(Buffalo State Sports Arena during Championship Week /Photo: Harry Scull,Buffalo News)
St. Mary's
Wednesday, January 03, 2018
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
Tuesday, December 19, 2017
NYSSWA State Rankings 2018 - Week 2
The second 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 #7
West Seneca West #20
Class B
Health Sciences #7
Olean #8
St. Mary's #17
Niagara Catholic #20
Class C
Tapestry #4
Chautauqua Lake #7
Class D
Franklinville #4
East #5
Ellicottville #7
******** According to the rankings above........
- Niagara Falls is still not one of the 25 best teams in NYS Class AA. Well, I certainly disagree! Meanwhile, Fairport has climbed up to the #14 spot, after debuting at #17 last week. Eventually, when Falls piles up a bunch of wins, they will be added. However, that simply makes these rankings way late to the party. The other way they will get in, and this one is my favorite, when the number of teams magically jumps to 30 instead of 25. Nothing like watering down the process. I mean, why not make it a top 50 so we can include those teams that hustle and try hard...everyone deserves a shoutout, right? Anyway, before this rant gets completely out of hand, JUST RANK FALLS ALREADY!!! It'll only make these rankings look informed once the season plays out. Trust me.
- The state is taking notice of West Seneca West, just like WNY is. The Indians moved up four spots in NYS Class A from #24 to #20.
- Williamsville South's home loss to St. Francis caused the Billies to drop from the state rankings in Class A for the first time since the 2015 season.
- The place to be in WNY on Tuesday night is 1180 Delaware Avenue. That's where Canisius, the highest ranked CHSAA team in the state and #2 overall in Class A, will host the defending NYSPHAA Class A state champions from Irondequoit, who will come into the game as the highest ranked public school in NYS Class A (#9 overall).
- We have reached the 'put some thought into this or you might as well have a hamster spin his wheel to determine these rankings' portion! Health Sciences was #3 in NYS Class B last week. But, they lost to Canisius in a game they briefly led in the fourth quarter. So the powers that be drop them to #7? Seriously, try hamsters running on a wheel...how much more ludicrous could things turn out if you did? I'm done, can't even keep going on this one because my blood pressure is rising. More nonsense to come in Class D...
- St. Mary's is a top 25 team in NYS Class B because they played a game. Unranked last week, apparently because they hadn't played yet, but now #17. They deserve to be ranked for sure, but they did last week as well. Something tells me if good old Mount Vernon was 0-0 and coming off sectional title with the vast majority of its talent returning, they'd have been ranked. After all, Neil Kerr does wear that Mount Vernon shirt.
- Middle College is not worthy of a state ranking in NYS Class B. Hahahahahaha!!! Let me guess, they have too many losses? Not allowed to lose at Park? UPrep & Bishop Kearney were bad losses? Niagara Catholic, who lost to Franklinville and who's best win looks to be Clarence, moved up to #19, but Middle College's wins over McKinley, South Park, Cardinal O'Hara, and Burgard didn't sway the panel? Give me a big fat break! Stop worshiping records, because they don't mean a damn thing unless you put them into context. Ughhh, there goes my blood pressure again! Just a reminder for the panel, you had Middle College way low two years ago when they won their second Class C state title by 40 points because you didn't like the record.
- Speaking of Middle College, they host NYS Class C #1 Northstar Christian on Thursday night if anyone is interested.
- Tapestry and Chautauqua Lake flipped spots in NYS Class C from last week. I can almost here Neil saying "we'll just flip 'em". By the way, they are the Thunderhawks and Thunderbirds respectively. Does anyone that doesn't attend one of those schools know which is which?
- OK, we will end with one last round of 'put some thought into this or you might as well have a hamster spin his wheel to determine these rankings'. In NYS Class D, Franklinville dropped from #2 to #4 because they lost on the road, by one point, to Burgard. Now, Clyde Savannah is ranked ahead of them. So because Franklinville lost that game, Clyde Savannah is better? Didn't Maple Grove teach us anything about Class D rankings after the football regional? Where are those hamsters?
Click HERE for the 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
Friday, December 15, 2017
ADPRO Challenge 2017 - Night Two
(Eric Brown of St. Mary's goes after the shot of Lancaster's Jakob Jerebko)
St. Mary's 73, Lancaster 58
St. Mary's 27 - 22 - 11 - 13 = 73
Lancaster 13 - 17 - 16 - 12 = 58
Point Totals
St. Mary's: Christian Szablewski 20, Matt Ciezki 15, Brady O'Brien 13, Frank Propis 10, Kofi Osei 7, Eric Brown 6, Sean Melson 2
Lancaster: Alec Tamburri 17, Jakob Jerebko 11, Gianluca Fulciniti 9, Shane Kopecki 5, Joe Harrington 4, Matt Garry 4, Tyler Sokolowski 4, John Morgus 4
****** ****** ******
Newfane 56, Nichols 50
Nichols 17 - 12 - 10 - 11 = 50
Newfane 15 - 10 - 16 - 15 = 56
Point Totals
Newfane: Kyle DeVoogel 20, Max Weber 16, Brandon Gross 13, Jarrett Gilson 3, Connor Hill 2, Matt DiTullio 2
Nichols: Chris Stineman 15, Antonio Jones 10, Aidan Horan 9, Trent Banaszak 8, Jake Bair 6, Ryan Peterson 2
****** ******* ******
St. Joe's 68, Cheektowaga 65
Cheektowaga 22 - 17 - 18 - 8 = 65
St. Joe's 9 - 15 - 19 - 25 = 68
Point Totals
St. Joe's: Jack Capen 24, Will Ostrowski 15, Kevin Durkin 7, Santino Martone 7, Jeremy Johnson 6, Amari Gordon 5, Alex D'Anaballe 4
Cheektowaga: Davon Brown 16, Alek Bryant 16, Jason Saloman 11, Tyreek Gibson 10, Rudy Bragg 6, Jaquan Pugh 4, Malachi Jackson 2
-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
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.
While there are talented players back at every level and every league, there's a few teams that are downright filthy on paper coming into this season. Canisius, Park, Health Sciences, and East each return nearly all of its production for highly successful seasons in 2017, while Franklinville and Ellicottville literally return their entire rotations.
Perhaps the biggest name back this season is Williamsville South's Greg Dolan, the lone returning First Team selection. It's hard to believe it was already four seasons ago that I first watched Dolan take the court as a freshman point guard and lead his team to a road victory in his first ever game played at Class AA district rival Williamsville North, but over 1,000 points and two Section VI titles later, he's finally a senior.
Unfortunately for local fans, the biggest player won't be back in WNY this season following a standout junior year. Joe Jones, a 6-8 force in the paint, made the decision to leave The Park School to play at Orangeville Prep.
While Dolan might be the biggest name locally, the biggest news was made by Davonte Gaines, who verbally committed to Tennessee prior to his senior season at Health Sciences. The Ticket, as he's known in WNY basketball circles, visited the Vols during the offseason and liked what he saw.
The biggest incoming name to this season might be Tapestry freshman guard Tariq Eubanks. After an offseason of training, AAU, and competing against top competition at Future150 camps, Eubanks is nationally ranked in the Class of 2021.
Tyron Lott is the player with the biggest question mark attached to his name as this season gets underway. He's a 1,000 point scorer and a Top 25 All-Centercourt player that is currently not attached to a team. After starring at Health Sciences and helping the team reach the state final four in Class B, it's very possible he does not play for the Falcons as a senior. Stay tuned as we await word on where he will be.
So what about the biggest offseason transfer? Since two of the players in the Top 60 changed teams, we can start there. The highest ranking talent to move was Third Team All-Centercourt guard Julian Cunningham, who left St. Francis for the team's long standing rival at Timon. Jalen Bradberry left Niagara Wheatfield following an 8th grade campaign at the varsity level that earned All-Centercourt Honorable Mention honors to play in the Monsignor Martin Association at Niagara Catholic, and it looks like he brought a few of his friends with him.
Another player that transferred was Juston Johnson, who ran the point for Timon in 2017. But that transfer came as part of a major shakeup in South Buffalo that saw Timon Athletic Director Charlie Comerford resign from his positions in both administration and coaching. That led to the resignation of Timon's basketball coach Des Randall, and ultimately the transfer of Johnson (Randall's brother). Both Randall and Johnson are now at West Seneca West.
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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
Burgard: Myles Morrison 12, Jeremiah Earley 12,, Brandon Myers 12, Jorge Villa 12, Kenyon Pringle 12, Isaiah Lee 12, Leander Hyshaw 12, Phillip Cooperwood 12, Dejuan Williams 11, Zak Griffin 11, Amarni Ray 11, Sonny Hollingsworth 11, Carlos Lewis 11, Arsie Carmichael 11, Greg Ruffin 11, Roshanali Hamza 11, Tyshawn Rosenthal 10, Tre'velle Mitchell 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
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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
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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
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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
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
All-State Teams 2017: Classes B, C, & D
(Ellicottville junior Elliot Bowen is now a two-time First Team All-State selection)
Class B
First Team: Tavien Kemp (Walsh) & Davonte Gaines (Health Sciences)
Third Team: Tyron Lott (Health Sciences)
Fifth Team: Nick Montgomery (East Aurora)
Sixth Team: Jalin Cooper (Medina)
Eleventh Team: Max Weber (Newfane)
Thirteenth Team: Chad Biersbach (Depew) & Christian Szablewski (St. Mary's)
Honorable Mention: Justin Hemphill (Cardinal O'Hara), Will Johnson (Nichols), Nate Brawdy (Gowanda), Darnell Butts (Dunkirk), Mason Goodridge (Springville)
Class C
First Team: Devin Pope (Chautauqua Lake) & Willard Anderson (East)
Second Team: Nate Luckman (Barker)
Third Team: Tyler Hind (Randolph) & Cordell O'Brien (Frewsburg)
Sixth Team: Aaron Swan (Chautauqua Lake)
Eighth Team: Justin Allen ( East)
Honorable Mention: Jarrett Lecceadone (Randolph), Jake Beaver (Randolph), Shakur Bridges (Oracle Charter), Zach Hemphill (Allegany-Limestone)
Class D
First Team: Elliot Bowen (Ellicottville)
Second Team: Sam Erickson (Franklinville)
Third Team: Chris Robson (Sherman)
Sixth Team: Dylan Chase (Pine Valley)
Seventh Team: Isaac Kopp (Franklinville)
Eighth Team: Griffin Chudy (Ellicottville)
Honorable Mention: Darren Clark (Franklinville), Austin Grinols (Ellicottville)
To view the complete All-State Teams for Classes B, C, & D - Click HERE
- centercourt
Sunday, April 09, 2017
The 2017 All-Centercourt Team: The Best in WNY
First Team All-Centercourt
Dom Welch - Cheektowaga, Senior
30.4 PPG / 12.2 RPG / 3.7 APG / 3.0 BPG / 2.0 SPG
The CC MVP and a First Team All-Centercourt selection for a second consecutive season. The first four-time All-Centercourt selection. Brought a skill set to WNY high school basketball that was unmatched. Superior talent with supreme athleticism that could do anything on the court. Unselfish player that regularly enabled scoring opportunities for his teammates. A one-man fast break starter and a nightmare for opposing defenses in transition. Became a polished shooter from the perimeter with deep range and the rare ability to shoot over defenders. Led Cheektowaga to its first league title since 1963 and back to Buff State in Class A2. Voted Player of the Year in All-ECIC, along with the same honor in ECIC III. Selected to the Section VI Class A2 All-Tournament Team. Named Game MVP at the Cataract City Classic. A starter on the Centercourt #BOOM Squad for a record third straight season. Dropped a career-high 51 points in a win over Depew. Scored over 40 points in six games, including an epic 45-point performance in the Class A2 semifinal to break Ritchie Campbell's WNY scoring record. Went over 30 points nine times and over 20 points in 20 games. Averaged a double-double on the year in points & rebounds and also earned one triple-double. Finished his career as the all-time scoring leader in WNY with 2,376 points, along with an astonishing 1,200 rebounds, 287 blocks, 242 assists, and 166 steals. (Photo: Buffalo News)
Greg Dolan - Williamsville South, Junior
23.0 PPG / 8.9 RPG / 4.3 APG / 3.8 SPG / 1.0 BPG
A First Team All-Centercourt selection for a second consecutive season. Superior defensive footwork always keeps him in great position. Penetrates with ease and finishes strong at the basket. Excellent on the boards at both ends of the floor. Was the leader of a group that spent time as WNY's top ranked team with four new starters. Led his team in all five statistical categories listed above. The best guard in WNY for a second straight year. For a third season in a row, led the Billies to a league title in ECIC II and back to the Class A1 Final. Voted First Team All-ECIC and earned Player of the Year in ECIC II for a second consecutive year. Selected to the Section VI Class A1 All-Tournament Team. Named Game MVP at the RAP Showcase following a win over UPrep. Scored a career-high 32 points in a win at Cheektowaga and went over 30 points in two games. Scored over 20 points in 19 games. Hauled in 18 rebounds in a win over Williamsville East. Became the school's all-time leader in steals (245) as a junior. First Team All-Centercourt Defender. Has multiple Division I offers. Career 1,000 point scorer.
James Rojas - Jamestown, Senior
27.1 PPG / 11.0 RPG / 3.5 APG / 2.6 SPG / 2.5 BPG
Moves up from the 2016 All-Centercourt Second Team. Did everything for Jamestown from running the point and breaking presses, to manning the post. Became a reliable shooter from the perimeter. Attracted extra attention from defenses and moved the ball to open teammates. Aggressive and decisive with the ball in his hands and able to dribble through the defense. Led the Red Raiders to their seventh straight league title in ECIC I. Voted to First Team All-ECIC. Named Player of the Year in ECIC I. Selected to the Section VI Class AA All-Tournament Team. Named Game MVP at the United Way Showcase. Scored a career-high 42 points in a Class AA sectional quarterfinal win over Clarence. Went over the 30-point mark in six games. Averaged a double-double on the season in points & rebounds. Finishes his career at Jamestown fourth on the all-time scoring list after turning in the fourth highest single-season scoring average. Member of the Centercourt #BOOM Squad. Career 1,000 point scorer. (Photo: Post Journal)
Davion Warren - Timon, Senior
22.0 PPG / 14.0 RPG / 3.0 APG / 2.0 SPG / 1.0 BPG
Moves up from 2016 All-Centercourt Honorable Mention. Went from a standout performer to a dominant player for the Tigers. Improved his 3-point shooting and ball handling to become an elite inside/outside threat, making him a matchup nightmare. A relentless rebounder that collected more boards than any other player in WNY. Brought endless energy at both ends of the court and played with an edge. Led Timon to a Mosignor Martin Association regular season title. Scored a career-high 31 points in a win over Walsh. Scored over 20 points in 14 games. Hauled in a career-high 27 rebounds in a win against Canisius. Had over 20 rebounds in five games. Recorded two triple-doubles on the season, while piling up 15 double-doubles. Averaged a double-double in points & rebounds on the year. Scored the game-winning basket at the buzzer of an overtime win against Park. Member of the Centercourt #BOOM Squad. Career 1,000 point scorer. (Photo: Buffalo News)
Tavien Kemp - Walsh, Senior
33.3 PPG / 10.8 RPG / 5.3 SPG / 3.7 APG
Moves up from the 2016 All-Centercourt Fourth Team. Carried an inexperienced team that struggled offensively. Composed leader that never lost his focus in adverse situations. A pure scorer that can fill the rim in every possible way. Crafty at creating shots and finding open space. Excelled at turning steals into points with exceptional timing. Led the Eagles to wins over top 10 small schools against St. Mary's, Franklinville, & Nichols. Voted Monsignor Martin Association Class B Player of the Year. Named MVP of the Adam Elliott Tournament at Portville. Averaged a double-double in points & rebounds on the year. Shot 53% from the field and 81% at the charity stripe. Scored over 40 points in six games, eclipsed the 30-point mark in 16 games, and had over 20 points in 23 outings. Scored a career-high 47 points against Section IV Class AA champion Corning. Finished the season with a WNY-high 799 points and set the single-season scoring mark in the Monsignor Martin Association. Graduates 7th on the all-time Monsignor Martin Association scoring list. Career 1,000 point scorer. (Photo: Olean Times Herald)
Second Team All-Centercourt
Shakur Harris - South Park, Senior
22.0 PPG / 7.3 SPG / 6.3 APG / 6.2 RPG
Moves up from 2016 All-Centercourt Honorable Mention. A fierce competitor that played much bigger than he was. Matured from his junior season to become a true team leader for the Sparks. Played his best in the biggest games. Displayed a toughness on both ends of the floor that inspired casual fans seeing him play for the first time. Led South Park to its first Yale Cup Trophy since 1986. Took the Sparks to the Class A2 Final, where they lost a thriller at the buzzer. Selected as MVP of the Section VI Class A2 Tournament. Voted Player of the Year in Yale Cup I. Shot a school-record 81% from the charity stripe on 177 attempts. Scored a career-high 40 points in a win at McKinley, with 34 of those coming in the second half. Recorded a triple-double in that same game, adding 10 rebounds & 10 steals. First Team All-Centercourt Defender. Scored over 30 points in three games and went over 20 points 13 times. Career 1,000 point scorer.
Devin Pope - Chautauqua Lake, Junior
28.2 PPG / 7.8 RPG / 4.7 SPG / 3.8 APG
Moves up from 2016 All-Centercourt Honorable Mention. The secret is out on the best kept secret in the Southern Tier. Literally did anything and everything on the court for his team. Outstanding anticipation and timing at the defensive end. Able to attack the basket at top speed while finishing under control. A smooth jump shooter from all the mid range spots where most struggle. Strong while moving towards the paint and determined to finish once he gets there. Led Chautauqua Lake to its first ever title in Section VI behind a game-high 33 points, to win Class C1. Advanced to the Far West Regional after leading the Thunderbirds to the overall Class C title. Voted MVP in CCAA I West. Selected as MVP of the Section VI Class C1 Tournament. Named MVP of the Ellicottville Tip-Off Tournament. Named to the IAABO All-Tournament Team. Shot 49% from the field and 68% from the stripe on 221 attempts. Scored over 20 points in 23 games and over 30 points on 12 occasions, including a career-high 38 points in a win over Fredonia. Recorded six double-doubles. Had a career-high nine steals in two different wins. Third Team All-Centercourt Defender. After a 706 point season, became the only player in Chautauqua Lake history to eclipse 1,000. Enters his senior year with 1,358 points. (Photo: Post Journal)
Joe Jones - Park, Junior
15.0 PPG / 10.5 RPG / 3.6 BPG / 1.8 APG / 1.2 SPG
Makes his All-Centercourt debut on Second Team. Has the size and ability to completely dominate in high school basketball. Owns his space in the paint and establishes position with ease. A very good passer from the post that quickly recognizes open shooters when the double comes. Has a smooth stroke from the baseline and a big-time powerful finish when he drives it. Sets one massive screen and is very effective rolling back to the basket. Led a Park team with no losses to a public school and no local losses in the regular season during regulation. Voted First Team All-Catholic. Named Game MVP at the Cataract City Classic. Averaged a double-double on the season in points & rebounds. Recorded 15 double-doubles on the year. Team leader in rebounds & blocks. Scored a career-high 28 points in a win over Walsh. Blocked 12 shots in a win over Elmira. Member of the Centercourt #BOOM Squad. Has multiple Division I offers. (Photo: Buffalo News)
Davonte Gaines - Health Sciences, Junior
17.7 PPG / 12.1 RPG / 3.8 BPG / 3.4 APG / 2.9 SPG
Makes his All-Centercourt debut on Second Team. A highly coordinated 6-7 player that has offers rolling in after a stellar junior campaign. Alters every shot in his vicinity that doesn't get sent the other way. A nightmare in the high post for opposing defenses with his court vision and ability to knock down shots from mid range. His ability to run the floor allowed the Falcons to play fast and his leaping ability led to some emphatic finishes. Led Health Sciences to a third straight Charter Cup. Raised the first Section VI championship plaque in school history after The Health claimed the Class B2 title. Advanced his team out of Buffalo with an overall Class B title and led them to a Far West Regional victory to earn a trip to the state final four. Voted MVP, Offensive POY, & Defensive POY among charter schools. Named to the NYSPHAA All-Tournament Team in Class B. Selected as MVP of the Section VI Class B2 Tournament. Named to the All-Tournament Team at the Lancaster Tip-Off. Earned Game MVP at the Pastor-Cooper Showcase. Scored a career-high 50 points in a win over Oracle. A starter on the Centercourt #BOOM Squad. Has multiple Division I offers.
Willard Anderson - East, Junior
25.7 PPG / 5.9 APG / 3.9 RPG / 3.4 SPG / 0.7 BPG
Moves up from 2016 All-Centercourt Honorable Mention. An offensive facilitator who understands where the ball needs to go. His handle and strength make him tough to stop in transition. Stays with the play on drives and finishes through contact. A scoring threat from the perimeter with deep range. Led East to the Section VI Class C2 Final. Selected to the Section VI Class C2 All-Tournament Team. Voted to First Team in Yale Cup I. Named Game MVP at the Cataract City Classic. Named MVP at the Can/Am Shootout. Recorded five double-doubles on the year. Scored over 20 points in 15 games. Had four games of 29 points. Scored over 30 points in seven games on the season. Led the Panthers in scoring, assists, steals, & blocks. Dropped a career-high 42 points in a win over Emerson. Career 1,000 point scorer.
Third Team All-Centercourt
Bo Sireika - St. Francis, Junior
14.0 PPG / 3.9 RPG / 1.9 APG / 1.3 SPG
Makes his All-Centercourt debut on Third Team. Brings an endless amount of endurance to the game and never slows down. Scores in a variety of ways, including timely shots from the perimeter. Always drew his team's toughest defensive assignment. Very athletic player that can take players off the dribble and finish in a crowded lane. Led St. Francis to the Manhattan Cup Final for the first time since 2007, the first regular season title in the Monsignor Martin Association since 2000, and the school's first ever #1 local ranking for a period during the regular season. Voted First Team All-Catholic in Class A. Named to the Bella Pizza All-Tournament Team. Scored a career-high 24 points against Canisius and went over 20 points in five games. Second Team All-Centercourt Defender. School's all-time leader in 3-pointers made (155) entering his senior season. (Photo: Larry Scheur)
Julian Cunningham - St. Francis, Sophomore
12.2 PPG / 4.7 RPG / 2.8 APG / 1.6 SPG
Makes his All-Centercourt debut on Third Team. Became one of WNY's top floor generals in just his sophomore season. Demonstrates toughness and confidence every time he takes the court and makes his assignment work for everything all game. Shows a great understanding of the game, moves the ball to the right spot, and knows when to score. Has good body control when driving to the basket. Led St. Francis to the Manhattan Cup Final for the first time since 2007, the first regular season title in the Monsignor Martin Association since 2000, and the school's first ever #1 local ranking for a period during the regular season. Voted First Team All-Catholic in Class A. Named to the Bella Pizza All-Tournament Team. Scored 12 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter of the Manhattan Cup Final, nearly leading a comeback attempt from 16-points down. Second Team All-Centercourt Defender. (Photo: Larry Scheur)
Trevor Book - North Tonawanda, Junior
18.3 PPG / 4.4 RPG / 3.2 SPG / 1.9 APG
Makes his All-Centercourt debut on Third Team. A fierce competitor that carries himself with an understated court demeanor. Deadly shooter from beyond the 3-point arc. Can step inside the arc and knock down mid-range jumpers from any spot on the floor. Quick hands and sharp instincts at the defensive end. Was at his best when the team faced top competition. Led North Tonawanda to a league title in the Niagara Frontier League. Raised the Section VI championship plaque after leading the Jacks to the title in Class A1. Took the Jacks to the Far West Regional after earning the overall Class A championship for the most successful season in school history. Voted to First Team in the Niagara Frontier League. Selected MVP of the Section VI Class A1 Tournament. Shot 46% from the field and 75% from the charity stripe. Led his team with 70 deflections. Scored over 20 points in nine games, including a career-high 37 points in a win at St. Mary's.
Marcellus Cooper - Amherst, Senior
17.6 PPG / 11.0 RPG / 3.6 SPG / 3.1 BPG / 2.2 APG
Moves up from 2016 All-Centercourt Honorable Mention. A gifted athlete who does special things on the court that others can't. Elevates to shoot and has a nice touch on his jumpers. An underrated defender that used length and anticipation to regularly turn opponents over. The combination of style and power on dunks made his aerial assaults on the rim an event all their own. Led Amherst to a league title in ECIC II. Took the Tigers to the overall Class A championship game after leading the team to a Section VI title in Class A2. Voted to First Team All-ECIC and First Team in ECIC II. Selected to the Section VI Class A2 All-Tournament Team. Named Game MVP at the Cataract City Classic. Earned MVP of the Bob Hettler Classic. Shot 46% from the field. Averaged a double-double in points and rebounds. Recorded 16 double-doubles on the season. Scored over 20 points in seven games and over 30 points twice, including a career-high 37 points with 13 boards in a win over West Seneca East. A starter on the Centercourt #BOOM Squad. (Photo: Buffalo News)
Jayce Johnson - Canisius, Junior
11.3 PPG / 8.3 RPG / 5.3 APG / 1.5 SPG
Makes his All-Centercourt debut on Third Team. A lock down defender and the best on ball defender in the area. Stepped into a leadership role at Canisius after graduating three top 25 players and kept the team on top. Penetrates the defense extremely well and is tough to stop near the basket. Combines effort and power to grab every rebound and loose ball in his vicinity. Led Canisius to its third consecutive Manhattan Cup in Class A, where he recorded 13 points and 13 rebounds in the win. Was one assist shy of a triple-double in the Crusaders' playoff win over St. Joe's. Scored a season-high 20 points, along with eight rebounds in the CHSAA Class A State Semifinal against Chaminade. A First Team All-Centercourt Defender. Member of the Centercourt #BOOM Squad. (Photo: Buffalo News)
Fourth Team All-Centercourt
Noah Hutchins - Park, Sophomore
11.5 PPG / 5.0 APG / 4.0 RPG / 3.6 SPG / 0.5 BPG
Moves up from 2016 All-Centercourt Honorable Mention. A team-first point guard who looks to facilitate. Excellent handle and control when driving to the basket. A ball hawk that creates countless transition opportunities with his defense. Uses his athletic ability to soar, leading to big rebounds & blocks and eye-popping finishes. Led a Park team with no losses to a public school and no local losses in the regular season during regulation. Named MVP at the Elmira Tournament. Scored 16 points with nine assists against Mount St. Michael. A starter on the Centercourt #BOOM Squad. Second Team All-Centercourt Defender. Has multiple Division I offers. (Photo: Larry Scheur)
Dan Scott - Park, Sophomore
16.0 PPG / 4.7 RPG / 3.0 APG / 2.6 SPG / 0.5 BPG
Makes his All-Centercourt debut on Fourth Team. Shoots with perfect form and gets it off quickly. A decisive shooter with a great rise and release point who is equally effective from both downtown and mid-range. A two-way player that plays with equal passion at both ends. Fast and strong in transition and finishes through contact. Led a Park team with no losses to a public school and no local losses in the regular season during regulation. Scored over 20 points in seven games. Voted First Team All-Catholic. Named Game MVP at the Pastor-Cooper Showcase. Second Team All-Centercourt Defender. Member of the Centercourt #BOOM Squad. Has multiple Division I offers. Career 1,000 point scorer. (Photo: Larry Scheur)
Joe Harrison - Timon, Senior
18.0 PPG / 3.0 RPG / 2.0 APG / 1.0 SPG
Makes his All-Centercourt debut on Fourth Team. One of the sharpest shooters in WNY. Drives his defender back and then pulls up over him to bury a jumper with regularity and ease. Capable of entering one of those shooting zones that make game plans look ineffective. Can slice through a defense to the basket and find a way to finish. Helped lead the Tigers to a Mosignor Martin Association regular season title. Voted First Team All-Catholic in Class A. Scored a career-high 30 points in a win at St. Joe's that included seven bombs from downtown. Scored over 20 points in six games. Finishes with 180 3-pointers made during his years at Timon. Career 1,000 point scorer. (Photo: Tom Burns)
Elliot Bowen - Ellicottville, Junior
21.0 PPG / 14.7 RPG / 3.3 BPG / 1.6 SPG / 1.2 APG
Moves up from 2016 All-Centercourt Honorable Mention. A dominant inside presence and complete game-changer in the post for the Eagles. Able to consistently gain position in the paint for entry passes. Near automatic at finishing from in close. A force on the glass and a rim protector. Has a consistent stroke from the charity stripe. Led Ellicottville to a league title in CCAA II East. Voted Player of the Year in CCAA II East. Selected to the Section VI Class D All-Tournament Team. Named to the All-Tournament Team at the Holiday Valley Tip-Off. Shot 64% from the field & 68% at the stripe. Scored over 30 points in four games, including matching his career-high of 34 points on three occasions. Averaged a double-double in points and rebounds. Recorded 18 double-doubles on the season. Scored 13 of his 21 points in the
4th quarter & added 20 rebounds in a win at Franklinville. Career 1,000 point scorer as a junior.
