The season is young, but once again, the Pembroke Dragons look like a powerhouse in 8-man football.
They won their second game on Saturday night, beating the Moravia Blue Devils 50-42.
For the Dragons, it as the team's 27th straight win, including a state championship win over Moravia last season.
Caleb Felski ran 40 times for 315 yards. He also has 17 yards receiving and 25 yards passing, five rushing touchdowns, and one touchdown reception.
Defensively, the Dragons were led by Felski with nine tackles and a forced fumble, while Jayden Bridge, Aidan Balduf and LJ Ferreira all added seven tackles. Ferreira and Bridge also each had an interception, Bridge taking his back to the house on a 55 yard pick six.
Oakfield-Alabama/Elba beat Canisteo-Greenwood on Friday, 21-6.
OAE Statistics:
Sr RB/LB Avery Watterson - 14 Carries, 155 Yards, 2 TDs, 10 total tackles
Sr RB/LB Jack Cianfrini - 10 Carries, 127 Yards, 1 TD, 8 Total Tackles, 1 PBU
JR LB Dominic West - 8 Tackles
JR DB Hunter Tobolski - 7 Tackles
“Tonight was a good example of what our federation games will look like this year," said Head Coach Tyler Winters. "In Class D, you can bet that every week will be a battle. Tonight was a four-quarter battle with a tough CG team. I am proud of our guys for settling into the game and closing this out confidently in their execution. We’ll enjoy this one tonight, but it’s back to the grind tomorrow to prepare for our next tough Class D matchup.”
Also in Genesee County football:
Alexander beat Attica 21-0. Last season, Alexander and Attica was a merged team. Now the neighboring rivals again and Friday's game was the first time the two teams met on the gridiron since 2017. The Trojans won then, too, 20-3. The game was played at Van Detta with Alexander the home team. Alexander QB Brody Heckman opened the scoring midway through the first quarter on a 19-yard touchdown run. Melissa Sawyer kicked the PAT for a 7-0 lead. The Trojan offense moved the ball after an interception by Defensive Back Jacob Brooks. It culminated with another Heckman TD run on a QB draw from 33 yards out. With the Sawyer kick, it was 14-0 heading into the half. In the second half, Jacob Brooks had his second interception of the night and returned the ball 37 yards for a TD. Sawyer capped it with her third PAT. Defensively Ryder Riechert led the Trojans with 8 tackles and Dylan Pohl had 4 tackles two of which were tackles for loss. Heckman finished with 82 yards rushing, Kingston Woods had 50 on 12 carries, and Ryder Riechert rushed for 46 on 12 carries. Trojans move to 2-0 on the season.
LeRoy/Cal-Mum beat Dansville/Wayland-Cohocton 20-6. Cameron Riggi scored on a two-yard run in the first quarter. Brady McClurg scored on a one-yard run and on a 65-yard pass to Xavier Bowen. Dawson Stephens scored Dansville's lone TD on a 13-yard pass to Evan Sedore. Jack Egeling ran for 77 yards on 18 carries, Riggi 18 on nine carries, On defense, Dillon Alcott had six tackles. DJ O'Geen had five tackles with a sack.
Oakfield-Alabama/Elba dropped its season opener on Saturday, losing to Letchworth/Warsaw/Perry 27-13.
OAE Stats:
QB Gavin Armbrewster - Six carries, 42 yards, one rushing TD while going 6-9 passing for 53 Yards
RB/LB Avery Watterson - Seven carries and two Receptions for 61 total yards; on defense, 16 tackles.
RB/LB Jack Cianfrini - 10 carries, 92 yards, TD, and nine tackles
SR LB Carson Warner - Eight tackles
SR DL Aedyn Groth - One sack and a forced fumble
"Kudos to a tough, physical, and well-coached LPW team," said OEC Coach Tyler Winters. "We knew we would have our hands full in week one taking on a Class C contender like them. Today's game will serve as great feedback for our group on the areas we need to improve on to accomplish our goals. The outcome was far from what we hoped for, but the narrative did not change for our team. We will hit the film and begin to shift our sights to Week 2."
It was a historic night at Hartwood Park in Le Roy. The newly merged Le Roy and Cal-Mum football programs took the field as one team, the Rivals, to play against the Batavia Blue Devils.
