Chris Brooks photo galleries and stories of wrestling and volleyball, all the Allegany County action from the week starting with the Friday Roundup: Rebels, Lions go the distance in back-and-forth affair, but Wellsville comes away with big 5th set run to capture win; 4th quarter rally by Wellsville boys falls short at Olympia
By CHRIS BROOKS, managing editor, wellsvillesports.com
WELLSVILLE — It was as tough of a battle as ever that Cuba-Rushford and Wellsville took hold of, Friday night. Like their matchups in the past over the winter, this was no different, as it saw all five sets of action come into play.
The match would show a significant amount of poise across the board on both sides of the net, with more notably, back-to-back defeats Wellsville suffered in the middle sets against the Rebels to get pushed straight towards the brink.
In that last set however, it was Wellsville that had the final word, as they put a wrap on the fifth and final set with a scoreless run in the end to keep Cuba-Rushford quiet while claiming a big victory in front of their home crowd by a 25-16, 24-26, 18-25, 25-20, 15-9 count.
Leading the Lions (8-3) was another outstanding night of offense from Brody Heaney, who recorded 11 team-high kills to go with three aces and three blocks. Lucius Griggs aided the defense with a sound display of digging, recording 10 in all to go with seven more kills on offense and three aces from the back line. Terrence Benz had five kills, two blocks and an ace.
For the Rebels (3-9), Anderson Siegel and Brock Stadler provided a bit of everything, with Siegel recording 13 digs to go with 12 kills and four aces, while Stadler was not far behind him with 20 massive digs, pairing them with 11 kills and an ace. Ethan Cole handed out 18 helpers, pairing them with six digs and three kills.
Both teams are back at it this Monday night, with Wellsville preparing for a 6 p.m. contest against undefeated Allegany-Limestone in the Den, while for Cuba-Rushford, they head back home to the Wighthouse to face Genesee Valley/Belfast in a 6 p.m. start.
Fillmore 3, Bolivar-Richburg 0
FILLMORE — The service for the Eagles of Fillmore at the back line was superb all game long, with three different scorers posting at least 15 service points while Skylar Freeman and Anderson Wiltsey occupied the middle of the floor to help set up the offense for big success on Friday, as they laid down the foundation for their straight-set victory over visiting Bolivar-Richburg in a 25-14, 25-9, 25-16 decision.
Behind 16 service points of his own, Reid Cockle was at the front of the line to lead Fillmore’s (7-5) offense with his five kills and five blocks. Nathan Tanner chipped in with a team-leading 17 service points to go with three kills and two blocks. Jayce Ashton (one kill, one block) had 15 service points, while Freeman and Wiltsey came together and combined for 34 helpers to hand out on the floor — each recording 17.
For the Wolverines (0-12), Dustin Murray captained the attack with seven kills, four blocks and a pair of aces. Owen Unfus chipped in with the offensive efforts with eight assists, two aces and a kill.
Both teams are back on the floor for 6 p.m. contests on Monday, with Fillmore hitting the road for a visit to Friendship/Scio while Bolivar-Richburg heads back home to welcome in Arkport-Canaseraga.
Arkport-Canaseraga 3, Genesee Valley/Belfast 0
ARKPORT — The Arkport-Canaseraga Wolves continue to hang right behind the League’s top team in Allegany-Limestone. Friday night, they were able to eclipse the 10-win mark of the season on their home floor in Arkport, as they provided a strong start and never looked back in the rearview mirror against Genesee Valley/Belfast to record the straight-set, 25-14, 25-13, 25-8 victory.
The Wolves offense was piloted by Noah Drouin and his nine big kills, adding one block at the front of the net to keep the ball on the opposite side of the net. From the back line, Curtis Hartman had a fine night of service with his eight aces, putting them alongside two additional kills on the attack, while Aydan Button handed out 10 helpers to set up shop, coupling them with four kills and a denial.
Genesee Valley/Belfast (6-8) was fueled by Brayden Cooper on the attack, collecting eight kills to go with a quartet of blocks. Jackson Stout also had a helping hand with the team’s offense, posting four more kills of his own to go with two blocks, while setter Noah Miller assisted in getting the offense started by handing out a dozen helpers, pairing them with three more kills.
After the weekend, Genesee Valley/Belfast will look to regroup on the road with a 6 p.m. visit to Cuba-Rushford on Monday.
Allegany-Limestone 3, Friendship/Scio 0
SCIO — With the end of the regular season fast approaching, there are no signs of slowing down by any means for the Allegany-Limestone Gators, as they took care of business to remain undefeated with a straight-set win over the road Friday night against Friendship/Scio, taking the 25-9, 25-10, 25-15 decision in Scio.
Lawson Ector scored another fine performance to lead the Friendship/Scio (1-9) offense, posting four kills to go with four aces. Rilea Wenslow chipped in with a great night of service from the back line, scoring eight service points to pair with three aces.
Allegany-Limestone was led by CJ Ellison and Josh Nolder, as the two Gators combined to hand out 35 assists from the middle of the floor.
Friendship/Scio will look to rebound Monday night with a 6 p.m. visit from the Eagles of Fillmore.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Greece Olympia 61, Wellsville 58
For the next two nights, Greece will be the word.
Before Hall of Fame weekend kicks into gear on Saturday, there was business to attend to right beforehand. In their latest trip up north to the suburbs of Rochester to face the Greece Olympia Spartans, the Lions of Wellsville were in for a battle from the start.
A lead-off jaunt for the Spartans put the Lions in behind the eight-ball early on. The burst of momentum allowed the hosts in white and green to gradually build onto their advantage over the course of time, reaching as high as 14 points at one point in the second half. But when the last eight minutes came around, Wellsville did a complete 180.
Across the beginning stages of the fourth quarter, the Lions fought back and in a gigantic way to close a gap that was idle in double digit territory, all the way down to a single possession in the first two minutes. From that point on, multiple back-and-forth exchanges were had, with a bounty of deadlocks being recorded along the way. One of them stemmed off some big help at the line by Ty Vogel with less than a minute to go.
But later on, with a 58-all score on the board, it was the Spartans turn to strike back. Caiden Evans would do just that with under 30 seconds left to put them back ahead of the Lions, ultimately for good, as they added one final shot at the line while avoiding a last-second jumper from JJ Howard that just missed the rim to secure a thrilling 61-58 win for Greece Olympia on their home floor.
“They went on a huge run to start the game, and we just didn’t get off the bus mentally yet. Unfortunately, that was the game,” Lions coach Tom Muska said. “But credit to our kids, they showed how much they really wanted it and refused to go away. We were able to get the defensive stops necessary to start a run at a time where we needed it. But it was just a little too late.”
Greece Olympia brought it straight out of the gate against the Lions (5-9) to begin the night, as they took advantage of a couple of turnovers and cashed in their opportunities to muster an 11-3 run — nine of those points in consecutive fashion to open the game right after the tip-off, as it became a first quarter staple for the Spartans to claim an eventual 16-7 lead going forward.
Just past two minutes in the second, Wellsville would shake it off and draw themselves closer to the Spartans. Down 18-13, the offense kicked the tires on another brilliant run that saw them score five of the next seven points to trail by a pair of points. But it was as close as they would get, as the hosts went up by a 30-22 count heading into the break.
In the third quarter, Greece Olympia would feed off the momentum and garner a lead that eclipsed past double digit territory. Near the midway mark, a 9-0 run was responsible for the Spartans, as their lead branched out to as large as 14 points in the midst of their second half jaunt before settling as a 48-39 lead going to the last eight minutes.
Wellsville remained patient, and when the opportunity struck, the Lions answered the bell with the help of Vogel on the attack and a perfect 4-for-4 at the charity stripe just two minutes into the last eight. With their rally now under wraps, it was anyone’s game to control. Fortunately enough for the Spartans, they did just enough to help secure a big home win.
Vogel, on his birthday nonetheless, led all scorers for the team in black and orange with his best game of the season, posting a team-high 22 points. For Muska, the performance that he provided was enormous.
“Tyler was amazing tonight and this past Monday as well. Without Aiden (Cowburn), there is a lot of pressure on him to do a great job staying aggressive while keeping our offense in flow. For the most part, he did.” said Muska.
Following behind Vogel was Howard, who recorded 15 points. Cooper Brockway chipped in with 10 points.
It will be a quick turnaround for the Lions tonight, as they come back home to welcome in the Greece Odyssey Leopards in a 5:30 p.m. tip-off on Hall of Fame weekend.
Wellsville 7 15 17 19 – 58
Greece Olympia 16 14 18 13 – 61
WELLSVILLE: Karson Grover 3 0-1 6, Cooper Brockway 4 0-0 10, JJ Howard 6 2-6 15, Ty Vogel 7 8-10 22, Ethan Bailey 1 0-0 2, Alex Green 1 1-4 3. Totals: 22 11-21 58.
GREECE OLYMPIA: Caiden Evans 10 1-4 24, Ezequiel Ofarril 1 0-0 2, William Brown-Nelson 3 1-2 7, Amare Edwards-Ferrell 4 1-3 10, Noah Tackley 2 0-0 4, Terry Griffin Jr. 5 0-0 10, Connor Welker 2 0-0 4. Totals: 27 3-9 61.
3-point goals: Wellsville 3 (Brockway 2, Howard), Olympia 4 (Evans 3, Edwards-Ferrell).
