Skip to main content

Batavia HS

Casper Stewart becomes Batavia's first state champion in wrestling

By Staff Writer
casper stewart wresting

Casper Stewart did something on Saturday that nobody else in Batavia High School history has ever done before -- win a state championship.

He was crowned the Division II 145-pound champ after beating Kieran Cullen (Greenville, Section II) 4-2 in the finals.

His path to victory included a preliminary win over Turner Sochia (Gouverneur, Section X), a quarterfinals win over Colton Havens (Canisteo-Greenwood, Section V), and a semifinal win over Riley Monica (South Jefferson, Section III).

He finishes the season with a 52-3 record and a career record of 279-20. He was a six-time state qualifier, finishing third in 2020, 4th in 2022, and third in 2023.

His 279 wins is fourth all-time in career wins in New York State, and his 202 career pins rank him first all-time in the state and #4 nationally.

He is committed to wresting at Army West Point, a Division I program.

Submitted photos.

casper stewart wresting
casper stewart wresting
casper stewart wresting
casper stewart wresting

Batavia Girls win 18th indoor track sectional title back-to-back, Boys finished third

By Steve Ognibene
Batavia Girls won their 18th Indoor Track sectional title at Nazareth College.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Batavia Girls won their 18th Indoor Track sectional title at Nazareth College.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene

The Batavia Girls Track and Field Team won its 18th sectional title in Class A2 on Sunday at Nazareth College.

The boys' team came in 3rd.

The girls' team finished with 161 points, 40 points ahead of the second-place Pittsford Mendon. 

Individual results:

  • Maddi Smith - 1st place 55 Hurdles
  • Campbell Riley - 1st place 1000m, 1st place 1500m
  • Ava Wierda - 1st place Weight Throw, 1st place Shot Put
  • Ella Shamp - 1st place Long Jump, 1st Place High Jump
  • Ava Anderson - 2nd place 55 Hurdles, 4th Place Long Jump
  • Miah Jones - 6th place 55 Hurdles
  • Jadyn Boyce - 4th place 600m
  • Izzy Scott - 4th place 1500m
  • Karizama Wescott - 4th place 300m, 3rd place Triple Jump
  • Ella Radley - 6th place 300m, 6th place Long Jump
  • Libby Grazioplene - 3rd place Shot Put
  • Jaimin McDonald - 5th place Shot put, 4th place Weight Throw
  • Drew Stevens - 3rd place Weight Throw
  • Sophia Moore - 6th place Weight Throw
  • Isabella Walsh - 2nd place High Jump
  • London Graham - 4th place High Jump
  • 4x800 Relay - 1st place Jenna Higgins, Helaina Staley, Izzy Scott, Campbell Riley
  • 4x400 Relay - 1st place Ava Anderson, Kylee Brennan, Jadyn Boyce, Karizma Wescott
  • 4x200 Relay - 2nd place Kylee Brennan, Ella Radley, Maddi Smith, Ella Shamp

The girls won 9 out of 17 events on the day.

Batavia is the smallest school of 17 teams in the A2 classification.  The 18 titles for Batavia have come over the past 22 years.

The boys team picked up 85.5 points, good enough for 3rd place. University Prep won sectionals with 98.5 points.  

Boys results:

  • Sheldon Siverling - 1st place Shot Put, 1st place Weight Throw
  • Cole Grazioplene - 1st place 600m, 5th place 300m
  • Cooper Konieczny - 1st place Pole Vault
  • Mekhi Fortes - 2nd place Shot Put, 5th place Weight Throw
  • Karvel Martino - 3rd place Shot Put
  • Cameron Garofalo - 3rd place 1000m, 5th place 1600m
  • Parris Price - 4th place 300m
  • Josh Budzinack - 5th place Pole Vault
  • Grant Gahagan - 5th place High Jump
  • 4x800 Relay - 4th place Jamari Irvin, Nate Kinsey, E'Nhazje Carter, Donavin Solis
  • 4x400 Relay - 3rd place Trevor Tryon, Grant Gahagan, Cameron Garofalo, Parris Price
  • 4x200 Relay - 5th place Trevor Tryon, Emmanuel Richardson, Lakoda Mruczek, Cole Grazioplene

Coach Nicholas Burk said Batavia's teams continue to excel because the athletes understand what it takes to be competitive in every meet.

