Photos and stories by CHRIS BROOKS, managing editor, wellsvillesports.com
BELFAST — Some exciting, thrilling and competitive battles can unfold between Fillmore and Genesee Valley/Belfast, whenever they manage to get together outdoors on the pitch. In fact, it can get pretty wild.
Friday night at the Rich Sullivan Complex in Belfast, it was indeed absolutely wild.
Between both teams, an electric and manic first half unraveled across all angles of the pitch. The offenses conducted business, the defenses were as tough as nails. And through it all, a combined 10 goals found its way into the back of the net when the night came to a close. Early on in the first half, Genesee Valley/Belfast worked their way out to a start they absolutely wanted to have against the defending Class D State Finalist Lady Eagles.
Through a multitude of opportunities to score, they were able to knock three of them into the back of the Fillmore net to claim a two-goal advantage, placing the Lady Eagles in a rare position going into the halftime recess — behind the eight ball. That up-started a conversation amongst the Lady Eagles themselves.
When the break ended, a category five hurricane made landfall.
The Lady Eagles turned the game inside out and upside down in the blink of an eye. Not only did they complete a monstrous and staggering comeback, but they managed to do it at a high rate of speed, scoring not one, nor two or three, but six second half goals — five of them coming in a span of just 10 minutes to take a 3-1 deficit and transform it into a 3-0 start to their campaign with a 7-3 victory.
“This game had a bit of everything,” Lady Eagles coach Jon Beardsley said. “Genesee Valley/Belfast had us rattled and uncertain in the first half. Some might ask what was said at halftime, but in all honesty, it was the girls that did the talking and I just confirmed and agreed with what they said. We agreed that we needed to turn our speaking into existence. All the credit goes to the girls on that second half performance. I was really proud of them for responding the way that they did. So many different kids rose to the occasion when they had every opportunity to fold.”
Before all of the second half pyrotechnics began to ignite, the Lady Eagles (3-0) had to work their way back from behind after an aggressive and swift start from Genesee Valley/Belfast, seeing many prime opportunities come to light before they ultimately cashed in on their first in the opening 10 minutes of play. The hosts were awarded a direct kick from nearly 30 yards away from the Fillmore cage, but it was no problem for Danika Scott to knock in, as she airmailed her shot straight into the net to break the ice immediately.
Not long after that score, the Lady Eagles maneuvered the momentum in their favor with two brilliant chances of their own, led by Morghyn Ross and her perfectly-placed direct kick that nearly spun its way into the net next to the far post. The push continued right after that opportunity with their game-tying response, as Kallie Pastorius picked up possession directly in the middle of the Genesee Valley/Belfast (2-1-1) cage and rifled it home top shelf just past midway in the frame.
Genesee Valley/Belfast wouldn’t allow that charge of momentum to build for Fillmore, as they took the lead back with 10:34 left in the half, as a throw-in from the near sideline split a pair of Lady Eagles defenders and right to Hannah Southwick-Powers on the run. Going up field, she worked the ball to Sophie Zillgitt, putting a hard shot straight on net, creating a loose rebound next to the far post for Madison Yackeren to put away with ease.
Following another potential game-tying sequence that Fillmore could not convert on one end of the pitch, Southwick-Powers managed to find the scoresheet herself by representing the opening stanza’s final goal with 3:22 left on the clock, as she connected with Bayleigh Tallman from beside her, switching gears with the ball and poking a shot home to the near post for a 3-1 lead going into the break.
But then, the momentum changed drastically.
Just inside of the first 10 minutes in the second half, Fillmore strapped in and went to work. All six of the team’s second half goals were supplied by the Miller siblings — Mylee and Tenlee, with Mylee netting two of them herself (49th and 59th minutes) while handing out one assist to Morghyn Ross (57th minute), while Tenlee scored one and dished out three big assists to Brooklynn Templeton (50th minute), her sister Mylee (59th minute) and Grace Walton (74th minute) on their final goal of the game.
The Lady Eagles would also keep Genesee Valley/Belfast frozen on offense. Following seven shots for each team across the opening 40 minutes, they would limit them to just two more in the next, as they outshot their opposition by a 16-9 count.
In goal, Grace Clark picked up the victory behind six saves, while Charisma Metatos made nine stops for the hosts in black and gray.
