Friday Roundup: In big Class D2 clash, Fri/Scio catches fire as Ross’ big night helps score 7th win in eight games with 56-38 triumph over Lima Christian; A-L volleyball topples Lions on Senior Night
By CHRIS BROOKS, managing editor, wellsvillesports.com
FRIENDSHIP — Friendship/Scio head coach Ashleigh Lewis declared Friday night’s week-ending battle with Lima Christian as a must-win for her squad. With time in the regular season beginning to wind down, and the Sectional field starting to present a much clearer picture, the time where no more mistakes can be made, will soon come.
With big positioning in the Class D2 playoffs up for grabs on both sides, it was an opportunity to make a monumental move further up the standings.
Although the first quarter was one that escaped from Friendship/Scio’s grasp, it was one that they would not allow to happen again. In the second quarter, Nevaeh and Morghyn Ross helped make some noise. A ton of it.
Trailing by four after a late scoreless run by Lima Christian in the opening frame, Friendship/Scio delivered a bounce back quarter of epic proportions, coasting towards the lead once more and remaining out front going into halftime and to the end, with the Ross siblings reaping the majority of the benefits from within a offensive balance to garner their seventh win in the last eight games with an enormous 56-38 win over the Lady Saints in Friendship.
“The girls really stepped up tonight. This was a must-win game, especially going into next week with three big games coming up,” said Friendship/Scio coach Ashleigh Lewis. “We had to do it, and we did it. Nevaeh led the way for us and she was consistent all night long, and Morghyn had a great rebound after last night against Houghton. Consistency is huge in the back half of the season, and this is where we want to start clicking. All the girls have bought in, and they delivered a nice team win, even though we were short-handed tonight. We took care of business, and I couldn’t be any more proud.”
It took a bit of time for both teams to get their wheels churning, but when it did, it was worth the wait, as Friendship/Scio (9-3) got the pistons firing first with Nevaeh Ross leading the efforts behind seven of the team’s first eight points in the midst of an early 8-2 lead on the Lady Saints. But to close out the quarter, Lima Christian responded with their biggest call of the game — a 10-0 scoreless run, led by back-to-back three-pointers to overtake Friendship/Scio with a 12-8 lead.
Some back and forth battling saw both teams engaged through an opening portion of the second quarter, with an opening being created along the way by the hosts, with the Ross’ helping spark what was a massive 21-8 run of the Lady Saints to close out the first half with a seven-point, 27-20 lead.
The momentum shifted into the second half where Friendship/Scio was able to build onto their lead with a pair of outscorings of Lima Christian, including a strong 19-point third quarter that allowed them to garner all the room they needed to cement their advantage, and ultimately, a colossal victory in the end.
Nevaeh Ross was simply unstoppable from all angles on the floor for Friendship/Scio, as she garnered a game-high 26 points to pair with 13 rebounds to complete a double-double performance, chipping in five steals and four assists. Morghyn Ross followed behind with a double-double of her own doing, netting 12 points and 10 rebounds to complete it, chipping in five steals and five assists of her own to further the cause.
Kiara Grover had nine strong points underneath the basket to add in.
Up next, Friendship/Scio will head back over the hill to Scio to welcome in Andover/Whitesville for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off, Monday evening.
Lima Christian 12 8 13 5 – 38
Friendship/Scio 8 21 19 10 – 56
LIMA CHRISTIAN: Genesis Leathersich 2 2-2 8, Alyssa Marsh 6 0-0 14, Rachel Negbegble 1 0-2 2, Lillian Herring 4 1-2 14. Totals: 14 2-4 38.
FRIENDSHIP/SCIO: Nevaeh Ross 12 2-7 26, Grace Drumm 1 2-2 5, Claire Calhoun 2 0-0 4, Morghyn Ross 6 0-0 12, Kiara Grover 4 1-2 9. Totals: 25 5-11 56.
3-point goals: LC 8 (Herring 4, Leathersich 2, Marsh 2), F/S 1 (Drumm).
Total Fouls: LC 11, F/S 14. Fouled out: None.
Cuba-Rushford 44, Genesee Valley/Belfast 37
BELMONT — Between Cuba-Rushford and Genesee Valley/Belfast on Friday, it became a coin flip. After each team traded a first half run to create a level playing surface for the second half, the action began to tighten down by the start of the third quarter and into the last eight minutes.