Total Fouls: Wellsville 11, Olympia 18. Fouled out: None.
Honeoye 67, Genesee Valley/Belfast 49
HONEOYE — A high-flying, fast and furious start between Genesee Valley/Belfast and Honeoye was put on display for their second and final meeting of the season, this time up north in the Finger Lakes region in the midst of a snowy Friday night.
With the hosts in white and blue grabbing the early lead, they would begin to see Genesee Valley/Belfast roar their way back across the second quarter, nearly taking a double-digit lead into the break with them. That was until a big momentum shift occurred.
The Bulldogs were barking ever so loudly.
After Genesee Valley/Belfast grabbed a 39-28 lead in the waning minutes of the first half, Honeoye rebounded and turned the tables completely by putting a strong end to the first half and seeing the momentum carry over into the next behind a scoreless jaunt of their opposition that occupied almost the entire quarter, as they provided the emphasis they needed to flip the script in their favor to pick up a 67-49 win to split their season series.
The first half was an even exchange of baskets throughout, beginning with an early Honeoye lead that was chipped away by Genesee Valley/Belfast (5-7) in the second quarter, scoring 11 of the first 13 points — eight of those points coming in consecutive fashion to lay claim on a 31-23 lead approaching the five-minute mark.
The Bulldogs would close the gap down to four a short time later, but the visitors in black would branch the advantage back out once more by scoring another 8-0 run to go up by 11.
But the pendulum would sway in Honeoye’s favor one last time to close out the first half, building a run that would elongate into the third quarter and completely change the complexion of the contest.
After finishing the second quarter with seven straight points, they would go on to score the first 12 of the next — a 19-0 combined run of Genesee Valley/Belfast across nearly a quarter’s worth of time to propel their ascension towards victory.
Leading the offense for Genesee Valley/Belfast was Ian McKenzie, as he finished with a team-high 16 points. Kadin Logue chipped in with 12 points, while Jacob Borden had nine.
Up next, Genesee Valley/Belfast will look to turn it back around in a 7:15 p.m. road trip to Campbell-Savona.
Genesee Valley/Belfast 20 19 2 8 – 49
Honeoye 23 12 12 20 – 67
GV/BELFAST: Kadin Logue 5 0-0 12, Lannden Tilton 2 0-0 5, Matt Cater 1 0-0 2, Ian McKenzie 6 1-3 16, Owen Heaney 1 2-3 5, Jacob Borden 4 1-2 9. Totals: 19 4-8 49.
HONEOYE: Dylan Washburn 4 0-0 9, Braiden Schneider 1 0-0 2, Owen Cuba 3 1-3 7, Willy Covey 1 0-0 2, Owen Reynolds 6 1-1 14, Johnny Blair 1 0-0 2, Landon Washburn 12 6-6 31. Totals: 28 8-10 67.
3-point goals: GVB 7 (McKenzie 3, Logue 2, Tilton, Heaney), Honeoye 3 (D. Washburn, Reynolds, L. Washburn).
Total Fouls: GVB 9, Honeoye 11. Fouled out: None.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Cuba-Rushford 45, Andover/Whitesville 35
CUBA — Like your typical yo-yo, it was a back-and-forth battle bright and early for Andover/Whitesville and Cuba-Rushford on a Friday night in the Wighthouse. With no degree of separation in sight, it was hard for either side to find a crack in the wall to break down.
With Andover/Whitesville being credited with a three-point lead going into the break, an opportunity arose for both teams to refresh and plan for the second half. For the host Lady Rebels, their option was to formulate a response to turn the game around.
Luckily, Cloey Larabee answered the call.
Aside from big contributions from Brynn Lavery and Lily Tompkins along the way, it was Larabee who served as the team’s spark plug for a third quarter earthquake.
Out of her game-high 15 points, the Cuba-Rushford junior posted the bulk of them in the first eight minutes of the second half to jumpstart a run that allowed the Lady Rebels to stay out front of Andover/Whitesville to clinch a 45-35 home win.
“Cloey definitely hit some big shots when we needed them,” said Lady Rebels coach Aaron Wight. “To see some of the girls chip in during some key moments was great too. Defensively, it felt like everyone had a turn making a big play at one point or another. I was impressed with how we responded to trailing at halftime. Our girls really stepped up the intensity defensively, rebounded better and took care of the ball a little better against their pressure.”
Across the opening half, both teams locked horns and delivered in shootout style, gathering responses one after another until the final seconds of the first quarter approached. After a jump-ball changed hands deep in Cuba-Rushford territory, it would allow Andover/Whitesville (3-9) to finish the quarter with the final exclamation point with a go-ahead runner from Olivia Waters with two seconds remaining to garner the 11-9 lead.
In the second quarter, there was no advantage that was bigger than four points, as the back-and-forth pace carried over all throughout with the visitors in black remaining on top when the first half buzzer sounded with a 21-18 score on the board.
When the second half arrived however, different plans were in store for the Lady Rebels (4-9), as they developed a massive response to assume total control of the contest, outscoring Andover/Whitesville by an 18-4 count led by Larabee’s monstrous 10-point third quarter from all angles of the floor.
That would allow the hosts in white and blue to maintain possession of their lead going forward, as they survived one final back-and-forth exchange with Andover/Whitesville in the last eight minutes.
Finishing behind Larabee for the Lady Rebels was Brynn Lavery, who recorded 10 points. Lilly Farwell chipped in with eight points.
Andover/Whitesville saw Graci Lewis-Ellison lead the way with her team-high 10 points. Waters finished with seven points, while Grace Fry and Makaila Brewster each had six.
Both teams mark their return to the hardwood Tuesday night on their home floors, with Cuba-Rushford welcoming in Genesee Valley/Belfast for a 7:30 p.m. clash, while Andover/Whitesville returns home to Whitesville for a 6 p.m. tip-off against Jasper-Troupsburg.
Andover/Whitesville 11 11 4 9 – 35
Cuba-Rushford 9 9 18 9 – 45
ANDOVER/WHITESVILLE: Stella Bledsoe 2 1-6 5, Graci Lewis-Ellison 5 0-0 10, Grace Fry 3 0-0 6, Makaila Brewster 2 2-2 6, Lilly Harrington 0 1-4 1, Olivia Waters 2 3-4 7. Totals: 14 7-16 35.
CUBA-RUSHFORD: Aubrey Williams 2 0-0 4, Cloey Larabee 5 3-3 15, Shae Maples 1 0-0 2, Lily Tompkins 1 1-2 3, Brynn Lavery 4 0-0 10, Mireya Rutkowski 1 1-1 3, Lilly Farwell 3 2-2 8. Totals: 17 7-8 45.
3-point goals: C-R 4 (Larabee 2, Lavery 2).
Total Fouls: A/W 11, C-R 12. Fouled out: None.
Thursday Roundup: After tough defeat to C-G, Wellsville grapplers bounce back with strong Senior Night sendoff in 57-15 win over A-A; C-R, Fillmore, B-R boys highlight boys hoops victories
WELLSVILLE — After what was a tough battle against the Canisteo-Greenwood Chargers back on Tuesday, the Lions of Wellsville arrived back home two days later and looked for as big of a response as ever with Sectionals looming ever so apparent over the horizon. Two days later, the night was Senior Night.
A perfect night to get back on track. With Alfred-Almond in for a visit, they would do just that. And then some.
The Lions brought it to the table out of the gate, scoring victories in each of the first seven matchups to set the tone early against the Eagles. In all, 10 wins were gathered by the hosts on the black and white mat to propel their way towards victory and a strong sendoff for seniors Noah Black and Adam Iantorno in a 57-15 decision.
“Everyone is working hard and things are now where they are becoming individualized,” Lions coach Tyler Carman said. “Guys are finding extra work outs, extra reps in the room. Canisteo is really tough, and it’s a privilege to drive 30 minutes to wrestle one of the best programs in the State. We look forward to it every year and we work hard to close the gap. I’m happy with our progress, but we have a ways to go. These guys are up for the challenge, and tonight was a good starting point to put us back on schedule where we should be.”
Wellsville came out of gate red hot to open Senior Night, rattling off seven straight wins led by a Xander Outman forfeit at 170 pounds in the first scheduled match of the night. Soon after, the Lions took the mat for competition in the next three matches where Noah Black, Gabe Black and Brayden Taggert all came out victorious in their respective matches, with Noah Black leading the way with a 90-second pin of Johnathan Yezarski at 190 pounds.
At 215 pounds, Gabe Black and Alfred-Almond’s Garrett Freeland went toe-to-toe in a match where points were hard to come by. After a scoreless first period of action, Black was the first to strike with a late two-point takedown on Freeland before he was able to immediately fire back an escape to cut the deficit in half after the second. With the action still separating the combatants by a single point, Black was able to navigate through a tough fight controlled by Freeland through much of the third period to record a massive escape to cement his 3-1 victory in the end.
To keep the momentum rolling, Taggert would round off the heavyweight battles with a strong performance at 285 pounds, building an 8-3 lead through multiple takedowns against Cohen Cumberbatch before getting the pin with one minute left in the final period to claim victory.
