Saturday Sectionals: No. 4 Red Raiders create one final memory inside home gym before renovation, knock out archrival No. 5 Lions in B1 Quarters; No. 2 Fillmore girls coast past No. 10 Mount Morris

HORNELL — So many memories have been made from within the gym’s walls in Hornell. So much history, chronicled across so much time. When voters irrefutably approved the school district’s $30.2 million Capital Project back in December of 2023, the end for this era of the Seneca Street Zoo began to draw near.

And with the way time works now-a-days, all the countless days, hours, minutes, seconds. Every single measurement of time spent on that hardwood in season and in the off-season, all zoomed by in a flash.

The calendar now landed on March 1, 2025. The clock, 7 p.m.

Curtain call time.

It was an emotional topic of discussion entering the night on Saturday that was brought up by longtime Red Raiders head coach Kirk Scholes, right before they graced the Zoo’s stage one last time against a team the basketball mastermind wanted since the very beginning. A team they’ve shared an exorbitant amount of history with for so very long — their archrivals from the west, the Wellsville Lions.

After the Class B1 bracket was assembled, the stars in the Section V sky needed alignment. With Hornell waiting in the wings with a first-round bye as the No. 4 seed, a win for the No. 5 Lions over No. 12 Early College back on Wednesday was all it took.

The Red Raiders would indeed get their wish.

Blue Cross Arena started to come within view along the Class B1 autobahn, with the exit off the freeway towards the War Memorial coming faster than you think. With No. 1 World of Inquiry waiting on the other side in the Semifinal round next week, only one of them was going to see their journey continue.

With the way this historic rivalry has gone over the years, especially at this stage of the game, there was simply no doubting that the blood, the sweat, the tears, all of the overwhelming emotion that it bolsters, it was going to ring true again in front of a standing-room only crowd in the Maple City.

The game of basketball can be classified as a battle of wits, a game of runs, a contest of physical fortitude. For a while in the early stages, the final installment of Section V’s most storied rivalry this year had all of those elements in the midst of a back-and-forth spar in the first half. With the Lions making up an initial deficit entering the second quarter, the Red Raiders were frozen in their tracks, after Wellsville drew even with a momentous jaunt.

The Lions grasped the momentum, and now it was on Hornell to try and alter it any way they could. After some adjustments, the ice began to unthaw. Rapidly..

In common athletic practice, they say it’s always difficult to best the same team three times in one season. But in Hornell’s case, they simply were just not going to let that happen. Especially if it was their final game inside their home confines for the foreseeable future.

The ice soon melted completely, and shortly after their application of heat, the modus operandi for their first half finish turned into an unremitting tsunami.

After being held off the scoreboard in the second quarter for well over five minutes, the Red Raiders unleashed a game-changing tidal wave against the Lions, finishing the first half just as strong as their carryover into the second half, where an overwhelming amount of pressure on defense on one end of the floor granted major success on the other, holding Wellsville at a near-standstill to saddle up and ride off into the sunset in front of their home fans with a punching of their tickets to the Class B1 Semifinals following a 59-40 victory over their longtime rivals.

“This was the last time we were going to play inside here. If history could have written itself, it was going to be a Wellsville-Hornell game. History just aligned perfectly to help make that happen,” Red Raiders coach Kirk Scholes said. “We came in defensively with our thoughts on two things: We wanted to stop them in transition, knowing we had to eliminate JJ (Howard) on lay-ups and (Trent) Green on dunks and lay-ups. We had to keep them in the half-court. Number two, we had to rebound the ball like crazy. They’re big, long, athletic, and in the first couple of games against them, we did not do a well-enough job with that. We were talking about rebounding all night. If we held them to one shot, we could give ourselves a chance.”