Coming up after the weekend, Fillmore will look for a fourth straight win to open the season on Tuesday when they visit Wellsville for a 7 p.m. contest, while Genesee Valley/Belfast looks to get back on track with a 5 p.m. battle at Arkport-Canaseraga on Monday.
More stories after photos from Cuba-Rushford and Wellsville and the GVB-Fillmore game:
Cuba-Rushford 3, Wellsville 2
CUBA — From within a packed crowd of contests that went past regulation time back on Wednesday, both Wellsville and Cuba-Rushford endured a tremendous amount of fortitude in their respective contests, with the Lady Lions coming off a 2-1 win over Port Allegany and the Lady Rebels battling towards a hard-fought 2-2 tie with Genesee Valley/Belfast.
To help close out the week on Friday, the two foes looked to keep their foot down on the gas pedal when they collided in Cuba for their first battle of the season.
Across the first half of play, the momentum teeter-tottered between both teams, witnessing an overpowering start from one side before a strong finish to the half for the other soon took over. In the second half, it could have gone either way, as both the Lady Lions and Lady Rebels raced back-and-forth all the way down to the wire.
But when the opportunity arose, Jen Tuttle was there to make it happen.
With less than three minutes to go, and the pressure continuing to mount more and more, the Cuba-Rushford junior ate it all up and helped give her team the lead one more time, scoring the most clutch of goals to help finish off a three-goal, second half resurgence for the Lady Rebels to remain undefeated on the young season with a 3-2 edge over Wellsville.
“I’m really proud of how we responded in the second half,” said Lady Rebels coach Aaron Wight. “I know both teams just came off of an overtime game, and this one was another one of those battles. We showed some guts, especially after they tied it late in the second half. Both teams had some spells where they controlled the game. It really was back and forth, through and through. It’s been a battle almost every game we’ve played them the last few years. Tonight’s did not disappoint.”
The Lady Rebels (3-0-1) were the first to seize control of the action on the pitch in the first half, escalating the momentum by activating a great deal of passing, along with a stellar display of defense to keep Wellsville pinned on their side of the field. There were chances that formulated for the offense to take advantage of, but an active Lydia Kaye in between the posts for the Lady Lions, halted the Lady Rebels each time.
Later on, the Lady Lions (3-2) had their moment in the sun to twist the momentum in their favor, especially in the last 10 minutes of the opening half, with the efforts of Talia O’Connor, Jaden Dunbar and Lexi Aftuck all helping lead the charge on the offensive front. The pressure would ultimately break through for the visitors in white and orange with 3:30 left to play, as a collision in front of the Cuba-Rushford net allowed Raegan Vogel to step up and take charge, airlifting a long-range bomb straight into a wide open cage for a 1-0 halftime lead.
In the second half, Cuba-Rushford returned to the pitch refreshed and roaring to go, as they immediately assumed control of possession again. This time, striking quickly, as Cloey Larabee went back-to-back for the Lady Rebels to take a 1-0 deficit and turn it into a 2-1 lead in a matter of just two minutes, with her first stemming off a cross provided by Lily Tompkins off to her right before taking matters into her own hands on a rush back up the far sideline to give them the lead.
The advantage would remain frozen in place until the Lady Lions built another abundance of pressure against the Lady Rebels, as Jaden Dunbar found Emily Stuck with a pass on the right side of the net to tie the game at two with 16:04 left to go.
But with 2:15 left to play, the Lady Rebels found their way back to the net one more time against Wellsville, as Tuttle struck gold with the game-winning goal off a pass to the right side by Molly Kunz, one-timing it home to keep a brilliant start to the campaign off and running for the hosts in blue and gray.
Both teams recorded 12 shots on their opposing cages, but the win belonged to Annaleece Melton and undefeated Cuba-Rushford as she was in between the posts and made 10 great stops against the Lady Lions.
Lydia Kaye made nine saves for Wellsville.
Next up on Tuesday, both teams make their return to the field with Cuba-Rushford hitting the road for a 5 p.m. first kick against Friendship/Scio in Friendship, while Wellsville heads back home for a colossal 7 p.m. clash with the defending Class D State Finalist Fillmore Lady Eagles.