Sam Erickson - Franklinville, Senior
20.4 PPG / 10.2 RPG / 2.7 APG / 2.3 SPG / 1.8 BPG
Makes his All-Centercourt debut on Fourth Team. A lanky smooth lefty with an all-around game. An intense player that stays dialed in and never comes off the floor. Whether from long range, the elbow, or the baseline, he's a shooter with great form. The unquestioned leader of an underclassmen Panthers' team that enjoyed its most successful season ever. Led Franklinville to a league title in CCAA II East. Raised the Section VI championship plaque after his team earned the Class D title. Advanced the Panthers to their first state final four appearance with a victory in the Far West Regional. Voted to First Team in CCAA II East. Named MVP of both the Rick Hughes Memorial and the IAABO Tournaments. Selected to the Section VI Class D All-Tournament Team. Named to the NYSPHAA Class D All-Tournament Team. Averaged a double-double in points & rebounds. Recorded 19 double-doubles on the season. Scored over 20 points in 18 games and over 30 points three times, including a season-high 37 points in a win over Portville. (Photo: Buffalo News)
Fifth Team All-Centercourt
Tyron Lott - Health Sciences, Junior
18.4 PPG / 6.0 APG / 4.1 RPG / 3.8 SPG / 0.9 BPG
Makes his All-Centercourt debut on Fifth Team. A scorer that consistently creates his own scoring opportunities. Thrives in the transition game. Strong & confident with the ball in his hands, not afraid to pull up over or drive past his defender. High energy player that never tires and leads the team's constant pressure defense. His ability to run the floor allowed the Falcons to play fast and his leaping ability led to some emphatic finishes. Led Health Sciences to a third straight Charter Cup. Raised the first Section VI championship plaque in school history after The Health claimed the Class B2 title. Advanced his team out of Buffalo with an overall Class B title and led them to a Far West Regional victory to earn a trip to the state final four. Voted to First Team All-Charter. Named MVP of the Lancaster Tip-Off Tournament. Scored over 20 points in 13 games, including a season-high 31 points in a win over Global Concepts. Career 1,000 point scorer.
Nick Montgomery - East Aurora, Senior
15.8 PPG / 7.4 RPG / 2.0 BPG / 1.3 APG / 1.1 SPG
Makes his All-Centercourt debut on Fifth Team. A true team leader in every sense of the word. The ultimate effort player - his work ethic was never outdone in a game or at a practice. Well-rounded talent that could take you off the dribble and connect from beyond the arc. His focused and fundamentally sound defensive style always kept his man in front of him and took some major talents out of games this season. Led East Aurora to a league title in ECIC III. Took the Blue Devils back to the Class B1 Final and led a dominant performance to earn a sectional title. Selected as MVP of the Section VI Class B1 Tournament. Voted to First Team All-ECIC. Voted to First Team in ECIC III. Named MVP in the Southtowns Tournament. Scored in double figures in 22 games on the season. Led East Aurora in points, rebounds, blocks, 3-pointers, & FT %. First Team All-Centercourt Defender. (Photo: Buffalo News)
Jalin Cooper - Medina, Junior
20.8 PPG / 9.4 RPG / 3.0 SPG / 2.6 APG / 1.7 BPG
Moves up from 2016 All-Centercourt Honorable Mention. One of WNY's top athletes became one of its best basketball players this season. Explosive leaper that made a living around the rim. Uses quickness to create transition opportunities and speed to finish them. An unselfish team leader who keeps his teammates involved. Led Medina to an undefeated championship in the Niagara-Orleans League. Voted to First Team Niagara-Orleans League. Selected to the Section VI Class B2 All-Tournament Team. Named Game MVP at the Cataract City Classic. Scored over 20 points in 13 games and eclipsed 30 points twice. Finished with a career-high 34 points in a win over Elba. Tied a school record for most points in one season (458). Recorded 11 double-doubles. Threw down over 40 dunks on the season to earn his place as a starter on the Centercourt #BOOM Squad. (Photo: Orleans Hub)
Tyler Aquilina - Kenmore West, Senior
18.0 PPG / 7.3 RPG / 2.0 APG / 1.8 SPG
Makes his All-Centercourt debut on Fifth Team. A hardworking player who went after rebounds and scored a lot of tough points inside. Succeeded despite constant increased attention from opposing defenses. The team's go-to player in crunch time and a solid shooter from outside. Underrated defender who gave maximum effort at both ends. Led Kenmore West to a league title in the Niagara Frontier League. Voted to First Team Niagara Frontier League and received the most votes. Named to the All-Tournament Team at the Ken-Ton Tournament. Finishes career among the school's all-time scoring leaders.
Ryan Bradley - Canisius, Junior
13.3 PPG / 7.7 RPG / 2.6 APG / 1.2 SPG / 1.0 BPG
Makes his All-Centercourt debut on Fifth Team. Became a welcomed addition to a Canisius team in need of his contributions. His combination of size and skill made him one of the area's top inside/outside threats. Able to consistently knock down shots from the perimeter and mid range. Scrappy inside and not afraid to mix it up against any of the competition he faced. Led Canisius to a third straight Manhattan Cup in Class A and back to the CHSAA State Semifinal. Scored a season-high 33 points, along with 16 boards in a win over Cardinal O'Hara. Scored over 20 points four times. Stepped up to deliver a game-high 20 points at Park when his team was down three starters. (Photo: Buffalo News)
Honorable Mention
Chris Robson - Sherman, Senior
24.1 PPG / 6.2 RPG / 3.4 APG / 3.2 SPG / 0.5 BPG - CCAA II West Co-Player of the Year
Cordell O'Brien - Frewsburg, Senior
23.6 PPG / 10.6 RPG / 2.0 APG / 2.0 SPG / 1.0 BPG - CCAA II West Co-Player of the Year
Shakur Bridges - Oracle Charter, Senior
22.7 PPG / 4.7 APG / 3.9 RPG / 3.6 SPG - First Team All-Charter
Nate Luckman - Barker, Senior
22.1 PPG / 5.2 RPG / 3.2 APG / 2.3 SPG / 0.4 BPG - First Team Niagara-Orleans League
Dan Reid - Olmsted, Senior
22.1 PPG / 2.9 RPG / 2.8 SPG / 2.6 APG - Co-Player of the Year in Yale Cup II
Monty Shoemaker - Olean, Senior
19.3 PPG / 1.1 RPG / 1.0 SPG / 0.5 APG - First Team CCAA I West
Aaron Swan - Chautauqua Lake, Senior
15.7 PPG / 6.4 RPG / 4.5 APG / 1.7 SPG / 0.5 BPG - First Team CCAA I West
Will Johnson - Nichols, Senior
15.6 PPG / 3.9 RPG / 3.1 APG / 1.4 SPG - First Team All Catholic Class B
Dakota Wiley - Williamsville South, Senior
15.5 PPG / 5.0 RPG / 2.0 SPG / 1.5 APG - First Team ECIC II
Tal James - Kenmore West, Senior
15.0 PPG / 3.0 RPG / 2.0 APG / 1.5 SPG - First Team Niagara Frontier League
Vito Fulciniti - Lancaster, Senior
13.5 PPG / 5.0 APG / 4.0 RPG / 3.0 SPG - First Team ECIC I
Da'Shawn Hines - Amherst, Senior
13.1 PPG / 4.2 RPG / 3.7 APG / 3.0 BPG / 1.7 SPG - First Team ECIC II
David Anderson - MST Seneca, Senior
12.5 PPG / 11.8 RPG / 3.2 BPG / 2.5 SPG / 2.1 APG - Co-Player of the Year in Yale Cup II
Tavon Chambers - Lockport, Senior
12.2 PPG / 3.9 RPG / 1.8 APG / 1.6 SPG - First Team Niagara Frontier League
Caleb Cockrell - St. Joe's, Senior
11.6 PPG / 4.7 RPG / 1.6 APG / 1.4 SPG - Led team in scoring & steals, Scholarship to D-II Trevecca Nazerine University
Roburt Welch - St. Francis, Senior
11.4 PPG / 5.5 RPG / 1.4 APG / 1.4 SPG / 0.4 BPG - Led team in rebounds, Shot 51% FG
Daquan Hunt - St. Mary's, Senior
10.2 PPG / 6.2 RPG / 2.1 APG / 1.1 SPG / 0.6 BPG - First Team All Catholic Class B
Josh Denz - East Aurora, Senior
10.0 PPG / 5.0 RPG / 3.0 APG / 2.7 SPG / 1.0 BPG - First Team ECIC III
Vincent Tripi - North Tonawanda, Senior
6.3 PPG / 4.8 APG / 3.0 RPG / 2.1 SPG - Section VI Class A1 All-Tournament Team
Nate Brawdy - Gowanda, Junior
20.2 PPG / 14.0 RPG / 4.8 APG - Co-Player of the Year in CCAA I East
Kyle DeVoogel - Newfane, Junior
18.6 PPG / 5.9 SPG / 4.1 RPG / 2.8 APG / 0.9 BPG - First Team Niagara-Orleans League
Chad Biersbach - Depew, Junior
17.5 PPG / 8.3 RPG / 2.8 SPG / 2.1 APG / 0.9 BPG - First Team ECIC III
Ray Blackwell - Maryvale, Junior
17.0 PPG / 6.2 RPG / 3.8 APG / 3.1 SPG - First Team ECIC III
Hakeem Dobbins - Middle College, Junior
16.5 PPG / 2.8 RPG / 2.0 APG / 1.8 SPG - First Team Yale Cup I
Latrell Butler-Kemp - Walsh, Junior
16.4 PPG / 7.5 RPG / 3.9 APG / 2.2 SPG - First Team All-Catholic Class B
Ray Mushat - South Park, Junior
15.3 PPG / 5.5 RPG / 2.6 SPG / 1.2 APG / 0.6 BPG - First Team Yale Cup I
Max Weber - Newfane, Junior
14.8 PPG / 8.3 RPG / 7.0 APG / 3.0 SPG / 1.7 BPG - First Team Niagara-Orleans League
Christian Szablewski - St. Mary's, Junior
13.4 PPG / 8.5 RPG / 2.3 APG / 2.0 SPG / 0.7 BPG - First Team All-Catholic Class B
Darnell Butts - Dunkirk, Junior
13.1 PPG / 4.5 RPG / 2.1 APG / 1.6 STL / 0.4 BPG - First Team CCAA I West
Tazaun Rose - Niagara Falls, Junior
11.0 PPG / 5.0 APG / 4.0 SPG / 3.0 RPG - MVP of Section VI Class AA Tournament
Mason Goodridge - Springville, Sophomore
18.9 PPG / 2.5 APG / 2.1 RPG / 1.2 SPG - Player of the Year in ECIC IV
Cam Sionko - Grand Island, Sophomore
17.2 PPG / 4.0 RPG / 3.0 APG / 1.8 SPG / 0.8 BPG - First Team Niagara Frontier League
Justin Hemphill - Cardinal O'Hara, Sophomore
16.4 PPG / 11.0 RPG / 5.1 APG / 2.4 SPG / 2.2 BPG - First Team All-Catholic Class B
Tyler Hind - Randolph, Freshman
17.6 PPG / 4.3 APG / 3.1 SPG / 2.8 RPG - Co-Player of the Year in CCAA I East
Jalen Bradberry - Niagara Wheatfield, 8th Grade
14.7 PPG / 3.3 APG / 3.0 RPG / 1.5 APG - Scored a career-high 38 points at 'Battle at the Border'
******** ********* ********
Sixth Man of the Year
Daesean Ashley - Amherst, Freshman
6.6 PPG / 3.5 RPG / 2.0 APG / 2.0 SPG
The future is bright for the Tigers with three varsity seasons ahead for this young floor general. Ashley came off the bench at Amherst, but stayed in the game once he did, only coming back out of the game to rest. The freshman made great decisions, provided scoring, and let the game come to him - showing an understanding of the game that extended far beyond his experience. When the Tigers beat Williamsville South, Ashley scored 12 points and played a huge role in the victory. In a win over McKinley at the MLK Classic, he scored 15 points, grabbed seven boards, and dished six dimes. He is certain to be a starter and team leader next season.
********* ********* *********
All-Centercourt Defenders
First Team
Jayce Johnson - Canisius, Junior
Greg Dolan - Williamsville South, Junior
Nick Montgomery - East Aurora, Senior
Zack Woodard - North Tonawanda, Senior
Shakur Harris - South Park, Senior
Second Team
Noah Hutchins - Park, Junior
Bo Sireika - St. Francis, Junior
Julian Cunningham - St. Francis, Sophomore
Dan Scott - Park, Junior
Tazaun Rose - Niagara Falls, Junior
Third Team
Colby Moultrie - Canisius, Senior
Dakota Wiley - Williamsville South, Senior
Devin Pope - Chautauqua Lake, Junior
Jarrett Lecceadone - Randolph, Senior
Griffin Chudy - Ellicottville, Junior
********* ********* *********
Centercourt #BOOM Squad
The Starting Five:
Marcellus Cooper - Amherst, Senior
Jalin Cooper - Medina, Junior
Noah Hutchins - Park, Sophomore
Dom Welch - Cheektowaga, Senior
Davonte Gaines - Health Sciences, Junior
The rest of the Squad
Dan Scott - Park, Sophomore
Joe Jones - Park, Junior
Davion Warren - Timon, Senior
Jayce Johnson - Canisius, Junior
Charles Lamar - Niagara Falls, Senior
Jaeger Martino - Niagara Wheatfield, Senior
James Rojas - Jamestown, Senior
********* ********* *********
Coach of the Year
** Announced at the Prep Talk/BCANY Boys Basketball Banquet at Ilio Dipaolo's on Monday, April 24th
- centercourt
Thursday, April 06, 2017
Poll Ballots 2017 - Season Finale
(Health Sciences is WNY's top small school after advancing to states this season/Photo: Buff News)
Large Schools
1. Canisius (MMA) - The Crusaders made me look pretty smart for predicting their ultimate success in the preseason. Manhattan Cup champs once again, Canisius took a less dominant approach during the regular season, but ended up on top once again. They own the distinction of being the only team to defeat St. Francis twice, along with wins over Timon, Aquinas, and Bishop Kearney.
2. St. Francis (MMA) - They may not have broken through with a championship this season, but the Red Raiders are squarely back on the WNY basketball map after an incredible campaign that was highlighted by being the first team to topple Park. They went on to do it twice more, including the Manhattan Cup semifinal win that got them a third meeting with Canisius. Timon, Health Sciences, Kenmore West, and the champion Crusaders were among the team's wins.
3. Park (MMA) - The Pioneers never lost a local regular season game in regulation and never lost to a public school. They also completely bludgeoned some pretty good teams - Cheektowaga by 49, East & Nichols by 43, St. Mary's by 41, and Canisius by 28 & 26 points. They also handed Timon its biggest loss of the year (13 points) and beat Williamsville South & Niagara Falls.
4. North Tonawanda (A1) - Back in December, I proclaimed this version of the Jacks might be the greatest North Tonawanda team of all time. After a league title in the Niagara Frontier League, a Section VI title in Class A1 (first since 1961), a trip to the Far West Regional, and all the team records that fell along the way...I'd say it would be tough to argue. The Jacks own wins over Williamsville South, Amherst, Health Sciences, Niagara Falls, St. Mary's, and a pair over Kenmore West.
5. Williamsville South (A1) - The Billies made it to number one in the large school poll heading into the postseason after earning a share of the title in ECIC II and a regular season that included wins over UPrep, St. Francis, Timon, Amherst, Jamestown, and Cheektowaga.
6. Timon (MMA) - The Tigers earned the number one seed in the Manhattan Cup playoffs with an awesome regular season that resulted in an eye-popping resume of wins - St. Francis, Park, Bishop Kearney, Amherst, Health Sciences, St. Mary's, Class B Federation champ LaSalle, and a sweep of Canisius.
7. Amherst (A2) - The Tigers moved up to ECIC II and earned a co-championship, before repeating as Section VI champs in Class A2. Wins on the season included North Tonawanda, Williamsville South, South Park, Lancaster, Olean, East, and Jamestown.
8. South Park (A2) - By season's end, the Sparks were lighting up opponents in the Yale Cup and not even keeping it close. The result was the first Yale Cup trophy for the team since 1986. They followed it up with a win over Cheektowaga at Buff State to reach the Class A2 Final, which they lost in heart-breaking fashion at the buzzer.
9. Niagara Falls (AA) - The Wolverines finishing fourth in the Niagara Frontier League and taking the #5 seed in the Class AA sectionals for a road game at Lockport was just their way of ironing out the kinks. Falls' path to a repeat title in Class AA included wins over UPrep, Lancaster, Kenmore West, two against Lockport, Jamestown, and Grand Island.
10. Lancaster (AA) - The Legends ended a league title drought that spanned back to 1995 when they blew the doors off the gym in an emphatic win over Jamestown, followed by a clinching win over Frontier. They swept Clarence and took a third meeting with Orchard Park, before cruising past Kenmore West to reach the Class AA Final.
Small Schools
1. Health Sciences (B2) - After winning the Charter Cup for a third straight season, the Falcons just kept on going. They earned their first Section VI plaque in Class B2, knocked off previously top-ranked East Aurora for an overall Class B championship, and then won the Far West Regional for a trip to the state final four.
2. St. Mary's (MMA) - The Lancers took the number one seed in the postseason and won their first Manhattan Cup in Class B to reach the CHSAA state championship, before falling to the eventual Class B Federation champ from LaSalle. Their season included wins over Lancaster, St. Joe's, Cardinal O'Hara, a pair over Walsh, and three wins against Nichols.
3. East Aurora (B1) - The Section VI champs in Class B1 were also co-champs in ECIC III with Cheektowaga after splitting with the Warriors during the regular season. Other key wins on the year came against Dunkirk, Newfane, Lackawanna, Orchard Park, and Burgard.
4. Franklinville (D) - A historic season for the Panthers saw them advance to their first state final four in Class D. They were co-champions of CCAA II East during a season that saw them take two of three from Ellicottville, along with wins over Chautauqua Lake, Randolph, CG Finney, Gowanda, Allegany-Limestone, Sherman, and Portville.
5. Chautauqua Lake (C1) - Another team that enjoyed unprecedented success for their school, the Thunderbirds won the first Section VI crown in their history and followed it up with an overall Class C crown and a trip to the Far West Regionals. Chautauqua Lake picked up its first ever win over Olean and also collected wins over Randolph, Ellicottville, Dunkirk, Cleveland Hill, Allegany-Limestone, and Portville.
6. Randolph (C2) - The Section VI champs from Class C2 raised the hardware after an inspiring defensive effort against East. The Cardinals were undefeated champions in CCAA I East with sweeps of Gowanda, Allegany-Limestone, and Portville. They also earned nonleague wins over Yale Cup Champion South Park, along with Ellicottville.
7. Medina (B2) - After an undefeated campaign in the Niagara-Orleans league, the Mustangs rode the Section's second longest winning streak into postseason play before running into eventual Class B regional champ Health Sciences. Medina earned double figure wins over Newfane and Gowanda, along with a nine-point win against Orchard Park.
8. East (C2) - The Panthers had fourth quarter leads before eventually falling to South Park in the game that decided the Yale Cup and to Randolph in the Class C2 Final. East did have wins over both prior to those losses, along with wins on the season against McKinley, Middle College, and a pair versus Burgard.
9. Ellicottville (D) - Co-Champs of CCAA II East had wins over Randolph, Franklinville, Gowanda, Sherman, Allegany-Limestone, & Portville. The only losses on the season for the Eagles were to Section VI champions Chautauqua Lake, Randolph, & Franklinville. All five starters return next season.
10. Nichols (MMA) - For a second straight season, the Vikings put it all together by the end of the year and reached the Manhattan Cup Final in Class B. Along the way, they picked up wins over St. Joe's, Walsh, Allegany-Limestone, and a pair of wins over Cardinal O'Hara.
- 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
Thursday, March 09, 2017
NYSSWA State Rankings 2017 - Week 13
The 13th state rankings for the 2017 the season have been released by the NYSSWA. Below are the WNY teams that made the cut. ** Released on Tuesday, prior to crossover games. This week, I've included any teams that are potential opponents of our locally ranked teams this weekend.
Class AA
Fairport #3
Niagara Falls #21
Class A
Irondequoit #1
Chaminade #6
Canisius #12
St. Francis #15
Park #17
Amherst #20
North Tonawanda #23
Williamsville South #24
Wayne #25
Class B
LaSalle Academy #3
East Aurora #11
Mynderse #12
Health Sciences #19
Class C
Northstar Christian #2
Cuba-Rushford #4
Chautauqua Lake #6
Randolph #14
East #17
Class D
Franklinville #3
CG Finney #5
Ellicottville #14
Sherman #18
** According to the rankings...
- If you win the section, you become a ranked team in the state. After a season of 'No teams ranked' in Class AA, Niagara Falls is in at #21. Next stop, the state's highest ranked public school (#3) from Fairport.
- North Tonawanda is on the board in the state for the first time all season. The Jacks debuted at #23 in NYS Class A. They await the winner of Wayne vs. Irondequoit on Thursday night. If they draw Irondequoit, they'll get a shot at Class A's #1 ranked team in NYS, after taking down WNY's #1 ranked team.
- Canisius went from unranked to #12 in NYS Class A after winning the Manhattan Cup.
- Williamsville South fell to #24 in NYS Class A after losing in the Class A1 Final to North Tonawanda, while Olean snd Timon fell out of the top 25 completely after semifinal losses in the postseason.
- St. Mary's plays for a CHSAA Class B state championship on Saturday against NYS Class B #3 LaSalle Academy. The Lancers remain unranked in NYS Class B.
- Health Sciences will have to win a second straight game against a team ranked ahead of them in the state in order to advance to the state final four in Class B. The Falcons knocked off #11 East Aurora in the B1/B2 Crossover on Tuesday and now face #12 Mynderse this Saturday.
- Chautauqua Lake moved up to #6 in NYS Class C and will need to pull off an upset in the Class C Far West Regional to get to the state final four. The Thunderbirds await the winner NYS Class C #2 Northstar Christian vs. #4 Cuba-Rushford.
- Franklinville is all the way up to #3 in NYS Class D and will face the winner of #5 CG Finney or unranked Elba on Saturday.
Click HERE for complete NYSSWA State Rankings.
- centercourt
Monday, February 27, 2017
Poll Ballots 2017 - Week 10
(Tyron Lott and Health Sciences are ready for a run in Class B2)
Large Schools
1. Williamsville South (A1) - What would Buff State Week be without a little South vs. McKinley action? The Billies will look to end the Macks' season for a third straight time on Tuesday in pursuit of a third crown in Class A1 in three years.
2. St. Francis (MMA) - After a third win over Park this season, the Red Raiders have finally earned the respect of the entire WNY hoops community. On Wednesday night, they will look to earn their first Manhattan Cup Championship since 1978.
3. Olean (A2) - The Huskies make their way to their second home on Wednesday night for a semifinal battle with the #1 seeded Amherst Tigers, after hammering Maryvale in the quarterfinals on Friday.
4. Park (MMA) - Biggest loss all season was by seven points on the road in Rochester. The Pioneers will have to start winning the close games in order to put it all together, but they were eliminated by a very hungry team that knows exactly who they are.
5. Canisius (MMA) - After fading to the number four seed this year, the defending champs come through with a huge semifinal win over Timon, just when the chirping was starting. Seeing that Canisius uniform as you take the court for a single elimination game has to be intimidating. But Park was quite intimidating in its own right. Wednesday's final vs. St. Francis should be special.
6. Timon (MMA) - An fine season for the Tigers came to an end earlier than they had hoped at the hands of Canisius. Plenty of big wins on their resume and all sorts of young tal
7. Amherst (A2) - The path to a repeat title in Class A2 has reached Buff State for the Tigers, who will have to defeat the team that ended their season in 2015 and then won it all in Class B in 2016. If Amherst could beat South, they can beat the Huskies too. Should be basketball at its finest on Wednesday night.
8. Kenmore West (AA) - The Blue Devils are the hottest team in Class AA and they are led by a pair that sizzles in Tyler Aquilina & Tal James. First trip to Buff State since 2013 comes on Wednesday night against Lancaster.
9. Lancaster (AA) - The Legends arrive at Buff State for their game against Kenmore West with a few reasons to be confident. They are deep and play together, they lambasted Jamestown two weeks ago, and they are the team that ended Kenmore West's season last year.
10. South Park (A2) - The Sparks will be a part of history on Tuesday night, one way or another. They could be the team that Dom Welch gets the scoring record against or they could be the team that keeps him from it. More than anything, the Sparks want to be the team that ends his career.
Small Schools
1. East Aurora (B1) - The Blue Devils have a chance to back up their number one ranking on Monday night, when they face a Dunkirk team that should give them all they can handle.
2. Health Sciences (B2) - Avenged their only small school loss to Middle College by cruising past the Kats in the quarterfinals. Now the favorites all season in Class B2 face a Medina team on Thursday night that has been straight rolling.
3. St. Mary's (MMA) - The Lancers handled Walsh to earn a trip to the Manhattan Cup Final in Class B, where they'll need to hit some shots to overcome the zone defense of their opponent from Nichols.
4. East (C2) - After nearly winning the Yale Cup, the Panthers should be plenty battle-tested. Their path to a sectional crown starts against Barker at JCC, and a win could set up a rematch with Randolph on Friday.
5. Medina (B2) - The Mustangs haven't lost a game in a long time, but they haven't faced an opponent of Health Sciences' caliber either. Thursday night's Class B2 semifinal should be highly entertaining.
6. Nichols (MMA) - It's not where you start and for the Vikings, they are one game from finishing again. The defending champs were awesome in the defensive end against O'Hara to earn another shot at a title.
7. Franklinville (D) - The Panthers are hoping they are better at winning semifinals than coin tosses. After losing a toss, they took the #3 seed into the Class D sectionals, where they will face Ellicottville for a ticket to the final.
8. Chautauqua Lake (C1) - The Thunderbirds have been on a path to a sectional title all season. Now they need to beat Allegany-Limestone in the semifinals, after the Gators just put it all together in a big win over Salamanca.
9. Randolph (C2) - The Cardinals took care of business in CCAA I East all season, but make no mistake about it, they've had an eye on East all year, who they hope to see on Friday night in the Class C2 Final if they can get past a Frewsburg team with other ideas.
10. Ellicottville (D) - The Eagles have had some time to think about Franklinville, drawing a bye until the semifinals. Now the all important rubber match awaits.
- centercourt
Sunday, February 26, 2017
Manhattan Cup Semifinals 2017
(Bo Sireika led Frannies to its first Manhattan Cup Final since '07 /Photo:Larry Sheur)
Class A Semifinals
(2) St. Francis 66, (3) Park 64
After two epic overtime battles during the regular season, the Red Raiders and Pioneers treated MMA fans to a spectacular encore performance at Villa Maria College in the series trilogy for the right to advance to the 2017 Manhattan Cup Final. This time, St. Francis won a thriller in regulation to reach the championship game for the first time in 10 seasons.
"It's exciting and hard to put into words," St. Francis coach Brian Ferris said. "We said at the end of the season that we wanted to play six more games and we needed this one to get there."
Bo Sireika scored 16 of his team-high 20 points in the first half, as St. Francis built a double figure lead early on and took a seven-point lead to the break. The Red Raiders remained in control for most of the third quarter, until a 6-0 finish for Park cut the deficit to 51-48. The Pioneers took their first lead since the opening frame with a 7-0 spurt early in the final stanza, capped by a powerful put back flush from Joe Jones. That set the stage for an intense finish that came right down to the final possession, with Park missing a potential game-tying shot as time ran out. Roburt Welch (18 points) and Julian Cunningham (11 points) were both key to Red Raiders hanging on in the game's final crucial moments.
"Our guys have been through it with them and our guys responded," said Ferris. "It was like a heavyweight match and we had the last punch."
Noah Hutchins led Park with a game-high 22 points, while Jones had 18 points, with 12 coming in the second half.
St. Francis, now one win from a Manhattan Cup Championship, will need to dethrone the defending champions from Canisius, who have dominated the league over the last decade.
"I don't think we'd have it any other way," Ferris said. "If we're going to take it away, we've got to beat them."
Park 11 - 19 - 18 - 16 = 64
St. Francis 17 - 20 - 14 - 15 = 66
Point Totals
St. Francis: Bo Sireika 20, Roburt Welch 18, Julian Cunningham 11, Sean Taggart 7, Connor Cummings 6, Lucas Theisan 3, Devon Darrell 1
Park: Noah Hutchins 22, Joe Jones 18, Brandon Smith 11, Marques Lowe 5, Jaylen Stewart 4, Quentin Nnagbo 2, Dan Scott 2
****** ****** ******
(4) Canisius 65, (1) Timon 61
For the eighth time in nine seasons, the Crusaders are headed to the Manhattan Cup Final, 0nly this season, the defending champions took a longer route to get there. Canisius needed to play its way in to the semifinal round this season, but once they got there, they did what Canisius does...advance. After dropping both regular season contests to the number one seed from Timon, the Crusaders came into the postseason as underdogs.
