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Sutherland knocks off Batavia at home

By Brian Hillabush

Sometimes you can fight as hard as possible, but are still going to lose.

Pittsford Sutherland had a huge size advantage and owned the boards, and were dropping 3-pointers like crazy and beat host Batavia 58-49. This gives the Blue Devils a 10-2 record, with both losses coming to Sutherland.

It is still possible for Batavia to tie Sutherland for the Monroe County League title, but it is going to basically take two Sutherland losses with Batavia winning out.

The Blue Devils have won or shared the Division III championship for the last seven seasons, and will not be competing for a league title next year as Batavia will only play a half-league schedule.

Even with the Knights going box-and-1 and double-teaming Andrew Hoy, Batavia was in a lose game i the first quarter and early into the second.

Andrew, Dakota Irvin and Adam Pettinella all drained 3-pointers to give the Blue Devils a 15-14 lead after one period of play.

Robert Hoy opened the second quarter with a trifecta and Mike Lee followed with a bucket, and Batavia was leading 20-14.

Then, Sutherland went on an amazing run, scoring 16 straight points over the next 4 1/2 minutes. Patrick O'Keefe had five points in the stretch and Brian Lewis hit two 3-pointers.

All of a sudden, that six point lead turned into a 30-20 deficit.

Batavia ended the half with some momentum as Marcus Hoy drained a trey and Robert Hoy added a basket. It was only 30-25 at the break.

Joe Schlossel had two baskets with Andrew Hoy and Marcus Hoy getting one apiece, but Dylan Sherwood scored twice and O'Keefe added a bucket to keep things even. 

The lead then opened up again as the Knights went on another run, with Dan Waldbillig and O'Keefe getting baskets - with two Andrew Hoy free throws sandwiched in - before Sherwood and Lewis both scored to give Sutherland a 45-35 advantage.

Again, the Blue Devils fought back early in the fourth quarter.

Andrew Hoy, Robert Hoy, Schlossel and Marcus Hoy had four straight buckets to make the score 45-43. Wayne Dillworth and Waldbillig had consecutive baskets, and then Dan O'Keefe drained a 3-pointer that was basically the nail in the coffin.

Dylan Sherwood, Patrick O'Keefe had 12 points apiece for the Knights (9-2).

Marcus Hoy had nine points with four assists to lead Batavia (10-2), with Andrew Hoy scoring 11 points and Joe Schlossel adding 12. Robert Hoy had nine points.

 

Batavia cheerleading wins fourth straight Monroe County title

By Brian Hillabush

 

Many sports enthusiasts will tell you that cheerleading is not a sport. I disagree. 

These teams that you see on the sidelines at football games and at the ends of the court at basketball games, practice as much as those boys sports teams.

They don't have as many competitions, but so far Batavia is doing as well as possible, going 3-0 with just sectionals coming up on Feb. 22.

I showed up for a quick video shoot and some interviews and was able to see what a group of 20 cheerleaders together can be. Rookie coach Colleen Sullivan let them have fun, but when it was business time, it was business time.

Maybe that's why she's carrying on the tradition of Krista Shamp (used to be Glow), who turned Batavia cheerleading from an average squad into a county and sectional contender.

Heck, the squad won its fourth consecutive Monroe County League title on Sunday, beating second-place finisher East Irondequoit by a whopping 19 points. This comes after sectional championships in 2006 and 2007 and winning a first-ever fall title this year.

The squad has many personalities, ranging from some quiet girls to the boisterous senior Ana Spikes, who spent much of the end of last basketball season harassing me at games.

And then you have some true leaders, like Taylor Chmielowiec, whose brother Mike is one of the best basketball players in Batavia history. In chatting with her, I see a lot of similar personality traits. You can tell that a senior that has been on varsity for four years is a leader.

And then there is the new coach. 

Sullivan is a 2006 graduate of Batavia and was a football cheerleader for three years and basketball for four, all under Shamp, who is her neighbor, friend and mentor.

Sullivan also cheered for the Rochester Elite All Heat All-star team for two years.

She is currently in college and plans on running the program for as long as possible. 