When it was all said and done at the end of the night, the Lady Rebels made sure they were the team that came out on top, as they survived a second half shootout with Genesee Valley/Belfast to narrowly find their way on top with a huge 44-37 victory over the road in Belmont.
The first half saw each team’s sharpshooter take the main stage, as the spotlight shone brightly on Cuba-Rushford’s Taylor Searle and Genesee Valley/Belfast’s Mary Hamer for much of the battle, beginning with Searle in the opening quarter. The Lady Rebels (6-6) rode an early wave of momentum from the beginning to the end of the frame behind the senior’s contributions, as she posted nine of the team’s 15 points in it to engineer a 15-8 lead.
The tables were turned to close out the half by Genesee Valley/Belfast (7-6), as Hamer then took over shop herself with the team’s big run in response, recording six points to pair with an array of foul shots at the charity stripe, en route to a 14-8 finish in the second quarter to cut their deficit down to one at the break.
In the second half, it was anyone’s game. Both teams kept fighting across a back-and-forth battle, one that saw the Lady Rebels come out on top in the third quarter with a 35-31 lead after a pair of Searle three-pointers helped set the tone. The last eight minutes saw the defenses begin to buckle in, in what was another narrow advantage garnered by the visitors in blue, as they added to their lead to maintain their position out in front for good.
Searle led all scorers on the floor with a game-high 28 points for Cuba-Rushford, including five of the team’s six three-pointers. Brynn Lavery chipped in with seven points, while Shae Maples had four.
Hamer finished with 20 team-high points to propel Genesee Valley/Belfast on the attack. Following behind was Abby Sullivan, who collected six points. Adison Grusendorf had five points.
Both teams are back on the hardwood Tuesday night, as Cuba-Rushford now pays a 7 p.m. visit to undefeated Canisteo-Greenwood, while Genesee Valley/Belfast heads down the road to Belfast to welcome in Arkport/Canaseraga for a 6 p.m. contest.
Cuba-Rushford 15 8 12 9 – 44
Genesee Valley/Belfast 8 14 9 6 – 37
CUBA-RUSHFORD: Cloey Larabee 1 0-0 3, Shae Maples 2 0-0 4, Brynn Lavery 3 1-2 7, Taylor Searle 10 3-10 28, Emma Retz 1 0-0 2. Totals: 17 4-12 44.
GV/BELFAST: Anna Drozdowski 2 0-0 4, Abby Sullivan 2 1-2 6, Kendra Bigelow 0 2-2 2, Adison Grusendorf 2 1-2 5, Mary Hamer 10 0-3 20. Totals: 16 4-9 37.
3-point goals: C-R 6 (Searle 5, Larabee), GVB 1 (Sullivan).
Total Fouls: C-R 12, GVB 15. Fouled out: Retz (C-R), Drozdowski (GVB).
Andover/Whitesville 66, Hinsdale 7
HINSDALE — The rebound was on for Andover/Whitesville on Friday after a tough defeat to the hands of the Wellsville Lady Lions, as they bounce right back to end the week on the most positive of notes, setting the tone in the first eight minutes and never looking back on a 66-7 road win over the Lady Bobcats of Hinsdale.
Vanessa Hall ignited the offense towards victory behind her game-high 27 points. Gabbi Hall chipped in with nine points of her own, while Zoe Baert scored eight points to further Andover/Whitesville’s (8-3) cause underneath the glass. The visitors in purple started off the night red hot from the field, as they posted a 25-2 run of Hinsdale through the first eight minutes to bring the hammer down immediately, setting the tone for the remainder of the night.
Hinsdale (0-13) was led by Jaylee Jimerson, Jenna Sutton and Kaleigh Buckles, as each scored two points. The Lady Bobcats will get set for a 6 p.m. road trip to Mount Morris on Monday.
Andover/Whitesville will also return to action after the weekend on Monday, as they continue their road swing to Scio where they will meet with red hot Friendship/Scio, winners of seven of their last eight games, in a 7:30 p.m. contest.
Andover/Whitesville 25 11 17 13 – 66
Hinsdale 2 3 0 2 – 7
ANDOVER/WHITESVILLE: Lexy Palmatier 2 0-0 5, Vanessa Hall 11 2-4 27, Graci Lewis-Ellison 3 0-0 6, Gabby Terhune 3 0-0 7, Makaila Brewster 1 0-0 2, Zoe Baert 2 4-6 8, Gabbi Hall 4 0-0 9, Kennedy Bledsoe 1 0-0 2. Totals: 27 6-10 66.
