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Batavia posts thrilling 56-52 victory over Attica for Lions Club tourney Large School championship

By Mike Pettinella
Batavia wins Lions Tournament in closing seconds.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Batavia displays the championship trophy following a close victory over Attica in the Batavia Lions Club Tournament Large School bracket on Friday night at Genesee Community College.  Photo by Steve Ognibene

Junior guard Carter Mullen’s three-point basket with 43 seconds to play broke a 49-49 tie, and Batavia High went on to defeat Attica, 56-52, in a battle of Blue Devils to win the 42nd annual Batavia Lions Club Pete Arras Memorial Basketball Tournament Large School bracket on Friday night at Genesee Community College.

The stage was set for Mullen's heroics when senior Joey Marranco hit a three-point shot with 1:45 left on the clock, giving Batavia a 49-44 lead. Attica's Jack Janes responded with a three-point shot and then followed a missed shot with a layup to knot the score at 49-49.

After Mullen's big bucket, which was launched near the sideline in front of the Batavia bench, Attica turned the ball over with 30 seconds left. That led to a free throw by junior forward Justin Smith. Attica made another errant pass at the 18-second mark, giving the ball back to Batavia.

Mullen then made a foul shot to make it 54-49 before Janes swished another three-pointer to cut the lead to two with eight seconds remaining.

Marranco was fouled with six seconds left and sank both free throws to secure the victory for Batavia, now 4-3, heading into some tough Monroe County League competition.

Attica led 13-11 after the first quarter, but Batavia rallied to take a 23-19 lead into the locker room. Batavia led 40-33 after three quarters as Smith scored six of his game-high 16 points on his way to being named the tournament MVP.

He was joined on the all-tournament team by Mullen (14 points), Attica’s Cole Harding (12 points) and Clayton Bezon (13 points), Le Roy’s Merritt Holly Jr. and Royalton-Hartland’s Dan Aquilina.

Marranco finished with nine points, and Estavon Lovett added eight for Batavia, while Carter Gorski had 11 and Janes 10 for Attica, now 6-2.

Batavia Coach Buddy Brasky credited Lovett for “doing a great defensive job” on the 6-foot-4 Harding.

“That was one of the keys to the game,” he said. “Secondly, I thought we executed our offense pretty good. Carter Mullen’s three there at the end was a huge shot. They’re a good team; we’re a good team. It was just a real competitive game.”

Attica Coach Rob Crowley said his team was tentative in the first half and missed several open shots.

“I felt we played well defensively in the first half, but we sort of hurt ourselves on offense. We held on to the ball a little too long and missed several opportunities,” he said. “It looked like we were tense because the ball wasn’t going in, and we forced it a bit. We obviously played much better in the second half.

“But it’s not like Batavia’s a bad team. I knew this would be a toss-up game, and I think if we played 10 times, we’d each win five.”

In the Large School bracket consolation game, Le Roy turned back Roy-Hart, 64-45, using an 18-0 run in the third quarter to break the game open. Holly Jr. scored 28 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, and Matthew Hockey added 13 points to lead the Knights. 

See also: Alexander Trojans captures Lions Club tournament Small School crown, 61-49 over Notre Dame

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Photos by Steve Ognibene

Justin Smith goes for a layup. Smith was named Tournament MVP.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Justin Smith goes for a layup. Smith was named Tournament MVP.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Attica's Carter Gorski scoring for the Blue Devils.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Attica's Carter Gorski scoring for the Blue Devils.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Carter Mullen going tfor two points.  Mullen was named an all-tournament player.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Carter Mullen going for two points for Batavia.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Estavon Lovett driving to the paint.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Estavon Lovett driving to the paint.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Lions All-Tournament players (not pictured Roy-Hart award player)  Photo by Steve Ognibene
All-tournament team, from left, Merritt Holly Jr. of Le Roy, Cole Harding and Clayton Bezon of Attica, and Carter Mullen and Justin Smith of Batavia. Photo by Steve Ognibene.

Alexander Trojans captures Lions Club tournament Small School crown, 61-49 over Notre Dame

By Mike Pettinella
Alexander wins
Alexander captured the Batavia Lions Club Small School bracket championship on Friday night at Genesee Community College by defeating Notre Dame, 61-49. Photos by Deb Reilly.

The Alexander Trojans used a 17-0 spurt at the end of the second quarter and start of the third quarter to break open a close game and went on to defeat the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, 61-49, for the Small School bracket championship of the 42nd annual Batavia Lions Club Pete Arras Memorial Basketball Tournament.

