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Notre Dame

Weather causing scheduling problems, especially for ND

By Brian Hillabush

The Notre Dame girls basketball team is scheduled to play at Wheatland-Chili today. But like every other team in the area, they are getting the day off due to the weather.

Scheduling conflicts are always a pain in the butt this time of year and right now coach Dave Pero's squad is not overly thrilled with missing out on this game.

Pero tried to reschedule the game for Tuesday with Wheatland-Chili coach Todd Grimes, but that wasn't possible.

The two are trying to set something up for Friday at this point and the Fighting Irish really need the game.

"This is awful," said Pero, whose team is just 2-1. "We haven't played two games in a week yet and we have no rhythm. We played Elba and we just weren't ready. We haven't played enough."

The Lancers beat Notre Dame 54-51 last Tuesday, Some area teams have played as many as eight games, but the Fighting Irish have played just three games, and with the Christmas break going on this week the team isn't even getting much practice time.

If the Wheatland-Chili game can't be rescheduled for Friday, that means Notre Dame will not take the court again until Monday, Dec 29 in the opening round of the Byron-Bergen Christmas Tournament. The consolation and finals are on Dec. 30.

The next games are at the Rotary Tournament on Jan. 5 and 7.

"We have the Christmas Tournament and then the Rotary Tournament coming up. I hope we are ready for it," Pero said.

Pero does think that there is some advantage to his team playing so few games so far in the fact that they Fighting Irish will be playing a lot of games late in the season, which will hopefully have them ready for sectionals.

But he is ready for his squad to get into some kind of rhythm right now.

"Somewhere down the road the teams that have played eight games will be having the same lull we are having right now," Pero said. "Our philosophy is that we want to be better at the end of the year. Hopefully that will pay off by us not playing games right now, but we want to get into a flow."

Notre Dame is not the only school that will probably not get to play its athletic contests. The Elba boys are supposed to be playing at Albion, but Elba is closed.

There are plenty of girls games on tap for tonight, including Alexander at Kendall and Medina at Lyndonville. But odds are, they won't be played either and will be made up at a later date.

Mike Rapone and Jim Burke story

By Brian Hillabush

 Channel 13 has an excellent video talking about coaches Jim Burke of Prattsburgh and Mike Rapone of Notre Dame.

The two matched up against each other on Saturday, and we had some pretty solid coverage on The Batavian.

I would recommend checking out the two videos at the end of my post because I have the complete pregame presentation and interviews with both coaches about the great rivalry.

But if you are interested in this topic, make sure you check this story out. 

Another cool angle to this piece is that the anchor is Chuck Wade, who is the son of Batavia girls basketball coach Bill Wade and a Notre Dame grad.

 

Local teams getting some love in the state rankings

By Brian Hillabush

 The first edition of the New York State Sportswriters rankings are out today and some of our teams are getting some pretty impressive rankings. 

The two Genesee Region League squads with state rankings are really up there. Oakfield-Alabama and its 5-0 record has earned the fourth-seed in Class C. The latest win for the Hornets was an impressive 76-43 win over a very good Pembroke team.

Notre Dame handled Prattsburgh 60-53 on Saturday night and are also ranked fourth, in Class D. The Fighting Irish are 4-0.

Batavia is coming off a loss to Pittsford Sutherland on Wednesday, 69-57, and are ranked 19th in Class A. Sutherland is 13th. Batavia has a 4-1 record.

 

Rapone wins battle of the 500 club

By Brian Hillabush

 

It was the first time in the history of New York State basketball that two coaches with over 500 career victories guided teams against each other.

Notre Dame's Mike Rapone earned career victory 513 while Prattsburgh's Jim Burke was held at 502 as the Fighting Irish picked up a 60-53 win.

The evening started off with Notre Dame's court being dedicated to Rapone and girls volleyball coach Rhonda DiCasolo. Rapone followed it by presenting Burke with a plaque in honor of his 500th victory, which happened in Prattsburgh's first game of the season.

Then, the teams that play a pair of non league games with each other every year, took the court. The Fighting Irish took an early lead.

Kevin Francis had a steal and basket, Tommy Rapone had a basket with an and-1 and Kevin Schildwaster scored to give ND a quick 7-0 lead.

But Francis picked up a second foul midway through the first quarter and had to go to the bench, which allowed the Vikings to creep back in the game.

Ryan Caron scored nine points in a three minute stretch, with the only Fighting Irish basket coming on a 3-pointer by Matt Thompson.

Brandon Bulley scored the final basket of the opening period and Notre Dame had a very slim 18-16 lead.

Prattsburgh took the lead right away when Patrick Wightman drained a 3-pointer to open the second period.

