state final four and wins its first game, before a loss in the final to defending champion Moriah
Click HERE for complete NYSSWA state rankings
-centercourt
Monday, December 11, 2017
Poll Ballots 2018 - Week 1
(Tariq Eubanks and the Tapestry Thunderhawks deserved a spot in the first poll)
As a pollster for the Buffalo News, I'm asked to send in my weekly ballots ranking the top ten large and small schools. The polls are based on games played through Sunday of each week. Here's a look at how I see them and some of the rationale used to get there.
Large Schools
1. Canisius (MMA) - The Crusaders opened their season by rolling Williamsville South and followed it up with a victory over Nazareth, who is likely a top 10 Class A school in NYS. After a trip to Rochester to face McQuaid on Wednesday, they will play in the feature game of the ADPRO Challenge on Saturday night against WNY's most highly regarded small school, Health Sciences.
2. Park (MMA) - Following wins over Middle College and South Park to open the season, the Pioneers took Niagara Falls apart in the Cataract Classic on Saturday night - the first time I've ever seen a local team win going away against Falls at that event. Everyone knows about Noah Hutchins and Dan Scott, but in addition, Park's big guys look like they worked hard on their game, while Brandon Smith is off to a great start this season.
3. Niagara Falls (AA) - I called them Section VI's top public school in the preseason and that opinion didn't change with the loss to Park. The Wolverines are deep, talented, fast, and fun to watch. I don't see them losing another game in December, January, or February. Rope off a spot for the pep band at Buff State early on Saturday, March 3rd, so they can be all set up when the Wolverines take the court to repeat as Class AA champs.
4. Timon (MMA) - Heard they would be good and that they beat a team from Canada over the weekend Apparently they have Julian Cunningham running the point, Master Radford controlling the paint, and Tahron Goudelock & Alero World on the team.
5. West Seneca West (A1) - The Indians are off to a 4-0 start, winning their first three games by an average margin of 36.6 points and taking down Clarence in the fourth game by 17 points. I have them as the favorites to win ECIC I, despite being the only Class A1 team in a league with all Class AA schools. They host Lancaster on Tuesday night.
6. Williamsville South (A1) - Rebounded nicely following a loss at Canisius with a double figure win over Aquinas. The Billies have a pair of tilts coming up against MMA large schools this week, hosting St. Francis on Wednesday and facing Timon in the ADPRO Challenge on Saturday.
7. McKinley (A1) - There must have been a lot of pent up aggression over at Mack High, because they came out and straight put one on Dunkirk Saturday evening. The Macks are no longer defending champs of the Yale Cup or Class A1, but they're obviously looking to reclaim both titles. We'll know a lot more after we see how this week goes with games against Middle College and East.
8. South Park (A2) - The defending Yale Cup champs began the year with a pair of losses, but those came at the hands of UPrep and Park. A win over Hutch-Tech has them on the board heading into a week with games coming up against Burgard and Middle College.
9. Amherst (A2) - Began the season with a lopsided win over Starpoint and chased it with a 10-point win at Maryvale, before the two-time defending Class A2 champs let the game get away against East in the Cataract Classic. The Tigers will look to rebound at home against Jamestown this Friday.
10. Sweet Home (A1) - I considered several teams for this final spot, but only one was already 4-0 with a pair of quality wins. The Panthers early season accomplishments include a road win in Jamestown, followed by a 14-point win over Lew-Port at the Cataract Classic on Friday.
Small Schools
1. Olean (B1) - Out of sight out of mind? Must be, I'm the only one of the eight pollsters (10 are supposed to be voting!!) that have the Huskies #1. Look, I understand this will draw some reaction and it should not be seen as any indictment on Health Sciences, but rather mad respect for the program that has earned it. Honestly, I'm surprised I'm alone on this one - here's why. Can anyone tell me the last time Olean was in Class B and didn't advance to regionals? I didn't think so. You would have to go all the way back to 2002. That's right! There have been nine seasons since 2002 that the Huskies were in Class B and advanced to regionals every single time (03, 07, 08, 09, 10, 12, 13, 14, & 16). The last time Olean lost to a team in Class B at Buff State was in 2000 - current players weren't even alive then!
2. Health Sciences (B2) - The Falcons are 3-0 with a pair of routs and an eight-point win over Dunkirk after building an 18-point halftime lead. They draw Oracle on Wednesday as a warm-up for their toughest opponent of the season on Saturday at the ADPRO Challenge, Canisius.
3. Franklinville (D) - After a march to states in Class D last season, the Panthers brought the entire farm back for another run this year and opened their season in style with a thrilling overtime victory over Niagara Catholic (who was already four games into its season) on Saturday at the Cataract Classic. Two more tough nonleague games await this week with a Monday night tilt against the defending Class C champs from Chautauqua Lake, followed by Wednesday nights game with Burgard.
4. East (D) - Off to a 3-0 start with a 32-point win over I-Prep (who lost at the buzzer to Lockport), a 21-point win over Amherst (defending Class A2 champs), and a 30-point crushing of Class AA Rochester East at their place. The Panthers are just looking for a competitive game right now, and McKinley just happens to be on the docket for Friday night.
5. St. Mary's (MMA) - I feel like no one is talking about the Lancers yet, most likely because they haven't played yet. That changes on Friday when they host Lancaster at the ADPRO Challenge. Remember these guys are the defending Manhattan Cup champs in Class B and there's plenty back for me to regard them as the team to beat in their league.
6. Niagara Catholic (MMA) - If you haven't seen this team play yet, you're going to want to. It's the best Patriots team I've ever watched and I was around when AJ Roberts & Dyrell Dolson were there. Their game against Franklinville was epic and will only have these guys even more fired up than they already are when they take the court next, which is Thursday night against Class AA Clarence in at the ADPRO Challenge.
7. Middle College (B2) - First year varsity head coach James Kane picked up his first win of the season against a stacked O'Hara team with a relentless effort for 32 minutes last week and followed it up with a win over a tough Burgard team the following day. They were also tied with Park in the third quarter of the Pioneers' Tip-Off Tournament. They face a pair top large schools in the city this week in the last two Yale Cup champions, McKinley and South Park.
8. Dunkirk (B1) - I get that they were blown out by McKinley, but this is a top 10 small school all day. And yet the pollsters combined to keep them out, as if they didn't win at Lancaster, followed by outscoring Health Sciences in the third and fourth quarters of the game that followed. The Marauders host Lake Shore on Monday night in a highly intriguing matchup.
9. Cardinal O'Hara (MMA) - Bounced back from a season-opening loss to Middle College with a solid win over an upstart Tapestry team that came in with some solid wins on their resume. The Hawks face Niagara Wheatfield in the ADPRO Challenge this week, followed by a game at Fredonia.
10. Tapestry (C) - The Thunderhawks got off to a 4-0 start with a win against a private school, a pair of wins over Class B schools, and an impressive showing in a victory versus Class A1 Kenmore West. These guys have to be the Class C favorites right now. A game in Medina awaits Tapestry on Monday night.
-centercourt
Sunday, December 10, 2017
Cataract Classic scores, points, & MVPs
Point Totals
Friday, November 24, 2017
Season Preview: 2017-2018
(The 2017 Manhattan Cup Final/Photo: Harry Scull,Buffalo News)
The 2017-2018 Pre-View From Centercourt contains:
- Commentary on returning talent & offseason news
- What's New
- Returning 2017 All-Centercourt Players
- Player Watch List for 2018
- A League-by-League look at the teams
(MMA, Yale Cup, ECIC, NFL, N-O, CCAA, & Charters)
- Coaching Changes
- Classification Changes
- Preseason Top 10 Large & Small Schools
- Predictions
*************************************************************
Last year on a Sunday night late in March I was driving home from Glens Falls. I'd just finished watching the Federation Tournament, which signals the official end to the high school basketball season, and I was going through the 2017 All-Centercourt Team in my mind. I quickly began to realize something that got me thinking ahead to the 2018 season and just how cool the season would be.
What was it? Talent. All sorts of returning talent. An unprecedented amount of underclassmen had turned in seasons worthy of recognition in not just the Top 60, but the coveted Top 25. In early April when the All-Centercourt Team was published, underclassmen accounted for over half of the Top 60. But it was in the Top 25 that the numbers really popped. Just nine seniors took up those slots, meaning an astonishing 16 underclassmen had represented the best 25 seasons in WNY.
What's New ??
- After a decade of immersing myself in the local high school hoops scene, I finally organized an event. The first ever Centercourt Classic will take place on Saturday, February 3rd at Williamsville South High School, featuring four games between top 10 teams from the 2017 season that brought back plenty of talent!
- The Niagara Frontier League (NFL) will be split into two divisions this season. (Niagara Falls, Ken West, Lockport, Niagara Wheatfield, & North Tonawanda) AND (Grand Island, Lew-Port, CSAT, & Ken East). Teams will play everyone in the league once and teams within their newly structured divisions twice. The regular season will conclude with 'crossover' games between the two divisions (1 vs 1, 2 vs 2, etc.) with the team finishing 5th in the larger division playing at West Seneca East for its 20th game.
- Lafayette will no longer host home games in its one-of-a-kind gymnasium that was far from a regulation court, but was an experience in-and-of itself. The Violets will instead play their home games at Grabiarz School of Excellence on Lawn Ave.
- This season there are only 16 teams in Class C, meaning there will be no breakdown into Class C1 & Class C2. Just one Section VI Final for Class C.
- Yale Cup varsity games will now have a 6:30 pm tip time.
- The Pastor-Cooper Showcase at Daemen College will only be two days this season - Thursday, December 7th & Saturday, December 9th.
- The ADPRO Public/Private Challenge returns to St. Mary's with another three-day, 11-game lineup. This season's headliner is Canisius vs. Health Sciences.
- The Manhattan Cup semifinals for Class B will be played on the same night as the 32 Section VI quarterfinals, in addition to the Manhattan Cup Finals for Class A & B conflicting with the Wednesday night of Buff State Week.
- Six teams have changed leagues from last season:
Starpoint returns to ECIC II, Iroquois & Springville move to ECIC III, Depew to ECIC IV, I-Prep to Yale Cup I, and Riverside to Yale Cup II.
- It's Section VI's turn to host the Far West Regionals. A full slate of five games are scheduled for Saturday, March 10th at Buffalo State.
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The Players
*** 15 of the top 25 players from the 2017 All-Centercourt Team return to the WNY high school hoops scene, along with another 16 players that received Honorable Mentions following last season. That's over half of the Top 60!
Returning First Teamer
Greg Dolan - Williamsville South, Senior
Junior Season stats:
23.0 PPG
8.9 RPG
4.3 APG
3.8 SPG
Dolan is WNY's only current three-time All-Centercourt selection heading into his senior season. The Billies' all-time steals leader and 1,000 point scorer will carry the load for his team more than ever this season in a quest for a fourth straight Class A1 Final appearance.
*All-Centercourt Defender*
Devin Pope - Chautauqua Lake, Senior
Junior Season stats:
28.2 PPG
7.8 RPG
4.7 SPG
3.8 APG
Pope is coming off a season that saw him attempt a staggering 221 free throw attempts and score over 700 points. He led his Thunderbirds to their first ever Section VI title and helped advance the team to regionals.
- *All-Centercourt Defender *
Davonte Gaines - Health Sciences, Senior
Junior Season stats:
17.7 PPG
12.1 RPG
3.8 BPG
2.9 SPG
The team's MVP scored a career-high 50 points in a victory last season and committed to play for Tennessee following his prep days. Gaines led his school to its first ever Section VI title and beyond.
*Centercourt #BOOM Squad*
Willard Anderson - East, Senior
Junior Season stats:
25.7 PPG
5.9 APG
3.9 RPG
3.4 SPG
Anderson has an all-around game that led East in points, assists, steals, & blocks, but his specialty is filling up the rim. During his junior campaign, he scored a career-high 42 points, while scoring at least 29 points in 11 of the Panthers' 23 games.
Returning Third Teamers
Bo Sireika - St. Francis, Senior
Junior Season stats:
14.0 PPG
3.9 RPG
1.9 APG
1.3 SPG
Already the school's all-time leader in 3-pointers made, Sireika took the Red Raiders to the Manhattan Cup Final in 2017.
*All-Centercourt Defender*
Julian Cunningham - Timon, Junior
Sophomore Season stats:
12.2 PPG
4.7 RPG
2.8 APG
1.6 SPG
Following a Manhattan Cup Final appearance with the Red Raiders, one of WNY's most crafty and competitive floor generals will suit up in Timon green this season.
* All-Centercourt Defender *
Trevor Book - North Tonawanda, Senior
Junior Season stats:
18.3 PPG
4.4 RPG
3.2 SPG
1.9 APG
After leading the Jacks to an overall Class A crown as a junior on a senior laden squad, Book is set to put the team on his back and erupt after a break-out junior year.
Jayce Johnson - Canisius, Senior
Junior Season stats:
11.3 PPG
8.3 RPG
5.3 APG
1.5 SPG
The 2016 Centercourt 6th Man of the Year became the Crusaders' go-to player in crunch time as a junior and delivered, leading Canisius to another Manhattan Cup after arriving to the postseason as the #4 seed.
*All-Centercourt Defender*
*Centercourt #BOOM Squad*
Returning Fourth Teamers
Noah Hutchins - Junior, Park
Sophomore Season stats:
11.5 PPG
5.0 APG
4.0 RPG
3.6 SPG
Perhaps the most talented player in all of WNY, Hutchins has never lost to a public school in his two seasons as the maestro for the Pioneers.
*All-Centercourt Defender*
*Centercourt #BOOM Squad*
Dan Scott - Park, Junior
Sophomore Season stats:
16.0 PPG
4.7 RPG
3.0 APG
2.6 SPG
The intense two-way star is a returning First Team All-Catholic selection looking to help Park take the next step in the large school ranks.
*All-Centercourt Defender*
*Centercourt #BOOM Squad*
Elliot Bowen - Ellicottville, Senior
Junior Season stats:
21.0 PPG
14.7 RPG
3.3 BPG
1.6 SPG
WNY's top returning big man enters his senior season as a two-time First Team All-State selection in Class D after earning the honor in both his sophomore & junior campaigns.
Sam Erickson - Franklinville, Senior
Junior Season stats:
20.4 PPG
10.2 RPG
2.7 APG
2.3 SPG
After leading the Panthers to the state final four in Class D last season, the do-it-all standout returns on a mission to take his team to the top of the state.
Returning Fifth Teamers
Tyron Lott - Senior
Junior Season stats:
18.4 PPG
6.0 APG
4.1 RPG
3.8 SPG
The 1,000 point scorer helped Health Sciences win the Class B Regional and advance to the state final four. He will be a major addition to whichever team he ends up with for his senior season.
Jalin Cooper - Medina, Senior
Junior Season stats:
20.8 PPG
9.4 RPG
3.0 SPG
2.6 APG
The high-flyer will play football for Toledo in the fall after a run at a third straight N-O title for the Mustangs, who ran the table in league play last season.
*Centercourt #BOOM Squad*
Ryan Bradley - Canisius, Senior
Junior Season stats:
13.3 PPG
7.7 RPG
2.6 APG
1.2 SPG
Became a vital piece in the Crusaders starting lineup thanks to his size & all-around talent and was instrumental in leading them to a third straight Manhattan Cup title.