"I'm glad that people are counting us out, we've got a lot of character in that room," Canisius coach Kyle Husband said. "I'm proud of the guys, they worked through a lot of adversity this entire season and today they really worked hard for 32 minutes."
A tightly contested battle of top WNY large schools played out for four quarters, with 14 lead changes and seven ties. It was a game perhaps best described as one where every possession felt tense and critical to the outcome.
"We wanted to be smart with our possessions and not give them points," said Husband.
Five Crusaders scored in double figures, with each taking turns stepping up in big moments of the game. Colby Moultrie led the team with 16 points, while Nick MacDonald and Jayce Johnson each netted 11 points. Ryan Bradley had 10 points in the game, but it was his late-game heroics that will be remembered when this game is recalled years down the road.
With Timon coming up the floor needing a bucket to tie or a trey to win in the final seconds, Bradley picked the ball handler and then swung a pass to sophomore Joe Jamison for a basket to seal the victory. Jamison was a major spark off the bench for Canisius and scored six of his 12 points during a heated fourth quarter.
"I can't say enough," Husband said. "For a sophomore...he was a man out there, Joe Jamison was impressive out there."
Juston Johnson finished with a game-high 22 points for Timon and collected 11 of those in the fourth quarter. Joe Harrison scored 13 of his 18 points in the third stanza, and Davion Warren added 12 points for the Tigers.
Canisius will face St. Francis in the Manhattan Cup Final at the Canisius College Koessler Center on Wednesday night at 8:05 pm.
Canisius 16 - 12 - 22 - 15 = 65
Timon 15 - 11 - 22 - 13 = 61
Point Totals
Canisius: Colby Moultrie 16, Joe Jamison 12, Nick MacDonald 11, Jayce Johnson 11, Ryan Bradley 10, Jake Zeis 3, Brendan Trapper 2
Timon: Juston Johnson 22, Joe Harrison 18, Davion Warren 12, Adrian Baugh 5, Master Radford 4
****** ****** ******
Class B Semifinals
(3) Nichols 59, (2) Cardinal O'Hara 40
For a fourth straight season, Nichols will play for a Manhattan Cup. The Vikings, who won the Class A title in 2014 and finished as runners-up in 2015, were the champions last season in Class B and now return to the final game again this season under first year head coach Darren Fenn.
After a close game throughout the first half, Nichols ended the second quarter by scoring the last five points to take a one-point lead to the break. The Vikings defense allowed just eight points in the second frame with a 2-3 zone that blanketed the Hawks. They would be even better defensively in the second half.
"We try to be active, take away any sort of fast break, and make them run a half court offense," Nichols coach Darren Fenn said.
The Vikings defense was brilliant over the final 16 minutes of play, allowing just two field goals and only 12 points. Meanwhile, their offense remained consistently productive, scoring 15 points in each of the last two frames. Myles Hervey was a force inside throughout, finishing his shots, hitting the boards, and defending. Hervey scored a game-high 18 points, while fellow senior leader Will Johnson came through with 17 points in the win.
"Myles played probably the best game of his life tonight doing everything we know he can do and Will was outstanding as usual," Fenn said.
Freshman Aidan Horan added 12 points in the win, including a seven-point stretch in the third quarter and Nichols began pulling away from the Hawks.
Torree Cheatham led O'Hara with 10 points, while senior Rene Velazquez scored six points in his final action with the team.
Nichols 17 - 12 - 15 - 15 = 59
O'Hara 20 - 8 - 5 - 7 = 40
Point Totals
Nichols: Myles Hervey 18, Will Johnson 17, Aidan Horan 12, Trent Banaszak 10, Ontario Jones 2
O'Hara: Torree Cheatham 10, Nas Benton 7, Jermaine Haynes 7, Justin Hemphill 7, Rene Velasquez 6, Brandon Broadnax 3
****** ****** *******
(1) St. Mary's 62, (4) Walsh 46
The Lancers won three of four quarters and never trailed in the game, eliminating the Eagles and advancing to the Manhattan Cup Final in Class B. The team's depth was on full display from the beginning, as St. Mary's led by double figures before the end of the opening quarter.
"Everyday it seems like we have someone new coming in," St. Mary's coach Paul Rath said. "We do have some depth and we don't seem to drop off a whole lot."
Christian Szablewski led the way with a team-high 17 points on a combination of inside scoring and knocking down some jumpers. Daquan Hunt scored eight of his 14 points in the third quarter to keep the Eagles at bay. Matt Ciezki also scored 14 points in the game, with nine of those coming in the final frame.
Tavien Kemp finished with a game-high 25 points, but had to work extremely hard for everything he got, facing two defenders every time he touched the ball. Cameron Kitchen-Perez added 10 points in the loss.
"That was a major focus to contain him as best we can," said Rath.
St. Mary's will face Nichols in the Class B Manhattan Cup Final at the Canisius College Koessler Center on Wednesday night at 6:05 pm.
Walsh 12 - 12 - 9 - 13 = 46
St. Mary's 21 - 11 - 15 - 15 = 62
Point Totals
St. Mary's: Christian Szablewski 17, Daquan Hunt 14, Matt Ciezki 14, Zach Penska 5, Eric Brown 4, Brady O'Brien 4, Jae'lin Russell 2, Greg Poland 2
Walsh: Tavien Kemp 25, Cameron Kitchen-Perez 10, Kameron Ramadhan 6, Latrell Butler-Kemp 5
- 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
Monday, February 20, 2017
Poll Ballots 2017 - Week 9
(Ryan Bradley of Canisius tries to finish over Timon's Master Radford)
Large Schools
1. Williamsville South (A1) - The Billies quest for a third straight overall Class A title and trip to the Far West Regional begins on Friday night.
2. St. Francis (MMA) - Kept the Red Raiders here for earning a share of the league title, while sweeping the third place team (Park).
3. Park (MMA) - The Pioneers remain #3 ahead of Timon due to winning their game more handily (15 points) than the Tigers did in the rematch (one point in OT).
4. Olean (A2) - The longest win streak in Section VI and a 10-point win over Timon just one week ago seems to have been disregarded by some. I'm not ready to look past that win yet.
5. Timon (MMA) - If the Tigers win a coin toss, they could end up as the #1 seed in the Manhattan Cup playoffs after earning a regular season share of the Monsignor Martin title with Frannies. Another result that has been disregarded by many is Timon's win over Amherst, based on the News' poll results, which is another result I'm not looking past yet.
6. Amherst (A2) - After finishing up their regular season with a six-point win over Hamburg, the Tigers received three first place votes in the News' poll this week. They head into a loaded Class A2 playoff with a 17-3 record, an ECIC II title, and the number one seed.
7. Canisius (MMA) - The Crusaders enter the Manhattan Cup playoffs needing to play their way in with a third game against St. Joe's, one of two MMA large school Canisius beat this year along with a split versus St. Francis.
8. Kenmore West (AA) - Even though the Blue Devils drew Lancaster in the quarterfinals last year, it seems like they have an annual win-or-go-home this time of year with Williamsville North. The Spartans visit on Friday and the winner heads to the wide open Class AA semifinals.
9. Lancaster (AA) - ECIC I champions for the first time since 1995, when getting to Buff State wasn't even a thing yet. Now that getting there is a thing, the Legends look to make a third straight trip to the college on Grant Street under head coach John Otto.
10. South Park (A2) - Yale Cup champions for the first time since 1986, which was one of my preseason predictions. Another was them winning Class A2. We will know two weeks from now.
Small Schools
1. East Aurora (B1) - Clinched a share of the ECIC III title with Cheektowaga, who they split with. I watched them defeat Maryvale last week and was very impressed with the team's defense and cohesion. Also knocked off Batavia last week.
2. Health Sciences (B2) - The Falcons should be ready for some action on Friday after a long 18-day vacation. They'll need to be well-rested, as their opponent is likely Middle College - the only small school to beat them this season.
3. St. Mary's (MMA) - Last week saw the Lancers coast to a 24-point win over Walsh, before finishing a sweep of Nichols, who had just beat O'Hara.
4. Cardinal O'Hara (MMA) - Rough week for O'Hara after losing three straight games to Nichols, St. Joe's, and Park. The Hawks have definitely been a team with two different faces this year. The question is which team shows up for the playoffs?
5. East (C2) - Loses to McKinley & South Park last week cost the Panthers the Yale Cup. Still plenty to play for though, as East looks to make a run in Class C, beginning this Friday.
6. Medina (B2) - The back-t0-back champs of the N-O just completed an undefeated campaign in league play. Now the Mustangs ride the Section's second longest win streak in to the playoffs.
7. Middle College (B2) - Despite a solid season, the Kats find themselves as the #5 seed in Class B2, which sets up a rematch with Health Sciences in the quarterfinals. Beating the Falcons twice in one season would definitely be earning their way to Buff State.
8. Franklinville (D) - Lost a coin toss to Ellicottville, meaning they will have to get past Pine Valley on Friday for a third meeting with the Eagles at JCC in the semifinals, who have a bye to the semis in a six-team bracket.
9. Chautauqua Lake (C1) - If I had to push all my chips forward on one team in Section VI to be crowned, it would be the Thunderbirds.
10. Randolph (C2) - I opted for the Cardinals in this last spot over Ellicottville, who they split with this season. Randolph's league title in CCAA I East, along with a nine-game win streak deserved some acknowledgement.
- centercourt
Saturday, February 18, 2017
Monday, February 13, 2017
Poll Ballots 2017 - Week 8
(Medina hasn't lost a game in 2017, winning 11 straight games)
Large Schools
1. Williamsville South (A1) - I took much time to deliberate on my first & second place vote this week. I knew the pollsters would keep Frannies #1 and was certainly encouraged to follow suit by more than one person prior to leaving St. Francis on Friday night. So here comes another long-winded explanation that makes perfect sense to me, but apparently not the majority.
South & St. Francis are very similar to each other, both stylistically and in the resumes the two have built this season:
Both lost winnable nonleague games - South to Aquinas and Frannies to Bishop Grimes.
Both split a two-game series with a team in its league - South with #4 Amherst and St. Francis with #7 Canisius.
Both beat Timon - South won by six at Timon and St. Francis won by seven at home.
Both beat a team the other lost to - South beat UPrep (UPrep won by 10 at St. Francis) and St. Francis beat Park twice (Park beat South at home by six)
Now if the only criteria to be #1 is beating Park, then the Red Raiders' two games over the Pioneers would qualify. I see it differently. Maybe because I've watched Park falter in three of its last four against ranked large schools. Maybe because I watched South build a 20-point lead against the same Pioneers.
But mainly because if we are going to have two teams ranked ahead Park and those two teams are South and St. Francis, there is a head-to-head result that has to be considered. In between Frannies' wins over Park, South won at St. Francis by 14 points. I went back and looked over how that game went down (article here). The Billies led by 15 at half, the game never got closer than six in the second half, and South led by double figures the entire fourth quarter. In a season of epic battles and finishes, that game really wasn't one of them.
2. St. Francis (MMA) - see above. If it's any consolation, I'll remind you that I was one of three that correctly made you #1 when you beat Park the first time and spent two weeks defending that it wasn't a fluke, until you did it again. Hopefully you guys still get me something for Valentine's Day tomorrow when I cover your game at Timon. If not, I will understand.
3. Park (MMA) - Four losses on the season by a combined 11 points, with every one of them occurring in overtime. The Pioneers have played a total of six extra sessions on the season -three against St. Francis, one with Timon, another vs. Mount St. Michael, and the only game they won in OT at Niagara Falls to start the season.
4. Olean (A2) - Heading into the weekend, I hadn't cast a large school vote for the Huskies all season, despite them being a defending state champion with a 16-2 record, on a 12-game win streak. On Saturday morning, I explained why on the radio - the only large school they had faced on the season was Maryvale, an overtime game they lost in December. They were hosting Timon a few hours after those remarks, and I also said if they could beat the Tigers, they'd certainly be on my ballot. After leading Timon the whole way and handing them their 2nd biggest loss of the season (by 10 points), here they are. Clearly my poll logic should not apply to teams coached by Hall of Famers, legends or wizards.
5. Timon (MMA) - The Tigers have been very busy. Since knocking off Park in overtime, Timon played five games in eight days, earning wins over North, Joe's, & Nichols, while dropping road games at Aquinas & Olean. Hopefully they rest up, because the biggest week of the season so far is here: hosting first place St. Francis on Tuesday and visiting the defending champs (Canisiuis) on Friday.
6. Amherst (A2) - Only action last week was a 13-point win in the second round of league play with West Seneca East. The Tigers earn at least a share of the ECIC II title with a win at Hamburg this Tuesday.
7. Canisius (MMA) - The Crusaders followed up a 72-44 loss at Park with a 72-49 win against St. Joe's. Will tune up at Aquinas on Tuesday night, before hosting Timon on Friday. If the Tigers lose at St. Francis and Canisius also beats them, the Crusaders could move up out of fourth place in the Manhattan Cup seedings.
8. Kenmore West (AA) - Don't look now, but the Blue Devils are winners in 10 of their last 11 games. They finish up the regular season against Niagara Wheatfield on Wednesday before the Class AA sectionals begin.
9. South Park (A2) - The Sparks finish off the regular season with a bang, visiting Middle College on Monday and hosting East on Thursday. If they win out, the Yale Cup goes to South Park for the first time since...
10. Jamestown (AA) - After winning an overtime nail-biter against Lancaster last Tuesday, the Red Raiders will look for an outright ECIC I crown when they face Lancaster in the 'Game of the Week' rematch on Monday night.
Small Schools
1. East Aurora (B1) - Edged Lake Shore last week following a convincing win over Pioneer. After hosting Batavia on Monday, the Blue Devils will look to guarantee at least a share of the ECIC III crown with a win at Maryvale on Wednesday.
2. Health Sciences (B2) - Completed their regular season with a 91-point win over Oracle, that included a 50-point outing from Davonte Gaines. Now they bide their time until the playoffs start.
3. Cardinal O'Hara (MMA) - Who wins games at Walsh? Well, besides Canisius, the Hawks are the only team to accomplish that this season. Still owners of the best record among MMA Class B competition.
4. East (C2) - Added a pair of wins last week against top 10 small schools Middle College & Burgard. If the Panthers win out this week (at McKinley & at South Park) the Yale Cup returns to Northampton for the first time since 2011.
5. St. Mary's (MMA) - Three wins last week (CCA, Niagara Catholic, & Starpoint) heading into a huge week. It begins with a Valentine's Day love affair with Walsh, followed by games with Nichols & North Tonawanda.
6. Middle College (B2) - The Kats have dropped three of their last four since topping Health Sciences, but two of those losses came to the teams contending for the Yale Cup - East & South Park. Middle College swept the season series with the team just below them on my ballot, Burgard.
7. Burgard (B1) - Suffered the same East & South Park losses as Middle College last week, though the East defeat was nearly a major triumph...a one-point loss. The Bulldogs own a pair of wins over Franklinville and a big win at Medina in December.
8. Medina (B2) - Speaking of Medina...welcome to my ballot. Owners of the second longest win streak in Section VI at 11 games and seemingly getting better every game. Only three wins during the Mustangs' streak have come by less than double figures.
9. Franklinville (D) - Avenged a home loss to Ellicottville by taking the rematch on the road. The strength of the win over Chautauqua Lake this season gives them a slight edge over the Eagles in this poll setting.
10. Chautauqua Lake (C1) - Very likely saw their chances of sharing the CCAA I West crown with Olean get squandered when they fell at Dunkirk last week. That means some angry Thunderbirds will be taking flight in the Class C1 sectionals soon.
- centercourt
Sunday, February 12, 2017
Top Games of the Week: 2/13/17 - 2/19/17
(Vito Fulciniti & Lancaster host Jamestown in a key ECIC I battle on Monday)
Monday, February 13th
East @ McKinley - 4:30 pm
South Park @ Middle College - 6 pm
Cardinal O'Hara @ Nichols - 6:30 pm
Cheektowaga @ Maryvale - 7:30 pm
Batavia @ East Aurora - 7:30 pm
Randolph @ Allegany-Limestone - 7:30 pm
Tuesday, February 14th
St. Francis @ Timon - 6:30 pm
Canisius @ Aquinas - 6:30 pm
Walsh @ St. Mary's - 6:30 pm
Wednesday, February 15th
Lake Shore @ Cheektowaga - 6:30 pm
Cardinal O'Hara @ St. Joe's - 7 pm
Jamestown @ Williamsville North - 7:30 pm
Orchard Park @ Clarence - 7:30 pm
East Aurora @ Maryvale - 7:30 pm
Gowanda vs. Frewsburg **at JCC - 7:30 pm
Thursday, February 16th
East @ South Park - 4:30 pm
Depew @ Cheektowaga - 6:30 pm
Park @ Cardinal O'Hara - 6:30 pm
Wilson @ Newfane - 7 pm
Nichols @ St. Mary's - 7:30 pm
Friday, February 17th
Orchard Park @ Lackawanna - 6:30 pm
Timon @ Canisius - 7 pm
St. Francis @ St. Joe's - 7 pm
North Tonawanda @ St. Mary's - 7:30 pm
* Game of the Week - Jamestown @ Lancaster on Monday, February 13th
Between what's at stake pending the outcome of the game, along with the way the first meeting between the two went down last Tuesday night in Jamestown, the Red Raiders visit to Lancaster on Monday night is the place to be.
Over the past six seasons, Jamestown has enjoyed quite the run in league play. The Red Raiders have been champs in all six campaigns, taking the title outright in four of those seasons, while being co-champs the other two years.
For Lancaster, the league title in ECIC I has been elusive for quite some time. You'd have to go all the way back to 1995 to find the last time Lancaster won the title. If they can accomplish that this season, it would be the first time the Legends have ever won it, because back in 1995, they were still the Redskins.
Both teams entered the first meeting between the two undefeated against the competition from ECIC I. After four quarters of intense play, nothing had been decided and an extra four minutes went up on the clock. In the end, it was the hosts in Jamestown who took a one-point decision in overtime for a leg up in the league race.
Entering Monday's game, Jamestown will have a mark of 12-5 overall and 10-0 in league, while Lancaster comes in at 11-7 & 9-1. I have voted the Legends as a top ten team this season and currently have the Red Raiders ranked #10.
A win for Lancaster on Monday would pull them even with Jamestown in the league standings with one game left to play. The Legends last game is against Frontier, who they've already defeated 78-49. If Jamestown wins, they will be the outright champions of ECIC I and lock up the #1 seed in the Class AA sectionals. However a loss would make things very interesting because its last game is at Williamsville North on Wednesday and a win is far less of a sure thing. The Red Raiders won the first meeting at home 59-50. If Jamestown were to drop its last two contests, Lancaster would earn sole possession of first place and the top seed in Class AA.
It's a great way to get the last week of the regular for Section VI season started - a Class AA battle with seedings and a league championship at stake. Game of the Week time in Lancaster!
- centercourt
Monday, February 06, 2017
Poll Ballots 2017 - Week 7
(Williamsville South & St. Francis battled on January 24th. The Billies won 67-53)
Large Schools
1. Williamsville South (A1) - Four wins over current top 10 large schools. To me, the easiest way to begin is St. Francis is in first place in the MMA, so rank them highest among the private schools, with South above them. The Billies also have a 2-1 record against Monsignor Martin large schools, with all three games played on the road. St. Francis & Timon have both beat Park. South won at St. Francis by 14 points & at Timon by six.
2. St. Francis (MMA) - Four wins over current top 10 large schools. I had the Red Raiders #1 after defeating Park, and rightfully so. The following week, they dropped the 14-point decision at home to the Billies. I feel like the rest of the pollsters were late to the party and decided that Timon beating Park made Frannies #1. I thought Frannies beating Park made them #1, and South moved ahead of Frannies for subsequently beating them.
3. Timon (MMA) - Three wins over current top 10 large schools. The Tigers lost to each team above them, but have defeated the next three below them. They earned a reward for defeating Park, in the form of a spot above them on my ballot. Davion Warren & Joe Harrison didn't even start the game against the Pioneers, but the Tigers hung in and finished the best game I've been at this season.
4. Park (MMA) - Three wins over current top 10 large schools. The Pioneers still managed to get a first place vote this week, despite being in second place in their league. Park has lost its last two games played against ranked large schools from WNY and it's been nearly a month since its last win over a top 10. Last four wins came against CCA, Niagara Catholic, Walsh, & St. Mary's.
5. Amherst (A2) - Two wins over current top 10 large schools. Rolled past Williamsville East last week, before winning a close contest with Sweet Home. The Tigers visit West Seneca East on Tuesday, who they beat by 11 earlier in the season.
6. Canisius (MMA) - Two wins over current top 10 large schools. Moved the Crusaders down a spot following a 14-point road loss at St. Francis, their first loss to the Red Raiders in over a decade. Currently in fourth place in the MMA standings, Canisius needs a win at Park on Tuesday, or the play-in game becomes a likely scenario for the two-time defending CHSAA state champions.
7. Kenmore West (AA) - Two wins over current top 10 large schools. Pulled into a tie for first place in the NFL with a 21-point win over visiting Grand Island, who had been on top in the league. Also the only team to sweep Lockport. A pair of interesting nonleague games for the Blue Devils this week against Cheektowaga & Sweet Home give them the opportunity to confirm they belong in this spot.
8. Lockport (AA) - The Lions are currently part of the four-way tie at the top of the NFL standings with Ken West, North Tonawanda, and Grand Island. They replaced NT on my ballot after sweeping the season series against the Jacks. Will look to knock Grand Island from the tie in the NFL on Friday night.
9. South Park (A2) - Winners of six straight games, the Sparks are finally starting to play like the team I pegged them to be in the preseason (predicted Yale Cup I & Class A2 winner). They had no trouble last week disposing of Middle College, and followed it up with a 21-point win over McKinley for a sweep of the Macks.
10. Jamestown (AA) - Gave the final spot to the Red Raiders, who lost at Williamsville South on Tuesday night, but rebounded with a win over Orchard Park. They host Lancaster on Tuesday night with first place on the line in ECIC I and need a win to stay here.
Small Schools
1. East Aurora (B1) - Spent last week earning sizable wins over Depew in a pair of victories. Pioneer and Lake Shore are on the schedule this week for the Blue Devils.
2. Middle College (B2) - In their only game since defeating Health Sciences, the Kats got rolled at South Park. I kept them here, because I never counted double figure losses to top 10 large schools against the Falcons when they happened this year. Big game for them at East tonight, before hosting McKinley on Thursday.
3. Health Sciences (B2) - The Falcons play Oracle tonight and then take a long vacation. With two weeks left in the regular season, Health Sciences likely won't be back in action for 18 days, when the Class B2 quarterfinals tip on Friday, February 24th.
4. Chautauqua Lake (C1) - On Thursday night, the Thunderbirds have a huge game at Dunkirk, where they need a win to stay in first place with Olean in CCAA I West, who they split with this season.
5. Cardinal O'Hara (MMA) - Hung around most of the evening against Timon, trailing by just four points midway through the fourth quarter on Wednesday night. Followed a 12-point loss to the Tigers with a 100-55 win over CCA.
6. East (C2) - The Panthers are tied for first place with South Park, who they defeated 90-77 in their first meeting, in the chase for the Yale Cup. Disposed of McKinley & Hutch-Tech last week and will need to avenge a loss to Middle College tonight to stay in first.
7. Ellicottville (D) - The Eagles have been rolling along waiting for tonight. Franklinville comes to town for the rematch of what was an intense first meeting. A win will all but guarantee the top seed in Class D and an outright league championship in CCAA II East.
8. St. Mary's (MMA) - Coming off tough games with Timon & Park, the Lancers look to rebound this week with games conming up against CCA, Starpoint, and Niagara Catholic.
9. Burgard (B1) - The Bulldogs are hanging onto this spot, barely, on the strength of wins over Franklinville. They edged Riverside last week and had a much closer-than-expected result with winless Emerson.
10. Franklinville (D) - The Eagles need a win at Ellicottville tonight for a share of the CCAA II East title.
- 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
Monday, January 30, 2017
Poll Ballots 2017 - Week 6
(Health Sciences & Middle College are now both top 3 small schools)
Large Schools
1. Park (MMA) - The Pioneers return to the top spot this week. Walsh & St. Mary's visit Harlem Road during the week, before Park makes a Friday night trip to South Buffalo for its rematch with Timon.
2. Williamsville South (A1) - Followed a big win at St. Francis on Tuesday night, with a great showing in Rochester against NYS Class AA top five UPrep. The Billies were the better team throughout and never trailed over the final five minutes, behind a 16-point fourth quarter from Greg Dolan. Two more big games this week with Jamestown & defending Class AA state champion Aquinas coming to town.
3. St. Francis (MMA) - If not for the loss to Williamsville South on Tuesday, the Red Raiders are still #1. They led for the final three quarters against Timon and were the aggressors all night. If you're a non-believer in this team and waiting for them to 'come back to reality', my advice is don't hold your breath. With wins over Cathedral Prep, Park, Timon, & Health Sciences, along with 30+ point wins over Dunkirk & Cardinal O'Hara, they are for real. They host Canisius on Friday night and I expect to see them still in first place in the MMA next week at this time.
4. Timon (MMA) - To my fellow pollsters, a friendly reminder of some earlier results this season. They have three local losses to the three teams above them on my ballot (Park, South, & Frannies). The Tigers beat Amherst & Canisius, along with a win over Bishop Kearney, who Canisius also just beat on Friday. Yet for some reason that lacks any sort of logic that I'd be able to follow, Timon has fallen behind Canisius & Amherst in the Buffalo News poll. Again I ask - why even play the games? St. Mary's, O'Hara, and Park are on the slate this week.
5. Canisius (MMA) - Dropped the hammer on the Lancers Wednesday night and then won an exciting game on Friday night over visiting Bishop Kearney. The Crusaders have games with Nichols and Niagara Catholic during the week, before a Friday night showdown at St. Francis, where they'll attempt to knock the Red Raiders out of first place and avoid a third league loss.
6. Amherst (A2) - Had a productive trip to Jamestown on Tuesday night, which is never an easy place to leave with a win. Then the team got a great experience over the weekend in Toronto that included taking in a Raptors game. Just four league games remain for the Tigers until the sectionals begin.
7. North Tonawanda (A1) - The Jacks are now alone in first place in the NFL after Falls lost its third league game to Lockport over the weekend. Now to stay there, North Tonawanda will need to avenge an earlier 13-point home loss to Lockport on Tuesday night to stay there.
8. McKinley (A1) - The Macks are coming off a light week and staring down a pivotal point in the season. Two teams currently tied for first place in Yale Cup I, East and South Park, await a visit from McKinley this week.
9. Jamestown (AA) - James Rojas scored hos 1,000th point in a win over Clarence on Friday. The Red Raiders have a tough road trip to Williamsville South on Tuesday night that will feature a pair of the area's premier talents.
10. Kenmore West (AA) - The Blue Devils are taking their turn making an appearance on my ballot - the fourth team from the NFL to get a vote here this season. They just knocked Niagara Falls, who I had #7 last week, out of first place. They've swept the season series with Lockport already. If Ken West takes care of business this week and gets help from Lockport against NT, they will be in a tie for first in the league.
Small Schools
1. East Aurora (B1) - For the first time since the preseason, the Blue Devils are on top in the small school ranks. They handled Depew on Friday in a 16-point win and will turn around and face them again at home this week in their only scheduled game.
2. Middle College (B2) - Recent wins over East and Health Sciences have the Kats back in a familiar spot. Middle College spent the entire season at #2 last year, right behind Olean. They are a young team that seems to improve every time they take the floor. They will battle at South Park tonight, with the winner staying in first place in Yale Cup I.
3. Health Sciences (B2) - Suffered back-to-back losses for the first time all season in games against Timon & Middle College last week. As coach Ty Parker said "You have to lose to learn how to win." The speed bump heading into February might be the best thing for the Falcons, who face Tapestry this week.
4. Chautauqua Lake (C1) - The Thunderbirds have followed a heart-breaking loss at the buzzer in Olean with a pair of lopsided victories. Look for more of the same this week with games against Panama & Maple Grove.
5. Ellicottville (D) - Remember, these Eagles missed a pair of free throws at the end of the game that would have lifted them to a win over Chautauqua Lake this season. Will look to extend their winning streak to eight games after this week, with games against Pine Valley & North Collins.
6. Cardinal O'Hara (MMA) - Lost at St. Mary's in the rematch on Friday night, ending a six-game winning streak. They host Timon on Wednesday night and are hoping to send some shock waves throughout WNY.