It was back-and-forth for the second quarter until the end when Francis, Nick Wetherwax and Schildwaster had baskets to give the Fighting Irish a 32-28 halftime lead.

Notre Dame opened up a 12-point lead when Vinny Zambito and Thompson hit consecutive 3-pointers, but the third quarter ended with ND leading 51-41.

The fourth quarter was a series of free throw attempts that dragged on, but Notre Dame held on for the win and improves to 4-0.

Francis had 18 points with 10 assists and Thompson hit four 3-pointers to score 14 points.

Rapone and Zambito had eight points each.

Caron had 18 points and Garrett Parker added 17 for Prattsburgh (4-3).

 

 

 

VIDEO + INTERVIEWS FROM THE GAME

 

GREAT VIDEO OF THE COURT PRESENTATION AND RAPONE HONORING BURKE

 

Congratulations, Stephanie Lapple!!!

By Notre Dame

 

Stephanie Lapple ’10, daughter of Dr. William and Angela Lapple of Le Roy did it again!

Stephanie was recently selected [for the 2nd consecutive year] to the Democrat and Chronicle’s 2008 All-Greater Rochester’s Girls Golf Team!
 
She earned this prestigious recognition by recording the lowest scoring average in Section V competition this past Fall while averaging 39.75 during her eight regular season matches!
 
Stephanie repeated as City-Catholic champion for the 2nd straight year carding a 42 at Shadow Lake and finished tied for 6th at sectionals to earn her 2nd straight trip to the New York State Meet in Syracuse this coming June!
 
A member in good standing of the Notre Dame Chapter of the National Honor Society, Stephanie also qualified for New York State Scholar-Athlete recognition during the Fall season with a 97.47% classroom average! She is a class representative to Student Senate and a member of Concert Band and our Fighting Irish Varsity Girls Basketball team.
 
Stephanie lists LPGA professional Paula Creamer as her favorite golfer. At the rate she is going, she may be competing against her some day in the not too distant future!
 
Congratulations, again, on a job well done Stephanie, both on the course and in the classroom! We are all proud of your accomplishments at ND!
 

Notre Dame Second Honors - First Quarter

By Notre Dame

Class of 2009
                                               
 Taylor Alexander                                           
 Christopher Bogan                                          
 Valerie DiSalvo                                            
 Kevin Francis                                              
 Kristen Francis                                            
 Michael Geer                                               
 Angela Jazwiecki                                           
 Christopher Kroh                                           
 Richard Lair                                               
 Amy Miller                                                 
 Katie Spadaccia                                            
 Stacy Squire                                               
 Brianna Way 

Class of 2010      
 
 Woodams Clark                                              
 Ashley Fix                                                 
 Lyndie Gallo                                               
 Megan Hanley                                               
 Zackary Klein                                              
 Erik Miller                                                
 Thomas Rapone                                              
 Hannah Scott-McGrail     

Class of 2011

 Tia Arnold                                                 
 Alexander Berardini                                        
 Rick Conklin                                               
 Jordan DiFilippo                                           
 Elizabeth Geandreau                                        
 Sean Kota                                                  
 Johnathan Maye                                             
 Tyler Pingrey                                              
 Emily Pringle                                              
 Walter Richardson                                          
 Devin Sherman        

Class of 2012      
 
 Patrick Aina                                               
 Brendan Brown                                              
 Luke Calla                                                 
 Danielle Constantino                                       
 Jenna DiFilippo                                            
 Jared Midwick                                              
 Jack Nenni       

Notre Dame Honor Roll - First Quarter

By Notre Dame

Class of 2009                                         
 
 James Barcomb                                              
 Gregory Barr                                               
 Henri Burdett                                              
 Ashley Calarco                                           
 Brad Cohen                                                 
 Maura Cupicha                                              
 Elizabeth Fischer                                          
 Craig Houseknecht                                          
 Eric Houseknecht                                           
 Matthew Jackson                                            
 Jill Marshall                                              
 Brittany Morelli                                           
 Shea O'Connor                                              
 Emili Ripley                                               
 Kevin Schildwaster                                         
 Paige Scofield                                             
 Eric Shormann                                              
 Melissa Smith                                              
 Joy Snyder                                                 
 Lee Ann Tindell                                            
 Nicholas Wetherwax                                         
 Sean Zawicki      