Returning 2017 Honorable Mentions
Nate Brawdy - Gowanda, Sr: 20.2 PPG / 14.0 RPG / 4.8 APG as a junior
Kyle DeVoogel - Newfane, Sr: 18.6 PPG / 5.9 SPG / 4.1 RPG / 2.8 APG / 0.9 BPG as a junior
Chad Biersbach - Depew, Sr: 17.5 PPG / 8.3 RPG / 2.8 SPG / 2.1 APG / 0.9 BPG as a junior
Ray Blackwell - Maryvale, Sr: 17.0 PPG / 6.2 RPG / 3.8 APG / 3.1 SPG as a junior
Hakeem Dobbins - Middle College, Sr: 16.5 PPG / 2.8 RPG / 2.0 APG / 1.8 SPG as a junior
Latrell Butler-Kemp - Walsh, Sr: 16.4 PPG / 7.5 RPG / 3.9 APG / 2.2 SPG as a junior
Ray Mushat - South Park, Sr: 15.3 PPG / 5.5 RPG / 2.6 SPG / 1.2 APG / 0.6 BPG as a junior
Max Weber - Newfane, Sr: 14.8 PPG / 8.3 RPG / 7.0 APG / 3.0 SPG / 1.7 BPG as a junior
Christian Szablewski - St. Mary's, Sr: 13.4 PPG / 8.5 RPG / 2.3 APG / 2.0 SPG as a junior
Darnell Butts - Dunkirk, Sr: 13.1 PPG / 4.5 RPG / 2.1 APG / 1.6 STL / 0.4 BPG as a junior
Tazaun Rose - Niagara Falls, Sr: 11.0 PPG / 5.0 APG / 4.0 SPG / 3.0 RPG as a junior
Mason Goodridge - Springville, Jr: 18.9 PPG / 2.5 APG / 2.1 RPG / 1.2 SPG as a sophomore
Cam Sionko - Grand Island, Jr: 17.2 PPG / 4.0 RPG / 3.0 APG / 1.8 SPG as a sophomore
Justin Hemphill - O'Hara, Jr: 16.4 PPG / 11.0 RPG / 5.1 APG / 2.4 SPG / 2.2 BPG as a sophomore
Tyler Hind - Randolph, So: 17.6 PPG / 4.3 APG / 3.1 SPG / 2.8 RPG as a freshman
Jalen Bradberry - Niagara Catholic, Fr: 14.7 PPG / 3.3 APG / 3.0 RPG / 1.5 APG as an 8th grader
Player Watch List
Nick MacDonald - 12 (Canisius), Austin James - 12 (Canisius), Master Radford - 12 (Timon), Jack Capen - 12 (St. Joe's), Syquan Ralands - 12 (Niagara Falls), Jacob Genzel - 12 (Hamburg), Justin Allen - 12 (East), Liam Carey - 12 (Grand Island), Nick Baker - 12 (JFK), Ture Hassler - 12 (Gowanda), Griffin Chudy - 12 (Ellicottville), Austin Grinols - 12 (Ellicottville), Isaac Kopp - 12 (Franklinville), Jon Parks - 12 (Lake Shore), Noble Smith - 12 (Lackawanna), Anthony Whitfield - 12 (Hutch-Tech), Deon Spencer - 12 (McKinley), Kyle Ebert - 12 (Frontier), Alex Wayland - 12 (West Seneca West), Jared Gleason - 12 (Sherman), Jarmani Benton - 12 (Silver Creek), Jermaine Haynes - 11 (Cardinal O'Hara), Chris Stineman - 11 (Nichols), Noah Grabar - 11 (Lackawanna), Josiah Harris - 11 (Niagara Falls), Brady Woelben - 11 (Silver Creek), Lucas Theisen - 11 (St. Francis), River Reinhart - 11 (Clarence), Malik Brooks - 11 (Lockport), Mike Schmidt - 11 (Olean), Quentin Nnagbo - 11 (Park), Julian Eziukwu - 11 (Park), Earl Howard - 11 (MST Seneca), Zamari Mitchell - 11 (West Seneca West), Devin Degree - 11 (Williamsville South), Kameron Briggs - 11 (Health Sciences), Trent Scott - 11 (Lew-Port), Juston Johnson - 11 (West Seneca West), Adrian Baugh - 11 (West Seneca West), Mason Goodridge - 11 (Springville), Nate Shuart - 11 (Fredonia), Carson Christ - 11 (Maple Grove), Amir Radford - 11 (City Honors), Dwayne Vass - 10 (Canisius), Ishmael Fairclough - 10 (Canisius), Jaylen Stewart - 10 (Park), Eric Kegler - 10 (St. Mary's), Anthony Mack - 10 (South Park), Jahmal Lewis - 10 (McKinley), Terrell Mullen - 10 (Maryvale), Justin Hemphill - 10 (Cardinal O'Hara), Daesean Ashley - 10 (Amherst), Cameron Barmore - 10 (Panama), Cal Shifflet - 10 (Williamsville East), Aidan Horan - 10 (Nichols), Dom Jamison - 10 (Silver Creek), Jon Orugun - 10 (Park), Tariq Eubanks - 9 (Tapestry), Kyjuan Inabinett - 9 (Health Sciences, Javaughn Jones - 9 (Health Sciences), Tyler Putney - 9 (Fredonia)
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League-By-League
Monsignor Martin Association
Large Schools - CLASS A
Canisius has won seven of the last nine Manhattan Cup championships, including the last three. After pulling it off last season as the #4 seed in the playoffs, the Crusaders are back once again in full force, returning a deep and talented lineup. Canisius started five underclassmen for most of the season, so they will be a seasoned, veteran squad. With vital pieces in all the right places, this team could be a complete buzz. Jayce Johnson & Ryan Bradley both earned postseason honors last year, but the list of standouts at Canisius is lengthy. Park has a new coach in Rich Jacob and all that underclassmen talent coming back, with the exception of Joe Jones who left for prep school. The Pioneers played last season without any seniors - this season they'll have just two. Expect them to be as formidable as ever with Noah Hutchins and Dan Scott leading the way and three players that are at least 6-8. They'll look to finish strong and earn their first Class A Manhattan Cup. St. Francis is coming off an outstanding season with some eye-popping wins and a finals appearance in the Manhattan Cup. The team returns one starter in senior Bo Sireika, who was Third Team All-Centercourt. Despite replacing four starters Coach Ferris' squad might surprise - they are loaded with underclassmen that saw meaningful minutes last year and will be expected to step up as they look to repeat as regular season champions and get back to the Manhattan Cup Final. St. Joe's returns eight players, led by senior Jack Capen. Kevin Durkin will run the point for the Marauders, while 6-7 Alex D'Anniballe gives the team a presence in the middle. Pat McCann will see plenty of court time as a junior, along with Will Ostrowski. Tre Boling will miss some time at the start of the season following a football injury.
***
Canisius: Jayce Johnson 12, Ryan Bradley 12, Austin James 12, Nick MacDolnald 12, Conner McCaffrey 12, Brendan Trapper 12, John Evans 12, Joe Jamison 11
Park: Brandon Smith 12, Marques Lowe 12, Noah Hutchins 11, Daniel Scott 11, Quentin Nnagbo 11, Julian Eziukwu 11, Jordan Gompah 11, Jack Gompah 11, Q Johnson 11, Jai'den Dunn 11, Eman Wajed 11, John Orugun 10, Jaylen Stewart 10, Caleb Hutchins 9, Keyounjay Carter 9
St. Francis: Bo Sireika 12, Owen Woyshner 12, Josh Palmer 12, Dan Busha 11, Dorion Ivey 11, Elijah Williams 11, Traevone Scott 10, Justin Poumpey 11, Lucas Theisen 11, Nicholas Reeb 11, Noah Unger 11, Reily Miller 11, Ryan Lacki 11, David Bartholomew 10, Jack Bickerstaff 10, Amiel Collins 9
St. Joe's: Jack Capen 12, Jeremy Johnson 12, Trey Boling 12, Kevin Durkin 12, Keith Norward 12, John Galvin 12, Alexander D'Anniballe 12, Noah Hausbeck 12, Pat McCann 11, Will Ostrowski 11, Tino Martone 11, Kemychal Clark 11, Jack Wojtazsek 11, Hamzah Abdur-Rahman 11, Amari Gordon 10
Timon: no information provided by coach
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Small Schools - CLASS B
St. Mary's is the defending champion in Class B and returns plenty of talent, led by seniors Christian Szablewski, Eric Brown, & Matt Ciezski. Despite a veteran bunch, the Lancers will need to play hungry, as the other teams in the league made some key additions to already talented rosters. There has yet to be a repeat champion in Class B. Cardinal O'Hara is coming off its most successful season since 2002 and returns eight players, including the team’s top 3 scorers in Justin Hemphill (16.4 ppg), Jermaine Haynes (14.9 ppg), and Nasir Benton (10.3 ppg). Hemphill enters his junior season with over 500 rebounds and 734 points. Pat Clarke takes over as head coach at Nichols, where the Vikings finished second last season after narrowly losing a battle in the final to St. Mary's. The team will benefit greatly from junior transfer Chris Stineman, a forward who averaged 13.6 ppg & 9.4 rpg as a sophomore. He teams with returning starting point guard Trent Banaszak and Aidan Horan, who enjoyed a solid freshman season. Niagara Catholic is looking to improve on their five-win season last year. With five returning players and several new players added to the roster including notable transfer Jalen Bradberry, who earned All-Centercourt Honorable Mention honors as an 8th grader, the Patriots will look to find the cohesiveness to make them very competitive in a tough league. Latrell Butler-Kemp, who was an All-Centercourt Honorable Mention and First Team All-Catholic last season, returns to Walsh as the team's lone senior. The very young Eagles also have just two juniors - one that saw limited action a season ago and the other being a foreign exchange student from Germany who has never played. In a league that is always challenging for this exceptionally small school that travels at least an hour for every road game, head coach Andy Moore may be tasked with his biggest challenge yet.
***
St. Mary's: Christian Szablewski 12, Eric Brown 12, Matt Ciezski 12, Ahmad Powell 12, Frank Propis 12, Jaelin Russell 12, Ben Mazurowski 12, Kofi Osei 12, Ja'Shawn Collins 12, Jake Lukasik 12, Brady O'Brien 11, Sean Melson 11, Alif Dunbar 11, Eric Kegler 10
Cardinal O'Hara: Nasir Benton 12, Michon Dudley 12, Justin Hemphill 11, Jermaine Haynes 11, Stephen Boyd 11, Brandon Broadnax 11, Matthew Buckley 11, Ibrahim Lewis 11, CJ Masters 11, Joe Turri 11, Remir Velazquez 11, Jaedin Cottman 10, Yehshua Lee 10, Quantrail Moss 10
Nichols: TJ Banaszak 12, Antonio Jones 12, Ryan Peterson 12, Matthew Glinski 12, Michael Fredericks 12, Chris Stineman 11, Jonathan Goodloe 11, Clark Thrasher 11, Matt Raiff 11, Julian Freeman 11, Jake Bair 11, Aidan Horan 10, Hugh Purks 9
Niagara Catholic: Nick Krupp 12, Mike Sanders 12, Harrison Abramaitys 11, Quinelle Burch 11, Raysean Smith 11, Haakim Siner 11, Jaden Turner 11, Roman Wright 11, Avion Harris 10, Jaemon Turner 10, Jalen Bradberry 9, Mehki Starks 9
Walsh: Latrell Butler Kemp 12, George Lowry 11, Justus Lingott 11, Colin Yorke 10, Marcus Esposito 10, Kameron Ramadhan 10, Zayne Blacksnake 10, Max Garvin 9, Xavier Laverty 9, Ajhani Parks 9
CCA: no information provided by coach
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Section VI
YALE CUP I
South Park enters the season as the defending Yale Cup champions for the first time in 31 years. With all that's back, along with a couple key transfers, it looks like they could have the horses to do it again. Ray Mushat, Anthony Mack, David Stroud, and Elijah Lewis are all back to make the Sparks formidable. East led South Park in the final minute of the game that decided where the Yale Cup would reside, and returns three key pieces of its squad from last year. The team has the city league's best player in Willard Anderson, back after earning Second Team All-Centercourt honors as a junior, along with Justin Allen who gives the team a strong presence in the paint, and three-year player Waunya Shaw. The Panthers have also moved to Class D in Section VI after reaching the Class C2 Final last year. McKinley is coming off a year in league play that ended a 28-game Yale Cup winning streak and saw the Cup leave Elmwood Avenue. However, the Macks still reached Buffalo State in Class A1. With plenty back and Zaire Dorsey behind the bench, they would be a tough team to bet against returning the city's trophy to the home its had for years. Deon Spencer is back to play the point, Kavon Rogers will man the middle once again, and Emir Evans is a tough & physical defender. Middle College has a new head coach in James Kane, who has been with the program at the JV level. His Kats will once again be a contender in both league & sectional play, led by Nate Jackson, Aziyon Clemons, and Hakeem Dobbins. Hutch-Tech has a group that has played together for the past couple seasons. After playing together all offseason, the group has grown together to raise their basketball IQ's and are ready for the challenge presented in the rigorous Yale Cup. Burgard head coach Willie Jones was inducted into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame during the offseason, so the Bulldogs are officially coached by a legend! The team brings back six players and will carry ten underclassmen this season, led by junior Dejuan Williams. Emerson will have to play smart and get its youth up to speed quickly as the team has just four seniors on this season's 15-man roster.
***
South Park : Raymond Mushat 12, Donte Ridgeway 12, Daquan Anderson 12, Justice Allen 12, Elijah Lewis 11, David Stroud 11, Devon White 11, Jalil Marris 11, Donald Stewart 11, Dabeyon Humphrey 11, Jayon Renfro 11, Anthony Mack 10, Jayson Armstead 10, Michael Crockett 10
East: Willard Anderson 12, Justin Allen 12, Waunya Shaw 12, Xavier Turner 12, Emmanuel Wilson 12, Ibrahim Mberwa 12, Danny Carter 10, Juron Hill 10, Dontaye Miller 10, Eugene Robinson 9, Tynell Ruffins 9, Anthony Oberlander 9, Jaiden Green 9, Antonio Rivera 9
McKinley: Deon Spencer 12, Jaylin Windsor 12, Kavon Rogers 12, Emir Evans 12, Marquese Thomas 12, Frank Bostic 12, Troy Coble 12, Ngendabanyikwa Elias 11, Jahmal Lewis 10
Middle College: Nate Jackson 12, Azyion Clemons 12, Jules Stover 12, Zach Jones 12, Hakeem Dobbins 12, Donovan Queeno 12, Tereamell Stevens 11, Ja'Kari Nettles 11, James Barnes 11, Devonte Prince 10, Keyunte Jones 10, Malik Meadows 10, Jamond Jones 10, Keith Brown 10, Anthony Smith 9
Hutch-Tech: Jayden Mitchell 12, Caleb Kash 12, Mohamad Nor 12, Frenchy Cook 12, Anthony Whitfield 11, Ke'Shawn Bennett 11, EJ Shahied 11, Khyree Jeader 11, David Bradshaw 11, Cyer Cyer 11, Emanuel Geegba 11, Elijah Smith 11, Kenneth Jacobs 10
Emerson: John Tarver 12, Zakai Young 12, Jaquan Davis 12, Kam'ron Mootry 12, Lumumba Hough 11, Daquan Seltzer 11, Darshaun Sullivan 11, Quinton McClain 11, Mark Gist 11, Antonio McGee 11, Otis Houston 11, Nazir Moore 11, Calvin Smith 11, Luis Rodriguez 11, Christian McDowell 11
I-Prep: no information provided by coach
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YALE CUP II
MST Seneca returns two starters from last year in Earl Howard and Jason Chapman. Howard is a strong and physical point guard that can handle, shoot, and defend for the Wolves. The team will look to play solid defense and keep games close until they are able to have some new players step up and fill the roles of the departed seniors and try to use team speed and athleticism make up for a scoring lost to graduation. Olmsted returns Gabe Carr-Johnson and Joel Richards after reaching Buff State in Class B2 one season removed from a sectional crown in Class C1 in 2016. The Owls assembled some challenging nonleague opponents to prepare for the postseason. City Honors has a young team with three sophomores and a freshman, and its top player also an underclassmen in junior Amir Radford. Riverside moves into Yale Cup II this season. The Frontiers have three seniors back from last season, led by the talented Dialo Rivera Stevens, who is the team's captain. At DaVinci, Nick Todaro is the new head coach and has hard-working group that will defend teams aggressively. They carry some freshmen with potential and could surprise a few teams along the way. Lafayette is looking to build on last season following its come-from-behind sectional win over Roy-Hart, which marked the Violets' first playoff victory since 2010. Returning starters Austin Grimes and Dayshawn Elliott will factor big in the Violets' backcourt, transition speed, and offensive output. Senior LaMorris Elliott will give the team experience and strong perimeter shooting.
