elba

The Oakfield-Alabama/Elba Aggies continued their year of perfection with yet another win, this time to capture the Class D Section V title by beating Avon 26-21.

Gaige Armbrewster rushed 16 times for 166 yards and two touchdowns.  

Bodie Hyde was 4-5 passing for 68 yards and a TD.  He also rushed for 21 yards.

Noah Currier gained 120 yards on nine carries and scored a TD.  He also had a 39-yard TD reception.

On defense, Kaden Cusmano had 12 tackles, a sack and he broke up two passes.  TJ Andres had 11 tackles as did Brayden Smith.  CJ Gottler and Ethan Cramer each and nine tackles and Gottler also had a sack.  Cameron Cusmano had an interception as did Armbrewster and Currier.

"I am so incredibly happy and proud for our boys," said Head Coach Tyler Winter. "The composure they showed during moments of adversity tonight is what champions are made of.  This group made a promise to themselves after the way that last season ended. They did everything in their power to make sure they would have a shot at winning a sectional championship this fall.

"To look around and see them enjoy the fruits of their labor tonight... I couldn't be more proud.  This group has so much fun playing football together, that we are glad the show is not over yet.  Our goal as we prepare for the Far West Regionals is to keep working hard, love each other, and play football together as long as we possibly can.  HOW BOUT THEM AGGIES !?"

Photos by Kristin Smith.  For more, click here.

O-A/E's Gaige Armbrewster looks for running room.

Kameron Cusmano (5) and Noah Currier (20) converge upon Avon QB Andrew Rowland.

Armbrewster carried the day for the Aggies.

 Noah Currier breaks a tackle.

More production from Armbrewster.

A great grab for Gaige.

QB Bodie Hyde just gets the pass away.

The Oakfield-Alabama/Elba Aggies advanced Friday in Section V Class D semifinal competition with a resounding 54-20 win over Cal-Mum/Byron-Bergen.

Gaige Armbrewster gained 161 yards on 14 carries and scored three touchdowns. Noah Currier had four carries for 152 yards and scored twice. He also had a 63-yard interception.

QB Bodie Hyde was 2-for-5 passing for 64 yards, and he rushed for 56 yards on six carries and scored two TDs.  On defense, he had 11 tackles.

Brayden Smith had 17 tackles, CJ Gottler 12 and a fumble recovery.   Ethan Cramer and TJ Andrews had nine tackles each and Kaden Cusmano had eight.  Connor Scott came up with three tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery return for a 35-yard TD.

"It was nice to see our boys get a big win on their home field in a semifinal matchup," said Head Coach Tyler Winter.  "We did a lot of good things tonight, but also need to clean up a few things to be ready for next week.

"We're excited about the win, but we are already thinking about the next game.  Our group is focused and ready for the challenge that next week is going to present."

Photos by Kristin Smith. For more, click here.

Elba beat Marion in five sets yesterday at Elba in the Class D Girls Volleyball Sectional Quarter file.

Elba won the second, fourth, and fifth sets, 25-16, 27-25, and 25-10.  They lost sets by scores of 25-20 and 25-21.

Laci Sewar had six aces, six kills, and 16 digs.  Carolyn Sybertz, six aces, four kills, and seven digs.  Rachel Walls, eight kills and five digs.  Sydney Reilly, 35 digs and two aces.  Alexandra Belluscio, five kills, and two blocks.  Kennedy Augello, 19 assists.

Phots by Debra Reilly.

The Oakfield-Alabama/Elba Aggies wrapped up their regular season with a perfect 8-0 record on Friday with a convincing 58-14 win over Geneseo.

The Aggies sit atop Class D heading into the post-season.

Gaige Armbrewster rushed for 155 yards, scored twice, on eight carries.  

QB Bodie Hyde gained 122 yards on the ground, taking the ball into the end zone twice on six carries.  He was 1-1 passing with a 68-yard TD and notched 10 tackles on defense.

Also at QB, Kameron Cusmano was 3-5 passing for 65 yards and rushed for 39 yards on five carries scoring one TD.  On defense, he had nine tackles.

Connor Scott had a 68-yard TD reception.

CJ Gottler lead the defense with 13 tackles and a sack.  Ethan Cramer, nine tackles and a fumble recovery.

