The Buffalo News - High Schools http://www.buffalonews.com Latest stories from The Buffalo News en-us Sat, 18 May 2013 11:33:38 -0400 Sat, 18 May 2013 11:33:38 -0400 <![CDATA[ City Honors baseball upends Hutch-Tech in title game ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130517/SPORTS/130519084/1101
Yusef Burgos ripped a decisive two-run single in the second inning and Tom Samar went the distance on the mound to lead the Centaurs to a 3-1 win over the Engineers before an estimated 200 fans at Coca-Cola Field. City Honors, which won its 16th city crown overall and first since 2005, finishes Cornell Cup play 12-0.

“It’s really surreal,” City Honors coach Frank DiLeo said. “It started on March 4 when we talked about setting goals and this was one of our goals. I’m really happy for the seniors, especially Tom and Yusef, who have been with us since seventh grade. Tech is our arch rival, too, so it’s always nice to beat them.”

Burgos, who homered in the Centaurs’ semifinal win over McKinley, punctuated a three-run uprising in the second inning with a perfectly placed single to center off Tech pitcher Westley Olmsted.

That hit, his second of the game, brought in David Lippman and Alex Eisenhauer, who had laid down a safety-squeeze bunt, scoring Nolan Megna earlier in the inning.

“It was simple really – right before the inning, coach told me to be aggressive and swing at the first good pitch I saw,” said Burgos, who also had four stolen bases and was narrowly tagged out at the plate as he tried to swipe home plate in the fifth inning.

Olmsted settled in after the second, though, not allowing another hit the rest of the way. The sophomore right-hander had five strikeouts, but did walk five batters – two were intentional.

Samar, though, was dealing from the get-go, pounding the strike zone with a heavy curveball and a lot of inside fastballs. The powerful right-hander scattered five hits – three of which were of the infield variety – and struck out nine. His only blemish came in the fourth when Tech’s Eladio Hernandez opened with an infield single, stole second and came all the way around on an error two batters later. He also induced an inning-ending double play in the sixth.

“I had a lot of experience pitching against them over the last few years and I knew that they liked to go the other way, so I was jamming them inside, breaking some bats and they didn’t like that at all,” Samar said. “And then the curveball, they didn’t really hit that much either.”

DiLeo had told his veteran hurler before the game that coach Tom Jost’s Tech squad wouldn’t make things easy for him at bat, where Samar is a powerful hitter.

“I told Tommy to just pitch, concentrate on throwing and take us to a championship,” DiLeo said. Tech walked Samar three times.

Now the Centaurs turn their attention to the Section VI Tournament, which begins Monday. City Honors plays in Class B-2 and is hoping to repeat its performance from 2011 when it advanced to the title game before falling to perennial power Fredonia. Having a pair of aces in Samar and sophomore Caleb Lee will certainly help its cause, according to DiLeo, who believes his team will be seeded second behind the Hillbillies.

Hutch-Tech (9-3), which didn’t have a senior on its roster and played six freshmen and sophomores, will enter the Class A bracket as a “four, five or six seed,” said Jost, adding “we weren’t even supposed to be in this game, so I’m really proud that we’ve made it this far.”

In the Cornell Cup II final, Elijah Mingo knocked in Jimmy Gallivan with the winning run in the bottom of the seventh with a two-out infield single to give Middle Early College a 6-5 win over Lafayette. Gallivan scored all the way from second on the play for the Kats. ]]> Fri, 17 May 2013 23:44:13 -0400 By Nate Beutel

Special to the News

]]> <![CDATA[ High School Extra (May 18): Armstrong dominates for Clarence ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130517/SPORTS/130519085/1101
The senior threw a dominant no-hitter in which he struck out 18 batters during the Red Devils’ 4-0 nonleague win over Iroquois. Only three batters put the ball in play against Armstrong, who struck out the side five times in helping Clarence improve to 18-2.

Jamie Bly’s triple plated Chris Ossa, who had doubled, with the game’s first run in the bottom of the fifth. Clarence added three more runs in the sixth as Bobby Florio, Mark Materise, Matt Nawrot and Ossa strung together hits during the big inning.

• Eric Brennan had two hits and three RBIs, while Tom Anderson drove in a pair of runs with two hits as St. Francis beat Bishop Timon-St. Jude, 10-3, to post its 12th straight victory.Remmi Zaepfel scored a school-record 16 goals in just one half of action as Sacred Heart downed Holy Angels, 27-7, in Monsignor Martin girls lacrosse.

Zaepfel, a junior who left after 25 minutes because she had an acting role in a play, now has 70 goals on the season. Ali Owczarzak had three goals and two assists in the win for the Sharks.

• Hannah Lease had three goals and two assists, while Christina Heppner added two goals and two assists as Frontier routed Mount St. Mary, 16-2, in a nonleaguer.On a team with 12 seniors, including seven lineup regulars, seventh-grader Laura Gregory stood out all season and Friday was no different as she tossed a two-hitter to lead South Park to the Thompson Trophy Division II softball title with a 7-0 win over Middle Early College. The Sparks finish 13-0.

Gregory struck out 12 and also went 2 for 3 with a home run and three RBIs.Williamsville East beat North Tonawanda, 20-6, in a Section VI boys lacrosse Class B play-in game as Adam Schaefer, Hudson Weil, Blake Rickan and Brett Librock each scored three goals for the Flames, who face Williamsville North on Monday. ]]> Fri, 17 May 2013 23:43:40 -0400 <![CDATA[ Clarence’s Banaszak gets 300th victory ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130517/SPORTS/130519260/1101
Banaszak suffered huge losses to graduation from his Class AA state championship team of a year ago but simply reloaded, something he’s done annually since taking over the Red Devils’ program in 1992.

Clarence, which improved to 18-2 overall, was led by Moriah Harris, who finished with three hits.

The Red Devils open their title defense as the No. 1 seed in the Class AA sectional softball brackets which were announced on Thursday. Niagara Falls is seeded second followed by No. 3 Lancaster and fourth-seeded Niagara Wheatfield.

Other top seeds include Hamburg (Class A-1), Iroquois (Class A-2), Depew (Class B-1), Akron (Class B-2). Frewsburg (Class C) and Forestville (Class D).

Elsewhere, Shannon Stockman had three hits including the winning RBI that lifted Williamsville North by Sacred Heart, 5-4. Winning pitcher Sarah McMahon also finished with two hits and scored three runs.

Molly Hennessy hit a three-run blast while Juliet Laka also went deep in Immaculata’s 12-9 non-league triumph over Frontier.

Alden rolled past Cheektowaga, 18-2, as Megan Hassenbohler was dominant at the plate going 4 for 4 with a homer and six RBIs.A huge crowd at Sheridan Park saw rivals Kenmore East and Kenmore West go at it and saw East claim bragging rights, 6-5, on Tyler Gibson’s walk-off single in the seventh.

Proud East coach Leslie Simon said afterwards: “We have not had a lot to smile about this year but tonight we will be smiling ear to ear.”

Elsewhere, Brandon Nickelson cranked out a pair of hits including the winner as Orchard Park slipped past visiting Jamestown, 9-8. Tom LaCongo had two hits for the Quakers.

In Niagara-Orleans play, Newfane’s Josh Kneeland fanned 12 and tossed a complete game four-hitter in a 2-1 victory over Albion.

Bishop Timon-St. Jude’s Mike Vogel tossed a complete game and fired nine strikeouts, while Anthony Wurstner went 2 for 2 with a home run to beat Cardinal O’Hara, 10-2.Albion’s Marquise Riddick was the big winner in the Niagara-Orleans League Championships, claiming four events.

Riddick won the 200, 100 and 400 hurdles and long jump. Barker’s Jordan Bender (1,600, 3,200) and Akron’s Luke Klimchuk (shot put, discus) were double winners.

On the girls side, Albion’s Abby Squicciarini captured the 100 and 200 meters, while Medina’s Holly Heil won the 800 and 1,500. Albion’s Chanyce Powell was the winner in the long and triple jumps, while Akron claimed team titles in the 1,600 and 3,200.Silver Creek played big on the road at Frontier and came away with a well-deserved 15-10 win. Zed Williams led the charge with five goals and three assists, while Sherman Williams scored three goals and Kain Kettle added two scores.

Virginia head coach Dominic Starsia was in attendance to watch Williams, who committed to the Cavaliers over Syracuse, Ohio State and Albany last fall.

In a Class B play-in matchup, West Seneca West advanced as Tyler Perna scored two goals and added two assists in a 6-5 overtime triumph over Williamsville South.

In a Monsignor Martin contest, Nichols’ Zack Cole scored five goals and Greg White added a goal and five assists in the 12-9 victory over Canisius.

In girls lacrosse, MacKenzie Clark finished with 21 saves as East Aurora downed Williamsville South, 8-7. ]]> Fri, 17 May 2013 00:28:30 -0400 <![CDATA[ Immaculata, St. Joe’s take All-Catholic track titles ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130515/SPORTS/130519352/1101
“Now we get to run it again,” Meghan Krawiec yelled when she finally got her feet back on the ground.

A few steps away, Tyshawn Stepney shouted, “Where we going?”

“NYC,” teammate Lawrence Williams responded.

The Krawiec sisters each won two individual events and bookended the meet-closing relay victory Wednesday to lead Immaculata to its fourth straight All-Catholic championship.

Stepney and Williams dedicated their performance to sprinting coach Matt Dow, whose mother died last week, and lifted St. Joe’s to its first All-Catholic title since 2005.

Individual event winners qualified for the Catholic High School Athletic Association championship meet that will be held next weekend in New York City.

But team spirit ruled the Monsignor Martin All-Catholic meet.

“This is my dream team,” Immaculata coach Charlie Planz said.

Kelsey Krawiec won the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.61 seconds and the 200 in 26.23. She also led off the 400 relay victory (52.59) and placed fourth in the shot put.

“I wanted to go out with a bang knowing this is my last meet competing here in Western New York,” the senior said. “Everything came out as I hoped.”

Meghan Krawiec, a sophomore, won the long jump (16 feet, 3½ inches) and the triple jump (36-2) and anchored the 400 relay.

Another Immaculata sophomore, Grace Attea, came from behind to win the 800 (2:25.64) and ran the anchor leg of the winning 1,600 relay team (4:20.61) as well as the 3,200 relay team that placed second.

Immaculata also got victories from Bailey Gawley in the shot put (34-0) and Maggie Gerard in the discus (93-7).

St. Joe’s benefited from having the top three finishers in the 200 and the mile and the top two in the 100 to avenge last week’s dual meet loss to St. Francis, which allowed the Red Raiders to claim the regular season Monsignor Martin championship.

Stepney won the 100 (11.26) and the 200 (22.72) and helped the Marauders win the 1,600 relay (3:27.89).

“It’s an honor to be part of a tradition like this and win a championship,” Stepney said. “It’s more than just winning, it’s every day when you come to practice and it’s like a family.”

Williams won the 400 with the fastest time in Western New York so far this season (49.56) and anchored the 1,600 relay with a 48-second split time.

“Last year, we came here and St. Francis won and they celebrated out here and I told my coaches, we’re going to win next year,” Williams said. “Going into this meet, we knew that St. Francis was a very strong team. They beat us for the league title and we had to get our revenge at All-Catholics. I told everybody on the bus, be focused, don’t get nervous and make sure you give it everything you got. Don’t leave anything in the tank.”

“He’s a team leader,” St. Joe’s head coach Matthew Hellerer said. “He’s very charismatic, he has confidence and he shares that confidence. He has the ability to stir kids up and make them believe in themselves.”