***
MST Seneca: Daylin Anderson 12, Daryl Costner 12, Diallo Gray 12, Marquel Hampshire 12, Saeviyon Livingston 12, James Myree 12, Warren Carter 11, Jason Chapman 11, JohnnyLee Cunningham 11, Earl Howard 11, Derrick Patterson 11, Nick Price 11, Xavier Werts 11, DeMario James 9
Olmsted: Gabriel Carr-Johnson 12, Aaron Brown 12, Joel Richards 12, Chris Pettiway 12, Caleb Matthews 12, Marcus Roberson 11, Delmar Green 11, Deshaun Nikonowics 11, Chris Mosley 11, Trevor Young 11, Renard Siders 10, Marciano Lamar 10
Riverside: Dialo Rivera Stevens 12, Robert Kyle 12, Carlos Adorno Nunez 12, Dontae Hill 12, Michael Villegas 11, Asante Silva 11, Julius Laureano 11, Jazed Maldonado Rivera 11, D'Yontai Williams 9, Ezequiel Rodriguez 9
City Honors: Brendan Bulluck 12, Sebastian Flewellyn 12, Neftali Vazquez 12, Michael Ruggeiero 12, Amir Radford 11, Eliot Solomon 11, Xavion Baines 11, Jerimiah Chapman 10, Nate Kahn 10, Kevion Taylor 10, Jayden Slaughter 9
Lafayette: Austin Grimes 12, LaMorris Elliott 12, Dayshawn Elliott 11, Jiheed Robinson 11, Kevin Maysonet 10, Kenneth Merced Ayala 10, Yabnel Calderon 10, Luis Betancourt 10, Zion Pannell 9, Yan Carlos Rodriguez 9
DaVinci: Trevor Knight 12, Gregory Kulian 12, Cori Henning 12, Antres Garcia 12, Jordan Fonn 11, Eric Barton 11, Elijah Graham 10, Miyear White 10, Agatino Maccarrone 10, Kitara Joseph 9, Ademola Montrose 9, Hiram Abril 9, Angel Burgos 9
Buffalo Arts: no information provided by coach
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ECIC I
West Seneca West will benefit greatly from the return of Juston Johnson, who played with the team as an eighth grader and the transfer of Adrian Baugh, both coming over from Timon. The Indians also hired former Timon coach Des Randall, who starred for the school over a decade ago. With Alex Wayland back, who led the team in scoring last year, this could be the surprise team of the season in both league play and Class A1. Williamsville North returns its starting backcourt from last season in Ryan Johnston, Jacob Belote, & Joe Nusall. The Spartans also have a pair of bigs with talent and size with 6-5 Jonathon Abaya and 6-6 Greg Poland, and should contend for a league title and return to Buff State in Class AA. Frontier has six players back from last season, including Kyle Ebert, who led the team with 14.5 ppg and Brandon Dunz who averaged nine ppg last year. Jamestown has been a league champion in ECIC I for the last seven seasons. With a young team that lacks experience, it will be a challenge to continue that streak. The Red Raiders do have two starters back in Matt Hill and Marcus Rojas who combined for over 20 ppg last year, along with some young talent eager to continue the tradition. Lancaster reached the Class AA Final last season, and returns a pair of talents from that team in senior Alec Tamburri and junior Jakob Jerebko. Tamburri was a First Team selection in ECIC I, while Jerebko will help carry the load this season after battling through injuries last year. Point guard duties will be handled by Ryan Mansell, a tough defender for the Legends. Clarence returns its top three scorers (Joe Olivieri, River Reinhardt, & Jack Putney) from a team that won five of their last six games, with the loss occurring in overtime of the quarterfinals at Jamestown. Orchard Park has three starters back (David Morris, Eric Liberatore, and Tino Mancabelli) however Mancabelli will begin the season on the shelf with injuries. The Quakers will use that time to develop depth and find out who can step up into a greater role.
***
West Seneca West: Alex Wayland 12, Jesse Broad 12, Mike Borton 12, Jack Koller 12, Willie Morrison 12, Juston Johnson 11, Adrian Baugh 11, Bryan Ball 11, Kevin Link 11, Jack Breen 11, Anthony Espe 11, Nate Ryniec 10, Mike Glinski 10
Williamsville North: Ryan Johnston 12, Justin Konotopskyj 12, Lucas Terry 12, Alex Steinwachs 12, Jonathon Abaya 11, Joe Nusall 11, Jacob Belote 11, Dylan Mann 11, Scott Becht 11, Jake Federio 11, Dylan Mann 11, Nick Maniscalco 11, Jacob Orlando 11, Greg Poland 10, Scott Hopkins 10
Clarence: Joe Olivieri 12, Steve Kabayiza 12, Mike O'Brien 12, Matt Zuffranieri 12, Mike Scherrer 12, Jake Reger 12, Phil Simkin 12, Jack Putney 11, River Reinhardt 11, Jackson Wurtz 11, Brandon Ferris 11, Jon Stevens 11, Akilesh Ramakrishna 11, Peyton Metzger 10
Frontier: Jacob Weiss 12, Tom Notto 12, Kyle Ebert 12, Alex Hiam 11, Brandon Dunz 11, Ben Taylor 11, Elliott Robinson 11, Tyler Bailey 11, Chris Jones 11, Tyler Jenkins 11
Jamestown: Matt Hill 12, Noah Larson 12, Marcus Rojas 12, Henry Malarkey 12, Grant Moore 11, Kylen Faulkner 11, Grayson Holt 11, Daunte Garland 11, Kameron Grant 11, Nolan Butts 11, Shaheem Freeney 11, Jordan Crofoot 10, Elijah Rojas 9
Lancaster: Alec Tamburri 12, Ryan Mansell 12, Jakob Jerebko 11, Matt Garry 11, John Kisker 11, GianLuca Fulciniti 10
Orchard Park: Eric Liberatore 12, Alex Freilicher 12, Ben Shoop 12, Dave Morris 12, Nate Wereski 11, Matt Burney 11, Cayden Collins 11, Archie Bartolotti 11, Josh McTigue 11, Jordan Prince 11, Brad Fowler 10, Tino Mancabelli 10, Ethan Swiatek 10
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ECIC II
Williamsville South will be the group that every other team in ECIC II gets up for. The Billies saw their name added to the league championship banner for a third straight season and enter as the favorites to do so once again. Greg Dolan enters his senior season with just two league losses since starting as a freshman and hopes to keep it that way. Cody Sanford and Devin Degree also return to the starting lineup at South this year. Amherst is a defending league and Class A2 champion that will look to be a hardworking & unselfish team. The Tigers will be young and return no starters, but will be led by the 2017 Centercourt Sixth Man of the Year in Daesean Ashley, along with Jake Mullen, Ja’Kye Womack, and Jackson Tan who are ready to keep the Amherst tradition going. Williamsville East will be a contender in league play thanks to a veteran squad that boasts 11 seniors, led by Patrick Ranallo, Sean Keenan, & Nicholas Kieffer, along with talented sophomore Cal Shifflet, who averaged 8.4 ppg as a freshman. After a year away from coaching to enjoy the birth of his son, John Reinholz takes over as the head man at Hamburg. The Bulldogs have a very young team with nine underclassmen that includes five sophomores, but do return a pair of seniors that started last season in Jacob Genzel and Mark Henry. At Starpoint , Justin Mott is the lone starter that returns. The Spartans welcome back four other players who saw time in last season's rotation and their experience will be needed, as the Spartans bounce back up to ECIC II after competing last season in ECIC III. West Seneca East will be young this season with just two returning players that played important minutes last season. Zamari Mitchell was Second Team All-ECIC II last season and led the Trojans in scoring, assists, steals, & 3-pointers, while Christian Rodriguez was one of the team's better rebounders & defensive players from last season who always guarded the other team's best player. Sweet Home expects to take steps forward this season with their fast paced style and team defense. They finally have older players in the program that offer experience at the varsity level, led by point guard and captain Evan John, along with Stephon Trueheart, Maurice Robertson, Matthew Nix, and returning sophomore Jamel Lucas.
***
Williamsville South: Greg Dolan 12, Cody Sanford 12, Josh Foster 12, Robert Richards 12, John Goetzmann 12, Paul Goetzmann 12, Dan Proch 12, Nick Geska 12, Ethan Fuhr 12, Anthony Lombardo 12, Devin Degree 11, Ryan Schouten 11, Caran Peterson 11, Ethan Heil 11, Mike DiGiulio 10
Amherst: Chris Patterson 12, Charles Kilgo 12, Xavier Lewis 11, Jake Mullen 11, Ja’Kye Womack 11, James Moore 11, Deadrea Tyson, 11, Jackson Tan 11, Tyler Ross 11, Daesean Ashley 10, Noah Woldu 10, Aden Clemente 10, Marcus Hall 10
Williamsville East: Sean Keenan 12, Cameron Williams 12, Connor Williams 12, Nicholas Kieffer 12, Daniel Doyle 12, Seth Blum 12, Brian Comerford 12, Justin O'Neal 12, Patrick Ranallo 12, Brian Suk 11, Joe Shifflet 12, Colin Fors 12, Dylan Moorhouse 11, Zach Rudewicz 11, Cal Shifflet 10
Hamburg: Jacob Genzel 12, Mark Henry 12, Jack Rettig 12, Kevin McDermott 11, Connor McDonnell 11, Matthew Reagan 11, Nathan Severson 10, David Benningfield 10, Andrew Genzel 10, David Lambert 10
Starpoint: Kyle Schreader 12, Jake Walters 12, Brandon Wunderlich 12, Aaron Chase 11, Azston Ford 11, Brendan Gawel 11, Nate Lang 11, Justin Mott 11, Adam Rankie 11, Rob Roetzer 11, Braden Zdrojewski 11, Dustin Wick 10, Dexter Brooks 9
West Seneca East: Christian Rodriguez 12, Andrew Weiner 12, Greg Radka 12, Dylan Deneka 12, Zamari Mitchell 11, Marcus Barney 11, Matt Ibrahim 11, Alex Sarick 11, Trent Winfree 10, Michael Marcezin 10, Tommie Ferrell 10
Sweet Home: Stephon Trueheart 12, Jewlian White 12, Dylan McDuffie 12, Ryan Harris 12, Brian Lovering 12, Tavionn Martin 11, KiAiir Brunner 11, Marjohn Manuel 11, Evan John 11, Maurice Robertson 11, Matthew Nix 11, Adrian Rice 11, Jamel Lucas 10, DaeQuan Hill 10
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ECIC III
Lake Shore will have a strong presence in the middle from Johnathan Park, who led the team in scoring & rebounding last season. Jay Brueckl and Josh Buchanan will lead a deep,experienced and talented back court. Maryvale will put the ball in the hands of electric senior guard Ray Blackwell, who was called up as a freshman, and should eclipse the career 1,000 point total this season as a senior. Terrell Mullen should be a strong and talented player for the Flyers, who also have third year varsity player Mark Bailey. Chris Juergens takes over as head coach at Pioneer, after working as an assistant under Joe Pawlak at Roy-Hart. Returning is the veteran backcourt trio of Kaleb Hurlburt, Nick Rinker and Kyle Burley, who all started last season, with Burley averaging 15 ppg last season. Iroquois moves into the division from ECIC II with new head coach Todd Kleitz and only three players lost from last season. Tyler Tait will be the team's top returning scorer, along with Josh Kowalski & Andrew Hetzendorfer and the talent that moved up from a JV team that went 16-4 last year. A mix of experience and athleticism should make Cheektowaga a tough opponent. Alex Bryant, Rudy Bragg, Davon Brown & Terrance Bass are four seniors who will be looked at to lead the team, while junior Jason Salomon will also play a large role. East Aurora has no returning starters and just four players back from last season's team that won a Section VI crown in Class B1. Still expectations remain high for this squad with just two seniors from coach Chris Koselny, whose Blue Devils will be led by junior Kam Kmicinski. Springville moves back into ECIC III this season and has a talented junior in Mason Goodridge, an All-Centercourt Honorable Mention selection as a sophomore.
***
Lake Shore: Johnathan Park 12, Jacob John 12, Dakota Luke 12, Jay Brueckl 12, Bryce Toth 12, Ryan Utley 12, Ajay Cybulski 11, Josh Buchanon 11, Marcus Evans 11, Parker Jimerson 11, Nate Lockwood 11, Dezmond Wilson 11, Efrain Barreto 10
Maryvale: Ray Blackwell 12, Dylan Casey 12, Zach Amato 12, Mark Bailey 12, Shamaar Braggs 12, Nathan Crombie 11, Ryan Smith 11, Sayvon Lash 11, Luke Mansa 11, Terrell Mullen 10, Xaier Mitchell 10, Devin Taylor 10, Christian Gueth 10, Andrew Dockery 9
Iroquois: Tyler Tait 12, Andrew Hetzendorfer 12, S. Zachary Popovski 12, Josh Zon 12, Josh Kowalski 12, Charlie Ottomano 11, Max Derrick 11, Calvin Gawlick 11, Martin Fredia 11, Cole Augustine 11, Sean Holleig 11, Bailey Ertie 11, Matt Matia 10
Pioneer: Kyle Burley 12, Joe Carlson 12, Kaleb Hurlburt 12, Jared Pemberton 12, Nick Rinker 12, Dylan Giboo 11, Gabe Higgins 11, Sam Hyman 11, Cole Pleace 11
Cheektowaga: Alex Bryant 12, Davon Brown 12, Rudy Bragg 12, Keon White 12, Jaquan Pugh 12, Terrance Bass 12, Jason Salomon 11, Armondez Cleague 11
East Aurora: Will Beavers 12, Kellan Wittman 12, Kam Kmicinski 11, Noah Denz 11, Connor Boss 10
Springville: no information provided by coach
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ECIC IV
Lackawanna enters the season as the defending league champion and sectional finalist in Class B1. The Steelers hope to repeat those successes from last season and take the next step in March. Noah Grabar is a slick passing and lights-out shooting junior, while Noble Smith is the team's leader who provides a strong presence at both ends of the floor. The team is hopeful that London Smith is able to fully recover from a football injury before season's end - he was fantastic for them all of last year. Depew slides back here after competing in ECIC III for the past several seasons. The Wildcats will once again challenge opponents with perimeter shooting with an undersized lineup of shooters enjoying the green light from head coach Larry Jones. Chad Biersbach is back to lead the way in his fifth varsity season and should become only the second player from Depew to break the 1,000 point barrier early in the year. JFK has four starters back in Jake Braniecki, Nick Baker, Jordan Snyder, and Zack Manzella, who will be asked to shoulder the load for the Bears. Cleveland Hill graduated several seniors from the team that lost in the Class C1 Final at JCC in March. If the Golden Eagles, who return Fredrick Johnson, Aaron Wahler, and Kellvonta Harris, can start the year with the same energy they finished with last season, they will have an opportunity to return to the same place. Alden will be led by a trio of seniors in Christian Snell, Joshua Jeziorski and Alexander Leigh. Snell and Jeziorski are two athletic wing players that have the ability to guard multiple positions, while Leigh is a knock down shooter who will be asked to provide a solid handle as well as timely scoring. Tonawanda will be a very young squad with many fresh faces and is described by head coach Hank Hughes as a very hard working group with high energy that is eager to learn. Holland will have a small roster this year in both numbers and size, and will need to rely on guard-oriented play at a fast pace. The team will be led by Jordan Kolbmann, but the entire roster is ready to contribute and play multiple minutes. At Eden, Paul O'Connor is the new head coach for both the varsity and JV teams. Eight of the players on his varsity roster will be underclassmen.
***
Lackawana: London Smith 12, Noble Smith 12, Robert Rice 12, Abdul Hamid Albaneh 12, Luis Aviles 12, Terrell Brower 12, Carlton Threeths 12, Juan Rodriguez 11, Noah Grabar 11, Jeremiah Caviness 11, Keyna Smith 11, Emmanual Land 11, Trenaje Giddens 11, Alfonso Rivera 11
Depew: Chad Biersbach 12, Jeremy Clark 12, Jordan Cieselski 12, Dylan Cwiklinski 12, Augustine Arricale 12, Sean Miller 11, Matt Martin 11, Vunal Blair 11, Joe Pagano 11, Alex Neu 11, Cullen Johnson 11, Jacob Wentland 11, Max Cotton 11, Collin Bruencz 11, PJ Burns 10
JFK: Jake Braniecki 12, Nick Baker 12, Jordan Snyder 12, Robert Burgstahler 12, Michael Nawojski 12, James Bailey 12, Leonard Fears 12, Zack Manzella 11, Nazier Childs 11, Kage Dauman 11, Mitchell Fischer 11, Mark Konczal 11, Alan Suarez 10
Cleveland Hill: Kellvonta Harris 12, Fredrick Johnson 11, Aaron Wahler 11, Peyton Barker 11, D'Mario Grant 11, Khalil Jackson 11, Carl Jackson 11, Alfred Walker 11
Alden: Christian Snell 12, Riley Pastuszynski 12, Joshua Jeziorski 12, Bradley Kibler 12, Alexander Leigh 12, Matthew Schuh 12, Jacob Fairbanks 12, Maxwell Gilbert 11, Peter Jalovick 11, Lucas Jurek 11, Quinn Keller 11, Trey Samsel 10, Lucas Bush 10
Holland: Josh Ratajczak 12, Paul Nellis 12, Jordan Kolbmann 12, Zach Pawlak 12, Brennan Lewandowski 11, Josey Rivera 11, Nolan Perry 10
Tonawanda: Henry Palermo 12, Joshua Mouton 12, Pat Carney 11, Noah Gross 11, Khristian Velazquez 11, Billy Zeughardt 11, Owen Baker 11, Austin Kislowski 11, Messiah Illas 10, JJ Velazquez 9, Trevin Boling 8
Eden: John Emel 12, Griffin Gill 12, Collin Rigley 12, Hayden Bromley 12, Jackson Carney 12, Charlie Bennett 12, Jared Sobsyk 11, Colton Stetz 11, Connor Blake 11, Zach Decarlis 11, Louis Decarlis 11, Tom Mcauly 11, Bryce Narbe 11, Tyreese Jackson 11
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Niagara Frontier League
Niagara Falls is the two-time defending champion of Class AA, and the talent back at NFHS should make it a three-peat. Tazaun Rose & Syquan Ralands are the inside/outside combination that will lead a Wolverines team that is small with some very young players, but should be a lot of fun to watch. Lockport graduated four starters, but still has some talent in the mix. The Lions benefit from the return of guards Torree Cheatham and Devon Darrell, who each played in the Monsignor Martin Association last season. They will combine with Malik Brooks, Luke Lawrence, and Devin Letherman for plenty of team speed. North Tonawanda returns Third Team All-Centercourt standout Trevor Book, who had all his talents on full display at Buffalo State last March as the Jacks rolled through the competition en route to the team's first regional appearance. Ryan Mountain is the reigning Coach of the Year, & along with returning seniors Sean Ferry, Kyle McNeill, and Cody Cronk, will groom newcomers from a successful JV team to continue the winning ways with defense as the backbone. Grand Island has three straight seasons with sectional wins and reached Buffalo State in Class A1 last year. Junior Cam Sionko is back after an All-Centercourt Honorable Mention season, along with a healthy Liam Carrey, a big and athletic player who dealt with injury last season. Lew-Port played together a lot over the summer and gains some key talent from a JV squad that finished 18-2 last season. They will combine with key returning players, led by Trent Scott, and look to get the Lancers back to Buff State in Class A2. Kenmore West has some very good seniors to replace and will rely on playing defense and getting out in transition. The Blue Devils have Andrew Fron, Dylan James, and Erick Rainey back who all saw time last year. Kenmore East has the talent back to compete in the NFL and take a run at reaching Buff State in Class A1. The Bulldogs are led by the backcourt of D'Anzo Young and Kahlil O'Neil, along with Nate Murdie and Nic Calhoun inside. CSAT played its first season in the NFL in a year when they had a young team and the league was the strongest in Section VI. For their second round of competition in the NFL, the Eagles have nine players back, eight of which are seniors, and plan to be a defensive-minded veteran group. Niagara Wheatfield will be led by third year player Anthony Ruffino, who along with Davon Ware, Ben Davanteir and Zach Stanley, had very productive offseasons.