HINSDALE: Jaylee Jimerson 1 0-0 2, Jenna Sutton 1 0-0 2, Sarah Tuttle 0 1-2 1, Kaleigh Buckles 1 0-0 2. Totals: 3 1-2 7.
3-point goals: A/W 6 (V. Hall 3, Palmatier, Terhune, G. Hall).
Total Fouls: A/W 1, Hinsdale 6. Fouled out: None.
Canisteo-Greenwood 60, Campbell-Savona 27
CANISTEO — Senior Night for the Lady Redskins of Canisteo-Greenwood was a complete success from start to finish, as three different scorers all recorded at least 10 points to set up a strong start and hold it down until the very end, sending their four seniors out in style over visiting Campbell-Savona with a 60-27 home win on Friday.
There was no better start than what Canisteo-Greenwood (15-0) started the night with in the opening eight minutes, rolling off to a 16-2 run to record the first of three big runs against Campbell-Savona to set the tone for the evening.
Among the scorers was Lillian Mullen, who landed three triples to put towards a game-high 21 points. Brooke Burd was not far behind, scoring 21 points to pair with eight rebounds off the glass, while Sara Coddington posted 10 points to pair with five rebounds and five steals. Adding special teams help along the way was Bailey Mullen, who chipped in four rebounds and four assists.
Before the game, the Lady Redskins honored their four seniors for their contributions to the program over the seasons, sending Burd, Coddington, Triniti Tigner and Emily Reitnauer out in style with the victory to close out the week.
Canisteo-Greenwood will return to action on Tuesday for their final regular season home game, as they host the Lady Rebels of Cuba-Rushford in a 7 p.m. contest.
Campbell-Savona 2 5 4 16 – 27
Canisteo-Greenwood 16 12 20 12 – 60
CAMPBELL-SAVONA: Hollie DeMong 3 0-0 6, Ashlynn Stratton 2 1-3 5, Hannah DeMong 1 1-1 3, Karissa Champion 2 4-6 8, Jalynn Machuga 2 1-2 5. Totals: 10 7-12 27.
CANISTEO-GREENWOOD: Bailey Mullen 1 0-0 2, Lillian Mullen 9 1-1 22, Peyton Peters 2 1-1 5, Brooke Burd 9 3-5 21, Sara Coddington 4 2-6 10. Totals: 25 7-13 60.
3-point goals: C-G 3 (L. Mullen).
Total Fouls: C-S 17, C-G 11. Fouled out: Machuga (C-S).
BOYS BASKETBALL
Andover/Whitesville 77, Hinsdale 43
HINSDALE — Four different scorers all eclipsed the double-digit mark on the attack for Andover/Whitesville, who overcame a second quarter comeback from host Hinsdale with a massive third quarter run to pull away from their opposition’s grasp on Friday, as they collected their fourth win in the last six games with a 77-43 win over the Bobcats.
“The boys came out very strong tonight, but Hinsdale battled very hard in the second quarter to make it particularly difficult to get anything going before halftime,” said Andover/Whitesville coach Jimmy Joyce. “I felt like we moved the ball a lot better and utilized space in the second half which allowed us to widen the gap. It was very well balanced all the way across the board. All in all, I’m really happy with the effort.”
Andover/Whitesville (7-8) put together an incredible start in both halves of the battle, with a balanced offensive attack propelling the team towards a 19-6 lead over the Bobcats through the opening eight minutes. But in turn, Hinsdale would trim the lead down to as little as nine going into the break after their biggest stanza of offense fueled by Henry Schwartz’s nine points of the team’s 16 in all.
Although the Bobcats were now right on Andover/Whitesville’s tail, the visitors in black and purple brought it all together with a second half big finish, posting a pair of 23-point frames led by two more balanced attacks up and down the court. That included the third quarter, where they were able to coast away towards victory with a 23-9 run of the hosts in white and blue.
Brody Vance led all scorers for Andover/Whitesville with 16 game-high points. CJ Estep was right behind him with 15 points of his own. Kohler Niedermaier pitched in 12 points, while Colton Calladine rounded off the attack with 10 points.