She is 3-0 as a basketball cheerleading coach and can end up 4-0 if Batavia can win sectionals on Feb. 22 at RIT.

The entire roster is:Sasha Mruczek, Carissa Hyde, Madison Musilli, Taylor Chmielowiec, Jamie Turman, Sarah Stendts, Amanda Wormley, Kaley Falkowski, Jenna Sallome, Nikki Longhini, Petra Dietrich, Mari Geer, Alex Saraceni, Morgan SChlossel, Shawna Platt, Ana Spikes, Meghan Dwyer, Mikala Phillips, Leah Mruczek, Emily Sallome, Erika Bucci, Rachel Guppenberger, Natalie Tuites and Amy Schmitt.

Obama: Government should be transparent

By Howard B. Owens

Today, President Barack Obama made this statement:

Government should be transparent. Transparency promotes accountability and provides information for citizens about what their Government is doing. Information maintained by the Federal Government is a national asset. My Administration will take appropriate action, consistent with law and policy, to disclose information rapidly in forms that the public can readily find and use. Executive departments and agencies should harness new technologies to put information about their operations and decisions online and readily available to the public. Executive departments and agencies should also solicit public feedback to identify information of greatest use to the public.

On the same subject, the Washington Post reports:

The Government should not keep information confidential merely because public officials might be embarrassed by disclosure, because errors and failures might be revealed, or because of speculative or abstract fears," Obama said in the FOIA memo, adding later that "In responding to requests under the FOIA, executive branch agencies (agencies) should act promptly and in a spirit of cooperation, recognizing that such agencies are servants of the public."

His memo on government transparency states that the Obama Administration "will work together to ensure the public trust and establish a system of transparency, public participation, and collaboration. Openness will strengthen our democracy and promote efficiency and effectiveness in Government."

Follow the Post link for full text of President Obama's message.

The need for government transparency isn't just a federal thing. It applies to local government as well.  You know, governments like, oh, the City of Batavia.

Whenever a government agency fails to answer timely requests for information, to not ensure all relevant media receives ready and easy access to information, to stymie full disclosure of information by prohibiting government employees from speaking publicly about issues that effect taxpayers, then it isn't really serving citizens to its highest and best ability.

Current records for Batavia grapplers

By Brian Hillabush

 I received some updated individual records for Batavia's wrestling team, which is ranked 18th in the state at 16-5. Wins come easy when you have a roster putting up individual records like this.

Ryan Darch easily leads the way with a perfect 29-0 record.

Joe Muoio leads the team with 17 pins and has a solid 23-8 record.

Nick Lazarony is 26-2 and Troy Ireland is 22-3, with Anthony D'Aurizio currently at 27-4 and Ryan Goodsell at 24-5.

Josh Mase is 23-5 and Trey Henderson is 20-9.

 

Downtown events could land on the budget chopping block—or not...

By Philip Anselmo

Earlier this morning, one of our readers, John Roach, left the following comment:

It’s a shame that after all the hard work by BID, the 5 Republicans on City Council have submitted a budget proposal that will take enough money away from city celebrations and events that it might kill the Summer/Christmas in the City.

That caught our attention, and we set out to find exactly what the City Council had planned for budget cuts that might affect future events downtown. We asked for comment from Council President Charlie Mallow and Don Burkel, director of the downtown Business Improvement District. Burkel has not yet commented. Burkel responded via e-mail at noon today:

"There should be no budget cuts for Christmas in the City, Summer in the City or any other BID activities, as this would definitely have a negative impact on the downtown businesses.  In this time of economic hardship the merchants need these events to generate activity to attract shoppers and visitors to the Batavia Business Improvement District."

Mallow responded in an e-mail:

"I was sent a proposed amendment to lower the city's contribution from a few of the council members. Council will be talking about this proposed amendment as well as the rest that were submitted on Saturday.

"From my point of view a consensus was come to on the amount of this line item in the last budget. I do not support the cut, I think its unfair and hurts the businesses downtown and I think doing anything to jeopardize either event would lower our quality of life in the city.