Connor Tumiel won the 800 (2:04.43) for St. Joe’s, J.D. McGuire won the mile (4:37.15) and freshman Anthony Belfatto won the 3,200 (10:11.78). Tumiel and Cordell Owens also ran on the 1,600 relay.

The Canisius foursome of Cam Fryer, Charles Hornberger, Jaelin Marong and Desmond Nicholas won the 400 relay (44.76).

St. Francis’ team of Tim Bartnik, Aaron Hayes, Adam Gargano and Isiah Utley won the 3,200 relay (8:38.17).

Chris Walter was a double winner for St. Francis in the long jump (20-2œ) and the triple jump (41-6¾). Teammate Brennan Macey won the high jump (5-8).

Canisius’ Ryan Hunter was also a double winner, taking the shot put (52-5½) and the discus (165-8).

Emma Sullivan was a double winner for Mount St. Mary, taking the 1,500 (4:58.27) and the 3,000 (10:44.86). Teammate Samantha Barry won the 400 (1:01.93). Sullivan, Barry, Hailey Rose Gattuso and Marissa Saber teamed up to win the 3,200 relay (10:16.53) for the Thunder. ]]> Thu, 16 May 2013 14:02:20 -0400 By Jonah Bronstein

Special to the news

]]> <![CDATA[ Power 10 for May 16 ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130515/SPORTS/130519353/1101
2. Lancaster girls lacrosse. Only loss in 14-1 year is to powerful Section V’s state-ranked Webster Thomas, but they have three other wins against Section V. Have beaten best of WNY, and seem to be surging into postseason.

3. Hamburg’s big four. Softball, baseball (both in large school top 10) as well as girls and boys lacrosse teams having excellent seasons, with all four ranked in respective state Class A polls.

4. Orchard Park and Bishop Timon-St. Jude boys lacrosse. Both having excellent seasons while playing excellent schedules. Want to break the tie, guys? Play a nonleague game next year. (Props to OP for hosting St. Joe’s on Friday in a great nonleaguer).

5. Clarence softball. Defending state champs and No. 1 large school dropped to 16-2 with loss to Williamsville South on Tuesday.

6. Clarence baseball. Were in running for the top spot on this list, to go along with No. 1 large school ranking and No. 3 Class AA state ranking, before back-to-back losses to St. Francis and Lancaster.

7. Depew softball. No. 1 small school’s first loss to WNY top 10 large Williamsville North on Tuesday. Their outstanding scheduling doesn’t stop: They play at Clarence Friday.

8. West Seneca West track & field. Girls in first place in ECIC I, boys had Kalen Sullivan (800) and Gregg Hart (long jump) win at site of state meet (Middletown) over the weekend. Both teams part of big local weekend this time: Carl Roesch (boys) at Clarence; WNY Classic (girls) at Lancaster.

9. Lancaster baseball. Moved to 11-4 as it handed Clarence its first loss of the season on Joe Preziuso’s four-hitter; lost to Clarence, 2-0, in nine first time around.

10. Olmsted girls track & field. Fourth-year program coached by Mark Orlando and Rich Skrabucha and featuring freshman Brittany Higgs (four wins) halted Hutch-Tech’s eight-year win streak in Scalp & Blade and won the school’s first title in any sport.

Honor roll: Williamsville East, Nichols and Orchard Park boys tennis; Silver Creek boys lacrosse; Lancaster, Sacred Heart and Nichols softball; Frontier, Lake Shore and Mount St. Mary girls lacrosse; Canisius, St. Mary’s, St. Francis, Orchard Park, Williamsville South, Tonawanda and East Aurora baseball; Nardin girls tennis; Lancaster and Hutch-Tech track and field; Barker boys track. ]]> Thu, 16 May 2013 00:42:25 -0400 Keith McShea
]]> <![CDATA[ Prep Talk: Zaffram makes bold move for right reasons ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130515/SPORTS/130519347/1101
That news broke 13 days ago. Since then, some people have drawn their own conclusions about a very notable transfer of a very talented player to a very good football program. Based on my experience dealing with a segment of Western New York’s high school fans, it is unfortunate that some of them might never believe what really happened.

So we’re going to start with some repetition, just our attempt to make things clear:

His mother contacted the school first. He was not “recruited.”

His mother contacted the school first. He was not “recruited.”

His mother contacted the school first. He was not “recruited.”

“I’ve heard that we recruited him, I’ve heard that he’s going to school for free, the rich get richer … I’ve heard all sort of things,” said Canisius coach Rich Robbins. “We don’t do any of that.”

When Robbins opened his email to see one from Carol Zaffram inquiring about her son Brad attending Canisius, he called in two assistants to check it because he thought it might be some kind of hoax.

“I thought someone was pranking me,” he said. “I was shocked to see it.”

Ultimately it is a perfect storm. As a sophomore, Zaffram helped Section VI superpower Sweet Home to its sixth straight championship and the Class A state final, and his first-team honor was the rarest of achievements. Western New York all-time leading rusher Jehuu Caulcrick of Clymer is the only freshman to be first-team All-WNY. The list of first-team sophomores is a very short one.

And you have Canisius, coming off one of the greatest seasons in recent local football history, an undefeated campaign ending with a share of the state’s No. 1 ranking. The Crusaders also have a loaded crew of returning players, including Player of the Year and major Division I recruit Qadree Ollison (12 scholarship offers and counting).

It’s a move that will get people talking, especially in Western New York, where Section VI does not include private schools. I wholeheartedly agree with that, and this case might even back that up: You’ve got apples (public schools only drawing from their district) and oranges (private schools that have no such restrictions), which should be kept separate.

But there are those that take their high school passion and go over the line by seeking to demonize private schools just for being private schools, which is beyond me. I can understand some measure of disappointment on the part of public school coaches and fans when a player chooses to attend a private school, but only some. Private schools have been around for 100 years. Families are going to choose to send their children there.

That’s what Carol Zaffram is doing, because she feels it is best for her son.

“It was a very difficult, trying decision,” she said, “but it was just something I felt very strongly that I had to do.”

Zaffram loves Sweet Home. Her two older children graduated from the school. She’s been the PTA treasurer for eight years.

“For me it’s really about academics,” said Zaffram, who said Canisius was the only school she inquired about, calling it a decision based “in my gut, it was a mother’s instinct.”

She acknowledged that Canisius having a strong football program didn’t hurt things. However, it’s not like Sweet Home doesn’t.

Zaffram is paying to attend Canisius; filling out the same financial aid forms that any attendee would and not getting any financial assistance because of football. When the decision was made, she wrote a check to the school and there will be more to write. There is no scholarship, one of the things a friend’s father insinuated to Brad shortly after his decision had been made.

Carol’s focus is how things will turn out in her son’s junior year, not just his junior football season.

Brad said when the idea was first mentioned by his mom, “it took awhile to process it. I wanted to stay because of our team” at Sweet Home. “But when I went and saw the school, I really liked it. They send a lot of players to college.”Get this: Another very notable football transfer seems likely, and it is one that would be bigger than Zaffram’s, which I would have thought was impossible.

With Tyrone Wheatley taking the Buffalo Bills running back coaching job under Doug Marrone, for whom he was an assistant at Syracuse University, that means that Tyrone Wheatley Jr., who was a sophomore this past season at Fayetteville-Manlius, is likely to become part of the Western New York high school scene. Wheatley Jr., a 6-feet-6, 240-pound defensive end, has already received scholarship offers from Alabama, Penn State, North Carolina, Syracuse and dad’s alma mater, Michigan.

Sources tell me the family has toured several area schools – public and private, with no decision made.

email: kmcshea@buffnews.com ]]> Thu, 16 May 2013 00:37:00 -0400 Keith McShea
]]> <![CDATA[ High School Extra (May 16): St. Mary’s clinches title; Timon lax gains its revenge ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130515/SPORTS/130519351/1101
“He’s a bulldog,” Wagner said. “ ‘I’m good. I’m good’ he told me and then he bore down got the final out.”

Schaffer closed out his four-hitter by setting Canisius down in order in the seventh, striking out the final hitter to wrap up a 3-2 victory and clinch the Monsignor Martin regular season title, St. Mary’s first in about 25 years.

“I think the last was in 1985. I know it wasn’t in my 13 years,” Wagner said.

The closest the Lancers have come to a baseball championship was in 2004 when they were swept in the Georgetown Cup finals by Bishop Timon-St. Jude.

With the win, St. Mary’s clinched the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye in the playoffs which start next week.

St. Mary went through the Monsignor Martin regular season with a 10-2 record. Four of the Lancers’ victories were in one-run games.

“We were kind of a preseason favorite and faced every team’s top pitcher,” Wagner said. “That’s a credit to our kids.”

St. Mary’s took a 1-0 lead in the first inning against losing pitcher Jose Alemany when Brian Dudek singled home a run. Schaffer tripled to drive in a run in the second inning, then scored on a single by Quinn Gill to make it 3-0.

“Canisius chipped away at us but we made some big plays,” Wagner said. “It was a well-played game and Alemany pitched well for Canisius.”Bishop Timon-St. Jude clinched the Monsignor Martin Association regular season lacrosse title and avenged a bitter, disputed loss to St. Joe’s by routing the Marauders, 15-2, Wednesday at Fitzpatrick Field.

The Tigers completed regular season play with a 9-1 league record, the only loss a 13-12 double-overtime loss at St. Joe’s (8-2) on a disputed goal after an apparent winning goal for Timon was not recorded.

JD Recor scored four goals and assisted on four others while Connor Fields had five goals for Timon-St. Jude.City Honors (14-1, 11-0 Cornell Cup) owns two wins over Hutch-Tech and will try for one more when they meet for the Cornell Cup League I championship Friday at Coca-Cola Field (4 p.m.).

Honors broke open a close game by scoring seven runs in the fifth inning and went on to a 13-3 win over McKinley in a semifinal at McCarthy Park. A grand-slam homer by Yusef Burgos was the big hit in the Centaurs’ outburst. Caleb Lee pitched all the way for Honors, and Tommy Samar contributed a pair of doubles.

Hutch-Tech (9-5, 9-2 Cornell Cup), which has won the last eight city titles, scored a surprisingly easy 14-1 semifinal win over a da Vinci team that had defeated the Engineers, 2-0, only two days before.

Eladio Hernandez, the first of three Hutch pitchers, went four innings while Isiah Shadwick and Mike Spero each had a pair of hits.Newfane (14-1, 13-1) clinched its first Niagara-Orleans softball title since 1997, scoring the winning run on a wild pitch in the bottom of the seventh in a 7-6 win over Albion.

Brenna Savigny scored the winner. Jordan Beutel had three hits while Alexis Moreland was the winning pitcher.No. 1 ranked large school Clarence suffered its second loss of the week, dropping a 5-0 game to St. Francis in a nonleague baseball game.

Andrew Krakowski of the Red Raiders shut out the Red Devils on five hits. Drew Bassini had a pair of hits for St. Francis. ]]> Wed, 15 May 2013 23:56:00 -0400 <![CDATA[ High School Extra: Eighth-grader Wang wins ECIC singles ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130515/SPORTS/130519450/1101
Dictating points with his forehand and winning some quick points off of his improved serve, Wang, playing for Williamsville North, defeated defending champion Mike Rusk, 6-1, 7-5, to win the ECIC boys tennis championship.

Rusk, a senior at Williamsville East, won the ECIC title last year before falling in the Section VI finals.

Tuesday at Sweet Home, Wang dominated the first set. The players then traded games, staying on serve until Wang broke Rusk at 5-6 to take the match.

“In the first set I think Mike missed some shots that he normally would make,” Williamsville North coach Mike Vendetti said. “The second set was tight and on serve and back and forth the whole time.