"The kids need to commit," Burk said. "The kids need to recognize that this is a process, and you continue to improve. It gets more and more difficult for kids with all the distractions they have in life. So, kids have to commit; they have to enjoy this feeling of wanting to win again. I don't mean to necessarily sound overconfident, but we're going to be in the midst of it. Our kids are gonna give effort, and they're gonna work their tails off, so we're in a position where we're a top two, top three team, and we're gonna get after it, and you know, we're gonna build that confidence to try to win."

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Mady Smith won the 55m hurdles.  Smith also took 2nd place in her 4x200m relay team.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Mady Smith won the 55m hurdles.  Smith also took 2nd place in her 4x200m relay team.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Campbell Riley won both the 1000 and 1500m race and also with her teammates in the 4x800m relay.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Campbell Riley won both the 1000 and 1500m race and also with her teammates in the 4x800m relay.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Sheldon Silverling took first place in both the shotput and weight throw.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Sheldon Silverling took first place in both the shot put and weight throw.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Cole Grazioplene won the 600 m race.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Cole Grazioplene won the 600 m race.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Ella Shamp won the Long Jump and High Jump.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Ella Shamp won the Long Jump and High Jump.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Batavia Girls 4x400 Relay team took first place, left to right pictured - Karizma Wescott, Kylee Brennan, Jadyn Boyce, Ava Anderson  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Batavia Girls 4x400 Relay team took first place, left to right pictured - Karizma Wescott, Kylee Brennan, Jadyn Boyce, Ava Anderson  
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Ava Wierda won the girls weight throw.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Ava Wierda won the girls weight throw.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Batavia Girls celebrate their teams 18th sectional indoor track title over the last 22 years.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Batavia Girls celebrate their teams 18th sectional indoor track title over the last 22 years.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene

Batavia Girls dominate Geneva on Senior Night, even out win-loss record

By Howard B. Owens
Left to right in black t-shirts are Julia clark, Anna Varland, Isabella Walsh and Julia Preston were honored on senior night.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Left to right in black t-shirts are Julia Clark, Anna Varland, Isabella Walsh, and Julia Preston were honored on senior night.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene

On Senior night, one win-shy of a .500 season, Batavia came out strong against Geneva and came away with a 59-19 win.

The game began with a 6-4 early in the first quarter lead for the Blue Devils but trailed at the end of the quarter 11-8.

With a strong second half, Batavia turned out the light on Geneva, going into the half with a 33-12 lead, and the game was never close again.

After a couple of consecutive seasons where wins were hard to come by, Coach John McCulley sees progress in a 10-10 season and a group of young players developing winning habits and gaining experience.

"The season started out pretty good," McCulley said. "We had a light schedule. We started out with a bunch of girls that hadn't played at the varsity level. The senior girls that I had, that's what made it so special throughout the season. The senior girls I had were a huge help for me, as far as the right attitude, and teaching the young girls the right way to handle things. And so the season went pretty well. We had our ups and downs but as far as I'm concerned, from last year to this year, leaps and bounds. We've learned a lot, everything, every game, we progressively got better."

There are nine freshmen in the program, between varsity and JV and McCulley believes they have high ceilings.

"The freshmen are going to be phenomenal for me," McCulley said. "And I got Jamie (Macdonald) coming back another year that she just took leaps and bounds towards the end of the year. I think she's going to accept this role as a leader and just be a powerhouse next year."

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Anna Varland shooting from the paint.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Anna Varland shooting from the paint.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Isabella Walsh getting through Geneva defenders.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Isabella Walsh getting through Geneva defenders.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Karizma Wescott going for three points.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Karizma Wescott going for three points.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Jamin Macdonald going to the hoop on a fast break.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Jamin Macdonald going to the hoop on a fast break.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene

Photos: Batavia High School hosts annual winterguard competition

By Howard B. Owens
batavia winterguard

Batavia High School hosted a winterguard competition, as it does annually, on Saturday.

Winterguard is the indoor version of color guard, and the teams are judged on the effectiveness of their program, including colors and props selected for the performance, on dance technique, equipment used, and the speed and efficiency of setting up for their performance and removing their set after the performance.