7. St. Mary's (MMA) - I kept them right behind the Hawks, despite winning the more recent meeting, after flipping a coin. Kidding - I looked no farther than the fact that O'Hara won its game vs St. Mary's by a larger margin (22 vs 13) and that the Lancers lost at home to Walsh, who the Hawks beat by 15.
8. East (C2) - The Panthers swept Burgard and took it to South Park already this season. Monday's 'Game of the Week' against McKinley will decide if they can stay in first place in Yale Cup I.
9. Burgard (B1) - I finally get to rank the Bulldogs. They have no bad losses this season, but do have some pretty good wins, most recently a two-point victory over Franklinville on Friday night. It was Burgard's second win over the Panthers this season and they also own wins over McKinley & Medina.
10. Franklinville (D) - I kept the Panthers right behind Burgard because they missed a potential game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer.
- centercourt
Sunday, January 29, 2017
Top Games of the Week: 1/30/17 -- 2/5/17
(Willard Anderson & East High will fight to stay in 1st place this week)
Monday, January 30th
McKinley @ East - 4:30 pm
Middle College @ South Park - 6 pm
Timon @ St. Mary's - 7:30 pm
Dunkirk @ Fredonia - 7:30 pm
Salamanca @ Randolph - 7:30 pm
Tuesday, January 31st
North Tonawanda @ Lockport - 6:30 pm
Kenmore West @ Lew-Port - 7 pm
Wilson @ Roy-Hart - 7 pm
Jamestown @ Williamsville South - 7:30 pm
Hamburg @ Orchard Park - 7:30 pm
Depew @ East Aurora - 7:30 pm
Wednesday, February 1st
Nichols @ St. Joe's - 6 pm
Timon @ Cardinal O'Hara - 6:30 pm
Thursday, February 2nd
McKinley @ South Park - 6 pm
St. Joe's @ Cheektowaga - 6:30 pm
Lackawanna @ Springville - 6:30 pm
Aquinas @ Williamsville South - 7:30 pm
Olean @ Dunkirk - 7:30 pm
Friday, February 3rd
Barker @ Wilson - 6 pm
Park @ Timon - 6:30 pm
Nichols @ Walsh - 6:30 pm
Grand Island @ Kenmore West - 7:30 pm
Canisius @ St. Francis - 7 pm
* Game of the Week - McKinley @ East on Monday, January 30th
There's a traffic jam at the top of the standings in Yale Cup I and a pair of games on Monday that bare big implications on the quest to get your team's name inscribed on the coveted city trophy.
East, South Park, & Middle College are all sitting in a three-way tie for first place with league records of 7-1. The back-to-back defending Yale Cup I champions from McKinley are sitting one game back with a mark of 6-2. After Monday night, there are two possible outcomes that could help shape the race for the Cup.
If East defeats McKinley, the Panthers would be tied with the South Park/Middle College winner for first place. However, a Macks victory would give the winner between the Sparks & Kats sole possession of first place. So why isn't the game between the two teams currently tied for first place the 'Game of the Week' instead? Because past history tells us just how good Monday's battle on Northampton will be.
The Panthers have been a WNY small school since 2012, while McKinley has been a staple of Class A1. The Macks have won four of the last five Yale Cups ('12, '13, '15, '16) and went undefeated in all four of those title campaigns. They also won a state championship in 2013. But despite McKinley being a much larger school with a load of recent credentials that set them apart from the rest of the pack in the city, the Macks always find themselves in a serious dog fight when they take the court at East High.
Over the last five seasons, McKinley has won every trip to East - but the largest margin of victory in any of those trips was four points. In the last five seasons combined, McKinley's wins at East came by a total of 13 points. That means on average, the Macks have won at East by just 2.6 points. That includes the state championship team of 2013 only getting out of East High with a 79-76 win. Even in 2012, when East finished the season just one game above .500 and lost the first round at #MackHigh by 19 points, the Panthers home game against McKinley was a 67-64 game.
So with the defending champs coming into East High needing a win to avoid falling two games behind in the Yale Cup I standings, the hosts sitting in first place and believing they will finish there, and recent history all but promising a thriller in the city, the week of games ahead will get started in style - 'Game of the Week' style, with a 4:30 matinee between the Macks & Panthers!
- centercourt
Monday, January 23, 2017
Poll Ballots 2017 - Week 5
(Cardinal O'Hara has been all over its opponents during a six-game win streak)
As a pollster, I rank the top ten large and small schools in WNY each week. These rankings are based on games played through Sunday of each week. Here's how I see them and some of the rationale used to get there.
Large Schools
1. St. Francis (MMA) - If the Red Raiders don't deserve this spot for winning on the road against the top ranked team in NYS Class A, what else would they have to do? Yes, they lost AT Canisius, who Park beat handily. But that's their only local loss. Park has only one local loss also and it happened at home. I'll never understand the logic behind pollsters voting Park ahead of St. Francis this week. Maybe things change in the coming weeks. Maybe things change on Friday night when Timon visits the Red Raiders. But this week, St. Francis deserves #1. Otherwise, why even play the game?
2. Park (MMA) - During a recent stretch of big games, I saw a lot of Park. Watched them against Canisius, Timon, South, & St. Francis in the last two weeks. My takeaway is they need to stay motivated and play consistent. They were so motivated to win at Canisius that they played a consistent game, as in two halves. Their last three games were a tale of two halves.
Here's the portion of the poll where you have to decide which loss or losses you're going to look past. South just went into Amherst on Friday night and lost, yet remain here, three spots ahead of the Tigers. Here's the explanation: South and Amherst split this year. The Billies won on a neutral court and Amherst won at home. South won at Timon, who beat Amherst by 19. Placing Amherst ahead of South would mean they would be two spots behind Timon after winning there. Unless you put both ahead of Timon which doesn't jive when Amherst lost big to them. The easiest way to approach this in my mind was to call the season split a wash and look at the common opponent, Timon. Plus, the next two weeks could sort a lot more out because of the opponents South is about to face.
3. Williamsville South (A1) - The loss at Amherst was not the way the Billies wanted to start the five-game grind they just embarked upon. The next four games: at St. Francis on Tuesday, then travel to Rochester to play UPrep, followed by Jamestown, & Aquinas next week.
4. Timon (MMA) - Had a great showing in Rochester against UPrep over the weekend, losing a five-point game to a top five NYS Class AA team that is loaded. Big week ahead with a visit from #1 WNY small school Health Sciences, followed by a trip to St. Francis.
5. Canisius (MMA) - The Crusaders follow an idle week with a trip to Walsh on Monday, and then host St. Mary's & Bishop Kearney.
6. Amherst (A2) - I considered #5 for the Tigers, because no movement in the poll after a big win over Will South didn't seem right. But that would have put them ahead of Canisius, which doesn't work because they are the only WNY team to beat St. Francis. Regardless, Amherst is cruising right now with nine straight wins, including NT, McKinley, & South. They'll look to add another to the win column in a trip to Jamestown on Tuesday.
7. Niagara Falls (AA) - The Wolverines got up big and then hung on to avenge an earlier loss to North Tonawanda. Back in a tie for first place in the NFL, Falls is at Kenmore West on Friday.
8. North Tonawanda (A1) - The loss at Falls was the first for the Jacks this month. They remain tied for first place in the NFL with Falls heading into a Friday night game with Niagara Wheatfield.
9. McKinley (A1) - I haven't cast a vote for the Macks all season, but after watching wins over Jamestown and Middle College, I felt like they were due. They seem to be a team that is steadily improving and finding the right mix to play on the court. Not good news for opponents in Yale Cup I or Class A1.
10. Jamestown (AA) - Bounced back from an overtime defeat at McKinley to take a pair of games over Frontier to keep pace with Lancaster at the top of ECIC I. Amherst & Clarence come to time this week, before a trip to Rochester on Saturday to face Irondequoit, #6 in NYS Class A.
Small Schools
1. Health Sciences (B2) - After rolling their last three opponents, the Falcons are ready for a battle. They should get a couple of those this week with road games at Timon on Tuesday and at Middle College on Thursday.
2. East Aurora (B1) - Rebounded from a loss at Cheektowaga last week with a win over Starpoint. The Blue Devils are off until Friday when they travel to Depew..
3. Cardinal O'Hara (MMA) - The Hawks made it through the first round of play against the competition in MMA Class B without a loss. More impressive is that only Nichols got within single digits of O'Hara in a nine-point loss.
4. Chautauqua Lake (C1) - The Thunderbirds were a 'Monty Shoemaker 3-pointer at the buzzer' away from sweeping the season series with Olean in CCAA I West. Junior Devin Pope joined the 1,000-point fraternity last week.
5. Ellicottville (D) - Winners of five straight and all were league wins. They have taken the last four wins by an average margin of 23 points.
6. Franklinville (D) - The Panthers face a pair of tests this week against teams that own quality wins this season. Monday they are at Pioneer, who just defeated Depew by nine. Then on Friday night, they travel to Burgard, who beat McKinley by six on January 11th.
7. Dunkirk (B1) - In their last two wins, the Marauders have scored 208 points, eclipsing 100 in both games, and the combined margin of victory was 121 points. Clearly a team in need of a challenge. As luck would have it, they're at Olean tonight. The Huskies haven't lost a home game since 2011.
8. St. Mary's (MMA) - Solid week for the Lancers, picking up wins over St. Joe's & CCA, before taking an exciting rivalry game with Lancaster at the buzzer. I tucked them right behind Dunkirk, who had a slightly less dramatic win over Lancaster this season on the road.
9. Middle College (B2) - Remained in first place in Yale Cup I, despite losing at McKinley, because they knocked East off. The Kats head to Burgard on Monday night and then bring in the #1 small school in WNY, Health Sciences, on Thursday night.
10. East (C2) - They've been as high as #2 on my ballot, but two losses in their last three games in which they blew double figure leads is the reason for the free fall. Better bring it on Tuesday - McKinley comes in looking to knock another team out of first place in Yale Cup I.
- centercourt
Sunday, January 22, 2017
Top Games of the Week: 1/23/17--1/29/17
(Juilian Cunningham & the Red Raiders host Timon on Friday night)
Monday, January 23rd
Canisius @ Walsh - 6:30 pm
Tuesday, January 24th
Health Sciences @ Timon - 6:30 pm
Depew @ Niagara Wheatfield - 6:30 pm
Albion @ Medina - 6:30 pm
Williamsville South @ St. Francis - 7 pm
Amherst @ Jamestown - 7:30 pm
Wednesday, January 25th
Hutch-Tech @ Olmsted - 6 pm
Burgard @ Lackawanna - 6:30 pm
St. Mary's @ Canisius - 7 pm
Friday, January 27th
Franklinville @ Burgard - 6:30 pm
Bishop Kearney @ Canisius - 6:30 pm
CCA @ Nichols - 6:30 pm
Timon @ St. Francis - 7 pm
Cardinal O'Hara @ St. Mary's - 7:30 pm
Amherst @ St. Michael's - 7:30 pm
East Aurora @ Depew - 7:30 pm
Saturday, January 28th
Orchard Park @ Medina - 6 pm
Barker @ Oakfield - 7:15 pm
RAP Classic at Aquinas
Williamsville South vs. UPrep - 2 pm
Jamestown vs. Irondequoit - 4 pm
Aquinas vs. Fairport - 7:30 pm
* Game of the Week - Timon @ St. Francis on Friday, January 27th
In the 'No Nights Off' Monsignor Martin Association, Friday nights game between these two top five large schools should be a war. Hailing from the same league, these guys have long been rivals!
The teams have much about their makeup in common. Both have young coaches who have put their stamp on the program with a passionate approach. Each team has some senior leadership, along with a crop of talented underclassmen to ensure they will both remain competitive in coming years and keep these battles ultra entertaining.
Last season, they faced off twice. Both meetings went to the Tigers, but the first round required double overtime before Timon came out on top. Each school reached the Manhattan Cup semifinals in Class A, before the two were eliminated by Canisius & Park.
It's been a long time since the Red Raiders knocked off their rivals from McKinley Parkway. You have to go back to the 2010 season, before the current coaches had taken over the programs. That's good for a 14-game winning streak for Timon against St. Francis.
What makes this year's rivalry so enticing? For starters, the talent they both roll out on the court, but more so, it's the quality wins each has already earned this season. Timon has the distinction of being the squad that finally clipped Canisius, after a lengthy win streak for the Crusaders over all the other WNY foes. For St. Francis, there was a pretty major win earlier in the week at Park, who was not only #1 in WNY, but #1 in the state. They won't be anymore and have the Red Raiders to thank for that. A Friday night 'Game of the Week', South Buffalo style. As always, get there early!
- centercourt
Saturday, January 21, 2017
Lancaster rivalry game goes to St. Mary's
(Daquan Hunt rises up for St. Mary's to throw down. #BOOM)
Saturday afternoon games tend to lack a certain luster. Whether it's the time of day or playing on a non-school day, the atmosphere and intensity just don't seem to be there like a weeknight game provides. But when you take the Section's largest district and send them over to play the private school that cuts into their enrollment, there's a lot of interested spectators.
A standing room only crowd watched as St. Mary's and Lancaster went back-and-forth for four quarters, ending in 61-60 victory for the Lancers that was secured in the closing seconds. St. Mary's improves to 10-3 overall, while the Legends slip to 9-6 on the year and see their five-game win streak come to an end.
With just seven seconds left in the game and St. Mary's trailing by two points, Eric Brown let a long 3-pointer fly over his defender and drilled it for what would be the game-winner. The Lancers still had two fouls to give and used them to disrupt the final seconds that remained. An inbound pass was stolen with three seconds left to seal the win.
"I didn't think about it, I just shot," said Brown.
As for the feeling as the shot dropped through the net..."Everything just went blank and I put my hands up," Brown said.
Brown and Christian Szablewski each scored a game-high 17 points for the Lancers in the win. Szablewski connected on a bomb with 1:28 left in the game to get his team within two points.
"We needed them," said St. Mary's coach Paul Rath. "I was thinking it would be a tight game coming in. They're more physical than us...I'm glad our shooters showed up today, maybe teams won't play a zone against us anymore."
The Lancers got in front early in the game and maintained a lead for nearly the entire first half. A great behind-the-back pass from Brown to Szablewski for a finish midway through the second quarter gave St. Mary's a 29-24 lead. However, Lancaster was able to take a 33-31 lead heading into the break with a 9-2 run to close the half.
Lancester got a pair of 3-pointers from Vito Fulciniti as part of a 12-2 spurt in the third quarter and took the largest lead either team would own at 45-35. Daquan Hunt and Matt Ciezki closed the frame with scores to cut the Lancaster lead to six heading into the fourth quarter.
The Legends lead stretched back to seven points early in the fourth, 49-42, as the momentum continued to shift from team to team. Following a technical foul call, St. Mary's put together an 11-2 stretch and regained the edge, 53-51, with 4:26 left.
"It was a really fun game to be a part of," said Rath.
The Legends took their turn again, as Fulciniti nailed his fourth 3-pointer of the afternoon to take the lead back. Baskets by Jakob Jerebko and a pair from LG Castillo accounted for the 9-2 run that made the score 60-55 in Lancaster's favor with just 1:42 left on the clock, setting up the late game heroics of Brown & Szablewski.
"You schedule these games to be better for the playoffs," Lancaster coach John Otto said. "I think this game will help both teams, you just feel bad for some of these kids when they try as hard as they did. The effort was definitely there - we left it all on the court."
Ciezki finished with 16 points for St. Mary's, that included a pair from downtown in the final frame.
Fulciniti, Castillo, and Jerebko each scored 12 points apiece for the Legends in the loss, while Connor Duck added 11 points.
St. Mary's is back in action on Wednesday with a visit to Canisius, while Lancaster is off next week. The Legends resume play on February 2nd against Clarence.
Lancaster 17 - 16 - 12 - 15 = 60
St. Mary's 22 - 9 - 8 - 22 = 61
Point Totals
St. Mary's: Eric Brown 17, Christian Szablewski 17, Matt Cieszki 16, Daquan Hunt 6, Collin Tytka 3, Frank Propis 2
Lancaster: LG Castillo 12, Vito Fulciniti 12, Jakob Jerebko 12, Connor Duck 11, Tim Molik 6, Noah Speyer 4, Alec Tamburri 3
- centercourt
Sunday, January 15, 2017
Top Games of the Week: 1/16/17-1/22/17
(One of the best games of this season to date was 'The Battle of Main St' Round I)
Tuesday, January 17th
East @ Middle College - 4:30 pm
Burgard @ South Park - 6 pm
Olmsted @ MST Seneca - 6 pm
Nichols @ Cardinal O'Hara - 6:30 pm
North Tonawanda @ Kenmore West - 6:30 pm
Hamburg @ West Seneca East - 6:30 pm
East Aurora @ Cheektowaga - 6:30 pm
Jamestown @ McKinley - 6:30 pm
St. Joe's @ St. Mary's - 7:30 pm
Wednesday, January 18th
St. Francis @ Park - 6:30 pm
Thursday, January 19th
Burgard @ East - 4:30 pm
Middle College @ McKinley - 6 pm
Lafayette @ MST Seneca - 6 pm
Maryvale @ Cheektowaga - 6:30 pm
St. Mary's @ CCA - 6:30 pm
Chautauqua Lake @ Olean - 7:30 pm
Friday, January 20th
Newfane @ Wilson - 6 pm
Walsh @ Cardinal O'Hara - 6:30 pm
North Tonawanda @ Niagara Falls - 6:30 pm
Kenmore West @ Lockport - 6:30 pm
St. Joe's @ St. Francis - 7 pm
Williamsville South @ Amherst - 7:30 pm
West Seneca East @ Hamburg - 7:30 pm
Saturday, January 21st
Lancaster @ St. Mary's - 2 pm
Timon vs. UPrep **at Roberts Wesleyan - 5:30 pm
* Game of the Week - Williamsville South @ Amherst on Friday, January 20th
Williamsville South and Amherst have a natural rivalry. The two Class A schools are both located on Main Street, with just 3.1 miles separating them. There are friendships between players on both teams and between the two coaching staffs. But as basketball programs go, while they give each other the highest respect, they are not fond of each other.
Last season, the two teams were in the top five of the large school poll and spent the season disposing of opponents on their league schedule. When sectionals rolled around, both took the highest seed in their respective classes (South in A1 & Amherst in A2) and proceeded to win titles. That set up a crossover game fans waited the entire season to see and packed Buffalo State to watch. In the end, the Billies were victorious and advanced to the Far West Regional. Then the offseason brought some news...divisional re-alignments placed the two in ECIC II together, and we no longer had to wait all season to see what has now been dubbed 'The Battle of Main Street'.
Round one between the two perennial winners took place on December 12th at Daemen College after South coach Gabe Michael opted to play his home game on a college floor for the experience. As expected, an overflow crowd squeezed into the facility and two weeks into the season, created an atmosphere that felt like early March with a season on the line. Four quarters of intense basketball weren't enough on that evening. Following an overtime session, South had taken the early leg up in ECIC II.
Since that night, both teams have only looked better. The Billies are now regarded as WNY's top Section VI team and the #2 ranked large school behind Park. They've earned road victories at Timon, Williamsville North, and Cheektowaga. The Tigers are the #6 ranked large school in WNY, which makes them the second highest ranked team from Section VI. Amherst has victories this season over North Tonawanda, McKinley, Lancaster, & East.
To sum up what we have to look forward to - a Friday night rivalry game that will cram hundreds into the Amherst Jungle, with first place in ECIC II at stake, between the top two Section VI teams, and a rematch of both the 2016 overall Class A Final & an early season overtime classic! This game is so big it comes with two titles: The "Battle of Main Street' Round II and the 'Game of the Week'.
- centercourt
Sunday, January 08, 2017
Top Games of the Week: 1/9/17-1/15/17
(Canisius celebrates after defeating Park to win the Manhattan Cup)
Monday, January 9th
South Park @ East - 6 pm
Tuesday, January 10th
Medina @ Wilson - 6 pm
Park @ Canisius - 6:30 pm
Timon @ St. Joe's - 6:30 pm
Walsh @ Nichols - 6:30 pm
Niagara Falls @ Lockport - 6:30 pm
Lackawanna @ Cleveland Hill - 6:30 pm
Health Sciences @ St. Francis - 7 pm
Newfane @ Barker - 7 pm
Williamsville North @ Lancaster - 7:30 pm
Depew @ Maryvale - 7:30 pm
Olean @ Fredonia - 7:30 pm
Wednesday, January 11th
Burgard @ McKinley - 6 pm
St. Mary's @ Walsh - 6:30 pm
Thursday, January 12th
Williamsville South @ Park - 6:30 pm
St. Francis @ Canisius - 6:30 pm
MST Seneca @ BASCS - 7 pm
Friday, January 13th
Health Sciences @ Burgard - 6 pm
Grand Island @ North Tonawanda - 7 pm
Medina @ Newfane - 7 pm
St. Mary's @ Nichols - 7:30 pm
Williamsville North @ Jamestown - 7:30 pm
Maryvale @ East Aurora - 7:30 pm
Randolph @ Gowanda - 7:30 pm
Dunkirk @ Chautauqua Lake - 7:30 pm
Saturday, January 14th
Tapestry @ Health Sciences - 2:30 pm
MLK Classic at City Honors HS
Sweet Home vs. Olmsted - 12 pm
Middle College vs. Canisius - 1:45 pm
East vs. Cardinal O'Hara - 4:30 pm
McKinley vs. Amherst - 6:15 pm
* Game of the Week - Park @ Canisius on Tuesday, January 10th
There may be more storied rivalries across WNY, but the game between Park & Canisius is still the hottest ticket in town!
Two seasons ago, 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. But the cupboards never run bare for these two giants. The Pioneers alone have three players already with Division I offers.
The Pioneers will enter the game on Tuesday as the #1 ranked team in WNY, Canisius will come in at #5. Playing the underdog role is certain to fuel the fire burning on Delaware Avenue, as the Crusaders have never lost a game to Park. Since the Pioneers joined the MMA in 2014, Canisius is 5-0 against Park. An overflow crowd watched them battle in 2015 and many never got to see the games in 2016 after they sold out at both schools. Get there early on Tuesday or else turn your notifications on!
- centercourt
Tuesday, January 03, 2017
NYSSWA State Rankings 2017 - Week 4
The fourth state rankings for the 2017 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 #1
Williamsville South #8
Timon #14
St. Francis #16
Class B
Health Sciences #6
St. Mary's #16
Dunkirk #19
Lackawanna #20
Class C
East #11
Chautauqua Lake #12
Class D
Franklinville #9
Ellicottville #11
Sherman #13
** According to the rankings...
- The mighty have fallen. The back-to-back CHSAA state champions are no longer considered a top 25 team in NYS Class A, after occupying the top spot there this season. The loss to Horseheads, coming off of two losses, was a crippler in the state's eyes.
- Meanwhile, there's a new #1 in NYS Class A - the Park Pioneers. If they win both of their games next week, they should still be #1 heading into their game at Canisius, which would only fuel the fire on Delaware Avenue. Man, the MMA is going to be fun this season.
- It seems there's no guarantee that Park winning both games this week keeps them at #1 in NYS Class A. There are a pair of instances this week where teams from Section VI were literally leapfrogged by other teams from last week's rankings, despite not losing a game. Williamsville South remained #8 as they were ranked last week in Class A, but saw Irondequoit of Section V move ahead of them in the state rankings. So according to the rankings, the Billies no longer face Elmont and the bearded coach in the state semifinal. They now lose the regional to Irondequoit.
- Meanwhile, Health Sciences scores a big win over Early College at the I-90 Showcase, a team that came in ranked in NYS B, but falls a spot from #5 to #6 in NYS Class B. Westhill jumped ahead of the Falcons in the state poll, which bumped them back. It appears Westhill won the Syracuse CBA Tournament over break, which I'm assuming had to be a major accomplishment to see them shimmy up the rankings like that.
- The Lancers of St. Mary's made a big splash into the NYS Class B rankings, going from unranked to #16, for beating Williamsville North & Williamsville East at the Five Guys Tournament.
- Dunkirk dipped four spots in NYS Class B for losing to Rochester SOTA. However, East Aurora was dropped altogether, going from #6 in NYS Class B to out of the top 25, following its loss to unranked Newark. Not sure why Newark still isn't ranked, especially after traveling to Buffalo and knocking off the #6 team in the state. They passed the eye test from me with flying colors, and I still believe East Aurora is a top 25 Class B team in the state.
- Chautauqua Lake's loss to Franklinville was slightly more punishable than East's loss to Clyde Savannah. The Thunderbirds fall from #2 to #12 in NYS Class C, while East went from #4 to #11, and now sits one slot ahead of Chautauqua Lake.
- Franklinville was rewarded for its win and is now state ranked, something I've suggested for a couple weeks. The Panthers IAABO Tournament championship landed them at #9 in NYS Class D. However, still not as high as Ellicottville was ranked in Class D last week.
- Ellicottville's loss to Randolph caused them to fall from #5 in NYS Class D to #11. The Eagles defeating Sherman the day before dropped them to #13 in the state from #7.
Click HERE for the complete NYSSWA State Rankings.
- centercourt
Monday, January 02, 2017
Poll Ballots - 2017 - Happy New Year!
(Randolph has made its case with recent wins over South Park & Ellicottville)
As a pollster, I rank the top ten large and small schools in WNY each week. These rankings are based on games played through Saturday of each week. Here's how I see them and some of the rationale used to get there.
Large Schools
1. Canisius (MMA) - Okay, here's the deal...Call it a lifetime achievement award, call me a man of my word, or call it a 36-game streak that is still intact. The Crusaders did drop three straight before defeating Elmira in the final game of the three-round Holiday Inn Classic. But let's look at those three losses: Cathedral Prep (traveled out of state to play with no shot clock), Mount Carmel of Maryland (who knows, they could have the next Carmelo Anthony), and Horseheads. Now I realize Horseheads in an unranked team from Section IV, but have you seen the Godfather? What I'm trying to say is, no team from WNY should appear ahead of Canisius because I type their name. League play in the MMA starts this week. When, or if the mighty Crusaders fall to someone locally, I'll adjust accordingly. Winning 36 straight and 68 of your last 69 games against WNY opponents deserves that level of respect.
2. Park (MMA) - Lost their first game of the season to Mount St. Michael, who went on to win the Holiday Inn Classic in Elmira. The Pioneers did earn a pair of wins over the break and now set their sights on putting all that talent to work in a quest for the school's first Class A Manhattan Cup. First up is a visit to St. Joe's on Tuesday.
3. St. Francis (MMA) - Giving Canisius a long leash on the Cathedral Prep loss doesn't mean the Red Raiders win over the Ramblers at the I-90 Showcase wasn't ultra impressive. St. Francis earned the type of win that validates them as the elite team they've been talked about as and I don't think you'll even need your listening ears on to hear them make some noise this year.
4. Williamsville South (A1) - The Billies have been opening holiday gifts and slugging down egg nog since defeating Timon last year...(December 23rd). They are unbeaten and resume game play after an 11-day layoff at Cheektowaga Tuesday night.
5. Timon (MMA) - The Tigers traveled to Rhode Island over break and came back with a pair of wins. All tuned up, they get the first crack at Canisius on Tuesday night at their place. If that wasn't enough to be all geeked up about as school starts back up this week, they also have a Friday night tilt at Park. Winning both of those games would be ringing in the New Year with a serious bang!
6. Amherst (A2) - These guys would be the first to tell you that my preseason polls should be taken with a grain of salt, or an entire shaker. Absent from my top 10 on Black Friday and my predicted four at Buff State in Class A2, the Tigers have recent wins over Maryvale and North Tonawanda. More importantly, they are loaded with players that are being groomed and will only get better. Nine players scored in the 49-45 win over NT. That many contributions in a low-scoring win speaks to their depth and that trust coach Chris Kensy has in his bench.
7. Niagara Falls (AA) - Like Williamsville South, the Wolverines used the break to take in the joyous yuletide and carb-load on sugar cookies. They return to action this week after two weeks off with their sights set on winning the NFL, which happens if they run the table. That's not such an easy task, and begins with a visit from Grand Island on Tuesday.
8. Cheektowaga (A2) - The Warriors' journey towards an ECIC III league crown begins at East Aurora on Friday night. But first, Cheektowaga hosts Williamsville South on Tuesday, as the top two talents in WNY, Welch and Dolan, go head-to-head one last time. At least until the playoffs.
9. Jamestown (AA) - Three games ahead this week for the Red Raiders, beginning with a visit from McDowell (PA) on Monday night. They visit Lancaster in a game that will be key to the ECIC I race on Thursday and then host Leadership Academy on Saturday in the finale of their United Way Showcase.
10. St. Joe's (MMA) - The Marauders are 4-0 locally and that includes road wins over Kenmore West & Lockport (who won at NT). The intense league schedule in the MMA starts with a visit from Park on Tuesday, followed by a Friday night rivalry battle against Canisius.