"The members that proposed the amendment alluded to the idea that they had a majority in favor of the cut. I find that hard to believe."

While we were waiting to hear back from Mallow and Burkel, we also spoke with a few other members of Council: Rose Mary Christian, Kathy Briggs and Bob Bialkowski.

Bialkowski, who expressed an overall optimism about the budget process this year, said: "We're not eliminating any downtown events." Instead, he said, several members of Council were looking at ways to reduce overtime costs—especially those related to the management of downtown events—to help reduce the property tax burden. While this would not "eliminate" downtown events, it would reduce the funding available for them.

According to the budget proposal prepared by the office of the city manager, actual overtime costs so far paid out in the current budget season total more than $530,000, as listed in the budget's general fund. That total does not include such special funds as water and sewer, ambulance—in which overtime costs exceed $300,000—and the mall, which for some reason is maintained as a separate fund.

Nevertheless, most of those overtime expenses fall within the budgeted amounts. In fact, both fire and police overtime costs were under. For some reason, the communications department totaled more than four times what was budgeted. To date, that department has accrued $28,612 in overtime costs, while a mere $7,000 was budgeted.

What's most apt here, however, is the overtime cost for "community celebrations," which has totaled $4,997 so far. Those are the costs that Bialkowski has called into question. He says that if the city could get more use out of volunteers for the downtown celebrations and shift the schedule for assistance from public works employees from the weekend to Friday and Monday, the cost would drop from, say, $1,000 to $500, since overtime costs would be avoided.

"I'm a big believer for volunteering for events," he said. "We're just trying to keep any property tax minimal. We're looking at all costs, trying to keep it down as low as possible."

Cutting back on overtime costs are just one way he would hope to get expenses down for the next budget season. He has proposed a list of amendments, he says, that would reduce about $70,000 in "miscellaneous items" and by sharing services and getting more time out of certain city vehicles.

Christian and Briggs said that the cuts proposed by Bialkowski and others would, in fact, cut the funding for downtown events and shift the cost burden onto the BID, which would not be able to manage, and so be forced to eliminate the events.

"Some council members have recommended cuts in this area," said Briggs in an e-mail. "One suggestion was cutting it from $3,000 to $2,000. Nothing is definite yet. In my opinion the events shouldn't be scrapped. I'm not going to support this cut. We can't expect the Business Improvement District to pick up all of the cost, and we have to have some celebrations, right!"

Christian is of the same mind. She says that she is "not one of them," referring to some other members on Council who are trying to cut the funding for downtown events. Instead of those cuts, she said that she asked for City Manager Jason Molino to see if he can cut 1 to 1 1/2 percent from elsewhere in the budget. She hopes to get an answer on where and how that might be pulled off at the session Saturday.

"We'll see if Jason can find cuts in certain areas," she said. "The budget is astronomical. It's $24 million. We have to be realistic. The economy is a disaster. The stock market is a disaster. Even the president has said, it's not up to government, it's up to us. It's up to the people to make a change."

HS boys highlights for Tuesday

By Brian Hillabush

 Jon Casper had a dominant performance Tuesday helping to lead his Le Roy wrestling team to a 59-27 win over Hornell.

Casper pinned Tyler Warriner in just 23 seconds at 215 pounds.

Jesse Brennan also had a pin for the Oatkan Knights at 119.

--------------------------------------------------------

Batavia downed Kendall on the mat with ease, winning 59-30 to improve to 16-5.

Nick Lazaroni pinned James Klafehn in just 1:15 at 112 pounds and Will Ely droppe Lance Requa in 5:10 at 125 pounds.

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Byron-Bergen (2-9) was able to hang with Northstar Christian, but a 21-8 third quarter allowed Northstar (9-3) to get the 56-40 boys basketball win.

Donald Harris had 13 points with seven rebounds, assists and steals while David Miller pitched in 11 points for Northstar.

David Garnish had a double-double for the Bees, scoring 11 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Tyler Sass added 10 points.

Batavia's Chmielowiec and UofR take third at Chase Tournament

By Brian Hillabush

 The University of Rochester won the consolation game this past weekend and wound up taking third at the Chase Tournament, which features top area college basketball teams.