***
Niagara Falls: Tazaun Rose 12, Syquan Ralands 12, Jamel Burton 12, Marques Miller 12, Quaran Dubois 12, Roderick Arrington 12, Naim Bradley 12, Josiah Harris 11, Moran Montgomery 11, Joe Palka 10, Taylor Sanders 10, Roddy Gayle 8, Willie Lightfoot 8
Lockport: Isiah Johnson 12, Rashaun Johnson 12, Luke Lawrence 12, Devin Leatherman 12, Tivon White 12, Emmanual Hunt 12, Devon Darrell 12, Malik Brooks 11, Torree Cheatham 11, Duane Barrow 11, Jayln Jones 11, Marcus Shavers 11, Josh Cooper 10
Grand Island: Liam Carey 12, Derek Callen 12, Cam Sionko 11, JJ Wilkes 11, Logan Sionko 9
North Tonawanda: Trevor Book 12, Codie Cronk 12, Sean Ferry 12, Kyle McNeill 12,Colin Beach 11, Nick Casterline 11, James Holler 11, Donny LaVerdi 11, Dante Moultrie 10, Noah Fox 10, Sebastian Reid 10, Walter Wisniewski 9
Lew-Port: Dylan Morrissette 12, William Duff 12, Brendan Perreault 12, Owen Licht 12, Tyler Maggard 12, Zach Raber 12, Joe Powers 11, Trent Scott 11, Jake Kasbaum 11, Zach Claybourne 11, Jason Boslet 11, Noah Coppins 11, Andrew Perrault 11, Aidan Salick 11
Kenmore West: Erick Rainey 12, Jake Poummit 12, Ronnie Martinez 12, Andrew Fron 12, Jaylan Young 12, Jack Stoerr 12, Jake Robb 12, Noah Fisk 12, Dylan James 11, Christian Montes 11, Zach LaPlante 11, Anthony Dolce 11, Dom Schmidt 11, Kyle Schmidt 11, Zac Boyes 10
Kenmore East: Tyler Everett 12, Zach Price 12, Brandon Baker 12, Kahlil O'Neil 12, Jamichael Henderson 12, Billy Sautter 12, Nic Calhoun 12, D'Anzo Young 11, Bill Carvalho 11, Nate Murdie 11, Franc Schmoyer 11, Justin Harper 11, Brandon Beltran 11, Joey Brooks 11
CSAT: James Stephens 12, Jayden Gulledge 12, Deshawn Williams 12, Mark Greamen 12, Devin Ashley 12, James Tyes 12, Jalen Walker 12, Nazir Austin 12, Makhi Love 12, Daighlyon Willoughby 11, Lenard Harris 11, Kavon Wright 11, Frank Williams 11, Mel'vhon Thomas 11, Jeffrey Bellamy 11
Niagara Wheatfield: Anthony Ruffino 12, William Scullion 12, Ben Devantier 12, Nick Cloudin 12, Jared Domaradzki 12, Tom sommers 12, Davon Ware 11, Zach stanley 11, James McVay 11Jordan Parks 11, Cam Miller 11, Evan Rohring 11, Jordy Smith 11,
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Niagara-Orleans
Newfane has gone from a young team to a seasoned bunch with six seniors who have played three varsity seasons. Max Weber & Kyle DeVoogel were each All-Centercourt Honorable Mention selections and First Team All-League following the 2017 season, and each enters the year near the 1,000 point mark. Weber is also closing in on 500 assists, while DeVoogel broke the school's steals record in a season last year. Medina is the league's two-time defending champ and ran the table against the competition last season. The Mustangs lost a pair of returning starters to out-of-town transfers, but still have some experience and talent back in the fold, led by Toledo football commit Jalin Cooper, who was a Top 25 All-Centercourt standout as a junior. Izaiah Rhim is also back after earning Second Team All-League as a sophomore, along with experienced guards Mason Lewis, Alex Allis, and Brendan Luthart. Wilson graduated four starters and will rely heavily on returning point guard Steve Frerichs' experience in his third varsity season. Mac Musall and Nate Fox are two players expected to make big contributions for the Lakemen. Roy-Hart's leading scorer, Jake Bruning (15.2 ppg) is back, along with backcourt mate Noah Kindron - a top defender and the team's floor general. Akron is coming off of a down year, but has several returning varsity players, along with the addition of underclassmen that were part of a successful JV team last year. The goal will be to continue to improve, play solid team basketball, and get some talented athletes to make basketball their priority. Albion is carrying three sophomores and will rely on its athletes stepping into bigger roles from last season to compete.
***
Newfane: Max Weber 12, Kyle DeVoogel 12, Chad Dunbar 12, Connor Hill 12, Brandon Gross 12, Drew Boudeman 12, Samuel Auernhamer 12, Thorne Geise 12, Cam Stanton 12, Trevor Moreland 12, Matt DiTullio 11, James Leibring 11, Jarrett Gilson 11, Jonah Wisniewski 11, Umaru Ibrihim 10
Medina: Jalin Cooper 12, Mason Lewis 12, Alex Allis 12, Brendan Luthart 12, Trenton Jones 12, Jorge Phillips 12, Izaiah Rhim 11, Daemon Shatara 11, Tavian Rhim 11, Tim Roy 11, Tanner Waldriff 11, Nate Sherman 10, Brian Fry 9, Tyler Chinn 9
Wilson: Jared Carney 12, Mac Musall 12, Matt Daul 12, Nate Fox 12, Steve Frerichs 11, Jake Miller 11, Ian Evans 11, Jon Littere 11, Brayden Thompson 10, Julian Andreola 10, Mitch Mahar 10, Alex Martinez 10
Roy-Hart: Jake Bruning 12, Jon Huntington 12, Noah Kindron 12, Brandon LaForme 12, Charlie Brigham 11, Charlie Bruning 11, Lance Krieger 11, Quinten Koch 11, Hunter Pratt 11, Ben White 11, Blake Halstead 11
Akron: Weylon Abrams 12, Owen Hill 12, Derek Holtz 12, Nelson Logan 12, Mason Schultz 12, Wyatt Martin 11, Stephen Wagner 11, Matt Delre 11, Nick Genovese 11, Carter Jensen 11, Tim Longwell 11, Donovan Nephew 11, Brandon Orr 11, Jake Siska 11, Adam Mietz 9
Albion: Hunter Webster 12, Bradley Sanford 12, Shyheim Jakes 12, Demetrius Gardner 12, Austin Dugan 12, Bryce Pritchard 11, Dylan Fox 11, Vincent Zona 11, Deyonci Farley 10, Kevin Hillman 10
Barker: no information provided by coach
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CCAA I West
Olean returns to Class B with a young team that features 10 juniors and returns a pair of starters in Mike Schmidt and Matt Droney. Look for the Huskies to resemble a veteran group sooner than later behind a HOF coach in Jeff Anastasia who now sits at the top of WNY's all-time win list, and continue to value defense as their constant. Andrew Krenzer is now the head coach of Dunkirk, who played a thriller with East Aurora in the Class B1 semifinal last season and brings most of its key contributors back. The Marauders have speed, size, shooters, and depth, and will be led by Darnell Butts and Devaun Farnham DeJesus. Chautauqua Lake is coming off a break through season that saw the program earn a pair of firsts: a victory over league champion Olean and an overall Class C title to advance to regionals in Class C. The Thunderbirds return First Team All-State player Devin Pope, who enters the season with nearly 1,400 career points, along with Kyler Majka and Alex Gleason who also saw extended playing time last year. Fredonia will be led by Nate Shuart, who averaged 14 ppg & eight rebounds as a sophomore, along with dime-dropping point guard Reid Tarnowski. The Hillbillies gain 10 players from last season's successful JV team that will provide depth to play an uptempo style. Look for freshman guard Tyler Putney to contribute immediately. Southwestern will look for points in transition, led by junior scoring leader Alex Card, who already has two years of varsity experience under his belt entering this season. Maple Grove returns Carson Christ, along with the usual hard working athletes that are a staple of this team. Other coaches in CCAA I West have all mentioned the Red Dragons as a team to beware of this season.
***
Olean: Zach Parr 12, Luke Chapman 12, Jaeden Harris 12, Thomas Klein 12, Mike Schmidt 11, Josh Bihler 11, Matt Droney 11, Brian Ramarge 11, Jack Dwaileebe 11, Alex Weakfall 11, Jarrett Prizel 11, Cameron Kitchen-Perez 11, Rheyquon Davis 11, DeySeann Garey 11
Dunkirk: Darnell Butts 12, Devaun Farnham DeJesus 12, Issiah Velez 12, Andre Lockett 12, Noah Sobilo 12, Tyreese Kristan-Johnson 12, Felix Garcia 12, Jaziah Rivera 12, Sabien Smith 12, Kayin Odebralski 11, Jonathan Pedrogo 11, Ethan Yannie 11
Chautauqua Lake: Devin Pope 12, Collin Wood 12, JC McCroskey 12, Kyler Majka 11, Alex Gleason 11, Jack Adams 11, Bryan Anderson 11, Dean McKane 11, Trey Sauerland 11, Blane Thomas 11, Sebastian Wescott 11, Nate Adams 10, Michael Anderson 9
Fredonia: Matt Tintsman 12, Jared Kowalski 12, Reid Tarnowski 12, Brendan Plaister 12, Andrew Field 12, Nate Shuart 11, Nico Pucci 11, Trey Swartz 11, Parker Rivera 11, Keith Piper 11, Raziel Pearl 11, Owen Nicosia 11, Brayden Myers 11, Tyler Putney 9
Southwestern: Luke Heil 12, Derek Miller 12, Anthony Vezina 12, Max Kane 12, Saad Meer 12, Alex Card 11, Faizan Munir 11, Mayson Mathews 11, Jake Hnatyszyn 11, Cooper Pannes 10, Mitchell Pascarella 10
Maple Grove: no information provided by coach
Falconer: no information provided by coach
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CCAA I East
Silver Creek failed to reach a championship game at JCC for the first time in seven seasons last year, and the team has made its goal to return there in March. Playing the up-tempo style the Black Knights are known for, along with the return of four starters and the addition of Gowanda transfer Jarmani Benton, should have them right back in the mix for both league and the section. Gowanda lost its second leading scorer to transfer, but returns its top gun in two-time All-Centercourt Honorable Mention selection Nate Brawdy, a long & smooth scorer with an all around skill set. They also gained a big man in Ture Hassler who is sure to give teams fits with his size & style of play. Randolph is the defending league and Class C2 champion after an inspired defensive performance in the sectional final against East last season. While the Cardinals only return one starter, they are fed by a JV squad that finished 18-2 last season. Tyler Hind, the team's playoff MVP, is back after averaging 17.6 ppg as a freshman, along with Isaac Wakefield and Andrew Bernard. Allegany-Limestone returns most of its team that played plenty of minutes last year. The Gators will be led by Sam Flanders and Sean McAfee, along with rising sophomores Casey Curran and Michael Wolfgang. For Salamanca, despite the graduation of nine seniors, the Warriors roster is hardly void of talent. With defense and rebounding remaining a constant, they will look to play a faster tempo and remain competitive in an always difficult league. Portville has just one starter back and only four seniors on the roster this season. Still, this Panthers squad brings length and athleticism to the table and looks to gain some quick seasoning.
***
Silver Creek: Chad Yochum 12, Tom Galfo 12, Jarmani Benton 12, Tucker Gates 11, Braeden Woleben 11, Ammon Jones 11, Jack Brennan 11, Dylan Snow 11, Dom Jamison 10
Gowanda: Nate Brawdy 12, Ryan John 12, Uriah John 12, Ture Hassler 12, Nolan Rosier 11, Max Lindgren 12, Matias Rikka 12, Nolan Rosier 12, Tristan Jensen 11, Matt Smuda 11, Damen MacLeod 11, Aaron Colantino 11, Jonas Lindgren 9
Randolph: Isaac Wakefield 12, Dakota Donaldson 12, Tres Sherman 12, Devin Foster 12, Calvin George 12, Andrew Bernard 11, Tyler Hind 10, Branson Morrison 10, Kaleb Steward 10, Gabe McCoy 8
Allegany-Limestone: Sean McAfee 12, Grant Davis 12, Roman Napoleon 12, Michael Nye 12, Tommy Moran 12, Sam Flanders 11, Conner Golley 11, Gabe Kellogg 11, Casey Curran 10, Michael Wolfgang 10, Gus Napoleon 10
Salamanca: Hercules Rasha 12, Braden Siebert 12, Mitchell Richardson 12, Nick Johnson 12, Tyler Hedlund 11, Ira John 11, Zariah Armstrong 11, Ryan Chiemara 11, Zach Helms 11, Hunter McAuley 11, Jarrett McKenna 10, Isaac Brown 9
Portville: Jonah Watson 12, Brendan Tobola 12, Kyle Murray 12, Noah Swartwout 12, Nathan Kloc 11, Dalton Nuffer 11, Noah Pullins 11, Dawson Havers 11, Caden Keim 11, Brandon Murray 11, Cameron Lott 11, Jarrett Mathes 11, Dalton Tobola 10
**********************************************
CCAA II West
Sherman returns Jared Gleason, who was a First Team selection in CCAA II West last season, along with Honorable Mention selection Tanner Ramsey. The Wildcats have been a force in the Class D ranks for years, reaching JCC for at least the past seven seasons. Westfield has two of the league's top performers in Shawn Horr & Julio Torres, along with three more players who saw significant minutes last season, and a player that will pose problems with his size - 6-5, 260 lb sophomore Andrew Baribeau. Brocton would like to play a quick tempo style and bring a little showtime to the scene, with Bubba Brown leading the cast of contributors. Clymer has six players returning from last years squad, four of which played significant time, and will start the season with a new point guard taking the reigns. Panama has just two players back this season with varsity experience. The team will have seven juniors who all played together on JV last season, along with sophomore Cameron Barmore, who is poised for a strong season. Frewsburg will be a young team with just two seniors and four returning players. The Bears are led by Tyler Marchincin at both ends of the floor, along with Quinn Conlan and Brad Nelson.
