Saturday Roundup: B-R, C-R boys score massive upsets to set up colossal Allegany County C2 Semifinal; No. 3 GV/Belfast girls rally behind 2nd half surge to garner 4-2 win over No. 6 Fri/Scio
BRADFORD — To say that the Wolverines of Bolivar-Richburg avoided a major close call against No. 9 Wheatland-Chili, would be a massive understatement.
After a 2-0 halftime lead against the Wildcats back on Wednesday was chopped down with a late goal, all while a boat load of pressure continued to force them up against the wall, the No. 8 seeds were able to somehow survive by the skin of their teeth in the end to secure the 2-1 victory.
Head coach Mike Zilker told his team post game in Fillmore, that if the run back to the Class C2 Finals was going to happen again, they would need to buckle in and lock in down until the end. Especially with their next obstacle standing in their way now being top-seeded Dundee/Bradford, when Saturday afternoon arrived in full force.
The message that the Wolverines received going into their Quarterfinal clash with the BraveScots was received loud and clear. Especially by their leading scorer, Reiss Gaines.
After a lengthy battle with Dundee/Bradford across the opening half of play, the Bolivar-Richburg senior navigated his way onto the board with minimal time left in the opening half. With the lead in hand, the Wolverines continued to hold it until Gaines was able to post a big piece of insurance while the defense kept the fort held down against the BraveScots to record the largest upset in the Class C2 playoffs with a 2-0 shutout in Bradford.
“The boys came out with a passion to win,” said Wolverines coach Mike Zilker. “We played well as a team and got some great play from the veterans of this team. A great team effort and a great team win. I was really proud of the effort they displayed against a very good team like Dundee/Bradford, who will be tough again next season. Today we celebrate the win, but then we’re back to work on Monday.”
In a game of such magnitude, the chances were limited between Bolivar-Richburg and Dundee/Bradford, as both teams recorded six shots on their respective cages to set the pace for their offensive battle across the pitch. As the battle for possession in the midfield raged on, the Wolverines (9-8-1) would attempt to chip away at Dundee/Bradford, slowly but surely.
With 37 seconds remaining in the opening half, that patience paid off with the first of two Gaines scores coming to break the ice, as he propelled his shot straight into the BraveScots net off a pass handed along by Aydin SIsson to claim a 1-0 lead going into halftime.
The lead was held firmly within their grasp as the battle across the pitch resumed once more in the early stages of the second half, leading up to Gaines’ second marker of the game with 25:40 left to go. Cayden Gaines was responsible for providing the big helper that allowed the Wolverines take a big two-goal advantage on the BraveScots all the way to the very end, where the defense held up its end of the bargain to keep the hosts off the board completely.
With each team recording six shots on the attack, David Abdo was sublime in between the posts for Bolivar-Richburg, setting aside all six he faced from Dundee/Bradford to record the team’s shutout of the season.
The Wolverines have now moved into the Class C2 Semifinals, where they now find themselves aligned in an all-Allegany County clash for the right to move into next weekend’s Finals. Next up is No. 5 Cuba-Rushford, who upset No. 4 Keshequa with a shutout victory of their own to claim their spot in the last stage before the big dance.
The two long-standing local rivals will prepare to collide for the fourth and final time this season, this time in Wellsville on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
No. 5 Cuba-Rushford 1, No. 4 Keshequa 0
NUNDA — The conditions were less than ideal. With the wind blowing, the rain falling and the air chilly at Kiwanis Park in Nunda, the No. 5 Rebels of Cuba-Rushford entered their Class C2 Quarterfinal matchup with one of Section V’s powers, No. 4 Keshequa, with a full head of steam.
The task at hand that blocked their path to the Semifinal round was not going to be an easy one. All throughout the battle, both teams garnered a bundle of chances, as they combined to record 34 total shots. But in the midst of the chaos, only one goal was able to wiggle its way into the cage at the end of the night.