It's been at least 15 years since Batavia played a regular season game in Le Roy.
In a game shorted by weather, the Blue Devils came out on top 32-0.
There were no stats released for the game.
Also on Friday, Alexander traveled to Bath-Haverling and returned home with a 13-12 win.
Photo by Ed Henry
Holden Sullivan (left) and Dillon Alcott (right) tackle Batavia’s Carter Mullen. Photo by Ed Henry
Batavia speedster Zailen Griffin rushes for a large gain. Photo by Ed Henry
Rivals’ Jack Egeling continues to run hard after a face-mask penalty. Photo by Ed Henry
The Batavia defense swarms the Rivals’ running back. Photo by Ed Henry
Batavia’s Brock Bigsby lowers the boom! Photo by Ed Henry
Rivals’ QB Brady McClurg eyes his target receiver. Photo by Ed Henry
Bulldawgs #45 Z. Truesdale scores to win the game for his team late in the fourth quarter Wednesday versus the Blue Devils. Photo by Steve Ognibene
Batavia Bulldawgs edged the Batavia Blue Devils by a score of 31-26 to keep the Bulldawgs' streak going during a game at VanDetta Stadium Wednesday evening in Batavia.
Bulldawgs opened up the first quarter, scoring with seven minutes left on a run by Avari Lee to the endzone, with the extra point no good. Bulldawgs led 6-0. The Devils bounced back minutes later to tie 6-6 by Carter Mullen.
In the second quarter, Bulldawgs quarterback Heath Wilson did a reversal sneak to escape the entire Blue Devils defense with some fancy moves and score, regaining the lead 12-6.
A minute later, Maggio Bucholtz received a pass from brother Bronx to tie it at 12 a piece. However, the extra point was good, and the Blue Devils led at the half 13-12.
In the third quarter, the Bulldawgs bounced back, with Z. Truesdale scoring on a 50-yard touchdown run to give the Bulldawgs an 18-13 lead. Will Stevens got the Devils' lead back seconds later and added another before the end of the third, 26-18.
Although things looked tough, the Bulldawgs scored early in the fourth to come within two points on a score by Josiah Williams, 26-24. Then, on a possession change, the Blue Devils fumbled with under four minutes left to give the Bulldawgs another chance. With a minute and 30 seconds left, Truesdale tallied his second touchdown of the game to win it for the Bulldawgs, 31-26.
Truesdale, Number 45 for the Bulldawgs, was happy about his team's performance.
“They did a good job,” Truesdale said.
Wilson said that his offense did a pretty good job ”getting the ball down there to score for you,” and the defense likewise also came through for the team.
“They did very good,” he said, adding a note about how the future looks for the ‘Dawgs. “It’s looking very good.”
Both on and off the field, the Genesee County Spartans achieved what they set out to do this season in the Northeastern Football Alliance semipro league.
That’s the assessment of Head Coach Harry Rascoe and Board President Tammy Hathaway, who pointed to the team’s 7-3 record and an “all for one, one for all” attitude that bodes well for the 2025 campaign.
“We made great strides this year, without a doubt,” Rascoe said. “Our only losses were to (league champion) Lockport and there were no instances of misconduct. We’re only a couple players away from contending for the title.”
In its return to the football scene last season, the organization was hampered by a lack of discipline on the field.
Hathaway said that the codes of conduct put into place this season and the leadership of the team’s captains resulted in an organization that local fans could get behind.
“Speaking for the board of directors, I couldn’t be more pleased with the players’ performance in every aspect,” Hathaway said. “Hopefully, we’re building something special here.”
Recently, the team learned that nine players were named as league all-stars and have been invited to play in an East vs. West game on September 28 in Apalachin, home of the Broome County Stallions.
All-stars on offense: Wide receiver Deyonci Farley, tackle Jordan Chambers and guard Anthony Natrigo.
All-stars on defense: Linebackers Kaden Marucci and Marley English, linemen Gunner Rapone, Steve Kowalczyk and Jalen White, and defensive back/returner Jzhon Henderson.
Rascoe said the team’s awards banquet is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. October 5 at T.F. Brown’s Restaurant in Batavia. For more information, contact Rascoe at rascoeh@yahoo.com or go to the Spartans’ Facebook page - Genesee County Spartans.