Entering the lightweight division of the match, Easton Joyce (101 pounds), Paul Giovanniello (108 pounds) and Jensen Spicer (116 pounds) each added six more points on the scoreboard to extend their lead against Alfred-Almond, all coming via forfeit. At 124 pounds, David Clark continued the hot start for the Lions with a 22-second pinfall win over Tanner Ledbetter, marking the seventh straight win.
The Eagles were able to navigate their way onto the board for the first time at 131 pounds where the fiercest match of the night ensued between Peyton Barnes and Wellsville’s Adam Iantorno. With a 4-2 lead in favor of Barnes going into the third period, the pressure was on for Iantorno to complete his rally, scoring an enormous escape with 25 seconds remaining before getting one last opportunity to strike right next to the buzzer, nearly getting the two-point swing off a potential takedown along the way.
Each team would split two pinfall victories to close out the match, with Wellsville nabbing the first two from Landon Stratton (138 pounds) and Mason Edwards (145 pounds) before the Eagles countered with wins from Riley McMichael (152 pounds) and Kanye Cumberbatch (160 pounds) — who exchanged multiple points with Matt Ritter in seconds to score an early 6-3 lead and turn it into a pinfall win halfway through the second period.
Prior to the match, the Lions honored both of their seniors by recognizing their contributions to the program that have amassed 12 years combined between them. For Carman, he says they’ve been a joy to coach.
“Those guys are awesome,” he said. “For Noah, it’s a family sport. He’s got three brothers that are in this program, and his parents are not shy about this at all. They’ve been taking him to the ends of the earth to go and wrestle. He’s a great kid, he shows a lot of heart and we love having him. Adam’s the same thing, he comes from a jiu-jitsu background and it’s so cool to see what his transition to wrestling has been like. I’m looking forward to following them in whatever is next for them in the years to come.”
The Lions will return to action in what will be their final home match of the 2023-24 campaign, as they prepare for a 6 p.m. reschedulement against Avoca-Prattsburgh/Hammondsport before leaving next weekend for tournament action in Kenmore. Now entering the final stretch before Sectionals, the Lions coach says it’s time to enter Championship mode.
“We’re in good shape and we’re wrestling hard, but now it’s time to get into Championship shape. It’s right back to the lab, and we cannot miss a beat from here on out.” said Carman.
Results (* indicates starting weight)
101 – Easton Joyce (WLSV) by for.
108 – Paul Giovanniello (WLSV) by for.
116 – Jensen Spicer (WLSV) by for.
124 – David Clark (WLSV) def. Tanner Ledbetter (A-A) by pin, :22.
131 – Peyton Barnes (A-A) def. Adam Iantorno (WLSV) by dec, 4-3.
138 – Landon Stratton (WLSV) def. Cole Briggs (A-A) by pin, 5:08.
145 – Mason Edwards (WLSV) def. Zach Bloxsom (A-A) by pin, 1:06.
152 – Riley McMichael (A-A) def. Andrew Cox (WLSV) by pin, :43.
160 – Kanye Cumberbatch (A-A) def. Matt Ritter (WLSV) by pin, 2:35.
*170 – Xander Outman (WLSV) by for.
190 – Noah Black (WLSV) def. Johnathan Yezarski (A-A) by pin, 1:31.
215 – Gabe Black (WLSV) def. Garrett Freeland (A-A) by dec, 3-1.
285 – Brayden Taggert (WLSV) def. Cohen Cumberbatch (A-A) by pin, 4:56.
Bolivar-Richburg 34, Letchworth 29
GAINESVILLE — All the Wolverines of Bolivar-Richburg needed were the first five matches of the night to set the tone. In their latest trip over the road that saw them visit Letchworth on Thursday, the Wolverines exploded with a 25-0 lead on the hosts to lay their foundation down on their eventual 34-29 win to begin their regular season-ending three-match road trip.
Out of the first five wins for the Wolverines, their first two in competition sandwiched in between a Zach Mitchell forfeit win at 190 pounds were the quickest pins of the entire match, with Tavyn MacDonell scoring a 56-second win at 170 pounds against Braiden Schroeder to kick off the festivities. Caden Allen would hold the team’s fastest victory with a 39-second pinfall at 215 pounds over Carter Pricer.
The next two wins collected by Bolivar-Richburg were settled in decisions, with Cam Wilber fighting hard to the end to pick up the 9-6 win over Ryan Gordon at 285 pounds, and then a dominant 11-2 win for Presley McDowell in the first lightweight match at 101 pounds against Dylan Smith. Letchworth would then proceed to net wins in three of the next four matches to trim their deficit, with Joe Scott’s 18-3 technical fall win over Teegan Sibble leading the way at 108 pounds.
After forfeits at 116 and 124 pounds for the hosts, the Wolverines resumed their winning ways with an enormous win from Gary McDowell at 131 pounds, as he outlasted and answered a strong challenge from Derek Smith to take a 6-3 win via decision. Letchworth would score two more wins in the last four matches to keep the pressure on, but a final win for Bolivar-Richburg from Trey Buchholz at 152 pounds solidified their win on the road with his pinfall win in just 50 seconds over Gunner Kemp.
Bolivar-Richburg’s road swing ventures forward after the weekend with a visit to Alfred-Almond, Tuesday night at 6 p.m.
Results (* indicates starting weight)
101 – Presley McDowell (B-R) def. Dylan Smith (LET) by dec, 11-2.
108 – Joe Scott (LET) def. Teegan Sibble (B-R) by tech fall, 18-3.
116 – Justin Mann (LET) by for.
124 – Nolan Kelley (LET) by for.
131 – Gary McDowell (B-R) def. Derek Smith (LET) by dec, 6-3.
138 – Aiden Nugent (LET) def. Cayden Gaines (B-R) by pin, 3:35.
145 – Double for.
152 – Trey Buchholz (B-R) def. Gunner Kemp (LET) by pin, :50.
160 – Gavin Kemp (LET) by for.
*170 – Tavyn MacDonell (B-R) def. Braiden Schroeder (LET) by pin, :56.
190 – Zach Mitchell (B-R) by for.
215 – Caden Allen (B-R) def. Carter Pricer (LET) by pin, :39.
285 – Cam Wilber (B-R) def. Ryan Gordon (LET) by dec, 9-6.
Avoca-Prattsburgh/Hammondsport 39, Fillmore/Keshequa 18
HAMMONDSPORT — Out of the five matches in competition on the mat, host Avoca-Prattsburgh/Hammondsport made the most of the opportunity presented in front of them Thursday night to make some noise, scoring four big wins against visiting Fillmore/Keshequa to go with an amassment of forfeit wins along the way to secure a 39-18 home win in Hammondsport.
Despite the defeat, Fillmore/Keshequa delivered three victories — two by forfeit from both Connor McCumiskey (101 pounds) and from Caleb Green (215 pounds). Their lone win on the mat came from Ryan Vedder at 131 pounds, who found his way to victory with a pinfall of Hudson Cole with 44 seconds left in the second period.
Their last opportunity to garner a win in competition came in the match immediately after, at 138 pounds, as Graham Howe and Chase Mummey went the entire distance to force a sudden victory session. One where Mummey was able to garner two massive points to secure a 10-8 win through an outstanding performance from both competitors.
Fillmore/Keshequa returns to the mat back home on Tuesday, as they host the Addison Knights in a 6 p.m. match in Fillmore.
Results (* indicates starting weight)
101 – Connor McCumiskey (F/K) by for.
108 – Orion Davis (APH) def. Jules Cotton (F/K) by pin, 3:05.
116 – Double for.
124 – Justin Wise (APH) def. Alivia Cartwright (F/K) by pin, 5:17.
131 – Ryan Vedder (F/K) def. Hudson Cole (APH) by pin, 3:16.
138 – Chase Mummey (APH) def. Graham Howe (F/K) by sudden victory, 10-8.
*145 – Tristan Davis (APH) def. Kalen Beardsley (F/K) by pin, 5:01.
152 – Double for.
160 – Liam McLoud (APH) by for.
170 – Dallas Brady (APH) by for.
190 – Double for.
215 – Caleb Green (F/K) by for.
285 – Tyson Comfort (APH) by for.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Cuba-Rushford 62, Andover/Whitesville 44
CUBA — As of late, Andover/Whitesville has begun putting the pieces of their puzzle together by playing some of their best basketball, formulating five wins across the last seven games because of it. Thursday night’s visit to Gary Wight Court at Cuba-Rushford brought about another opportunity to extend it.
The Rebels on the other hand were looking to ignite something on their own.
Across the entire first half, both teams unleashed their fury at one another in a back-and-forth exchange of pleasantries, where no lead held by either side was bigger than four points. At the end of it, Andover/Whitesville was able to come away with the advantageous edge to carry into the halftime break.
But when the second half arrived, Cuba-Rushford broke it wide open.
Trailing by three, the Rebels survived an early duel with Andover/Whitesville in the third quarter before striking all chords and finding their rhythm to break a deadlock and transform it into a lead as large as 13 points across their humongous jaunt that changed the complexity of the game, rolling their way towards victory behind a strong fourth quarter finish in addition to take the 62-44 win in the Wighthouse.
“It was a very good, physical game and I’m glad we came out on top. Hats off to Jimmy (Joyce) and his staff. He had those guys ready to go, and they made it one heck of a game,” Rebels coach Pat Wight said. “They made shots and competed their butts off. We struggled finding any rhythm the first half and thankfully, we found some in the second. Eli (Sleggs) came off the bench and delivered a relentless performance off the glass. Braeden (Wight) made some big shots to stretch the lead in the third and fourth , and we got to the foul line tonight and shot well from there.”