***
Sherman: Jared Gleason 12, Caleb Burick 12, Gavin Kahle 12, Tanner Ramsey 12, Darren Kopta 12, Collin Ramsey 11, Jordan Caron 11, Kameron Ayers 11, Austin Tallman 11, Mike Beatman 11, Reece Bates 11, Chance Meeder 11, Hunter Cooper 11, John Swabik 9
Westfield: Shawn Horr 12, Julio Torres 12, Brady Nusom 12, Cody Patterson 12, Christian Hammond 12, Brock Shuster 11, Coby Bills 11, Ryan Jafarjian 11, Evan Hauser 11, David Kircher 11, Matt See 11, Anthony Spann 11, Nathan Culbreth 10, Andrew Baribeau 10, Michael Johnosn 10
Brocton: Hunter Rizzo 12, Charles Rexford 12, Gabe Rosas 12, Daniel Siragusa 12, Bubba Brown 11, Riley Rivera 11, Jordan Kyrstofiak 11, Derrick Burns 11, Darien Booker 11, Gabe Morello 10, Caleb Chelton 10
Clymer: Corey Neckers 12, Dustin Neckers 12, Sam Wiggers 12, Jordan Wade 12, Spencer TeWinkle 12, Robert Overton 11
Panama: Tom Delahoy 12, Carter Morse 12, Isaac Lawson 11, Dominic Spontaneo 11, Jack Sperry 11, Jake Harper 11, AJ Troyer 11, Mitch Hovey 11, Ryan Joslyn 11, Cameron Barmore 10
Frewsburg: Tyler Marchincin 12, Bill Piazza 12, Jvyn Matve 11, Quinn Conlan 11, Dan Reinagel 11, Nolan Brink 11, Dylan Pearson 11, Conour Rodgers 11, Brad Nelson 10, Aaron Hair 10
Cassadaga Valley: no information provided by coach
**********************************************
CCAA II East
Franklinville earned a share of the league crown with rival Ellicottville, but won the rubber match at JCC which led to a state run in Class D that saw the Panthers reach the final four in Binghamton. The goal this season is clear - get back there, hope to finish what they started last season, and earn a state championship. Fourth Team All-Centercourt forward Sam Erickson is the team's leader, while Isaac Kopp and Darren Clark are major contributors. With the entire rotation back, it's possible the Panthers open the season ranked #1 in NYS Class D. Ellicottville also comes back this season in force after splitting the league with Franklinville. The Eagles also return all five starters and their top six players, led by 2017 Fourth Team All-Centercourt and two-time First Team All-State center Elliot Bowen. Griffin Chudy and point guard Austin Grinols, along with Bowen, will all be four-year varsity starters and are hoping to go out with a sectional title and beyond. Chris Buczek returns as head coach at Pine Valley, where he takes over for a team that has six seniors who all returned and will try to take advantage of the athleticism his roster offers. Forestville has just four players returning this season and plans to focus its efforts on the defensive end as the newcomers get up to speed at the varsity level.
***
Franklinville: Sam Erickson 12, Isaac Kopp 12, Darren Clark 12, Brock Blecha 12, Dylan Burton 12, Kaleb Watts 12, Conner Burrell 12, Ben Mooney 11,Malakhai Holiday 11, John Yan 11, Vinny Marchese 10, Josh Haskell 8
Ellicottville: Elliot Bowen 12, Griffin Chudy 12, Austin Grinols 12, Noah Stuve 12, Deric Leiper 12, Mitchell Sexton 12, Evan Palmatier 12, Robert Neumann 12, Parker Rieman 12, Cody Luder 12, Matt Grigsby 12, Vaugh Bomberry 12, Steven Rowland 11, Brenden Chudy 11, Brennan Finn 11
Pine Valley: Trent Mihalko 12, Zachary Mansfield 12, Stephen Crisanti 12, Bobby Clutter 12, Dakota Loop 12, Ben Distasio 12, Bayley Finch 11, Brady Andrews 11, Makiah Snyder 11, Ryan Snyder 11, Anthony Yaskow 11
Forestville: Lewis Markham 12, Hector West 12, Phillip Narraway 12, Travis Drozdziel 11, Nikolas Lelonek 11, Orlando Soto 11, Skyler Christian 11, Jordan Fores 11, Gavin Christian 10, Dalton Hastings 10, Javier West 9
North Collins: no information provided by coach
Cattaraugus/Little Valley: no information provided by coach
********************************************
Charter Schools
Health Sciences broke through in 2017 and gave the school its first Section VI champion in Class B2. The Falcons followed it up with a run to states in Class B. Davonte Gaines, Kameron Briggs, Tayvion Nelson, and Josiah Haygood will lead a deep lineup that looks to run teams into the ground with pace and pressure. Antwan Anderson takes the reigns at Global Concepts after serving as an assistant at Manhattan Cup finalist St. Francis. Junior Luis Mercado will lead the Gators, along with talented freshman Andre Goldsmith. At Oracle, Chris Castleberry takes the reigns as head coach and has an athletic team with the ability to get in your face defensively and push the ball up the floor offensively. The Phoenix will look to make a strong playoff push at the end of the season. BASCS, which stands for Buffalo Academy of Science Charter School, returns seniors Mian Tasnum and Trevor Mosley, and will be led by team captain Ibrahim Osmani.
***
Health Sciences: Davonte Gaines 12, Tayvion Nelson 12, Aquell Crosby 12, Shakir Cook 12, Tyseen Lott 11, Kameron Briggs 11, Josiah Haygood 11, Timothy Benton 11, Daciaire Riley 10, Kyjuan Inabinett 9, Javaughn Jones 9, Donovan Miller 9
Oracle: Joe Perez 12, Gary Marshall 12, Delmareion White 12, Bonifasi Luundo 12, Khalil Kabia 12, Anthony Halton 12, Deontay Johnson 12, Shareef Murray 12, Jacquan Steele 12, Raekwon Graves 11, Shontez Asturias 11, Atem Bol 11, Kyle Tyler 11
Global Concepts: Donovn Wallance 12, Bahadeen Aljari 12, Branden Coleman 12, Branden Gibson 12, Nick Kalimu 11, Luis Mercado 11, Mysome Johnson 11, Lee Kalimu 11, Jakiel Vamer 11, Anthony Miller 10, Andre Goldsmith 9
BASCS: Mian Tasnum 12, Trevor Mosley 12, Javier Melendez 12, Muhammad Maksudov 12, Ja’Quan Wingard 12, Amar Woodwiley 12, Josh Workman 12, Branton Morgan 12, Jayron Lewis 12, Ibrahim Osmani 11, Justin Hunt 11, Abdi Cali 11, Vote Wavote 11, Carlos Rodriquez 11, Adriel Powell 11, Sean Johnson 11
Maritime: Ray Rich 12, KeSean Weston 12, Malachi Grimes 12, Amed Morales 12, Angel Canules 12, Jaerek Sopinski 12, Ian Henderson 12, Isaiah Donmore 12, Jalill Carpenter 12, Tyler Wilson 11, Tyress Hall 10, John Blevins 10
Tapestry: no information provided by coach
*****************************************
Teams with New Coaches
Rich Jacob - Park
Jason Rowe - Timon
Pat Clarke - Nichols
Tom Ford - CCA
Des Randall - West Seneca West
John Reinholz - Hamburg
Todd Kleitz - Iroquois
Chris Juergens - Pioneer
Paul O'Connor - Eden
James Kane - Middle College
Nick Todaro - DaVinci
Andrew Krenzer - Dunkirk
Michael Brooks - Barker
David Kozar - Albion
Antwan Anderson - Global Concepts
Chris Castleberry - Oracle
Mike Ester - Tapestry
*********************************************
Classification Changes
Kenmore West moves down from Class AA to Class A1
Kenmore East moves up from Class A2 to Class A1
East Aurora moves up from Class B1 to Class A2
Emerson moves up from Class B1 to Class A2
Olean moves down from Class A2 to Class B1
Lackawanna moves up from Class B2 to Class B1
Medina moves up from Class B2 to Class B1
Maritime moves up from Class C1 to Class B2
Riverside moves down from Class B1 to Class B2
Cleveland Hill moves up from Class C1 to Class B2
DaVinci moves up from Class C1 to Class B2
East moves down from Class C2 to Class D
Westfield moves down from Class C2 to Class D
Frewsburg moves down from Class C2 to Class D
**********************************************
Preseason Polls
** I checked back on last season's preseason poll and compared it to my final poll of 2017. I correctly placed seven of the top ten large schools in the preseason Top 10, and had six of the 10 small schools. My favorite part about doing this is being right and wrong all at the same time! While I nailed it by having Canisius at the top to start last year, I blew it by not having North Tonawanda in the large school top 10, and the Jacks finished as the highest ranked public school. Among the small schools, I started Health Sciences at #2 and the Falcons finished #1, but Class B Manhattan Cup champion St. Mary's was nowhere to be found in the preseason Top 10. The Lancers were #2 when the dust settled.
Large Schools
1. Canisius
2. Park
3. Niagara Falls
4. Williamsville South
5. St. Francis
6. South Park
7. McKinley
8. Timon
9. West Seneca West
10. Williamsville North
Small Schools
1. Health Sciences
2. Olean
3. Franklinville
3. St. Mary's
4. East
6. Cardinal O'Hara
7. Dunkirk
8. Nichols
9. Middle College
10. Niagara Catholic
********************************************
Predictions
MMA Class A - Canisius
MMA Class B - Cardinal O'Hara
Yale Cup I - South Park
Yale Cup II - MST Seneca
ECIC I - West Seneca West
ECIC II - Williamsville South
ECIC III - Lake Shore
ECIC IV - Lackawanna
NFL - Niagara Falls
N-O - Newfane
CCAA I West - Olean
CCAA I East - Silver Creek
CCAA II West - Sherman
CCAA II East - Franklinville
Charters - Health Sciences
*********************************************
Manhattan Cup (A)
Last season, I predicted the Crusaders to win the Cup and it was the first time I got right since the 2013 season. They basically bring the farm back and there were a couple stud sophomores that jumped off the page at me when watching their JV team last year. If they enter Canisius' already loaded rotation, along with Austin James being back in the fold, I like my chances. That said, I expect Park to be the Crusaders' equal this year - and it should make for three epic battles...like the ones we watched two seasons ago.
** Canisius **
Manhattan Cup (B)
I went with Nichols in this spot last season and was oh so close to being right - but it was St. Mary's that prevailed in a thrilling final. With the talent the Lancers have back, they have to be the favorite to repeat in my opinion. But the Class B race should be as fun as its been in years with four teams sitting on some real talent and hungry to knock the snot out of each other. I'll go with the Lancers, but won't be shocked to see them bounced in the semifinals by O'Hara, Nichols, or Niagara Catholic.
** St. Mary's **
Class AA
Final Four to reach Buffalo State:
Niagara Falls, Williamsville North, Clarence, & Lockport
** Niagara Falls **
Class A1
Final Four to reach Buffalo State:
Williamsville South, McKinley, West Seneca West, & Grand Island
** Williamsville South **
Class A2
Final Four to reach Buffalo State:
South Park, Amherst, Lake Shore, & Maryvale
** South Park **
Class B1
Final Four to reach Buffalo State:
Olean, Dunkirk, Newfane, & Lackawanna
** Olean **
Class B2
Final Four to reach Buffalo State:
Health Sciences, Middle College, Gowanda, & Cleveland Hill
** Health Sciences **
Class C
Final Four to reach JCC:
Chautauqua Lake, Randolph, Silver Creek, & Maple Grove
** Silver Creek **
Class D
Final Four to reach JCC:
Ellicottville, Franklinville, East, & Sherman
** Franklinville **
-centercourt
Sunday, March 19, 2017
All-League Teams 2017
MONSIGNOR MARTIN ASSOCIATION
Class A
Player of the Year:
Davion Warren - Timon, 12
All-Catholic
Joe Harrison - Timon, 12
Joe Jones - Park, 11
Bo Sireika - St. Francis, 11
Julian Cunningham - St. Francis, 10
Dan Scott - Park, 10
Class B
Player of the Year:
Tavien Kemp - Walsh, 12
All-Catholic
Will Johnson - Nichols, 12
Daquan Hunt - St. Mary's, 12
Christian Szablewski - St. Mary's, 11
Latrell Butler-Kemp - Walsh, 11
Justin Hemphill - Cardinal O'Hara, 10
************************************************
YALE CUP I
Player of the Year:
Shakur Harris - South Park, 12
First Team
Willard Anderson - East, 11
Ray Mushat - South Park, 11
Hakeem Dobbins - Middle College, 11
Nakye Booze - McKinley, 12
Tyreek Edwards - Emerson, 12
Second Team
Deamontae Riley - Burgard, 11
Justin Allen - East, 11
Davonti Wardlaw - McKinley, 12
Deon Spencer - McKinley, 11
Anthony Mack - South Park, 9
Third Team
Derrick Bishop - Middle College, 12
Nader Kompany - Middle College, 11
Kavon Rogers - McKinley, 11
Elijah Lewis - South Park, 10
Gerald Bratton - Riverside, 12
Honorable Mention
South Park: Jeremy Jackson - 12, Jakari Woods - 12, Khalil White - 12
East: Waunya Shaw - 11, Jahahd Maryon - 11
McKinley: Emir Evans - 11, Joe Johnson - 12
Middle College: Shawn Goree - 12, Allen McDuffie - 12
Burgard: DeJuan Williams - 10
Riverside: Hak Douth - 11
Hutch-Tech: Anthony Whitfield - 11
Emerson: Anthony Hunter - 12
************************************************
YALE CUP II
Co-Players of the Year:
Dan Reid - Olmsted, 12 / David Anderson - MST Seneca, 12
First Team
Earl Howard - MST Seneca, 10
Naseem Baynes - Olmsted, 12
Dom Prince - MST Seneca, 12
Carlos Rosa - Lafayette, 11
Amir Radford - City Honors, 10
Second Team
Alijay Clark - I-Prep, 12
Takeylo Burts - Lafayette, 12
Javaughn Johnson - Buffalo Arts, 12
Jason Chapman - MST Seneca, 10
Austin Parham - Olmsted, 12
Third Team
Jeffrey Felix - Lafayette, 12
Talon Moody - City Honors, 12
Dreqwan Johnson - Buffalo Arts, 12
Greg Ngoma - I-Prep, 12
EB Lewis - DaVinci, 9
Honorable Mention
City Honors: Kevion Taylor - 9, Jaden Slaughter - 8
Lafayatte: Austin Grimes - 11
Buffalo Arts: Charles Slobert - 9
DaVinci: Mykel Hardgrove - 12
*************************************************
ALL-ECIC
Player of the Year:
Dominick Welch, Cheektowaga, 12
First Team
Dominick Welch, Cheektowaga, 12
Greg Dolan, Williamsville South, 11
James Rojas - Jamestown, 12
Marcellus Cooper - Amherst, 12
Nick Montgomery - East Aurora, 12
Second Team
Vito Fulciniti - Lancaster, 12
Mason Goodridge - Springville, 10
Ray Blackwell - Maryvale, 11
Da'Shawn Hines - Amherst, 12
Josh Denz - East Aurora, 12
*************************************************
ECIC I
Player of the Year:
James Rojas - Jamestown, 12
First Team
Vito Fulciniti - Lancaster, 12
LG Castillo - Lancaster, 12
Alec Tamburri - Lancaster, 11
Dylan Anderson - Orchard Park, 11
Jairus Huggins - Williamsville North, 12
Second Team
Jesse Wayland - West Seneca West, 11
Dan Anderson - Orchard Park, 12
Noah Speyer - Lancaster, 12
Marcus Rojas - Jamestown, 10
River Reinhardt - Clarence, 10
Jacob Belote - Williamsville North, 10
Honorable Mention
Frontier: Kyle Ebert - 11, Brian Norsen - 10, Zack Gerken - 12
Williamsville North: Corey Swiech - 11, Anthony Maniscalco - 12
Clarence: Jack Putney - 10
Jamestown: Matt Hill - 11
****************************************************
ECIC II
Player of the Year:
Greg Dolan - Williamsville South, 11
First Team
Marcellus Cooper - Amherst, 12
Dakota Wiley - Williamsville South, 12
Da'Shawn Hines - Amherst, 12
Jake Genzel - Hamburg, 11
Drew Butler - Williamsville East, 12
Second Team
Chris Stineman - West Seneca East, 10
Zamari Mitchell - West Seneca East, 10
Evan John - Sweet Home, 10
Dominic Farszmil - West Seneca East, 12
Stephon Trueheart - Sweet Home, 10
Honorable Mention
Williamsville South: Adam Braniecki - 12, Mark Worthy - 12
Williamsville East: Matthew Gelder, 12
Iroquois: Matthew Whalen, 12
Amherst: Daesean Ashley, 9
Hamburg: Patrick Hart, 12
****************************************************
ECIC III
Player of the Year:
Dominick Welch - Cheektowaga, 12
First Team
Nick Montgomery- East Aurora, 12
Josh Denz - East Aurora, 12
Ray Blackwell - Maryvale, 11
John Park - Lake Shore, 11
Chad Biersbach - Depew, 11
Second Team
Derek Clemons - Starpoint, 12
Cal McTigue - East Aurora, 12
Kyle Burley - Pioneer, 11
Vaughn Burdette - Cheektowaga, 12
Justin Mott - Starpoint, 10
Rudy Bragg - Cheektowaga, 11