Placekicker Julia Petry swings into one during Genesee County Spartans’ practice session at Farrall Park in Batavia. Submitted photo.
Press Release:
Genesee County Spartans Head Coach Harry Rascoe is looking at two “keys” to knocking off the undefeated Lockport Wildcats this weekend and advancing to the championship game of the Northeastern Football Alliance semipro league.
“Not turning over the ball and pressuring their quarterback,” Rascoe replied when asked what the Spartans need to do to defeat the Wildcats in the Western Conference semifinal scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday at Lockport’s Outwater Memorial Park, 125 Outwater Drive.
The Spartans take a 6-2 record into the game, with both losses coming at the hands of Lockport, 8-0 in league play.
Genesee County lost to the Wildcats, 16-6, in their opening game (although the score was 8-6 with less than two minutes to play), and then fell, 36-14, to Lockport on July 13 in a game marred by six Spartans’ turnovers.
Rascoe, speaking during a practice session on Wednesday at Farrall Park in Batavia, said it’s imperative that the offense hold onto the ball.
“We’re going to have to sustain drives on offense – the defense can’t be on the field the whole time -- and we’ve got to contain (Lockport quarterback) Willie (Fair III).”
Fair, while completing less than half of his pass attempts, has thrown for about 850 yards and 11 touchdowns this season – with several of those TDs coming on long passes after broken plays.
“He’s got a great arm,” Rascoe said. “He can throw pretty much the length of the field so it’s hard to cover receivers on those broken plays. That’s why we have to win the battle in the trenches and get to him.”
Rascoe said he expects defensive back Jzhon Henderson to play on both sides of the ball – splitting the ball carrying duties with standout halfback Jed Reese (363 yards rushing in five games as three of the Spartans’ victories were by forfeit).
“This is the playoffs; there’s no more offense and defense. We’re going to put our best 11 guys on the field to compete with them. We know they (the Wildcats) are already overlooking us, so we’ll play the underdog.”
Quarterback Corey Turpin, who has thrown for 680 yards with six touchdowns and six interceptions, said he has to be efficient for the Spartans to win.
“We can’t give them extra opportunities,” he said. “It’s up to me to not turn the ball over, to execute and go in there with confidence. I feel that this is the game where we put everything together.”
Defensive Coordinator Craig Tiberio said the Spartans match up well against Lockport in terms of talent, so it will come down to discipline.
“More than anything, it’s the attention to detail and everyone doing their job,” Tiberio said. “If we can clean up the missed tackles and the few potential interceptions that we dropped, we’ll be right there.”
Tiberio said the Spartans’ front four of Gunner Rapone, who has 6 ½ sacks thus far; Jalen White, Ryley Elliott and Steve Kowalczyk “is the best in the league.” He also praised linebacker Kaden Marucci, who leads the league in tackles and has two interceptions and four fumble recoveries.
“Marucci has had a super year and has been nominated for Defensive Player of the Year,” he said, noting that Rapone earned that honor in 2023.
Linebacker Marley English leads the team with three interceptions.
Genesee County Spartans' projected starting lineup for this Saturday’s game:
Corey Turpin, Genesee County Spartans quarterback. Submitted photo.
Offense
Quarterback: Corey Turpin; Running backs: Jed Reese, Jzon Henderson; Tight end: Rob Thurston Jr.; Wide receivers: Deyonci Farley, Rayshawn Huitt; Center: Tim King; Guards: Austyn Fernandez, Anthony Natrigo; Tackles, Baylee Vercruysse, Jordan Chambers. Kicker: Julia Petry.
Defense
Front four: Gunner Rapone, Jalen White, Ryley Elliott, Steve Kowalczyk; Linebackers: Nick Santos, Kaden Marucci, Marley English; Secondary: Max Rapone, Dontre Woods, Jzon Henderson, Cody Wenner or Amir Cleveland. Punter: Deyonci Farley.
Last Saturday’s, August 3, Rochester Chargers at Genesee County Spartans’ game has been canceled, meaning that the Northeastern Football Alliance squad will have a long layoff before its semifinal playoff game on Aug. 10.
Head Coach Harry Rascoe announced that the Rochester team has decided not to travel to Genesee County after being eliminated from playoff contention last weekend.