The game took place on Friday night at Genesee Community College, prior to the Large School title contest that was won by Batavia, 56-52, over Attica.


Batavia posts thrilling 56-52 victory over Attica for Lions Club tourney Large School championship


Tournament MVP junior center Dylan Pohl scored 21 points for Coach Jalen Smith’s Trojans, doing most of his work close to the hoop, while junior guard Kingston Woods added 14 points, mostly on hard drives to the basket.

Woods joined Pohl on the all-tournament team along with Notre Dame’s Jay Antinore and Jaden Sherwood, Oakfield-Alabama’s Avery Watterson and Elba’s Michael Long.

ND led 13-6 after the first period before Alexander rallied to take a 23-21 lead on a layup by Pohl following a nifty pass by Trenton Woods. Antinore sank two free throws for the Irish to make it 23-23 before two buckets by Kingston Woods gave the Trojans a 27-23 halftime edge.

Alexander caught fire over the first three minutes of the third quarter, scoring the first 13 points of the period on baskets by Pohl, Kingston Woods, a pair of three-pointers by Paul Schmidt, and another by Trenton Woods to make the score 40-23.

The Trojans’ advantage ballooned to 54-33, with Jacob Brooks providing five points on a three-point shot and a turnaround jumper to beat the third-quarter buzzer.

Notre Dame employed a full-court press to start the fourth period, came up with several steals and created some turnovers to close the gap. A steal and layup by Sherwood made it 58-48 with just over two minutes left before a three-point shot by Brooks with 1:18 to play sealed the outcome for Alexander.

“Our game plan was to be patient on offense and look inside as much as we can because our big man (Pohl) is one of the best in the league,” Smith said. “It was all about ball security and taking care of the ball. The more we did that, the better we got on offense.”

Smith, in his first year at the helm, said he is excited about the progression of his team, which upped its record to 6-2.

“From the start, new principles and rules came in because of new coaches, and honestly, we’ve been getting after it every day, and the guys are starting to learn what we’re expecting and looking for and starting to get the job done.”

For Notre Dame, now 6-1, Sherwood was the top scorer with 12, while Ryan Fitzpatrick tallied 11, Antinore 10 and Makyell Walker nine.

ND Coach Mikey Rapone said the game turned when the Trojans got hot from three-point range,

“Basketball is a game of runs, and they went on one there in the second half,” he said. We tried to make some adjustments … but once they started hitting from the outside, we weren't able to give help against (Pohl) inside.”

All in all, he said he was “proud” of the way his players fought back and hopes they use it as a learning experience.

“Either you springboard (from) this and realize the things we need to work on … or you feel sorry for yourselves and go on a spiral. It was good to see that fight and ‘no quit.’”

In the Small School bracket consolation game, Oakfield-Alabama downed Elba, 47-35, as Gavin Armbrewster scored 11 points and Avery Watterson and Kyler Harkness 10 apiece. Michael Long had 15 for Elba.

Photos by Deb Reilly.

Dylan Pohl
Tournament MVP Dylan Pohl goes up for two of his 21 points over ND defenders Ryan Fitzpatrick (2) and George Woodruff.
Kingston Woods
Sophomore Kingston Woods played a key role in the Trojans' victory, scoring 14 points.
Jay Antinore
Jay Antinore flies in for two of his 10 points for the Fighting Irish.
Jaden Snyder
Jaden Snyder looks for a driving lane as Fitzpatrick defends.
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Selected to the all-tournament team, from left, Dylan Pohl, Kingston Woods, Jaden Sherwood and Jay Antinore.

Batavia defeats Le Roy, 68-62, to reach Lions' Large School championship game; Holly nets 37 for Knights

By Mike Pettinella
Batavia's Justin Smith and LeRoy's Jean Agosto scrapping for the ball .   Photo by Steve Ognibene
Batavia's Justin Smith and LeRoy's Jean Agosto scrapping for the ball .   Photo by Steve Ognibene

Junior forward Justin Smith scored 10 of his team-high 20 points in the fourth quarter and Batavia withstood a 37-point barrage by Le Roy’s Merritt Holly Jr. tonight to advance to the championship game of 42nd annual Batavia Lions Club Pete Arras Memorial Basketball Tournament.

Coach Buddy Brasky’s Blue Devils turned back the Oatkan Knights, 68-62, at Genesee Community College, and now will take on Attica for the Large School bracket crown at 8:15 p.m. Friday at GCC.

Le Roy will face Royalton-Hartland in the consolation game at 3 p.m., also at GCC.