Batavia grad Mike Chmielowiec was injured in the semifinals loss to St. John Fisher, 71-66. Chmielowiec informed me this evening that the injury was a minor sprained ankle and he sat out the consolation game as a precaution.

He will be back in action on Friday as Rochester takes on Washington University.

St. John Fisher beat Roberts Wesleyan 72-55 in the finals. 

 

Batavia loss to Letchworth doesn't matter, now ranked in the state (updated)

By Brian Hillabush

 Batavia suffered one of harshest losses area wrestling has seen in a while, with the two final Letchworth grapplers pinning Batavia wrestlers to get a 1-point win.

Well, that performance against the 14th ranked Indians, combined with Batavia's 66-12 win over Hornell was enough to put the Blue Devils into the state rankings in the small-school division.

And it was more than just a small jump from receiving an honorable mention as Batavia jumped all the way up to No. 18, one ahead of Attica, which has an 11-9 record.

Attica dropped from No. 14 to No. 19. Batavia is 15-5.

This is the first time that a Batavia wrestling team has ever been ranked in the state.

"The kids are ecstatic because this was one of our goals," Batavia coach Rick Stewart said. "We put together a schedule of some of the toughest teams in the state so that we could reach this goal."

Holley is also ranked, surprisingly low, at No. 29.

Batavia has two tournaments (including the Monroe County Championships, where they have not had a champ since 1980) and three dual meets left to go before sectional time.

Poll: Name the Muckdogs mascot

By Philip Anselmo

We just got up a post about a contest to name the new Batavia Muckdogs mascot and thought to give the readers of The Batavian a chance to share some of their suggestions. We've offered a few obvious choices—or maybe not obvious, who knows—but most folks will likely want to give their own. If that's the case, simply click the 'Other' option and type in your choice. We'll retrieve the suggestions from the poll site and post them in the comments field throughout the day.

If you would like to make your vote official, please download the official Name the Mascot form and drop it off at Dwyer Stadium.

What should we name the new Muckdogs mascot?
( surveys)

Name that pooch: Muckdogs adopt a stray dog as new mascot

By Philip Anselmo

This past December, at Batavia's Christmas in the City event, our sports editor, Brian Hillabush, snapped a photo of a stray dog decked out in a santa hat and a trench coat. That's him looking cool here to the right. Well, that dog was spotted a few more times after that, romaing the city, looking for a home.

Now, thanks to the Batavia Muckdogs, this stray dog has a home. He was adopted by the organization this morning and officially named as the Muckdogs new mascot. But there's one thing... He doesn't have a name! And the Muckdogs are hoping we can fix that.

Here are all the details:

On January 20th, 2009, in celebration of National Adopt a Mascot Day, the Batavia Muckdogs decided to officially adopt a very large, stray dog found sniffing around the City of Batavia.

The dog, which stands between five and six feet tall, weighs in at over 150 pounds, is brown with black patches, and has a very friendly smile.  He was first seen in early December at Christmas in the City.  The next sighting found him enjoying the sparkling lights at the Holland Land Office Museum’s Wonderland of Trees.  Apparently he likes to skate, because his travels took him to Falleti Ice Arena in early January.  Then he was seen meandering around TOPS where several children spotted him in front of the dog bone section. Recently, he drew lots of attention cooking it up at Pauly’s Pizza.

“I’ve seen the dog wandering around the area. He is very friendly and really enjoys being around kids. On top of that, he seems to love the game of baseball. For those reasons, I think he will find a good home at Dwyer Stadium,” said Travis Sick, general manager of baseball operations. “He’s a bit large, but we have a big yard here at Dwyer,” added Travis.

The new Muckdog’s mascot will make his first public appearance on Friday, January 23, 2009 at Jackson Elementary School in Batavia.

“Adopting a new pet is a huge responsibility. I think our staff and fans will do everything they can to make this dog feel right at home. I did a little research and I found this breed is really playful with kids, thrives on hotdogs, and excels at chasing batted balls,” said Casey Freeman, general manager of stadium operations.