Small Schools
1. Health Sciences (B2) - Used overtime to knock off Early College of Rochester at the I-90 Showcase. It was good experience for the Falcons, as it was the first time they had to pull out a close victory this season. They have a rematch with BASCS on Tuesday, who they defeated by 45 points in the first meeting.
2. St. Mary's (MMA) - The Lancers are 5-1 after winning the Five Guys Tournament, which included a win over host Williamsville North, who had just defeated McKinley. Games against Niagara Catholic and Cardinal O'Hara are coming up for the Lancers this week, who didn't take long to shoot up my rankings.
3. East (C2) - Willard Anderson's late game heroics were nearly enough to get the Panthers past Clyde Savannah, but they ultimately dropped at nailbiter. A second game with Riverside, who they beat by 18 in the first meeting, comes on Thursday, followed by a trip to the United Way Showcase in Jamestown to play Randolph.
4. Dunkirk (B1) - Beat Niagara Catholic over break, before dropping the championship game of the Harborcreek Tournament and falling to Rochester SOTA at the I-90 Showcase. They'll look to get right in a rivalry game versus Fredonia on Wednesday before heading to Olean on Friday night.
5. East Aurora (B1) - Lost a battle with a similarly hard working Newark out of Section V team on Friday. They will travel to Lackawanna on Tuesday night in an intriguing nonleague game before hosting Cheektowaga on Friday in a game with major implications on the race in ECIC III.
6. Walsh (MMA) - Tavien Kemp is averaging over 33 points per game and the Eagles own a win over Franklinville, who beat Chautauqua Lake, who beat Olean. They'll welcome CCA to the Monsignor Martin Association on Tuesday night, before traveling to St. Francis on Friday.
7. Franklinville (D) - The Panthers earned all sorts of attention for their win over Chautauqua Lake at the IAABO Tournament on Friday. Now the pressure is on with Ellicottville coming to town on Wednesday in a battle for first place in CCAA II East.
8. Chautauqua Lake (C1) - Sometimes a good loss is necessary, which is what the Thunderbirds are hoping. A nonleague slip to Franklinville won't change anything other than rankings. Games with Panama and Maple Grove are ahead for Chautauqua Lake this week.
9. Randolph (C2) - The win over South Park on December 16th gave us a good indication that the Cardinals were a team to be reckoned with. Then winning their holiday tournament by avenging a loss to Ellicottville made it official. They visit Salamanca on Friday night before a date with East, a potential counterpart in the Class C2 sectionals, on Saturday.
10. Ellicottville (D) - The Eagles slip behind Randolph after dropping the more recent meeting with the Cardinals, but have an opportunity to climb back up the rankings coming up on Wednesday - the 'Game of the Week' at Franklinville.
- centercourt
Sunday, January 01, 2017
Top Games of the Week: 1/2/17 - 1/8/17
(Ellicottville visits Franklinville to ring in the New Year on Wednesday)
Monday, January 2nd
McDowell @ Jamestown - 7:30 pm
Tuesday, January 3rd
Park @ St. Joe's - 6 pm
Niagara Wheatfield @ Wilson - 6 pm
Williamsville South @ Cheektowaga - 6:30 pm
Grand Island @ Niagara Falls - 6:30 pm
Depew @ Cleveland Hill - 6:30 pm
Lew-Port @ Lockport - 6:30 pm
East Aurora @ Lackawanna - 6:30 pm
Canisius @ Timon - 7 pm
Maryvale @ Frontier - 7:30 pm
Wednesday, January 4th
Fredonia @ Dunkirk - 7:30 pm
Ellicottville @ Franklinville – 7:30 pm
Thursday, January 5th
Middle College @ Burgard - 6 pm
Depew @ Starpoint - 7 pm
Wilson @ Barker - 7 pm
Jamestown @ Lancaster - 7:30 pm
Friday, January 6th
Timon @ Park - 6:30 pm
St. Mary's @ Cardinal O'Hara - 6:30 pm
Walsh @ St. Francis - 6:30 pm
Lockport @ Grand Island - 6:30 pm
Canisius @ St. Joe's - 7 pm
Clarence @ Williamsville North - 7:30 pm
Hamburg @ Williamsville South - 7:30 pm
Cheektowaga @ East Aurora - 7:30 pm
Dunkirk @ Olean - 7:30 pm
Silver Creek @ Gowanda - 7:30 pm
Saturday, January 7th
United Way Showcase at Jamestown HS
Panama vs. Salamanca - 12 pm
Fredonia vs. Tapestry - 1:45 pm
East vs. Randolph - 3:30 pm
Sherman vs. Silver Creek - 5:15 pm
Jamestown vs. Leadership Academy - 7 pm
* Game of the Week – Ellicottville @ Franklinville on Wednesday, January 4th
We were cruising along through the first month of the season and the results seemed to have a certain flow to them, until we hit that tricky week between Christmas & New Year’s and everything we thought we knew got a little shook up.
Ellicottville opened its season with a win over Randolph, a team that battled with Middle College in the Class C2 semifinal last season and brought back four starters. The Eagles continued adding to the win column, including a victory at Gowanda, a Class B2 team that won CCAA I East last season. The Eagles lone loss was to Chautauqua Lake – a two-point heartbreaker to the #2 ranked team in NYS Class C who would go on to defeat Olean a week later. Everyone took notice of Ellicottville, and the Eagles became a ranked small school locally. They also climbed to the #5 ranked school in NYS Class D, one of two teams along with Sherman from Section VI to be ranked by the state in Class D.
Franklinville’s schedule was equally challenging, if not more so, to get the season started. The Panthers first hosted Burgard, one of the Yale Cup’s best teams, and took a three-point loss. They rebounded to earn their first win over Randolph, who Ellicottville had also beaten, only by a larger margin. Franklinville added a win over Portville, before suffering another three-point loss – this time at the hands of Tavien Kemp and Walsh on December 14th.
Heading into the holiday break, I was calling for everyone to beware of Franklinville, but couldn’t sneak them into the small school poll due to the losses to Burgard & Walsh, also unranked. But then came that tricky week I mentioned at the top, and plenty has changed. The Panthers followed a win over Allegany-Limestone with a convincing victory over Chautauqua Lake. Over the same two-day stretch, Ellicottville narrowly defeated Sherman to support its ranking above them, but fell the following night in a rematch with Randolph. The combination of results from those four games is sure to change where WNY and NYS have these two slotted when the rankings come out early this week. Two days after I show my hand with another small school poll and the day after the next state rankings come out, Ellicottville & Franklinville get it on to end the speculation.
Never mind where I rank them or what the state thinks, this game will be for first place in CCAA II East, as we have a pair of league rivals facing off. This game effects the league race, sectional seeding points, rankings, and the mental state of both teams. Both enjoyed success last season and returned their key talents. And each team has one of WNY’s elite players – Elliot Bowen for the Eagles and Sam Erickson for Franklinville. The Panthers also added a transfer from Fillmore with some height and talent, which certainly doesn’t hurt their chances.
It looks like I’ll be making my first ever trip to Franklinville on Wednesday night and I’m very much looking forward to it. Save me a seat, I like to sit right at…
- centercourt
Monday, December 26, 2016
Poll Ballots 2017 - Merry Christmas
(Williamsville South and Timon treated fans to a duel between top WNY large schools)
As a pollster, I rank the top ten large and small schools in WNY each week. These rankings are based on games played through Saturday of each week. Here's how I see them and some of the rationale used to get there.
Large Schools
1. Canisius (MMA) - The Crusaders suffered their first loss of the season two days before Christmas when they got rolled by the Ramblers of Cathedral Prep. However that loss doesn't effect the Canisius win streak against teams from WNY, which is at 36 games.
2. Park (MMA) - Play in the Josh Palmer Fund Holiday Inn Classic at Elmira this week, a three-day/eight-team tournament. The Pioneers open against Elmira are on the opposite side of the bracket from Canisius, who also makes the trip. If Park wins that tournament, I'll take them to number one...even if the Canisius streak is still intact.
3. Williamsville South (A1) - Another streak remained intact just before Christmas. The Greg Dolan-led Billies have only lost to two WNY teams since he took the court as a freshman in December 2014 - a league split with Starpoint during his freshman campaign and a loss to Canisius last year. Williamsville South passed a big test with a win at Timon last Thursday night.
4. Timon (MMA) - Wins over Bishop Kearney and Amherst and the South loss have the Tigers sitting at 2-1. They will spend this week tuning up for what will be a major start to the New Year in league play, with a pair of games in Rhode Island.
5. St. Francis (MMA) - The Red Raiders' four wins over Orchard Park, West Seneca East, Dunkirk, & Kenmore West came by an average margin of 33 points. On Thursday night, they face the Cathedral Prep team that just defeated Canisius by 20.
6. North Tonawanda (A1) - Followed up their 13-point home loss to Lockport with a drubbing of CSAT. The Jacks face Starpoint on Thursday and could see Amherst on Friday night in a tournament championship game.
7. Niagara Falls (AA) - The Wolverines were two-points shy of a 50-point win over Lew-Port coming off a pair of losses in Rochester last weekend.
8. Cheektowaga (A2) - Three straight wins for the Warriors get them to 4-3 on the season. In two of those wins (Starpoint & Depew), Dom Welch outscored the opponent by himself. Then in a tournament championship win over St. Mary's, Welch registered a triple-double & earned MVP honors.
9. Amherst (A2) - Came away with a convincing 65-50 victory over Maryvale on Friday night. The Tigers host the Bob Hettler Tournament this week, facing Sweet Home in the opening round. A potential championship game with North Tonawanda looms.
10. Jamestown (AA) - Improved to 3-1 with wins over Clarence and Orchard Park prior to Christmas.
Small Schools
1. Health Sciences (B2) - With two months left in the regular season, the Falcons are already nine games into their season. An 8-1 record includes some routs and a win over Dunkirk. They play Rochester's Early College in the I-90 Showcase at Villa Maria College on Thursday n ight.
2. East (C2) - In their last two wins, the Panthers have scored 221 points, with junior Willard Anderson netting 79 points in those two games.
3. Chautauqua Lake (C1) - The Thunderbirds historic first victory over Olean kept them undefeated and sent them shooting up my rankings.
4. Dunkirk (B1) - The Marauders are 3-2 with three games coming up this week - two in the Harborcreek Tournament and the third against Rochester SOTA at the I-90 Showcase at Villa Maria College.
5. East Aurora (B1) - The Blue Devils improved to 6-1 with a win over CSAT, but slip back two spots under Chautauqua Lake & Dunkirk this week. East Aurora lost big to the same Olean team that Chautauqua Lake just defeated. They share the common opponent of CSAT with Dunkirk. EA beat them by 12, while Dunkirk's margin of victory was 22 points.
6. Ellicottville (D) - The Eagles are sitting at 5-1 with a few impressive victories and their lone loss at the hands of Chautauqua Lake by two points. A first-round Randolph Tournament battle with Sherman on Thursday is a game to keep your eyes on.
7. Nichols (MMA) - Play in the IAABO Tournament this week against Bradford (PA) and could possibly see Olean in the second round. We really need league play to begin in the MMA to sort some things out.
8. St. Mary's (MMA) - The Lancers' first loss of the season came at the hands of Cheektowaga on Friday night. It's tough to gauge that result in a small school poll context. We really need league play to begin in the MMA to sort some things out.
9. Walsh (MMA) - The Eagles lost their first game this season to Corning, despite Tavien Kemp going off for a WNY season-high 47 points. What does it all mean? I repeat, we really need league play to begin in the MMA to sort some things out.
10. Lackawanna (B2) - I wanted to put Franklinville here, but they lost to Burgard. I wanted to put Burgard here, but they lost to Middle College. I wanted to put Middle College here, but they lost to MST Seneca. I wanted to put MST Seneca here, but they lost to Newfane. I wanted to put Newfane here, but they lost to O'Hara, who lost to Tapestry...and Tapestry lost to Burgard and Medina. Follow all that? So the Steelers, now 5-0, get the last spot. I had them way up at #5 last week, but a pair of wins over Eden and Springville by a combined 10 points aren't the commanding results posted by the #5 small school in WNY.
- centercourt
Tuesday, December 20, 2016
NYSSWA State Rankings 2017 - Week 2
The second state rankings for the 2017 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 #2
Williamsville South #8
Timon #23
Class B
Health Sciences #7
East Aurora #8
Lackawanna #17
Dunkirk #22
Class C
Chautauqua Lake #3
East #7
Silver Creek #11
Barker #18
Class D
Ellicottville #6
Sherman #8
** According to the rankings...
- There are now at least three teams fro Section V ahead of Section VI in Class AA. Fairport (9), Aquinas (19), & UPrep (25) are in ranked in NYS Class AA. Niagara Falls has split with UPrep this season, with the loss coming this past weekend.
- Canisius returns to the Class A Fed Final and wins it for a second time in three seasons. The Crusaders are now the number one ranked team in NYS Class A. They moved to #1 due to Albany Academy, the defending Fed champs, losing a pair of out-of-state games. Canisius has started five juniors in their last two wins, so I guess we can go ahead and crown them for next season too. In all seriousness, I don't understand what losing games out-of-state has to do with NYS rankings. No offense intended to the boys from Delaware Avenue, but I suspect they would have gotten the same results as Albany Academy had they played those same two games.
- Williamsville South is now NYS Class A #8 (previously #9), while Timon climbed up two spots to #23. This transpired after a week in which both faced Amherst. South came back from six points down to force OT and take the win. Timon beat Amherst by 19 and trailed for one possession in the first quarter. The Billies travel to South Buffalo on Thursday night to battle Timon. The state's early line has South -8.5.
- St. Francis isn't getting any love on the state level yet. Some advice for the Red Raiders - try flirting with Neil Kerr. Tell him you really like his hair or his sense of style. Everyone likes a compliment...bound to get you the love you deserve.
- Cheektowaga debuted at #14 in NYS Class A last week and then was dropped from the rankings following the loss to Park.
- Four of the top seven teams in NYS Class C are from the Far West Region. East Rochester (#2) & Northstar Christian (#4) from Section V and Chautauqua Lake (#3) & East (#7) from Section VI.
- Silver Creek has quietly improved to 5-0 on the season and sits at #11 in NYS Class C.
- Barker fell three spots in NYS Class C for losing to Lyndonville, an unranked Class D team from Section V. Something has to give here. Either Barker should have fallen harder, or Lyndonville should be ranked in NYS Class D. Lyndonville is 3-1, with two wins over teams in Class B and the third over a state-ranked Class C team on the road (Barker). They lost to Elba, who is 4-0 and also unranked in NYS Class D. The only other working theory could be that Class D is largely considered stronger as a whole than Class C this season.
- Staying on the Class C rankings, I say it's time to throw Randolph a bone. The Cardinals have two losses, to Ellicottville and Franklinville. They also own a recent win over South Park. Even though the Sparks are clearly not the team I thought they were, that's still an impressive win for Randolph. And those two losses are not bad ones - by now, you should all know I'm high on Ellicottville. As for Franklinville...see below.
- Franklinville went from NYS Class D #19 to unranked for losing by three points at Walsh. Dropping a team from Class D rankings for losing to an undefeated Class B team sure sounds like crazy talk to me. I have no doubt that Franklinville will be in the final Class D state rankings this season, so I encourage the panel to come around on them soon. They are good.
Click HERE for the complete NYSSWA State Rankings.
-centercourt
Monday, December 19, 2016
Poll Ballots 2017 - Week 2
(Brandon Smith drives for Park, a team that's looked ferocious in their last two wins/Photo: Larry Scheur)
As a pollster, I rank the top ten large and small schools in WNY each week. These rankings are based on games played through Saturday of each week. Here's how I see them and some of the rationale used to get there.
** After this, the polls will take a two-week hiatus over the holiday break and resume again on Monday, January 8th.
Large Schools
1. Canisius (MMA) - The Crusaders are off to a 3-0 start with wins over Cheektowaga, Aquinas, and Jamestown. Until the Crusaders lose to a team from WNY, they will own this place on my ballot. The last time that happened was February 26, 2014.
2. Park (MMA) - Holy Moses, these guys have looked entirely formidable in their last two wins over East & Cheektowaga. They actually doubled the Warriors point total at the ADPRO Challenge, winning 98-49. I'm still keeping them here until they earn that top spot from Canisius, who they've never defeated.
3. Timon (MMA) - Meanwhile, there's another team eyeing the top of this ballot. The Tigers have started their season with wins over Bishop Kearney & Amherst and have already shown they can win a shootout or a defensive grind. Love the MMA large school race this season.
4. Williamsville South (A1) - Found themselves in an unfamiliar position on Monday against Amherst - trailing much of a close game against a local team. In the end, they found a way to rally from a six-point deficit, force overtime, and pull out the win. After hosting West Seneca East on Tuesday, they travel to timon for a pre-holiday special on Thursday night. That's a battle of top ten teams I won't be missing. After the break, there's a January 3rd game at Cheektowaga that will feature Dolan vs. Welch. There's another game you can count me in for.
5. St. Francis (MMA) - Playing as a team and getting balanced contributions from their key players, the Red Raiders are legitimate. Ask Dunkirk, West Seneca East, Kenmore West, or any team preparing to face them. Like I said, love the competitiveness of the MMA league this season.
6. North Tonawanda (A1) - After wins over Health Sciences & Niagara Falls, the Jacks stumbled big time at home against Lockport. I'm keeping them ahead of Falls because they beat them, but the next head-scratching result won't receive that same consideration. Lockport isn't ready for the poll yet with loses to St. Joe's & Kenmore West already. It's still December, so lots to sort out.
7. Niagara Falls (AA) - The Wolverines are tough to gauge in this setting. They took Park to OT, split with UPrep, and defeated Kenmore West, with the lone local loss coming at North Tonawanda. They dropped a pair of games over the weekend in Rochester, with the second loss coming after the votes were cast. Really not sure what to make of Falls. When they're not playing teams from their league (NFL), most of their games are against Rochester and Canada
8. McKinley (A1) - Only two games played this season, wins over Kenmore West and Emerson. Relying on the eye test for the Macks, which tells me they definitely belong in the top 10. I wish they played against Niagara Falls. Who wouldn't want to see that one?
9. Jamestown (AA) - I didn't have them ranked last week. Then I saw them play against Canisius over the weekend, which was enough for me to view them as a top 10 team.
10. Maryvale (A2) - Overtime wins over Olean and Nichols are what we have to go on at this point. If they had played Cheektowaga last week (snowed out), we'd know a lot more. If you're not busy on Friday night, there will be a great episode of Family Feud at 6 pm on Main Street - Maryvale at Amherst, aka Kensy vs. Kensy.
Small Schools
1. Health Sciences (B2) - Already 6-1 and the only team to hang 100 points on someone (112-68 over Global Concepts). The Falcons have the cruise control set at a high rate of speed right now and are hoping there's no one waiting with a radar on the other side of the hill.
2. East (C2) - I took the Panthers up to number two on my ballot after their 20-point win over Riverside and watching Amherst take South to overtime last week, a team East got within two points of at the Cataract Classic.
3. East Aurora (B1) - I came into the season very high on the Blue Devils and I still am...but, they need to get out of the every-other-game mode they are in. Big win over Hornell, big loss to Olean. Big win over Pioneer, two-point win over Starpoint (who Niagara Catholic just beat). Then they win their tournament over the weekend, dropping Orchard Park convincingly in the final. If this is truly East Aurora's year, they need to be more consistent. At their best, they might be the Class B regional representative.
4. Dunkirk (B1) - It seems like I'm higher on this team than other pollsters. For me, winning at Lancaster and then turning around and pushing Health Sciences to the brink said a lot. I know they got rolled at St. Francis, but as I've written already this year - this isn't your big brother's St. Francis team.
5. Lackawanna (B2) - The Steelers are 3-0 with three wins by double figures, including the win over Hamburg. I think they improve to 5-0 with the same substantial winning trend continuing over the next two weeks, setting up a nice game on January 3rd against East Aurora.
6. Nichols (MMA) - I've had a chance to see the Vikings twice now, most recently against Maryvale in an overtime loss. I have also seen three of the four teams below them on this ballot. They have the right pieces in the right places and I think they only get better from here.
7. St. Mary's (MMA) - Welcome to my ballot Lancers. You beat Fredonia, who beat Gowanda (who I was ranking) and followed it up with a win over West Seneca East - a game they led by 24 points at one point. St. Mary's is much better than I had them pegged to be in the preseason. We will find out much more about them after they compete in the Depew Tournament and the Five Guys Tournament at Will North over the next two weeks.
8. Chautauqua Lake (C1) - The Thunderbirds are 5-0 and that start includes an exciting road win at Ellicottville. Tomorrow night I making the trip to Mayville to watch them host league favorite Olean, who they've never beaten.
9. Ellicottville (D) - Came off a tough one-point loss to Chautauqua Lake to go on the road the following night and take care of business at Gowanda. They start five underclassmen who play like seniors. The Eagles host Portville this week and face Sherman in the first round of the Randolph Tournament over break.
10. Cardinal O'Hara (MMA) - I slid the Hawks down a few spots from last week after getting to see them, Nichols and St. Mary's over a three-day stretch. O'Hara is loaded with talent, but also young. In a six-point win over Newfane, they trailed much of the game. When they find consistency and play for 32 minutes (also see third quarter against Health Sciences), they will be as dangerous as any team in MMA-B.
-centercourt
Saturday, December 17, 2016
ADPRO Challenge 2016 - Night 2 Recap
(Timon's Master Radford & Amherst's Marcellus Cooper hit the boards/Photo: Harry Scull, Buffalo News)
Timon 58, Amherst 39
Joe Harrison and Davion Warren each scored 17 points for Timon, as they won all four quarters and methodically took care of Amherst. Harrison canned three 3-pointers on the evening, while Warren broke away for three dunks in the game.
Marcellus Cooper led Amherst with a team-high 12 points and opened the scoring for his team with a high-rising baseline finish with two-hands to ignite the crowd of spectators. Da'Shawn Hines scored seven points and Will Alfieri added six in the loss.
The game was a defensive battle throughout, with Amherst slowing the high-powered Timon offense with a zone. Timon seemed to have the edge on the boards and also committed to limiting their opponent on the defensive end, never allowing more than 11 points in a quarter.
"Our goal is to keep teams at no more than 40 points and we kept them at 39," said Timon coach Des Randall. "We defended well and rebounded pretty good - that allowed us to pull away."
Timon 16 - 15 - 13 - 14 = 58
Amherst 11 - 11 - 7 - 10 = 39
Point Totals
Timon: Joe Harrison 17, Davion Warren 17, Juston Johnson 7, Master Radford 6, Adrian Baugh 4, Jayon Renfro 2, Joey Rozeski 2, Jaurney Boyland 2
Amherst: Marcellus Cooper 12, Da'Shawn Hines 7, Will Alfieri 6, Richard Kay 4, Jackson Tan 3, Brandon Fowler 3, Desean Ashley 2, Jakaye Womack 2
*****************
St. Mary's 63, West Seneca East 59
Christian Szablewski scored 13 of his team-high 18 points in a first half where eight different Lancers scored as St. Mary's came out like a well-oiled machine and quickly took charge. Leading 20-8 after eight minutes of play, a 12-0 run to start the second quater pushed the Lancers to their largest lead of the game, 32-8, with 3:27 left in the half.
Trailing 34-15 at the break, the Trojans picked their heads up and came back strong. One possession at a time, West Seneca East began making up some of its deficit and sprinkled in some mini-runs to get within 11 points, 45-34, after three quarters. From the midway point of the third quarter until the end of the game, Dominick Farszmil took ownership for his team and tried putting them on his back in a comeback effort. His inspired play led to 21 points over the final 12 minutes, with 16 of his game-high 29 points coming in the fourth quarter.
Eric Brown also had a big fourth quarter for St. Mary's and was key to keeping his team from being overtaken late. Brown scored 11 of his 17 points in the final stanza and along with Daquan Hunt, sank clutch free throws in the final minute to seal the game when the Trojans twice got within two points.
"It was a tale of two halves," St. Mary's coach Paul Rath said. "We only had four turnovers in the first half and were taking good shots - rythm shots. We were forcing shots in the second half and too many turnovers at the end. Those are the little things we have to get better at and we can't afford to have."
"Credit to them I knew they were a good team and they came to play in the second half," said Rath.
St. Mary's 20 - 14 - 11 - 18 = 63
W.Seneca East 8 - 7 - 19 - 25 = 59
Point Totals
St. Mary's: Christian Szablewski 18, Eric Brown 17, Daquan Hunt 12, Frank Propis 4, Collin Tytka 4, Zach Penska 3, Jae'lin Russell 3, Ja'Shawn Collins 2
West Seneca East: Dominick Farszmil 29, Zamari Mitchell 14, Chris Stineman 8, Anthony Roncone 6, Ryan Jasinski 2
**************
Maryvale 58, Nichols 55 OT
The Flyers' double figure lead in the third quarter got lost in an avalanche of Will Johnson 3-pointers and the team had to fight to send the game to overtime. Once there, Brian Sullivan converted a three-point play and scored his team's only points of the extra session to lift Maryvale to the win. Ray Blackwell scored a game-high 28 points in the winning effort.
With the game tied midway through the second quarter, a trey from Sullivan sparked a 10-2 run to finish the first half and give Maryvale a 31-23 lead. Four minutes into the third quarter, the Flyers' lead reached 11 points and Nichols desperately need a spark...that's when Johnson became a one-man fire starter. The senior banged one 3-pointer after another, until had had buried a total of five long range bombs in just three minutes and brought his team all the way back to take a 43-41 lead heading to the final frame.
"We knew he could do that," Maryvale coach Mark Kensy said. "We changed up defenders and that helped."
An intense fourth quarter insued as the lead changed three times before Blackwell scored the last four points of regulation, including a pair of free throws with 15 seconds left, which sent the game to the extra session. The Flyers never allowed a field goal over the final four minutes and gave up just one point from the charity stripe after regulation.
"Ray (Blackwell) hit some big buckets, as did Brian (Sullivan) early," And I'll tell you what, Adam Meyerhofer did an outstanding job for us."
Maryvale 13 - 18 - 10 - 13 - 4 = 58
Nichols 13 - 10 - 20 - 11 - 1 = 55
Point Totals
Maryvale: Ray Blackwell 28, Brian Sullivan 16, Rashad Law 9, Adam Meyerhofer 5
Nichols: Will Johnson 23, Myles Hervey 13, TJ Banaszak 10, Aidan Horan 4, Jonathan Goodloe 2, Antonio Jones 2, Harry Serotte 1
- 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, 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
Thursday, November 24, 2016
Season Preview: 2016-2017
(Cheektowaga's Dominick Welch [above] and Olean's Jeff Anastasia [right] each have a chance to break historic WNY records before the end of the 2017 season / Photos by Nick LoVerde [above] & Dave DeLuca [right])
The 2016-2017 Pre-View From Centercourt contains:
- Feature on Jeff Anastasia & Dominick Welch
- What's New
- Returning 2016 All-Centercourt Players
- Player Watch List for 2017
- A League-by-League look at the teams
(MMA, Yale Cup, ECIC, NFL, N-O, CCAA, & Charters)
- CoachingChanges
- Classification Changes
- Preseason Top 10 Large & Small Schools
- Predictions
******************************************
Every season begins with certain story lines. They could be anything from a veteran head coach taking over a storied program, to major transfer news, to a team that appears built for a state run, and just about everything in between that we talk about in anticipation of another year. Heading into the upcoming 2017 high school basketball season in Western New York, there are two prominent figures from the local scene that have shown a greatness since they first took the court with their respective teams, and now both are on the verge of history. Jeff Anastasia, the Hall of Fame and two-time state champion head coach at Olean could become WNY's all-time winningest coach before the season ends. Dominick Welch, already a Section VI champion and three-time All-Centercourt selection, could end his career at Cheektowaga as the area's all-time scoring leader. While the legend of both of these greats is already well cemented in the minds of hoop fans, I'm anticipating reading each of their names at the top of the record books, in the respective categories.
Mel Palano and Ritchie Campbell are the two names that have been at the forefront of high school basketball in WNY for years. Palano, the long time coach at Bishop Timon/St. Jude, retired with a resume that included 544 wins. Campbell starred at Burgard in the late 80's and finished his high school career with 2,355 points. For years, fans have looked at the two names at the top of those lists, marveled at their accomplishments, and wondered...will anyone ever touch those lofty marks?
For Anastasia, breaking Palano's record for career coaching wins is something you could see coming. The consistent success his team's have enjoyed due to the program he has established are best illustrated by his wins per season. Last season, there were a total of 10 teams (including Olean) from Section VI that recorded at least 17 victories. In his 30 years behind the bench for the Huskies, Anastasia has averaged 17.29 wins per season. For many coaches, a 17-win season would be the one they remember as their best year over a career. However in Olean, Anastasia has made it par for the course. Entering the 2017 campaign with 536 career victories to his credit, he needs just nine wins to reach the magic number of 545.