Photos are of Batavia's cadet team. The varsity squad performed later in the evening.

Photos by Howard Owens.

batavia winterguard
batavia winterguard
batavia winterguard
batavia winterguard

Blue Devils score 90 in ninth win of season

By Staff Writer
Justin Smith shooting from the paint, Smith had 24 points in the win over Odyssey.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Justin Smith shooting from the paint. He had 24 points in the win over Odyssey.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene

The Blue Devils scored a season-high 90 points on Friday, beating Greece Odyssey 90-68 for Batavia's ninth win against seven losses.

Carter Mullen scored 25 points, Justin Smith, 24, Aiden Bellavia, 15, and Brady Mazur, 10.

Also in Boys Basketball:

On Friday, Le Roy beat Geneseo 51-44. Merritt Holly scored 24 points and had 18 rebounds. Matthew Hockey, 12 points. Adam Woodworth, eight points and five rebounds.

On Thursday, Pembroke topped Lyndonville 79-27.  Tyson Totten scored 23 points.

In Girls Basketball:

On Saturday, Pembroke over Medina, 61-33. Elle Peterson had a double-double, 10 points and 10 rebounds. Peton Liss and Jayden Hootman each scored 16 points Taylor Bischoff and Ashlyn Robinson combined for 27 rebounds.

On Thursday, Notre Dame beat Alexander 41-36. The Irish are now 10-5. Sofia Falleti scored 15 points and had nine rebounds. Nina Bartz had 12 points and six rebounds. Hayden Bezon scored 13 points for Alexander.

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Carter Mullen shooting for three, Mullen had 25 points in the win over Odyssey.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Carter Mullen shooting for three. Mullen had 25 points in the win over Odyssey.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Estavon Lovett on a fast break.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Estavon Lovett on a fast break.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Aiden Bellavia driving to the hoop.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Aiden Bellavia driving to the hoop.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Brady Mazur setting up the offense.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Brady Mazur setting up the offense.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Tony Rivera going for the lay up.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Tony Rivera going for the layup.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene

Batavia High's Rock Band class proves its chops and popularity with Thursday evening concert

By Howard B. Owens
Some members of first block rock band, jam out tunes for parents and families.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Some members of First Block Rock Band perform for parents and families.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene

Music teacher Dan Grillo thinks maybe, as much as it pains him to say it, rock 'n' roll music is a dying art form.

That isn't apparent from the way students at Batavia High School have embraced his elective class, Rock Band.

In the nine years since he started the program, the course has grown from one class with a handful of boys who typically didn't own their own instruments to two packed classes with many students bringing in their guitars. 

"(That first year) we had three of the same exact guitars, three of the exact same basses, and we actually started with an electric drum set," Grillo said. "Now, as you know, we have our own nice acoustic drum set."

The program has encouraged many kids to get their own guitars, Grillo said, "which is really good."  Another sign of growth -- he doesn't have to sing all the songs any more.

"We started on one song and just kind of worked that song for a while, but none of the boys wanted to sing," Grillo said. "I had to sing it. I had to sing pretty much everything that year."

There are 25 members in three bands.

Rock band class in high school music departments is still kind of a rare thing in the area, Grillo said, so he isn't sure the program will ever grow to the point where -- like for other music genres at the high school level -- there are competitions and festivals.

"It's still kind of a niche thing," he said.

The most telling way things have changed is the engagement of the students.

"As I mentioned in our concert tonight, a lot of the students are suggesting and writing up songs for us," Grillo said. "This is not all just my contributions in terms of -- I thought of a good song, I thought it would be good for the kids, and I gave it to them. A lot of these were songs that the students championed. And that means a lot that they're that invested that they want a say in the music that we're playing and performing."

The students pitching their own favorite songs evolved out of, well, students pitching their own favorite songs and Grillo deciding to students owning their ideas.

"I would have students come to me every day, and they're like, 'You know what song we should do? You know what song we should do? You know what song we should do?' And I got sick of hearing it," Grillo said. "I finally said, 'Look, if you want to do a song, you write it up. I'm not going to write it up. I don't have that kind of time.' Okay, it takes a good half hour to write these songs up (as guitar tablature) because you got to make sure the lyrics and the chords and all that stuff is right, that they're in the right place, that they work. So it does take some work to write up those songs. So the fact that the students are doing some homework is also pretty telling."