The Muckdogs’ decision to adopt the dog was made when they learned the friendly canine needed a home.  The adoption took place at the Genesee County Animal Shelter, located in Batavia.

The Muckdogs will introduce a “Name the Mascot Contest” this week with entry forms available in the Daily News and at Dwyer Stadium. Fans have until February 13 to turn in their name suggestions for Batavia’s new best friend. The fan who comes up with the winning name for the pooch will receive a motorized scooter courtesy of Dr. Pepper and Snapple and four tickets to the Muckdogs’ home opener on Friday, June 19 vs Auburn. Fans interested can fill out the necessary form and mail it to Dwyer Stadium at 299 Bank Street, Batavia, NY 14020.

Batavia's business incubator celebrates 50th Anniversary

By Philip Anselmo

From the Harvester Center:

The world’s first business incubator, The Batavia Industrial Center (BIC), is planning a year long celebration of 50 years of business development and job creation.

The businesses at BIC today employ more than 300 people in buildings that sprawl across 25 acres in the center of Batavia and were built over 100 years ago.  The companies that have “graduated” from the incubator employ thousands more and occupy properties worth millions of dollars in the region and across the country.  Events, new programs and announcements are being planned to recognize the success of the BIC, its entrepreneurs and the industry it spawned to help people around the world.  It is estimated that there are 5,000 incubators across Asia, North America, Europe and Latin America.  Jiang Zemin, the former President of China, hails business incubation as: “The most important creation of sci-tech industrialization in the 20th century.”

Business incubators are buildings that improve the survival and success of start-up and small businesses by providing rental space, shared equipment, support services and management guidance.  This concept was pioneered by Joseph L. Mancuso in 1959 as a solution to extremely high unemployment and the re-use of a large obsolete industrial building in the small city of Batavia, NY.  The organization responsible for business incubation in China erected a bronze bust of Mr. Mancuso at their incubator in Anshan China acclaiming him as the “founder of the incubator movement”.  January 19, is the late Mr. Mancuso’s birthday.

The Mancuso Business Development Group, led by B. Thomas Mancuso, SIOR, provides leadership to develop and operate incubators or small business centers that help people succeed.  They currently manage almost 3 million square feet of small business focused properties across Upstate New York.

For more information, please call B. Thomas Mancuso at 585.343.280 x 14 or email: tom@mancusogroup.com.

Local AAU teams looking for coaches

By Brian Hillabush

A big reason why Batavia basketball is so successful every year is that there is a solid youth program in place, the Genesee RAP.

The AAU teams are looking for volunteer coaches for the teams. The RAP plays in regional tournaments on the weekends in March and April.

 Anybody interested should contact Batavia varsity coach Buddy Brasky at 585-356-4050 or e-mail him at mbrasky@bataviacsd.org.

A Look Into the Local Veterans

By Robin Walters

It took a gangster that God placed in my life today to ask myself how grateful am I?

Let me explain: 

After being at the altar with the gal at church today, a gentleman introduced himself to me and said God spoke to me to come up to you and let you know that there is leadership skills in you and that God would like you to be open to look at other possible ministries.

 He explained that he does ministry at the local Veterans Medical Center and within prisons and jails. He invited me to come with him today to the local Veterans Medical Center.

 I met him there. He explained our job as volunteers was to go to the floors and take the men down to the chapel for church service. As we got off the elevator, God showed me a world I had only heard about and never personally seen.  As we walked down the halls, he told me to be sure to look and listen. What I saw was so heart wrenching. There were men that had lost their limbs. There were men with mental disorders. There were men that had been disabled in so many ways. Yes, men that gave their lives to fight for our freedom! Just as Christ died on the cross, to set us free, there have been men that died for our freedom here on earth and here was a building full of men that God saved.

 As I wheeled them down to the chapel, my heart was melting. The chaplain gave an awesome message. He let the Vets know that God loves them. We sang Jesus loves me. The older vet in his wheelchair behind me, belted that song right out. He gave them hope. He let them that know that maybe no family comes to see them, that maybe they feel alone and hopeless. The chaplain started knocking his hand on the table.. and kept knocking. As he knocked, he said you hear that, it is Jesus saying I am here let me in. His fist got louder, he kept knocking. He said Jesus is there knocking wanting to come in. When you are lonely , when you are blue, please know that Jesus wants to come in. He is here every minute with you.  He also shared the message of how even though are bodies are getting older and falling apart, how God renews us.