Hinsdale (0-12) was led by Xander Pascucci and his 18 team-high points. Schwartz concluded with 14. The Bobcats are back in action this afternoon back on their home floor, hosting Jasper-Troupsburg in an 11:30 a.m. tip-off.
Andover/Whitesville will now look to climb back up to .500 on the season next week, as they gear up for a 7:30 p.m. road trip to Fillmore next Friday night.
Andover/Whitesville 19 12 23 23 – 77
Hinsdale 6 16 9 12 – 43
ANDOVER/WHITESVILLE: Jack Belmont 3 0-0 9, CJ Estep 5 4-6 15, Brody Vance 6 3-6 16, Will Kent 2 0-0 4, Colton Calladine 4 0-0 10, Gage Hall 3 3-7 9, Kohler Niedermaier 5 2-5 12. Totals: 28 12-23 77.
HINSDALE: Xander Pascucci 7 1-2 18, Damion Brown 1 0-0 2, Brad Bergstrom 2 0-0 4, Joe Neubert 1 0-0 3, Henry Schwartz 6 1-2 14, Cody Barton 1 0-0 2. Totals: 18 2-4 43.
3-point goals: A/W 7 (Belmont 3, Calladine 2, Estep, Vance), Hinsdale 5 (Pascucci 3, Neubert, Schwartz).
Total Fouls: A/W 9, Hinsdale 18. Fouled out: None.
Fillmore 57, Houghton Academy 41
HOUGHTON — One night removed after duking it out with Bolivar-Richburg in what was an epic clash from start to finish, the Eagles of Fillmore used Thursday’s home victory over the weekend as a big burst of speed into the very next day. With Houghton Academy in town for a visit, the Eagles started fast and insurmountably built onto their lead going forward, as they rolled towards a 57-41 win back inside The Rock on Friday.
After his biggest night of the season against the Wolverines, there was no signs of slowing down for Zach Sisson, as he caught fire right out of the gate in the opening quarter. In the midst of the team’s 25-9 run of the Panthers, the Eagles (7-4) junior sharpshooter was electric, scoring all 13 of his team-leading points, including a pair of early threes, from within the frame to help set a massive tone.
The Panthers (1-8) would attempt to chip away at their deficit going into the break, but once the second half got underway, Fillmore went straight back to work on putting the game into the wagon, as Mitch Ward exploded with eight of the team’s 14 points while the defense held up their end of the bargain on the other side of the hardwood, silencing the visitors with a 14-3 run to pull away towards victory.
Ward finished behind Sisson with 12 points to add more fuel to the fire for the Eagles, while Luke Colombo chipped in with nine points of his own.
Houghton Academy was led by Josh Davidson and James Adenuga, as each shooter bucketed a team-leading 13 points. Jack Prentice added in seven points. The Panthers are now off until Monday, when they continue their road swing into Hinsdale for a 6 p.m. tip-off.
Fillmore now heads into the weekend with a full head of steam, as they now begin preparations for a colossal showdown up north on Wednesday with a 7 p.m. visit to Geneseo.
Houghton Academy 9 14 3 15 – 41
Fillmore 25 11 14 7 – 57
HOUGHTON ACADEMY: Jack Prentice 3 0-0 7, Josh Davidson 6 0-1 13, James Adenuga 5 1-4 13, Marco Zanini 3 0-0 6, Pedro Rebello 1 0-0 2. Totals: 18 1-5 41.
FILLMORE: Eben Schilke 0 1-2 1, Jack Cool 0 1-2 1, Brent Zubikowski 2 0-0 5, Jair Bialek 2 2-3 7, Luke Colombo 3 3-3 9, Mitch Ward 6 0-1 12, Zach Sisson 4 3-3 13, Jonah Bialek 2 0-0 4, Layton Sanasith 2 1-2 5, Reid Cockle 0 0-2 0. Totals: 21 11-18 57.
3-point goals: HA 4 (Adenuga 2, Prentice, Davidson), Fillmore 4 (Sisson 2, Zubikowski, Ja. Bialek).
Total Fouls: HA 13, Fillmore 11. Fouled out: None.