The path to Welch surpassing Campbell's career scoring mark won't be an easy one. Cheektowaga plays in a competitive league and faces some very sharp coaches along the way. The Warriors also play one of the most difficult nonleague schedules in WNY, so as he's always done, Welch will really have to earn it. The high-flying senior who can do anything and everything on the court, has 1,708 career points after averaging 28.9 per contest as a junior in 21 games. If he stays healthy and plays in every game, Welch is guaranteed another 21 games. He is 648 points from owning the mark and would need to average 30.86 points over 21 games. However, keep winning in the postseason, and it really starts to look attainable. Reaching Buffalo State would get the Warriors to 22 games, where he'd need to average 29.45 points. Reaching the Class A2 final takes 23 games and drops the needed average to 28.17, less than his output during junior year. Welch has made it clear to me that his priority this year is to win with his friends, who he also calls teammates. As the old cliche goes, winning takes care of everything.
*************************************************************
What's New
- After 35 years in Glens Falls, the NYSPHAA State Championships will now be played in Binghamton for at least the next three years.
- The NYS Federation Tournament of Champions, which features public, catholic, independent, and PSAL (NYC) champions, returns to its original home - Glens Falls, NY.
- WNY basketball says goodbye to Bennett High. Those players who were to be seniors for the Tigers this season, will play for Middle College instead.
- Despite the folding of Bennett, there will still be 103 teams competing between Section VI and the MMA. That's because Christian Central Academy of Williamsville, known as CCA, is now part of the Monsignor Martin Association for hoops. Like Park once did, CCA formerly participated in the IAC.
- The Pastor-Cooper Showcase at Daemen College, long regarded as the official start to the high school hoops season each year, doesn't tip for the boys until December 7th & 8th. That makes the Cataract City Classic at Niagara Falls High School the season's first major event, featuring seven games played over two days on December 2nd & 3rd, including an early clash of the titans -- Niagara Falls vs. Park.
- The ADPRO Public/Private Challenge, which has rotated venues the past three seasons, looks to have found a home at Depew High School. The Challenge will take place at the Home of the Wildcats for a second straight season, with 11 games featured over three days (December 15th, 16th, & 17th), headlined by Canisius vs. Jamestown.
- The two defending public school state champions, Olean & Middle College, have zero chance to repeat as NYSPHAA Class B & Class C champs respectively. That's because both teams were moved up to a higher classification this season. The Huskies will compete in Class A2 this season, after winning the NYSPHAA Class B state title and the Kats jump up to Class B2 after winning it all in NYSPHAA's Class C.
- Six teams have changed leagues from last season:
Amherst to ECIC II, Starpoint & Lake Shore to ECIC III, Springville to ECIC IV, CSAT to the NFL, and Emerson to Yale Cup I.
- It's Rochester's year to host the Far West Regionals again. This season, all five games for the right to move on to Binghamton will be played at Rush-Henrietta High School. In 2015, the regionals for Classes B, C, & D were held there.
************************************************
The Players
*** Four of the top 20 players from the 2016 All-Centercourt Team return to the WNY high school hoops scene, along with another 12 players that received Honorable Mentions following last season.
Returning First Teamers
Dominick Welch - Cheektowaga, Senior
* 28.9 PPG / 11.6 RPG / 3.6 APG / 2.9 BPG / 2.3 SPG *
* as a junior
After eclipsing 1,000 career points as a sophomore, he surpassed the same mark with rebounds as a junior. Entering his fifth and final varsity season, the dynamic talent has a chance to break the all-time WNY scoring mark and should finish as a 2,000 point scorer with over 1,000 rebounds - unheard of! Not to mention he swats everything in his vicinity, while taking advantage of every sliver of space to cram the ball through the rim and bend the iron...#BOOM! (Photo: James McCoy/Buffalo News)
Greg Dolan - Williamsville South, Junior
*18.2 PPG / 7.7 RPG / 6.0 APG / 3.2 SPG *
* as a sophomore
Made believers out any fans who weren't quite convinced of his greatness two years ago, with a sensational sophomore campaign that included leading South to its first regional title in Class A. While the Billies were a talented veteran team, there's no question that Dolan was the straw that stirred their drink. An underrated rebounder and a driven do-it-all point guard, he'll look to lead a whole new cast back to a third straight Section VI crown. (Photo: Harry Scull/Buffalo News)
Returning Second Teamer
James Rojas - Jamestown, Senior
* 21.8 PPG / 10.1 RPG / 2.7 APG / 1.5 SPG / 1.2 BPG *
* as a junior
After playing a complimentary role for the Red Raiders as a sophomore, Rojas exploded on the scene last season and put the Red Raiders on his back - carrying them back to the Class AA final. Expect another breakout season from the inside/outside threat who can put the ball on the floor, finish with ease at the rim, and look dominant in the process. This is a Division I talent who should be held in the highest regard among returning players in the area. (Photo: James McCoy/Buffalo News)
Returning Fourth Teamer
Tavien Kemp - Walsh, Senior
* 21.0 PPG / 4.5 RPG / 3.7 SPG / 3.5 APG *
* as a junior
Was the standout talent for the Eagles' team that took the number one seed into the Manhattan Cup playoffs a season ago. Blends exceptional quickness with his high IQ for the game, to break down defenses as he slithers to the basket. Has quick hands and plays with a subtle aggression, maintaining the same intensity all game. Walsh will be back in the mix for the Manhattan Cup in Class B with him leading the charge. (Photo: Harry Scull/Buffalo News)
Returning 2016 Honorable Mentions
Chris Robson - Sr., Sherman - 19.7 PPG / 5.3 RPG / 3.2 APG / 3.0 SPG / .5 BPG as a junior
Shakur Harris - Sr., South Park - 16.2 PPG / 2.9 SPG / 2.1 RPG / 1.9 APG as a junior
Will Johnson - Sr., Nichols - 15.8 PPG / 4.0 APG / 4.o RPG / 2.o SPG as a junior
Marcellus Cooper - Sr., Amherst - 14.5 PPG / 10.0 RPG / 2.0 BPG / 0 .7 APG as a junior
Davion Warren - Sr., Timon - 12.5 PPG / 7.7 RPG / 2.1 APG / 1.8 SPG as a junior
Nate Brawdy - Jr., Gowanda - 23.1 PPG / 9.2 RPG / 4.5 APG / 2.3 SPG as a sophomore
Elliot Bowen - Jr., Ellicottville - 19.3 PPG / 12.2 RPG / 2.5 BPG / 1.3 SPG as a sophomore
Devin Pope - Jr., Chautauqua Lake - 17.7 PPG / 5.3 RPG / 3.0 APG / 3.0 SPG as a sophomore
Willard Andreson - Jr., East - 15.7 PPG / 3.0 RPG / 3.0 APG / 2.0 SPG as a sophomore
Jalin Cooper - Jr., Medina - 15.5 PPG / 10.2 RPG / 2.5 APG / 2.1 SPG / 2.1 BPG as a sophomore
Ray Blackwell - Jr., Maryvale - 14.5 PPG / 3.5 SPG / 3.4 RPG / 3.0 APG as a sophomore
Noah Hutchins - So., Park - 9.9 PPG / 4.0 RPG / 3.5 APG / 2.7 SPG as a freshman
Player Watch List:
Joe Jones - 11 (Park), Daniel Scott - 10 (Park), Ryan Bradley - 11 (Canisius), Austin James - 11 (Canisius), Master Radford - 11 (Timon), Bo Sireika - 11 (St. Francis), Julian Cunningham - 10 (St. Francis), Nick Montgomery - 12 (East Aurora), Charles Lamar - 12 (Niagara Falls), Syquan Ralands - 11 (Niagara Falls), Adam Braniecki - 12 (Williamsville South), Jacob Genzel - 11 (Hamburg), Chris Stineman - 10 (West Seneca East), Chad Biersbach - 11 (Depew), Davonte Gaines - 11 (Health Sciences), Tyron Lott - 11 (Health Sciences), Tyler Hind - 9 (Randolph), Trevor Book - 11 (North Tonawanda), Tyler Aquilina - 12 (Kenmore West), Nate Luckman - 12 (Barker), Kyle DeVoogel - 11 (Newfane), Max Weber - 11 (Newfane), Hakeem Dobbins - 11 (Middle College), Davonti Wardlaw - 12 (McKinley), Elijah Lewis - 10 (South Park), Justin Allen - 11 (East), Mike Schmidt - 10 (Olean), Sam Erickson - 11 (Franklinville), Naseer Jackson - 12 (St. Joe's), Amir Radford - 10 (City Honors), Kyle Ebert - 11 (Frontier), Devin Degree - 10 (Williamsville South), Christian Snell - 11 (Alden), Carlton Threeths - 10 (Lackawanna), London Smith - 11 (Lackawanna), Jarrett Lecceadone - 12 (Randolph), Jalen Bradberry - 8 (Niagara Wheatfield), Kameron Briggs - 10 (Health Sciences), Jarmani Benton - 11 (Gowanda), Nader Ngoopas Kompany - 11 (Middle College), Jayce Johnson - 11 (Canisius), Juston Johnson - 10 (Timon), Terrell Mullen - 9 (Cardinal O'Hara), Justin Hemphill - 10 (Cardinal O'Hara), Latrell Butler-Kemp - 11 (Walsh), Aidan Horan - 9 (Nichols), Daniel Reid - 12 (Olmsted), Daesean Ashley - 9 (Amherst)
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League-By-League
Monsignor Martin Association
Large Schools - CLASS A
Canisius is now the two-time defending CHSAA state champion in Class A, and despite graduating another strong senior class that included a second straight CC MVP in Stafford Trueheart, expect the Crusaders' success to keep rolling. Jayce Johnson and Colby Moultrie return with plenty of experience, while the additions of Ryan Bradley and Austin James help ensure the Crusaders remain elite. Park has no seniors on its roster, but does have three of the best players in WNY in Noah Hutchins, Joe Jones, and Daniel Scott. Brandon Smith is also back after missing last season due to injury and will make a big impact for the Pioneers, who have some considerable young size on their bench. Timon has players at every spot on the floor and depth to back it up. Davion Warren is back following his breakout season, and the Tigers hope to have William Lamar back in January following a football injury. St. Francis has its best team in the last 10 years, with a very deep team that has realistic expectations of a Manhattan Cup. The Red Raiders benefit from some key additions, along with returning their top eight from a year ago. St. Joe's has seven players back, led by senior guard Naseer Jackson. Caleb Cockrell, Mike Telesco, and Jack Capen all played extended minutes last season for the Marauders, and they'll look to Hunter Dimitroff for inside presence.
***
Canisius: Colby Multrie 12, Jake Zeis 12, Pat Weir 12, Chris Topper 12, Mark Baldy 12, Jayce Johnson 11, Ryan Bradley 11, Austin James 11, Nick MacDolnald 11, Conner McCaffrey 11, Brendan Trapper 11, Peter Atkinson 11, Jack Collins 11, John Evans 11, Cam Hall 10
Park: Joe Jones 11, Brandon Smith 11, Marques Lowe 11, Cam Hennings 11, Noah Hutchins 10, Daniel Scott 10, Jordan Gompah 10, Julian Eziukwu 10, Quentin Nnagbo 10, John Orugun 9, Jaylen Stewart 9
Timon: Joe Harrison 12, William Lamar 12, Davion Warren 12, Tim Payne 12, Master Radford 11, Matt O'Brien 11, Steve Reinhardt 11, Cullen Tonge 11, Joey Rozeski 11, Juston Johnson 10, Adrian Baugh 10, Jaurney Boyland 10, Alero World 10, Jayon Renfro 10
St. Francis: Roburt Welch 12, Sean Taggart 12, Jerry Hickson 12, Connor Cummings 12, Evan Mangan 12, Bo Sireika 11, Owen Woyshner 11, Josh Palmer 11, Dylan McDuffie 11, Retsen Daley 11, Devon Darrell 11, Julian Cunningham 10, Traevonne Scott 10, Justin Pomphey 10, Dorian Ivey 10, Lucas Theisan 10, David Bartholomew 9
St. Joe's: Naseer Jackson 12, Mike Motley 12, Mike Telesco 12, Hunter Dimitroff 12, Razihque Sullivan 12, Caleb Cockrell 12, Jack Capen 11, Jeremy Johnson 11, Trey Boling 11, Kevin Durkin 11, Keith Norward 11, John Galvin 11, Alexander D'Anniballe 11, Noah Hausbeck 11, Casey Kelly 10
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Small Schools - CLASS B
Cardinal O'Hara has three starters back, led by Justin Hemphill, who averaged a double-double last season as a freshman. The Hawks have a deep roster loaded with young talent that is ready to make a serious push for the Manhattan Cup in Class B. Nichols has one of WNY's best shooters in Will Johnson and will look for breakout years from both Myles Hervey and TJ Banaszak under new head coach Darren Fenn. The Vikings also have a talented freshman in Aidan Horan who should turn some heads. St. Mary's has just three seniors, led by Daquan Hunt, but juniors Eric Brown and Christian Szablewski were both solid as sophomores. The Lancers have a young team that got a taste of varsity action at the end of last season and will be eager to play hard under coach Paul Rath. Walsh will carry 10 players on its roster, with four of them being freshmen. Still, the Eagles, who were state ranked in Class B all of last season, have Tavien Kemp and Latrell Butler-Kemp back and will continue to be strong. Niagara Catholic has just two players back with any varsity experience, after a tough turnover following last season, while CCA becomes the newest member of WNY's most talented league and faces its most difficult schedule ever.
***
Cardinal O'Hara: PJ Parker 12, Rene Velazquez 12, Adam Connelly 12, Nasir Benton 11, Mike Clark 11, Justin Hemphill 10, Jermaine Hayes 10, Brandon Broadmax 10, Jordan Fayson 10, Torree Cheatham 10, Jaedin Cottman 9, Terrell Mullen 9
Nichols: Will Johnson 12, Paul Brinson 12, Myles Hervey 12, Harrison Serotte 12, Austin Ellis-Mohr 12, Amin Abubukar 12, TJ Banaszak 11, Ryan Peterson 11, Matthew Glinski 11, Antonio Jones 11, Jonathan Goodloe 10, Jake Bair 10, Aidan Horan 9
St. Mary's: Daquan Hunt 12, Colin Tyka 12, Zach Penska 12, Eric Brown 11, Matt Ciezski 11, Christian Szablewski 11, Ahmad Powell 11, Frank Propis 11, Jaelin Russell 11, Ben Mazurowski 11, Kofi Osei 11, Ja'Shawn Collins 11, Brady O'Brien 10, Gregory Poland 9
Archbishop Walsh: Tavien Kemp 12, Claus Oren 12, Latrell Butler Kemp - 11, Slobodan Stojanovic 11, George Lowry 10, Cameron Kitchen-Perez 10, Colin Yorke 9, Marcus Esposito 9, Kameron Ramadhan 9, Zayne Blacksnake 9
Niagara Catholic: Minh Hoang 12, Jonathan Phillips 12, Rico Mitchell 11, Nick Krupp 11, Jaden Turner 10, Thomas Owens 10, Harrison Abramaitys 10, Roman Wright 10, Kashus Bradley 10
CCA: Noah Ewing 12, Caleb Hancock 12, Jacob Fusco 12, Pat Opferbeck 11, Alex Fink 11, Jared Moser 11, Josh Tyson 11, Ben Lekeuneu 11, Rick Miller 10, Zach Miller 10, Dan Tyson 9
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Section VI
YALE CUP I
South Park became a real factor last season and nearly upset McKinley at Buff State in Class A1. With another deep team led by Shakur Harris that will benefit from some key transfers, the Sparks have realistic expectations of going after the Yale Cup. McKinley returns Davonti Wardlaw to its starting lineup, where he'll lead another another aggressive pack of Macks ready to make names for themselves. Zaire Dorsey's teams have won 26 straight in the Yale Cup and gone undefeated in the city in four of the five seasons. Middle College joins Class B2 with a whole new group, led by Hakeem Dobbins, a junior who saw some quality minutes on the Kats' state championship team last season. Nader Ngoopas Kompany and Nathyia Jackson also saw time last year and will be counted on. The team should benefit from the coaching addition of Fred Dupree, who will assist Randy Rich for a season, after 17 years playing and coaching at the Division I level. East is now in Class C2 and hope the grind of the Yale Cup schedule, along with some big time nonleague foes, has them ready to run through JCC in March. They have a star in junior Willard Anderson, primed for a breakout campaign. Behind new head coach Geoff Hurley, Riverside will be lead by Gerald Bratton and Dialo Stevens. Burgard has Markel Ford running the point, while Jeremiah Moss and Angel Carson control things in the post. Deamontae Riley should offer both scoring and rebounding, while Cleveland Sweat will be counted on for his defensive energy.
***
South Park : Shakur Harris 12, Elijah Winston 12, Dwight Simpson 12, Khalil White 12, Jakari Woods 12, Raymond Mushat 11, Shy-Quan Brodie 11, Donte Ridgeway 11, Jalen Baker 11, DeJuan McCray 11, Daquan Anderson 11, Justice Allen 11, Elijah Lewis 10, David Stroud 10, Hakeem Humphries 10, Michael Crockett 9
McKinley: Davonti Wardlaw 12, Nakye Booze 12, Joe Johnson 12, Deon Spencer 11, Jaylon Windsor 11, Kavon Rogers 11, Emir Evans 11, Chris LeCounte 11, Alvaro Mora 11, Jahmal Lewis 9
Middle College: Shawn Goree 12, Allen McDuffie 12, Daquan Hamilton 12, Hakeem Dobbins 11, Nader Ngoopas Kompany 11, Nathyia Jackson 11, Azyion Clemons 11, Donovan Queeno 11, Jules Stover 11, Zack Jones 11, Breh Daniels 10, Jamond Jones 9
East: Shawndale Williams 12, Taijuan Littleton 12, Allen Wilson 12, Willard Anderson 11, Anthony Stevens 11, Justin Allen 11, Jahahd Maryon 11, Xavier Turner 11, Daniel Gray 11, Emmanuel Wilson 11, Ibrahim Mberwa 11, Waunya Shaw 10
Riverside: Gerald Bratton 12, Maya Griffin 12, Carlos Rivera 12, Robert Kyle 11, Feysal Osman 11, Dialo Stevens 11, Carlos Adorno Nunez 11, Michael Deleon Vasquez 10, Asante Silva 10, Julius Laureano 10, Hak Douth 10
Burgard: Deamontae Riley 12, Davon Callaway 12, Cleveland Sweat 12, Markel Ford 12, Myles Morrison 11, Jeremiah Early 11, Brandon Myers 11, Jorge Villa 11, Angel Carson 11, Kenyon Pringle 11, Jeremiah Moss 11, Dejuan Williams 10, Zak Griffin 10, Lavardi Mance 9
Emerson: no information provided by coach
Hutch-Tech: no information provided by coach
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YALE CUP II
MST Seneca is looking to improve on last years record and will have to play good defense to do it. They'll need strong leadership from Davon Jones, David Anderson and Dom Prince. Sophomore Earl Howard saw significant minutes last year and should take a big step forward. Olmsted captured the Class C1 title last season and moves to Class B2 this year, hoping to benefit from the return of Daniel Reid and Naseem Baynes. City Honors returns two starters from last years team, led by sophomore Amir Radford, ready to take another big step forward. I-Prep graduated the top seven in its rotation and rebuilds this season, led by senior Chad Forester and junior Cameron Williams-Scott.
***
MST Seneca: Keivon Carter 12, David Anderson 12, Davon Jones 12, Solomon Jones 12, Dom Prince 12, Anthony Speed 12, Daylin Anderson 11, Jayden Brown 11, Daryl Costner 11, Diallo Gray 11, Marquel Hampshire 11, Saeviyon Livingston 11, Makhi Rodgers 11, Earl Howard 10
I-Prep: Chad Forester 12, Alijah Clark 12, Angel Rodriguez 12, Aaron Lewis 12, Greg Ngoma 12, Cameron Williams-Scott 11, Shemaar Braggs 11, Saequon Carlock 11, Brandon Wilson 11, Twandrell Dean 11, Daniel Santiago 11, Patrick Toe 10
Olmsted: Daniel Reid 12, Naseem Baynes 12, Abbas Abajobir 12, Drew Hough 12, Austin Parham 12, Austin Lowery 12, Stanley Simpson 12, Justin Evans 12, Gabriel Carr-Johnson 11, Aaron Brown 11, Joel Richards 11, Chris Pettiway 11, Jalen Johnson 11
City Honors: Sam Battaglia 12, Talon Moody 12, Gino Lotempio 12, Saleem Salem 12, Brendan Bulluck 11, Sebastian Flewellyn 11, Joe Fisher 11, Gabe Morrisroe 11, Neftali Vazquez 11, Amir Radford 10, Eliot Solomon 10, Nate Kahn 9, Kevion Taylor 9, Jayden Slaughter 8
Lafayette: no information provided by coach
DaVinci: no information provided by coach
Buffalo Arts: no information provided by coach
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ECIC I
Jamestown has just two players back who saw any significant time last season in James Rojas and junior Matt Hill. Still, a player of Rojas' caliber playing for a program like Jamestown will have the Red Raiders right back in the mix for another league title and run in Class AA. Marcus Rojas, the younger brother of James, is a 6-2 junior who will contribute immediately. Lancaster lost nearly all of its scoring from last season, but should still have a strong team ready to challenge for the league title. Vito Fulciniti will anchor this year's Legends, along with Noah Speyer and Tim Molik who saw time in 2016. Juniors Alec Tamburri and Tyler Sokolowski will bring some much needed scoring, while sophomore Jakob Jerebko will make an impact this season. Williamsville North has Jairus Huggins and Anthony Maniscalco back, who both started for the Spartan's ECIC I title team last season, along with Corey Swiech. Jon Abaya and Joe Nusall are a pair of sophomores who should be counted on at North this season. Clarence has a blend of returning players and new talent up from JV, led by seniors Jake Randall and Jake Ireland. Orchard Park returns just four players from last year's 16-win team, and they will be counted on heavily. Twins Dylan & Dan Anderson, along with Dan Olejnicazk, step into prominent roles for the Quakers, while Dan Kubik (6-7, 315 lbs) will man the middle. Frontier started four different freshmen at times last year. The Falcons return last season's leaing scorer, junior Kyle Ebert, along with their leading rebounder, sophomore Brandon Dunz.
***
Jamestown: James Rojas 12, Ryan Holdridge 12, Dennis Rosa 12, Matt Hill 11, Noah Larson 11, Marcus Rojas 11, Henry Malarkey 11, Austin Prunty 11, Steven Wofford 11, Anthony Gullo 11, Luis Cintron 11, Kylen Faulkner 10
Lancaster: Vito Fulciniti 12, Collin Reformat 12, Connor Duck 12, Noah Speyer 12, Tim Molik 12, LG Castillo 12, Alec Tamburri 11, Tyler Sokolowski 11, John Rogowski 11, Kyle Backert 11, Andrew Glenn 11, Ryan Mansell 11, Jakob Jerebko 10
Williamsville North: Matt Winkler 12, Willie Sturgis III 12, Jairus Huggins 12, Anthony Maniscalco 12,
Corey Swiech 12, Andrew Hwang 12, Jason Hwang 12, Anthony Smith 12, Blake Ferrell 11, Ryan Johnston 11, Justin Konotopskyj 11, Lucas Terry 11, Jonathon Abaya 10, Joe Nusall 10, Jacob Belote 10, Dylan Mann 10
Clarence: Jake Ireland 12, Jake Randall 12, , Jon Trapp 12, Joe Szadek 12, Austin Knorz 12, Henry Payne 12, Joe Olivieri 11, Steve Kabayiza 11, Mike O'Brien 11, Matt Zuffranieri 11, Mike Scherrer 11, Jake Reger 11, Jack Putney 10, River Reinhardt 10
Orchard Park: Dan Anderson 12, Dylan Anderson 12, Dan Olejniczak 12, Dan Kubik 12, Dave Crescente 12, Jake Graves 12, Eric Liberatore 11, Alex Freilicher 11, Ben Shoop 11, Dave Morris 11, Nate Wereski 10, Tino Mancabelli 9, Tristan Lancaster 9
Frontier: Zach Gerken 12, Will Anderson 12, Trevor Govenettio 12, Jacob Weiss 11, Jacob Kumiega 11, Tom Notto 11, Alex Hiam 11, Jon Seier 11, Kyle Ebert 11, Desmond Carroll 11, Brian Norsen 10, Brandon Dunz 10, Ben Taylor 10
West Seneca West: no information provided by coach
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ECIC II
After repeating in ECIC II and Section VI Class A, Williamsville South reached Glens Falls for the first time in school history. Hit hard by graduation, junior Greg Dolan, already a two-time All-Centercourt selection, will look to lead a new group that hopes to put its own stamp of success on the program. Amherst joins ECIC II after all but owning ECIC III in recent seasons. Coming off a third straight Class A2 title, the Tigers will be led by returning starter Da'Shawn Hines and welcome standout Marcellus Cooper after spending the past couple seasons at Nichols. Freshman guard Daesean Ashley is going to be a good one over on Main Street. West Seneca East has a trio of starters with three years of varsity experience and will also start a pair of talented sophomores. The Trojans are coming off back-to-back winning seasons after 20 years of .500 or below campaigns. The program's first ever trip to Buff State should be the goal this season. Hamburg will try to get back to Buffalo State for a third time in the last four seasons behind the leadership of junior Jacob Genzel. In a season shortened due to injury, Genzel scored over 20 points in a third of his games played as a sophomore. Mark Henry and Patrick Hart will also be key for the Bulldogs, who hope 6-5 junior Marcus Wloch can be a presence in the paint. Sweet Home is coming off a solid off season and the players are buying into coach Brandon Woods' system. The Panthers will be led by senior captains, Luke Pappagallo and Darryl Barrons. Williamsville East returns eight players to a team that likes to play fast and keep the pressure on its opponents. Iroquois returns most of its team from last season.
***
Williamsville South: Adam Braniecki 12, Dakota Wiley 12, Christopher Nelson 12, Mark Worthy 12, Greg Dolan 11, Cody Sanford 11, Josh Foster 11, Anthony Lombardo 11, Robert Richards 11, John Goetzmann 11, Jacob Weinstein 11, Dan Proch 11, Devin Degree 10
Amherst: Marcellus Cooper 12, Da'Shawn Hines 12, Jordan Barr 12, Richard Kay 12, Michael Walsh 12, Will Alfieri 12, Jake Funderburk 12, Brian Fulford 12, Brandon Fowler 11, Chris Patterson 11, Jake Mullen 10, Ja'Kye Womack 10, Jackson Tan 10, Daesean Ashley 9
Hamburg: Patrick Hart 12, Devon Crowley 12, Jack Lacina 12, Kevin Mahoney 12, Lucas Winslow 12, Jacob Genzel 11, Mark Henry 11, Brett Hall 11, Max Schuman 11, Jack Rettig 11, Evan Robillard 11, Marcus Wloch 11
West Seneca East: Anthony Roncone 12, Justin Gospodarski 12, Dominic Farszmil 12, Ryan Jasinski 12, Cedric Paulfrey 12, Payton Mroz 11, Dylan Deneka 11, Andrew Weiner 11, Greg Radka 11, Nick Birke 11, Christian Rodriguez 11, Chris Stineman 10, Zamari Mitchell 10
Sweet Home: Luke Pappogallo 12, Darryl Barrons 12, Kelsey Lash 12, Titus Fairclough 12, Stephon Trueheart 11, Ryan Harris 11, Anthony Frascatore 11, Brian Lovering 11, Jahad Abdo 11, Evan John 10, Ki'aiir Brunner 10, Maurice Robinson 10, Matthew Nix 10, Jamel Lucas 9
Williamsville East: Andrew Kleinmann 12, Drew Butler 12, Matt Gelder 12, Ali Khadra 12, Sean Keenan 11, Cameron Williams 11, Connor Williams 11, Nicholas Kieffer 11, Daniel Doyle 11, Seth Blum 11, Brian Comerford 11, Justin O'Neal 11, Patrick Ranallo 11, Brian Suk 11
Iroquois: Jack Edwards 12, Matt Whalen 12, Daniel Quinn 12, Tyler Tait 11, Andrew Hetzendorfer 11, Chris Perillo 11, S. Zachary Popovski 11, Josh Zon 11, Josh Kowalski 11, Luca Amarena 11, Charlie Ottomano 10, Maxwell Derrick 10
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ECIC III
The last time Cheektowaga won a division title in ECIC was 1963. With a talented, athletic, and experienced team led by the sensational Dominick Welch, the Warriors should be all in for a league title and more this season. Add Adrian Baugh, Vaughn Burdette, Alex Bryant, & Rudy Bragg to the mix, who all saw extended action last season, and the Warriors chances are as good as they've ever been. Maryvale may have just three seniors, but return seven players from a team that took two of three meetings against Cheektowaga last season. Look for the Flyers to be in the large school poll conversation this year. East Aurora has a strong group of seniors and four starters back, all with at least three years on varsity. Led by Nick Montgomery, the Blue Devils will grind through a very competitive league and be more than battle-tested when the sectional sparks start flying in Class B1. Starpoint joins ECIC IV this season, coming off a narrow loss to Lew-Port in the Class A2 semifinals in 2016. The Spartans return just one starter from that team, but the program has established an identity under coach Ben Scaffidi and should remain very competitive. Depew should be a fun team to watch, especially when its shots are falling as they attack from the perimeter. The Wildcats are led by junior Chad Biersbach and hope for strong contributions from junior Jordan Cieselski and sophomore Sean Miller. Jim Insley takes over as head coach at Pioneer and will have an opportunity to make the program his own - the team returns just four players with no experience in the starting lineup. Lake Shore drops into ECIC IV and has three seniors back. Eric Senior will be a dominant defensive player & a force on the boards, Andrew McDonagh will provide some offense, and Brave Williams is WNY's only player that is 7 feet tall. John Park will work hard inside, while Jay Brueckl provides a perimeter threat.