Holly, a 6-foot-6 senior forward, scored 11 points in the first quarter for Le Roy, now 4-2, but Batavia countered with long-range shooting from Cruze Rapone (two three-pointers), Joey Marranco and Carter Mullen (each with a three-point shot) as the teams played to a 20-20 tie.

Three more three-point shots – from Rapone, Marranco and Lovett – sparked the Blue Devils to a 15-9 edge in the second quarter as they held Holly to two points.

Batavia outscored the Knights, 13-12, in the third quarter, with Rapone and Mullen connecting from beyond the arc to offset Holly’s 10 points.

Holly scored 13 of Le Roy’s 21 points in the fourth quarter but it wasn’t enough as Smith came through with four shots from the field and a couple free throws and Mullen and Mazur sank foul shots down the stretch to keep Le Roy at arm's length.

Mullen and Rapone tallied 14 and 12 points, respectively, for Batavia, now 3-3, while Adam Woodworth scored 10 points and Jean Agosto eight for Le Roy. Holly grabbed 13 rebounds to go with his 37 points.

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Photos by Steve Ognibene

BATAVIA LIONS CLUB
BOYS’ BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
GENESEE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
VARSITY
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 27
Large School Bracket
Attica 67, Roy-Hart 55
Batavia 68, Le Roy 62
Small School Bracket
Alexander 52, Oakfield-Alabama 35
Notre Dame 63, Elba 31
FRIDAY, DEC. 29
3 p.m. -- Large School consolation game – Roy-Hart vs. Le Roy
4:45 p.m. -- Small School consolation game – Elba vs. Oakfield-Alabama
6:30 p.m. -- Small School championship game – Alexander vs. Notre Dame
8:15 p.m. -- Large School championship game – Attica vs. Batavia
--------------------
JUNIOR VARSITY
FRIDAY, DEC. 29
1:30 p.m. -- Small School championship game -- Alexander at Notre Dame
1:30 p.m. -- Large School championship game -- Attica at Batavia

Carter Mullen driving to the hoop for two points.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Carter Mullen driving to the hoop for two points.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
LeRoy's #30 Merritt Holly scored 37 points for the Knights.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
LeRoy's #30 Merritt Holly scored 37 points for the Knights.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Race to the basket.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
LeRoy #2 Tommy Condidorio going to the paint.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Batavia boxing out LeRoy, looking for the rebound.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Batavia boxing out LeRoy, looking for the rebound.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Cruze Rapone prepares a pass towards the hoop.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Cruze Rapone prepares a pass towards the hoop.  Photo by Steve Ognibene

Attica holds off Roy-Hart behind Harding's 22 points to reach Lions' Large School finals

By Mike Pettinella
Attica hoop 1
Senior forward Cole Harding lets one fly in the Attica Blue Devils' victory over Royalton-Hartland this afternoon at the Batavia Lions Club Large School bracket boys' basketball tournament at Genesee Community College. Photos by Brennan Bezon.

Updated at 9:45 p.m. with Batavia versus Le Roy score.

The Attica Blue Devils advanced to the championship game of the Large School division of the 42nd annual Batavia Lions Club Pete Arras Memorial Basketball Tournament this afternoon with a 67-55 victory over Royalton-Hartland.

Coach Rob Crowley’s team, playing the first of four opening round games at Genesee Community College, raised its record to 6-1 and now will take on Batavia, which defeated Le Roy, 68-62, in the last game of the night.

Senior forward Cole Harding scored 22 points, pulled down 14 rebounds and dished out six assists to lead Attica, which also got 18 points and 10 rebounds form senior guard-forward Jack Janes and 16 points and 12 rebounds from senior center Clayton Bezon.

Junior guard Carter Gorski chipped in with seven points for seven points.

Attica raced out to a 10-0 advantage, but Roy-Hart battled back to tie the score at the end of the first quarter. Balanced scoring pushed the winners up by 10 at the half, 36-26, and the lead ballooned to 19 in the third quarter.

“The boys played hard this afternoon and moved the ball very well,” Attica Coach Rob Crowley said. “We sort of battled ourselves at certain points in the game, making things difficult on ourselves, but found a way to stick together and get the victory.”

For Roy-Hart, Dan Aquilina scored 21, Rem Albee 18 and Brayden Ricker 10. The Rams will play in the consolation game against Le Roy at 3 p.m. Friday at GCC.

Photos by Brennan Bezon.

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Jack Janes drives in for two points for Attica.
Attica hoop 3
Center Clayton Bezon goes in for a layup. 
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Coach Rob Crowley with his team during a timeout.