Before the Rebels (7-7) were able to kickstart the tires on a third quarter volcanic eruption, they had to survive a battle of wits with Andover/Whitesville right from the start and onward across the second half. One that saw the visitors in black take the lead each time behind the guidance of Colton Calladine down low, Brody Vance at the charity stripe and a long Vincent Joyce triple to capture a 10-9 lead.
Another back-and-forth battle ensued across the second, a quarter that would benefit the hosts in white and maroon when Braeden Wight served up an eight-point frame behind a pair of foul shots and two long triples from downtown. But despite it, Andover/Whitesville (7-5) was still able to find enough of an opening to maintain a 24-21 lead at the break.
Wight’s big second quarter did allow Cuba-Rushford to build a burst of momentum to carry into the half, and in the third quarter, it came to full fruition when the entire offense came to life to produce a massive 24-12 run of Andover/Whitesville to turn the tide completely in their favor. Holding a 45-36 lead, they would proceed to construct the strongest of finishes on top of it in the last eight minutes, as they held Andover/Whitesville to eight points while punctuating a game-sealing 17-8 run.
Wight would lead all scorers for Cuba-Rushford with a game-high 21 points. Luke Brooks chipped in with 11 points of his own, while Eli Sleggs helped build the team’s second quarter burst of momentum with some big rebounds off the glass, finishing with a 10-point, 12-board double-double off the bench.
For Andover/Whitesville, Brody Vance paved the way for the offense with his 16 points. Colton Calladine was not far behind, recording 15 points. Vincent Joyce had six points off a pair of triples from beyond the arc. The team will look to turn it back around when they return home Tuesday night for a gigantic 7:30 p.m. contest against Arkport-Canaseraga in Andover.
As for the Rebels, they will look to climb back above .500 on the season on Wednesday when they return to Gary Wight Court to welcome in Genesee Valley/Belfast at 7:30 p.m.
Andover/Whitesville 10 14 12 8 – 44
Cuba-Rushford 9 12 24 17 – 62
ANDOVER/WHITESVILLE: Jake Mattison 2 0-0 5, Ethan Warriner 1 0-0 2, Vincent Joyce 2 0-0 6, Brody Vance 5 3-4 16, Colton Calladine 7 0-0 15. Totals: 17 3-4 44.
CUBA-RUSHFORD: Braeden Wight 6 5-5 21, Kaden Bell 2 0-0 4, Luke Brooks 5 1-2 11, Eli Sleggs 2 6-8 10, Finn Ricketts 3 2-2 9, Adam Roe 1 0-0 2, Peyton Joy 2 0-0 5. Totals: 21 14-17 62.
3-point goals: A/W 7 (Vance 3, Joyce 2, Mattison, Calladine), C-R 6 (Wight 4, Ricketts, Joy).
Total Fouls: A/W 16, C-R 11. Fouled out: None.
Fillmore 79, Houghton Academy 34
FILLMORE — The inside game captained by Cam Mucher and yet another strong performance from downtown from Zach Sisson were the two ingredients to Fillmore’s latest success story on Thursday, using an additional wealth of assistance off the bench to put together a complete performance against visiting Houghton Academy by a 79-34 count to keep their hot streak alive at nine straight games.
“We did a great job of being focused and ready to play from the tip tonight,” said Eagles coach Randy Crouch. “Cam had a great game on both ends. For a freshman, he understands the game and makes a lot of plays. Every game, he seems to add a new wrinkle. We got a lot of great contributions off the bench as well. Isaiah (Sisson), Mark (Wolfer) and Brayden (Hennard) played really well and Brandon Buck hit a couple of threes. It’s always great to win, but now we have to get focused on a big rematch on Wednesday.”
The Eagles (11-2) started the crosstown battle on fire in the opening eight minutes, as they connected across all fronts with Mucher and Sisson leading the charge, combining for 17 of the team’s 24 points in the midst of their 24-6 run of Houghton Academy to set the tone immediately. The momentum carried onward into the break with another strong outing in the second quarter, as the hot hands for Fillmore came together once again to propel their 19-9 jaunt to cement their advantage for good.
When it was all said and done, Mucher led all scorers with a game-high 24 points, while Sisson followed with 23 of his own — 15 of those points off another fiery night from the parking lot, landing five triples. Following up the scoring for the Eagles was Brandon Buck, who had eight points.
Houghton Academy was led by James Adenuga, who sank four of the team’s six triples en route to a team-high 15 points. Jack Prentice chipped in with 11 points, while Josh Davidson had eight. The Panthers will look to turn the ship around and climb back above .500 on the season with a Tuesday night visit to Friendship to battle Friendship/Scio at 7:30 p.m.
Fillmore will now turn their attention to the second and final colossal clash of the titans against the Wolverines of Bolivar-Richburg on Wednesday, going over the road for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off.
Houghton Academy 6 9 9 10 – 34
Fillmore 24 19 25 11 – 79
HOUGHTON ACADEMY: Jack Prentice 4 2-4 11, Josh Davidson 3 1-3 8, James Adenuga 5 1-2 15. Totals: 12 4-9 34.
FILLMORE: Cam Mucher 9 6-9 24, Marcus Wolfer 2 0-0 5, Isaiah Sisson 2 0-0 5, Layton Sanasith 2 0-0 5, Brandon Buck 3 0-0 8, Zach Sisson 8 0-0 23, Jonah Bialek 1 0-0 3, Brayden Hennard 2 0-0 4, JD Bialek 1 0-0 2. Totals: 30 6-9 79.
3-point goals: HA 6 (Adenuga 4, Prentice, Davidson), Fillmore 11 (Z. Sisson 5, Buck 2, Wolfer, I. Sisson, Sanasith, Jo. Bialek).
Total Fouls: HA 8, Fillmore 12. Fouled out: Buck (FIL).
Bolivar-Richburg 91, Friendship/Scio 20
BOLIVAR — Every single Wolverine in the lineup on Thursday were all able to find the basket in some way, with four different scorers eclipsing the 10-point mark to aid the offense in a strong rebound from their defeat to the hands of Fillmore earlier this week, as they came right back and delivered a 91-20 win over visiting Friendship/Scio.
Amongst the scorers, Aydin Sisson and Landon Barkley saw themselves at the forefront of Bolivar-Richburg’s (9-3) aerial attack, with Sisson paving the way towards a strong 22 game-high point performance. Barkley followed suit with 19 points of his own, while Reiss Gaines and Kingston Loucks scored 12 and 10 points, respectively. Caden Giardini had eight points.
For the hosts in white and red, they came out firing on all cylinders with a powerful first quarter run that allowed them to shape their advantage and never lose possession of it.
Deacon Brown led all scorers for Friendship/Scio (3-10) with a team-high 12 points. The team will return to action Tuesday night with a 7:30 p.m. visit from Houghton Academy in Friendship.
Bolivar-Richburg will look to avenge their 76-56 loss to Fillmore earlier this week by welcoming the Eagles in for a visit Wednesday night for their final battle of the season, beginning at 7:30 p.m.
Friendship/Scio 0 4 9 7 – 20
Bolivar-Richburg 22 25 28 16 – 91
FRIENDSHIP/SCIO: Aiden Golden 1 0-0 3, Charlie Taylor 0 1-2 1, Cooper Greenman 2 0-0 4, Deacon Brown 5 2-6 12. Totals: 8 3-8 20.
BOLIVAR-RICHBURG: Aydin Sisson 9 1-3 22, Landon Barkley 8 2-2 19, Brayden Zilker 1 2-2 4, David Abdo 2 0-0 4, Caleb Miller 1 0-0 2, Waide Karnuth 1 0-0 2, Trevor Pforter 3 0-0 6, Caden Giardini 3 0-0 8, Reiss Gaines 5 2-2 12, James Margeson 1 0-1 2, Kingston Loucks 4 0-0 10. Totals: 38 7-10 91.
3-point goals: F/S 1 (Golden), B-R 8 (Sisson 3, Giardini 2, Loucks 2, Barkley).
Total Fouls: F/S 9, B-R 6. Fouled out: None.
Wednesday Basketball: Stalwart defense becomes best offense for Lady Eagles in big home win over Friendship/Scio; Wellsville, GV/Belfast, B-R girls all score victories
FILLMORE — In basketball, defense is absolutely crucial.
Forcing teams to make mistakes on one side of the floor can become your best offense on the other side of it. It’s one of the main ingredients to any championship-winning formula. For the Lady Eagles of Fillmore on Wednesday, that was exactly the case against visiting Friendship/Scio.
After a brief back-and-forth exchange across the opening sequences inside The Rock, the Lady Eagles began to dig in behind their defensive pressure that kept Friendship/Scio on their feet all game long, netting a massive scoreless run to close out the first quarter to automatically set the tone in what was a 59-27 victory.
To start the night, Friendship/Scio and Fillmore (9-1) delivered baskets at a constant, providing one response after another until they reached a 7-7 tie approaching midway. It would result in a timeout on the floor, and upon the return to the court, the Lady Eagles went straight to work on defense, using it as their best offense to create multiple turnovers that were cashed in for big points all in the same swing.