"We are very pleased with how the boys started this game," said Head Coach Tyler Winter. "From the first whistle, they executed at a high level and that did not waiver during the course of the game.  This was a good way for us to build some momentum heading into sectionals."

Photos by Kristin Smith. For more, click here.

Visit/shop online: Oliver's Candies • Sweet Life Country Store

The Oakfield-Alabama/Elba girls soccer team ran into a great goalie for Canisteo-Greenwood in their final game of the season leading to a 4-2 loss in a shootout.

The Hornets finish 9-7-1.

Goalie Lily Davis made three saves.

The CG goalie made 32.

Christina Bartholomew and Macy Altamirano made their kicks in the shootout.

Head Coach David Carpino said, "We dominated play and possession but ran into a solid goal keep and hit posts and just couldn't put one in."

Photos by Kristin Smith.

The Aggies played hard and came up an important win by just one point, beating Bolivar-Richburg 14-13 on Saturday.

For Oakfield-Alabama/Elba, Gaige Armbrewster rushed 15 times and gained 131 yards and scored once.  QB Bodie Hyde had 12 carries for 52 yards and a TD.

CJ Gottler had 10 tackles and a fumble recovery.  Ethan Cramer and Aiden Warner had ten tackles each.  Kameron Cusmano's six tackles including a game-winner when he pulled down the ball carrier on a two-point conversion with 45 seconds remaining in the game.

“This was the type of game we needed to find out if we could win or not," said Head Coach Tyler Winter. "Bolivar is a tough team and they played hard today.  Proud of our boys for being able to adjust and overcome some adversity.  It may not be pretty in the stat sheet, but a win is a win and this game is going to help us down the road.”

Photos by Kristin Smith. For more, click here.

The Stumblin' Inn is gone but not forgotten, and neither are Steve "Stork" Goff and  Jim Goff, who both passed away this year.  The brothers are commemorated with this Halloween Display at the former location of the Stumblin' Inn in Elba.

Photo by Steve Ognibene

Oakfield-Alabama/Elba was dominant once again, beating Cal-Mum/Byron-Bergen 50-15.

For the Aggies, Gaige Armbrewster rushed for 144 yards on 11 carries. He scored one touchdown. Noah Currier had five carries for 67 yards and two TDs. Connor Scott rushed for 33 yards on two carries, added 67 through the air on three receptions, and scored a TD.  Bodie Hyde was 505 passing for 89  yards and a TD.  He also connected on a TD pass. 

On defense, Hyde had eight tackles. Kaden Cusmano had 10 tackles. CJ Gottler also had 10 tackles and two sacks. Kameron  Cusmano,  eight tackles and two interceptions.  Ethan Cramer, eight tackles, and TJ Andrews, nine tackles.

"As cliché as it is to say a big win was a total team effort, that line couldn't be more true for tonight's performance," said Head Coach Tyler Winter. "We executed at a high level and a lot of guys got to eat tonight.  I'm proud of our boys.  This is the type of win our group needed to continue building momentum for a big match-up next Friday."

Photos by Kristin Smith. For more,  click here.

Press release:

Today, Torrey Farms, a member of the Grow NY Farms Coalition, welcomed state officials to tour their 13,000-acre property. Officials discussed the industry with farmers and farmworkers and heard about the potential impacts of lowering the overtime threshold from 60 hours to 40. The overtime threshold was determined by the 2019 Farm Laborers Fair Labor Practices Act and is in danger of being decreased further, threatening farmers and farm workers alike. Elected officials had the opportunity to see the real implications of a lowered threshold and speak with the farmworkers and farmers who will be directly affected by this change.

“Our land, workers and produce feed families across New York State as well as the Eastern United States and have done so for twelve generations. This year’s harvest is no different. However, if the threshold is lowered, many locally-owned farms will not be able to say the same next year. The compromise of 60 hours reached in 2019 must be maintained. A decreased threshold will dramatically alter the agriculture industry as well as farmworker family income in New York State and decision-makers need to listen to the men and women of the industry they are looking to protect, “said Max Torrey, Torrey Farms.

