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Warriors edge Wildcats in boys hoops action
 | | GET OUTTA MY WAY...John F. Kennedy senior guard Adam Ferraro fends off a Nichols defender Saturday. (Times photo) |
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With a shot scored late in the fourth quarter, the Cheektowaga Central boys varsity basketball team forced No. 7-ranked large school Depew (6-1 overall, 1-1 in league play) to wait until next season to attempt an unblemished record.
The two teams played toe-to-toe for the majority of the game, with their defenses doing most of the talking in what became a low-scoring game. However, it was Central senior Kevin Hairston’s two-pointer with less than three seconds remaining in regulation that erased all that went wrong for the Warriors during Tuesday’s battle between the pair of Erie County Interscholastic Conference III rivals. The shot lifted Central to a 42-41 victory. Hairston contributed an additional eight points along with eight rebounds during the contest.
“In the first half we missed a lot of outside shots. The entire game was a challenge,” commented Central head coach Luke Vogel. “Our defense came up big for us in the end. They were the best I’ve seen them in my four years of coaching here.”
Depew head coach Larry Jones agreed and added that senior forward Paul Neiman, who punched in eight points from down low during the first half, wasn’t able to contribute too much to the score board with Central senior Chris Huggins-Weaver providing solid coverage near the basket during the second portion of the game.
“This game was a good test for us, but we failed,” stated Jones. “You can’t be outscored and beaten at the boards and expect to win. Cheektowaga’s defense did a nice job at shutting Paul down, and a couple of our other key players struggled from the field as well.”
Huggins-Weaver led Central with 13 points and 15 rebounds.
Both coaches stated that even though the outcome of this game was significant, there still is a lot more ball to be played before the end of the season.
“We’ve still got a lot of work to do, and several challenges are ahead,” said Vogel. “We won’t back down to anyone, but we’ve got to work on playing a full 32 minutes.”
Central (5-3 overall, 2-1 in league play) will travel to Grand Island tomorrow for a non-league contest.
Jones said his squad plans to build off this loss by improving their freethrow shooting and polishing their defense. The Wildcats will host the Depew Tournament tomorrow and Wednesday.
Depew won a battle of unbeaten teams last Thursday, thumping nonleague opponent Niagara Catholic at the Monsignor Martin-ECIC Challenge at St. Mary’s of Lancaster High School.
Led by senior guard Scott Jachimiak’s 23 points, including four treys in the first half, Depew jumped out to a 45-26 halftime lead en route to a 76-59 victory. Nieman added 14 points and eight rebounds, while senior forward Eric Wild tallied 11 points.
Central dominated league opponent Tonawanda on Friday, 57-22. Junior guard Donte Parker led the Warriors with 25 points, while Chris Huggins-Weaver added 14.
Elsewhere in ECIC-III, Maryvale dropped a 55-53 decision last Friday on the road to non-league foe Bishop Timon-St. Jude. Timon connected on a jump shot with three seconds left to edge the Flyers, who fell to 3-3 overall. Seniors Matt Mohr and Matt Brennan each scored 19 points to lead Maryvale.
The Flyers will host the Maryvale Tournament tonight and Wednesday. JFK suffers one-point loss; Eagles flattened by Steelers
The John F. Kennedy’s boys varsity basketball team’s one-point loss at league foe Alden Tuesday brought back memories of a similar gutwrenching loss one year ago.
The Bears fell to the Bulldogs, 71- 70 on Tuesday after the locals saw a 10-point, fourth-quarter lead evaporate with five seconds remaining on two free throws by Alden’s Andy Wozniak.
Last year, JFK blew a 20-point, fourth quarter lead at home in a twopoint loss to Alden.
The Bears (1-5 overall, 1-2 in ECIC-IV) were led on Tuesday by senior center Corey Knox’s 21 points, while junior guard Jake Wenkowski added 12.
JFK fell victim to non-league foe Nichols’ hot shooting on Saturday at the ECIC-Monsignor Martin Challenge, losing to the Catholic League standout, 76-43.
The Bears fell behind 23-0 after they committed several turnovers and Nichols buried a series of threepointers and fast-break layups.
JFK trailed 44-24 at halftime and were down by as much as 33 in the second half. Senior guard Joe Duquette led the locals with 11 points.