Notre Dame rolls past Elba; will face Alexander in Lions' Small School title game

By Mike Pettinella
ND hoop 4
Markyell Walker drives in for an uncontested layup during Notre Dame's 63-31 win over Elba in the Batavia Lions Club boys' basketball Small School bracket tournament tonight at Genesee Community College. Photos by Deb Reilly.

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish had little problem extending its unbeaten season tonight as they rolled past Elba, 63-31, in the opening round of the 42nd annual Batavia Lions Club Pete Arras Memorial Basketball Tournament at Genesee Community College,

Coach Mikey Rapone’s team, now 6-0, advanced to the Small School bracket championship game against Alexander, which is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Friday at GCC.

Elba will face Oakfield-Alabama in the consolation game at 4:45 p.m.

Senior guard-forward Jaden Sherwood led a balanced attack with 19 points while junior guard Makyell Walker added 12 and senior guard-forward Ryan Fitzpatrick chipped in with 10.

The Irish jumped out to a 19-6 first quarter lead and never looked back, hitting 10 three-point shots for the game.

Ryan Marsceill and Ashton Bezon tallied nine and eight points, respectively, for the Lancers. 

Photos by Deb Reilly.

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Elba's Ashton Bezon grabs a rebound in front of ND's Jaden Sherwood.
ND hoop 2
Jay Antinore shoots for ND after getting past Elba's Nick Scott.
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Ryan Fitzpatrick scores for the Fighting Irish.

Alexander jumps out to big early lead, tops O-A in Batavia Lions Club tournament

By Mike Pettinella
Alexander hoop 1
Alexander's Dylan Pohl goes up for two of his 16 points in the Trojans' victory over Oakfield-Alabama. Photos by Deb Reilly,

Alexander coasted past Oakfield-Alabama, 52-35, at Genesee Community College tonight and into the finals of the 42nd annual Batavia Lions Club Pete Arras Memorial Basketball Tournament’s Small School bracket.

The Trojans, 5-2, will face Notre Dame at 6:30 p.m. Friday for the championship. ND defeated Elba in the other Small School game.

Junior Dylan Pohl scored seven of his 16 points in the first quarter as Alexander raced out to an 18-2 lead. Senior Trenton Woods tallied eight of his 16 in the second half for the Trojans.

Six other players scored for Coach Jalen Smith's squad, while Avery Watterson led O-A with 16 points.

The Hornets will square off against Elba in the consolation game at 4:45 p.m. Friday.

Photos by Deb Reilly.

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Senior guard Trenton Woods looks for a teammate as O-A's Jack Cianfrini' defends. Woods scored 16 points in the victory.
Alexander hoop 3
Oakfield-Alabama's Avery Watterson attracts three defenders. Watterson paced the Hornets with 16.
Alexander hoop 4
Gavin Armbrewster dribbles past Woods for the Hornets.
Alexander hoop 5
Pohl draws a crowd as he maneuvers in the lane.

Batavia Lions Club boys' basketball tournament set for Wednesday, Friday

By Mike Pettinella

The 42nd annual Batavia Lions Club Pete Arras Memorial Basketball Tournament is scheduled for Wednesday and Friday, with varsity games at Genesee Community College and junior varsity games at Batavia High and Notre Dame High.

Batavia, Attica, Royalton-Hartland and Le Roy are in the Large School bracket and Notre Dame, Oakfield-Alabama, Alexander and Elba are in the Small School bracket.

The tournament schedule is as follows:

VARSITY AT GCC
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 27
Roy-Hart vs. Attica, 3 p.m.
Alexander vs. Oakfield-Alabama, 4:45 p.m.
Elba vs. Notre Dame, 6:30 p.m.
Le Roy vs. Batavia, 8:15 p.m.

FRIDAY, DEC. 29
Large School consolation game, 3 p.m.
Small School consolation game, 4:45 p.m.
Small School championship game, 6:30 p.m.
Large School championship game, 8:15 p.m.

JUNIOR VARSITY
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 27
Roy-Hart vs. Attica at Batavia High, noon
Alexander vs. O-A at Notre Dame High, noon
Elba vs. ND at Notre Dame High, 1:30 p.m.
Le Roy vs. Batavia at Batavia High, 1:30 p.m.

FRIDAY, DEC. 29
Large School consolation game at Batavia High, noon
Small School consolation game at Notre Dame High, noon
Small School championship game at Notre Dame High, 1:30 p.m.
Large School championship game at Batavia High, 1:30 p.m.