The program is popular all over campus, Grillo said. The rock bands occasionally play lunchtime concerts in the auditorium and they're well attended.

"Everybody likes it," Grillo said. "It's not just students that come in. It's faculty and support staff. It's pretty popular with everybody in the building. So we get a lot of support. We're always being asked to do different gigs. We've been asked to perform at open houses; we've been asked to perform like we did the wrestling match this year and last year, we did a wrestling match. ... So it's very popular even though, like I said, rock is kind of a dying style. I used to do barber shop and that's even more so a dying style."

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Steve Ognibene conducted the interview for this story.

Addison Glynn and Faith Guiste on vocals.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Addison Glynn and Faith Guiste on vocals.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Ben Stone, guitar  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Ben Stone, guitar  
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Left to right, Evan Kimball, Isaiah Benway-Snyder and Elijah Abdella on guitar  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Left to right, Evan Kimball, Isaiah Benway-Snyder and Elijah Abdella on guitar  
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Ethan Bradley, guitar  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Ethan Bradley, guitar  
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Gavynn Trippany, drums  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Gavynn Trippany, drums  
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Tommy Gaylord, bass guitar  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Tommy Gaylord, bass guitar  
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Rock Band, music director, Mr. Daniel Grillo  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Rock Band music director, Mr. Daniel Grillo  
Photo by Steve Ognibene

Batavia and Notre Dame meet in Hoops for Hope Tournament at GCC

By Howard B. Owens
batavia notre dame hoops for hope

Batavia and Notre Dame faced off against each other in both Girls and Boys Basketball in support of a good cause at Genesee Community College.

The Hoops for Hope Tournament benefited the Michael Napoleone Memorial Foundation.

The Notre Dame girls won the first game 29-24. For the Irish, Sofia Falleti scored eight points and had five rebounds. Emma Sisson scored seven points and had 17 rebounds. For the Blue Devils, Isabella Walsh scored 15 points.

In the nightcap, Batavia beat Notre Dame 53-49. Carter Mullen led the Blue Devils with 17 points. Casey Mazur scored 12 points and Gavin White and Justin Smith each scored eight. For the Irish, Jaden Sherwood scored 20 points.

Photos by Pete Welker.

batavia notre dame hoops for hope
batavia notre dame hoops for hope
batavia notre dame hoops for hope
batavia notre dame hoops for hope
batavia notre dame hoops for hope
batavia notre dame hoops for hope
batavia notre dame hoops for hope
batavia notre dame hoops for hope
batavia notre dame hoops for hope
batavia notre dame hoops for hope
Submitted photo.

Photo: Fog at BHS

By Howard B. Owens
fog at batavia high
Dense fog rolled into Batavia this afternoon, including the campus of Batavia High School.
Photo by Jason Smith.

Photos: Batavia Ski Team mounts strong effort at Swain

By Steve Ognibene
Batavia Ski Team ready for race day at Swain.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Ski Team ready for race day at Swain.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene

The Batavia Ski Team competed in a double race (two runs of giant slalom and one run of slalom) on Saturday on Wheels Run at Swain.

It was a bitterly cold day with sweeping winds and snow later in the afternoon. Recent snowmaking on the headwall left the top of the course with 'golf ball'-like snowballs in parts of the race hill. This can make the terrain choppy.

The morning giant slalom landed Lily Wagner in 14th place and Abby Bestine in 20th. Freshman Nolan Radley was the top boys finisher at 20th, Ethan Bradley at 25th, and Gunnar Pietrzykowski at 35th. Ben Stone crashed in his first run but had a second run good enough for 16th.

The afternoon Slalom netted senior Ben Stone a monster 7th-place run. Ethan Bradley was 21st, Nolan Radley was 29th, and Gunnar Pietrzykowski was 35th. For the girls, Lily Wagner was 15th, and Abby Bestine was 18th.

The ski team will next be in action on Wednesday, Jan. 24 at Swain.

Information provided by Coach Matthew Holman, Batavia Ski Team

To view the race results, click here.