After a scoreless tie at the break, it was broken in the first 10 minutes of the last period. Cuba-Rushford would go on to make the most of the opportunity.
Through all of the pressure that the two foes applied to one another across nearly 50 minutes of soccer, the Rebels were able to alleviate some of it with what turned out to be the game’s lone score from Tanner Lewis, as he ensured Cuba-Rushford’s trip to the Class C2 Semifinal round next week with one of their biggest victories of the season — a 1-0 shutout of host Keshequa.
“I can’t say enough about the heart and effort my guys played with tonight,” said Rebels coach Rob Wight. “Braeden Wight has never played in the back in his career, and we gave him the task of man-marking Ian Hinrich, one of the top scorers in Livingston County. He did a phenomenal job of holding him, and we were really able to keep their top guys all in check with the exception of a lucky bounce early in the first half. Brock Stadler, Luke Brooks and Finn Ricketts were rock solid in the back, and I can’t say enough about Alex (Baron) coming up with a few big saves that helped us really shift the tide of the game.”
The Rebels (10-7-1) were able to evade an early chance from Keshequa out of the gate in the first 10 minutes, as the hosts nearly capitalized on a fortuitous bounce inside the box to set up a colossal penalty kick. But it was one that Alex Baron provided the biggest of saves on to keep Keshequa off the board, helping lead the action towards a scoreless tie after the first 40 minutes.
The save however, would create a massive momentum shift going into the second half, which allowed Cuba-Rushford to take control of the midfield against Keshequa to set up the go-ahead goal by Lewis, as he fired home the score off a pass sent along by Robert Childs to give them the lead permanently.
In a game that saw nearly 40 shots go on both Cuba-Rushford and Keshequa’s respective nets, the hosts were able to come away with a narrow 18-16 advantage over the Rebels. But at the end of the war, the win was Baron’s to claim for the No. 5 seeds, as he set aside all 18 shots to record the biggest shutout for the team this season.
With the victory, the Rebels have now advanced into the Class C2 Semifinals, which will begin on Wednesday against a very familiar foe — No. 8 Bolivar-Richburg, who defeated top-seeded Dundee/Bradford, also in shutout fashion, to punch their own ticket into the Semifinals.
“All in all, anytime you win a Sectional game like this, you know it took every guy to do their job,” Wight said. “We executed the game plan to perfection, and I couldn’t be any more pleased with the performance the guys were able to put out there tonight. I’m so happy for Bolivar-Richburg after they had some ups and downs all through the season, but I’m really excited to see them again for a trip to the Finals on the line. This should be a fun game.”
GIRLS SOCCER
Class D Quarterfinals
No. 3 Genesee Valley/Belfast 4, No. 6 Friendship/Scio 2
BELMONT — There was no doubt that No. 6 Friendship/Scio came flying out of the gate swinging with goals in their first two shots of the game, garnering the early edge against third-seeded Genesee Valley/Belfast. They looked to keep the momentum ever in their favor going into the second half, while on the other side, a challenge was presented to the hosts.
If Genesee Valley/Belfast was going to gain ground, they had to do it quickly in the midst of messy conditions at Judy Bliven Field in Belmont, Saturday night.
The call was submitted, and in the first 10 minutes of the second half, it was answered with authority.
Led by clutch goals by Kayla Wedge and Bayleigh Tallman to tie the game with Friendship/Scio, Genesee Valley/Belfast was able to build an amassment of momentum that completely changed the complexion of the game, while the defense in turn held their opposition at a complete standstill, as the No. 3 seeds saw a four-goal comeback come into full fruition to punch their ticket to the Class D Semifinals with a 4-2 win.
“We challenged the ladies at the half, and man did they ever respond,” GV/Belfast co-coach Lisa Scott-Schneider said. “The defense held their own and they played much, much better. We weren’t ready in the first half, with the conditions being brutal but there are no excuses. Friendship/Scio plain and simple, beat us to the ball. But this was a survive-and-advance test, and we’re on to the Semifinals. We’re hoping this is something that we can really learn from and become prepared right off the get-go. It will only get harder to climb out of holes from here, if we fall into another again.”