“Harry likes to dictate points with his forehand and I think he was able to keep Mike well behind the baseline, hitting with good depth really through the first set. … He grew a little bit from seventh grade and that has helped his serve. He’s able to get some free points that he wasn’t able to last year. That’s a big difference. It’s added a little more power to his game, especially on the serve.”

In the third-place singles match, East Aurora’s Jack McClaren defeated Williamsville South’s Joe Bartelo, 6-7, 6-2, 6-1.

The doubles championship went to the Orchard Park team of August Bruno and Tommy Baldinger, who defeated M.J. Bronsky and Mike Kessler (Williamsville North), 7-5, 6-0.Lancaster’s Joe Preziuso pitched a complete-game four-hitter and shut out No. 1 large school Clarence, 3-0, in an ECIC I matchup.

“He gave up three hits in a row then settled down,” Lancaster coach Mark Dalfonso said. “He struck out the next kid then got a grounder back to him for a 1-2-3 double play. They didn’t score and that was big for us.”

The defense played well behind Preziuso while he worked all his pitches, striking out nine batters.

“It was a little bit of everything,” Dalfonso said. “He was mixing in fastballs with his change-ups and hitting his spots. He did everything we were asking of him. When they hit the ball, the infielders made plays. We didn’t have any errors.”

Lancaster went up 1-0 in the sixth on an RBI single by Ben Haefner. The Redskins added insurance runs in the seventh when Ryan Bonafede’s hit drove in two runs.

It was the first loss of the season for Clarence (17-1), which had wrapped up the No. 1 seed for the sectional playoffs.

In other ECIC I matchup, Orchard Park took an early 6-0 lead and held on for a 9-4 win over Williamsville North.

Tom LaCongo drove in three runs on three hits while Ryan MacCarrick added three hits for the Quakers.

“We’ve been scoring runs and we’ve been able to put a lot of runs up lately,” Orchard Park coach Jim Gibson said. “We’ve just got guys who can hit. The guys worked hard all winter at their hitting.”

Ryan Stefaniak had an RBI triple in the sixth inning to tie the game, then scored on an overthrow from the outfield to give St. Francis a 4-3 win over Cardinal O’Hara in Monsignor Martin action. It was the ninth straight win for St. Francis, which started the year 0-5.

In an ECIC III matchup, Dylan Webber had excellent command and a solid defense behind him to lead Pioneer to a 2-0 win over Lake Shore.

Webber pitched a complete game one-hitter with just two walks to pace the Panthers. He gave up a hit and a walk in the first inning, but the Pioneer defense turned a double play to end the threat. He walked the first batter in the second then retired the next 18.

“He’s pitched well all year and we’ve been a little all over the place defensively this year,” Pioneer coach David Buncy said. “The biggest thing he has going for him is the overhand curveball. When he has command of it, he’s tough. He’s pitching backwards, throwing curveballs in fastball counts.”

This year the Panthers are just 5-9 overall and 3-9 in league play. But knocking off Lake Shore, which slipped to 10-2 overall and 9-2 in the division, is a big confidence booster heading into the playoffs next week.

“I told the guys I was hoping this year wouldn’t end without them realizing their potential,” Buncy said. “We’ve lost a bunch of one-run games. I knew the potential was there and now we can get a little bit of confidence off this win. This is the caliber of team we’ll see in the first round and now they know they can compete.”With quality play from its senior class, Williamsville South secured a home playoff game with a 14-9 win over West Seneca West in Class B. The win locks up the fourth seed in Class B, giving the Billies a home quarterfinal game.

“It was our last league game and our senior day and you always hope you get a good effort from the team,” Williamsville South coach Rick Hopkins said. “The seniors really stepped it up for the game. It was a good win for us. One of our goals at the beginning of the season was to host a playoff game in the quarterfinals.”

Senior co-captains Alyssa Ferenczy (five goals) and Cassandra Hopkins (two goals, two assists) led the offense while senior goalkeeper Elizabeth Hughes made 14 saves. ]]> Wed, 15 May 2013 00:45:27 -0400 <![CDATA[ Sidelines (May 14): News, notes and the baseball & softball polls ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130514/SPORTS/130519478/1101
State classification in parentheses; first place votes in brackets; LW-last week’s poll; *indicates tie. Large schools are classes AA and A; small schools are B, C and D.

LARGE SCHOOLS

School Points LW

1. Clarence (AA) [9] 90 1

2. Orchard Park (AA) 65 2

3. Williamsville South (A) 62 4

4. Lancaster (AA) 53 3

5. Lockport (AA) 52 5

6. Canisius 39 9

7. St. Joe’s 36 6

8. Hamburg (A) 23 7

9. Starpoint (A) 21 8

10. Lake Shore (A) 19 10

Also receiving votes: Grand Island 13, Niagara Falls 7, St. Francis 4, Albion 1.

SMALL SCHOOLS

School Points LW

1. Fredonia (B-1) [10] 80 1

2. Tonawanda (B-1) 65 2

3. East Aurora (B-1) 64 3

4. Albion (B-1) 54 4

5. Olean (B-1) 50 5

6. Alden (B-1) 38 7

7. St. Mary’s/Lanc. 30 6

8. JFK (C) 25 10

9. Medina (B-2) 13 8

10. Westfield (C) 8 NR

Also receiving votes: Brocton (D) 4, Maple Grove (C) 3.

Rosters needed

Coaches of varsity baseball, softball, boys lacrosse, girls lacrosse, boys track and field, girls track and field and tennis are asked to email a copy of their roster to: mmonnin@buffnews.com or fax to: 849-4587.

2013 coaches softball polls

LARGE SCHOOLS

School Points LW

1. Clarence (AA) [7] 88 1

2. Lancaster (AA) [2] 82 2

3. Hamburg (A-1) 71 3

4. Niagara Falls (AA) 57 NR

5. N-Wheatfield (AA) 53 4

6. Kenmore West (AA) 41 5

7. Williamsville North (AA) 23 8

8. Starpoint (A-2) 22 7

9. Frontier (AA) 15 9

10. Iroquois (A-2) * 9 NR

10. Grand Island (A-2) * 9 NR

Also receiving votes: Williamsville East (A-1) 8, Sacred Heart 5, Orchard Park (AA) 5, Williamsville South 5, West Seneca West (AA) 2.

SMALL SCHOOLS

School Points LW

1. Depew (B-1) [5] 59 1

2. Nichols [1] 54 2

3. Alden (B-1) 40 5

4. Frewsburg (C) 36 3

5. Fredonia (B-2) 33 6*

6. Olean (B-1) 31 4

7. Forestville (D) 17 NR

8. Dunkirk (B-1) 15 10

9. Cleveland Hill (B-2) 13 9

10. Immaculata * 11 NR

10. Mount St. Mary * 11 NR

Also receiving votes: Franklinville 3, Eden 3, Portville 1, Maryvale 1, St. Mary’s/Lanc. 1.

Note: Any coach or umpire interested in voting on the small school poll should contact Jay Hall at: halljohn4545@yahoo.com.

Coming attractions

• It’s the last week of the regular season in baseball. The Section VI seedings meeting is Saturday at Eden. WNY’s No. 1 large, Clarence, plays two nonleagues games as they travel to St. Francis on Wednesday at 5 p.m. and host Iroquois on Friday under the lights at 8:15 p.m. . . . St. Mary’s (9-2) needs a win over visiting Canisius on Wednesday at 4:15 p.m. to clinch the Monsignor Martin Association regular season and the top seed for the upcoming Georgetown Cup playoffs.

• Softball’s seedings meeting is Thursday at Depew.

• In a long-awaited boys lacrosse rematch, Bishop Timon-St. Jude hosts St. Joe’s on Fitzpatrick Field on Tifft Street at 7 p.m. Wednesday; the first meeting went to St. Joe’s in double-overtime. Another fine Wednesday matchup has neighbors facing off as Frontier plays at Hamburg. On Thursday, Frontier plays another top team as it hosts Silver Creek. Friday features an outstanding nonleague matchup as St. Joe’s plays at Orchard Park at 5 p.m. This weekend, Timon plays at the North American Lacrosse Invitational hosted by Brother Rice of Birmingham (Mich.).

• The Lancaster girls lacrosse team puts its 12-game winning streak on the line Wednesday when it hosts Nichols at 5 p.m. in its last regular season game. The Redskins won their division with a 6-0 record. Allie Stewart’s next goal will be her 50th of the season. ... Mount St. Mary brings and 11-0 record into Thursday’s Monsignor Martin Association game with St. Mary’s of Lancaster at the Phillip-Sheridan School, on Elmwood and Sheridan, at 4:30 p.m. Senior midfield Shannon Pelitera leads the league with 47 goals.

• The ECIC II boys and girls track and field titles will be decided on Wednesday when Sweet Home host Williamsville North on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. All four teams are 4-0. Track and field’s league meets begin this week. The All-Catholic Championships featuring the best boys and girls in the Monsignor Martin Association, concludes on Wednesday at Canisius High School at 4 p.m. The Niagara-Orleans League Championship is Thursday at Roy-Hart at 4 p.m. Salamanca will host the Super 8 meet on Friday at 4 p.m. Saturday is a big day with the Carl Roesch Memorial Classic at Clarence at 9 a.m. the WNY Girls Classic at Lancaster at 9 a.m. and the Kenmore Track and Field Invitational at 9 a.m.

• The ECIC Tennis Championships are today at Sweet Home at 3:30 p.m. Defending champion Mike Rusk of Williamsville East will play Harry Wang of Williamsville North for the singles title. . . . The Niagara Frontier League doubles tennis championships and sectional qualifier is Friday at Grand Island at 9 a.m. Singles positions for sectionals are determined by league record . . . The Section VI Tennis Championships are May 21-22 at Lancaster. A field of 16 singles teams and 16 doubles teams will competed for berths in the state tournament in Flushing.

Signing

Amanda Gallo of Lancaster has signed a partial athletic scholarship to play soccer at Niagara University. Gallo was an ECIC I all-star last fall in what was her third year as a starter. The honor roll student plans a nursing major.

At buffalonews.com

• The high school sports home page at buffalonews.com has an archive of Scholastic Spotlight and High School Extra stories, along with photos and photo galleries.

• The full 2013 Section VI football schedule is on the Prep Talk blog.



Send items of interest to Sidelines via email to mmonnin@buffnews.com; by mail to P.O. Box 100, Buffalo, NY 14240 or by fax at 849-4587. ]]> Tue, 14 May 2013 22:04:54 -0400 <![CDATA[ High School Extra (May 14): Big days for Tonawanda, Fredonia baseball ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130513/SPORTS/130519584/1101
• Kyle Zurak turned in another solid pitching performance as he yielded just three hits over six innings and struck out six in Williamsville North’s 8-1 win over Frontier. Zurak has signed with Radford University (Va.) of the Big South Conference. Mike Szalazkiewicz had three hits and drove in two runs in support of Zurak.

• UB-bound Chris Kwitzer pitched a no-hitter with 13 strikeouts as St. Mary’s beat Cardinal O’Hara, 1-0, to move within a game of clinching the Monsignor Martin Association regular season title and the No. 1 seed in the Georgetown Cup playoffs. The Lancers (9-2) need a win over visiting Canisius on Wednesday at 4:15 p.m. for the crown.

In their first meeting with O’Hara, St. Mary’s had to rally to win, 4-3. This one was decided by one run as well as Mark Gonzalez hit a sacrifice fly to drive in J.D. Andressen in the top of the sixth.Fredonia won its 17th straight baseball game Monday to break the school record for consecutive wins in an 18-0 victory over rival Dunkirk.