To view or purchase photos, click here.
Girls Varsity, Lily Wagner  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Girls Varsity, Lily Wagner  
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Girls Varsity, Abby Bestine  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Girls Varsity, Abby Bestine  
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Boys Varsity, Ben Stone  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Boys Varsity, Ben Stone  
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Boys Varsity, Ethan Bradley  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Boys Varsity, Ethan Bradley  
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Boys Varsity, Nolan Radley  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Boys Varsity, Nolan Radley  
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Boys Varsity, Gunnar Pietrzykowski  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Boys Varsity, Gunnar Pietrzykowski  
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Modified Class, Emersyn Mager  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Modified Class, Emersyn Mager  
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Modified Class, Lucas DeVay  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Modified Class, Lucas DeVay  
Photo by Steve Ognibene

Batavia-Notre Dame United 'exorcises demon,' defeats Victor Blue Devils 4-2

By Howard B. Owens
Sam Pies scored off the faceoff early in the third period to give the United a 3-1 lead.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Sam Pies scored off the faceoff early in the third period to give the United a 3-1 lead.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene

The past few seasons, it's been a struggle for Batavia-Notre Dame United against Victor, pernnially one of the toughest teams to beat in New York.

"They're one of the best-coached teams that we played against all season," said United's head coach, Marc Staley. "So it's a very emotional game, always with them. And I think for our kids, especially tonight, we probably were more emotional than we should have been. Just because it is Victor. It's sort of a mental block, you know, that we had to get over that hump. They've beaten us now five times in a row, combined score of 25 to four. So, for us to be able to turn it around tonight with a 4-2 win, it's sort of like exorcising the demon a little bit."

The Victor Blue Devils opened the scoring at the David M. McCarthy Memorial Arena with a goal in the first period, but United -- starting with a Sam Pies to Jameson Motyka to Brady Johnson goal a minute later -- went on an unanswered three-goal run to put them up 3-1 entering the final period.

"We went down by one, so we had to get one back," Johnson said. "We had to get pucks on the net. We knew that shots win games. So, every shot is a goal-scoring opportunity. So that's just what we're looking to do."

In the second period, the game got intense with shots on goal from both sides. United overcame back-to-back penalties but then went on the powerplay with two minutes left. Brady Johnson scored his second goal of the game in the high slot from a pass by Joe DiRisio to take a 2-1 lead after two periods of play.

In the third period, United was deep in Victor’s zone, taking a faceoff.  Sam Pies took a quick wrist shot off the faceoff draw and got shot past goalie Nate McBride.

Victor pulled back within a point in the third on a power play that Staley characterized as an undisciplined penalty, an example of letting emotions ride a little high.

"We know there is a very fine line between being a state top-ranked team and being just a good team," Staley said. "You have to stay out of the box. You have to be disciplined. You have to control your emotions. And you have to play through, weather the storm. You got to play through those tough moments, and we didn't do that as well tonight. I think we let them hang around. It ended up being a lot closer than I think it should have."

United added a bit of padding to their near the end of the game to seal the victory with a goal by Jameson Motyka.

"I think we felt like we were in control of the game," Staley said. "Most of the game, we outshot them. I thought we had time of possession on them. I think they're one of the best teams that we've played so far this year."

Pies said he thought United's defensive play was key.

"We needed to be on the defensive side of the puck at all times and couldn't take no chances with the defense," Pies said. "Pinching had to be 100 percent. They couldn't have any odd-man rushes. We had to get pucks out when we needed to, and good thing we did that, and we got the win."

Steve Ognibene contributed to the reporting of this story. To view or purchase photos, click here

Jameson Motyka in Victor's red zone, looking to score.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Jameson Motyka in Victor's red zone, looking to score.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Brady Johnson and teammates celebrate his second goal of the game.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Brady Johnson and teammates celebrate his second goal of the game.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Ivan Milovidov on the doorstep of Victor's goalie.  United outshot Victor 39-32  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Ivan Milovidov is on the doorstep of Victor's goalie.  United outshot Victor 39-32  
Photo by Steve Ognibene.
Jake Hutchins coming down the side boards with teammate.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Jake Hutchins coming down the side boards with teammates.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Bench timeout by United.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Bench timeout by United.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene

Batavia falls to Eastridge in Girls Basketball, 64-40

By Staff Writer
Isabella Walsh trying for possession of ball.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Isabella Walsh fights for possession.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene

Eastridge proved a tough opponent for the Batavia Blue Devils on Saturday afternoon, taking the game 64-40.