Honorable Mention
Maryvale: Brian Sullivan - 12
Lake Shore: Jay Brueckl - 11
Starpoint: Adam Lasal - 12
Cheektowaga: Alex Bryant - 11
Depew: Tyler Biersbach, 12
East Aurora: Joe Montgomery - 12
************************************************
ECIC IV
Player of the Year:
Mason Goodridge - Springville, 10
First Team
Paul Woodward - Cleveland Hill, 12
Coan Relyea - Holland, 12
Noah Grabar - Lackawanna, 10
Marcus James - Springville, 12
Christian Snell - Alden, 11
Second Team
Andy Bialy - Eden, 12
London Smith - Lackawanna, 11
Jacob Braniecki - JFK, 11
Tyler Phillips - Cleveland Hill, 12
Jordan Pacillo - Lackawanna, 12
Trey Lilly - Tonawanda, 12
Honorable Mention
Lackawanna: Harris Bekric - 10, Noble Smith - 11
Tonawanda: Charlie Moore - 12, Nick Bitter - 12
Holland: Jordan Kolbmann, Pierce Gardon
JFK: Thomas Isbrandt - 12
Alden: Conrad Boucher - 12
Cleveland Hill: J'Son James - 12
Eden: Jason Porter
***************************************************
NIAGARA FRONTIER LEAGUE
First Team
Tyler Aquilina - Kenmore West, 12
Trevor Book - North Tonawanda, 11
Tavon Chambers - Lockport, 12
Tal James - Kenmore West, 12
Cam Sionko - Grand Island, 10
Second Team
Syquan Ralands - Niagara Falls, 11
Kyle LaPlante - Kenmore West, 12
Kyle Brown - Lockport, 12
Mario Wright - Grand Island, 12
Malik Brooks - Lockport, 10
Third Team
Jalen Bradberry - Niagara Wheatfield, 8
Tazaun Rose - Niagara Falls, 11
Alex Quinn - North Tonawanda, 12
JB Wilkes - Grand Island, 12
Charles Lamar - Niagara Falls, 12
*******************************************************
NIAGARA-ORLEANS
First Team
Jalin Cooper - Medina, 11
Nathan Luckman - Barker, 12
Max Weber - Newfane, 11
Johnny Salone - Medina, 10
Kyle DeVoogel - Newfane, 11
Second Team
Justin Daul - Wilson, 12
Izaiah Rhim - Medina, 10
Jacob Bruning - Roy-Hart, 11
Kory Reynolds - Albion, 12
Connor Seeley - Wilson, 12
Honorable Mention
Akron: Mason Schultz - 11, Derek Holtz - 11
Albion: Lamar Chambers - 12, Tommy Matison - 12, Chase Hall - 12, Tanner Ferris - 12
Barker: Eddie Wasnock - 12, Jake Arnold - 12, Austin Sullivan - 11
Roy-Hart: Daniel Davis - 12, Brendan Hess - 12
Newfane: Caleb Russell - 12, Connor Hill - 11, Chad Dunbar - 11, Brandon Gross - 11
Medina: Vincent Montague - 10, Brendan Luthart - 11, Mason Lewis - 12, Alex Allis - 12, Tyrellis Atkins - 12
Wilson: Jonah Miller - 12, Steve Frerichs - 10
**************************************************
CCAA I West
Player of the Year:
Devin Pope - Chautauqua Lake, 11
First Team
Monty Shoemaker - Olean, 12
Aaron Swan - Chautauqua Lake, 12
Darnell Butts - Dunkirk, 11
Lucas Voss - Fredonia, 12
Carson Crist - Maple Grove, 10
Second Team
Shamon Stewart - Dunkirk, 12
Mike Schmidt - Olean, 10
Nate Shuart - Fredonia, 10
Tristen Snyder - Olean, 12
Michael Padilla - Maple Grove, 12
Honorable Mention
Dunkirk: Evon Hernandez - 12, Tyreek Ruiz - 12, Devaun Farnham - 11, Noah Sobilo - 11
Maple Grove: Dalton Dubois - 12, Peter Auer - 9
Falconer: Brandon Luke - 12, Brandon Crick - 11
Olean: Matt Droney - 10, Luke Rogers - 12
Southwestern: Niko Pannes - 12, Alex Card - 10
Chautauqua Lake: Tyler Meredith - 12
******************************************************
CCAA II WEST
Co-Players of the Year:
Chris Robson - Sherman, 12 & Cordell O'Brien - Frewsburg, 12
First Team
Justin Svetz - Clymer, 12
Josh Van Earden - Clymer, 12
Dustin Neckers - Clymer, 11
Jared Gleason - Sherman, 11
Second Team
David Grayson - Westfield, 12
Tristen Frye - Panama, 12
Brandon Chamberlin - Cassadaga Valley, 12
Johnethen Spicer - Brocton, 12
Shawn Horr - Westfield, 11
Honorable Mention
Sherman: Mike Delcamp - 12, Brandon Nickerson - 12, Kyle Carpenter - 12, Tanner Ramsey - 11
Frewsburg: Nyle Bird - 12, Caleb Caldwell - 12, Tyler Marchincin - 11, Brad Nelson - 9
Clymer: Dylan Davis - 12
Brocton: Garrett McFadden - 12
Cassadaga Valley: Conner Crabtree - 10, Adam Goot - 10
Westfield: Julio Torres - 11
Panama: Noah Eggleston - 12, Lucas Golden - 12
**************************************************
CCAA I EAST
Co-Players of the Year:
Tyler Hind - Raandolph, 9 & Nate Brawdy - Gowanda, 11
First Team
Zeus Enriquez - Salamanca, 12
Jarrett Lecceadone - Randolph, 12
Zach Hemphill - Allegany-Limestone, 12
Jake Beaver - Randolph, 12
Second Team
Jarmani Benton - Gowanda, 11
Joe Sherlock - Salamanca, 12
Hercules Rasha - Salamanca, 11
Nick Stein - Portville, 12
Sam Flanders - Allegany-Limestone, 10
Brady Woelben - Silver Creek, 10
Honorable Mention
Portville: Colin Kloc - 12, Jaeden Harris - 11
Gowanda: Matt Kruszka - 12
Randolph: Kaleb Frink - 12
Salamanca: Derek McClure - 12, Michael Collins - 12
Allegany-Limestone: Sean McAffee - 11
Silver Creek: Chris Williams - 12
***************************************************
CCAA II EAST
Player of the Year:
Elliot Bowen - Ellicottville, 11
First Team
Sam Erickson - Franklinville, 11
Dylan Chase - Pine Valley, 12
Griffin Chudy - Ellicottville, 11
Isaac Kopp - Franklinville, 11
Darren Clark - Franklinville, 11
Second Team
Austin Grinols - Ellicottville, 11
Brandon Zielinski - North Collins, 11
Kalvin Stanbro - Forestville, 12
Kellen Martin - Cattaraugus/Little-Valley, 12
Lewis Markham - Forestville, 11
Zach Mansfield, Pine Valley, 11
Honorable Mention
Franklinville: Brock Belcha - 11, Dylan Burton - 11
Ellicottville: Steven Rowland - 10, Noah Stuve - 11
Pine Valley: Gilberto Ortiz - 12
Forestville: Trent Hartloff - 12
Cattaraugus/Little-Valley: Austin Baker - 11
North Collins: Zachary Schroeder - 11
All-Charter
Player of the Year:
Davonte Gaines - Health Sciences, 11
Offensive & Defensive POY:
Davonte Gaines - Health Sciences, 11
First Team
Davonte Gaines - Health Sciences, 11
Tyron Lott - Health Sciences, 11
Shakur Bridges - Oracle Charter, 12
Dwight Dilbert - Global Concepts, 12
Paitwan Jenifer - Tapestry, 12
-centercourt
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Manhattan Cup Playoffs - 2017
Play-in Games - Thursday, February 23rd
AT Villa Maria - 4:30 pm, 6:15 pm, 7:45 pm
Class B - (3) Nichols 53, (6) Niagara Catholic 37
Class B - (4) Walsh 60, (5) CCA 43
Class A - (4) Canisius 59, (5) St.Joe's 52
Class B Semifinals - Saturday, February 25th
AT Villa Maria - 2 pm & 3:45 pm
(1) St. Mary's 62, (4) Walsh 46
(3) Nichols 59, (2) Cardinal O'Hara 40
Class A Semifinals - Saturday, February 25th
AT Villa Maria - 5:30 pm & 7:15 pm
(4) Canisius 65, (1) Timon 61
(2) St. Francis 66, (3) Park 64
Manhattan Cup Finals - Wednesday, March 1st
AT Canisius College Koessler Center
(4) Canisius 57, (2) St. Francis 53
(1) St. Mary's 64, (3) Nichols 61
2017 Manhattan Cup Champions - Canisius Crusaders
2017 Class B Manhattan Cup Champs - St. Mary's Lancers
- centercourt
Sunday, February 05, 2017
Top Games of the Week: 2/6/17 - 2/12/17
(Park visits the first place Red Raiders on Friday night)
Monday, February 6th
Middle College @ East - 6 pm
South Park @ Burgard - 6 pm
MST Seneca @ Olmsted - 6 pm
Gowanda @ Randolph - 7:30 pm
Salamanca @ Allegany-Limestone - 7:30 pm
Franklinville @ Ellicottville - 7:30 pm
Tuesday, February 7th
Canisius @ Park - 6:30 pm
Cheektowaga @ Kenmore West - 6:30 pm
Niagara Falls @ Grand Island - 6:30 pm
Wilson @ Medina - 6:30 pm
Lancaster @ Jamestown - 7:30 pm
Wednesday, February 8th
Sweet Home @ Kenmore West - 6:30 pm
Timon @ Aquinas - 7 pm
Nichols @ Niagara Catholic - 7:30 pm
Thursday, February 9th
East @ Burgard - 4:30 pm
McKinley @ Middle College - 6 pm
Newfane @ Medina - 6:30 pm
Chautauqua Lake @ Dunkirk - 7:30 pm
Salamanca @ Gowanda - 7:30 pm
Friday, February 10th
Tapestry @ I-Prep - 6 pm
Park @ St. Francis - 6:30 pm
Cardinal O'Hara @ Walsh - 6:30 pm
Grand Island @ Lockport - 6:30 pm
Cleveland Hill @ Lackawanna - 6:30 pm
St. Joe's @ Canisius - 7 pm
Lancaster @ Williamsville North - 7:30 pm
Maryvale @ Depew - 7:30 pm
St. Mary's @ Niagara Catholic - 7:30 pm
Saturday, February 11th
Timon @ Olean - 2:30 pm
* Game of the Week - Park @ St. Francis on Friday, February 10th
I try not to repeat teams when selecting a Game of the Week. Park had its game with Canisius and St. Francis hosted Timon in 'Games of the Week' earlier this season. But as I looked at the lineup of games that I'd be covering this week, I asked myself, why am I over-thinking this? Park at St. Francis on Friday night is gonna be awesome!
For starters, let's look back at what happened when the two got together in Round One of the series on January 18th. There was a nice crowd on hand at Park that night, but unfortunately not a sellout. At the time, people were still sleeping on the Red Raiders. They had never beat Park and at the time, were in a multiple season drought against both Timon and Canisius as well. So why should anyone have expected that night could turn out the way it did? Well, this geek who immerses himself in high school hoops for four months a year dubbed it the 'No Nights Off Monsignor Martin' in the preseason for a reason and was voting them #2 after Park before the game was even played...but I digress.
The first game was quite simply an epic evening. Park took a 21-point lead in the first half and led by 19 points at the break. St. Francis methodically chipped away in the third quarter to make it a two-point game heading to the fourth quarter. The Pioneers quickly went back up by eight points to begin the final frame, but in the end, had to score last to take the Red Raiders to overtime. Then another overtime. When the smoke cleared, St. Francis was a 70-66 winner at the home of the top ranked Class A team in NYS. For all the details of that game with point totals, box score, and quotes, click here.
Since that night, both teams have just one loss. Frannies got clipped on their home court by Williamsville South and Park lost a second league game at Timon. Also since that night, the Red Raiders have earned wins over Timon and Canisius. The result: St. Francis now sits in first place in the league standings, ahead of Park, Timon, and Canisius, thanks to beating them all. All of a sudden, Park finds itself in the position of needing a win on Friday night to avoid falling two games out of first place heading into the Manhattan Cup playoffs. That's providing the Pioneers get past Canisius first on Tuesday night. Remember, No Nights Off!
- centercourt
Friday, December 16, 2016
ADPRO Challenge 2016 - Night 1 Recap
(O'Hara's Rene Velazquez elevates to shoot over Brandon Gross of Newfane)
Cardinal O'Hara 64, Newfane 58
The Hawks got a balanced scoring effort that landed four of their starters in double figures and were the tougher team down the stretch, overtaking Newfane in the fourth quarter. Rene Velazquez and Justin Hemphill each scored 16 points, while Torree Cheatham and Jermaine Haynes each finished with 15 points. Hemphill also added 17 rebounds on the evening, along with a pair of fourth quarter dunks.
The teams traded buckets in the first quarter and entertained fans with a competitive and fast-paced 21-20 frame that favored the Panthers, led by 12 points and a pair of 3-pointers from Max Weber, who finished a game-high 20 points.
"We came in with the mindset of knowing that Kyle (DeVoogel) was a really good scorer and we tried to take him away," O'Hara coach Tony Pulvirenti said. "Max (Weber) ends up scoring a lot. They have two good players and I know we're still playing defense on both, but we were focused on Kyle early."
DeVoogel shook of the tight defense and matched the Hawks' team scoring output with seven of his 18 points in the second quarter. The Panthers went to halftime on a 7-0 scoring spurt, which gave them a 33-27 lead at halftime. Weber started the second half with a 3-pointer, followed by a score from Brandon Gross that propelled Newfane to its largest lead of the night, 38-27. It was at that point when O'Hara began to stiffen up defensively and start making some shots again after a long scoring lull. The Hawks finished the third quarter on a 17-7 run and carried that momentum into the final stanza.
"I just tried to motivate them the whole game to play hard," explained Pulvirenti.
His team responded with an 11-0 blast that spanned most of the final frame and gave them a comfortable 55-47 advantage with under three minutes to play, before trading buckets with the Panthers until the end of regulation.
O'Hara 20 - 7 - 17 - 20 = 64
Newfane 21 - 12 - 12 - 13 = 58
Point Totals
O'Hara: Rene Velazquez 16, Justin Hemphill 16, Torree Cheatham 15, Jermaine Haynes 15, Nasir Benton 2
Newfane: Max Weber 20, Kyle DeVoogel 18, Connor Hill 6, Chad Dunbar 6, Brandon Gross 6, Caleb Russell 2
***********************
Niagara Catholic 54, Starpoint 47
Jonathan Phillips scored a game-high 17 points and the quality guard play from the young Patriots continued, as Niagara Catholic got in front from the start and never trailed in the game to earn its biggest win of the early season over Starpoint. The Spartans were coming off a tough two-point loss to East Aurora, voted #2 in the first small school poll. The Patriots, who are unranked and started four sophomores, set the tone with a focused defensive effort.
"Our players came out strong and ready to play defensively," Niagara Catholic coach Guilio Colangelo said.
Derek Clemons led Starpoint with a team-high 15 points, with eight of those coming in the opening quarter, including a pair of 3-pointers. Niagara Catholic quickly adjusted to the sharp shooter and didn't allow him any clean looks the rest of the way. Anyting Clemons touched the ball, you could hear Colangelo remind his team who the 'shooter' was.
Phillips did most of his damage in the second quarter for the Patriots by scoring nine in the frame, as his team built a 12-point halftime advantage. Thomas Owens (15 points) and Jaden Turner (12 points), both sophomore guards, were steady all game and have bright futures. Freshman Jaemon Turner came off the bench to score seven points in the fourth quarter. His 3-pointer with under three minutes remaining was incredibly clutch, as Starpoint had climbed back into the game with a 13-2 run and narrowed the deficit to just three points. Following the big shot that put Niagara Catholic back up six, 48-42, the Turner brothers closed out the game by making all six attempts from the charity stripe in the game's last minute.
"We handled some runs Starpoint brought our way, kept our composure towards the end when they started tightening up the lead a little bit, and I'm proud of our effort," said Colangelo.
Niagara Catholic 12 - 21 - 10 - 11 = 54
Starpoint 11 - 10 - 10 - 16 = 47
Point Totals
Niagara Catholic: Jonathan Phillips 17, Thomas Owens 15, Jaden Turner 12, Jaemon Turner 7, Roman Wright 3
Starpoint: Derek Clemons 15, Justin Mott 10, Adam Lasal 7, Aaron chase 6, Hunter Lemieux 4, Kyle Schreader 3, Jake Walters 2
-centercourt
Thursday, December 15, 2016
ADPRO Public/Private Challenge - 2016 Lineup
For the next three nights, I will set up shop at centercourt from Depew High School to cover the ADPRO Public/Private Challenge. The 10 game showcase is WNY's largest annual high school basketball event, pairing the teams from the Monsignor Martin Association against public schools from various leagues throughout Section VI.