The Spartans will receive a forfeit victory, raising its final regular season record to 6-2 and overall mark to 7-2.
Lockport went undefeated in the semipro league’s Western Conference and will host the semifinal playoff match against the Spartans at 7 p.m. on Aug. 10. That game will be played at Outwater Memorial Park, 125 Outwater Drive, Lockport.
The semifinal winner will advance to the championship match, likely against the Eastern Conference-leading Southern Tier Stallions, on Aug. 17.
Genesee County Spartans’ wide receiver Deyonci Farley is on his way to a touchdown after taking a pass from quarterback Corey Turpin during Saturday’s 12-6 win over the visiting Ithaca Warriors. Photo by Lauren Donovan.
Press Release:
In a game that came down to the final play, the Genesee County Spartans defeated the Ithaca Warriors, 12-6, on Saturday night in Northeastern Football Alliance semipro action at Pembroke Town Park.
Linebacker Marley English and defensive backs Jzon Henderson and Max Rapone stopped Ithaca quarterback Joshua Mims just three yards from the end zone as time ran out to secure the victory for the Spartans, now 4-2, and still alive for a playoff berth in the league’s Western Conference.
The top two teams in each conference will advance to the playoffs. The Lockport Wildcats lead at 7-0, followed by the Spartans at 4-2 and Rochester Chargers at 3-3.
The Spartans are off until Aug. 3 when they will host Rochester for a 5 p.m. contest. Rochester has a home game next Saturday against the unbeaten Wildcats.
“We escaped with a win tonight, but we’ll have to be much better against Rochester and, hopefully, for the playoff game against Lockport,” said Spartans Head Coach Harry Rascoe. “We need to avoid turnovers and capitalize on our opportunities. Tonight’s game should not have been that close.”
Against Ithaca, the Spartans’ points came as a result of a field goal, safety, touchdown and point-after-touchdown kick.
Julia Petry opened the scoring midway through the first quarter by kicking a 22-yard field goal, capping a short drive set up by Marley’s interception at the Ithaca 25.
Neither team scored again until the 3:55 mark of the third quarter when Spartans’ defensive tackle Gunner Rapone and English tackled David Crow, Ithaca’s other QB, in the end zone for a safety, making the score 5-0.
The safety came one play after Genesee County was thwarted on four straight running attempts from the 1-yard line.
The Spartans increased their lead to 11-0 with four minutes left in the fourth quarter when QB Corey Turpin connected with wide receiver Deyonci Farley for a 34-yard TD. Farley caught the ball in the right flat, avoided a defender and sprinted to the end zone. Petry’s extra point kick made it 12-0.
Ithaca struck back quickly, however, when Mims hit Patrick Twum for a 45-yard touchdown. A pass for the two-point conversion fell incomplete, leaving the score at 12-6.
Genesee County ran six plays, taking two minutes off the clock, but turned the ball over on downs with 1:31 to play. Taking over at the Spartans’ 40, Mims completed a couple passes to get the ball to the 8-yard line, stopping the clock with five seconds left.
From there, Mims scrambled before taking off down the middle of the field and running into the trio of Spartans’ defenders who combined for the potential game-saving tackle.
Statistically, Spartans’ running back Jed Reese had a busy night, carrying 22 times for 106 yards. Turpin completed nine of 13 passes for 114 yards, a TD and two interceptions.
Defensively, Henderson and lineman Steve Kowalczyk had interceptions, linebacker Kaden Marucci recovered a fumble and Gunner Rapone recorded a sack.
Rascoe, noting his team’s statistical advantage, credited both lines for “controlling the line of scrimmage” but said he’s looking for his team’s skill position players to dominate going forward.
Local youth football players and cheerleaders were recognized at halftime on “Youth Football Night” at Pembroke Town Park. Photo by Mike Pettinella.
The undefeated Lockport Wildcats had an un-Fair advantage on Saturday night on their way to defeating the visiting Genesee County Spartans, 36-14, in Northeastern Football Alliance semipro action.
Veteran quarterback Willie Fair II passed for four touchdowns and ran for another TD to lead the Wildcats, now 6-0 in league play, past the Spartans, who drop to 3-2. Both teams compete in the league’s Western Conference.