Jamin Macdonald scored 12 points, Isabella Walsh, 10, and Karizwa Wescott, nine.

Liv Green scored 19 for Eastridge.

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Jaimin Macdonald led the blue devils with 12 points.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Jaimin Macdonald led the Blue Devils with 12 points.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Violet Lopez shooting from three point range.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Violet Lopez is shooting from three-point range.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Karizma Wescott driving to the hoop.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Karizma Wescott driving to the hoop.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Leilah Manual looking for the rebound.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Leilah Manual looking for the rebound.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene

Batavia's Alpine Ski Team has good showing at first meet of season despite warm conditions

By Staff Writer
alpine ski team
Abby Bestine, Lily Wagner, and Quinn Woeller.
Submitted photo.

Story by Coach Matt Holman:

It was windy and snowy for the first race of the 2024 ski season on Wheels Run. 

The warm daytime temperatures left the race course softer than ideal conditions would provide. After the modified field had completed its first run, the course had been worn with ruts and large snow piles for the racers to navigate.

The Batavia Alpine Ski team fared well, with a third-place finish for the boy's team and a 4th place finish for the girl's team.

Leading the way for the team was a ninth-place finish for senior Ben Stone. Ethan Bradley (12th grade) was 15th, Gunnar Pietrzykowski (9th Grade) was 18th. Freshman Nolan Radly had a first run time good enough for 16th place but was unable to finish his second run.

Lily Wagner (12th grade) finished 11th for the girls. Quinn Woeller (12th grade) and Abby Bestine (11th grade) had good first runs (15th and 17th, respectively) but were unable to finish their 2nd.

"This first race sets the stage for a good season," Holman said. "The young skiers have learned some things tonight that you can't outside of an actual ski race, and I believe these teams will only get better as the season goes on."

alpine ski team
Ethan Bradley, Nolan Radley, and Ben Stone.
Submitted photo.
alpine ski team
Lily Wagner.
Submitted photo.
alpine ski team
Ben Stone.
Submitted photo.


 

Batavia falls in second half to division rival Pittsford Sutherland 62-37

By Staff Writer
A frustrated, double teamed Justin Smith making a pass.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
A frustrated, double-teamed Justin Smith making a pass.  Smith was held to 10 points in the first half.
Photo by Steve Ognibene

Batavia made a game of it in the first half, but a talented Pittsford Sutherland team ran away with the game in the second half to deliver the Blue Devils, now 4-5, their second straight home loss, 62-37, on Friday.

Justin Smith and Gavin White each scored 12 points, and Carter Mullen scored 10.

The Blue Devils host Honeoye Falls/Lima at 7:15 p.m. on Tuesday.

Also on Friday:

  • Merrit Holly scored 47 points to lead a comeback win for Le Roy over Rochester Prep 55-52.  The 47 points ties a single-game scoring record for Le Roy. The record was set in 1963 by Tim McCulley. The Knights trailed 51-47 with less than two minutes to play when Holly went on an eight-point unanswered scoring run to secure the win. Holly had 18 rebounds and was 18-23 from the field. 
  • Alexander beat Pembroke 50-48. Dylan Pohl scored 16 points for the Trojans. Trent Woods, 14, and Kingston Woods, 12.  For the Dragons, Tyson Totten scored 24 points and had five assists.  Avery Ferreira scored seven.

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Photos by Steve Ognibene

Carter Mullen driving towards the hoop.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Carter Mullen driving toward the hoop.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Batavia's Gavin White and Aiden Bellavia digging for rebound.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Batavia's Gavin White and Aiden Bellavia digging for rebound.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Batavia's bench calls timeout, in third quarter.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Batavia's bench calls a timeout in the third quarter.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene

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.

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

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

Blue Devils pick up second win in OT, 65-62

By Howard B. Owens

Batavia beat Odyssey 65-62 in overtime in Boys Basketball on Friday night.

Carter Mullen scored 22 points for Batavia. Joey Marranco scored 15 and Aiden Bellavia scored nine.

The Blue Devils are now 2-1 on the year.