Brian Cline rolls 299-300-258--857 at Mancuso's

By Mike Pettinella

Brian Cline recorded the third-highest series in Genesee Region USBC history on Monday night, posting 857 in the Mancuso Real Estate League at Mancuso Bowling Center in Batavia.

The 45-year-old left-hander, who has around four dozen 800 series to his credit, rolled games of 299-300-258 on lanes 7-8.

The Middleport resident left a 3-pin on the last ball for 299 in the opening game, which saw his teammate Paul Bacon register a 269 game.

He followed that with the perfect game, and then added eight more strikes in the last game. He had a shot for 280 in the third game but left a 7-pin on the first ball in the 10th frame.

The 857 trails only an 858 rolled by Cline in January of 2018 at Mancuso's, and fellow lefty Rich Wagner's 899 in February 2011 at Mancuso's.

Cline's best three-game series is an 868 at Transit Lanes in Buffalo in November 2013.

In other league play:

-- Robbie Hanks and Jeff Shawver each rolled 300 games in the Sneezy's Monday Night League at Oak Orchard Bowl in Albion. Hanks finished with 721 and Shawver shot 686. It was the first United States Bowling Congress-certified for Shawver.

-- Justin Thering rolled a 300 game in a 640 series in the Wednesday Community League at Medina Lanes. The 29-year-old right-hander upped his average to 218 with his second USBC-certified perfect game. His first came in Lockport in 2021 en route to an 816 series.

Defensive effort keys Notre Dame girls past Lyndonville

By Mike Pettinella
ND girls 6

The Notre Dame varsity girls’ basketball team raised its record to 3-2 on Friday with a 53-27 win over visiting Lyndonville in Genesee Region League action.

Nina Bartz scored 14 points and Sofia Falleti contributed 10 points and 12 rebounds, while Luci Zambito and Emma Fitch each chipped in with nine points for the Lady Irish.

Ashley Stephens scored 11 points for Lyndonville.

ND Coach Vin Falleti: “We came out tonight and took a solid lead in the first quarter and never looked back. We played tremendous defense, which led to (numerous) offensive opportunities.”

Submitted photos.

ND girls 2
ND girls 4
ND girls 5

Chambry's 24 powers B-B over Kendall; Notre Dame edges Wheatland-Chili

By Mike Pettinella
BB hoop 1
Byron-Bergen's Braedyn Chambry splits the Kendall defense for two points in the Bees' 71-46 win Thursday night. Photos by Jennifer DiQuattro.

The Byron-Bergen Bees improved to 7-1 on Thursday night by rolling past host Kendall, 71-46, in Genesee Region League varsity boys’ basketball.

Senior forward-center Braedyn Chambry poured in 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the way for Coach Roxanne Noeth’s squad.

Senior guard-forward Brody Baubie tallied 19 points and senior guard Colin Martin chipped in with 10 points eight steals and three assists.

For Kendall, 2-4, Louis Conte had 12 points and five rebounds.

In other boys’ basketball action:

-- Host Notre Dame withstood a furious fourth-quarter rally by Wheatland-Chili in a 63-62 victory.

Leighton Williams scored 34 points for W-C, including a three-pointer to give the Wildcats a one-point lead in the final minute. Mavrik Hall responded for the Irish, however, and ND thwarted W-C’s final possession to improve to 4-0.

Jaden Sherwood led the Irish with 23 points and eight rebounds while Jay Antinore scored 13 and Hall tallied eight points and 10 rebounds.

In girls’ basketball:

-- Le Roy, 5-3, defeated Greece Athena/Odyssey, 55-49, behind Abby Allen’s 16 points and six assists; Gabby Zitz’s 10 points and 14 rebounds, and Kenna MacKenzie’s 10 points and six rebounds.

-- Pembroke downed Holley, 61-37, to raise its record to 6-2. Elle Peterson scored 22 points – hitting six three-pointers – to lead the visiting Dragons.  Jayden Hootman had 13 points, Seneca Calderon 12 and Morgan Coniber grabbed 10 rebounds while blocking six shots.

-- Eastridge topped Batavia, 52-37, behind Liv Green’s 22 points. Batavia, 4-3, got 11 points and 14 rebounds from Jamin Macdonald and 10 points, six rebounds and five steals from Isabella Walsh.

BB hoop 2
B-B's Colin Martin goes up against Kendall's Jacek Kwiatkowski.
BB hoop 3
William Kludt of Kendall looks for a driving lane.
bbk hoop 5
Cody Carlson grabs a rebound for the Bees between Kwiatkowski (33) and Noah Clark.