"Our farm runs 24 hours a day 7 days a week. There is always work to be done when it comes to animal care and we are often presented with obstacles that we cannot predict including inclement weather and breakdowns. Employees want to work on New York dairy farms because they have a passion for agriculture, they take pride in knowing that their work has to get done because the animals are counting on them. They also seek out dairy farm work because they can earn a good living working at least 60 hours a week to support their families. We have employees who have been with us for over 10 years. They want to work here, and we can't afford to lose them. Our businesses and our consumers rely on them. We're urging our legislators and Governor Hochul to maintain the current overtime threshold so we can retain our team, and continue to be competitive in the regional and global marketplace," said Keith Kimball, Owner of La Casa de Leche Farm and Red Maples Dairy, NEDPA Board Vice-Chair.

“New Yorkers have grown accustomed to a wide variety of local produce at their fingertips, especially this time of the year during the fall harvest. However, we are at risk of losing our vibrant fruit farms if the overtime threshold is lowered. We simply can't compete against lower-priced fruit from neighboring states and Canada. If the wage board moves to 40-hours, we have plans to remove trees and transition to less labor-intensive crops. New York State must maintain the 60-hour overtime threshold and protect New York agriculture, farmworker jobs and our food supply,” Jim Bittner, Bittner-Singer Orchards located in Niagara County, NY.

Prior to the adoption of the 60-hour overtime threshold, the industry standard for farmworkers was 80 hours during peak season⁠—a well-established concept amongst farmworkers and farmers whose industry is reliant on labor-intensive harvesting. Although influenced by downstate activists unfamiliar with the agriculture industry, the threshold of 60 hours served as a compromise, despite objections from farmworkers who want as many hours as possible. Farmworkers, many of whom come from other countries to work seasonally, benefited from the long weekly hours in order to make a projected income to return home with. Currently, farmers are at risk of not being able to afford their workers at all with the potential for an even more onerous overtime threshold. Tours like today’s provide the opportunity to educate elected officials and key stakeholders about the agriculture industry and how the proposed policy change with drastically harm the industry.

Later this year, the New York State Wage Board will revisit the 2019 Farm Laborers Fair Labor Practices Act’s 60-hour overtime threshold for farmworkers and determine if an adjustment to 40 hours will be necessary. For more information on the group’s efforts, please visit https://grownyfarms.com/.

Video Produced by The Batavian

Oakfield-Alabama/Elba crushed yet another opponent -- this time, York/Pavilion.  Final score: 58-6.

Bodie Hayes was 3-5 passing for 119 yards and two TD tosses. He ran for 61 yards on five carries, crossing the goal line three times.

Gaige Armbrewster rushed for 83 yards on eight carries and scored a touchdown on a 34-yard pass reception.

Noah Currier scored a TD on two carries for 42 yards.

Kameron Cusmano had a 54-yard TD reception and on defense, seven tackles.

CJ Gottler had seven tackles.

Connor Scott blocked a punt and returned it 30 yards for A TD.

TJ Andrews had nine tackles. 

"We feel like we did a better job playing a complete game for foour quarters than we did a week ago," Head Coach Tyler Winter said. "Hats off to York/Pavilion.  Their boys played much harder than the score may suggest.  Some minor things to learn from and improve as we get ready to host CMBB."

Photos by Kristin Smith. For more, click here.

Undefeated Oakfield-Alabama/Elba rode a second-half ground game sparked by Gaige Armbrewster, Noah Currier and Bodie Hyde to overcome underdog Notre Dame, 34-7, Saturday afternoon in varsity football action at Elba’s field.

Armbrewster rushed for 111 yards on 19 carries and a touchdown, Hyde ran eight times for 79 yards, including a 56-yard TD scamper, and Currier carried six times for 64 yards and two scores as the Aggies overcame a 7-0 deficit to improve to 3-0.

The visiting Fighting Irish, 1-2, gave O-A/E all it could handle in the opening 24 minutes – taking the lead on a 32-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jimmy Fanara (photo at top) to wide receiver Evan Cummings and Brandon Carrick’s extra point with 41 seconds left in the first quarter.

ND had a chance to take that advantage into intermission but the Aggies stopped a third-and-one play with about a minute left, and took over at their own 44 with 52 seconds on the clock.