 The chaplain, the volunteers and the Vets sang Amazing grace. Yes Amazing Grace.

Tears were streaming down my face. As I escorted the one gentleman back to the lounge, I looked around the room. There were so many lonely souls in the room all in wheelchairs. I am sure some have families that come visit. I am sure there may be other ministries that come in and help. But I also know that there are men in this facility that have no family. I took the time and went around to each them and extended my hand and greeted them. This one man who could barely speak said I am a jet fighter pilot from World War 2. I responded what a blessing you are the first jet pilot fighter I have ever met!

 I went back to the other lounge and the one man’s family brought pizza for lunch. They invited our ministry team from the Assembly of God church  to join them for lunch.

 As we were going down the elevator to get ready to leave, I started to cry. I thought about how selfish I have been in life. I thought about how many days I may get a whoa poor is me attitude about the most stupidest thing! I thought about how giving of 2 hours of my time at the facility today blessed lives. I thought about how many people are just going about their every day lives and not being grateful for what they have. More importantly, God showed me about selfishness.

 I thought about how I saw these men sitting watching the local football game by themselves , as many families are gathered in their living rooms feasting on snacks and food and watching the game from the comfort of their couch.

 God asked me as I walked to my car, how grateful are you Robin? How thankful are you that my son died on the cross to save you? How grateful are you for these men that fought for your freedom and all others here in Batavia and the United States? What can you do Robin to show you are grateful for Jesus and these men?

 In God’s word, he gives us this commandment

 Romans 13: 9-10

 9The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet,"[a] and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself."[b] 10Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

 Our neighbor is not just the person that lives next door to us, no it is all of God’s people here on earth including these wonderful veterans who fought for our freedom.

 Oh yes, in the beginning I told you God used a “gangster” to show me. The gentleman that led me there today was a former gangster years ago. He had a huge gang right here in Batavia. However, the Lord found him, he is a born again Christian  and now has been in ministry in the local prisons, jails and Veterans center for the past 25 years!

I give thanks to all veterans for fighting for our freedom. I encourage you if you are looking for ways to show your appreciation contact your local Veterans Hospital and ask how you can show your support for those who give their lives for your freedom. Whether it be going and watching a sporting event with them, just stopping by and saying hi, or escorting them down and sitting with them during church service, you will not only bless them, but the experience will richly reward and bless you back!
 

Batavia has significant assets to spur an economic renaissance

By Howard B. Owens

Is Batavia well positioned for an economic renaissance? Reading a post on the rural-themed blog the Daily Yonder this morning, I'm thinking the question might very well be yes.

Big rural towns may have even better luck than large cities when it comes to attracting and keeping manufacturing jobs. (It seems the formula for success includes being a home to higher education situated at the crossroads of major highways.) Big towns usually boast health care facilities located inside the city limits, or at least nearby. Having an industrial park within an economic enterprise zone doesn’t hurt either.

Here's are what I see of Batavia's assets:

  • The Harvester/Masse complex, which is ripe for redevelopment.
  • Proximity to key transportation routes, though the Thruway's never ending cycle of toll increases is a problem
  • Train routes already in place
  • The city is well positioned in relation to major water ways, access to the East Coast and the northern Mid-West.
  • Plenty of water.
  • Plenty of electricity, and the ability to generate more
  • Good health care facilities in place
  • Good schools (though no major university)
  • Good, stable workforce
  • Plenty of recreational opportunities for families; interesting, historic locale with easy access to vacation and entertainment spots

The article goes on:

Where big towns fall short is population; they need to draw labor from rather broad areas of the surrounding countryside, perhaps as many as four or five counties large.