Bolivar-Richburg 1, Andover/Whitesville 0 (F-OT)
BOLIVAR — All that was needed at the end of the night was just a single goal, as Dunsmore-Latimer Field witnessed the first overtime game of the season for both Andover/Whitesville and Bolivar-Richburg unravel before their eyes to decide it all going into the weekend, Friday evening.
Opportunities were limited at times, but both teams had their fair share of them across a major bundle of time. After regulation could not decide a winner, it was up to extra time to present its case. And on their fifth and final shot of the night, the host Lady Wolverines struck gold with the aid of Cassidy Stives, who made the most of it on special teams to end the scoreless bug to lay claim on a 1-0 shutout of Andover/Whitesville.
The score for Stives came with 7:52 remaining in overtime, as Bolivar-Richburg (2-2) was presented with a massive corner kick opportunity deep in the Andover/Whitesville zone. Setting up the kick from the corner was Teegan Sibble, and with it, a strong boot to the front of the cage was met almost immediately with a redirection applied by Stives into the net, finishing off the night on the most positive of notes behind their one-goal win.
Despite the win, Bolivar-Richburg was outshot by Andover/Whitesville (0-4) on offense, as they took a 9-5 advantage. All nine of the shots for the visitors were met with saves by Rylee Whiting, en route towards a strong shutout performance in between the posts.
For Andover/Whitesville, Olivia Waters went on to make five saves.
The Lady Wolverines are back on the pitch tonight with a 6 p.m. visit to Alfred-Almond, while Andover/Whitesville heads home to Whitesville to welcome in visiting Genesee Valley/Belfast for a 5 p.m. visit on Tuesday.
Friendship/Scio 2, Jasper-Troupsburg 0
SCIO — Striking while the iron is scalding hot is as good of a momentum builder than anything.
Friendship/Scio did not want to waste time by any means doing just that on Friday, looking to Jadyn Nickerson to deliver the goods against visiting Jasper-Troupsburg, as she scored both of the team’s goals in a rapid succession to give them an advantage they never relinquished, allowing them score what ultimately became a 2-0 victory in Scio.
After an early battle that saw them take control, Friendship/Scio (2-2) managed to crack through the Jasper-Troupsburg defense very quickly in the first 10 minutes and change in the first half, with Nickerson finding the back of the net both times.
Her first score would circulate around a pass directed by Mercedes Fanton before taking matters into her own hands just 50 seconds later to double their lead the remainder of the way.
From that point onward, the Friendship/Scio defense would buckle down and limit anything the Lady Wildcats would push forward up the field, allowing just three shots to reach Avery Lamberson in between the posts, as she recorded the shutout victory behind three saves.
As for the offenses, the hosts went on to outshoot the visitors by a massive 26-3 count.
Friendship/Scio will look to eclipse the .500 mark of the young season come Tuesday night back home in Friendship, welcoming in the Cuba-Rushford Lady Rebels for a 5 p.m. contest.
GIRLS TENNIS
Fillmore 3, Addison 2
HOUGHTON — It was a dominant display of tennis across all three singles matches for the Lady Eagles of Fillmore, as the trio of Claire Schilke, Molly Mahoney and Indigo Knapp all fought a tough, competitive battle against their respective opponents on Friday at Houghton University to come away victorious by clinching the match for team in a 3-2 decision over visiting Addison.
“Our three singles players came up huge tonight,” said Lady Eagles coach Randy Crouch. “Indie got another great win, Molly has been solid at second singles and played really well against a quality opponent. She moved well tonight and wore her opponent down. Claire really played a complete match. (Alex) Boutelle is a backboard and just returns everything that is given to her. Claire really constructed points and played as well as I’ve seen the last two years.”
All three singles victories for Fillmore (2-2) were not easy to capture by any means, with Claire Schilke leading the way at first singles with a tough and gritty 6-3, 6-3 victory over Addison’s Alex Boutelle. Molly Mahoney dug in early on in her second singles matchup, weaving her way through a first-set tiebreaker to put towards a strong finish in what was a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Claire Thompson.
At third singles, Indigo Knapp managed to outlast a challenge issued by Kaylee Keech, claiming the 6-4, 6-2 win.