Against Lockport, the Spartans were victimized by six turnovers – three fumbles and three interceptions, the big-play ability of Fair, who converted two 4th-and-20 situations into touchdowns, and a 75-yard kickoff return for a TD by Darren Thompson.
“Just too many mistakes on both sides of the ball,” said Spartans’ Head Coach Harry Rascoe. “We were unable to contain Fair, who can throw the ball 70 yards in the air, and we committed too many turnovers.”
Fair completed just 10 passes but four of them resulted in points as Jordan Evert and Sultani Campbell each had two TD receptions. The Wildcats’ ground game was effective with Fair gaining 53 yards on 11 carries and Sean Marshall picking up 52 yards on 11 carries.
For the Spartans, QB Corey Turpin completed 16 of 29 passes for 100 yards, with receivers Tai Reffell-Pugh and Deyonci Farley finding the end zone. Halfback Jed Reese carried 10 times for 42 yards.
The Spartans are back in action at 5 p.m. Saturday against the Ithaca Warriors, 4-2 in the Eastern Conference, at Pembroke Town Park.
This Saturday’s game has been designated “Youth Football Night” with all youth football program players and cheerleaders wearing their jerseys/uniforms admitted at no charge.
Jubilant Genesee County Spartans’ players celebrate after raising their record to 3-1 in the Northeastern Football Alliance. Photo by Lauren Donovan.
Press release:
The Genesee County Spartans improved its record to 3-1 on Saturday night with a 15-6 victory over the host Watertown Red & Black in Northeastern Football Alliance semipro action.
Quarterback Corey Turpin passed for 230 yards, halfback Jed Reese ran for 94 yards on 23 carries and a pair of touchdowns and wide receiver Deyonci Farley caught five passes for 143 yards to lead the Spartans.
“This is the biggest win in our organization’s history,” said Head Coach Harry Rascoe. “Our first-ever game was there (against Watertown), and we didn’t fare very well. The score of this game was not indicative of the way we controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.”
Genesee took a 6-0 on its opening drive, with Reese running it in from five yards out. On the extra point attempt, Keith Neureuter picked up a bad snap and burst over the goal line for two points to make it 8-0.
The Spartans upped their lead to 14-0 on their first drive after intermission, set up by a long pass to Farley from Turpin, who completed 14 of 25 attempts. Reese scored from a few yards out to set up the extra point kick by Julia Petry.
Rascoe credited injured QB Alex Rood for his effort filling in as offensive coordinator for Jermaine Henderson, who could not make the trip to Watertown.
The Red & Black, 2-2, scored with about three minutes left in the game.
Defensively, Jzhon Henderson and Tre Woods had interceptions, and Gunner Rapone, Max Rapone and Steve Kowalczyk recorded sacks. Kaden Marucci was in on 11 tackles.
Next up for the Spartans is a home contest against the Rochester Chargers at 5 p.m. this Saturday at Pembroke Town Park. Genesee defeated the Rochester squad, 19-12, on June 8 at Franklin High.
A 3-on-3 basketball tournament fundraiser to benefit the Spartans is set for July 6 at Ri-Dan’s Sports Park on West Main Street Road. To register for the event, which includes youth and adult divisions, go to bit.ly/SpartansBball
Wide receiver Deyonci Farley hauls in a pass from quarterback Corey Turpin over a pair of Watertown defenders during the Genesee County Spartans’ 15-6 victory last Saturday. Photo by Lauren Donovan.
Defensive linemen Steve Kowalczyk (56) and Gunner Rapone attempt to deflect a pass during the Genesee County Spartans’ 19-12 win over the Rochester Chargers. Photo by Lauren Donovan.
Press release:
Quarterback Corey Turpin threw for a pair of touchdowns on Saturday to lead the Genesee County Spartans to a 19-12 victory over the host Rochester Chargers in Northeastern Football Alliance semipro action at Franklin High School.
The Spartans, 1-1, built a 19-0 lead with scores in each of the first three quarters.
Turpin connected with Deyonci Farley and found Rayshawn Huitt for a score to make it 12-0 at halftime before halfback Jed Reese burst into the end zone to put the visitors up 18-0. Kicker Julia Petry converted on the extra point to round out the Spartans’ scoring.
Genesee racked up 300 yards of total offense with Turpin passing for 150 and Reese running for 100.