Five minutes into the game, Friendship/Scio broke the ice with the assistance of Nevaeh Ross, who struck gold with a 1-0 lead off a great pass sent along by Cassidy Scholla. With the lead in hand, they navigated their way through the tough conditions to keep Genesee Valley/Belfast (14-3-1) on their feet with their second goal — a Morghyn Ross score into the net with 16:12 left on the clock, off a pass from Nevaeh Ross.
Looking to lay even more brickwork down to their foundation, Friendship/Scio (9-9) remained in control of all the momentum with a two-goal lead going into the break. But upon re-entering the field for the second half, a complete flip of the script was performed by the hosts in black.
Right in the first five minutes themselves, Genesee Valley/Belfast jumpstarted what would shape up as a game-changing rally, as Kayla Wedge started the goal-scoring with a run straight to the far post of the Friendship/Scio cage, as Danika Scott delivered a beautiful pass to the front for Wedge to finish off, cutting the deficit straight down the middle.
Not long after, the game steered towards a 2-2 tie with Bayleigh Tallman finding the back of the net, capitalizing on a loose ball in front of the net to tilt the balance of power back towards Genesee Valley/Belfast. The deadlock would remain secured as time approached midway when the hosts found another opening to take the lead away from Friendship/Scio, led by Hannah Southwick-Powers and her score off a pass up the middle provided by Whitney Young.
Genesee Valley/Belfast would officially put away the victory with 20:06 left to play, as Danika Scott capitalized on a prime direct kick that sailed high and straight over Grace Drumm in the Friendship/Scio net and towards the far post for the massive piece of insurance. The four goals for the hosts came on 16 total shots, while the defense held Friendship/Scio without a shot across the last 40 minute period.
In goal, Kimme Ball picked up the win for Genesee Valley/Belfast.
Grace Drumm made 12 saves for Friendship/Scio, who saw their fantastic season come to an end with a record of 9-9 overall. The team will graduate four seniors in Drumm, Nevaeh Ross, Lexi Crossley and Ashlyn Golden.
The journey for Genesee Valley/Belfast rolls on to the Class D Semifinal round, which begins on Wednesday, as they now prepare for a big 5 p.m. clash with No. 2 Northstar in Warsaw. The winner will face either No. 5 Marion or top-seeded Fillmore in the Finals, next Saturday night.
No. 1 Fillmore 9, No. 8 C.G. Finney 0
FILLMORE — Game one for the Lady Eagles of Fillmore in their Sectional journey was one they started off on fast note, as they amplified a loud first half with five goals — three of them spawning in the first 11 minutes of play to set the tone immediately on the No. 8 Lady Falcons of C.G. Finney, as the top-seeds in Class D strolled towards victory for the final time on their own field with a 9-0 shutout in Quarterfinal action, Saturday night.
“I thought overall, we played a very strong game,” Lady Eagles coach Jon Beardsley said. “Our midfield won the battle of the free ball, the defense kept the ball in front of us and our team offense used a variety of ways to create chances. I thought Delaney (Hillman) started the game off strong and that opened up things for other players. Grace (Russell) earned her 100th career assist on her third assist of the game. We had 22 kids up for this game and everyone got some meaningful Sectional experience. It’s the last game on the Fillmore field for these Seniors, and they certainly left it with a good win.”
The scoring for the Lady Eagles (17-0) began just five minutes off the opening kick with Delaney Hillman connecting with Hope Russell before the two swapped pleasantries on the next goal four minutes later, as Russell scored off a pass from Hillman to grab a 2-0 lead through the first nine minutes against the Lady Falcons.
Russell would score her second of the game just two minutes later to keep the fast pace cemented, scoring off a feed from Rachel Hatch. Amelia Rose would score a goal of her own down the stretch in the opening half to branch Fillmore’s lead to four off a pass sent along by Mattie McCumiskey.