The previous record had been held by the 1985 team, coached by Pete Criscione. All-WNY pitcher Trent Thompson gave up three singles to lead the undefeated Hillbillies (17-0, 11-0). The victory also gave Fredonia its third staight CCAA I title. Nick Hart had four hits and drove in three runs.

“We’re getting contributions from everybody,” said coach Vince Gullo, a senior captain on that 1985 team. “To be honest, we have such high goals we’re glad we got it out of the way and we can focus on much larger goals, and that’s sectionals.”

• Josh Palisano scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI by Justin LeRosa as Hamburg beat Sweet Home, 4-3. Palisano also pitched five innings to get the win.

• Joey Colosi fashioned a two-hitter while Joe D’Angelo and Jake Martineau drove in two runs with two hits each in Niagara Falls’ 4-0 win over North Tonawanda.

• David Baskerville had three hits, including a double, as Eden downed North Collins, 11-4, in ECIC IV to improve to 10-6.Williamsville East (9-3, 11-4) earned a three-way share of the ECIC II title with a 6-0 win over Sweet Home. The Flames, Starpoint and Iroquois finished division play at 9-3. Flames starter Sam Weaver (9-3, 1.49) pitched a two-hitter with nine strikeouts. Eighth grade second baseman Marissa Birzon had an RBI triple and Sarah Armstrong added an RBI double.Mike Hubert had five goals and Dominic Perna had four assists and scored as the St. Joe’s lacrosse team beat Nichols, 10-5. The Marauders (11-4, 8-1) play Timon/St. Jude for the league title on Wednesday.In a memorable afternoon, Ian Allen drove in three runs with three hits and got the save on the mound as the East Aurora baseball team beat host JFK, 6-4, in five innings.

In a well-attended pregame ceremony, JFK named its baseball diamond for the late Peter Odrobina, who devoted 33 years of service to the Cheektowaga school. Odrobina died of a heart attack on Nov. 21, 2012. He taught PE at JFK and coached at least six varsity and JV sports. ]]> Tue, 14 May 2013 22:20:44 -0400 <![CDATA[ Sullivan filling family’s big shoes at West Seneca West ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130513/SPORTS/130519578/1101
Three pairs belong to the sisters who made their mark running for West Seneca West, and two others belong to the parents, who met as runners for rival West Seneca East.

And one belongs to the youngest member of this running-crazed family, Kalen Sullivan, who has filled some pretty big shoes.

The middle distance standout ran the season’s fastest time in Western New York in the 800 meters Saturday with a 1:55.41 at the Middletown Invitational.

Sullivan got a sense of competition shortly after learning how to tie his shoes. He thrived trying to keep pace with sisters Kaley, Emma and Hillary. Their mother Tammy was a hurdler and father John a distance runner. When his time finally came, Kalen ran with it.

He holds seven school records, three set indoors and four outdoors. He’s won seven Section VI championships in the two seasons. In the last two years, he hasn’t lost an ECIC dual meet race in the 800, 1,600 or 3,200. One of his most memorable races was his eighth-place finish in the 800 in the state Federation meet last spring.

“We just love track and field and watching track meets,” said Sullivan. “My mom still runs four-five miles, dad runs every day. Even though they’re not competing at a high intensity, we all just love to run.”

Sullivan had a short-lived soccer career, playing as a freshman. A sister’s boyfriend convinced him he needed to follow in his family’s footsteps, so he agreed to giving running a try.

He remembers joining the West program and looking up to the team’s milers, Brendon Greg and Anthony George. He often asked them about their training and how to stay focused.

Fast forward and the senior has signed a national letter of intent with Iona College. He also considered UB and Columbia, but felt Iona was the best fit. Iona wants to jump-start its middle distance program and plans on building around Sullivan. The honor roll student with a 94.8 average plans to study biochemistry.

He’s come full circle as he’s now the runner fielding questions from the underclassmen. “They ask me how do I have that much energy left. It took me four years to get here, it takes time,” he said.

And a good pair of running shoes.Throwing sensation Devon Patterson of Williamsville South is coming off an indoor season in which he earned All-America honors with a sixth-place finish in the shot put at the New Balance Indoor Nationals at The Armory. He’s the Section VI record holder indoors in the shot. This outdoor season his goal is to impress on the state and national levels.

Andy Smigiera of West Seneca East leads Western New York in the 100 (10.87) and the 200 meters (22.32), both school records. He was named MVP of the Dunkirk Invitational for the second year in a row.

Last fall, Smigiera quarterbacked the Trojans’ football team to a 9-1 record. He’s signed with I-AA Robert Morris University for football, but may run track. He’s always considered himself a football player who runs track, but track has its own appeal.

“My football friends I’ve pretty much known all my life. In track you meet a ton of new kids every year, and I like to pass along information I’ve learned to help them get better,” said Smigiera.

Starpoint is so talented coach Brian Lasher is calling his team, “one of the best in our history.” Senior A.J. Joslin is undefeated in the 800, and broke his own school record in the event at the Starpoint Team Challenge with a 1:56.30. He nudged out Clarence senior Ben Reinhardt by a tenth of a second for the victory in what might have been the race of the day. Joslin is a long strider who gobbles up a lot of ground at 6-foot-4. His college plans include Virginia Tech, where he will try to make the track team as a walk-on.

Spartans senior Adam Yacos leads Western New York public school athletes in the 400 (50.52). Football all-star Evan Majewski is a top sprinter. The Starpoint 4x800 relay is ranked No. 1 in Western New York. Senior Tom Moran went to states last year in the pole vault. Matt Prohaska has a 9:49 in the 3,200 on his resume after the Hilton Showdown.

Clarence junior Teddy Okon broke the school record in the high jump at 6-6 at Starpoint, and also does the long and triple jumps. Junior Dan Huben ran a 10:34 in the 3,200 to break the meet record as part of the two-man relay at Starpoint. Senior Sam Bunk is the top thrower. The Red Devils bring a 4-0 record today into their meet against Jamestown.

Jamestown junior hurdler Mitchell Moore broke two meet records at the recent Olean Invite. He’s run the 110 hurdles in 15.3 and the 400 hurdles in 54.8. He’s been voted MVP of the Olean and Falconer invites.

Junior TJ Hornberger of Lake Shore cut loose at the Hilton Showdown, running a 9:12.70 in the 3,200. Hornberger shines in the big meets. Last fall he broke the Section VI record at Elma Meadows during the cross country state meet. At last year’s outdoor states, he was third in the Division I 3,200 in 9:24.70 and ran his person record (PR) in the 1,600 at 4:19.61.

Cheektowaga has gone from the team everyone knew they could run their JV against, to a team that is one dual meet away from winning back-to-back ECIC III titles. Coach Rich Bridenbaker said he inherited a team six seasons ago that had about 12 athletes. A win today over Amherst will give the Warriors a 5-0 record and the title outright. “We’ve become a team that everyone wants a shot at, which is pretty nice,” said Bridenbaker, whose staff includes Ken McCracken, Matt Swetland and George Lombardo.

Cheektowaga won Saturday’s Little Four meet. Tim Whelan is a hard worker who runs the cycle every meet: 4x800, 1,600, 800 and 3,200. “It’s not like he has one good event. He runs four solid races,” said Bridenbaker. Dave Kerling (pole vault) and James Hanners (shot put) recently broke school records. Kenny Dillenburg keeps busy with the 100, 200, high jump and 4x100.

Olean senior John Tanus, the cross country standout, broke school records at Falconer in the 1,600 (4:30.18) and 3,200 (9:47.44). Two other Southern Tier middle distance runners to watch are Corey Wefing of Maple Grove and Zachery Jackson of Randolph.

East Aurora’s Sean Phillips looks to qualify for states in the 3,200 and get the 4x800 there as well. Senior Brendan Keany and Phillips are the returning members of the 4x800 relay that broke a 30-year-old school record at states by running a 7:53.37.

East Aurora senior Gene Baritot is four seconds shy of qualifying for the state meet in the steeplechase for the second year in a row. Last year he placed fifth. His ultimate goal is to break the school record of 9:38.99 held since 2003 by Dan Fields.

West Seneca West got a sneak peak at this year’s state site when it traveled to Middletown on Saturday for the Middletown Invitational. The five-year-old, multi-million dollar facility is located in Section IX, about an hour outside of New York City. Plenty of other schools had the same idea as the event drew 40 boys and 40 girls teams.

The track features a 10-lane straightaway, practically unheard of for high school facilities, two pole vault pits, four jumping pits, four throwing circles and a turf infield. A huge Jumbotron scoreboard lets fans follow the action.

“It’s not your typical track when you have long straightaways and short turns,” said Indians middle distance coach Pete Szymanski. “The turns are a little longer and straightaways are a little shorter. A lot of colleges are like that. So that’s going to be interesting. The 200 kids will love that because they can make a move right off the bat.”

Cleveland Hill senior Brandon Wesley has been able to overcome injuries the last two seasons to break the school record in the 800 in 1:58.2. The previous record went back to 1966. Junior Jared Watkins, third team all-state defensive back in football, is among the Western New York leaders in the triple and long jumps.

Amherst senior Adam Murphy holds the school record in the 1,600 (4:25.77) and has a season-best 4:30.1. Senior sprinter Lamont Smith has a 22.4 in the 200, which is tied for the school record.

Alden’s best in the throws, Jason Bunk, has a Division I future waiting as he’s ticketed to play football at UB in the fall. The Bulldogs have a tough middle distance runner in Sean Turner, who recently committed to Medaille College for cross country. Junior Phil Zobrest, who ran the 400 the last two years, bulked up in the offseason and is now one of the area’s leading throwers.

The top boy in the Buffalo Public School’s Scalp and Blade is Seamus Degan of City Honors, who looks to makes states after qualifying for the state cross country meet. The Centaurs and Hutch-Tech won their first six dual meets.

Randolph is 8-0 in dual meets. Junior Zachary Jackson holds the school record in the 1,600 (4:31.20) and taking aim at the 800 mark. Chris Doubek has vaulted a personal record 13-6.

Southwestern’s Jordan Powers is one of the section’s top 400-meter hurdlers (58.4) and ranks at the top of the junior class.

Orchard Park junior Dawson Hillis leads Section VI in the discus at 165-0 and his 51-6 in the shot is ranked among the top 10. Senior Jake Eneix went to the indoor states in the 1,000 and intersectional relay. This season he’s training for the steeplechase and checks in with one of the area’s fastest times in 10:01.1.

Sweet Home has an abundance of talent, leading off with its 4x100 of Tyvon Rivers, Derell Hennings, Damon Luton and Jeff Hart, which qualified for states by running a 43.04 at the Panther Relays. Hart is ranked second in Western New York in the 100 and 200. Rivers leads WNY in the 400 hurdles and does the triple jump. Twin pole vaulters, Josh and Justin Willson, both have cleared 11-6.

Lockport has a 4x100 that has won its share of races. Multi-sport athlete Alex Reid excels in the 100, 200 and triple.

Lawrence Williams of St. Joe’s ran under 50 seconds in the 400 at Starpoint. The Marauders’ 4x100 trails only Sweet Home for fastest time in Western New York. The Monsignor Martin Association championships are Wednesday.

Sherman, Clymer and Panama have merged and are competing in CCAA I, and will stay in Division II for state competition.

Note: Next week, Scholastic Spotlight shines on girls track and field.



email: mmonnin@buffnews.com ]]> Mon, 13 May 2013 23:03:54 -0400 Mary Jo Monnin
]]> <![CDATA[ Will North lacrosse honors Wilson ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130513/SPORTS/130519587/1101
Instead, there was a freshman goalie on the junior varsity who would leave a lasting mark because of it. Billy Wilson, a skinny kid light on experience, was penciled in as the JV starter. The varsity starter and his backup were part of the housecleaning, leaving an empty net.