Defensively, the Spartans held the Chargers, 1-1, to 200 yards of total offense, with three interceptions – two by Kaden Marucci and one by Marley English – and four sacks.
“The game marked a huge improvement from our first game (a 16-6 loss to Lockport), which I really felt we let slip away,” said Head Coach Harry Rascoe. “We controlled the line of scrimmage for most of the game. Credit to our secondary of Tre Bucci, Max Rapone, Jazon Henderson and Cody Wenner for holding down a very talented passing offense.”
Rascoe also credited coordinators Jermaine Henderson (offense) and Craig Tiberio (defense) for coming up with solid game plans.
The Spartans are off this weekend but will receive a forfeit victory since the East Coast Blue Devils have withdrawn from the league.
The team is back in action at 7 p.m. June 22 at the Watertown Red & Black.
The Genesee County Spartans will be looking to get their offense in gear this Saturday when they travel to Franklin High School to take on the Rochester Chargers in Northeastern Football Alliance semipro action.
Corey Turpin will be handling all of the quarterback duties for the Spartans due to an injury to the team’s other QB, Alex Rood. Head Coach Harry Rascoe said that Rood will be out for at least eight weeks – likely all season.
The Spartans dropped their season opener last weekend, 16-6 to the Lockport Wildcats.
“Our defense played very well against Lockport, now we just to need get our offense clicking,” said Rascoe, noting that the Spartans held the Wildcats to just 118 yards passing and 90 yards rushing.
The Chargers received a forfeit victory last week as they were scheduled to play against the East Coast Blue Devils, which has opted out of the NFA this season.
Game time on Saturday is 5 p.m. Franklin High is located at 950 Norton St., Rochester.
Admission is $10. Youths 10 and under will be admitted at no charge.
Genesee Spartans’ halfback Jed Reese looks for running room during Saturday’s semipro game against the Lockport Wildcats at Pembroke Town Park. Photo by Lauren Donovan.
The Genesee County Spartans gave the Lockport Wildcats all they could handle on Saturday afternoon before falling, 16-6, in their Northeastern Football Alliance semipro opener at Pembroke Town Park.
The Spartans’ defense kept the Wildcats, who went 9-1 last season, in check for most of the game except for a 60-yard touchdown pass from strong-armed quarterback Willie Fair III to Jason Thurman on the opening drive and a four-yard TD run by Fair with 1:18 to play.
Lockport was able to run for both two-point conversions.
Genesee’s offense sputtered in the first half, losing the ball twice on botched snaps, but put together its only scoring drive to begin the third quarter.
Halfback Jed Reese (Notre Dame graduate) gained 12 yards on two plays up the middle before wide receiver Deyonci Farley picked up 10 yards on a sweep.
On third down, quarterback Alex Rood threw a deep ball intended for wide receiver Rayshawn Huitt, who drew a pass interference penalty – putting the ball at the Lockport 7-yard line.
The Wildcats stiffened on the next two running plays and a false start penalty on the Spartans moved the ball back to the 15. From there, Rood found Huitt in the end zone for a touchdown, pulling Genesee to within two at 8-6.
Another pass intended for Huitt for the two-point conversion fell incomplete, however.
Both teams punted three times until the Spartans took possession at their own 47 with 4:39 to play. Following a couple of short gains, Rood hit Farley for a first down but a fumble on the play and long return gave the ball back to Lockport at the Spartans’ 26, setting up the visitors’ final scoring drive.
Spartans Head Coach Harry Rascoe said he was proud of the way the defense shut down the 6-5, 250-pound Fair for most of the contest. LB Marley English had an interception for Genesee.
“This was the best QB in the league and one of the best teams,” he said. “We’re close and we’re going to get better.”
Fair credited the Spartans for their defensive game plan.
“I want to take my hat off to their defensive coordinator (Craig Tiberio),” he said. “His schemes and stuff were a little tricky and we didn’t make the right adjustments.”
Reese said he saw a lot of good things, mentioning the Spartans’ effort and togetherness.
“This is our second season, and we will improve. I really like the way that everyone is more positive (this season) and willing to work with each other,” he said. “We’re playing like a team, not a bunch of individuals.”
The Spartans next game is against the Rochester Chargers at 5 p.m. Saturday at Franklin High School in Rochester.