As a result, the hosts in white and green went on to finish the frame on a 17-0 run — a jaunt they never looked back from.
Every single Lady Eagle in the lineup all managed to find the basket at least once to propel the balanced offensive attack, with Hope Russell paving the way towards a game-high 15 points along with seven steals. Mattie McCumiskey and Preslee Miller each assembled a nine-point performance, with Miller grabbing 11 boards off the glass in addition. On special teams, Rachel Hatch provided 10 more boards, while Grace Russell had seven steals.
Friendship/Scio (7-2) was led by Morghyn Ross and her team-leading 14 points. Nevaeh Ross had 11 points.
Both teams will have the Lady Wolverines of Bolivar-Richburg up next on their schedules ahead, with Friendship/Scio going first with a 7:30 p.m. road trip on Friday. After the weekend, Fillmore will hit the road themselves to visit the Lady Wolverines for a 7:30 p.m. contest of their own, Tuesday evening.
Friendship/Scio 7 4 13 3 – 27
Fillmore 24 20 7 8 – 59
FRIENDSHIP/SCIO: Nevaeh Ross 4 1-2 11, Morghyn Ross 5 0-0 14, Amanda Thompson 0 0-2 0, Sophie Bolzan 1 0-0 2. Totals: 10 1-4 27.
FILLMORE: Hope Russell 7 0-0 15, Grace Russell 2 0-2 5, Rachel Hatch 3 0-0 7, Amelia Rose 3 0-0 6, Kylee Ellsworth 1 0-0 2, Mattie McCumiskey 4 1-3 9, Preslee Miller 3 3-6 9, Emalyn Mucher 2 1-2 6. Totals: 25 5-13 59.
3-point goals: F/S 6 (M. Ross 4, N. Ross 2), Fillmore 4 (H. Russell, G. Russell, Hatch, Mucher).
Total Fouls: F/S 7, Fillmore 9. Fouled out: None.
Wellsville 48, Cuba-Rushford 23
WELLSVILLE — The bar was set by the Lady Lions of Wellsville on Wednesday. After a defeat to the hands of the Hornell Lady Red Raiders at the Sheriff’s Classic, they provided a bounce back to get back on track against visiting Cuba-Rushford, with a strong first quarter effort from Caelyn Stevens helping lead the charge in what was a 48-23 home win.
The first eight minutes were controlled by the Lady Lions (8-4) from start to finish, with Stevens helping set the tone for the offense with all eight of her points coming within a big 18-point beginning. The 18-6 run against the Lady Rebels would help serve as the foundation for more pieces of brickwork to go down, as they closed out the half with another strong run of their opposition to claim a 32-12 halftime lead.
Wellsville served up an all-balanced attack against the Lady Rebels (3-9), with Makenna Dunbar leading the charge with her game-high 12 points. Natalie Adams chipped in with yet another magnificent effort, scoring 11 points to pair with five assists, three rebounds and three steals. Averee Palmatier totaled eight points to go with six rebounds.
On special teams, Stevens led the rebounding off the glass with seven total. Emily Stuck had six rebounds, while Alexa Hennessy had five rebounds and four assists. On the other side, Brynn Lavery bucketed a team-leading nine points to pace Cuba-Rushford. Lilly Farwell had six points to add.
In the prelude to the Varsity contest, a monster night from the field by Reegan Perkins allowed the Wellsville JV squad to take care of business, as she posted a 25-point performance to aid their 39-20 win over the Lady Rebels.
Coming up on Saturday, the Lady Lions will welcome in the Rush-Henrietta Lady Royal Comets for Hall of Fame Weekend in the Lion’s Den, as they kick off the two-game matinee with a 2:30 p.m. tip-off. Following, the boys will follow with a 5:30 p.m. contest slated against the Greece Odyssey Leopards.
Cuba-Rushford 6 6 6 5 – 23
Wellsville 18 14 6 10 – 48
CUBA-RUSHFORD: Cloey Larabee 1 0-0 2, Shae Maples 0 2-2 2, Lily Tompkins 1 0-0 2, Brynn Lavery 4 0-0 9, Mireya Rutkowski 1 0-0 2, Lilly Farwell 3 0-0 6, Raegan Poore 0 0-2 0. Totals: 10 2-4 23.
WELLSVILLE: Caelyn Stevens 4 0-0 8, Natalie Adams 5 0-0 11, Alexa Hennessy 1 0-0 2, Emily Stuck 1 0-0 2, Averee Palmatier 4 0-0 8, Makenna Dunbar 4 4-6 12, Jaden Dunbar 0 1-2 1, Alexa Stuck 2 0-0 4. Totals: 21 5-8 48.
3-point goals: C-R 1 (Lavery), Wellsville 1 (Adams).
Total Fouls: C-R 11, Wellsville 3. Fouled out: None.
Genesee Valley/Belfast 50, Andover/Whitesville 26
BELMONT — Like the NBA Jam announcer has said time and time again, Abby Sullivan was on fire for Genesee Valley/Belfast.
Alongside her senior teammate Mary Hamer in recent games, Sullivan has begun to rise to the occasion for the Genesee Valley/Belfast ladies and Wednesday night’s home bout with Andover/Whitesville served as the hallmark in what was her best performance of the season, using a powerful first half presence to electrify the hardwood and set the tone in their 50-26 win in the Jungle.
“Abby had a great night and I’m really happy for her. She stepped up and played aggressive early, and it helped set the tone for us,” said GV/Belfast coach Raegan Ryan. “She was a consistent threat from the perimeter and did a great job finishing inside. She’s been working really hard, and tonight was evidence of that. Overall, I’m really proud of this team. They play unselfishly and they want to see each other succeed. They’re willing to make the extra pass for a better scoring opportunity, slide over and help their teammates defensively and get on the floor for loose balls.”
Sullivan made her presence known for Genesee Valley/Belfast (9-3) across the first half, especially in the second quarter when her inside game sprung to life with eight of the team’s 10 points to further solidify what was a 23-12 halftime lead over Andover/Whitesville. Later on, the senior took a stroll downtown with a pair of third quarter triples to provide another angle of attack for the offense to help wrap up her season-best effort.
When it was all said and done, she would finish with a game-high 21 points.
Finishing behind Sullivan were Mary Hamer and Ava Aaronson, each recording 10 points. Sophie Zillgitt had seven points, while Whitney Young scored a two-point bucket to finish off the scoring for the hosts in white.
Andover/Whitesville (3-8) was led by Grace Fry and her team-high seven points. Stella Bledsoe and Olivia Waters each recorded six points. The team will return to action Friday night with a 7:30 p.m. visit to Cuba-Rushford.
Genesee Valley/Belfast will look to become the first team in Allegany County to reach 10 wins on Monday, as they head for Friendship to pay a visit to Friendship/Scio at 7:30 p.m.
Andover/Whitesville 4 8 9 5 – 26
Genesee Valley/Belfast 13 10 15 12 – 50
ANDOVER/WHITESVILLE: Stella Bledsoe 2 2-2 6, Graci Lewis-Ellison 2 0-2 5, Grace Fry 3 1-6 7, Lilly Harrington 0 2-2 2, Olivia Waters 2 2-2 6. Totals: 9 7-14 26.
GV/BELFAST: Abby Sullivan 9 0-0 21, Sophie Zillgitt 3 0-0 7, Whitney Young 1 0-0 2, Mary Hamer 5 0-0 10, Ava Aaronson 5 0-2 10. Totals: 23 0-2 50.
3-point goals: A/W 1 (Lewis-Ellison), GVB 4 (Sullivan 3, Zillgitt).
Total Fouls: A/W 1, GVB 10. Fouled out: None.
Bolivar-Richburg 39, Campbell-Savona 30
CAMPBELL — The Lady Wolverines of Bolivar-Richburg were faced with pressure from host Campbell-Savona, especially late in the second half when the action began to heat up leading into the fourth quarter in Wednesday night’s latest road trip.
With just two points separating the two foes in the last eight minute session, special teams loomed large. With just two connections from the field, the Lady Wolverines looked to the charity stripe to deliver the goods. Specifically, Raegan Giardini, who came in through the clutch to aid Bolivar-Richburg in maintaining their lead with her massive fourth quarter finish in the team’s 39-30 edging of the Lady Panthers.
Giardini was Bolivar-Richburg’s (3-8) leading playmaker on the floor from start to finish, scoring eight big points, including a pair of triples, out of the team’s 13 for the opening eight minute frame to capture a 13-7 lead of Campbell-Savona to start. After the Lady Panthers were able to chip away at the early deficit leading into halftime, the pressure began to mount after every passing second across the second half.
In the fourth quarter, the Lady Panthers were well within reach, trailing the Lady Wolverines by just a single possession. With just two shots from the field to aid their advantage and time winding down, the visitors in black and red would then set their sights on the free throw line. Giardini captained that effort with a 9-for-14 outing in the game — a 7-for-10 tenure in the last eight minutes that allowed them to maintain all the room they required to collect the win at the end of the night.
Giardini finished with a game-high 19 points for the Lady Wolverines. Following behind was Nadia Baldwin, who chipped in with eight points of her own. Carmen Crowley provided six points.
The Lady Wolverines are back home Friday night for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off against Friendship/Scio.