Batavia is certainly surrounded by rural counties with additional workers, but the close proximity of Buffalo and Rochester may also be an asset.  The idea of people commuting from those cities to work in Batavia might drive up transportation costs, but Batavia is close enough that it might not be a stretch to imagine people relocating to Genesee County. They would still be close to their friends and families in Rochester or Buffalo, but living in a great community. 

On the other hand, I imagine many people now living in Genesee County and commuting now to Rochester and Buffalo might welcome new job opportunities right in the middle of Batavia.

The biggest negatives facing Batavia, however, remain high taxes and a state government overzealous about regulation and red tape.

Still, with the proper planning and the right effort correctly applied, there's no reason that Batavia can't realize some significant economic growth over the next 10 years.

Notre Dame comes through in the end, beats scrappy O-A

By Brian Hillabush

 The game might have been tight all the way through, but it looked like the Oakfield-Alabama girls were going to beat Notre Dame for the second time this season, on ND's home court.

The Hornets owned the paint and seemed to be in the right place at the right time for every loose ball. But the Fighting Irish battled in the closing minutes and came through with a huge 48-46 win.

Oakfield-Alabama took a 3-point lead with about five minutes left in the game when Hillary Bates scored a basket, making the score 40-37 in O-A's favor.

Notre Dame's Brittany Morelli answered with a bucket, but the lead was back to 3-points when Dani Sage scored at the other end. The Hornets had a chance to extend the lead when sophomore McKenzie Harris had a steal and was fouled going to the basket.

Unfortunately for the Hornets, she missed both free throw attempts.

Nichole Hart then made it a 1-point game with a basket seconds later.

After a turnover, Morelli scored with an and-1, giving the Fighting Irish a 44-42 lead with just under three minutes left in the game.

Christina Palillo tied the game with a basket on O-A's next possession, then was fouled on the team's next trip down the court. She hit both foul shots to give the Hornets a 46-44 advantage with just over two minutes left.

Again, it looked like O-A was going to win, just like they did in the consolation game of the Rotary Tournament.

But Notre Dame went inside the paint on the following possession, giving the ball to 6-foot sophomore Liz Geandreau, who was fouled while trying to get a shot off. She tied the score with two free throws.

Nobody scored for almost a minute and a half, but Morelli got to the foul line with 39 seconds left. She hit both attempts to give the Fighting Irish the two-point advantage.

The Hornets had one last shot with just seconds left on the clock, but missed a 3-pointer and couldn't get the rebound.

Morelli scored 11 of her 15 points in the second half and Jill Marshall pitched in 14 points for the Fighting Irish, who improve to 7-3. Nichole Hart had 12 points.

Brynn Perfitt continues to be a strong scoring option for Oakfield-Alabama (6-6), scoring 11 points. Hillary Bates scored a team-high 12 points and Palillo pitched in eight points.

 

 

Former Muckdogs GM Wellenzohn headed to Georgia for new baseball job

By Brian Hillabush

Dave Wellenzohn has a championship ring and had a great experience while meeting "great people in Batavia".

But he was let go as general manager of the Batavia Muckdogs after this season by the Rochester Red Wings, who are owned by the Rochester Red Wings Management, LLC.

Things happen fast in minor league baseball, and Wellenzohn found his new job quickly after searching since the end of the season.

Just yesterday, Wellenzohn was hired by the Savannah Sand gnats as  Director of Tickets and Sales.

"I was the one left holding the short end of the stick (after the season)," Wellenzohn said. "I'm thrilled to be leaving Batavia. I'm happy to be going to Georgia because I've lived there before. I'm looking forward to setting up residence and hopefully being there for a while."

Wellenzohn being happy about leaving Batavia has nothing to do with the people or his experience during the season. In his interview he used the words "bitter sweet" very often. 

Batavia won its first New York-Pennsylvania League title in 45 years on September 14 and he was let go on the 15th. 

"I would not trade my experience in Batavia for anything, but I wouldn't do it again either," Wellenzohn said. "It was bitter sweet and I was the only one that lost. But it was nice. We won a championship and I met a lot of nice people."

Wellenzohn literally was ready to move back to his home town of Buffalo. He had the moving truck booked, found an apartment and had an appointment to have his satellite TV set up.