From there, Hyde connected with Kaden Cusmano for gains of 12 and eight yards, and then hit Currier for 36 yards to put the ball at the ND 8. Armbrewster found the end zone on the next play on a sweep to the left and Max DeMare’s kick was good, knotting it up at 7-7 with 21 seconds remaining.

The second half was all Aggies as they’re offensive line took control, powering a consistent rushing attack.

O-A/E put together an eight-play, 72-yard drive, culminating with a 13-yard TD pass from Hyde to Cusmano with 53 seconds left in the third quarter. DeMare’s kick made it 14-7.

The drive was sparked by runs of 13 and 14 yards by Armbrewster and a 15-yard run by Connor Scott that moved the ball to the ND 19. From there, a pair of short runs by Armbrewster set up the touchdown play.

An interception by Armbrewster set up the Aggies’ next drive at the ND 41. His 14-yard burst and a three-yard run by Hyde move the ball to the 24, where Currier broke through the left side of the line untouched to the end zone. DeMare came on for the PAT and O-A/E had a 21-7 lead early in the fourth quarter.

Cusmano recovered a fumble on ND’s first play of its next possession, and that led to a six-yard score by Currier, with lineman Brayden Smith applying a key block. A pass for the two-point conversion failed.

The Aggies forced ND to punt at took over at their own 44. Armbrewster picked up 22 yards on three runs and Scott ran for a nine-yard gain to set up Hyde, who escaped a few tackles near the line before breaking clear for the 56-yard score. DeMare’s PAT closed out the scoring.

The Irish fell just short of their second touchdown on their final drive behind fullback Vin DiRisio, who gained 54 yards, including a 44-yard burst up the middle, breaking several tackles before being upended at the O-A/E 9. He carried twice more but was stopped at the 5 when time ran out.

Fanara passed 15 times, completing seven for 107 yards, while Cummings caught four passes for 86 yards, all in the first half. On defense for ND, George Woodruff, Drew Edwards and Connor McWilliams led the way with 10 tackles each and Cummings made a one-handed interception.

For the Aggies, Scott recovered a fumble. O-A/E outgained ND, 347-193.

ND hosts Bolivar-Richburg at 7 p.m. Thursday at Van Detta Stadium, while O-A/E travels to York/Pavilion at 7 p.m. Friday.

Photos by Kristin Smith. For more, click here.

Connor Scott breaks free for OAE.

OAE's Gaige Armbrewster brought down by two ND defenders.

ND's Fanara puts a hit on Noah Currier.

OAE's Noah Currier.

ND's Brandon Carrick for the PAT.

Fanara lets one fly.

Armbrewster on a couple of big gains (see below).

Brandon Rebert set a new course record of 18:09 today in Elba in the annual Arc of Genesee  Orleans Friends and Family 5K.

Rebert beat his 2019 winning time -- the last time the race was won -- by nine seconds.

Kim Mills took yet another women's 5K title with a time of 21:37.

The Oakfield-Alabama/Elba Aggies enjoyed another day of domination on both sides of the football in their second game of the season on Monday.

The final score: OAE 68, Clyde-Savannah 0.

The Aggies gained a total of 589  yards on the ground.

Gaige Armbrewster had five carries for 113 yards and three TDs. Noah Currier, six carries, 149 yards, two TDs.  Aidan Weisbrodt, two carries, 117  yards.  Connor Scott, eight carries, 74 yards, and a TD.  Jayden Allport had one rushing TD and an interception on defense. Aiden Warner scored a TD on the ground.  

Brayden Smith had a big game on defense with six tackles, two interceptions, and a fumble recovery for a touchdown. CJ Gottler had five tackles. Kameron Cusmano had an interception. 

"In these first two games, our boys have really enjoyed the 'success by committee' approach the team is taking," said Head Coach Tyler Winter. "This was another complete team performance, and we had a lot of guys contributing to the win."

Photos by Kristin Smith. For more, click here.

Georgia Luft was crowned the 2021 Onion Queen in Elba on Saturday night.  First runner up, Carolyn Sybertz, second, Laci Sewar.  Taylor Augello (in black dress) is the 2020 Onion Queen.

Photos by Debra Reilly.

More fun, music, and food are on the agenda in the Elba Village Park tomorrow from noon until  6 p.m.