Hopkins went to his JV coach, explained the situation, and inquired about his goalie. Would anyone be capable of making such a jump?

Hopkins said Wilson did what he considered to be a courageous act, agreeing to serve as varsity goalie just two weeks into his high school career. At times it wasn’t pretty.

“He let a lot of balls get past him, he didn’t take up much room in the net, but he used it as an opportunity to get better,” said Hopkins. “You could see the leadership skills as a freshman. He had a quiet confidence that you look for in a player.”

Wilson took that fighting attitude with him, joining the U.S. Army after graduating from North.

The Getzville native was a seven-year veteran of the military when he was fatally shot on March 26, 2012, by an Afghan security member who turned his weapon on Wilson. The Army staff sergeant was 27 years old when his life was ended in Eastern Afghanistan. At the time of his death he had led his squad on 200 patrols and missions.

Approximately 1,000 mourners attended his funeral service in Getzville that fell on Good Friday. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart and was recognized as a true American hero.

As the one-year anniversary of his death passed, Wilson was remembered on Monday by the current Williamsville North lacrosse team during a pregame ceremony. Family, friends and former teammates of the fallen solider all gathered before the 5 p.m. contest with East Aurora to pay tribute.

The Spartans’ three captains, Sam Sexton, Cameron MacDonald and Eric Steinwachs presented a check for $1,500 to the Wilson family for the Billy Wilson Scholarship Fund. The team has been selling air fresheners and bought Billy Wilson T-shirts to raise the money.

“He really seemed like a pretty amazing person,” said MacDonald. “He was a four-year starter, he stepped up for the team and stepped up for his country. He’s the kind of person who does whatever it takes when people need him, a real team player.”

The front of the T-shirts had a likeness of Wilson’s dog tags and the years he was born and died, along with the words: “You are not forgotten.” The back read: “Home of the free because of the brave.”

The team also had a patch sewn onto the breast of their uniforms with Wilson’s initials: “WRW.”

Hopkins used the ceremony to speak about Wilson as a player and a person.

After his freshman season as an accidental goalie, the spot was not available to him his sophomore year as one of the dismissed goalies returned. Wilson told Hopkins he would play anywhere he was needed, which landed him in the midfield and on defense. As a junior and senior he was back in goal. He was the overwhelming choice for captain his last two years.

“It didn’t surprise me when I learned he was going into the military,” said Hopkins. “He knew the importance of team, how to lead, being a soldier was pretty important. He had all the qualities for sure. He was willing to jump in and play varsity his freshman year. What he lacked in skill he made up for with heart. He was a pretty special kid, that’s for sure.”



email: mmonnin@buffnews.com ]]> Mon, 13 May 2013 22:57:15 -0400 Mary Jo Monnin
]]> <![CDATA[ High School Extra (May 13): Four Canisius boats win gold at states ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130512/SPORTS/130519731/1101
The Crusaders’ second eight won its final in 5:45 while the 150-pound lightweight eight and the 160-pound lightweight eight also took the gold over the 1,500-meter course on Fish Creek.

The Canisius 160-pounders won in 5:16 and qualifed for the U.S. Rowing Youth National Championships in Oak Ridge, Tenn., June 7-9. That crew comprised Benjamin Zabel (coxswain), Daniel Luongo (stroke), Sam Hausmann, Declan Albert, Joseph Ebner, Ryan Flynn, Michael Battaglia, Mark Saltarelli and Owen Ogiony.

The Canisius second eight (4:54.22) scored an impressive margin of more than 10 seconds over second place Fordham Prep of the Bronx in winning its event.

Rowers from St. Joe’s, Bishop Timon-St. Jude, Nardin Academy, Chautauqua Lake, City Honors, Nichols and the West Side Rowing Club participated in the regatta.

Nardin’s lightweight eight finished third in its event while St. Joe’s junior four with coxswain finished second (5:55.15) to Saratoga (5:49.22).Iroquois (2-0) was declared the winner of the rain-shortened Immaculata Softball Tournament. Grand Island (2-0) was second and Lackawanna (2-0) third. Saturday’s round was rained out and the tournament became a one-day event with each team playing two games and then the teams were ranked.

Iroquois pitcher Amanda Metz was named Most Valuable Player. ]]> Sun, 12 May 2013 23:59:30 -0400 <![CDATA[ Clarence up to challenge in two victories ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130512/SPORTS/130519766/1101
In the second game, Evan Harof (4-0) pitched a two-hitter and doubled in a run in the fifth to beat McQuaid, 2-0. Mark Materise gave the Red Devils a 1-0 lead in the third when he singled in Bobby Floria.

Clarence (17-0) is ranked No. 3 in the state and No. 1 among large schools in WNY. The Red Devils can wrap up an undefeated season in ECIC I on Monday with a win over visiting Lancaster at 4:30.Dan Roberts pitched a no-hitter as Cardinal O’Hara, along with Kenmore West, advanced in the third annual Sean P. Scott Memorial Baseball Tournament at O’Hara. Roberts’ gem came in a 6-0 win over Hutch-Tech.

Jim Faso got the win on the mound in Kenmore West’s 8-1 win over City Honors. O’Hara, the defending champion, and West will meet for the title today at 2 p.m.

The tournament is named for Scott, who was a junior at O’Hara when he drowned on May 30, 2004 in an Amherst lake.In a battle of defending Section VI girls lacrosse champions, Class A winner Lancaster beat Class C Amherst, 13-7. Junior Allie Stewart had six goals as the Redskins made it 12 wins in a row. Stewart she has 49 goals and 32 assists this season. Rachel Heidenreich had four assists and netted her 39th goal. The Redskins improved to 14-1. Grace Lawson led Amherst with five goals giving her 55 this season.The Cheektowaga boys and girls track teams defended their titles at the Little Four Championship hosted by Cheektowaga. The 41st annual event for boys and 20th for girls is a competition between the four high schools in Cheektowaga.

The Cheektowaga boys won 10 events to score 231 points, outdistancing runner-up Cleveland Hill, which had 143. Cheektowaga junior Tim Whelan was a triple winner in the 800, 1600 and 3,200. Junior Kenny Dillenburg of Cheektowaga took the 100 and 200. Sophomore Naeem Shaw of the Warriors won the long and triple. Cleveland Hill won all three relays.

For the girls, the Warriors’ margin of victory was 93 points over JFK. Senior Keyona Dandy of Cheektowaga tied the meet record in the high jump clearing 5-feet, 2 inches. It was the only record of the day over the windswept track. She also won the 100 and 400 hurdles. Double winners for Cheektowaga were Stephanie Lombardi (shot, discus) and Telliah Bursie (100, 200). JFK had a double winner thanks to Elizabeth Vohwinkel in the 800 and 1,500.

• Kalen Sullivan and Gregg Hart of West Seneca West took first places at the Middletown Invitational, site of this year’s New York State meet. A field of 40 boys and 40 girls teams from all over the state took part. Sullivan won the 800 meters in a WNY-leading 1:55.41. Gregg Hart medaled in the long jump in 21-½. For the West girls, Kathleen Zimmer (400) and Natalie Barrea (long jump) took second places.After splitting with Niagara-Wheatfield the last two years, Silver Creek took the advantage on Saturday beating the visitors, 16-9, in boys lacrosse. The Black Knights make it a point to play teams like Frontier and Orchard Park in games that benefit both programs. “We meet once a year. Teams want to play teams that are going to help them in the long run,” said Silver Creek coach Bill Brenan.

The game was tied, 3-3, before Silver Creek (12-2) took the lead for good. Zed Williams had four goals and four assists and Brenan White added two goals and two assists for the black Knights. “Zed was dominant in the faceoff, we packed the net, and when the opportunity presented, we attacked the cage, and our boys finished,” added Brenan. ]]> Sun, 12 May 2013 00:09:14 -0400 <![CDATA[ High School Extra: Iroquois softball reigns over Starpoint ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130511/SPORTS/130519837/1101
The Chiefs pushed across the winning run with two outs in the seventh to beat the host Spartans, 3-2, in a game delayed 45 minutes at the start.

Kirsten Audette ripped a double, which hit the outfield fence on one hop, to score Jill Stoessel with the deciding run. Starpoint had a runner reach third in its half of the seventh, but she was left on base.

While the game’s outcome was in doubt for seven innings, so was the game even being played. Iroquois coach Pete Tonsoline said after a long bus ride, a lackluster warmup and the lightning delay, his team wanted to go home and return on Monday. Instead they pulled out the dramatic win which also gave them a share of the ECIC II title with Williamsville East and Starpoint, all with 9-3 records.

“I couldn’t have sketched this out in a million years,” said Tonsoline. “Eight of the 13 players played field hockey for me and two were on the [successful] volleyball team. They represent Iroquois and what everything means. It was a great win for us.”There will be a memorial baseball game played on Monday on JFK’s baseball diamond to remember the late Peter M. Odrobina, a longtime teacher and coach at the Cheektowaga school. Family and friends will gather at 5:45 p.m. before the Bears take on East Aurora in an ECIC IV contest scheduled for 6 p.m.

Odrobina coached and taught physical education and health for 33 years. He died unexpectedly of a heart attack on Nov. 21, 2012 in his Depew home. He was 62.

Odrobina coached baseball, basketball, cross-country, soccer and bowling in three different school districts, but his longest tenure was at JFK from 1975 until he retired from coaching last February.

Under Odrobina, the Bears baseball team won six ECIC titles, more than 200 games and were Class C state runner-up in 1988.

After graduating from JFK in 1968, Odrobina studied and played baseball at Erie County Technical Institute and the University at Buffalo before starting his teaching and coaching career. He also taught at Grover Cleveland High School in Buffalo and Woodrow Wilson Elementary School before answering the call of his alma mater.Clarence, Western New York’s No. 1-ranked baseball team, will compete today on the turf at St. Joe’s in the I-90 Showcase. St. Joe’s plays Webster-Thomas at 10 a.m. followed by Clarence taking on the Titans at 12:30 p.m. McQuaid will face Clarence at 3 p.m. and stay on the field to challenge St. Joe’s at 5:30 p.m. ]]> Sat, 11 May 2013 00:28:54 -0400 <![CDATA[ High School Extra: Hamburg tops Frontier in third OT ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130509/SPORTS/130509185/1101
Jill Ford scored four times, including one on Hamburg’s first possession of the third overtime period – to give the Bulldogs a 9-8 victory over visiting neighbor Frontier in a matchup of two of the top programs in Western New York.

“It’s crosstown rivals, they’re not even 2 or 3 miles up the road, and it was what we expected, a really great game,” said Hamburg coach Katy Ryan. “Right from the get-go it was a great game. Hustle on both sides and both teams played their hearts out. Just the mentality that each team had, it’s the kind of game you want to play in, especially if you want to face the Rochester team come playoffs.”

The defending Section VI Class B champion had a two-goal cushion for most of the second half, but Frontier, which won the Class A title in 2011 and lost in last year’s final, surged to tie it on Jackie Dufresne’s goal with 3:12 left.

The teams played two mandatory overtimes in which there were several great saves from Hamburg’s Lauryn Courteau and Frontier’s Emily Pasternak.

Hamburg’s Haley Fiore won the draw to start the sudden-death third overtime. Hamburg moved the ball around before Taylor Wolf got the ball up top; Wolf hit a cutting Ford, whose low shot ended the game.