After having no luck finding a job, he was just going to head home.

But he was hired by the Sand gnats yesterday and is now looking for a place to live there, while canceling his plans to move to Buffalo.

"One of my former employees at Jamestown is there and is the public relations director for NASCAR driver Jamie McMurray, and she's helping me to find some housing. I need to find a place that allows dogs because I still have my trusty companion, my german shepard."

The Sand gnats are a full-season Class A team that is an affiliate of the New York Mets that plays in the South Atlantic League. The team has one of the oldest stadiums in the country, but there is talk of a new one being built in the near future.

He will be wearing his first championship ring when he starts his job on February 2.

"Baseball continues to move on and the calendar moves on," Wellenzohn said. "I'll be with a new team and a new affiliate, but I'll have my first championship ring on my finger. We won 50 games and that is neat. It's something I'll never forget."

Snow and Ice become Water and Muckdogs Can't Swim

By dave wellenzohn

A question to our city leaders ............ All those huge piles of snow recently deposited in the parking lot of Dwyer Stadium......  When it melts and it will, where will the water go? Let's guess together, shall we.  Water will seek the lowest level which at this time is the Visiting Clubhouse , the area around the deck and then right field. This water will be both above ground and below. Right Field is always the wettest spot due to the low spot that is and has been there for years. Also, if I'm not mistaken, the parking lot is part and parcel  a part of the stadium, which means it is covered by the existing lease with Rochester. I'll also guess that Rochester wasn't asked about using the stadium as a snow and ice dumping ground. 

I'm about to become a "former citizen" of Batavia in 2 weeks. It was a great and eventful , some might say CHAMPIONSHIP year. It's Jan. 14th, city of Batavia. GCC baseball starts in about 2 months.  Look at the mountains that continue to be built and ask :  "Did we think this thru?"  

 GOODBYE BATAVIA, IT'S BEEN AN ADVENTURE !           Dave Wellenzohn GM    NYPL 2008 Champions Batavia Muckdogs

Batavia, Notre Dame and O-A all moving up in state polls

By Brian Hillabush

 The New York State Sports Writers Association announced its newest poll today and Batavia, Notre Dame and Oakfield-Alabama all moved up in the state.

Batavia jumped from No. 20 to No. 17 in Class A, with games through Jan. 11. The Blue Devils beat Greece Odyssey last night to improve to 9-1.

Oakfield-Alabama jumped from No. 17 to No. 15 in Class C and improved to 8-1 with a win over Wheatland-Chili on Tuesday.

Notre Dame was bumped up from No. 6 to No. 5 in Class D and are now 8-1 after beating Holley 68-42 on Tuesday.

 

Saunders scores career-high

By Brian Hillabush

 Former Batavia point guard Kevin Saunders is starting to score. I mean, he's really starting to score.

The junior captain just scored a career-high 22 points in a 66-59 win over Potsdam, helping Fredonia State improve to 9-2.

Saunders connected on 7-of-15 attempts from the floor and hit all six free throw attempts, while grabbing two rebounds and handing out two assists.

Saunders now leads the 9-2 Blue Devils at 11.5 points per game and is second on the squad with 30 assists.

Locals doing well at Keuka

By Brian Hillabush

 

Batavia grad Missy Thurston is having a huge year for Keuka College.

She was the only player from the Storm in double figures with 11 points in a 71-47 loss to the University of Rochester in the opening round on Tuesday.

 The 5-foot-5 junior guard has started all eight game for the women's team. She is second on the team in scoring at 8.8 points per game and is actually grabbing 5 rebounds per game.

Thurston also has 18 assists for Keuka (2-6).

Attica grad Rob Crowley is a junior and had a key basket that kept Keuka close, but the Storm ended up losing to No. 1 seed Rochester 65-54 in the opening round on Wednesday.

Crowley is averaging 5 points per game in four games of action, while hitting 5-of-9 3-point attempts.

Ian Woodworth from Elba - who has a famous YouTube video from last year's sectionals - is just a freshman and has only played in three games, but is averaging .7 points per games.

The Storm is currently 3-5.

 

 

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