The Corfu Pembroke Community Band, directed by Don Rogers leads off the festivities. This group was the finale of the summer series last year and the program features patriotic music.

DSP Jazz Trio will follow.  The trio is Derek Reiss, a BHS graduate who played trumpet in the US Air Force Band for 24 years and now lives in Elba. Skip Taylor, on drums, taught music at Pembroke Central School for 30 years, was a founder of the Corfu Pembroke Community Band, and has played in musical groups in WNY and Canada for many years. And Peter Mark, also a BHS graduate who has performed with many instrumental and vocal groups around WNY, will be on trombone and provide vocals.

The third band of the afternoon is Generations, a 5 piece group that plays danceable rock and roll from the 50s and 60s. You'll hear covers of the Beatles, Stones, Credence, Linda Ronstadt, and many one-hit wonders.

Rounding out the show will be the Don Newcomb Band playing good, old-school,  traditional,  real country music,  such as Hank, Merle, and Buck. The group features Don Newcomb on bass and vocals, Keith Worthington guitar and vocals, Chris Mc Gauley on steel guitar and vocals, and rounding it out with Skip Taylor back on the stage on drums. 

For Elba's last show, the Betterment Committee will be cooking hot dogs and hamburgers, serving pizza from Andy's, and popping corn at our stand. The committee will serve homemade pie from Chap's Elba Diner. Lori's Delectable Edibles, Ice Cream and Chill, Circle B Winery, and Eli Fish will be there as well

Every concert this summer has been provided free of charge but tomorrow there will be taking a free-will offering to the Elba Historical Society, which hasn't been unable to host their famous roast beef dinner for the past two years due to the pandemic.

With a large contingent of family and friends present in the court room, Colleen L. Nelson, 50, of Alabama was sentenced to a determinate sentence of 3 1/2 years in state prison and 5 years post release supervision during her sentencing on Wednesday afternoon in Genesee County Court. The maximum sentence Nelson could have received was 7 1/2 years.

Nelson stabbed a male co-worker during an attack at a candy production facility on S. Main street in Elba on July 29, 2020. Nelson came up behind her co-worker and started stabbing him with a large knife. The 59-year-old victim suffered non-life-threatening injuries in the incident.

Nelson pleaded guilty to attempted assault first degree, a class C felony, in July, waiving her right to a defense of mental defect. She has been confined to the Wyoming County Jail since her arrest last July. She has served over 400 days up until sentencing today. She was originally facing an attempted murder charge where she could have been sentenced to 25 years in prison.

According to District Attorney Larry Friedman, Nelson had declined psychiatric services previous to this incident and cancelled her appointment.

“She committed a very violent crime, she says she didn’t mean to injure her co-worker, its luck he was not injured more seriously,” says Friedman.

Nelson’s attorney, Greg Colavecchia told the court that his client is remorseful and is being responsible.

“No one is here to minimize the effect this crime has had on the victim,” says Colavecchia.

Colavecchia says his client has never been in trouble before, she is happily married with two adult sons and she is missing her family.

“The victim says the why is bothersome, we will never know the answer to that. It is self-evident in reports that my client was distant and had a medical issue, but this does not minimize the incident.”

Before Judge Zambito imposed his sentence, Nelson told the court how deeply sorry she was.

“I hope he(the victim) can recover from this terrible incident; this is not my normal character. I know God was there that day looking over both of us, I hope that you can forgive me,” Nelson said.

The victim was able to view the sentencing today virtually, but was not allowed to record the court proceeding or speak. According to Judge Zambito, the victim did not feel comfortable being in the court room with Nelson present. District Attorney Larry Friedman says the victim is suffering emotionally after the incident.

Acknowledging Nelson’s time in jail since the incident last year, Zambito felt that Nelson was showing an acceptance of responsibility, along with paying restitution.

“This didn’t have to happen,” said Judge Zambito. “The victim was in the wrong spot at the wrong time. You intended to harm him; this was no accident.”

Zambito told Nelson her suffering from untreated psychiatric issues played a role in the incident.

“Today you may be fine, but if you don’t address the mental health issues this will happen again. Seven 1/2 years won’t guarantee that this won’t happen again.”

An order of protection was served and will remain in effect until September 2033.

Nelson also paid restitution in the amount of $2,698.14 to the victim.