The event was originated by former St. Mary's AD/Coach Kevin Kelleher and ADPRO Senior vice president & former Sweet Home coach Paul Schintzius and started out as the ECIC / MMA Challenge. Since it's inception, the event has grown, now billed as the "Public/Private Challenge" as it expanded past just the ECIC to include teams from all over WNY. St. Mary's hosted the Challenge for years, before Canisius and St. Joe's each took a turn hosting the event. This season will mark the second straight year the event takes place at Depew.
Below is the complete three-day schedule, and as you will notice, it includes multiple games that will impact Large & Small School Poll votes and be talked about for the rest of the season.
Thursday, December 15th
Starpoint vs. Niagara Catholic - 5 pm
Newfane vs. Cardinal O'Hara - 6:30 pm
Friday, December 16th
Maryvale vs. Nichols - 5 pm
West Seneca East vs. St. Mary's - 6:30 pm
Amherst vs. Timon - 8 pm
Saturday, December 17th
Fredonia vs. Walsh - 12 pm
Depew vs. CCA - 1:45 pm
Kenmore West vs. St. Francis - 3:30 pm
Cheektowaga vs. Park - 5:15 pm
Jamestown vs. Canisius - 7 pm
Below are links to some past ADPRO Challenge coverage:
Saturday's games from 2015 ADPRO Challenge - Canisius vs. Williamsville South finale
Friday's games from 2015 ADPRO Challenge - Park vs. Amherst finale
Thursday's games from 2015 ADPRO Challenge - St. Joe's vs. Niagara Falls finale
Canisius handles Olean in the 2013 featured matchup
St. Mary's defeats Clarence at 2013 ADPRO Challenge
-centercourt
Monday, December 05, 2016
Cataract City Classic - 2016
(Jhamir Isom breaks to the basket for Falls/Photo: Paul Battson, Niagara Gazette)
Niagara Falls 65, UPrep 64
In the finale of the Cataract City Classic, host Niagara Falls ignited the WolvArena by gutting out a comeback win over an extremely talented UPrep team that features a high level talent in junior Jeenathan Williams. Falls headed into halftime down 12 points after only scoring 19 over the first 16 minutes of play. But behind a total team effort marked the grit of everyone that took the floor, the Wolverines were just relentless, and wore UPrep down in the second half.
"We struggle offensively, we know that - we've just been able to guard," said Niagara Falls coach Sal Constantino following the win.
While the 19 points at half that followed a 50-point overtime outing the night prior aren't exactly lighting up the scoreboard, the 46-point second half that helped earn the one-point victory certainly was. Couple the offensive surge with a group that settled in defensively after a rocky start, and it was quite an impressive close out for Falls.
After UPrep jumped out to a 10-2 lead less than three minutes in, the Wolverines allowed just 21 points over the last 13 minutes of the half. In the second half, UPrep managed just seven total field goals, and were limited to only two buckets in the final stanza. Falls also kept Williams off of the scoresheet in the third quarter.
Having trailed the entire way, it was midway through the fourth quarter when junior Tazaun Rose found himself unguarded - a few feet behind the 3-point arc. He let it fly from way downtown and drew nothing but net, tying the game at 52-52. It was the third bomb of the half for Rose, who was also the key distributor for Wolverines.
"I thought Tazaun did a nice job of not forcing shots in the second half, of creating for other guys, and I think he's our catalyst - he's shown that in the first two games," Constantino said.
UPrep briefly took the lead back, before Jhamir Isom splashed a 3-pointer that sparked an 11-0 run to put Falls up for good.
"Coach pulled me aside and said you've got to get your team better So what I did was drive, give opportunities for other guys to get a bucket - it feels good to get my first varsity win," said an exuberant Rose following the victory.
Ten players scored in the win for Niagara Falls and eleven different players have made it into the scorebook in the first two games, both thrillers against high caliber opponents.
"To comeback from the first half -they fought back with a team effort," said Constantino. "There's no 25-point guy here, there's a bunch of guys who can get a little and they buy in to it."
Game MVPs - Tazaun Rose (Niagara Falls) & Jeenathan Williams (UPrep)
Point Totals
Niagara Falls: Tazaun Rose 16, Jamel Burton 9, Jhamir Isom 9, Charles Lamar 8, Syquan Ralands 6, Marquise Miller 5, Devin Sanders 5, Quaran DuBois 3, Cortese Myles 2, Tyler Sanders 2
UPrep: Jeenathan Williams 20, Kassius Williams 11, Tamar Jackson 7, Elroy Clark 6, Jakai Lucas 5, Jabez Thomas 5, James Strothers 4, James Barnes 4, Derick Minigan 2
Bishop Kearney 67, Cheektowaga 59
The season opener for the Warriors revealed a team that played together and worked hard, trading leads with a loaded Bishop Kearney team for three quarters. Dominick Welch converted a three-point play with 3:55 left in the third quarter to give Cheektowaga a 39-38 lead. The Kings responded with a 16-3 run to take a 54-42 advantage and didn't let the Warriors get any closer than six points the rest of the way.
The Kings' Nahziah Carter, a Dayton commit, along with Welch, put on a show for fans all game. The high flying pair each had some sensational finishes at the rim, ran the floor, and showed off a mid range game. The Warriors got a nice game from Adrian Baugh, who showed some touch from the perimeter, while Vaughn Burdette stood out with his effort.
Game MVPs - Nahziah Carter (Bishop Kearney) & Dominick Welch (Cheektowaga)
Point Totals
Bishop Kearney: Nahziah Carter 23, Patrick Thomas 19, Tyker Harley 11, Sheldon Adams 8, Shykell Brown 6
Cheektowaga: Dominick Welch 29, Adrian Baugh 13, Vaughn Burdette 9, Rudy Bragg 6, Alex Bryant 2
Amherst 62, East 60
One of the best games of the Classic went back-and-forth for most of the afternoon, with no team ever leading by more than eight points. There were 12 lead changes, five ties, and it was a one-point game after the first quarter and at halftime. The Tigers used a 9-0 run in the third quarter to go up 43-35 and led by six heading to the fourth quarter.
East came back to re-take the lead early in the fourth, before the 10-1 run used by Amherst to create the separation needed to close out the Panthers.
Marcellus Cooper had a pair of soaring finishes in the same minute of the game. The first came off a baseline drive and ended with a two-handed finish in front of the rim. The second was an 'And 1' tomahawk jam in the lane. Both were contested by the Panthers' defense, but to no avail.
Willard Anderson has added some bulk and his game has taken a big step forward. The junior netted a game-high 28 points and was stellar throughout on both ends. East looks like they will be an extremely tough out in Class C.
Amherst has plenty to work with this season and is the type of team that will be vastly improved by season's end. Jordan Barr, Richard Kay, and Will Alfieri were all impressive and will be solid in the Tigers' rotation along with Cooper and Da'Shawn Hines.
Game MVPs - Marcellus Cooper (Amherst) & Willard Anderson (East)
Point Totals
Amherst: Marcellus Cooper 16, Da'Shawn Hines 12, Richard Kay 9, Will Alfieri 8, Jordan Barr 8, Brian Fulford 5, Jake Funderburk 4
East: Willard Anderson 28, Justin Allen 12, Shawndale Williams 7, Taijuan Littlejohn 6, Waunya Shaw 4, Anthony Stevens 1
Nichols 60, Wilson 48
The Vikings took a 22-10 early in the second quarter with a 14-0 run that was sparked by back-to-back 3-pointers by will Johnson late in the opening frame. Nichols took a 36-22 lead into halftime and never allowed the Lakemen to get any closer than six points the rest of the way.
Wilson won the third quarter, 15-8, sticking three triples - two from Jonah Miller and the other from Justin Daul, who plays his tail off and gives his team a strong athletic presence. Eight points in the fourth quarter from sophomore Steven Frerichs got the Lakemen within six, 52-46, with just over two minutes to play.
However, Myles Hervey really came to life down the stretch for Nichols and canned 11 of his 15 points in the final quarter and was key to the Vikings being able to seal Wilson's fate. Antonio Jones had a big first half for Nichols, while junior point guard TJ Banaszak was steady all game.
Game MVPs - Will Johnson (Nichols) & Justin Daul (Wilson)
Point Totals
Nichols: Will Johnson 19, Myles Hervey 15, Antonio Jones 9, TJ Banaszak 9, Aidan Horan 8
Wilson: Justin Daul 13, Steven Frerichs 11, Jonah Miller 9, Connor Seeley 5, Steve Lewis 4, Nate Fox 3, Jared Carney 2, Kevin Skavinsky 1
Park 55, Niagara Falls 50 in OT
(Park's Joe Jones is defended by Tyler Sanders of Falls/Photo: Larry Scheur)
The headliner from night one was played in front of a raucous crowd that had plenty to be excited about for four quarters...and then some. The season opener for both teams was also the highly anticipated debut of the 'Big Three' for the Pioneers. While the team has zero seniors on its roster, Park does feature a starting lineup that includes three underclassmen, Joe Jones, Daniel Scott, and Noah Hutchins, with Division I offers. Park needed overtime to put away a Niagara Falls team lacks the notable star power on the Pioneers' roster, but never backed down and made Park play a physical, defensive affair for 37 minutes.
"Two freshmen play a lot, the rest are sophomores & juniors," Park coach Michael Battaglia said following the win. "In a game like this with this atmosphere, first game of the year - it's a hard thing for them and I thought they really handled the adversity well and I'm proud of these kids."
Scott wasted no time introducing himself to the crowd, slamming the ball home off the opening tip. After taking a 12-6 lead in the opening quarter, Falls responded with nine straight points to take a lead it would hold onto until midway through the final stanza. An 8-0 run from Park got them back on top with 1:32 left in the game.
However, Tazaun Rose sank seven free throws in the final 90 seconds of regulation for Falls to force the extra session.
Brandon Smith connected from downtown right away in overtime and followed it was another quick bucket to put the Pioneers up by five, who never allowed a field goal by Falls over the game's last ten minutes. Marques Lowe scored a team-high 11 points for Park in the win.
"We can play better, that's for sure," Battaglia said. "But they can play better too, they were missing one of their best players."
Game MVPs - Joe Jones (Park) & Tazaun Rose (Niagara Falls)
Point Totals
Park: Marques Lowe 11, Daniel Scott 10, Noah Hutchins 10, Joe Jones 9, Brandon Smith 9, Quentin Nnagbo 4, John Orogun 2
Niagara Falls: Tazaun Rose 16, Charles Lamar 7, Tyler Sanders 5, Devin Sanders 5, Jamel Burton 5, Cortese Myles 4, Quaran Dubois 3, Rodderick Arrington 3, Marquise Miller 2
Williamsville North 47, Medina 35
The Mustangs looked like they were game to run with Class AA Williamsville North during the game's first eight minutes, before allowing 19-2 run by the Spartans that gave them a commanding 30-11 lead. Medina junior Jalin Cooper heated up in the second half and finished with a game-high 18 points, but was the only steady offense for Medina.
North was excellent on the defensive end throughout, limiting the transition game of Medina and making life especially difficult in half court sets. The Spartans were also patient offensively and used their offense to create sound scoring opportunities. Corey Swiech and Joseph Nusall shared team-high scoring honors with 11 points apiece.
Game MVPs - Corey Swiech (Williamsville North) & Jalin Cooper (Medina)
Point Totals
North: Corey Swiech 11, Joseph Nusall 11, Jairus Huggins 9, Ryan Johnston 7, Jonathan Abaya 6, Anthony Maniscalco 3
Medina: Jalin Cooper 18, Mason Lewis 5, Johnny Salone 4, Tyrellis Atkins 4, Brendan Luthart 3, Izaiah Rhim 2
Depew 65, Niagara Catholic 51
Chad Biersbach got his junior campaign started with a record-setting performance and grabbed the attention of anyone who wasn't familiar with the Wildcat who is now in his fourth varsity season. Biersbach scored at least nine points in every quarter, banged seven 3-pointers, and finished with a Cataract City Classic scoring record of 43 points.
Depew trailed only once in the game, 2-1 in the opening minute. They spent most of the second half with a lead ranging from about 10-12 points, as the hot hand of Biersbach never allowed the Patriots to make a serious push.
Niagara Catholic has three young players that should come along nicely as the season progresses in Jaden Turner, Thomas Owens, and Jaemon Turner. The team's top returning player from last season, Nick Krupp, scored a team-high 12 points, despite not being at 100%.
Game MVPs - Chad Biersbach (Depew) & Thomas Owens (Niagara Catholic)
Point Totals
Depew: Chad Biersbach 43, Eric Jarrett 6, Tyler Biersbach 5, Jacob Mlodozeniec 4, Jordan Ciesielski 2, John Mietus 2, Sean Miller 2, Austin Pilley 1
Niagara Catholic: Nick Krupp 12, Thomas Owens 8, Jonathan Phillips 8, Roman Wright 6, Jaden Turner 6, Jaemon Turner 5, Kashus Bradley 2, Harrison Abramaitys 2
-centercourt
Monday, November 28, 2016
Classifications for the 2017 Season
Class AA (10 Teams)
Niagara Falls - NFL
Jamestown - ECIC I
Kenmore West - NFL
Lancaster - ECIC I
Frontier - ECIC I
Willaimsville North - ECIC I
Niagara Wheatfield - NFL
Orchard Park - ECIC I
Lockport - NFL
Clarence - ECIC I
Class A1 (10 Teams)
Williamsville South - ECIC II
McKinley - Yale Cup I
North Tonawanda - NFL
Hamburg - ECIC II
Grand Island - NFL
West Seneca East - ECIC II
Sweet Home - ECIC II
Williamsville East - ECIC II
West Seneca West - ECIC I
Hutch-Tech - Yale Cup I
Class A2 (11 Teams)
Amherst - ECIC II
South Park - Yale Cup
Cheektowaga - ECIC III
Olean - CCAA I West
Maryvale - ECIC III
Lew-Port – NFL
Starpoint - ECIC III
Lake Shore - ECIC III
Pioneer - ECIC III
Iroquois - ECIC II
Kenmore East - NFL
Class B1 (16 Teams)
East Aurora - ECIC III
Newfane - N-O
MST Seneca - Yale Cup II
Depew - ECIC III
Dunkirk - CCAA I West
Burgard - Yale Cup I
Riverside - Yale Cup I
CSAT - NFL
Emerson - Yale Cup I
Alden - ECIC IV
I-Prep - Yale Cup II
Fredonia - CCAA I West
City Honors - Yale Cup II
Albion - N-O
Tonawanda - ECIC IV
Springville - ECIC IV
Class B2 (15 Teams)
Health Sciences - Charter
Middle College - Yale Cup I
Medina - N-O
Gowanda - CCAA I East
Lackawanna - ECIC IV
Olmsted - Yale Cup II
JFK - ECIC IV
Wilson - N-O
Roy-Hart - N-O
Akron - N-O
Oracle - Charter
Southwestern - CCAA I West
Eden - ECIC IV
Buffalo Arts - Yale Cup II
Lafayette - Yale Cup II
Class C1 (10 Teams)
Chautauqua Lake - CCAA I West
Cleveland Hill - ECIC IV
Portville - CCAA I East
Salamanca - CCAA I East
Allegany-Limestone - CCAA I East
Maritime - Charter
DaVinci - Yale Cup II
Tapestry - Charter
Falconer - CCAA I West
Cassadaga Valley - CCAA II West
Class C2 (11 Teams)
East - Yale Cup I
Randolph - CCAA I East
Barker - N-O
Silver Creek - CCAA I East
Maple Grove - CCAA I West
BASCS - Charter
Cattaraugus/Little Valley - CCAA II East
Frewsburg - CCAA II West
Holland - ECIC IV
Global Concepts - Charter
Westfield - CCAA II West
Class D (9 Teams)
Ellicottville - CCAA II East
Sherman - CCAA II West
Franklinville - CCAA II East
Clymer - CCAA II West
Pine Valley - CCAA II East
Panama - CCAA II West
Forestville - CCAA II East
Brocton - CCAA II West
North Collins - CCAA II East
Monsignor Martin Class A
Canisius
Park
Timon
St. Francis
St. Joe's
Monsignor Martin Class B
Nichols
Cardinal O'Hara
St. Mary's
Walsh
CCA
Niagara Catholic
-centercourt
Saturday, November 19, 2016
Wednesday, March 02, 2016
Manhattan Cup Finals - 2016
Canisius 60, Park 58 - OT
For the sixth time in the last eight seasons, the Crusaders are Manhattan Cup Champions. For head coach Kyle Husband, who has guided the team to each of those championships, the victory was the 250th of his career.