Down in the doubles department, the Lady Eagles worked mercilessly to stay on the winning end of the pendulum, but Addison managed to sneak out with a pair of three-set victories, as Kirra Bentley and Lena Tucker were downed in a back-and-forth affair at first singles by the Lady Knights duo of Zadie Vitulli and Leah Baker (6-4, 4-6, 6-1), while the doubles team of Greta Kettinger and Summer Friedl fell in a late two-set comeback to Gracie Davis and Chelsea Keech, downed by a 2-6, 6-2, 6-2 count.
Fillmore will look to pop up over .500 on the young season right back on their home court at Houghton University on Monday, hosting the Canisteo-Greenwood Lady Chargers in a 5 p.m. first serve.
Singles
1. Claire Schilke (FIL) def. Alex Boutelle (ADD), 6-3, 6-3.
2. Molly Mahoney (FIL) def. Claire Thompson (ADD), 7-5, 6-1.
3. Indigo Knapp (FIL) def. Kaylee Keech (ADD), 6-4, 6-2.
Doubles
1. Zadie Vitulli/Leah Baker (ADD) def. Kirra Bentley/Lena Tucker (FIL), 6-1, 4-6, 6-1.
2. Gracie Davis/Chelsea Keech (ADD) def. Greta Kettinger/Summer Friedl (FIL), 2-6, 6-2, 6-2.
Saturday Roundup: Lady Sea Lions record rare tie, score key victories to deadlock Salamanca; Fillmore boys rebound with massive win over A-L, Wellsville volleyball swept by Bloomfield
SALAMANCA — It’s not a very common occurrence that you find two teams have the same score at the end of the night following friendly competition in the water. But on Saturday, it was something that drew into effect when the Sea Lions of Wellsville and host Salamanca exchanged one stellar performance after another to settle on a 91-91 tie.
“The girls had to step up and swim some best times to get this tie today. The girls swam well for the second meet out,” said Sea Lions coach Steve Hand. “Kaylee (Oswald) had a great round of dives, Morgan (Mattison) swam well, Reegan (Perkins) and Megan (Vanetten) did an awesome job in the distance events and the relay events got us the points we really needed.”
Despite a competitive battle alongside Salamanca from start to finish, the Sea Lions (1-0-1) were determined to get some points on the board, as they collected eight first place finishes altogether — two each from Kaylee Oswald and Morgan Mattison, who led the way for all Wellsville swimmers.
Oswald went on to score two big wins in the 200 individual medley and then two events later, off the diving board. In between her victories, Mattison would record her first of two, swimming hard to victory in the 50 freestyle before following up down the stretch with a victory in the 100 breaststroke. Reegan Perkins and Megan Vanetten rounded off the individual victories for the four-peat champions, placing first in the 200 freestyle and 500 freestyle respectively.
Wellsville would put up a wrap on the meet with two relay victories to add into the fray, starting the meet with Salamanca strong with a 200 medley relay win to go with a 200 freestyle relay triumph just over midway.
Tuesday night will mark the first time Wellsville jumps into their home waters, as they prepare for a 5 p.m. visit from Bath-Haverling to open up their home slate of contests.
Results
Team Scores: Wellsville 91, Salamanca 91.
200 Medley – 1. Wellsville (K. Oswald, Green, Mattison, Perkins) 2:15.8, 2. Salamanca.
200 Free – 1. Reegan Perkins (WLSV) 2:30.1, 2. Megan Vanetten (WLSV), 3. Charli Ross (SAL).
200 IMR – 1. Kaylee Oswald (WLSV) 2:45.1, 2. Mikaela Tennity (SAL), 3. Juliana Smith (SAL).
50 Free – 1. Morgan Mattison (WLSV) 27.6, 2. Kynleigh Wass (SAL), 3. Ava Chriss (SAL).
Diving – 1. Kaylee Oswald (WLSV) 221.6, 2. Gabriella Bly (SAL), 3. Rileigh Hutchison (SAL).