***
Cheektowaga: Dominick Welch 12, Adrian Baugh 12, Vaughn Burdette 12, Myquan Barron 12, Dontay Cox 12, Kyle Monterro 12, Alex Bryant 11, Rudy Bragg 11, Davon Brown 11, Tyreek Gibson 11, Tim Moses 11, Jaquan Pugh 11, Keon White 11
Maryvale: Ted York-Brown 12, Brian Sullivan 12, Adam Meyerhofer 12, Ray Blackwell 11, Dylan Casey 11, Zach Amato 11, Marquez Greene 11, Mark Bailey 11, Rashad Law 10, Sayvon Lash 10, Jay Henley 10, Tahron Goudelock 10
East Aurora: Josh Denz - 12, Nick Montgomery - 12, Joe Montgomery - 12, Cal McTigue - 12, Owen Smith 12, Liam Sheehan 12, Will Beavers 11, Kellan Wittman 11, Kam Kmicinski 10, Noah Denz 10, Connor Boss 9
Depew: Eric Jarrett - 12, Jacob Mlodozeniec - 12, John Mietus - 12, Tyler Biersbach - 12, Nolan Jarmusz 12, Hunter Shipley 12, Austin Pilley 12, Chad Biersbach - 11, Jeremy Clark 11, Jordan Cieselski 11, Davion Henderson 11, Jordan Hibbs 11, AJ Hammer 11, Dylan Cwiklinski 11, Zac Dwyer 11, Sean Miller 10
Starpoint: Adam Lasal - 12, David Clemons - 12, Derek Clemons - 12, Jeremy Arnold - 12, Hunter Lemieux 12, Austin Mennaghan 12, Kyle Schreader 11, Eric Schreader 11, Jake Walters 11, Brandon Wunderlich 11, Aaron Chase 10, Justin Mott 10, Brendan Gawel 10
Pioneer: Josh Taylor 12, Hunter Witt 12, Ben Kaczmarek 12, Chris Flood 12, Kyle Burley 11, Kaleb Hurlburt 11, Marcus MacWilliams 11, Jared Pemberton 11, Nick Rinker 10, Jason Corbett 10
Lake Shore: Andrew McDonaugh 12, Brave Williams 12, Eric Senior 12, Jacob John 11, Bryce Toth 11, Dakota Luke 11, Jay Brueckl 11, Kylie Mallory 11, Ryan Utley 11, John Park 11, Ajay Cybulski 10, Josh Buchanon 10
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ECIC IV
Lackawanna may be young with just three seniors, but they are not lacking for experience. The Steelers return six players that earned either Second Team All League or HM last season. Add to that the additional talent from a 16-2 JV squad, and Lackawanna looks poised to take the league back. Cleveland Hill defends ECIC IV league title with eight seniors on its roster. Veteran head coach Mike Trzybinski takes over at Alden, and will look to get the Bulldogs focused on every possession. With three of its top players back, Alden hopes to move into the top tier of its league. JFK graduated just one senior, but he will be a tough one to replace. The Bears hope to build on strong defensive play from last season and will look to juniors Nick Baker and Jake Braniecki for scoring. Tonawanda returns seven players, led by Zachary Stapf. Springville joins ECIC IV under second year coach Greg Miller with a deeper team at both the guard and post positions.
***
Lackawana: Jaevon Nelson 12, Jordan Pacillo 12, Trequan Giddens 12, London Smith 11, Noble Smith 11, Khalil Horton 11, Robert Rice 11, Abdul Albaneh 11, Danny Elvers 11, Terrell Brower 11, Carlton Threeths 10, Harris Bekric 10, Juan Rodriguez 10, Noah Grabar 10
Cleveland Hill: J'Son James 12, Chase Johnson 12, Tyler Phillips 12, Paul Woodward 12, Izayah Walker 12, Naszir Nance 12, Rashawn Hicks 12, DeVonte McGee 12, Matt LaCourse 11, Kellvonta Harris 11, Freddrick Michael Johnson 10, Aaron Wahler 10
Alden: Conrad Boucher 12, Gabe Kozak 12, Joshua Chester 12, Nathan Lund 12, Kyle Roy 12, Christian Snell 11, Riley Pastuszynski 11, Taylor Grad 11, Joshua Jeziorski 11, Bradley Kibler 11, Alexander Leigh 11, Matthew Schuh 11
JFK: Thomas Isbrandt - 12, Brandon Kohl - 12, Dalton Fischer - 12, Austin Nowinski 12, Connor Ricotta 12, Donta Daniels 12, Khaleed Wallace 12, Ke'von Bell 12, Jake Braniecki 11, Nick Baker 11, Jordan Snyder 11, Robert Burgstahler 11, Michael Nawojski 11
Tonawanda: Zachary Stapf 12, Trey Lilly 12, Nick Bitter 12, Adam Haentges 12, Charles Moore 12, Naz Gonzalez 12, Collin Smith 12, Henry Palermo 11, Marc Titterington 11, James Regdos 11, Joshua Mouton 11, Guage Considine 11, Khristian Velazquez 10, Hayden Lilly 10, Owen Baker 10
Springville: John Domes 12, Greg Cooney 12, Austin Coon 12, Connor O'Brien 12, Marcus James 12, Lexus Pollard 12, Tyler Kostelny 11, Anthony Lasker 11, Matt Sion 11, Michael Place 11, Peter Cooney 11, Mason Goodridge 10, Adam Pruitt 10
Holland: no information provided by coach
Eden: no information provided by coach
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Niagara Frontier League
Defending Class AA Champion, Niagara Falls, returns several players that saw significant time during last season's run. Syquan Ralands, who showed more than a few flashes as a sophomore, should emerge as one of the areas best interior players, with his combination of size, skill and intensity. North Tonawanda has much to be excited about, returning 12 players with varsity experience, led by junior Trevor Book. The Lumberjacks are deep, talented and play for each other with a unified team attitude. Kenmore West has an outstanding senior backcourt in Tyler Aquilina, Tal James, and Kyle LaPlante. Look for the Blue Devils to play fast, create opportunities with a dialed-in defense, and run. Grand Island has sectional wins in consecutive seasons and looks to extend that streak behind talented sophomore point guard Cam Sionko, who also quarterbacked the football team. Garrett Robinson is a third-year starter for the Vikings, who will also seek strong contributions from Mario Wright and JB Wilkes. Lockport has a good mix of juniors and seniors that will rely on speed to overcome a lack of any significant size. Niagara Wheatfield has seven players back, led by 6-5 senior Jaeger Martino and junior Anthony Ruffino. The Falcons point duties will be in the hands of 8th grader Jalen Bradberry, a player with a very big future in hoops, that will share the backcourt with sophomore Davon Ware. Life after Jernard Jackson won't be easy at Lew-Port, but Dawson Bailey, Dylan Milbrand, William Duff, and Steve Mansour are all back for the Lancers. CSAT is very young and athletic, excited to compete in the NFL. They have a mix of skill, athleticism, and size that should allow them to play fast and hard for 32 minutes.
***
Niagara Falls: Charles Lamar 12, Devin Sanders 12, Tyler Sanders 12, Jhamir Isom 12, Cortese Myles 12, Syquan Ralands 11, Jamel Burton 11, Marques Miller 11, Tazaun Rose 11, Quaran Dubois 11, Roderick Arrington 11
North Tonawanda: Alex Quinn 12, Brandon Casterline 12, Zack Woodard 12, Jordan Fox 12, Alex Johnson 12, Joseph Kish 12, Rory Farkas 12, Patrick Milbrand 12, Vincent Trippi 12, Trevor Book 11, Codie Cronk 11, Sean Ferry 11, Kyle McNeill 11
Kenmore West: Tyler Aquilina - 12, Tal James - 12, Kyle Laplante - 12, Kevin Carpenter 12, Tyler White 12, Rob Burns 12, Erick Rainey 11, Jake Poummit 11, Ronnie Martinez 11, Andrew Fron 11, Jaylan Young 11, Jack Stoerr 11, Jacob Robb 11, Dylan James 10
Niagara Wheatfield: Phillip Bassham - 12, Noah Klettke - 12, Emilio Tripp - 12, Jaeger Martino - 12, Matt Gibson - 12, Peter Mulcahy - 12, Anthony Ruffino - 11, William Scullion 11, Ben Devantier 11, Nick Cloudin 11, Jared Domaradzki 11, Davon Ware 10, Jalen Bradberry 8
Lockport: Anthonyo Lloyd 12, Cordell McDowell 12, Kyle Brown 12, Dorian Byrd 12, Tavon Chamber 12, Kya Doxey 12, Isiah Johnson 11, Rashaun Johnson 11, Luke Lawrence 11, Devin Leatherman 11, Tivon White 11, Malik Brooks 10, Jayln Jones 10
CSAT: Emeka Uzomba 12, Ricky Smith 12, Luis Dejesus 12, Mitch Middlebrooks 12, James Stehens 11, Jayden Gulledge 11, Deshawn Williams 11, Mark Greamen 11, Devin Ashley 11, Dayvion Johnson 10, Daighlyon Willoughby 10,
Grand Island: Conner Buzby 12, Garrett Robinson 12, JB Wilkes 12, Roman Cacciatore 12, Mario Wright 12, Ray Cleveland 12, Devin Brandon 12, Liam Carey 11, Derek Callen 11, Cam Sionko 10, JJ Wilkes 10
Lew-Port: Dylan Milbrand 12, Dawson Bailey 12, Liam Brennan 12, Gabe Colangelo 12, Steve Mansour 12, Ryan Swearengen 12, Dylan Morrissette 11, William Duff 11, Brendan Perreault 11, Joe Powers 10, Trent Scott 10
Kenmore East: no information provided by coach
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Niagara-Orleans
Medina looks to defend its league title and make a return trip to Buffalo State, behind returning All-Centercourt HM Jalin Cooper. The Mustangs will be tough in transition, and should benefit from the return of a pair of players who will play valuable minutes, after missing last season. With just two seniors, Newfane appears built for the future. But the Panthers are optimistic the future is underway, and for good reason. Their talented backcourt of Max Weber & Kyle DeVoogel should rival that of any small school in WNY. Barker has a new coach that is a veteran with a winning pedigree in Don Baker. His job will be made easier with talented senior guard Nate Luckman, one of the league's very best who can shake you down and bury shots from all over. Wilson returns eight players and also will have Justin Daul this season, who was forced out of action last year with a knee injury. Roy-Hart had its best season last year and played under the bright lights at Buffalo State in Class B2. The Rams bring back three talented players from last season's team in Tim Moriarity, Matt Borel, and Jake Bruning. Albion returns six players, including two that were part of the Purple Eagles' Section VI Class B1 title in 2015. Between their height and depth, they should make things interesting in league play. Akron fields a team with just two seniors, but returns several players as the Tigers look to see who will emerge for the program.
***
Medina: Tyler Howard 12, Tyrellis Atkins 12, Jalin Cooper 11, Mason Lewis 11, Alex Allis 11, Brendan Luthart 11, Jorge Phillips 11, Trenton Jones 11, Johnny Salone 10, Izaiah Rhim 10, Vincent Montague 10
Newfane: Caleb Russell 12, Albert Kramp 12, Max Weber 11, Kyle DeVoogel 11, Chad Dunbar 11, Connor Hill 11, Brandon Gross 11, Drew Boudeman 11, Samuel Auernhamer 11, Caleb Auernhamer 11, Thorne Geise 11, Cameron Stanton 11, Sam Kline 9
Barker: Nathan Luckman 12, Jake Arnold 12, Eddie Wasnock 12, Kyle Moeller 12, Shawn Callaghan 12, Devon Mangan 12, Ryan Voss 12, Nick Sutch 12, Derek Uschold 12, Jake Meister 12, Jack Hopkins 12, Austin Sullivan 11, Evan Ecker 11, Malik Smith 11
Wilson: Steve Lewis 12, Jonah Miller 12, Connor Seeley 12, Kevin Skavinsky 12, Kyle Wiesinger 12, Justin Daul 12, Mike Pazik 12, Jared Carney 11, Mac Musall 11, Matt Daul 11, Eric Britton 11, Nate Fox 11, Steve Frerichs 10
Roy-Hart: DJ Davis 12, Eric Fitch 12, Tim Moriarity 12, Justin Czaja 12, Paul Ragonese 12, Cam Meadows 12, Brendon Hess 12, Matt Borel 11, Jake Bruning 11, Jon Huntington 11, Noah Kindron 11, Charlie Brigham 10
Albion: Tommy Mattison 12, Kory Reynolds 12, Chase Hall 12, Lamar Chambers 12, Jacob Buzard 12, Tanner Ferris 12, Jacques Harrison 11, Hunter Webster 11, Bradley Sanford 11, Shyheim Jakes 11, Demetrius Gardner 11, Bryce Pritchard 10, Liam Ward 9
Akron: Elias Johnson 12, Austin Ladd 12, Weylon Abrams 11, Owen Hill 11, Derek Holtz 11, Nelson Logan 11, Morgan Smith 11, Ethan Martin 11, Mason Schultz 11, Wyatt Martin 11, Stephen Wagner 11
**************************************
CCAA I West
Olean mowed down the competition last season, took an undefeated record to Glens Falls, and left with its second state championship since 2008. With just one starter back (Monty Shoemaker) and a move up to Class A2, things will be tougher for the Huskies this season. Sophomore Mike Schmidt takes over at the point after being a Sixth Man of the Year candidate as a freshman. Chautauqua Lake is a team that should be on everyone's radar. The Thunderbirds return four starters, including Devin Pope who was All-CC Honorable Mention as a sophomore, to the squad that eliminated East and dropped a three-point thriller in the Class C1 final to Olmsted. Dunkirk will be young but hungry, coming off a great football season a the school. They had a very good JV team last year and return some key contributors. Fredonia will be very young and inexperienced at the varsity level, returning only one player (Lucas Voss) who saw significant time during last season's sectional run.
***
Olean: Monty Shoemaker 12, Luke Rogers 12, Derek Dandrea 12, Johnathan Magro 12, Tristen Snyder 12, Zach Parr 11, Luke Chapman 11, Alex Jodush 11, Thomas Klein 11, Mike Schmidt 10, Josh Bihler 10, Matt Droney 10
Chautauqua Lake: Bryce Bentley 12, Drew Gleason 12, Nate Hammond 12, Tyler Meredith 12, Nate Rivera 12, Collin Sargent 12, Aaron Swan 12, Joel Vinciguerra 12, Reagan Ellis 11, Devin Pope 11, Collin Wood 11, Alex Gleason 10, Kyler Majka 11
Dunkirk: Tyreek Buchanon Ruiz 12, Evon Hernandez 12, Caleb Rasmus 12, Seth Rasmus 12, Jarrett Waclawski 12, Devaun Farnham DeJesus 11, Darnell Butts 11, Issiah Velez 11, Andre Lockett 11, Noah Sobilo 11, Tyreese Kristan-Johnson 11, Rahleek Moseley 11, Felix Garcia 11, Quantavius Kleckley 10
Fredonia: Lucas Voss 12, Azeem Zaidi 12, Nick Ruckman 12, Nick Piper 12, Matt Tintsman 11, Jared Kowalski 11, Reid Tarnowski 11, Brendan Plaister 11, John Delrio 11, Bo Huggins 11, Andrew Field 11, Nate Shuart 10, Nicholas Pucci 10
Maple Grove: no information provided by coach
Southwestern: no information provided by coach
Falconer: no information provided by coach
*****************************************
CCAA I East
Randolph has four starters back on the team that led Middle College at half of the Class C2 Final at JCC. Add freshman sniper Tyler Hind to the mix, who spent his 8th grade season playing valuable minutes at Jamestown and the return of former head coach Kevin Hind, and the Cardinals could be dangerous. They have a mix of everything, including size, toughness, scoring, and experience. With talent at all skilled positions, Gowanda is hoping to repeat as league champions and make a stronger showing during the playoffs this upcoming season. The Panthers return a pair of starters in Nate Brawdy and Dakota Perdue, that will anchor the backcourt and post, respectively. Silver Creek graduated four starters and lost a fifth to prep school for lacrosse. The Black Knights have made it to the Section VI finals six concecutive years and will continue to play an uptempo style offense behind speedy Chris Williams, Tucker Gates and freshman Dom Jamison. They will rely heavily on their bigs, Brady Woeleben and Bryant Jones, for leadership and points in the paint. Allegany-Limestone has just one starter back in Zach Hemphill, but the Gators will have quality depth, thanks to the underclassmen additions from a 17-1 JV team. Two seasons ago at Portville, the JV team finished 17-2. That same unit hits this varsity season with three returning starters and two of its three leading scorers back. Salamanca is a senior laden team that returns seven players, including three starters, and will look to dictate the pace of games with defensive pressure.
***
Gowanda: Matt Kruszka 12, Matthew Dodolak 12, Lauritz Predelli 12, Nate Brawdy 11, Dakota Perdue 11, Jarmani Benton 11, Ryan John 11, Stevie John 11, Nolan Rosier 11, Max Lindgren 11, Tristan Jensen 11, Damen MacLeod 10, Efrain Barreto 9
Randolph: Jarrett Lecceadone 12, Jake Beaver 12, Nick Martonis 12, John Ling 12, Kaleb Frink 12, Isaac Wakefield 11, Kane Carlson 11, Dakota Donaldson 11, Tres Sherman 11, Jordan Higbee 11, Joe Carlson 11, Calvin George 11, Andrew Bernard 10, Tyler Hind 9
Portville: Ron Lott 12, Colin Kloc 12, Nick Stein 12, Donovan Gayton 12, Jaeden Harris 11, Jonah Watson 11, Brendan Tobola 11, Kyle Murray 11, Adam Wray 11, Izack Kauhl 10
Salamanca: Michael Collins 12, Zeus Enriquez 12, Derek McClure 12, Nelson Rivera 12, Jake DeKay 12, Chandler Armstrong 12, Marc Canella 12, Steve Jimerson 12, Jay Nosie 12, Joe Sherlock 12, Hercules Rasha 11, Braden Siebert 11, Tyler Hedlund 10
Allegany-Limestone: Zach Hemphill 12, Jordan Moore 12, Mike McMullen 12, Marcus Grove 12, Sean McAfee 11, Grant Davis 11, Roman Napoleon 11, Michael Nye 11, Tommy Moran 11, Brad Barton 11, Sam Flanders 10, Conner Golley 10, Casey Curran 9, Michael Wolfgang 9
Silver Creek: Toby Daminguez 12, Noah Restivo 12, Chris Williams 12, Dylan Slaght 12, Eagle-Eye Stevens 12, Bryant Jones 12, Chad Yochum 11, Tom Galfo 11, Tucker Gates 10, Braeden Woleben 10, Dominic Jamison 9
**********************************************
CCAA II West
Sherman has a lot of depth & speed, and will use both of those qualities to its advantage. Senior Chris Robson is one of the very best shooters in WNY. Panama is coming off its best season in program history - one that ended with a tough loss in Glens Falls. The Panthers graduated all five starters from that team, one that could shoot the lights out. Look for them to pound the ball inside more this season and for this group to find its own identity. Brocton lost four key starters from last year that will be difficult to replace, and hope the leadership of Garrett McFadden & Johnethen Spicer are able to steady the ship as the younger players develop.
***
Sherman: Chris Robson 12, Kolby Parks 12, Kyle Carpenter 12, Mike Delcamp 12, Korey Ayers 12, Johnny Mendoza 12, Brandon Nickerson 12, Jared Gleason 11, Gavin Kahle 11, Tanner Ramsey 11, Dylan Mitchell 11, Caleb Burick 11, Darren Kopta 11, Chance Meeder 10
Clymer: Dylan Neckers 12, Dylan Davis 12, Justin Svetz 12, Josh Van Earden 12, Henry Sullivan 12, Dan Gustafson 12, Colt Miller 12, James Wade 12, Mackenzie Bestine 12, Dustin Neckers 11
Panama: Tristen Frye 12, Nolan Eggleston 12, Dylan Marsh 12, Lucas Golden 12, Devyn Chase 12, Jacob Smith 12, Tom Delahoy 12, Carter Morse 12
Brocton: Garrett McFadden 12, Johnethen Spicer 12, Tyler DeRosier 12, William Powless 12, Gabe Rosas 11, Hunter Rizzo 11, Charles Rexford 11, Jason Caldwell 11, Tim O'Dell 11, Riley Rivera 10, Ronald Brown 10
Westfield: no information provided by coach
Frewsburg: no information provided by coach
Cassadaga Valley: no information provided by coach
**********************************************
CCAA II East
Ellicottville has its top three scorers back from a season ago, including junior big man Elliot Bowen, an All-Centercourt HM who also led the team in boards, averaging a double-double. The Eagles lost to state semifinalist Panama in the Class D Final in March, and hope a beefed up nonleague schedule has them ready to defend their league title and then take the next step. Pine Valley will be fast and athletic, with four starters back. The Panthers are led by Dylan Chase, an All-State Honorable Mention as a junior that averaged 15 ppg. Sam Erickson leads a Franklinville team that should contend in both league and Class D. Brock Blecha will add to the team's athleticism, while Isaac Kopp can really shoot the ball and will be counted on for more rebounding this year. Cattaraugus/Little Valley has a core of seniors back, including Kellen Martin, along with some nice size from the junior class joining the team. North Collins looks to improve upon scoring through a faster tempo and better defense, and improve upon last season's total in the win column. Forestville has six players back after falling in the postseason to Panama and will look to improve its win total and make some noise in league play.
***
Ellicottville: Chad Boldt 12, Elliot Bowen 11, Austin Grinols 11, Griffin Chudy 11, Deric Leiper 11, Noah Stuve 11, Mitchell Sexton 11, Matt Grigsby 11, Evan Palmatier 11, Cody Keller 11, Robert Neumann 11, RJ Alvarez 11, Steven Rowland 10
Franklinville: Tyler Pitner 12, Dylan Pixley 12, DJ Pfeiffer 12, Tim Knight 12, Isaac Kopp 11, Sam Erickson 11, Brock Blecha 11, Dylan Burton 11, Kaleb Watts 11, Darren Clark 11, Josh Haskell 7
Pine Valley: Dylan Chase 12, Austin Butcher 12, Trent Mihalko 11, Zachary Mansfield 11, Stephen Crisanti 11, Robbie Clutter 11, Dakota Loop 11, Ben Distasio 11, Marcus Cislo 11, Bayley Finch 10
Cattaraugus/Little Valley: Kellen Martin 12, Andrew Hutchison 12, TJ Southwick 12, Drew Stevens 12, Robert Blakely 12, Christian Given 12, Cooper Pritchard 12, Austin Baker 11, Andrew Minnekine 11, Jacob Goodenow 11, Tim Ulinger 11, Scott O'Donnell 11, Anthony Manning 11, Cody Luder 11
Forestville: Austin Pierce 12, Pat Parker 12, Trent Hartloff 12, Liam O'Brien 12, Bret Weaver 12, Kalvin Stanbro 12, Phil Narraway 11, Hector West 11, Brent Geise 11, Lewis Markham 11, Luke Szumigala 10, Travis Drozdziel 10, Macadam Gadewoltz 10
North Collins: Harley Mehnert 12, Zachary Schroeder 12, Sabian Bosinski 12, Dylan Mercado 12, Eli Strauss 12, Michael Gullo 11, Trevor Mercado 11, Kevin Spicola 11, Tanner Loretto 11, Brandan Zielinski 11, Alec Pagels 11
********************************************
Charter Schools
Health Sciences will be a lot like they were last season - fast, athletic, deep, and talented. The bad news for Falcons' opponents, they should be even better this year. Juniors Tyron Lott and Davonte Gaines, along with sophomore Kameron Briggs, can all fill the net up. At Oracle, Michael Ernst takes the reigns as head coach and will be led by Shakur Bridges, a Second Team All-charter selection as a junior.
***
Health Sciences: Kavon Fears 12, Wize Threat 12, Jaqon Renfro 12, Tajh Dickson 12, Antwan Stewart 12, Jaden Horn 12, Amon Smith 12, Jerome Costner 12, Davonte Gaines 11, Tyron Lott 11, Tayvion Nelson 11, Aquell Crosby 11, Shakir Cook 11, Tyseen Lott 10, Kameron Briggs 10
Oracle: Shakur Bridges 12, Cheron Wilson 12, David Edwards 12, Abdi Ahmed 12, Joe Perez 11, Gary Marshall 11, James Myree Jr 11, Delmareion White 11, Bonifasi Luundo 11, Aaron Rogers 11, Steve Simpson Jr 11, Dontae Acker 11
BASCS: Julian Johnson 12, Deonte Brown 12, Jovonte Davis 12, Wayne Carter 12, Georges Cortez 12, Jamie Eutsey 12,Milan Taznum 11, Trevor Mosley 11, Sean Johnson 10, Ibrahim osmani 10, Jabari Nettles 10, Jaquan Wingard 10
Tapestry: no information provided by coach
Maritime: no information provided by coach
Global Concepts: no information provided by coach
*****************************************
Teams with New Coaches
Darren Fenn - Nichols
Michael Trzybinski - Alden
Don Baker - Barker
Jim Insley - Pioneer
Kevin Hind - Randolph
Geoff Hurley - Riverside
Adam Bennett - Salamanca
Aaron Emley - Southwestern
Matt Marinaro - West Seneca West
Brian Ellsworth - Maritime
Russ Barnes - Global Concepts
Jeff Liebner - Tapestry
Michael Ernst - Oracle
Gerald Briggs - BASCS
Randy Rakowski - Emerson
*********************************************
Classification Changes
West Seneca West moves down from Class AA to Class A1
South Park moves down from Class A1 to Class A2
Olean moves up from Class B1 to Class A2
Riverside moves down from Class A2 to Class B1
Emerson moves up from Class B2 to Class B1
I-Prep moves up from Class B2 to Class B1
MST Seneca moves up from Class B2 to Class B1
Fredonia moves up from Class B2 to Class B1
Medina moves down from Class B1 to Class B2
Lafayette moves down from Class B1 to Class B2
Eden moves down from Class B1 to Class B2
Buffalo Arts moves up from Class C1 to Class B2
Middle College moves up from Class C2 to Class B2
Olmsted moves up from Class C1 to Class B2
Falconer moves down from Class B2 to Class C1
DaVinci moves down from Class B2 to Class C1
Portville moves up from Class C2 to Class C1
East moves down from Class C1 to Class C2
Westfield moves up from Class D to Class C2
**********************************************
Preseason Polls
** While I have a good idea of which teams will be good and challenge for league and sectional titles, putting the top 10 large & small schools together in order before I've seen anyone play is definitely shooting with my back to the basket. I've included a group of teams outside of the top 10 in both polls that I think could be/should be/will be in the poll at some point this season. It's going to be an ultra competitive season in every regard - there is not a clear cut favorite in any league or class this season.
Large Schools
1. Canisius (MMA)
2. Park (MMA)
3. Niagara Falls (AA)
4. Timon (MMA)
5. Williamsville South (A1)
6. St. Francis (MMA)
7. South Park (A2)
8. Jamestown (AA)
9. Cheektowaga (A2)
10. McKinley (A1)
(Olean, North Tonawanda, Maryvale, Lancaster, St. Joe's, Kenmore West, Amherst)
Small Schools
1. East Aurora
2. Health Sciences
3. Middle College
4. Medina
5. Cardinal O'Hara
6. East
7. Nichols
8. Gowanda
9. Newfane
10. Randolph
(Ellicottville, Chautauqua Lake, Lackawanna, Sherman, MST Seneca, Cleveland Hill, Olmsted, Dunkirk)
********************************************
Predictions
MMA Class A - Canisius
MMA Class B - Cardinal O'Hara
Yale Cup I - South Park
Yale Cup II - MST Seneca
ECIC I - Jamestown
ECIC II - Williamsville South
ECIC III - Cheektowaga
ECIC IV - Lackawanna
NFL - Niagara Falls
N-O - Medina
CCAA I West - Olean
CCAA I East - Gowanda
CCAA II West - Sherman
CCAA II East - Ellicottville
Charters - Health Sciences
***********************************************
Manhattan Cup (A)
This is as competitive as I've ever this league heading into a season, with all five teams capable of beating one another. When all the dust settles, I'm predicting a rematch of last season's Manhattan Cup Final between Canisius & Park. This has been an area of weakness for me, as I've missed on predicting the correct winner for three straight seasons. In 2014, I went with Canisius, who was upset by eventual winner Nichols in the semifinals. The following season I predicted Nichols to win it all, but they lost a thriller in the final to Canisius. Last year I went with Park, who also lost a thriller to Canisius. So this should be viewed as good news if you're Timon, St. Joe's, St. Francis, or Park, but I'm not picking against the Crusaders this year.