Batavia Girls outplayed Franklin in first half to run away with another win

By Steve Ognibene
Jamin MacDonald led the Lady Devils in points and rebounds to victory.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Jamin MacDonald led the Lady Devils in points and rebounds to victory.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene

Batavia picked up its fourth win of the season with a 51-19 victory over Franklin/Northeast on Thursday.

Stats for the game:

  • Karizma Wescott, six points, four rebounds, six steals; 
  • Julia Clark, two points, four rebounds;
  • Anna Varland, eight points, three rebounds, two assists; 
  • Violet Lopez, five points and six rebounds; 
  • Jaimin Macdonald, 18 points, 16 rebounds, two assists, four steals;
  • Julia Preston, four points and six rebounds;
  • Isabella Walsh, seven points, nine rebounds, four assists, four steals;

"We were able to jump out to an early lead by changing up our presses and controlling the tempo," said coach John McCulley. "This team has learned from every game so far. We learned we need to hit the glass better, and they did that tonight."

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Photos by Steve Ognibene

Karizma Wescott triple teamed by Franklin.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Karizma Wescott triple-teamed by Franklin.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Anna Varland setting up a play.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Anna Varland setting up a play.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Violet Lopez driving down the court.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Violet Lopez driving down the court.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Isabella Walsh scoring two points for batavia.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Isabella Walsh. 
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Erika Gibbs grabbing a loose ball.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Erika Gibbs grabbing a loose ball.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene

Batavia Girls on fast break to start season at 3-0 after 64-16 win over Wilson

By Steve Ognibene
Karizma Wescott gets double teamed in the paint.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Karizma Wescott gets double-teamed in the paint.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene

After a couple of seasons where the Batavia Blue Devils have struggled for wins in Girls Basketball, the team is off to a 3-0 start in 2023-24.

And the games haven't even been close.

The Class A Blue Devils have beat Class A Geneva 42-16, Class A Young Women, 64-25, and on Friday night, Class AA Wilson/Early College 58-21.

On Friday, Jaimin Macdonald scored 21 points, Karizma Wescott scored 11, and Julia Preston scored 10 points. 

The next home game for Batavia is Monday at 7 p.m. against Le Roy.

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Photos by Steve Ognibene

Jamin MacDonald led the driveopening up the second half big for the lady devils.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Jamin MacDonald led the drive, opening up the second half big for the lady devils.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Isabella Walsh gets a pass from teammates to score.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Isabella Walsh gets a pass from teammates to score.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Leilah Manuel going to the net.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Leilah Manuel going to the net.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Erika Gibbs created another fast break by Batavia. Photo by Steve Ognibene
Erika Gibbs created another fast break by Batavia. 
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Anna Varland moves the ball up for a score.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Anna Varland moves the ball up for a score.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene

Batavia boys defeats Brockport 57-51 in basketball home opener

By Steve Ognibene
Batavia's Justin Smith driving to the net for Batavia.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Batavia's Justin Smith driving to the net for Batavia.  Smith led the Blue Devils offense scoring 14 points on the night.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene

The Batavia Blue Devils are officially 1-0 on the season after defeating Brockport 57-51 in the team's 2023-24 season home opener.

Carter Mullen and Justin Smith led the way, with Mullen scoring 16 points and Smith scoring 14.  Joey Marranco scored 10 points.

The Blue Devils held on to win despite being outscored 19-13 in the final quarter.

Also in Boys Basketball on Wednesday, Le Roy beat Cal-Mum 78-49. Merritt Holly scored 31 points. Jean Agosto and Aaric Luce each scored nine. 

Note: Merritt Holly scored 13 points in the third after Cal- Mum pulled to within 3 early in the period extending the margin to 16 after three.

To view or purchase photos, click here.

Photos by Steve Ognibene

Carter Mullen gets past Brockports defenders.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Carter Mullen gets past Brockport's defenders. 
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Brady Mazur sets up the offense.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Brady Mazur sets up the offense.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Gavin White double teamed trying to score.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Gavin White double-teamed trying to score.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Joey Marranco passes to the Batavia offense.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Joey Marranco passes to the Batavia offense.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene
Carter Mullen defends the paint after extra point attempt by Batavia.  Photo by Steve Ognibene
Carter Mullen defends the paint after an extra-point attempt by Batavia.  
Photo by Steve Ognibene

Authentically Local