At Lake Shore, Lancaster junior captains Rachel Heidenreich and Allie Stewart each had seven goals as the Class A power recorded a 21-13 win. Lancaster moved to 13-1 despite playing without sophomore standout Grace Gabriel due to illness.Junior Tommy Lunghino pitched a one-hitter while senior Tommy Ryan homered and had three RBIs as Kenmore West scored a big Niagara Frontier League baseball win by knocking off No. 5 large school Lockport, 5-0.

Ryan was 2 for 4 while Ryan Hussar was 2 for 3 with an RBI for the Blue Devils (7-6, 5-5 NFL). West scored three runs on three hits in the top of the third to take a 4-0 lead and the Lions would not threaten thanks to Lunghino and West’s errorless defense.

Only one runner for Lockport (10-2 NFL) reached second base. Lunghino had two strikeouts and two walks but induced mostly ground ball outs.

“It was a great win, we got great pitching, we hit the ball when we needed to and the defense played very, very well,” said John Haynes, a 1987 Kenmore West grad who is in his third year as coach.

“We’ve been trying to turn this program around. It’s a big win for the program.”Kenmore West had another fine diamond display, this one in softball, as the school heads into a big baseball-softball doubleheader tonight with some major momentum.

Charlotte Miller’s two-run home run in the fifth inning helped the No. 5 large school Blue Devils end a two-game losing streak with an 8-5 Niagara Frontier League victory over Lockport.

Miller went 4 for 4 with four RBIs while pitching the win, and her home run put Ken West up, 6-4, after Lockport tied the game with four runs in the top of the inning. The Blue Devils added two more runs in the sixth.

Kenmore West (8-3 in NFL play) will face rival Kenmore East tonight at 7 at Sheridan Park; the schools’ baseball teams start at 6:30.

“It’s huge, there are tons of people there every year,” said Ken West coach Matt Chimera. “This is good to get some confidence back, and you always want to go into that Kenmore East game with a little momentum. This was big for us.”Barker made it three straight undefeated seasons and three straight Niagara-Orleans track and field championships with a 76-65 victory at Albion.

Junior Jake Haight (long jump, triple jump), junior Bryce Moeller (400 meters, high jump) and senior Jordan Bender (800; 1,600) were double-winners for Barker, as they have been for much of the 6-0 league campaign.

Brett Cole, a first-year track athlete as a senior, has been a mainstay in the sprints as well.

“We had a lot of top sectional performers graduate, so this was unexpected in that I wasn’t sure they’d be able to overcome that,” said sixth-year coach James Jurewicz, referring to a class that included current UB athlete Tyler Scheving. ]]> Thu, 9 May 2013 23:28:19 -0400 <![CDATA[ Prep Talk: Wrestler’s renown is over the top ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130509/SPORTS/130509263/1101
He was facing a higher-ranked opponent in Alfred Bannister of Maryland, and he was in seemingly the most dire situation.

And then it happened.

With Bannister crouched low in an attempt to fend off any takedown attempts toward his legs, Rodriguez-Spencer did what many a top athlete would do: He took what was given to him. Specifically, he took to the air.

He flew.

He flew like ... a flying squirrel?

The “flying squirrel” is the nickname given to a maneuver in which a wrestler leaps over his opponent in an attempt to score a takedown. It is rarely executed in any wrestling match at any level, much less in the final seconds, and certainly not for a national championship.

Rodriguez-Spencer went up and over to score a title-clinching takedown and a 4-3 victory, and he also leaped right into the national sports conversation. Yahoo! Sports, The Huffington Post and Deadspin were among the many websites that posted video of Rodriguez-Spencer’s move, as thousands clicked their way to see the Cheektowaga junior deliver one of those moments in sports that fans — and not just wrestling fans — have to watch over and over.

“In the last 10 seconds, I’m pretty comfortable there,” Rodriguez-Spencer said plainly, as if it is no big deal to be in such a precarious spot. “I just want to get a takedown either way ... I knew I probably couldn’t take him down because he was so low and he was expecting a shot. I knew I could hit the Flying Squirrel because I’ve done it before.

“I knew I could get it, because no one would expect it,” he said. “So I just hit it.”

The Flying Squirrel is a move that was first executed by Ellis Coleman, who did so at the 2011 World Championships, helping make him a bronze-medal winner along with a SportsCenter staple and a YouTube sensation (one clip of the move is approaching 1 million views). Coleman, a 2012 Olympian, has embraced the move to which he will forever be linked. His Twitter handle is @DaFlyinSquirrel. He told the London media last summer that he bought one as a pet.

Rodriguez-Spencer, however, is not all about the squirrel. He decided to try it with his brother, senior teammate Miguel, in practice (Coleman developed the move with his brother in practice). Renaldo pulled off the move twice during the season, and Miguel did once as well.

Cheektowaga coach Matt Haberl said he and Rodriguez-Spencer did not discuss the move as a possible strategy before the match.

“No way,” Haberl said. “The people at the table who were keeping score asked how many times do you teach that and go over it ... and I said, ‘We don’t.’ This is his move. He does it in practice. He’s doesn’t do it all the time, he’s not trying to showboat it, he’s hit it a couple of times this year and people are expecting to see it, but that’s not him. He’s going out there to win.”

Rodriguez-Spencer has such an array of offensive moves that he is almost impossible to defend. He was 47-0 this season at Cheektowaga, and he’d even performed dramatic takedowns in the final seconds before. In the Division II 132-pound state championship, he scored a double-leg takedown to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 victory — with 1.5 seconds left.

“Over the last four years, everyone knew that he had this great double-leg takedown, and other coaches have been trying to defend it, and making the wrestlers go in different positions,” Haberl said. “To Renaldo’s credit, he’s in here, and he works hard, and we try to figure things out and he tries to figure things out on how not to defend it.

“His arsenal is so great. I don’t care if it’s under, over, top, bottom, get in your stance, don’t get in your stance ... no one’s found a way to stop him yet.”

In Virginia Beach, there was a buildup toward a final showdown between Rodriguez-Spencer and Bannister. When it came to the final seconds, the decision for Rodriguez-Spencer was made for him since Bannister was crouching so low to the mat.

“I just knew he wouldn’t expect it,” Rodriguez-Spencer said. “He was staying low, because that’s all his coach was yelling. So I knew, going over top of him would be the sure thing to do.

“I just grabbed his head, and I pulled myself in and hopped over him ... I knew I had to get as high as I could, so when I did it, I did it so fast and so hard, that actually when I jumped, I kind of flipped. As I flipped, he kind of came down right on top of me, and I just reacted, threw him off me, came around, and I got the mat return that gave me the two points.

“He actually kind of nicked my leg [in mid-air], which threw me off balance a little bit when I fell to my back, but when I got to my back, I just finished off the move.

“I never thought I’d do it, because my takedowns would be good. ... But since he was just so low, I knew I had to pull something out. Why not do that when I know I can do it?

“I’m not planning on using it [regularly]. I’ll just stick with my takedowns and the safe moves, because in the last 10 seconds, nobody is thinking about someone jumping over them. All they’re thinking of is staying low, sprawling, circling, and I’m thinking about going over the top if I have to.”

For the photo shoot that re-created the move, Cheektowaga eighth-grader Erik Bartnik had the pleasure of playing the part of the opponent. Although he knew what was coming, he was still impressed by the up-and-over move. One second you are eye-to-eye. The next, Bartnik said, “It’s like, where’d he go?”

“Did I expect it? Absolutely not,” Haberl said. “When it happened, it was just nuts. It was so out of the realm.

“He’s always in control, his mind is always working, he knows wrestling. My assistant coach and I, we see it every day. Every day is something different, and it’s just like, ‘Wow.’ That’s the best way to put it: ‘Everyday wow.’  ”

In the videos posted online, when Rodriguez-Spencer pulls off the move, you can see Haberl go a little out of the realm as well.

There was also a lot of emotion in a car traveling from Johnson City to Buffalo. That’s where Todd Rodriguez-Spencer, Renaldo’s dad, was after coaching the Buffalo Grapplers Wrestling Club in the Greco-Roman state championships (where Bartnik won a state title).

Todd Rodriguez-Spencer was in the back seat, with Bartnik, watching his son compete via an Internet connection on his phone.

“The reaction you saw on the screen down there was the reaction I had sitting in the back seat of the car,” Todd said. “I went crazy. He’s my son, it’s my son doing spectacular. I went ballistic. We pulled over just outside Warsaw [to watch it]. It was a very short trip coming back from Johnson City.”

Haberl and Todd Rodriguez-Spencer have forged a strong relationship, but it’s one that might be more unlikely, or more strange, than a twisting, turning mid-air wrestling move named after a rodent.

In the early 1980s, when Haberl was at Maryvale and Todd Rodriguez-Spencer was at Albion, the two had a fierce rivalry, with Haberl winning a matchup between them at the Section VI tournament. The two both attended Niagara County Community College, but the relationship remained rough. In an alumni match, Rodriguez-Spencer bloodied Haberl and their bout nearly escalated to an all-out brawl.

“We were arch-enemies,” Todd said.

“Hate?” Haberl said. “Hate is a nice way of putting it.”

However, as Miguel and Renaldo were growing up, and excelling in wrestling, their father sought to move out of Buffalo to an area with a strong wrestling program. He considered Niagara Falls and Lancaster, but there were similarly aged wrestlers in Renaldo’s weight class.

“I kept reading in The Buffalo News about Cheektowaga, Cheektowaga,” said Todd, who is a pastor and commutes to a church in Utica. “He has such a great program ... but I didn’t want to do it, because he and I never got along. I said, you know what, I’m going to humble myself, and I’m going to talk to Coach Haberl. He called me back, and he said, ‘It’s water under the bridge.’ ”

Haberl recalled one of Renaldo’s early wins. “We beat a senior in a final, and all of a sudden the first guy out of the stands is [Todd], giving me a hug and a kiss on the cheek. ... We’ve come such a long way.”

“I couldn’t stand him,” Todd said. “And now he’s one of my closest friends.”

The week after the trip to Virginia Beach, Rodriguez-Spencer finished fifth in the Greco-Roman division of the Junior National Championships in Las Vegas. He will spend the summer attending elite tournaments like the Junior & Cadet National Championships in Fargo, N.D., in July. In this year’s final high school rankings, Intermat and Flo.com named Renaldo one of the top 100 juniors in the nation, with both websites ranking him in the top 20 in the country at 132 pounds.

Several colleges have been in touch regarding Renaldo. Haberl said that six coaches gave him their cards in the minutes after the national championship match.

“I just hope I can keep winning, keep doing what I do: practice hard, give up no takedowns, give up nothing, just be as dominant as I can,” Renaldo said. “Be the best wrestler in Section VI and keep it moving through college.”



email: kmcshea@buffnews.com ]]> Thu, 9 May 2013 07:22:18 -0400 Keith McShea
]]> <![CDATA[ High School Extra (May 9): Clarence baseball tops OP ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130508/SPORTS/130509268/1101
Evan Harof produced the game-winning hit with a two-run triple in the seventh inning to lift Clarence by OP, 8-5.

“It’s always big when you beat Orchard Park,” Clarence coach Dave Smith said. “But quite frankly, Orchard Park is just as good as we are.”

With the game tied at 5 in the seventh, Mark Armstrong of Clarence singled and Mark Materise was hit by a pitch before Harof settled matters with a triple. Materise tossed a complete game and allowed just one earned run.

East Aurora, ranked third in The News’ small school poll, received a huge lift from Ryan Thompson in the Blue Devils’ 7-6 victory over Pioneer. Thompson stole four bases to go with two hits and two RBIs, while Ian Allen picked up the save and struck out five.