Balanced attack powers Byron-Bergen over O-A, 65-48

By Mike Pettinella
bb hoop 1

The Byron-Bergen Bees, behind a balanced attack, turned back Oakfield-Alabama, 65-48, on Wednesday night in a Genesee Region boys’ basketball contest at O-A.

Six players got into the scoring column in the opening half as the visitors jumped out to a 32-15 advantage.

In the second half, Braedyn Chambry scored 14 of his game-high 20 points to keep B-B comfortably on top.

Brandon Pimm and Colin Martin tallied 11 apiece and Brody Baubie added 10 and Craig DiQuattro six for the winners. For the Hornets, Brendan Wescott and Avery Watterson scored 17 and 13, respectively.

Photos by Jennifer DiQuattro.

bb hoop 2
oa cheer
bb hoop 3
bb hoop 4
bb hoop 5

Elba outlasts Notre Dame, 49-44, in GR girls' basketball

By Mike Pettinella
Elba ND 1

 

Elba defeated host Notre Dame, 49-44, in Genesee Region girls’ basketball action Wednesday night.

Sofia Falleti recorded a double-double for the Irish, scoring 20 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Nina Bartz added 12 for ND.

ND Coach Vinny Falleti:

“Our team played hard tonight and made runs to come back but couldn’t put together a complete game against a physical Elba team. The game was back and forth with a lot of intensity. We will see each other again late in the season.”

Statistics from Elba have yet to be submitted.

For more high school sports competition from last night, click on the Sports tab at the top of the home page.

Photos by Debra Reilly

Elba ND 4
Elba ND 7
Elba ND 2
Elba ND 3
Elba ND 6
elba nd 9

Totten leads Pembroke to Holiday Classic crown; Mendon tops Batavia, Avon defeats Le Roy

By Mike Pettinella

Sparked by Tyson Totten’s 25 points, Pembroke defeated host Akron, 50-47, on Wednesday night in the championship game of the Jack & Joyce Silvernail Holiday Classic boys’ basketball tournament.

Totten tallied 22 of his points in the second half to earn most valuable player honors. He also added six assists.

He was joined on the all-tournament team by fellow senior Avery Ferreira, who had eight points. Jayden Bridge chipped in with seven points and seven rebounds for the Dragons,

“We played solid on the defensive end … and needed to be good on that end because we struggled offensively in the first half,” Coach Matt Shay said. “And Tyson and Avery came alive though in the second half.

“I was very pleased with how the team handled adversity and especially with how my seniors stepped up.”

In other high school action last night:

-- Host Pittsford Mendon rode the outside shooting of Amari Coleman and Cayden Rathnam to a 66-46 boys’ basketball victory over Batavia.

Coleman connected for five three-point shots and Rathnam had four for Mendon, which led 31-23 at half and 50-37 after three quarters.

Justin Smith and Carter Mullen each scored 11 points for the Blue Devils.

-- Avon held Le Roy without a basket for the first six minutes of the fourth quarter and went on to a 42-34 win at Avon.

It was the first loss of the season for Le Roy, which trailed by just 31-29 entering the final period.

Merritt Holly Jr. led the Knights with 13 points while Matthew Hockey had nine points. Michael Rowland led Avon with 17 points.

Batavia girls fall to R-H; Pembroke boys win

By Mike Pettinella
Isabella Walsh goes up for two points.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Isabella Walsh goes up for two points.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Alivia Day scored 23 points, including five three-point shots, to lead host Rush-Henrietta to a 56-33 victory over Batavia in Section V varsity girls’ basketball action Tuesday night.
 
The senior guard tallied 15 points after intermission as R-H, now 2-2, pulled away after opening a nine-point halftime lead. Senior guard/forward Ashlyn Roberts added 13 points.
 
For Batavia, 4-2, Isabella Walsh scored 11 points, grabbed four rebounds, recorded three assists and came up with five steals. Violet Lopez chipped in with 11 points.
 
In boys’ basketball at Akron, Pembroke defeated Alden, 67-61, in the Jack & Joyce Silvernail Holiday Classic.
 
Tyson Totten led the way with 22 points, eight rebounds and five assists, while Avery Ferreira added 17 points and eight rebounds, Jayden Bridge 11 points and Sean Pustulka nine points and five assists.
 
To view or purchase photo, click here.