Class of 2010   
 
 Michael Aina                                               
 Haley Alexander                                            
 Rachel Berggren                                            
 Nicholas Bochicchio                                        
 Katherine E. Cochrane                                      
 Jonathan Corona                                            
 Nathan Flumerfeldt                                         
 Daniel Follett                                             
 Jacob Griffin                                              
 Tawney Gustison                                            
 Nichole Hart                                               
 Erin Kruppner                                              
 Stephanie Lapple                                           
 Alex Sandra Morgan                                         
 Kevin Pawlak                                               
 Trisha Pike                                                
 Elizabeth Skalny                                           
 Elise Smith                                                
 Katherine Stewart                                          
 Matthew Thompson                                           
 David Wolcott                                              
 Gianni Zambito  

Class of 2011
 
 Kristen Antolos                                            
 Larry Bartlett                                             
 Anthony Bochicchio                                         
 Kaitlyn Coleman                                            
 Megan Condidorio                                           
 Tamara DePalmo                                             
 Douglas Decker                                             
 Sophia DelPlato                                           
 Conlan Edwards                                             
 Kyle Fancher                                               
 Nicholas Flumerfeldt                                       
 J. Mitchell Francis                                        
 Nicole Guilds                                              
 Katherine Hilburger                                        
 Allyson Kehl                                               
 Eric LoMonaco                                              
 Russell Marchese                                           
 Morgan Midwick                                             
 Syndey Moag                                                
 Lucy Norton                                                
 Akash Patel                                                
 Michael Pontillo                                           
 Justine Saraceni                                           
 Joshua Shenck                                              
 Vinzenz Stadler                                            
 Thomas Whelehan                                            
 Dalton Worgo      

 Class of 2012  
 
 Marshall Argenta                                           
 Natalie Brown                                              
 Steven Cochrane                                            
 Qurratul-Ain Dar                                           
 Mackenzie DeCarlo                                          
 Elaina Dickinson                                           
 Andrew Fischer                                             
 Benjamin Flumerfeldt                                       
 Beau Hassett                                               
 Teresa Jackson                                             
 Tyler Kessler                                              
 Kiarra King                                                
 Rosalie Mortellaro                                         
 Daniel Motz                                                
 Quincy O'Connor                                            
 Brett Perfitt                                              
 Brittany Perzia                                            
 Carly Pike                                                 
 Emily Reese                                                
 Matthew Sausner                                            
 Lauren Stansberry                                          
 Kendra Wall                                                
 Meghan Zickl          

 

Leaders by Example - ND Faculty and Staff Practice What They Preach!

By Notre Dame

ND Faculty and Staff members spent their November 10, 2008 Staff Day doing exactly what we expect all of our students to do - expanding their comfort zones and participating in service activities in the City of Batavia.

Organized by ND Campus Minister, Mrs. Kate Scanlan, ND faculty and staff members journeyed to the Genesee County ARC Trash Recycling Center, the City of Batavia Youth Center, the
Agri-Business Day Care Center, Crossroads House as well as the Genesee County Nursing Home to “lend a hand” and help others in need! Participation ranged from sorting recyclables on the assembly conveyor line, helping to clean the Youth Center, taking care of, and interacting with the kids at day care and visiting residents in the nursing home.
 
Faculty and staff members returned to ND for a delicious lunch prepared by ND Cafeteria cook Nadine Netter. The day’s activities culminated with mass celebrated by Father Jack Mattimore, S.J., ND Theology 12 instructor, in the chapel. Please check out our web page [www.ndhsbatavia.com] “Photo Gallery” for pictures of ND faculty and staff in action!
 
 

ND Sports Court Dedication set for Saturday, December 20, 2008

By Notre Dame

  

 
Notre Dame High School will officially dedicate our gymnasium sports court to legendary ND coaches Rhonda DiCasolo and Mike Rapone ‘71 on Saturday, December 20, 2008.
 
The official dedication ceremony will take place immediately following the ND JV game with Prattsburgh Central. Our JV game is scheduled to tip off at 5 p.m. at our Union Street gym.
 
Coach DiCasolo [Varsity Girls Volleyball] and Coach Rapone [Varsity Boys Basketball] both surpassed the 500 career victory mark last year [2007-2008 season] in their illustrious careers.
 
Coach DiCasolo’s 539 career victories place her at the top of all Section V coaches as well as a 6th place ranking all time in NYSPHSAA competition. Her Fighting Irish Varsity Volleyball teams have won 14 Genesee Region Championships, 6 Section V Championships and 2 Far West Regional Championships in her 30 years of coaching at ND.
 
Coach Rapone’s 511 career victories currently place him 3rd all time in the annals of Section V Boys Basketball. His Fighting Irish Varsity Basketball teams have won 26 Genesee Region Championships, 7 Sectional Championships, 4 Far Western Regional Championships and 2 Class D NYSPHSAA State Championships in the 29 years that he has been at the helm of ND Boys Varsity Basketball.
 