100 Fly – 1. Charli Ross (SAL) 1:24.5, 2. Lily Miller (WLSV), 3. Makenna Cooke (WLSV).
100 Free – 1. Kynleigh Wass (SAL) 1:04.1, 2. Addison Follman (SAL), 3. Ella Green (WLSV).
500 Free – 1. Megan Vanetten (WLSV) 6:40.9, 2. Reegan Perkins (WLSV), 3. Mikaela Tennity (SAL).
200 Relay – 1. Wellsville (Green, Mattison, Miller, Perkins) 2:03.4, 2. Salamanca, 3. Salamanca.
100 Back – 1. Addison Follman (SAL) 1:19.9, 2. Jasmine Outman (WLSV), 3. Ella Martens (SAL).
100 Breaststroke – 1. Morgan Mattison (WLSV) 1:24.1, 2. Ella Green (WLSV), 3. Juliana Smith (SAL).
400 Free – 1. Salamanca (Smith, Ross, Wass, Tennity) 4:37.0, 2. Wellsville, 3. Salamanca.
BOYS SOCCER
Fillmore 2, Allegany-Limestone 1
FILLMORE — The goal for head coach Jarrett Vosburg and his Fillmore squad was to issue a massive follow-up proceeding their scoreless deadlock with Genesee Valley/Belfast back on Thursday. The road ahead remained a difficult one to travel along, and Saturday provided more evidence of that, as they played host to Section VI superpower Allegany-Limestone.
Almost immediately out of the starting gate, the Eagles were tested by the Gators, as they laid down a thunderous crack into the ice nearly five minutes in.
But despite the early setback, the defending Class D champions put their hardiness on full display shortly after.
Fillmore fastened their seat belts on defense and they would not allow Allegany-Limestone to find the back of the net again, opening up the door for the offense to make some noise later on in the second half. As a result, Carson Sanasith and Isaiah Sisson gave the Eagles brand new life, transforming a 1-0 halftime deficit into a 2-1 lead they managed to hang onto until the final horn to remain undefeated with a 3-0 start to the campaign.
“This was a super resilient effort from the boys tonight, and it resulted in a hard-fought win against a tough, high-quality Allegany-Limestone team,” said Eagles coach Jarrett Vosburg. “After giving up a goal four minutes into the game, the boys were able to find their footing and defensive positioning, and keep them off the scoresheet the rest of the way. In spite of losing the time of possession battle, I felt we made some adjustments to limit their shots to the perimeter, and limit the amount of chasing we were doing. Then in the second half, Carson and Isaiah made two outstanding efforts to give us the lead and Brayden (Hennard) closed the deal in goal. While it wasn’t perfect, this was a resilient way to end our opening week of play.”
The Eagles (3-0) made the most of their opportunities on the attack with the application of only five shots on the Allegany-Limestone net. The pressure they provided would carve a path through the Gators defense and straight to the net, tying the game at one off a fine direct kick let loose from Brayden Walton up to Carson Sanasith just over 10 minutes in.
10 minutes later, Fillmore overtook Allegany-Limestone in the driver’s seat with the help of Isaiah Sisson and his amazing rush up the field, shedding a Gators defender on his way to the net to score the go-ahead goal past midway, ultimately garnering the victory behind one final, strong stand from the defense to keep their opposition off the board.
Out of the 11 shots that Brayden Hennard faced in between the posts for the Eagles, the senior keeper would go on to stop them all to record the victory.
In search of their fourth straight win to open the campaign, Fillmore will hit the road Tuesday night for a big 7 p.m. visit to Wellsville to face the host Lions.
Andover/Whitesville 3, Alfred-Almond 0
ALMOND — A red hot start to the season remains ignited for Andover/Whitesville.
Rekindling that fire was a trip to Alfred-Almond on Saturday, where a fast start in the game’s first 15 minutes from Colton Calladine allowed them to set the tone against the host Eagles, as they pushed their way towards a 3-0-1 start with a 3-0 shutout.
A very tenacious beginning of the night for Andover/Whitesville (3-0-1) settled in right away, connecting with their first of two first half scores vehemently just five minutes removed from the opening kick at midfield, as Calladine capitalized on a pass handed along by Trey Kent to open the scoring.
Calladine would issue his final goal at the 27:33 mark, cashing in on a pass dished along by Gage Putnam to double their lead on the Eagles.
The lead would remain intact, courtesy of a strong defensive stand, as they held Alfred-Almond off the board while keeping their foot down on the gas going into the second half. To further cement their advantage for good, Andover/Whitesville took care of the victory with a score from Rogan Perkins off a pass by Brody Carlin with 23:20 left to play.
The three goals that punctured the Alfred-Almond cage stemmed off of 13 total shots Andover/Whitesville would apply, as they outshot the Eagles by a 13-8 final count. All eight shots that were faced by Skyler Orpet in between the posts were saved, allowing him to capture the clean sheet win.