Bolivar-Richburg 13 6 8 12 – 39
Campbell-Savona 7 10 8 5 – 30
BOLIVAR-RICHBURG: Nadia Baldwin 3 0-0 8, Jaelyn Kinnicutt 0 1-2 1, Raegan Giardini 4 9-14 19, Sydney Faulkner 2 1-2 5, Carmen Crowley 2 2-6 6. Totals: 11 13-24 39.
CAMPBELL-SAVONA: Ashlynn Stratton 1 0-0 2, Emma Roy 4 1-2 9, Elizabeth Crosson 0 0-2 0, Jenna Machuga 4 1-2 9, Olivia Zimmar 1 0-0 2, Jalynn Machuga 4 0-0 8. Totals: 19 2-6 30.
3-point goals: B-R 4 (Baldwin 2, Giardini 2).
Total Fouls: B-R 10, C-S 18. Fouled out: Ja. Machuga (C-S).
BOYS BASKETBALL
Fillmore 76, Bolivar-Richburg 56 (Tuesday)
FILLMORE — It was a remarkable sight to behold in what was a battle for Allegany County’s top spot between Bolivar-Richburg and Fillmore on Tuesday.
The battle saw the Eagles ignite their flame first while the Wolverines kept pace right behind them each step of the way across the first half, taking a deficit that had reached at most seven points during the time span, and trimming it down to four at the break.
But then the flame that was lit by the hosts grew larger, and ultimately, it morphed into a third quarter wildfire as the Eagles went on an offensive rampage with an 18-3 run through the first four and a half minutes to break away and out of Bolivar-Richburg’s reach to officially score their eighth consecutive victory — becoming the first team in Allegany County to reach 10 wins on the season after a 76-56 win in The Rock over the Wolverines.
“We knew tonight was going to be a slugfest. Justin (Thomas) has a great group at B-R that is really playing well. Aydin (Sisson) and Landon (Barkley) are really tough to guard, and we knew they would be a handful,” Eagles coach Randy Crouch said. “We were able to get an early lead in the first, but credit to them, they fought back and even took the lead late in the second quarter to put the pressure up against us.”
It was as big of a slugfest as advertised right out of the gate between both Bolivar-Richburg and Fillmore (10-2), as the two squads delivered haymakers across the majority of time. In the midst of it all however, an early 11-4 run developed for the Eagles to spring out in front with the lead when the opening quarter reached its end.
But despite falling behind early, the Wolverines (8-3) made up for lost time quickly in the third quarter behind the guidance of Aydin Sisson, who constructed an 11-point quarter of his own out of the team’s 19 in all, including four perfect shots from the charity stripe and a long three from the top of the key to close the gap behind the Eagles to a single possession with nearly 10 seconds left in the half.
With Bolivar-Richburg right on their coattails going into the second half, Fillmore devised a plan to further distance themselves. The conversation in the locker room between Crouch and his team was centered around their battle with Cuba-Rushford this past Friday.
The pep talk would transform into a monumental momentum shift in the third quarter. With the aid of Jonah Bialek and Zach Sisson, the Eagles would not be denied, as they came out firing on all cylinders to ensure their three-point advantage would become insurmountable, beginning the half on an 18-3 run of the Wolverines.
Combined between the two sharpshooters, Bialek and Sisson recorded 15 of the team’s 24 third quarter points to perform a complete flip of the script.
With the Wolverines continuing to find ways to chip at Fillmore’s lead, it was cemented for good in the fourth quarter behind three of Sisson’s seven three-pointers from the parking lot outside of The Rock. The Eagles senior would complete another masterful performance with a game-high 31 points, pairing them with 10 boards to complete a double-double, along with seven assists and four steals.
“At the half, I really challenged the guys to not repeat our dismal third quarter from last Friday against Cuba-Rushford. The guys did a great job of being patient, executing and finding one another. We were really able to take control of the game and because of it, we maintained our lead to the end.” Crouch said. “I can’t say enough about Zach tonight. He played as complete of a game as he has all season. He was really locked in tonight when we needed him most.”
Finishing behind Sisson was Cam Mucher and his 11 points. Jonah Bialek had nine points, while Layton Sanasith had eight points. For Bolivar-Richburg, Aydin Sisson paved the way for the offense with his team-high 22 points. Landon Barkley chipped in with 15 points of his own — 10 of them in the second half, while Kingston Loucks recorded eight points.
Both teams are back home on their hardwoods tonight in a pair of 7:30 p.m. tip-offs, with Fillmore looking to remain on fire with a visit from their crosstown neighbor Houghton Academy, while Bolivar-Richburg looks to turn it back around by welcoming in Friendship/Scio.
Bolivar-Richburg 12 19 12 13 – 56
Fillmore 16 19 24 17 – 76
BOLIVAR-RICHBURG: Aydin Sisson 8 5-8 22, Landon Barkley 6 2-3 15, David Abdo 1 0-0 2, Waide Karnuth 2 1-6 5, Reiss Gaines 1 2-4 4, Kingston Loucks 3 2-2 8. Totals: 21 12-23 56.
FILLMORE: Eben Schilke 2 0-0 5, Cam Mucher 5 1-1 11, Isaiah Sisson 2 0-0 5, Layton Sanasith 4 0-0 8, Zach Sisson 11 2-2 31, Jonah Bialek 4 1-2 9, JD Bialek 3 1-1 7. Totals: 31 5-6 76.
3-point goals: B-R 2 (Sisson, Barkley), Fillmore 9 (Z. Sisson 7, Schilke, I. Sisson).
Total Fouls: B-R 11, Fillmore 15. Fouled out: Gaines (B-R).
BOYS VOLLEYBALL
Portville 3, Cuba-Rushford 2
CUBA — The pendulum shifted in each and every direction on the volleyball court with the Rebels of Cuba-Rushford claiming the first tilt to push visiting Portville to the brink. Then, the Panthers responded with a comeback in the next two sets in strong fashion.
With two sets on each side Wednesday night, the game was up for grabs. The Panthers and Rebels exchanged one point after another across the fifth and final set until the game reached a 13-all tie. After the visitors in maroon found an opening to create the deadlock, they used the rest of their momentum to power forward and deliver the victory, as they scored the ultimate 17-25, 12-25, 25-17, 25-20, 15-13 win in the Wighthouse.
The Rebels (3-9) were paced from a stellar night on all fronts from Brock Stadler, as he recorded nine digs to go with eight aces and five kills. Anderson Siegel provided a strong showing on defense, keeping the ball off the floor with his 12 digs, two kills and an ace. Rounding off was Ethan Cole and his eight additional digs, four assists, one kill and one ace.
Tuesday Roundup: B-R grapplers score 42-18 wins over C-S, Fillmore/Keshequa to send Seniors out on high note; And/Whi boys net 5th win in last 7 games with close 48-40 edging of GV/Belfast
BOLIVAR — Tuesday night marked the last time the Wolverines of Bolivar-Richburg wrestled on the black and red mat in front of their home crowd. For five of their seniors, it was their last time ever.
The hunt for Sectional glory was right around the corner, and for their final three matches of the season following their dual meet with both Campbell-Savona and Fillmore/Keshequa, they would then have to become road warriors. But before the Wolverines chart their course away from home, they needed to take care of the one item at the top of their to-do list.
Win for their seniors.
With a series of forfeits and two wins in competition paving the way in their first match against the Panthers, and then five more wins in the midst of battle against Fillmore/Keshequa to close out the night, Bolivar-Richburg was able to take care of business in style by garnering 42-18 wins in each match to close out their home stand on the most positive of notes.
To start the night, the Wolverines were granted five forfeit wins in the first eight matches, including victories in each of the first four matches, beginning with Tavyn MacDonell at 170 pounds, and continuing with Zach Mitchell (190 pounds), Caden Allen (215 pounds) and Aiden Smith (285 pounds) with wins of their own.
After Presley McDowell added a forfeit win at 108 pounds, the action would begin with the team’s first win at 131 pounds, as Gary McDowell cashed in with a pinfall victory just 23 seconds into the second period over Campbell-Savona’s Mason Reed. The Panthers would grab their first win immediately following at 138 pounds with a pinfall win of their own, but not before Trey Buchholz was able to cash in on the quickest pinfall victory of the match, rolling up Noah Brooks in 55 seconds to claim triumph at 145 pounds.
In the second match, they would start with three straight victories to set up shop, including back-to-back wins on the mat from both Zach Mitchell and Caden Allen, with Mitchell claiming a dominant lead on the board before utilizing the mat to pin Fillmore/Keshequa’s Gage Hartman just 17 seconds into the final period of the 190 pound bout, while Allen took care of business with a 1:31 pin over Caleb Green at 215 pounds.
With a Connor McCumiskey forfeit win at 101 pounds allowing Fillmore/Keshequa to reach the board, Bolivar-Richburg ensured their lead would remain intact with Presley McDowell’s assistance at 108 pounds, scoring a quick pin in just over 90 seconds over Jules Cotton. Fillmore/Keshequa would garner back-to-back wins — their lone victories in action at 124 and 131 pounds, as Alivia Cartwright registered a forfeit win while Ryan Vedder claimed victory nearly a minute into the second period of his bout against Cayden Gaines with a pin.