Stafford Trueheart, who finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds, also added four blocks. Two of those swats were ultimately what kept the Pioneers from snatching victory away from the defending champions.
At the end of regulation and with the game tied, Park had the ball with a chance to score the game winner. Trueheart swooped in to deny the shot from reaching the rim. Again at the end of overtime, the same scenario played out, as Trueheart once again made the defensive play, only this time it was protecting a one-point lead that gave his team another championship.
"We'd almost rather have it that way," Husband said. "Let's dig in let's guard, I wouldn't want it any other way."
Justin Jones led Canisius with a team-high 18 points, along with six assists and six rebounds, and deservedly earned Manhattan Cup MVP honors for his efforts.
"Whenever we need a big performance, Justin comes through and he did it again today," Husband said.
Senior Will Atkinson's impact on the game was as big as any players was. In the closing minutes with his team trailing by five, Atkinson calmly buried back-to-back 3-pointers from the same spot on the court, and with the same result...nothing but net!
"There wasn't a question that they were going in and he nailed both of them," said Husband.
As he relished on the moment after going back-to-back in the grueling Manhattan Cup playoffs, Trueheart explained why Canisius is Canisius.
"Mentally tough," Trueheart said. "That's why I love this team, no one gave up."
The Crusaders will travel to Long Island this weekend for the CHSAA Class A state semifinal against St. Anthony's.
Point Totals
Canisius: Justin Jones 18, Stafford Trueheart 15, Will Atkinson 12, Colby Moultrie 7, Madut Ayiy 3, Jayce Johnson 3, Charles Hart 2
Park: Hunter Anderson 20, Joe Jones 14, Jordan Nwora 13, Kyle Harris 7, Noah Hutchins 4
*********************************************************
Nichols 59, Niagara Catholic 44
For the fourth time since 2007, the Vikings finished the year as champions of the Manhattan Cup Playoffs. This season was the first time Nichols has won the Manhattan Cup in Class B. Adding amazement to the accomplishment was the fact that the Vikings entered the tournament as the fifth of five seeds and needed to win the play-in round just to keep their season going.
Just as it did in 2014, Nichols defeated the top seed in the semifinal round to register another monumental upset and build the type of momentum and belief in a program that only comes from winning. By the time the Vikings reached the championship game against the Patriots, they looked like a completely different team, took the early lead, and never looked back in their quest to finish.
"It's a testament to their character as young men to have stayed through some of the tough losses we had to endure this year," Nichols coach John Reinholz said. "The only person I have allegiance to is the hard working kid," Reinholz said.
Marcellus Cooper finished with a game-high 21 points for the Vikings, including a pair of booming dunks to ignite the crowd, with one coming off a perfectly thrown lob from Will Johnson. Cooper, who is bursting with talent, was assertive throughout the game and played to win. Following the game, he talked about his team not dwelling on losses and continuing to believe.
"Whatever game we lost, we didn't keep our heads down," said Cooper. "We came back and practiced as hard as we could...we knew by the end of the season we'd make a run and get this."
Johnson earned MVP honors for the Vikings, scoring 16 points and facilitating the offense, offering maturity and wise decision making to a young squad, while coming through with timely shots. Johnson was humbled by the honor and quick to point out where he thought the award was going.
"I was surprised, I thought it would be Marcellus to be honest," said Johnson. "We're going to split it."
Nichols next game will be for the CHSAA state championship in Class B in two weeks, with the site and opponent yet to be determined.
Point Totals
Nichols: Marcellus Cooper 21, Will Johnson 16, Ted Roach 12, Max Hall 4, Myles Hervey 2, Emanuel Williams 2, TJ Banaszak 2
Niagara Catholic: Jaceary Menes 20, Imean Davis 8, Zach Socha 6, Elijah Griggs 4, Nick Krupp 3, J Phillips 3
-centercourt
Sunday, February 21, 2016
Manhattan Cup Playoffs - 2016
Play-in Games - Sunday, February 21st
AT Villa Maria - 2 pm & 4 pm
Class B - (5) Nichols 62, (4) Cardinal O'Hara 53
Class A - (5) St. Francis 57, (4) St.Joe's 43
Class B Semifinals - Thursday, February 25th
AT Villa Maria - 6 pm & 8 pm
(5) Nichols 60, (1) Walsh 58
(3) Niagara Catholic 59, (2) St. Mary's 56
Class A Semifinals - Friday, February 26th
AT Villa Maria - 6 pm & 8 pm
(1) Canisius 68, (5) St. Francis 40
(2) Park 64, (3) Timon 55
Manhattan Cup Finals - Sunday, February 28th
AT Villa Maria
Class A - (1) Canisius 60, (2) Park 58
Class B - (5) Nichols 59, (3) Niagara Catholic 44
2016 Manhattan Cup Champions - Canisius Crusaders
2016 Class B Manhattan Cup Champs - Nichols Vikings
-centercourt
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Top Games of the Week: 1/31/16 -- 2/6/16
(Park and Canisius will battle again this Wednesday / Photo by James McCoy)
Here's a list of what I think are the top games to follow this week:
Monday, February 1st
Olmsted @ I-Prep - 6 pm
Niagara Catholic @ St. Mary's - 7:30 pm
Tuesday, February 2nd
McKinley @ East - 6 pm
Medina @ Wilson - 6 pm
Lew-Port @ Niagara Wheatfield - 6:30 pm
Niagara Falls @ Lockport - 6:30 pm
Kenmore West @ North Tonawanda - 7 pm
Jamestown @ Williamsville North - 7:30 pm
Lancaster @ Orchard Park - 7:30 pm
Cheektowaga @ East Aurora - 7:30 pm
Randolph @ Silver Creek - 7:30 pm
Wednesday, February 3rd
MST Seneca @ Olmsted - 6 pm
Park @ Canisius - 6 pm
St. Joe's @ Timon - 6:30 pm
St. Mary's @ Nichols - 6:30 pm
St. Francis @ Walsh - 6:30 pm
Cardinal O'Hara @ Niagara Catholic - 7:30 pm
Thursday, February 4th
South Park @ McKinley - 6 pm
Newfane @ Roy-Hart - 6:30 pm
Chautauqua Lake @ Panama - 7:30 pm
Friday, February 5th
Olmsted @ Emerson - 6 pm
Park @ Timon - 6:30 pm
Niagara Wheatfield @ Grand Island - 6:30 pm
Lockport @ Kenmore West - 6:30 pm
Lew-Port @ Niagara Falls - 6:30 pm
Olean @ Fredonia - 7 pm
East Aurora @ Maryvale - 7:30 pm
Pine Valley @ Franklinville - 7:30 pm
Randolph @ Portville - 7:30 pm
Saturday, February 6th
St. Joe's @ Bishop Kearney - 1:30 pm
Cathedral Prep @ Canisius - 3 pm
Jamestown @ Leadership Academy - 4 pm
Battle at the Border at Niagara Falls HS
Timon vs. Sir Allan MacNab - 3 pm
Aquinas vs. Vaughn - 4:45 pm
Niagara Falls vs. Henry Carr - 6:30 pm
Game of the Week - Park @ Canisius on Wednesday, February 3rd
- Yes, this was the 'Game of the Week' just two weeks ago. But let's be honest, the Bernard J. Kennedy Field House is where everyone with a pulse for the local HS hoops scene will want to be on Wednesday night for the highly anticipated regular season rematch. For most, it will be their first look at the two giants together on the same court this season.
Round One went to the Crusaders. After Park got cooking early and flew out to a 13-point lead, the Crusaders dug in and nearly came all the way back before halftime. As the second half wore on and Stafford Trueheart's big game performance kept getting bigger, Canisius took control and looked like the better team. Park, who can generate instant offense better than anyone, didn't turn up soon enough and a desperation heave from behind half court to tie as the buzzer sounded was as close as they got at the end.
Since the first big game, the Crusaders have played three straight state ranked teams, defeating Walsh and Aquinas, before finally seeing its 22-game win streak against teams from NYS snapped by Greece Athena at the RAP Showcase on Saturday night. They will have a chance to get right against Cardinal O'Hara on Monday, prior to the rematch with Park.
The Pioneers have only faced St. Francis since the first showdown, who they knocked off by nearly 50 points. They'll attempt to tune up for the Crusaders with another contest against St. Francis on Monday, this time in their gym.
While the first battle of #1 vs. #2 was awesome because we finally got to watch the defending Federation Champions square off, the rematch will offer significantly more fanfare as the amount of spectators for this one will dramatically increase due to the venue. I expect the basketball on the court to be equally entertaining to the show we were treated to on January 23rd, but for me, the view won't change. I'll be right back in my usual spot at...
-centercourt
Monday, January 25, 2016
Poll Ballots - 2016 - Week 7
As a pollster for the Buffalo News, I'm asked to send in my weekly ballots ranking the top ten large and small schools. The polls are based on games played through Saturday of each week. Here's a look at how I see them and some of the rationale used to get there.
Large Schools
1. Canisius (MMA) - They're now a unanimous number one after winning the first round of the Park series. For the Crusaders, things are just starting to heat up. They host #2 small school Walsh on Tuesday, Aquinas (#6 in NYS Class AA) on Thursday, and face Greece Athena (#6 in NYS Class A) in Rochester on Saturday. Like I said last year - these guys play everybody.
2. Park (MMA) - They get a few days to stew over their first loss after Canisius ended the 17-game winning streak, before hosting St. Francis on Friday night.
3. Amherst (A2) - I spent my Friday evening watching the Tigers, and they're every bit as impressive as I imagined they could be with the team they have this season. Sweet Home & East Aurora visit the Jungle this week.
4. Williamsville South (A1) - After falling behind 17-3 at the start on Friday, the Billies settled in and won an intense league battle on the road against their top challenger in ECIC II, Starpoint.
5. McKinley (A1) - Hit the century mark for the fourth time this season, in another lopsided win in the city. Burgard is up next for the Macks.
6. Niagara Falls (AA) - Won their seventh straight, but barely. A one-point win over Grand Island raised some eyebrows and shows how wide open the Class AA race could be this season.
7. Timon (MMA) - Defeated St. Mary's on Friday for their sixth win in nine games. The Tigers last three losses - Canisius, Aquinas, & Park.
8. Williamsville North (AA) - Sitting pretty atop the ECIC I standings, after sweeping Orchard Park last week. The Lancaster/Jamestown game on Monday night will be of great interest to North - they might actually cheer for the Red Raiders (or just quietly hope they win).
9. Jamestown (AA) - Speaking of the Red Raiders, they visit Lancaster tonight in the 'Game of the Week'. After dropping the first round to both Lancaster and North, Jamestown needs a win against the Legends to stay in the race for a league title.
10. Cheektowaga (A2) - In the same week, the Warriors found themselves on each end of a rout. After putting one on St. Joe's on Monday, they took their lumps at Amherst on Friday night. They host Maryvale & Springville this week, before a weekend game in Rochester against West Irondequoit.
Small Schools
1. Olean (B1) - Dunkirk has size, talent, and athleticism. The Huskies beat them by 18 points more than they scored, in a 90-36 thrashing. Southwestern and Williamsville East are scheduled this week. They're sitting at 14-0 right now, and 11 more wins...
2. Walsh (MMA) - They put it to St. Mary's on Tuesday night, beating the Lancers by 16 and even played Park to a four-point game at their place. There may not be a bigger home court advantage in WNY. I'll be at Canisius tomorrow night to see if Walsh can compete with the Crusaders on the road (they played the eventual Class A Fed champs to a 10-point game at their place last season).
3. St. Mary's (MMA) - Coming off a week that saw them go 1-2 with losses at Timon & Walsh. The Lancers will have to get back on track with a pair of road games this week at O'Hara and at St. Joe's.
4. Health Sciences (B2) - The Falcons have their mojo back and then some, after a week that saw them drop double figure losses on a pair of respected opponents. Health Sciences beat South Park by 15 points and then rocked Tapestry by 25.
5. Middle College (C2) - The Kats also hammered South Park last week with a 22-point win, and then completed the sweep of East when Gary Foster hit the game-winner with seven seconds left.
6. East Aurora (B1) - Winners of five straight, the Blue Devils just keep creeping up my ballot. They'll skyrocket up if they can win at Amherst Friday night. They gave the Tigers their closest league game of the season in the first meeting between the two.
7. Niagara Catholic (MMA) - Double-digit wins for the Patriots in their last two, which were both league games, as they knocked off Cardinal O'Hara & Nichols.
8. Fredonia (B2) - Coming off a pair of blowout wins over Maple Grove and Oracle, heading into Friday's home game with Chautauqua Lake.
9. Cardinal O'Hara (MMA) - Knocked off Nichols by 13 points last week, and followed that up with a win over Cleveland Hill over the weekend. The Hawks had a one-point loss to the team above them on my ballot, Fredonia.
10. East (C1) - The Panthers had another close loss to Middle College on Friday night, dropping a two-point decision in the final seconds. But the same Panthers just lost to Burgard, which indicates the young squad at East hasn't figured out how to play consistently yet. If that doesn't change, the streak of six consecutive sectional titles for the school will come to an end this season.
-centercourt
Sunday, January 24, 2016
Top Game of the Week: 1/24/16 -- 1/30/16
(Alex Damiani and Lancaster host Jamestown on Monday / Photo by Mark Mulville)
Here's a list of what I think are the top games to follow this week:
Monday, January 25th
Burgard @ Grand Island - 6:30 pm
Jamestown @ Lancaster - 7:30 pm
Cleveland Hill @ Depew - 7:30 pm
Silver Creek @ Randolph - 7:30 pm
Portville @ Franklinville - 7:30 pm
Chautauqua Lake @ Pine Valley - 7:30 pm
Tuesday, January 26th
Walsh @ Canisius - 6:30 pm
Rochester East @ Lockport - 6:30 pm
Tapestry @ Grand Island - 6:30 pm
Southwestern @ Gowanda - 7:30 pm
Wednesday, January 27th
Pine Valley @ Silver Creek - 7:30 pm
Thursday, January 28th
Health Sciences @ Timon - 6:30 pm
St. Mary's @ Cardinal O'Hara - 6:30 pm
Roy-Hart @ Medina - 6:30 pm
Aquinas @ Canisius - 7 pm
Friday, January 29th
Cardinal O'Hara @ Walsh - 6:30 pm
North Tonawanda @ Niagara Falls - 6:30 pm
East Aurora @ Amherst - 6:30 pm
Lockport @ Lew-Port - 7 pm
Cleveland Hill @ Alden - 7 pm
Niagara Catholic @ Nichols - 7:30 pm
Chautauqua Lake @ Fredonia - 7:30 pm
Allegany-Limestone @ Randolph - 7:30 pm
Gowanda @ Portville - 7:30 pm
Saturday, January 30th
St. Mary's @ St. Joe's - 2 pm
Tapestry @ Health Sciences - 2:30 pm
Niagara Falls @ Bishop Kearney - 3 pm
RAP Classic at Aquinas
East Aurora vs. Livonia - 2 pm
Cheektowaga vs. West Irondequoit - 3:45 pm
Canisius vs. Greece Athena - 5:30 pm
Aquinas vs. Rush-Henrietta - 7:15 pm
Game of the Week - Jamestown @ Lancaster on Monday, January 25th
- On December 10, 2015, Lancaster won in Jamestown for the first time since Ben Drake took over as head coach of the Red Raiders in 1998. It was also the first league loss Jamestown had suffered in 17 games. Being that it was the league opener for the Red Raiders, they were suddenly 0-1 in ECIC I to start the season - something I cannot remember happening before then.
Meanwhile, the win for Lancaster propelled them to a 3-0 start in the league and a 7-0 start overall. The Legends spent a couple weeks as a ranked large school in WNY, while Jamestown was uncharacteristically on the outside, looking in on the top 10 this season.
Coming into this game, Lancaster has a 9-4 mark overall, and a 5-1 record in league after an earlier loss to Orchard Park. Jamestown has improved to 8-4 overall and is 5-2 in ECIC I after getting tripped up by league-leading Williamsville North, following the Lancaster loss.
While North is undefeated in ECIC I, there are still plenty of games that could effect the outcome of the league race, and this is definitely one of those games. Lancaster is just one game behind North, and still has both its games against the Spartans coming up. A win for Jamestown keeps the Red Raiders in contention for the league crown as well, with a rematch at North still upcoming in February.
Also impacted in this game will be the sectional seeding points. Both teams compete in Class AA and the result of this game will help determine where the two get seeded and could be the difference between a home game & a road game in the Section VI quarterfinals.
When the Legends defeated Jamestown in December, it ended a 36-game winning streak the Red Raiders had held against Lancaster. After Monday night, either Jamestown will have begun a new streak, or Lancaster will be boasting a 2-game streak against the defending ECIC I & Class AA champs.
-centercourt
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