Photos by Steve Ognibene

Jamin MacDonald looking to shoot from the paint.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Jamin MacDonald looking to shoot from the paint.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Violet Lopez moving in for a shot.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Violet Lopez moving in for a shot.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Anna Varland looking to pass.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Anna Varland looking to pass.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Batavia's bench during halftime.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Batavia's bench during halftime.  Photo by Steve Ognibene

Batavia Downs realized a 75% handle increase in 2023

By Tim Bojarski
snow-4.jpg
Photo courtesy of Wendy J. Lowery.

With the books now finalized after the last live card of racing took place on Saturday (Dec. 9), Batavia Downs saw a major growth in handle that started last January during their first winter meet in 20 years and ended the year showing a 75% increase in wagering over the track’s previous record high.

The total all-source handle for the entire 67 days of live racing conducted at the Downs in 2023 was $15,414,846, which easily eclipsed the old record high of $8,779,409 established in 2019 over that 63-day meet, and set a new all-time high wagering mark during Western Regional Off Track Betting’s 21-year tenure as owner of the track.

Breaking down the numbers further, the average daily all-source handle of $230,072 bested the old mark of $146,987 set in 2021 (for a full-year schedule) by 57%. The average daily handle in 2020 was $170,268, but it was during a Covid-shortened meet that ran only 42 days.

Another number that saw an uptick at the Downs in 2023 was the total on-track live handle of $935,790, which rose 2.5% from the $912,822 wagered last year.

“The momentum in the handle started during our winter meet when we set several daily records and picked right back up when we returned in July. I am very happy that the wagering support from our customers, both remote and live, carried over to our regular meet,” said Don Hoover, Director of Live Racing at Batavia Downs.

The momentum Hoover eluded to started on Monday (Jan. 30) after bettors came out in force to pump $340,602 (from all sources) through the windows to set a new all-time single card mark at Batavia Downs. That total was the largest handle recorded since WROTB reopened the Downs in 2002, and surpassed the old mark of $339,000 which occurred during the 2019 New York Sire Stakes Night of Champions finals.

Then only a week later on Monday (Feb. 6), that record was broken again after $348,205 was wagered on the very competitive third leg card of the Western New York Pop-Up Series.

The healthy daily average handle for the short 14-day 2023 winter meet was $238,895, and compared to $227,742 for the 53 day summer/fall meet, remained almost identical all year despite increased competition by the greater number of tracks that raced live later in the year.

Batavia Downs will once again host a winter meet in 2024 and it begins on Thursday (Jan. 4) with 16 dates that run through Monday (Feb. 26). Post time for every race day will be 3 p.m.

Vertus pulls away in fourth quarter to top Batavia, 59-39

By Mike Pettinella

In a game that was closer than the final score indicated, host Batavia High fell to Vertus Charter, 59-39, in Section V boys' varsity basketball Monday night.

The Blue Devils held a 37-35 lead after three quarters, but a couple of charge/blocking foul calls that went the visitors' way set the stage for a 24-2 final period for the Warriors, now 3-2.

Talhah Ali scored seven of his game-high 20 points in the final frame, while Reggie Pough had eight of his 14 and Dah'mere Brown six of his 14 in the closing eight minutes.

For Batavia, 2-2, junior guard Carter Mullen tallied 11 points.

Byron-Bergen/Elba grapplers upend Cal-Mum, 36-17

By Mike Pettinella
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Visiting Byron-Bergen/Elba defeated Caledonia-Mumford, 36-17, on Monday night in Section V varsity wrestling action.

Highlights of the match, which featured several close bouts:

116 pounds -- James Lamb (B-B/E) def. Jakob Bishop, 1-0.
124 pounds -- Parker Moore (B-B/E) def. David Scott, 8-5.
145 pounds -- Solomon Smith (B-B/E) def. James Patanella, 13-10.
152 pounds -- Roman Smith (B-B/E) def. Austin Pittman, 7-4.
170 pounds -- JC Starowitz (B-B/E) def. Garret Thompson, 5-3.
285 pounds -- Lukas Volkmar (B-B/E) def. Drake Kritzberger, 9-5.

Travis Shallenberger (138), Malachi Smith (195) and Bradley Tatar (215) registered pins for B-B/Elba.

For Cal-Mum, Jackson Peet notched its only win, 20-5 over Zack Brookhart at 160 pounds.

Photos by Doug McFarland.

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Muckdogs' owners purchase Niagara Falls franchise, sign on to operate Sal Maglie Stadium

By Mike Pettinella
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Calling it “a good market that just needs some work,” Robbie Nichols is ready to perform his baseball magic in Niagara Falls.