Andover/Whitesville is back on the field Wednesday night back home, as they prepare to host Genesee Valley/Belfast in a 5 p.m. contest in Whitesville.
Houghton Academy 10, Jasper-Troupsburg 1
JASPER — The offensive firepower that Houghton Academy showcased the previous day did not slow down one bit come Saturday afternoon.
In their second of back-to-back trips over the road, the Panthers saw contributions from all over the field come to light, as they scored five goals in each half to set up a strong 10-1 win over host Jasper-Troupsburg.
The 10 goals for the Panthers (2-2) stemmed off a 26-shot display of offense against the Wildcats, with nine different players all recording points on the scoresheet. Leading the way was a dynamic performance from David Jatta, who recorded a hat trick and handed out two helpers. Huy Ho followed with his two goals, while Josh Davidson handed out the ball to earn three apples of his own, pairing it with a goal.
Adding more help along the way for the visitors in white and blue were Jae Masiza (one goal, one assist), Jon Habecker (two assists), Darin Alvaros (one goal), Sean Sompie (one goal), Luc Sompie (one goal) and Jack Prentice (one assist).
In net, Jerry Pham made two saves to record the win.
Houghton Academy is back on the field Wednesday night, hosting Bolivar-Richburg at 5 p.m.
GIRLS SOCCER
Alfred-Almond 3, Bolivar-Richburg 2
ALMOND — The Lady Eagles of Alfred-Almond successfully staved off a great challenge posed by visiting Bolivar-Richburg on Saturday, as they managed to find the win column to close out the weekend strong, claiming the 3-2 home win over the Lady Wolverines.
In-depth statistics were not made available to report upon publication.
The Lady Wolverines (2-3) will look to regroup and rebound when they return to action come Thursday night, as they prepare to host Genesee Valley/Belfast in a 5 p.m. contest back home at Dunsmore-Latimer Field.
FOOTBALL
Trumansburg 55, Bolivar-Richburg 0
BOLIVAR — The Trumansburg Blue Raiders were ripping and roaring to go straight out of the gate during their visit to Dunsmore-Latimer Field in Bolivar, Saturday afternoon.
Right from the opening kickoff, the visitors representing Section IV set the tone immediately with a massive first quarter that they never looked back on against the host Wolverines of Bolivar-Richburg, en route towards a 55-0 victory.
Trumansburg took advantage of every opportunity they were able to garner on offense, accounting for a 27-point first quarter to set up shop against the Wolverines (0-2) from within their stout 342 yards of offensive production.
On defense, the Blue Raiders held the hosts in black and red to a near standstill, allowing just 73 yards from scrimmage.
Tavyn MacDonell had 32 of those yards on the ground off 11 rushes to help lead the offense. MacDonell was also Bolivar-Richburg’s leader on defense, netting three tackles. Charlie Militello had 2.5 tackles, while Calyn Todd had a pair to chip in.
The Wolverines will look to bounce it back next weekend with a visit from the Wellsville Lions, beginning at 7 p.m. on Friday right back at Dunsmore-Latimer Field.
Trumansburg 27 7 14 7 – 55
Bolivar-Richburg 0 0 0 0 – 0
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
Bloomfield 3, Wellsville 0
BLOOMFIELD — The Lady Lions of Wellsville gave one of Section V’s volleyball superpowers a fight over the road up north, Saturday afternoon.
After closing the gap with the Bloomfield Lady Bombers through the day’s opening set, it would be the closest they would get to the Lady Bombers, as they assumed control from that point on to claim a straight-set sweep on their home floor by a 25-22, 25-10, 25-14 count.
Leading the way for the Lady Lions (1-2) on offense was Lindsay Stuck, who had three kills to go with her six digs on defense and a pair of aces. On defense, Natalie Adams was busy keeping the ball off the floor, collecting 13 team-leading digs to pair with two kills.
In addition, Makenna Dunbar chipped in with six more digs to go with two kills and a block, while Averee Palmatier rounded off the scoring with five digs, two kills and two more denials.
Wellsville will host their home opener coming up on Tuesday, welcoming the Cuba-Rushford Lady Rebels to town in a 7:30 p.m. first serve.