Notre Dame High School and the extended Notre Dame “Family” comprised of faculty, staff, students, parents, Board of Trustees members and alumni are indeed justifiably proud of the accomplishments of both Coach DiCasolo and Coach Rapone - both on and off the court - as both continue to serve as excellent role models for all of our students at Notre Dame.
 
Congratulations Coach DiCasolo and Coach Rapone on your upcoming court dedication!
 

ND Senior in the Spotlight: Sean Zawicki ‘09

By Notre Dame

 

It would have been very easy for our December “Senior in the Spotlight” to “throw in the towel” and point to his athletic injuries as a reason for feeling sorry for himself. Not so for this month’s spotlighted senior.  A talented runner and swimmer, Sean Zawicki, son of Dr. Joseph and Mrs. Ann Zawicki of Elba injured his ACL during his Sophomore year track season causing him to miss his entire Junior year Cross Country season. After following a rigorous off season rehab schedule, Sean was poised to rejoin our champion Boys Cross Country team for his senior season only to be sidelined once again, this time for stress fractures to both legs! As he had done as a Junior, Sean continued to attend all practices and meets even though he could not participate. It was only fitting that he was finally cleared to run in the final two meets of his senior year –Genesee Region Counties and the Section V Class D meet at Marcus Whitman High School. It was also only poetic justice that Sean’s performance at Sectionals helped us secure our 3rd consecutive Class D Boys Championship and an opportunity to represent Section V in this year’s NYSPHSAA meet in Long Island where we finished one point short of 2nd place!

 

A member in good standing of the Notre Dame Chapter of the National Honor Society since his Sophomore year at ND, Sean has been a four year member of our Fighting Irish Cross Country and Swim teams and served as captain of each squad since his Sophomore year! He has also participated in Track and Golf, as well as being an active member of our Mission Club, Mock Trial Team and Science Club during his career at ND.

 

Sean received the highest recognition possible for a Notre Dame student to achieve when he was selected to receive Anima Christi recognition in May of his Sophomore year. Anima Christi [Spirit of Christ] recognition is reserved for students who demonstrate unusual acts of kindness, faith, healing, charity, humility, selflessness or service. Sean has been active in his parish at Our Lady of Fatima in Elba as an Altar Server and Eucharistic Minister and in Youth Ministry [Young Christians at Work] in the Diocese of Buffalo where he has volunteered at St. Martin DePorres refuge house painting hallways, St. Vincent DePaul serving as a soup kitchen waiter and at Bissonette House cleaning a halfway house for ex-convicts in Buffalo.

 

Sean has been a High Honor Roll recipient throughout his high school experience at Notre Dame, as well as having attained New York State Scholar-Athlete recognition [minimum 90% average] during each of the ten Varsity sports seasons in which  he has competed at ND. Additional honors received include the Buffalo Diocesan Spirit Award [2008], the Donna Jean Mooney Memorial Sportsmanship award for Boys Swimming [2008] and induction into the Order of the Arrow Boy Scout Honor Society.

 

Sean is interested in pursuing a dual major in Mechanical Engineering and Physics and is currently considering the University of Rochester, Clarkson University and Alfred University as possible college choices for next year.

 

HS highlights for Wednesday

By Brian Hillabush

 Tate Westermeier continues to be one of the top guards in the Genesee Region League, and he delivered a huge win for his Attica boys basketball team over their biggest league rival, Alexander.

Westermeier scored 10 of his game-high 21 points in the first quarter and added 6 rebounds in the game as the Blue Devils won 42-36.

The win helps Attica improve to 3-0 in the league - keeping them right with Oakfield-Alabama at the top of Division I - and 4-2 overall.

Craig Wolfley added eight points for Attica.

Troy Shulnut led the Trojans (2-4) with eight points, with Kyle Woodruff and Andy Bittner adding six each.

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Pat O'Keefe dropped in 15 of his game-high 27 points in the fourth quarter as Pittsford Sutherland outscored Batavia 25-17 to take home a 69-57 win.

Wayne Dillworth had 12 boards and eight assists to go with his four points and Dylan Sherwood added 20 points for Sutherland (4-0).

Andrew Hoy had 24 points and Josh Budlong added 11 for the Blue Devils, who fall to 4-1.

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The Lancers gave Notre Dame its stiffest test of the season so far, but the Fighting Irish still came away with an impressive 65-41 win on the road.

Kevin Francis had 20 points and Matt Thompson added 12, including three 3-pointers in the second quarter as the Fighting Irish had a 22-11 advantage.

Gregg Barr added 10 points for Notre Dame (3-0).

Phil Ostroski had 12 points and Sonny Giuliano added nine points with eight boards for the Lancers (2-3).