BOYS VOLLEYBALL
Allegany-Limestone 3, Wellsville 0
WELLSVILLE — The Gators of Allegany-Limestone undertook the role of spoiler on Wellsville’s annual Senior Night celebration, as they overcame a first set back and forth battle to record a statement in the next, setting up shop for what would be a straight-set victory on Friday by a 25-22, 25-11, 25-22 count.
“Tonight was our Senior Night. The team really did play very well together tonight,” said Lions coach Adam Kellogg. “We lost our communication in the second set and it began to show. But when two good teams face off against each other, it can go either way. We just made some more little mistakes in the end.”
The Lions (6-6) were led by a seven kill night on offense by Xavier Scott, adding three blocks, two aces and a dig. Riley Graves contributed six kills, four aces, three digs and two blocks, while Gavan Dickerson handed out eight assists, two aces, two digs, one kill and one block to round off the scoring.
Right before the start of the contest, Wellsville honored their two lone seniors for their contributions over the seasons: Dickerson and Graves. As for the rest of the season, Kellogg says in order to have a chance at the County title, the team has to keep playing hard.
“I couldn’t be any more proud of the boys and how they have come together, and played tonight and the season as a whole,” he said. “We still have two games left, both on the road, so there’s still a lot left to work on. We will have to fight hard and play together if we want to finish the season strong heading into the playoffs.”
Wellsville will hit the road to visit the Eagles of Fillmore, Tuesday night at 6 p.m.
Bolivar-Richburg 3, Arkport/Canaseraga 1
RICHBURG — Arkport/Canaseraga was able to fight their way back against host Bolivar-Richburg after being pushed to the brink, but the Wolverines were able to finish the job in a close affair in the final set with the Wolves on Friday, completing a four-set win on their home floor by a 25-19, 25-21, 12-25, 25-23 count.
Leading the charge for the Wolverines (8-4) was Hunter Walp on the offensive frontlines, garnering a team-high six kills to pair with two blocks and two aces. Ryder Easton followed with a humongous night from the service line, collecting 12 service points to go with three aces and three digs on defense. Setter Ian Unfus handed out nine helpers to set up the attack, pairing them with two aces, two kills and two blocks.
Arkport/Canaseraga was led by Curtis Hartman from the service line, garnering seven aces, three kills and an ace. On offense, Noah Drouin had five kills along with four big denials at the net.
The Wolverines are back on the floor Monday night with a big 6 p.m. contest against Allegany-Limestone.
Cuba-Rushford 3, Genesee Valley/Belfast 2
CUBA — The Rebels of Cuba-Rushford were taken the distance to end the week on Friday, as Genesee Valley/Belfast pushed them towards the brink with two big wins in the middle stages. But down the home stretch, the hosts were able to shake it off and put together a strong finish to record a narrow five-set, 25-15, 19-25, 22-25, 25-13, 15-7 win.
Maddox Keller ignited the Rebels (11-1) offense with a team-high 10 kills and one ace. Preston Bilotta chipped in with four kills, four assists and four blocks, while Allen Fuller handed out a whopping 28 assists to couple with seven kills and three aces.
On the other side of the net, Genesee Valley/Belfast (4-8) was led by Canaan Sullivan and his 14 game-high kills. Sean Mahon provided nine kills, three aces and two blocks, while Setter Dominic Marra dished out 22 assists.
Both teams are back in action Tuesday night in a pair of 6 p.m. first serves, as Cuba-Rushford heads out to visit Arkport/Canaseraga, while Genesee Valley/Belfast remains at home to welcome in Friendship/Scio.
Fillmore 3, Friendship/Scio 0
SCIO — The Eagles of Fillmore found their way into the win column on Friday to close out the week, as they outlasted a strong push provided by host Friendship/Scio every step of the way, taking the 25-19, 25-21, 25-20 straight-set win over the road.
Skylar Freeman provided an outstanding tenure of service for Fillmore (2-11) by recording nine aces. Kyle Paulsen chipped in with seven service points and five aces, while Aiden Wagner rounded off with five kills on offense to pair with five more aces.
Friendship/Scio (2-9) saw Max Morris record eight kills to go with his one block. Jordan White furthered the team’s offensive cause with six kills and five aces of his own, while Eli Wade handed out eight assists.
Both teams are back on the floor Tuesday night in a pair of 6 p.m. contests, with Fillmore heading back home to host Wellsville, while Friendship/Scio travels to Genesee Valley/Belfast.