The Wolverines were able to finish the night strong with a back-to-back response of their own entering the middleweight classes, as Gary McDowell and Trey Buchholz each collected their second win of the dual meet, both by pinfall, as McDowell pinned Graham Howe in 58 seconds in the 138 pound bout, while Buchholz rolled up Kalen Beardsley with nearly 30 seconds remaining in the opening period in his bout at 145 pounds.
Both teams will hit the road Thursday night to resume action in a 6 p.m. start, with Bolivar-Richburg heading for Letchworth, while Fillmore/Keshequa looks to bounce back at Avoca-Prattsburgh/Hammondsport.
Team Scores: Campbell-Savona 18, Bolivar-Richburg 42.
Results (* indicates starting weight)
101 – Double for.
108 – Presley McDowell (B-R) by for.
116 – Double for.
124 – Liam Maddock (C-S) by for.
131 – Gary McDowell (B-R) def. Mason Reed (C-S) by pin, 2:23.
138 – Corbin Warner (C-S) def. Cayden Gaines (B-R) by pin, 3:18.
145 – Trey Buchholz (B-R) def. Noah Brooks (C-S) by pin, :55.
152 – Bryan Bulkley (C-S) by for.
160 – Double for.
*170 – Tavyn MacDonell (B-R) by for.
190 – Zach Mitchell (B-R) by for.
215 – Caden Allen (B-R) by for.
285 – Aiden Smith (B-R) by for.
Team Scores: Fillmore/Keshequa 18, Bolivar-Richburg 42.
Results (* indicates starting weight)
101 – Connor McCumiskey (F/K) by for.
108 – Presley McDowell (B-R) def. Jules Cotton (F/K) by pin, 1:31.
116 – Double for.
124 – Alivia Cartwright (F/K) by for.
131 – Ryan Vedder (F/K) def. Cayden Gaines (B-R) by pin, 2:39.
138 – Gary McDowell (B-R) def. Graham Howe (F/K) by pin, :58.
145 – Trey Buchholz (B-R) def. Kalen Beardsley (F/K) by pin, 1:28.
152 – Double for.
160 – Double for.
170 – Tavyn MacDonell (B-R) by for.
*190 – Zach Mitchell (B-R) def. Gage Hartman (F/K) by pin, 4:17.
215 – Caden Allen (B-R) def. Caleb Green (F/K) by pin, 1:31.
285 – Aiden Smith (B-R) by for.
Canisteo-Greenwood 54, Wellsville 15
CANISTEO — The Lions of Wellsville were able to start the night off on a high note behind Gabe Black’s match-opening victory, Tuesday night in the Canisteo Valley. But soon after, the Chargers of Canisteo-Greenwood bolted and stole the spotlight, scoring 10 wins across the remainder of the match to bring the hammer down on what was a massive 54-15 win.
At 190 pounds, Black was the first of three Lions to score victories — two of which in action, as he delivered a pin within the first minute of the second period over Luke Zeh to score the opening six points to break the ice. The early momentum that Wellsville had built would reach a halt across the next three matches and further beyond, as the Chargers took complete control with strong wins from Dominic Dennis at 215 pounds (pinfall, 1:47), Skyler Miles at 285 pounds (pinfall, :51) and a 6-1 decision from Garrett Hall at 101 pounds.
The Lions would garner a forfeit win from Paul Giovaniello at 108 pounds before Canisteo-Greenwood assumed total control once again, scoring wins in each of the next seven matches to take care of business, as Connor McCaffery (116 pounds), Dylan Depew-Cappadonia (124 pounds), Triston Williamson (131 pounds), Mathias Sharp (138 pounds), Austin Hall (145 pounds), Colton Havens (152 pounds) and Beau Zeh (160 pounds) all scored wins.
Xander Outman was the last Wellsville grappler to score a victory in action, as he fought Canisteo-Greenwood’s Carson Turner tough across all three periods, gathering just enough points to claim a 3-1 decision.
The Lions are back home for action Thursday night with a 6 p.m. visit from Alfred-Almond.
Results (* indicates starting weight)
101 – Garrett Hall (C-G) def. Easton Joyce (WLSV) by dec, 6-1.
108 – Paul Giovaniello (WLSV) by for.
116 – Connor McCaffery (C-G) def. Jensen Spicer (WLSV) by pin, 1:05.
124 – Dylan Depew-Cappadonia (C-G) def. David Clark (WLSV) by pin, 2:23.
131 – Triston Williamson (C-G) def. Adam Iantorno (WLSV) by dec, 7-3.
138 – Mathias Sharp (C-G) def. Landon Stratton (WLSV) by pin, 3:44.
145 – Austin Hall (C-G) def. Mason Edwards (WLSV) by pin, 1:28.
152 – Colton Havens (C-G) def. Andrew Cox (WLSV) by pin, 1:22.
160 – Beau Zeh (C-G) def. Matt Ritter (WLSV) by pin, 1:53.
170 – Xander Outman (WLSV) def. Carson Turner (C-G) by dec, 3-1.
*190 – Gabe Black (WLSV) def. Luke Zeh (C-G) by pin, 2:43.
215 – Dominic Dennis (C-G) def. Noah Black (WLSV) by pin, 1:47.
285 – Skyler Miles (C-G) def. Brayden Taggert (WLSV) by pin, :51.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Fillmore 76, Bolivar-Richburg 56
FILLMORE — It was a remarkable sight to behold in what was a battle for Allegany County’s top spot between Bolivar-Richburg and Fillmore on Tuesday.
The battle saw the Eagles ignite their flame first while the Wolverines kept pace right behind them each step of the way across the first half, taking a deficit that had reached at most seven points during the time span, and trimming it down to four at the break.
But then the flame that was lit by the hosts grew larger, and ultimately, it morphed into a third quarter wildfire as the Eagles went on an offensive rampage with an 18-3 run through the first four and a half minutes to break away and out of Bolivar-Richburg’s reach to officially score their eighth consecutive victory — becoming the first team in Allegany County to reach 10 wins on the season after a 76-56 win in The Rock over the Wolverines.
Statistics and a complete box score on the game were not made available to report upon publication.
Both teams are back home on their hardwoods Thursday night in a pair of 7:30 p.m. tip-offs, with Fillmore (10-2) looking to remain on fire with a visit from their crosstown neighbor, Houghton Academy, while Bolivar-Richburg (8-3) looks to turn it back around by welcoming in Friendship/Scio.
Andover/Whitesville 48, Genesee Valley/Belfast 40
BELFAST — Ever since their appearance at St. Bonaventure a little over a month ago, Andover/Whitesville has begun to find their rhythm.
Winners of four of their last five, including an exceptional performance at the Dan Barkley Showcase this past weekend against Hammondsport, they would now look to continue shifting their momentum with a chance to earn some big Sectional points on Tuesday.
With Genesee Valley/Belfast up next on the schedule for the first time since their Lion’s Club Tournament at the beginning of the season, Andover/Whitesville now emerged with something to prove.
Although the battle in Belfast came down to the wire, it was the beginning stages that set the tone.
Right in the opening frame, the visitors in black struck all chords, as they used a scoreless run to grab a lead that was pressurized at times, but never relinquished, to score their third straight win — their fifth in the last seven games, by a 48-40 count over Genesee Valley/Belfast.
“We knew coming into the season, we would need a win against a bigger C school to prove ourselves that we definitely belong,” said Andover/Whitesville coach Jimmy Joyce. “We thought maybe we had it the first time we played GV/Belfast but Lintz (Bliven) made some great halftime adjustments and they put it on us to win the Lion’s Club Tournament. I think we learned a lot since then, and we were able to hold on today. Defense was key, I was really proud of our overall effort these last three games because of that.”
The start was exactly what Andover/Whitesville (7-4) wanted to build right away against Genesee Valley/Belfast to make their mark early, as they held the hosts to a complete standstill on defense, while the offense in transition would syphon the momentum from the big plays on the opposite end of the floor and create a massive 12-0 run to claim the advantage after the first quarter.
Genesee Valley/Belfast (5-6) would bounce back and chip away little by little as time progressed in the game, looking to continue closing the gap even further in the last eight minutes of play where the pressure began to boil. Although the hosts rode their coattails all the way to the finish, Andover/Whitesville was able to do just enough to finish the job for the road win.
The main reasons why: Brody Vance and Colton Calladine — Andover/Whitesville’s dynamic duo, as the two sharpshooters paid massive dividends for the offense once more with 29 of the team’s 48 points, with Vance leading the charge with his game-high 19, and Calladine following with 10. Ethan Warriner chipped in with seven.
“Brody had another stellar game offensively along with Colt. Those two were able to handle the pressure well,” Joyce said. “Vinny (Joyce) was huge for us on the boards today as well. They are so strong, especially with a guy like Jacob Borden underneath controlling the board himself. A lot of great contributions were made, and it gave us another nice win for sure.”
For Genesee Valley/Belfast, Jacob Borden led all scorers with his team-high 19 points underneath. Ian McKenzie followed with 10 points, while Lannden Tilton had five. The team will hit the road Friday night for a 7 p.m. visit to Honeoye.
Andover/Whitesville will look to continue their winning ways back on the road Thursday night with a 7:30 p.m. visit to Gary Wight Court at Cuba-Rushford to face the host Rebels.
Andover/Whitesville 12 9 10 17 – 48
Genesee Valley/Belfast 0 12 12 16 – 40
ANDOVER/WHITESVILLE: Ethan Warriner 3 1-1 7, Vincent Joyce 2 0-2 4, Brody Vance 6 4-6 19, Trey Kent 1 0-0 2, Colton Calladine 4 0-2 10, Gage Putnam 2 2-2 6. Totals: 18 7-13 48.