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Brian Mitchell guided his Holley basketball team to its first victory of the season with 24 points and four blocked shots, giving the Hawks a 50-36 victory over Byron-Bergen.

John Wharram and Chad Barhytt did the work on the boards, grabbing 10 rebounds apiece.

Kurtis Fannon had 11 points for the Bees (1-4).

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In what Batavia coach Rick Stewart called the battle for the league title, his Blue Devils fell short.

Brighton beat host Batavia 35-28 in Batavia to knock the Blue Devils out of the ranks of the unbeatens.

Josh Mase, Nick Lazarony, Joe Muoio, Troy Ireland, Anthony D'Aurizio and Ryan Darch had the Batavia wins, but it wasn't enough.

Hs highlights for Tuesday

By Brian Hillabush

The Batavia girls basketball team pulled off an upset Tuesday, surprising visiting Pittsford Sutherland 55-54.

"I hope this gives us (confidence)," Batavia coach Bill Wade said. "I told them after the game that we would be enjoying the game until 3:30 tomorrow, then we start getting ready for Brighton on Friday. I think the confidence started coming after winning the Attica Tournament and then beating Elba in overtime. I hope this takes us to the next level."

Batavia trailed 13-9 after the opening period, but Brittany Wormley scored eight of her 10 points, keeping the Blue Devils in the game.

Michelle Jordan took over the second half and scored seven of her 11 points.

Batavia wound up taking a 55-50 lead with moments left in the game when Kayli O'Keefe hit a 3-pointer to make it a two point game. She was then fouled and hit one of two free throws.

Jaycee Shirk had 16 points and 10 rebounds with Brittany Mazurkiewiecz and Stacey Hein dishing out five assists each.

Sutherland falls to 4-3.

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Nicole Sharick had five of her nine points in overtime to lead Pembroke to a 43-42 win over host Oakfield-Alabama.

Sharick went 3-of-3 from the charity striple down the stretch and had six steals in the game.

The Hornets actually had a two point lead but Danielle Smith scored with two seconds left to force the extra session.

Kelsey Lewis scored 13 points with seven boards for the Dragons (3-2).

Brynn Perfitt had 10 points and four steals and Dani Sage grabbed 24 rebounds for the Hornets (3-2).

 

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Anni Lehtola had 13 points and Nicki Laird added six points with 18 rebounds to lead the Trojans to a 56-32 win over Attica.

Rachel Pettys had nine points, eight boards and four assists for Alexander (4-1).

Margaret LeFleur had nine points to lead Attica.

 

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Byron-Bergen thumped visiting Holley 48-29 behind Mary Cocking's 13 points. Kaylee Ashbury had nine points and Kayleigh Puma chipped in eight points.

Julie Brooks scored 16 points for the Hawks.

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Haley Alexander and Lucy Norton were double winners as the Notre Dame swim team beat Wheatland-Chili 95-79.

Alexander won the 200 IM in 2:30.88 and the 100 breaststroke in 1:19.80. Norton won the 100 butterfly in 1:15.29 and the 100 freestyle in 1:03.11.

Jennifer Wilson won the 100 backstroke in 1:18.21 for the Wildcats.

The Wheatland-Chili boys won 110-67 as Ben HOgan (200 freestyle, 500 freestyle), Dave Chamot (50 freestyle, 100 freestyle) and Nick Westrich  (200 IM, 100 breaststroke) were all double winners.

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Jason Harasimowicz and Ivan Madaferri each had a goal and an assist to lead the Notre Dame hockey team to a 3-1 win over Bishop Kearney/Eastridge.

Tyler Kessler also had a goal with Luke Calla and Dylan Versage adding a helper apiece.

 

 

Elba's press helps Lancers win fourth quarter, and game

By Brian Hillabush

A huge third quarter run helped the Notre Dame girls basketball team take a 10-point advantage, which they held on to for a long time.

But there is never any quit in the Elba girls team.

The Lancers pressed their way to a comeback victory in the fourth quarter, stunning the host Fighting Irish 54-51.

Notre Dame had a 10-point advantage with 4 1/2 minutes left when Jill Marshall - an Elba transfer - scored a basket.

But the Lancers chipped away as Cassy Engle and Julie Webster hit consecutive baskets.

After Sarah Schwartzmeyer dropped in a pair of free throws, Notre Dame's lead was cut to 47-43.

It became even tighter when eighth-grader McKenzie Bezon drained a 3-pointer to get the Lancers within a point. Notre Dame traveled on the their next possession and Elba took the lead for good on a Julie Marshall two-pointer.

Webster followed with a put-back basket and a free throw and another foul shot.