In the Niagara Frontier League, Joe D’Angelo went 3 for 5 with a double and an RBI, while Jake Martineau was 3 for 4 with three RBIs as Niagara Falls romped over Grand Island, 21-4.Mount St. Mary’s last game against Sacred Heart was a little too close for comfort but Wednesday’s rematch was never in doubt.

The Thunder remained unbeaten at 9-0 as Mary Kate Ginnane scored two goals while Cassie Davin finished with 13 saves in Mount St. Mary’s 10-4 victory over the Sharks in Monsignor Martin Association girls lacrosse.

Since defeating Sacred Heart, 10-9, on April 17, Mount St. Mary’s has outscored its last seven opponents, 114-24. The Thunder beat Mount Mercy, 22-6, on the road last Thursday.

“We played better the last time we played against Sacred Heart,” said Mount St. Mary’s coach Marissa Dauria, a 2005 graduate of the school. “But this time, we played much better defensively.”

In Msgr. Martin Association boys lacrosse, St. Joe’s – coming off a loss Monday to St.Francis – rebounded in a big way by beating rival Canisius in overtime.

Mark Nasca smacked in the game-winner with 0.9 seconds remaining in overtime as the Marauders stunned the Crusaders, 9-8.

Nasca finished with two goals and a pair of assists.

Bishop Timon-St. Jude controlled its matchup against St. Francis throughout and defeated the Red Raiders, 20-6.

The Tigers were led by Connor Fields with 10 goals.When Mark Orlando and Rich Skibucha started the Olmsted girls track and field program four years ago, their primary objective was to catch Hutch-Tech. They finally reached that goal on Wednesday.

Olmsted finished either first or second in every event and won, 66-49, to hand the Engineers their first meet loss in eight years.

“We just wanted to match their success because they’ve been so good over the years,” Orlando said.

Freshman Brittany Higgs was the star in winning individual events in the 1,500 and 3,000 while anchoring the winning 4x800 and 4x400 teams.Hamburg’s short game played a huge role in the Bulldogs 6-0 softball shutout over Williamsville North.

“Our bunting was phenomenal,” Hamburg coach Lisa Palma said. “We’ve been struggling with it lately but we put some nice ones together, gained some confidence and pushed across some runs.”

Bridget Hogan went 3 for 3 with an RBI while Sarah Mertowski was 2 for 4 for the Bulldogs.

]]> Wed, 8 May 2013 23:41:14 -0400 <![CDATA[ High School Extra (May 8): Lancaster girls clinch lax title ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130507/SPORTS/130509381/1101
Junior Rachel Heidenreich led the Redskins with five goals and a pair of assists. Returning first team All-Western New York players Allie Stewart (three goals and an assist) and Grace Gabriel (one goal and one assist) were the other Lancaster scorers. Senior Karli Pawlak made six saves for the win.

“Defensively we really focused on limiting their shots and making them work hard. I thought we did a very good job of that,” said Lancaster coach Julie Buccieri. “We were able to control the draw controls, 10-4, and that was important.”

Heidenreich stood out on draw controls for the Redskins.

Lancaster completed its Class A league schedule with a 6-0 record and has nonleague games against Lake Shore (Thursday), Amherst (Saturday) and Nichols (next Wednesday) before the sectional playoffs.

“Even though they’re nonleague games we take them very seriously and hopefully they’ll prepare us for the playoffs,” Buccieri said.

Lancaster took an early 2-0 lead and led, 6-2, at the half in a game that was not as close as the usual encounters between the rivals. Lancaster won three of the four previous games against Frontier – 10-9 and 5-4 (in the section Class A championship game) last season and 7-6 in their first meeting this season.Silver Creek threw the boys lacrosse Class C league into a first-place tie by handing host Akron its first loss of the season, 20-15. Zeddie Williams led the Black Knights with 10 goals and five assists. Akron and Silver Creek are each 8-1 in Class C with one league game left to play. It would have been a three-way tie except that East Aurora (7-2) lost to Lake Shore, 16-11.

Silver Creek was rebounding from two straight losses, one to Class A power Orchard Park and the other to Class C rival East Aurora, 20-17, last Thursday.

Tommy Scanlan scored six times and Marvin Curry had four goals for Lake Shore, which is 7-3 in Class C divison play.Depew clinched the ECIC III softball title with a 10-5 triumph over rival Maryvale. Jessica Bernhard and Brooke Guay each went 3 for 4 for the Wildcats. Guay scored a pair of runs for the winners, who are 11-0 in division play with one game left on the schedule. Second-place Cheektowaga has lost twice.Williamsville South, which once trailed, 7-0, scored three runs in the bottom of the 10th for a 13-12 softball victory over Iroquois in ECIC II. Winning pitcher Alyssa Presutti had the winning hit, a double with the bases loaded. Presutti had three hits and four RBIs and Melissa Magiera went 5 for 5 with three RBIs for the Billies. It was only the second division loss for Iroquois.

In baseball, Tyler Piasecki went 4 for 4 with three doubles and drove in three runs as Williamsville South (13-1, 9-1) maintained its hold on first place in ECIC II with a 6-3 win over visiting Iroquois. Steve Zaprowski pitched a six-hitter with nine strikeouts for the Billies, who are ranked fourth among Western New York large schools.

In Cornell Cup, Wes Olmsted of Hutch-Tech struck out nine in pitching the Engineers to a 6-0 triumph over McKinley. … Joe Denecke drove in a pair of runs with two doubles to lead da Vinci over I-Prep Grover, 10-2.Brianna Colello and Megan Weireben were double winners for West Seneca West in a 78-63 victory over Lancaster, giving the Indians a fourth straight ECIC I girls dual meet track and field title with a 4-0 record. Colello won the 100 high hurdles in 15.9 seconds and the 400 intermediate hurdles in 1:07.8. Weireben won the 1,500 in 5:25.5 and the 3,000 in 12:03.2

“It was about our depth,” said West coach Pete Szymanski. “They won the 100 and 200 but we answered with a second and a third. We went 1-3 in the long jump and 2-3 in the triple jump.”

Ashley Grazen won both sprints, Jen Thill doubled in the triple jump and pole vault and McKenzie Kuehlewind swept the shot and discus for Lancaster.

In the boys meet, West Seneca West’s 4x400 relay won in 3:31.7 and Bill Adey took first in the 110 hurdles, high jump and triple jump to lead an 80-61 victory over Lancaster. Gregory Hart, Kalen Sullivan, James Tobias and John Rehner comprised the Indians’ winning quartet. ]]> Tue, 7 May 2013 23:20:21 -0400 <![CDATA[ Akron lacrosse is putting up the numbers ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130506/SPORTS/130509444/1101
A glance at those statistics will tell you that the second-highest scoring boys lacrosse team in the entire country resides in Western New York.

Orchard Park? Bishop Timon-St. Jude? Silver Creek? Hamburg?

Try Akron.

Yes, the Tigers are in the midst of their most successful regular season, and following Monday’s action their 19.36 goals per game trails only the IMG Academy of Bradenton, Fla., (19.50).

Far more impressive, and far more important, is another figure: 11-0.

Akron remains undefeated with five regular season games to play. With nearly every player back from the team that went 14-4 last season and made the school’s first appearance in a sectional lacrosse final, the Tigers have put together another excellent campaign thanks to a high-powered offense – along with the realization that goals will only get you so far.

“In Class C there are so many goals scored,” said fifth-year coach Bryan Bellis. “When we were able to keep Lake Shore [19-7 victory April 22] and Amherst [23-13 victory April 16] from scoring, to lock them down on defense, was an indication that we were going to be pretty good.”

Bellis’ statement about Class C scoring is quantifiable as well. Four-time defending Class C champion Silver Creek has led the nation two of the last three seasons — last year and 2010 — and was third in 2011 as the state’s all-time leading scorer, Virginia-bound Zed Williams, has led the way. This year, Silver Creek is 38th in the country at 15.36 while Salamanca joins Akron in the top 10 at No. 8 (18.27). Akron beat Salamanca, 16-15, in its season opener. Last year, Silver Creek beat Akron twice – including in the Class C final – in goalfests that had identical scores of 29-15.

“It was a neat thing about our goal average,” said Bellis. “But once the players found out we had to kind of call them off – some of them were saying, ‘we can do better.’ It’s one thing to have it [the high average], but it’s another thing to go for it.”

Bellis credits senior goalie Gowah Abrams and the defensive play of senior Connor Meier and juniors Garrett Shultz and Joe Sarow for providing the Bulldogs with balance this year.

Sophomore attackman Larson Sundown and junior midfielder Sturgis Sundown – sons of assistant and former head coach Gary Sundown – are a big part of Akron’s tremendous offense. In the midfield, senior Clayton Ferry has been a four-year contributor, senior Stephan Poodry has become a scoring threat in his second season after transferring in last year, while junior Wyn Blueye has become a big contributor. A.J. Lauricella, a football standout and newcomer to the team this season, has made an impact as a longstick midfielder.

Joining Larson Sundown on attack are two juniors Geoffrey Besser and Hayden George. That trio is part of the first class of the 6-year-old Tonawanda Braves youth program to reach the varsity, and the stick skills they developed from a young age have paid off.

“The Tonawanda Braves program has served as a feeder program,” said Bellis. “This group right now has had a full range of lacrosse. It’s the first ‘graduating’ class of that program. [Prior to that program], kids on the reservation were going elsewhere. They grew up in that program.”

The Native American community from the Tonawanda Reservation that is part of the school district was a main reason that the program was started 12 years ago. Prior to that, the community had its appetite for high school lacrosse aided as programs like Gowanda and Medina would play on Akron’s football field.

The program began with a JV squad in 2001 and a varsity team in 2002, and as recently as 2005 it had a winless season (0-19). The Tigers went 10-9 in 2007 but hung just under the .500 mark until last year’s breakthrough campaign.

Akron’s offensive acuity, not unlike Silver Creek or Salamanca’s, is rooted in the indoor box lacrosse that so many natives participate in. The smaller space yields quick stickwork and quick possessions and a lot of scoring.

Bellis and the Tigers search for a balance between what can be an explosive attack and the possession game that is so crucial in field lacrosse: the other team can’t score if they don’t have the ball.

“You can hear us on the sideline, my coaches and myself, saying ‘Slow it down,’” said Bellis. “We realize that that’s our strength, that we have kids that can really shoot, and you don’t want to hold them back. … In the early wins over Salamanca and Amherst, those were more or less back-and-forth. It’s something we’re getting better at. Middies are getting on the attack, and we want to keep it in that end. We’re learning as a team. We don’t need to push – we can hold for an opportunity and look for good shots, not just shots. Some of the leaders realize that, and it’s a matter of instilling it to the younger guys.”

While Akron’s record is quite clean right now, it faces several tough tests in the last two weeks of the season.

The Tigers start that stretch this afternoon with two showdowns that should yield large home crowds. They host Silver Creek today at 5 and at 7 p.m. on Wednesday they host an East Aurora team that just beat Silver Creek. Next Monday, it has scheduled a top-notch large school opponent when it plays at Clarence, which has played Orchard Park in the last three Section VI Class A finals.

“Hopefully, we’re going to peak at the right time,” Bellis said. “We have got to make the most of games we have left.”



email: kmcshea@buffnews.com ]]> Mon, 6 May 2013 23:51:04 -0400 Keith McShea
]]> <![CDATA[ Boys lacrosse: Deep Orchard Park aims for long playoff road ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130506/SPORTS/130509449/1101
However, Orchard Park boys lacrosse has proven for more than a decade that it is not your typical team.