GV/BELFAST: Kyle McCumiskey 0 0-4 0, Lannden Tilton 2 0-0 5, Matt Cater 2 0-2 4, Ian McKenzie 4 0-0 10, Owen Heaney 1 0-0 2, Jacob Borden 7 5-9 19. Totals: 16 5-15 40.
3-point goals: A/W 5 (Vance 3, Calladine 2), GVB 3 (McKenzie 2, Tilton).
Total Fouls: A/W 15, GVB 16. Fouled out: None.
Houghton Academy 53, Keshequa 45
HOUGHTON — A hot start was extinguished in the second half by Keshequa, as they aimed to apply some pressure late in the game on Tuesday.
But when it was all said and done, the host Panthers of Houghton Academy prowled and made every bit of the opportunity count in the late stages to hang on and ward off their opposition’s final push in what was a 53-45 victory.
All four of Houghton Academy’s (4-3) scorers provided a helping hand in getting their game off on the right foot, scoring a humongous 17-7 run on Keshequa to get the party started. From the second quarter on however, it began to get tighter and tighter, with a late rally from the visitors in orange allowing them to apply pressure down the stretch.
With no quarter being determined by more than four points, Keshequa saved their best spurt of offense for last by docking a 16-point frame to ignite their late rally against the Panthers. But in the end, their early run in the opening frame allowed the hosts in white and blue to maintain their position in the driver’s seat, cruising towards victory.
Houghton Academy was led by Jack Prentice, James Adenuga and Jack Qi, all of which recorded 14 game-high points. Josh Davidson rounded off the scoring with the team’s final 11 points.
Up next, the Panthers will now head down the road to the north, where they will host the Fillmore Eagles in a 7:30 p.m. tip-off on Thursday.
Keshequa 7 12 10 16 – 45
Houghton Academy 17 12 12 12 – 53
KESHEQUA: Aiden Howe 1 0-0 2, Zachary Smathers 4 2-5 10, Owen Pike 1 4-6 6, Aiden Upright 3 2-4 9, Ian Hinrich 8 2-2 18. Totals: 17 10-17 45.
HOUGHTON ACADEMY: Jack Prentice 6 0-0 14, Josh Davidson 4 0-0 11, James Adenuga 4 5-6 14, Jack Qi 5 0-1 14. Totals: 19 5-7 53.
3-point goals: Keshequa 1 (Upright), HA 9 (Davidson 3, Qi 3, Prentice 2, Adenuga).
Total Fouls: Keshequa 8, HA 16. Fouled out: Prentice (HA), Zanini (HA).
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Andover/Whitesville 43, Alfred-Almond 18
WHITESVILLE — Andover/Whitesville came out swinging for the fences on Tuesday, as they saw five different scorers all have a hand in starting the opening eight minutes with a massive run of visiting Alfred-Almond to set the tone with, racing past the Lady Eagles with a 43-18 home win in Whitesville to get back into the win column.
Just the first quarter was what Andover/Whitesville (3-7) ordered, as they assembled an offensive stand that consisted of 18 straight points while holding Alfred-Almond scoreless to set the tone.
Among the assistants were Graci Lewis-Ellison and Olivia Waters, as the two scorers converged to record 11 of those points in the frame to get the ball rolling straight to the finish line.
Lewis-Ellison would wind up leading all scorers on the floor for the hosts in white, posting a game-high 13 points. Grace Fry contributed seven points, while Waters had six to add.
Andover/Whitesville is back in action tonight with a trip to Belmont, visiting host Genesee Valley/Belfast at 7:30 p.m.
Alfred-Almond 0 6 10 2 – 18
Andover/Whitesville 18 5 9 11 – 43
ALFRED-ALMOND: Noelle Emerson 1 1-2 3, Kaylianna Clark 1 0-0 2, Kaitlyn Diestler 1 0-0 2, Maeve Turner 1 0-0 2, Olivia Flaitz 1 0-0 2, Paige Marlatt 3 0-0 7. Totals: 8 1-2 18.
ANDOVER/WHITESVILLE: Stella Bledsoe 1 0-0 3, Graci Lewis-Ellison 5 1-2 13, Grace Fry 3 1-3 7, Makaila Brewster 2 0-0 4, Lilly Harrington 1 0-2 3, Olivia Waters 2 2-2 6, Katrina Lewis 2 0-0 4, Kaelyn Capute 0 2-2 2, Makenna Vance 1 0-0 2. Totals: 17 6-11 43.
3-point goals: A-A 1 (Marlatt), A/W 3 (Lewis-Ellison 2, Harrington).
Total Fouls: A-A 14, A/W 5. Fouled out: None.
BOYS VOLLEYBALL
Wellsville 3, Bolivar-Richburg 1
RICHBURG — The Wolverines of Bolivar-Richburg were pushed to the brink, but they wouldn’t go down without a fight to survive a close battle with visiting Wellsville on Tuesday, as they collected a big third-set victory to stay alive. But the momentum they would create was diminished by the Lions in what was the last set of action, as they were able to exit town with a four-set, 25-20, 25-18, 19-25, 25-14 victory.
The Lions (7-3) were led on the attack by Brody Heaney, posting a game-high 10 kills to pair with four blocks and three aces. Wheeler Dahlgren was excellent from the back line to lead the service, scoring eight aces, while Terrence Benz chipped in with four more kills, three aces and a block at the front of the net.
Statistics for the Wolverines (0-11) were not made available to report upon publication.
Both teams are back in action Friday night in a pair of 6 p.m. first serves, with Wellsville heading back home to host Cuba-Rushford, while Bolivar-Richburg travels to Fillmore.
Arkport-Canaseraga 3, Friendship/Scio 2
SCIO — The action intensified after every single point, and soon after, each set was exchanged in a back-and-forth fashion all through the night between Arkport-Canaseraga and Friendship/Scio on Tuesday. Of the five total sets the two teams would contest in, two of them were forced into extra serves.
As a result, both teams would gather the two clutch points they would need, with the hosts garnering the last two to force a fifth and final decisive set of action. In the end, it was a massive run by the visitors in black and teal that would keep Friendship/Scio’s momentum at bay and give them the room they needed to work with, as they closed out the night with victory after a race to the finish line, scoring the 25-13, 21-25, 26-24, 24-26, 15-7 win in Scio.
“Our response after the first set was excellent,” Friendship/Scio coach Kaiden Bowers. “We had opportunities to put this one away and we let them squander. But we fought hard and we showed life, when in the past we quit. If we play like we did tonight, we’ll put ourselves in the position to be competitive in every match.”
Friendship/Scio (1-8) was paced by a strong offensive night from Lawson Ector, posting seven kills to go with five blocks and three aces. Eli Wade chipped in with seven more kills of his own, coupling them with four blocks and a pair of helpers.
For the Wolves, Noah Drouin paced the attack with his 12 kills. Curtis Hartman chipped in with seven aces from the back line to go with four additional kills to round off.
On Friday, Friendship/Scio will look to keep the tires moving with a visit from undefeated Allegany-Limestone at 6 p.m.
Fillmore 3, Genesee Valley/Belfast 1
BELMONT — Despite falling into an early hole after the first set, the Eagles of Fillmore were able to shake it off brilliantly on Tuesday, as they started a new week of action on the court with wins in each of the next three sets to tilt all of the momentum in their direction against host Genesee Valley/Belfast, claiming the ultimate four-set win by a 17-25, 25-20, 25-7, 26-24 count.
The Eagles (6-5) were captained by an unreal night from Reid Cockle, who contributed a little bit of everything to lead the offense and defense on the court, scoring 17 service points, 16 assists, eight kills, five digs, two blocks and an ace. Jayce Ashton chipped in with eight more service points to go with five kills and one ace, while Nathan Tanner rounded off with 12 monster digs on defense to couple with eight service points and seven kills.
On the other side of the net, Genesee Valley/Belfast (6-7) was led by Brayden Cooper’s six kills and five blocks on the offensive. Jackson Stout pitched in with five kills and two blocks of his own, while Sean Mahon had nine helpers to hand out, three kills and three aces.
“We made too many mistakes,” said GV/Belfast coach Darren Bradt. “Fillmore does really well keeping the ball up and putting the pressure right back on you. We really need to work on coming out more aggressive. But I have to really give it up for Fillmore on how they keep coming at you and they don’t make a lot of mistakes when they have possession of the ball.”
Both teams are back on the floor Friday night in a pair of 6 p.m. first serves, as Fillmore heads back home to host Bolivar-Richburg, while Genesee Valley/Belfast hits the road for a visit to Arkport-Canaseraga.
Allegany-Limestone 3, Cuba-Rushford 0
CUBA — The Gators of Allegany-Limestone went straight to work in the Wighthouse and Cuba-Rushford on Tuesday and emerged victorious with a straight-set sweep, as they claimed victory by a 25-12, 25-7, 25-10 count.
The Rebels (3-8) were led by Brock Stadler and his four kills, four digs and an ace on both ends of the floor.
As for the visitors, AJ Riordan led the offense with eight kills. Jesse Decker provided 15 digs on defense to keep the ball off the floor.