The Genesee County Spartans open their Northeastern Football Alliance semipro season this Saturday afternoon against the visiting Lockport Wildcats.
Kickoff for the “Iron Reps Gym Night” contest is scheduled for 5 o’clock at the Pembroke Town Park field on Route 77.
Head Coach Harry Rascoe said he feels good about the team’s chances this season. He bases his optimism on what he’s seen in practice and the squad’s 34-6 victory over Auburn in a scrimmage game a couple of weeks ago.
“We’re looking for big games from our quarterbacks, Alex Rood and Corey Turpin, and for the defense to put pressure on Lockport’s QB, Willie Fair,” Rascoe said. “Willie (who is listed at 6-foot-5, 260 pounds) is a great quarterback with a great arm. If we stay disciplined and win the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, we’ll be OK.”
Steve and Christy Deleo, owners of Iron Reps Gym in Le Roy, will take part in the coin toss. The Deleo family has signed on as “silver” sponsors of the Spartans.
“Bronze” level sponsors this season are House of Bounce, Wescott Motors, T.F. Brown’s Restaurant and Get Sealed. Additional supporters are Extended Sound, TJ Henderson, Perfect Piece LLC, WBTA, Ri-Dans, and Go Art!
The team was supposed to have an eight-game schedule, but it has been cut to six due to the East Coast Blue Devils not playing in the league this season. Rascoe said the Spartans may pick up another match along the way and is also hoping that a playoff game is in the mix.
Tickets are $5 per person and free for kids 11 and under.
Otis Thomas, a member of Notre Dame High School Class of 1997, has been named Head Varsity Football Coach at his alma mater.
A lifelong resident of Batavia, he attended St. Anthony's parochial school before graduating from Notre Dame, where he excelled in Football, Baseball, Basketball and Track and field.
Otis won the prestigious Nick Salvador Football MVP award twice. His basketball teams played in three sectional finals, winning in 1995 and 1997 when they won the Western Regional title, which advanced them to the NYSPHSAA Final Four. In Baseball, he was on Sectional winning teams in 1996 and 1997. His excellence as an athlete earned him recognition as ND’s Co-Athlete of the Year in 1997 and also led to his induction into the Notre Dame Athletic Hall of Fame in 2021
Mr. Thomas has held a variety of coaching positions at Notre Dame since 2009. His Football coaching experience includes being the head JV Football coach, a JV Football Assistant, a Varsity Assistant, and most recently, the varsity football defensive coordinator.
Otis has also been both the Boys' and girls' basketball JV Head Coach and a Varsity assistant for the past 8 seasons while also serving as ND’s varsity softball coach for 6 years, winning a sectional title last year.
When asked to comment on his hiring, Otis said, “ I believe in this school and everything about it. Notre Dame, my coaches, my classmates and their families, along with my own family, have made me into the man I am today. I was coached by two legendary coaches, Mike Rapone and the late Bill Sutherland, both of whom had an impact on me and are a big part of why I got into coaching. I always wanted to be the head football coach of my alma mater and consider myself blessed to have this opportunity. I will work hard from day 1 to maintain the standard and teach the culture built by those who have preceded me. Go IRISH!!
Mr. Thomas is currently employed by Aerosafe Global in Rochester as a manufacturing supervisor. He and his wife Nicole live on Otis Street in Batavia with their three children: Teagyn, Nya, who graduated from Notre Dame in 2021 and Gunnar, who is currently a seventh-grade student at Notre Dame.
Long-time Notre Dame football coach Jimmy Fanara has decided to retire ending a 22-year stint coaching football at his alma mater.
Coach Fanara had planned that 2022 (his son Jimmy’s Senior year) would be his final season before he stepped up to take the head varsity coach position when Joe Zambito’s job took him out of the area.
Fanara held a variety of coaching positions, spending most of his years on the coaching staffs of Notre Dame HOF coaches Bill Sutherland and Rick Mancuso before taking over the Varsity reins in 2022.
His final team team advanced to the Sectional semifinals before losing a hard-fought contest to York-Pavilion.
AD Mike Rapone commented “When I coached Jimmy in basketball during his high school years, he demonstrated the leadership, determination, passion for athletics, and the love of Notre Dame that he displayed for his 22 years coaching football at ND. Any of the young men who were fortunate enough to have been coached by him have benefited greatly from the experience. He will be missed!”