The next three goals were collectively intertwined by the Russell sisters, as Hope recorded a first half hat trick off the first of three Grace Russell assists — the latter of the helpers assisting in eclipsing 100 in her career, while the five-goal game her sister recorded surpassed 60 on the season.
Tenlee Miller would help finish off the scoring for the Lady Eagles with assists on the team’s last two goals, handing one out to Grace before shelling out her last to Mylee Miller with 10 minutes left to play to close up a dominant performance against the Lady Falcons.
Further statistics were not made available to report upon publication.
Fillmore’s next stop is now the Class D Semifinal round where they will take on the No. 5 Marion Lady Black Knights on Wednesday for a chance to punch their ticket to the Finals next weekend.
First kick is set for a 7 p.m. start in Warsaw.
FOOTBALL
Bolivar-Richburg 58, C.G. Finney/Northstar 18
ROCHESTER — It was as strong of an end to the regular season that the Wolverines of Bolivar-Richburg had hoped for Saturday afternoon. After hopping on the bus bright and early at 8 a.m. to head north to visit C.G. Finney/Northstar, the ride home was a positive one, as they used a big first half lead to stroll their way towards victory by a 58-18 count.
The Wolverines (5-2) set the music to the tune of 516 yards of total offense against C.G. Finney/Northstar, as they came out swinging on all fronts with a big 20-0 lead after the first quarter. Leading the way was a pair of Trey Buchholz touchdowns on the ground from 17 and 40 yards out, layered in between the first of two touchdown passes Caden Allen threw to Kingston Loucks, for 50 yards.
Tavyn MacDonell went on to score the team’s fourth touchdown of the half before C.G. Finney/Northstar erased the shutout before the half ended with a score on the ground themselves. WIth a 28-6 lead in hand, the Bolivar-Richburg lead continued to grow on the very first play of the second half, as Buchholz took his attack to the special teams front with a 92-yard kickoff return straight to the house. Buchholz would finish the game with four total touchdowns — three from the backfield off 134 yards of rushing.
Bolivar-Richburg also saw two more touchdowns come into fruition to finish off a dominant second half, as Allen and Loucks connected with an 80-yard touchdown in the third quarter before the victory was finished off by a long 83-yard run by Calyn Todd in the fourth.
On defense, the Wolverines forced three fumbles against C.G. Finney/Northstar, recovering them all. Leading the defense was Loucks and MacDonell, as both defenders recorded 7.5 tackles. Zach Mitchell had six tackles, while Allen had 5.5 tackles.
The regular season is now over for Bolivar-Richburg, as they now await Sectional play beginning next weekend after finishing with a record of 5-2 overall.
Bolivar-Richburg 20 8 24 6 – 58
Finney/Northstar 0 6 6 6 – 18
Scoring Summary
1st
B-R – Trey Buchholz 17-yard run, 2-pts failed (6-0 B-R)
B-R – Kingston Loucks 50-yard pass from Caden Allen, 2-pts good (14-0 B-R)
B-R – Trey Buchholz 40-yard run, 2-pts failed (20-0 B-R)
2nd
B-R – Tavyn MacDonell 18-yard run, 2-pts good (28-0 B-R)
F/N – Owen Torelli 47-yard run, 2-pts failed (28-6 B-R)
3rd
B-R – Trey Buchholz 92-yard kickoff return, 2-pts good (36-6 B-R)
F/N – Zyaire Banks 57-yard run, 2-pts failed (36-12 B-R)
B-R – Kingston Loucks 80-yard pass from Caden Allen, 2-pts good (44-12 B-R)
B-R – Trey Buchholz 68-yard run, 2-pts good (52-12 B-R)
4th
F/N – Connor O'Hare 22-yard run, 2-pts failed (52-18 B-R)
B-R – Calyn Todd 83-yard run, 2-pts failed (58-18 B-R)