Nichols, owner of Can-USA Sports along with his wife, Nellie, (photo above) confirmed today that his organization has purchased the Niagara Falls Americans’ franchise of the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League and has signed on to manage Sal Maglie Stadium, the team’s home ballpark.

Can-USA Sports also owns the Elmira Pioneers and the Batavia Muckdogs, both members of the PGCBL. Nichols, General Manager Marc Witt and their staff have been credited for rejuvenating baseball in Batavia.

“Niagara Falls, I believe, is a good market that just needs some work,” Nichols said. “The gentleman that owned the team last year wasn’t returning and I think our league needs a team there.”

Last year, the team was called the Niagara Power and competed in the PGCBL’s West Division along with Batavia, Elmira, Jamestown, Auburn, Newark and Geneva.

Nichols said Niagara Falls’ leaders have committed more than $2 million for repairs of Sal Maglie Stadium.

“They put in a new turf field. It will be a very good-looking ballpark,” he noted, adding that Michael Gabriele, a former Niagara University baseball player, will be the club’s manager. He said the team already is signing players for the 2024 season.

City and state politicians reportedly are enthusiastic about the team’s prospects with Can-USA Sports on board.

“We are really excited to introduce them to the city of Niagara Falls and the Sal Maglie Stadium,” Mayor Rob Restaino told WIVB-TV.

State Sen. Rob Ortt echoed his sentiments, telling the television station that the Nichols team “chose Niagara Falls because of the stadium, because of the history, because they believe in Niagara Falls.”

“And hopefully that will inspire and tell a lot of other people here that we too should believe in Niagara Falls.”

Nichols announced that Niagara County Community College and D’Youville University baseball teams will play their home games at Sal Maglie Stadium next year. He said he plans to book many other events there, just as he does with Dwyer Stadium in Batavia.

When asked if he was stretching himself too thin – having to juggle the activities of three franchises, Nichols said he will continue to be “stationed” in Batavia once the season starts but will rotate among the three.

“I’ll probably be at 65 baseball games, working, so it will be a busy summer,” he said. “Nellie and I are excited about the new opportunity. It’s a market that needs work, but we’re not afraid of a little work.”

Nichols admitted he’s taking a financial risk as the Niagara Falls team did not attract many fans last year,

“Definitely, it’s a risk because it’s no Batavia. They weren’t drawing the crowds that we were drawing last year,” he said. “Everything’s a risk, but our staff – and how hard we work – I’m confident that we can turn Niagara Falls around.”

File photo: Robbie and Nellie Nichols by Jim Burns.

Bailey rolls 785 in Brighton Securities league

By Mike Pettinella

Chris Bailey of Batavia rolled a flurry of strikes in Genesee Region USBC league action this week, posting a 785 series in the Brighton Securities Tuesday Triples League at Mancuso Bowling Center.

The 42-year-old right-hander recorded games of 239, 279 and 267 on lanes 1-2 for his personal best series ever. He had 11 strikes in the second game and nine more in the third game to raise his average to 210.

Left-hander Nick Johnson popped a 269 game en route to a 740 series on lanes 3-4, raising his average to 224.

Other high scores for the week:

-- Geoff Harloff of Batavia rolled 745 and 758 on consecutive nights in the Toyota of Batavia 4-Man and the County Line Stone Friday Trios leagues at Mancuso's. Batavian Scott Shields led the way on Friday with a 767 series, while Haley Luce of Oakfield posted a 235 game and 649 series in that league.

-- At Rose Garden Bowl in Bergen, Kevin Gray Sr. spun 278--740 and Kevin Gray Jr. had 277--717 in the Thursday Owls League.

GRUSBC YOUTH DOUBLES WINNERS

Teams from Perry Bowling Center and StrikeForce Lanes in Oakfield placed first in the Genesee Region USBC Youth Doubles Tournament on Dec. 9-10 at StrikeForce Lanes.

In Division A (250 combined average and above), Mason Herman and Hunter Clark of Perry led the list of 11 teams with a 1,414 total with handicap. The boys each will earn $100 scholarships and a trophy.

In Division B (249 and under), Jameson Liles and Lukas Leddick of Oakfield led the way with 1,264 with handicap. They, too, will earn $100 scholarships and trophies. Eight teams competed in that division.

Greece-Olympia beats Byron-Bergen in Girls Basketball

By Howard B. Owens
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Byron-Bergen was beat Saturday in Girls Basketball by Greece-Arcadia, 40-31.

Janessa Amesbury scored 12 points for the Bees. Oliva Senf scored nine.

Photos by Jennifer DiQuattro

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