Webster scored again, but the Fighting Irish were not about to quit at this point, in front of their home crowd.

Jill Marshall had a steal and a basket, then stole anouther inbounds pass with 12 seconds left on the clock.

She hit both free throws and Elba led 54-51.

Notre Dame's defense caused a turnover with 5.4 seconds remaining, but Nichole Hart chucked up a long 3-pointer that hit the back of the rim and bounced out, giving the Lancers the huge victory over their biggest rival.

Bezon's 3-pointer was one of the biggest baskets of the game, but she had a whole bunch of them. It's safe to say that without her game-high 18 points, Elba does not improve to 3-1.

Webster had 10 points and Schwartzmeyer added nine.

Notre Dame's Jill Marshall outscored her sister Julie 13-4, but her squad falls to 2-1 with the defeat.

Brittany Morelli led the Fighting Irish with 14 points with Liz Geandreau adding 10 points.

Notre Dame swimming videos

By Philip Anselmo

We found this pair of videos posted on YouTube. They were taken at a Notre Dame swim meet at Genesee Community College in Batavia last week.

GR boys standings

By Brian Hillabush

 Yes, the season is very early. But the current Genesee Region League standings are out and the top teams are getting their due.

Oakfield-Alabama already has a big lead in Division I, with a 4-0 record. Pembroke and Attica follow with a 3-2 record.

Notre Dame is 2-0 and lead Division II. Elba is in second at 2-2.

There is a ton of basketball left to be played, but the Hornets and Fighting Irish have impressive leads early on.

D&C small school boys polls out of whack

By Brian Hillabush

I was just checking out the first edition of the Democrat & Chronicle polls for winter sports, and I'm very confused by the small school boys basketball one.

This is the poll in question.

Small schools
Rank/team
1. Bishop Kearney
2. Finney
3. Letichworht
4. Wellsviell
5. Oakfield-Alabama
6. Penn Yan
7. Dansville
8. Gananda
9. Dundee
10. Livonia
(tie) Marion

(not typos, this is directly from the D&C Web site)

 

I think the D&C does a great job with high school sports coverage, but I'm one of the first people to always question the lack of small school athletes that make the All-Greater Rochester teams. There is proof that they focus on the larger schools with these rankings.

First off, Letchworth is 4-1 and has a very good basketball team. I have the utmost respect for coach Tim McMullen. But how do they get a No. 3 ranking?

The Indians have a loss and are one of four Livingston Conference teams to make the top 10. Livingston is a decent basketball league, but the Genesee Region League is probably much stronger this season.

The only GR squad to make the list is Oakfield-Alabama at No. 5. The Hornets are stacked this season and are off to a 4-0 start. Surely the Hornets deserve to be ranked higher than Letchworth.

And I don't see how Notre Dame can be totally left off this top 10 list.

The Fighting Irish have only played two games, but have won both in blowout fashion and are a very talented and deep team. Notre Dame is also one of the best teams in the history of Section 5, so I don't see how they can be left off.

The other glaring exception is Batavia, which is ranked sixth in the small school wrestling poll. If Batavia is considered a small school, then they should be right near the top of this list. As good as the top teams on that list are, if they have to play the Blue Devils, they are probably going to lose. Batavia plays schools like Pittsford Sutherland, Pittsford Mendon and Victor, and just won a tournament with two defending state champions.

D&C does a lot of things well, but these rankings basically forget that Genesee County is on the map.

HS highlights for Friday

By Brian Hillabush

Stacy Hein hit four critical foul shots in the last two minutes and scored eight points to lead the Batavia girls basketball team to a 42-38 win over host Victor Friday, recovering from its first loss of the season earlier this week.

Brittany Wormley led the squad with 13 points and Brittany Mazurkiewicz followed with 11 points and seven assists.

Jaycee Shirk had six points and eight boards for the Blue Devils (5-1).

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 Anni Lehtola, the foreign exchange student from Finland, had another big game for Alexander, scoring 19 points to lead the Trojans to a 57-47 win over Pembroke.

Katie Kochmanski pitched in 11 points while Anna Dominick and Nicki Laird added eight points apiece.

Kelsey Lewis led the Dragons (2-2) with 14 points, seven rebounds and seven steals. Nicole Sharick scored a team-high 15 points.

Alexander is 3-1.

 

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Brynn Perfett was the leading scorer for Oakfield-Alabama with 11 points as the Hornets improved to 3-1 with a 46-28 win over Holley.

Dani Sage had seven points and 11 rebounds and Lindsay Chatt pitched in seven points.

Julie Brooks had 11 points for the Hawks (1-3).