Anyone interested in applying to be the next Varsity football coach at Notre Dame should email a letter of interest and a resume to michael.rapone@ndhsbatavia.com. Applicants must have or be willing to pursue NYS Coaching Certification.
The rivalry was once among the most legendary in Section V - Caledonia-Mumford vs. the Oatkan Knights of Le Roy.
The rivalry waned when leagues were realigned a few years ago, and starting next season, the once fierce fighters on the field will be brothers on the gridiron.
Both school districts have approved, pending Section V approval, a merger of the two football programs. The merger will affect all levels of football in both communities.
The Knights are coming off a 2023 campaign in which the team won its record-setting 16th Section V title.
The Le Roy Central School District said in a statement on Tuesday evening:
Please know that this decision was made with the best interests of our students and our school district in mind and keeps the mission of our shared services committee central to our decision-making. The decision to merge football teams with the Caledonia-Mumford CSD reflects the collaborative spirit and commitment to providing exceptional opportunities for our student-athletes.
The statement acknowledged the rich football history in both communities and said the merger would strengthen football opportunities for all age groups and help both districts sustain 11 main football programs.
The district said there would be future announcements about the plan to carry out the merger, practice and game schedules and locations, and a selection of a head coach and additional coaching staff.
"The team name, mascot, and colors will also be determined by student-athletes in partnership with our athletic directors and coaching staff at a later date," the statement read.
It concluded, "We are excited about this merger and the future of the Caledonia-Mumford and Le Roy football program."
Over the past few seasons, Cal-Mum has been merged with Byron-Bergen for football and cheerleading. On Tuesday evening, Athletic Director Rich Hannan and Superintendent Pat McGee issued the following statement.
We are writing to update everyone on a developing situation with our football and fall cheer program here at Byron-Bergen. Last week we were made aware that Cal-Mum is exploring a new partnership for their football and fall cheer squad that does not include Byron-Bergen. While we did not initiate this change, we are already actively exploring possibilities for our student-athletes to continue competing in their chosen fall sports.
In the eight-man state football championship on Saturday, the Pembroke Dragons jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead and didn't look back on its way to its 13th win of the season by a score of 36-0 to capture the title.
It's the second consecutive state title for Pembroke in eight-man football. It's the first time a Pembroke football team finished the season with a perfect 13-0 record.
The Dragons once again topped the half-century mark in total yardage with Tyson Totton gaining 401 himself on the ground and scoring five touchdowns. He finishes the year with more than 4,000 yards and 70 TDs.
Fullback Caleb Felski had 102 yards rushing as well as converting on three two-point conversions.
Defensively the Dragons were led by Felski with 16 tackles and an interception, while Totten, Sean Pustulka, Jayden Mast, Jayden Bridge, Octavius Martin, Hayden Williams, and Vijay Dhanda all had five or more tackles. Jayden Bridge also added a sack and a blocked punt.
More than two dozen football players from Genesee County made the West's roster for the Eddie Meath All-Star Game, which was played Monday at U of R's Fauver Stadium.
The East beat the West 21-6.
Genesee County players on the West roster:
Trent Woods, Alexander
Clayton Bezon, Alexander
Case Hill, Alexander
Landyn Thomas
Cole Grazioplene, Batavia
Mekhi Fortes, Batavia
Brian Calderon, Batavia
Damon Linzy, Byron-Bergen
Anthony Leach, Byron-Bergen
Max Wilson, Byron-Bergen
Tony Piazza, Le Roy
Jackson Fix, Le Roy
Drew Strollo, LeRoy
Cal Koukides, Le Roy
AustinPangrazio, Oakfield-Alabama/Elba
Ashton Bezon, Oakfield-Alabama/Elba
Bodie Hyde, Oakfield-Alabama/Elba
Angelo Penna, Oakfield-Alabama/Elba
Tyson Totten, Pembroke
Jeremy Gabbey, Jr., Pembroke
Sean Pustulka, Pembroke
Jaden Mast, Pembroke
Brennan Royce, Pembroke
Joe Bauer, Pavilion
Tyler Brady, Pavilion
Austin Cummings, Pavilion
Ella Mattice of Le Roy participated as a cheerleader.