OP still has a deep run in the state playoffs targeted despite losing Providence-bound attackman Austin Goltz, who tore ligaments in his knee during practice about two weeks ago.

“We’ve been playing very well. I’ve been very impressed,” said OP coach Gene Tundo, who surpassed the 500-win mark earlier this year. “Our game against Pittsford, we played awesome. We just need to keep getting challenged and keep getting better.

“[We can go deep in the playoffs] if we stay healthy. We lost Goltzy and we lost one of our best longstick middies [senior Joe Dragonette].”

The Quakers are 9-1 with their only loss on April 11 to Section V (Rochester-area) power Penfield. OP recorded a major victory by handing another Section V power, Pittsford, its only loss on April 19.

“I think our defense is very good, and when you win faceoffs, everything falls into place,” said Tundo, citing the excellent faceoff work by All-Western New York football first-teamer Mitch Wilson. “I think that this team is very good if they stay unselfish and keep moving the ball on offense – and just keep getting better on defense. Defensively we have played very well. I think we can go far.”

Tundo said this year’s core is made up of eight sophomores who were brought up three years ago.

“Now it’s their turn,” he said. “[Midfielder] Spencer Cromwell is getting better all the time, [midfielder] Tim Wagner, [attackman] Ralph Pagliei. [Attackman] John Januszkiewicz is kind of the point guard to our team, [goalie] Taylor Ferrino has been playing really well.

“I’m happiest with our defense most of all. If we can limit teams … we’ll be tough to beat.”

However, Tundo is wary of its next two opponents. OP plays at Clarence on Wednesday and hosts Frontier Monday. OP beat Clarence, 18-10, and Frontier, 15-5, the first time around last month.

“I think the top three teams in every section can all beat each other,” Tundo said. “You’ve got us, Frontier and Clarence – you’ve got Pittsford, Fairport, Penfield [in Section V]. Any of those teams could win.”Even after its loss at St. Joe’s last Monday, Bishop Timon-St. Jude received 10 votes in the April 30 Nike/US Lacrosse High School Boys’ Lacrosse Top 25 poll. Timon thought it had won the game in the second overtime, but play continued and St. Joe’s scored on the ensuing fast break for a 13-12 landmark victory. Timon earned national attention after defeating Ithaca, which is ranked eighth in the poll, on the Saturday prior to the St. Joe’s loss (April 27). Timon also opened the season with a victory against Florida power Saint Andrew’s (currently 20-4) and owns a victory over Hamburg.Despite losing at St. Francis on Monday, St. Joe’s is in the midst of arguably its best lacrosse season ever.

Tenth-year coach Peter Hudecki has the Marauders 9-4, including not only the Timon win but victories over Frontier and Albany’s Christian Brothers Academy.

St. Joe’s other losses have come to heavyweights like Hill Academy (Ont.), Pittsford of Section V and CBA of Syracuse (by a goal in the final minute on Sunday).

Hudecki has overseen a program that overhauled its coaching staff in recent years, as well as added a second JV squad, something that is believed to be unique to St. Joe’s in Western New York.

St. Joe’s Maroon is the primary JV team, with the White a mostly-freshman based team. Each team has 24 players and plays a full 16-game schedule.

The Maroon squad was undefeated before a loss to Hamburg; meanwhile the White team has won its fourth game this year after recent years in which it went winless. The teams help provide the depth that the better lacrosse teams will rely on, notably in multiple midfield lines. “They keep us in reload mode,” Hudecki said of the JV teams.

Hudecki lauded his coaching staff, which includes John Curry, Mike Nirelli, JJ Mokan and Dave Decirce on the varsity level and James Vitale, Nate Hoak, Chris Rehbaum and Pat Goodwin on the JV level, along with a number of volunteers, including alumni of the program.

The Marauders have a mix of athletes whose No. 1 sport is lacrosse, but also multi-sport athletes who are committed to the program.

“During hockey’s Federation championship year, we still had guys coming to workouts during hockey season,” said Hudecki. “It’s just a great group of guys. For the last four years, we knew ‘this is our group right here.’”

It’s a group that includes dangerous scoring threats Andrew Bond and Michael Hubert on attack, midfielder Jackson Balkin, top faceoff man Andrew Pawenski, and defensemen James Deakin, Tom Adolf and Jonathan Boorady.Here is a sampling of some terrific matchups as the regular season winds down.

Today: Two big Class C games at 5 p.m. have Silver Creek at Akron and East Aurora at Lake Shore.

Wednesday: St. Joe’s goes for a rivalry sweep when it hosts Canisius at 5; St. Francis goes for another upset at Timon at 7 and Orchard Park is at Clarence at 7.

Thursday: Always a good rivalry game has Williamsville North at Williamsville East.

Friday: Hamburg, which lost senior standout and University of Maryland-Baltimore County recruit Max Maxwell to injury, heads to Section V Class C superpower Penn Yan at 7 p.m.

Saturday: An annual entertaining nonleaguer has Niagara-Wheatfield at Silver Creek.

Monday: Outstanding nonleaguer with Class A power Clarence hosting currently undefeated Class C leader Akron at Clarence.

May 15: In a long-awaited rematch, St. Joe’s plays Bishop Timon-St. Jude on Timon’s Fitzpatrick Field on Tifft Street at 7 p.m. Another fine matchup has neighbors facing off as Frontier plays at Hamburg.

May 16: Two excellent late-season nonleaguers have Orchard Park at Niagara-Wheatfield and Silver Creek playing at Frontier.

May 17: In a fine nonleague matchup that high school fans would love to see in football, St. Joe’s will play at Orchard Park at 5 p.m. Another good game that day has Clarence heading to the Finger Lakes to take on Penn Yan.

May 18-19: Bishop Timon-St. Jude is part of a outstanding field at the North American Lacrosse Invitational hosted by Birmingham (Mich.) Brother Rice.May 17: Section VI play-in round (if necessary)

May 21: Monsignor Martin semifinals and Section VI quarterfinals

May 23: Section VI semifinals

May 28: Section VI championships at All High Stadium (Class B-3:30, C-5:30, A-8 p.m.); Monsignor Martin championship at TBA

June 1: Far West Regionals at St. John Fisher, Pittsford (Class B-1, C-3:30, A-6 p.m.)

June 3: State Catholic championships at St. Anthony’s, L.I.

June 5: State semifinals at St. John Fisher, Pittsford (Class B-3:30, C-5:30, A-8 p.m.)

June 8: State championships at St. John Fisher, Pittsford (Class B-11 a.m., C-1:30, A-4 p.m.)Class A: 1, XI-Ward Melville; 5, Orchard Park; 13, St. Joe’s; 16, Bishop Timon-St. Jude. Honorable mention: Canisius, Frontier.

Class B: 1, II-Niskayuna; 10, Hamburg. HM: Niagara-Wheatfield, Williamsville North.

Class C: 1, XI-Shoreham-Wading River; 7, Akron; 9, East Aurora; 11, Silver Creek. HM: Lake Shore, Salamanca.



email: kmcshea@buffnews.com ]]> Mon, 6 May 2013 23:34:39 -0400 Keith McShea
]]> <![CDATA[ Girls lacrosse: Lancaster faces major test against Frontier ]]> http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130506/SPORTS/130509450/1101
They don’t get much bigger than today’s showdown between visiting Lancaster and Frontier at 4:45.

The teams have met in the last two Section VI Class A championship games – Frontier ended Lancaster’s six-year championship run in 2011 before Lancaster exacted revenge last season. In the teams’ first matchup this year, Lancaster won, 7-6, on April 25.

“This will be one of our hardest games of the season,” said Lancaster coach Julie Buccieri. “Both teams so badly want to prove they are the better team. Frontier has great athletes, a strong defense and are well-coached. We do not ever take them lightly and will hopefully play a great game and come out on top.”

Lancaster can be regarded as the top team in the area after the win over Frontier as well as a 17-16 overtime win over defending Class B champion Hamburg on April 18.

Also, Lancaster did very well this season against Section V competition. The team has regularly scheduled teams from the stronger Rochester area in an attempt to become more competitive. Only once has a Section VI team beat a Section V champion to advance to the state final four (Lancaster in 2008).

Last year, Lancaster started the season 0-3 against Section V teams but this year it has won three of the four it played against Rochester-area opposition, beating Webster Schroeder (14-12) and Mercy (11-6) at home, losing at Webster Thomas (18-12) in early-season games and beating Fairport (13-10) at home last Friday.

“We not only wanted to challenge ourselves to play those teams again this year but to get a win or two,” said Buccieri. “All four were great games that challenged us and made us stronger individually and as a team. We were able to defeat three out of four and we were really pumped about that, but we have much bigger goals than beating them in the regular season.

“We fully understand that every team wants the chance to beat us and that the journey will be far from easy for us. Section VI’s Class A is getting stronger every year and I hope that this is the year one of us can make it past Section V to advance to the state final four.”

Lancaster has been led by its strong midfield, which includes junior Rachel Heidenreich, sophomore Grace Gabriel and junior Allie Stewart. Back in goal is senior goalie Karli Pawlak, who had a game-saving stop in the final seconds against Frontier in last year’s final.

Here’s a look at Western New York’s top matchups as the season winds down.

Today: In addition to Lancaster and Frontier going at it, West Seneca East is at Williamsville North at 4:45 in a key Class B contest.

Thursday: A tremendous Southtowns showdown has Frontier (10-1) at Hamburg (11-1 after Monday’s 18-7 win over Nichols) at Howe Field at 7 p.m. The only loss for each was by one goal to Lancaster. Hamburg also owns a win over Auburn of Section III (Syracuse area) and is coming off an impressive 14-4 win over West Seneca East (7-4) while Frontier topped Nichols earlier this season.

Also Thursday is a matchup of two more teams which usually are playing come time for the Section VI championship tripleheader as Lancaster heads to Lake Shore at 4:45. Lake Shore lost in last year’s B final and won in 2011, and its lone loss was an 8-6 season-opening defeat to Frontier.

Saturday: Lancaster hosts Amherst, which has won eight straight sectional titles. The Tigers are 7-5, with two overtime losses to Lake Shore.

May 15: Lancaster closes the season by hosting Nichols at 4:45 p.m. The Vikings have played their usual competitive schedule against local teams (it has games with Orchard Park and Clarence remaining) along with its Midwest Schoolgirls Lacrosse Association schedule.

May 17: In a great nonleague game at 4:30, Frontier hosts Mount St. Mary, which has ruled the Monsignor Martin Association, winning that league’s title in all eight years of its existence. The Thunder is again ruling the MMA this year in an 8-0 start. Its closest game was a 10-9 win over Sacred Heart, which it plays on Wednesday.May 17-19: Nichols at Midwest Schoolgirls Association Tournament, Western Reserve (Ohio)

May 21: Monsignor Martin semifinals at Nichols (4 and 5:30 p.m.); Section VI quarterfinals

May 23: Monsignor Martin championship at Nichols (4:30 p.m.); Section VI semifinals

May 29: Section VI championships at All High Stadium (Class A-3:30, B-5:30, C-8 p.m.)

June 1: Far West Regionals at Section V site TBA: (Class A-3:30, B-6, C-8 p.m.)

June 7-8: State final four at Cortland StateClass A: 1, CHSAA-St. Anthony (L.I.); 20, Lancaster. Honorable mention: Clarence, Frontier.

Class B: 1, VII-Garden City; 13, Hamburg. HM: West Seneca East.

Class C: 1, XI-Mount Sinai. HM: Amherst, Lake Shore.



email: kmcshea@buffnews.com ]]> Mon, 6 May 2013 23:34:11 -0400 Keith McShea
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