The Bears pounded ECIC-IV opponent Eden last Thursday, 66-34. Senior forward Jay Ineson led a balanced scoring effort with 14 points, while Duquette added 13 and senior forward Jake Jankowski, nine. Junior forward Mike Bartozek grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds. JFK recorded season team highs with 50 rebounds, 20 assists and 20 steals.
The Bears faced league foe Lackawanna Wednesday night, with results coming too late for press time. JFK will participate in the Depew Tournament tomorrow and Wednesday.
Cleve Hill (0-5 overall, 0-3 in ECIC-IV) remained winless after suffering an 89-29 defeat Tuesday to league foe Lackawanna on the road. Junior guard Lenard Smith led the Eagles with 13 points, while junior Joe Sanders added nine.
Cleve Hill will play in the Maryvale Tournament tonight and Wednesday, with a league contest sandwiched in between, tomorrow at home against East Aurora. Lady Wildcats, Maryvale
set for matchup tonight
The Depew and Maryvale girls varsity basketball teams will square off tonight in a key early-season ECIC-III matchup on the Lady Wildcats’ home court at 7:30 p.m.
The Lady Flyers (2-4 overall, 2-2 in ECIC-III) lost to league foe Pioneer last Thursday, 71-53. Maryvale, which trailed only 31-27 at halftime, was led by junior guard Toni Caruso’s 14 points, while sophomore guard Olivia Gmerek added 11.
The Lady Wildcats (5-2 overall, 2-2 in league play) followed up last Thursday’s road loss to league foe Starpoint with a 60-35 non-league win at home over Lackawanna on Tuesday.
Against Starpoint, Depew’s offense could not come through in the fourth quarter after being deadlocked at 38 with the Lady Spartans after three quarters. Senior point guard Jordan Schrimmel led the locals with 22 points, including four three-pointers, while sophomore forward Alexis Wayne added 15.
Against Lackawanna, Schrimmel again led the locals with 21 points and 10 assists, while senior center Jen Godson added 15 points and 10 rebounds. Cleve Hill earns rivalry win
over John F. Kennedy girls
While her team has been struggling to score this season, first-year Cleveland Hill girls varsity basketball coach Elisabeth Beccue’s Lady Eagles have been working hard on the defensive end.
That effort helped produce a 22- 18 league win at home over local rival John F. Kennedy on Tuesday.
Cleve Hill (1-6 overall, 1-4 in league play) gave unbeaten league foe Lackawanna all it could handle last Thursday before dropping a 34- 29 decision at home. The Lady Eagles, who held a two-point lead at halftime, were led by eight points apiece from senior guard Eric Kracker and junior forward Alyssa Luksch.
Cleve Hill will play in the Royalton-Hartland Tournament next Thursday and Friday.
JFK (1-6 overall, 0-5 in ECIC-IV play) fell on the road last Thursday to ECIC-IV opponent Alden, 63-35. Junior guard Krissy Wesolowski led the Lady Bears with 11 points, while fellow junior Amanda Moran added eight.
The Lady Bears return to action next Wednesday and Thursday at the Tonawanda Tournament. St. Mary’s Lady Lancers
earn much-needed win
The St. Mary’s of Lancaster girls varsity basketball team got back in the win column Monday night at home against Monsignor Martin League, Small Schools opponent Cardinal O’Hara.
The Lady Lancers (3-5 overall, 2- 2 overall) squeezed out a 51-48 victory, as junior guard and Cheektowaga
resident Katie Kapanek led St. Mary’s with 11 points, while junior guard Bridget Rosati added 10.
St. Mary’s lost a 54-33 decision on December 13 to Monsignor Martin foe Mt. St. Mary’s. The locals faced Mount Mercy Wednesday night, with results coming too late for press time.
The Lady Lancers will participate in the Holland Tournament next Wednesday and on December 29.
The St. Mary’s boys have lost two consecutive games, 60-54 to Lake Shore during the ECIC-Monsignor Martin Challenge, and 79-47 to nonleague opponent Hutchinson-Technical Institute.
Freshman Joe Bernhardt led the Lancers (4-5 overall) with 17 points against Hutch-Tech at home Tuesday. St. Mary’s lost to Lake Shore at home on Saturday.
The Lancers return to action tonight at home against Riverside, then play in the Lackawanna Tournament on December 28 and 29.
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