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Sophomore sensation Liz Geandreau scored a career-high 18 points to lead Notre Dame to a 64-33 win over Kendall. She also pulled down eight rebounds.

Nichole Hart had 16 points and Trisha Pike pitched in 12 for the Fighting Irish (2-0).

Meghan Fahy had 20 points to lead the Eagles.

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Paige Golden scored 14 points to lead Albion to a 41-25 win over Lyndonville.

Casey Button scored seven points and had 15 boards for the Purple Eagles (2-1).

Molly Burgess dropped in 10 points with six boards to lead the Tigers (1-3). Samantha Skryp and Miranda Feller had five points with six boards each.

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The Elba girls basketball team jumped out to a 20-7 lead and never looked back in thumping Wheatland-Chili 71-37.

Rachael Cook had 14  points and Chelsie Pangrazio pitched in 11 for the Lancers, who improve to 1-1. Katie Newton was also in double figures with 10 points, and Meg Stucko had 11 boards.

Lauren Drago scored 16 points to lead the Wildcats.

 

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Kayleigh Puma and Kat Palmer combined for 9 of 10 first quarter points as Byron-Bergen jumped out to a 10-6 lead and cruised to a 38-24 win over Attica.

Kaylee Amesbury had eight points with Mary Cocking adding seven.

Jackie Algier scored 10 points for the Blue Devils.

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The Batavia hockey team was outshot 35-17 in losing to Fayetteville-Manilius 6-2.
Goalie Brandon Corcoran made 29 saves with Pat Finnell and Corey Kocent each scoring for the Blue Devils (2-3).
Finnell also had an assist.

 

HS highlights for Thursday

By Brian Hillabush

Wow.

The Notre Dame boys basketball team has only played two games so far this season, but they are looking like a major force in the Genesee Region League.

The Fighting Irish opened the season on Tuesday with a 92-36 romp over Lyndonville, and then followed it up with an 80-42 blasting of host Kendall Thursday night.

Senior Kevin Francis went off for 28 points and Matt Thompson added 19 points. 

Josh Laureano led the Eagles (1-2) with 21 points and eight assists.

The Fighting Irish improve to 2-0.

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Oakfield-Alabama is still perfect, improving to 4-0 with a 70-39 thrashing of Holley.

Noah Seward dropped in 13 points, pulled down eight rebounds and had five blocks and Brad Riner added four points and five dimes. Tyler Tamblin had 13 points and Chris Bucceri added 12.

Brian Mitchell had 12 points and Jeff Lutes added 11 for the Hawks.

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Pembroke rebounded from its crushing 52-48 loss to Attica earlier in the week with a 56-52 win over Alexander.

Ken Babcock scored 16 points and Steve Mosier added 15.

Troy Shelnut scored 18 points and Kyle Woodruff added 13 for the Trojans.

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Attica had a 20-6 advantage in the fourth quarter and came from behind to beat host Byron-Bergen 54-47.

Tate Westermeier, who sealed Tuesday's thrilling 52-48 win over Pembroke with a pair of free throws, poured in a game-high 19 points to pace the Blue Devils (3-2).

Brad Clark had 16 points and Bryan Thompson added eight.

Tyler Sass scored 20 points with Dan Madziarz adding eight rebounds and six points for the Bees (1-2).

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Sonny Guiliano scored a game-high 18 points and Phil Ostroski added nine as Elba evened up at 2-2 with a 46-38 win over Wheatland-Chili.

Garhett Varin had 12 points and Andy Lund added six points and 12 boards for the Wildcats (1-4).

 

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The Brighton/East Rochester/Honeoye Falls-Lima hockey team eased past Notre Dame's hockey team 5-1 as Trevor Hills scored twice and handed out an assist.

Jason Boike had three helpers and Kyle Van Thof added a goal with two assists.

Dylan Versage scored the only goal for the Fighting Irish, who fall to 2-2.

Brighton/ER/HF-L improves to 2-3.

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Jake Kuhn had a pin at 152 and Jon Casper had one at 215, but the Le Roy wrestling team lost to Albion 42-30.

Joe Blair (160 pounds), Mike Blank (189), Ryan Wells (96) and Colton Beecher (119) had pins for the Purple Eagles.

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The Notre Dame boys and girls swim team both suffered a loss to Harley-Allendale-Columbia.

The H-A-C boys won 100-70 as Henry Weaver won the 200 IM (2:18.05) and 100 backstroke (1:02.73).

The H-A-C girls won 90-77 as Megan Dens won the 500 freestyle (6:23.71) and the 200 freestyle (2:21.41).