** Canisius **
Manhattan Cup (B)
Last season, Walsh and St. Mary's were both state ranked all season and appeared on a collision course to play for a third time in the Manhattan Cup Final. But the Lancers were not the same team by the time the postseason began and Walsh was stunned in the semifinals by eventual champion Nichols. While I feel uneasy picking against Walsh & St. Mary's, that's what I'm going to do. I'm calling for a final between Nichols and Cardinal O'Hara, with the champ repeating.
** Nichols **
Class AA
Final Four to reach Buffalo State:
Niagara Falls, Jamestown, Kenmore West, & Lancaster
** Niagara Falls **
Class A1
Final Four to reach Buffalo State: Williamsville South, McKinley, North Tonawanda, & Hamburg
** Williamsville South **
Class A2
Final Four to reach Buffalo State:
South Park, Cheektowaga, Olean, & Maryvale
** South Park **
Class B1
Final Four to reach Buffalo State:
East Aurora, Newfane, MST Seneca, & Depew
** East Aurora **
Class B2
Final Four to reach Buffalo State:
Health Sciences, Middle College, Medina, & Gowanda
** Health Sciences **
Class C1
Final Four to reach JCC:
Chautauqua Lake, Cleveland Hill, Portville, & Salamanca
** Chautauqua Lake **
Class C2
Final Four to reach JCC:
East, Randolph, Barker, & Maple Grove
** East **
Class D
Final Four to reach JCC:
Ellicottville, Sherman, Franklinville, & Clymer
** Ellicottville **
-centercourt
Saturday, November 19, 2016
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
NYSSWA State Rankings - Final for 2016
The final state rankings of the season have been released by the NYSSWA. Below are the Far Western Region teams that made the cut:
Class AA
Aquinas #2
Fairport #15
Class A
Canisius #2
Park #6
Williamsville South #15
Batavia #16
Amherst #17
Pittsford Sutherland #18
Greece Athena #20
McKinley #24
Class B
Olean #2
Fredonia #12
Wellsville #14
North Rose-Wolcott #17
Walsh #18
St. Mary's #23
Health Sciences #25
Class C
Middle College #1
Early College #2
Northstar Christian #6
East Rochester #10
Olmsted #12
Perry #16
Class D
Panama #3
CG Finney #7
York #12
Genesee Valley #13
Elba #17
Ellicottville #20
Franklinville #21
** According to the rankings...
- The Canisius vs. Aquinas, Canisius vs Park, and Park vs. Aquinas games were the type of elite level NYS games we thought they were. Aquinas lost in the Class AA Federation Championship game by just seven points. Canisius defeated the Lil Irish twice, Aquinas beat Park by five, and Canisius needed overtime to move past Park for the Manhattan Cup.
- McKinley took a bit of a snub. With the Macks' only loses coming to Canisius and South (by four), they end up #24 in NYS Class A, behind #17 Amherst, who fell to the Billies by 10. With South, Batavia, & Amherst all bunched together in consecutive slots, McKinley seems a little far down seven spots behind Amherst.
- From the start of the season to the NYSPHAA Class B State Championship game, Fredonia was the only team to lose to Olean by single digits...and they did it all three times they played, including an overtime loss by two. Yet for whatever reason, they end up #12 in NYS Class B, behind the likes of Marlboro & Hudson who the Huskies knocked off by double figures, Bishop Grimes who struggled with Marlboro, and three other teams that didn't even reach Glens Falls. Sorry Neil Kerr, but even if you want to throw a bone to the other three teams that reached Glens Falls in Class B, the next team in line that didn't reach Glens Falls HAD to be Fredonia. You dropped the ball on that one big time. Do your research or listen to the Section VI rep who probably told you the same thing I'm saying!!!
- Championships don't matter to the panel, apparently. Nichols wins the Class B Manhattan Cup and ends up unranked, while Walsh & St. Mary's get in. If it's all about regular season records, don't have a postseason tournament.
- All season long, I mocked the Class C rankings for picking a new flavor of the week, while Middle College struggled to get in and then hovered around the middle of the Class C rankings because of the all-important record. Scoreboard!
- Staying with Class C for a moment, after seeing what was waiting for Middle College at Glens Falls and coming from WNY, we had it going on in Class C. Teams like Silver Creek, Chautauqua Lake, East, Tapestry, Randolph, and Portville are all deserving of being in the top 20 and could have competed in that state tournament.
- Panama finished at #3 in Class D, which is right where I would have had them also. Excellent season for the Panthers and the best in program history.
For complete state rankings, click here.
-centercourt
Sunday, February 21, 2016
Walsh wraps up division title
There's a small private school tucked in the City of Olean, called Archbishop Walsh. While many casual fans in the Buffalo area haven't seen them play because the school is located so far south, by now, everyone has at least heard of the Eagles. They've been the #2 ranked small school in WNY for most of the season, and after winning three games in three days, they are division champions of the Monsignor Martin's Class B for the first time since 2003.
Walsh won all four quarters at St. Mary's, earning a 66-42 victory. The win gives the Eagles the number one seed in the upcoming Manhattan Cup playoffs.
The Eagles took a bit to get going, as St. Mary's honored its seniors prior to the start of the game and took the court with noticeably more energy. After winning the opening quarter, 11-9, the Eagles gave up the first bucket of the second quarter, tying the game at 11-11, and prompting a timeout.
"We looked like we were running in slow motion in the beginning of the game," said Walsh coach Andy Moore.
An 11-3 run ensued, with Adam Moore scoring six of the eight points, to push the Walsh lead to 22-14. Moore and Christian Churakos combined for seven unanswered points late in the half as the Eagles took a double figure lead to halftime, 31-21. The Eagles started playing smarter basketball, and began looking like the Walsh team that I marvel at each time I watch them. I call them deliberately deliberate.
"That's our thing - ball movement," said Moore. "You look at us during warm-ups and we're not much to look at. I tell everybody 'we're small, but we're slow - we're just going to try to out-slow you, move the ball, and play smart."
The Lancers managed to hang around for much of the third quarter, and were within nine points late in the frame, before Walsh finished the quarter on an 8-3 run to take a 50-36 advantage. Tavien Kemp began the final stanza with a traditional three-point play and went on to score nine of his 15 points over the final eight minutes, as the Eagles poured it on, outscoring St. Mary's 16-6 and allowing just two field goals.
Churakos led the way with a game-high 20 points for the Eagles, including a pair of 3-pointers, but most of his damage came from the interior.
"Churakos had a great game," said St. Mary's coach Paul Rath. "He owned the paint on us."
Moore finished the game with 16 points, and went over 1,000 points for his career in the process. Being one of the Moore brothers comes with a lot of expectations in WNY high school basketball circles. His oldest brother Zack was a 1,000 point scorer at Olean, while brothers Sam & Alex also starred for the Huskies, with Sam winning a state championship and earning MVP honors in 2008. For Adam, becoming just the second 1,000 point scorer among his siblings elevates his status at future family outings.
"It's good bragging rights to have," Moore said.
The Eagles will begin postseason play on Thursday night at Villa Maria College, where they will face the winner of Cardinal O 'Hara versus Nichols in the Manhattan Cup Class B play-in game. Coach Moore pointed out that any team in the Monsignor Martin is capable of beating another on any given night and hopes for the same commitment to slow & smart basketball the team has won with all season, in the playoffs.
"We're not a dominant team, we're not going to just show up and beat people," Moore said.
If we can't call the Eagles dominant after going unbeaten in the Class B division, knocking off Timon & St. Joe's, and being a state ranked Class B team all season, then I'll settled for impressive. Extremely impressive.
Point Totals:
Walsh: Christian Churakos 20, Adam Moore 16, Tavien Kemp 15, Noah Watson 8, Latrell Butler-Kemp 5, Charlie Kafka 2
St. Mary's: Kayson Hill 9, Daquan Hunt 9, Eric Brown 7, Matt Ciezski 6, Brady O'Brien 6, Christian Szablewski 5
-centercourt
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
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
NYSSWA State Rankings - Week 10 - 2016
The tenth state rankings for the 2016 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 #6
Amherst #7
Williamsville South #11
McKinley #14
Class B
Olean #1
Walsh #13
St. Mary's #14
Health Sciences #20
Fredonia #23
Class C
Middle College #7
Tapestry #14
Cleveland Hill #19
Class D
Panama #10
Franklinville #13
** According to the rankings...
- Section V now has four teams ranked in Class AA, after Bishop Kearney entered the top 25. Canisius, Park, Amherst, & Timon all beat the Kings this season, while Niagara Falls, St. Joe's, & East all fell to Kearney.
- In NYS Class A, WNY has five of the top 14 teams. After Greece Athena, Section VI now has the next three public schools, meaning the top four public schools in NYS all hail from the Far West Region. Whichever team emerges from our Class A will face Greece Athena at Buff State in the 'de facto' NYSPHAA State championship. The winner gets Canisius in the Federation Championship. Remember, this is according to the rankings.
- Section V has the top two teams ranked in NYS Class C. That means the sectional championship between them (Northstar Christian & East Rochester) would also be a de facto state championship. That is until they get to the regional at Buff State to find Middle College waiting for them, where the Kats will extend Section VI's winning streak in the Class C regional to seven years. According to Neil Kerr, even a state championship would only get Middle College's record to 20-7 and he would still think Northstar Christian was better because of its stellar 23-2 record.
- Cleveland Hill enters the rankings again in Class C, landing at #19. They made a one-week appearance a few weeks ago, but were dropped after losing to Cardinal O'Hara. My reason for never having Cleveland Hill ranked locally this year was they had no wins vs. ranked small schools, but had three losses to unranked small schools (Dunkirk, Nichols, & O'Hara). However, finishing the season with wins over Eden, JFK, Tonawanda, Alden, & Depew got their record to 15-5, and the panel loves a good record. Had they noticed Olmsted's 16-4 record in the same class, the Owls might have swooped into these rankings as well.
- Franklinville remained ranked #13 in NYS Class D, despite losing to unranked Ellicottville last week, finishing second to them in the same division, and surrendering the #2 seed in Class D, while falling to the #3 seed. It's all about records for the state rankings.
For complete NYSSWA State Rankings, click here.
-centercourt
Monday, February 15, 2016
Poll Ballots - 2016 - Week 10
(Jamestown turned a rebuilding year into another league title & another run at a crown in Class AA / Photo by James McCoy)
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.
** This in the last poll until the 'Final Poll', which will be out after the season is over.
Large Schools
1. Canisius (MMA) - Three league wins away from a fourth consecutive undefeated regular season in the Monsignor Martin.
2. Park (MMA) - It's crazy to me that any pollster has voted someone other than Park at the #2 spot. It can't be Amherst - they lost on a neutral court to the Pioneers. It can't be McKinley - they lost to Canisius by more points in one game than Park lost to Canisius in two games. The Pioneers' only loses this season were all by single digits (Canisius x 2 & Aquinas). No other team can touch their laundry list of quality wins either: Bishop Kearney, a pair of 20-point wins over Timon, Niagara Falls, Starpoint, Walsh, St. Mary's, Middle College, & Health Sciences.
3. Amherst (A2) - Finally got a some competition for the first time in two months, as Jamestown visited on Thursday night. The Tigers won the game by nine points to tune up for a 'Glens Falls or bust' mission.
4. Williamsville South (A1) - Undefeated champions of ECIC II and the top seed in Class A1 after sweeping Starpoint with a 17-point win on Thursday. The Billies' focus now shifts directly to McKinley.
5. McKinley (A1) - The Macks finished the regular season off with a second straight Yale Cup Championship, after winning their 26th straight city game. They have revenge on their minds, after Will South ended their season in the Class A1 semifinals last season. A rematch with the Billies would only be the third ranked large school McKinley played this year (the others were Canisius & North).
6. Timon (MMA) - Rebounded from a 12-point loss at Canisius to win by 14 points at St. Francis. The Tigers will look to figure out a way past Park in the Manhattan Cup playoffs in a quest to reach a third final in four seasons.
7. Jamestown (AA) - They just keep creeping up as they continue to improve. After gaining a share of the ECIC I title with North, the Red Raiders will go after what seemed nearly unthinkable in early December - another title in Class AA. After winning five of the last six, I'm not betting against it.
8. Niagara Falls (AA) - Completed an undefeated campaign in the NFL and snagged the top seed in Class AA after their ECIC I foes took turns beating each other up. The Wolverines find out if their nonleague schedule against teams like Vaughan, Park, Bishop Kearney, & Father Henry Carr made them better when they attempt to bring the Section VI hardware back to Falls.
9. Williamsville North (AA) - In a must-win regular season finale on senior night, the Spartans scored a convincing victory over Lancaster to earn a share of ECIC I with Jamestown. Now they are a win away from potentially meeting up with the Red Raiders on the big court at Buff State for the ultimate rubber match.
10. Starpoint (A2) - At this point in the season, when you get to this last spot, there are several teams that could make an argument to be here. I went with the Spartans, who I think are the best team after the nine ahead of them and who I project to be battling with Amherst on Championship Saturday at 3:30 pm.
Small Schools
1. Olean (B1) - For just the second time in school history, Olean finished the regular season undefeated (20-0). The last time was 2006, when they lost the Class A2 final to Maryvale. I made a bold 25-0 arrival at Glens Falls prediction December 13th, that I'm very comfortable with.
2. Walsh (MMA) - Moved to 17-4 on the year with wins over Niagara Catholic and St. Joe's last week. The Eagles host Timon on Thursday - a team that their neighbors in the city of Olean (yes, the undefeated Huskies) beat by 15 at Timon without Ben Eckstrom. I throw that out there because I've heard much made of the matchup between Olean & Walsh that will never happen - with many believing Walsh would win it. That leaves me to offer scores from common opponents as we speculate on how the game would go. The only other common opponent this year was Maryvale. Olean won at home by 35, Walsh won on a neutral court by eight.
3. St. Mary's (MMA) - Snow delayed the 'Game of the Week' that the Lancers were set to host on Friday. Now, St. Mary's faces a week with games against Canisius & Walsh, before the Manhattan Cup playoffs begin on Sunday.
4. Health Sciences (B2) - Lost out on a game with Lancaster due to Friday's snow, which moved the Falcons to the #4 seed in Class B2. That meant they avoided a quarterfinal matchup with Fredonia.
5. Middle College (C2) - I predicted the Kats to win the Yale Cup this year. After losing in OT at McKinley and again by two at home on Thursday, they came up just short of that. A run to Glens Falls in Class C to claim a state championship would make that a big fat whatever for Middle College, who came into this season with that goal in mind and the seniors to make it happen.
6. Fredonia (B2) - The best team in the sectionals with a #6 seed or lower will have to beat Southwestern for a second time (and for the first time at home after the Trojans won in Fredonia by two earliuer this year), then win at Gowanda to make it back to Buff State. The Hillbillies road to a sectional title is not an easy one this year.
7. East (C1) - Not the same East team of recent years, with a very young group that plays up & down. After leading McKinley all game and ultimately losing by two, the Panthers go to South Park and get beat up pretty handily. A very intriguing quarterfinal against Chautauqua Lake and Devin Pope looms, and the Panthers are not used to long bus rides. They have won eight sectional titles in the last nine years, but all those came at Buff State. Now in Class C1, the road to 9 in 10 years now goes through the Southern Tier and ends at JCC.
8. Gowanda (B2) - The Panthers won CCAA I East, their first league title in hoops in 30 years. After finishing with a 17-3 record, they will likely host Fredonia on Friday, who would easily be the best team they've faced all season. That game seems to be calling me.
9. East Aurora (B1) - The Blue Devils have only won two of their last six games heading into sectionals, however, they've been facing Class A schools and state ranked Livonia in Class B during that stretch. They could have to show the would have won the N-O to reach the Class B1 final, with potential matchups with Newfane & Medina setting up in the Class B1 bracket.
10. Tapestry (C1) - The defending Class C1 champions get a return trip to JCC with a win over Bennett on Friday night, and find themselves on the same side of the bracket as Olmsted if they make it back.
-centercourt
Saturday, February 13, 2016
Brackets Central - 2016
Below are links to each bracket & the 2016 Sectional Preview, along with links to all postseason articles.
Brackets Central 2015 Brackets Central 2014 Brackets Central 2013 Brackets Central 2012 Brackets Central 2011
Olean Huskies - Undefeated State Champs
Middle College Kats - 2016 State Champs
South falls short in Glens Falls
Olean's on the brink of history
Middle College now one win away
Panama unable to finish at Glens Falls
Section VI All-Tournament Teams - 2016
Olean & East Aurora are on to the B1 Final
McKinley wins in OT, Fredonia & Health Sciences for B2 title
Jamestown survives, Falls rolls, & South back in A1 Final
Class A2 Semifinals: Lew-Port & Amherst advance
Lancaster is going back to Buff State
Newfane advances to quarterfinals
State Rankings heading into postseason
-centercourt
Tuesday, February 09, 2016
NYSSWA State Rankings - Week 9 - 2016
The ninth state rankings for the 2016 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 #6
Amherst #7
Williamsville South #12
McKinley #16
Class B
Olean #1
Walsh #14
St. Mary's #15
Health Sciences #20
Fredonia #25
Class C
Middle College #7
Tapestry #15
Class D
Panama #11
Franklinville #13
** According to the rankings...
- There are at least four teams from Section V's Class AA that are better than whoever wins the title this year in Section VI. Aquinas, Rochester East, & Fairport are all ranked, while Bishop Kearney is on par with those schools and just beat Fairport last night.
- The NYS Class A Federation Championship game would be Class A #1 Greece Athena vs. #2 Canisius.
- After Greece Athena, Section V has no teams ranked, while Section VI has three teams ranked, along with the two teams from the MMA (Canisius & Park).
- Olean would see North Rose-Wolcott (Section V) in the regionals.
- Olean & Walsh are both projected to win state championships. If that happened, they just might meet up at the Federation Tournament.
- There are two teams from Section V ranked ahead of Middle College, and one of them (Northstar Christian) is ranked #1 in the state. Yes, they are a private school in Class C.
- Section V also has two teams from Class D ranked ahead of Panama & Franklinville.
- Based on state rankings, Section VI will go 1-4 at regionals, but Olean will win a state championship. State rankings also currently predict state championships for Canisius & Walsh as well.
For complete NYSSWA State Rankings, click here.
-centercourt
Monday, February 08, 2016
Poll Ballots - 2016 - Week 9
(Fredonia nearly upset Olean last week, while St. Mary's prepares for Walsh on Friday / Photo by Ron Szot)
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) - Not only the best team in WNY, but one of the best defensive teams I've ever watched. Holding Park to 21 points over three quarters wasn't exciting to watch, but it sure was impressive. Hosting Timon on Tuesday and then visiting St. Joe's Friday night.
2. Park (MMA) - Rebounded nicely from the Canisius loss with an interior-dominating win at Timon on Friday. Tonight they travel to Aquinas to face the Lil Irish, ranked #8 in NYS Class AA.
3. Amherst (A2) - The Tigers haven't faced a team currently ranked in WNY's large school top 10 since losing to Park in December. That changes Thursday night, when Jamestown arrives for a nonleague sectional tuneup against the ECIC III champs.
4. Williamsville South (A1) - Last season, the Billies won ECIC II despite a home loss to Starpoint. On Thursday night, the two will square off on Main Street again, where a South win would again give them the outright league title.
5. McKinley (A1) - The Macks escaped East High with a victory after trailing the Panthers all game on Tuesday night. That means a win at Middle College on Thursday gives them the Yale Cup all to themselves.
6. Timon (MMA) - The Tigers have established themselves as a clear #3 in the MMA Class A after sweeping St. Joe's, but losing a second time to Park. They get another shot at Canisius on Tuesday and then travel to play the red hot Red Raiders at St. Francis on Friday.
7. Niagara Falls (AA) - Had a more than respectable showing against Canadian power Father Henry Carr on Saturday night, after locking up another league championship in the NFL.
8. Jamestown (AA) - Put some pressure on ECIC I leader Williamsville North by handing the Spartans their first league loss of the season on Tuesday. Zacc Kinsey's long 3-pointer at the buzzer scored a nonleague win over 2015 regional champ Leadership Academy on Saturday.
9. Williamsville North (AA) - Despite getting tripped up by Jamestown, the Spartans still control their own fate. Wins tonight and Wednesday against Lancaster earn them the title in ECIC I & the top seed in Class AA.
10. Starpoint (A2) - Thursday is a big night for the Spartans. The school's all-time scoring leader, Christian Nodine, will go for his 1,000th point as Starpoint attempts to force a co-championship in ECIC II.
Small Schools
1. Olean (B1) - Prevailed in what was likely the most thrilling game of the year at Fredonia on Friday night. The overtime win keeps the Huskies undefeated, ranked #1 in NYS Class B, and the top seed in Class B1.
2. Walsh (MMA) - After getting upset at home by St. Francis last week, the Eagles face a tough finish to the regular season, beginning this week with road trips to Niagara Catholic, St. Joe's, & the 'Game of the Week' at St. Mary's.
3. St. Mary's (MMA) - The Lancers have had a great season and boast several quality wins along the way, but Friday's game against Walsh is the most important regular season game they play this year, especially after losing at their place in January.
4. Health Sciences (B2) - Finish the regular season against Class AA Lancaster on Friday night. A regular season that includes wins over Middle College, South Park, and a sweep of Tapestry will earn the Falcons a home game in the sectional quarterfinals. Only losses this season have come from ranked MMA schools Park, Timon, & St. Mary's.
5. Middle College (C2) - The Kats can claim a share of the Yale Cup with a win over McKinley on Thursday night.
6. Fredonia (B2) - The Hillbillies have no wins this season over any ranked teams, but claim this spot thanks to a pair of gritty showings against Olean, the only team to threaten the Huskies' undefeated season with a pair of single-digit losses. They will look to avenge a home loss to Southwestern this week.
7. East (C1) - Another squad with no wins over ranked teams, but who has earned respect similar to how Fredonia has garnered it, with a pair of narrow losses to Middle College and nearly knocking off McKinley - the two schools playing for the Yale Cup.
8. Gowanda (B2) - The Panthers finally debut on my ballot after getting out to a 15-3 record and reaching the top of the standings in CCAA I East. They'll deserve this spot if they close out the season with wins over Randolph and Silver Creek this week.
9. East Aurora (B1) - Losses in three of its last four games isn't an ideal way gear up for the postseason, but the Blue Devils still look like the best team in Class B1 after Olean.
10. Tapestry (C1) - Some pollsters went with Panama in this spot, whose only quality win came against Randolph - a team they then lost to four days later. Tapestry also beat Randolph, twice, along with beating Medina, Roy-Hart, and Grand Island (who only lost to Niagara Falls by one point).
-centercourt
Sunday, February 07, 2016
Top Games of the Week: 2/7/16 -- 2/13/16
(St. Mary's will host Walsh in the 'Game of the Week' )
Here's a list of what I think are the top games to follow this week:
Monday, February 8th
Park @ Aquinas - 6:30 pm
St. Mary's @ Cleveland Hill - 6:30 pm
Williamsville North @ Lancaster - 7:30 pm
East Aurora @ Batavia - 7:30 pm
Tuesday, February 9th
East @ South Park - 6 pm
Wilson @ Roy-Hart - 6 pm
Barker @ Newfane - 6:30 pm
Timon @ Canisius - 7 pm
Kenmore West @ Lew-Port - 7 pm
St. Joe's @ St. Francis - 7 pm
Fredonia @ Southwestern - 7:30 pm
Silver Creek @ Gowanda - 7:30 pm
Wednesday, February 10th
Emerson @ MST Seneca - 6 pm
Cleveland Hill @ Tonawanda - 6:30 pm
Lancaster @ Williamsville North - 7:30 pm
Cheektowaga @ Maryvale - 7:30 pm
Thursday, February 11th
McKinley @ Middle College - 6 pm
Barker @ Roy-Hart - 6 pm
Kenmore West @ Cheektowaga - 6:30 pm
Wilson @ Newfane - 6:30 pm
Jamestown @ Amherst - 7:30 pm
Starpoint @ Williamsville South - 7:30 pm
Friday, February 12th
Cardinal O'Hara @ Nichols - 6:30 pm
Portville @ Silver Creek - 6:30 pm
Canisisu @ St. Joe's - 7 pm
Walsh @ St. Mary's - 7:30 pm
Gowanda @ Randolph - 7:30 pm
Panama @ Sherman - 7:30 pm
Lancaster @ Health Sciences - 7:30 pm
Game of the Week - Walsh @ St. Mary's on Friday, February 12th
- The two teams that have occupied the #2 & #3 spots in the small school poll all season will get together on Friday night in my must see 'Game of the Week'. While this could easily be a preview of the Manhattan Cup final for the Monsignor Martin Association's Class B, I can't wait that long to see these two - who feel no love loss for each other, get after it on the court. Both are confident they have the better team.
St. Mary's got everyone's attention earlier in the season with a resounding victory over then #2 Health Sciences, who was fresh off a win at Middle College. That win jumped the Lancers to #2 on my ballot, much to the dismay of Walsh, who felt they were not only better than the Lancers, but better than any small school, including #1 Olean.
The win over Health Sciences is just one of several quality wins for St. Mary's, who has quietly piled up quite an impressive resume this season. The Lancers have wins over ranked schools like Williamsville North, Fredonia, Tapestry, and East Aurora. They also own a 31-point win at St. Joe's, beat Section V Class A UPrep (who beat Timon & Middle College), and knocked off St. Francis (who just won at Walsh). They have not lost to an unranked team.
The wins for Walsh this season have piled up consistently, though the quality of opponents on the nonleague side haven't measured up to the wins the Lancers have accumulated. The Eagles' most notable nonleague wins this year came against Lew-Port & Maryvale. Walsh does have one loss to an unranked team - the loss to St. Francis last week.
However, there's one result this year that trumps everything outlined above, and that's the head-to-head result from January 19th, when these two teams got together at Walsh. That night, the Eagles won going away, taking a 63-47 victory. That was the game that took Walsh to #2, where they've remained since.
St. Mary's is eager to prove that they are better, and are confident that when the game is played in Lancaster, there will be a much different result. Meanwhile, Walsh is doubtful that anything will change in a different venue. To them, they've been the best small school in both Olean and WNY all season, and will be eager to get another crack at St. Mary's.
And oh by the way, the result of this game should have a direct impact on the seedings heading into the playoffs. It all sounds like 'Game of the Week' material to me.
-centercourt
Tuesday, February 02, 2016
NYSSWA - Week 8 - 2016
The eighth state rankings for the 2016 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 #3
Park #4
Amherst #8
Williamsville South #14
McKinley #20
Class B
Olean #1
Walsh #11
St. Mary's #16
Health Sciences #22
Class C
Middle College #9
Tapestry #16
Class D
Panama #13
Franklinville #14
** According to the rankings...
- Canisius beats #1 (Park) the week prior and moves up one spot from #3 to #2. This week, they lost to #6 Greece Athena and slipped back to #3, as Athena took over the #2 spot.
- Park slips to #4 in NYS Class A to make room for Greece Athena to get to #2 and continue to have Canisius (#3) ahead of Park as well.
I will make this rant very short...
-Health Sciences falls three spots in NYS Class B for getting hammered at unranked Class A Timon by 35. I guess I'm alright with that, but read below what happened to Walsh for losing to a ranked team in Class A by 15...
- Walsh loses on the road to NYS Class A #2 Canisius. The only other team in the state to beat the Eagles is Park. Yet they drop Walsh FOUR spots in NYS Class B from #7 to #11. What??? Do they put ANY thought into this stuff? I feel like I'm on a hidden camera show as I'm typing this, and Neil Kerr, who heads these rankings, is about to come around the corner in his Mount Vernon T-Shirt and say "Gotcha! You should have seen the look on your face when I said we dropped Walsh farther than Health Sciences for losing at Canisius!"
- Niagara Falls fell out of the rankings this after falling big at Bishop Kearney, also unranked in Class AA.
- Last week, Middle College hammered South Park by 20+ and completed the sweep of East, but lost to a team from PA, so they fell two spots in NYS Class C to #10. This week, they move up to #9 after being idle all week.
For complete NYSSWA State Rankings, click here.
-centercourt
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