HS highlights for Tuesday

By Brian Hillabush

Jared Quinn recorded his first career double-double to lead Alexander to a 58-49 road win over Holley in a boys basketball game Tuesday night.

Quinn had 13 points and 10 boards to lead the Trojans, who improve to 2-2.

Kyle Woodruff connected on all 11 free throw attempts and scored 15 points, with Troy Shelnut adding 11.

Guy Hills had 16 points and Brian Mitchell added 10 for the Hawks (0-3).

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 The Elba boys basketball team had a rough start to its league schedule, getting thrashed by visiting Kendall 62-36.

Colt Tooley hit five 3-pointers in scoring a game-high 21 points and Josh Laureano helped out with 16 points.

Sonny Guiliano led the Lancers (1-2) with 14 points.

Kendall is 2-1.

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Notre Dame had an impressive first showing of the season, whipping visiting Lyndonville 92-36.

Kevin Francis scored 14 of his game-high 22 points in the opening frame as the Fighting Irish jumped out to a 24-2 lead. He also had six steals in the game.

Greg Barr had 12 points and 12 rebounds and Tommy Rapone added a dozen points. Vinny Zambito pitched in 11 points.

Andrew Hydock led the Tigers with 13 points.

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Noah Seward dropped in 15 points while pulling down 12 boards as Oakfield-Alabama easily downed Byron-Bergen 65-38.

Brad Riner pitched in five points and seven dimes while both A.J. Kehlenbeck and Sam McCracken had 10 points apiece.

Tyler Sass and Trevor Laurie had 11 points each while Bryan White added 11 boards for the Bees (1-1)

O-A is 3-0.

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Joe Drummond scored 25 points and Jamell Johnson added 22 as C.G. Finney blasted host Wheatland-Chili 90-39.

Alex Stryker had 13 points and Andy Lund pitched in 12 for the Wildcats.

Finney is 6-0. 

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The Batavia hockey team evened up at 2-2 with a 5-3 win over Geneva/Waterloo.

Will Mulcahy and Erik Pokornowski had a pair of goals each for the Blue Devils, with Corey Kocent pitching in a goal with an assist.

Pat Finnell handed out three assists with Tim Finnell helping out with a pair.

Rich Paganello made 14 saves in net.

Geneva/Waterloo falls to 2-3.

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Holley got pins from Dillon Murphy (135 pounds), Quinton Murphy (125), Derek Fostano (189) and Kyle Steadman (215) in beating Kendall 42-33 in a GR wrestling match Tuesday.

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Alexander downed Barker 47-29 on the mat Tuesday.

Dylan Shea pinned Garrett Fuerch in 3:41 at 152 pounds and Dustin Say dropped  James Lapp in 3:57 at 171.

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The Notre Dame girls basketball team opened up with a 51-32 victory over host Lyndonville Tuesday.

Trisha Pike led the Fighting Irish with 15 points, five rebounds and six steals.

Jill Marshall had nine points with Nichole Hart and Liz Geandreau pitching in eight apiece.

Molly Burgess had 11 points for the Tigers (1-2).

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Despite Jenna Merica's 15 points and Allison Macomber's 11 points and nine boards, Le Roy couldn't get past Dansville, losing to the visiting squad 53-36.

Margaret Infantino had 18 points, 11 rebounds and six dimes for the Mustangs (6-1).

Le Roy falls to 0-3.

Lions Club dinner gets players tournament ready

By Brian Hillabush

 

The annual Lions Club dinner for senior players and coaches that are participating in the Lions Club Basketball Tournament was Monday night.

It is always one of the my favorite nights of the year, and is in fact the ninth one I've attended. It is always fun to sit down with area players and enjoy a a nice meal and talk hoops. 

You also can't put a price on the look on the kid's faces when the Lions members sing the Lions song.

Batavia won the championship last year with a 63-34 win over Notre Dame in the finals, giving the Blue Devils four straight, and seven of the last eight championships.

Two players from the all-tournament team return to play in this year's tournament as Batavia's Andrew Hoy and Notre Dame's Kevin Francis will be leading their respective squads.

The 27th annual tournament will be held Dec. 29-30 at Genesee Community College. Batavia will play Albion on the 29th at 7 p.m. with Notre Dame and Perry playing at 8:45 p.m.

The consolation game is on the 30th at 7 p.m., followed by the championships at 8:45 p.m.

The jayvee tournament will be held at Notre Dame with Batavia and Albion playing at 1 p.m. on the 29th and Notre Dame playing Perry right after. The consolation game is on the 30th at 1 p.m. with the finals to follow at 2:45 p.m.

The Batavian will have the biggest preview in the history of the tournament the week of the games.

Here are some video highlights and interviews from Monday's dinner.

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