They gave themselves a chance and so much more. But that came after a tight battle through an opening eight minute session that was purely reminiscent of Wellsville-Hornell basketball that we’ve come to know over the years. Both teams went on a back-and-forth exchange before some breathing room was garnered by the Red Raiders (14-7) off their three-point game — a mainstay throughout the entire contest, with PJ Picco and Demayne Dixon going back-to-back to pull ahead first and foremost.

The momentum was held by the Red Raiders with two more three-pointers being knocked down to extend their lead out to seven at the quarter’s conclusion. But the offense would remain idle across the next several minutes, as Wellsville then took charge of the hardwood themselves to open the second quarter, as they rode a 7-0 run off the capitalization of several second chance opportunities against the Hornell defense — one of them, a wide-open look inside the wing from Trent Green that leveled the playing surface past midway.

But just as Wellsville found a rhythm, the Red Raiders interrupted it with a mighty response expanding across the end of the first half and into the majority of the third quarter. When the numbers were all calculated, the hosts with “H-Town” on the front of their jerseys constructed a leviathan 18-4 run following an even 18-18 timeshare on the scoreboard, all generated by an exceptional three-point presence once again, with Wyatt Evingham going back-to-back to initially help pull Hornell ahead at the break with a 9-2 half-closing run.

Adversity was something that was on the minds of Scholes and the Red Raiders all week. Something they knew they had to overcome at some point.

“All week long, we talked about times where things aren't going to go your way, and there's going to be adversity to overcome,” he said. “We had to play through it. We were focused the whole week trying to understand that runs will be made and we might not be able to throw it into the ocean five, six minutes at a time. We had to grind and keep getting stops until that time came for it to break through. They stayed the course and got through that rough patch and got going.”

But that wasn’t all that was discussed in the locker room. Scholes also noted the importance of taking advantage of the opportunity immediately, using their halftime lead to try and create a stranglehold on the contest.

“We said at halftime, we were up seven,” he continued. “These first four minutes were going to be huge and if this game goes back to a two-point game, Wellsville was going to have all the momentum going down the stretch. We wanted to push this thing up to 10, 11 points and then the floodgates just opened for us. The guys gained a lot of confidence, they hit some big shots, we had a couple bench kids Marco (Picco) and Ben (Woolever) hit a couple threes. Demayne hit one while (Tyler) Vogel forced him to.”

And boy did they ever break it open.

In the second half, Hornell picked up where they left off from the end of the first, utilizing the outer perimeter one more time to deliver an early dagger, serving up back-to-back-to-back triples from Marco Picco, Demayne Dixon and Ben Woolever, pushing the advantage out to 16 — the largest lead at that juncture, just two minutes into the fourth quarter.

“It felt like Hornell really shot the ball well tonight, and credit to them for making those shots. I think getting the four-seed over us in the bracket, plus the home game in front of this crowd really helped them as well. We had some good looks ourselves, but we didn’t see very many of them fall, especially in the second half. Hornell also did a really good job of making us play uncomfortable. They really built off of that.” said Lions coach Tom Muska.

With the advantage in hand, the Red Raiders were able to punch down on the gas and coast straight towards the finish line to end the evening on the most positive notes of all, sending Wellsville home while advancing to the Semifinal round on Tuesday, where they will now square off with top-seeded World of Inquiry at Finger Lakes Community College in Canandaigua at 6 p.m. for a chance to reach Blue Cross Arena and the Class B1 Finals next weekend.

The winner will face either No. 6 Mynderse or No. 2 Waterloo, who occupy the nightcap on the same night at the same venue, at 7:45 p.m.

“We know they're very talented, super athletic, super talented and long just like Wellsville is,” Scholes said. “We're going to have our work cut out for us, and we know we have to work. It starts with the defensive end of the floor. We have to get stops, and we are not as pretty and fancy, nor athletic as World of Inquiry is. But we're in for another grind, taking it one possession at a time, one shot, one stop at a time.”

As for the scoring, that was powered by Wyatt Evingham, as he knocked down four of Hornell’s nine total three-pointers in the midst of a team-high 14-point performance. Following up in their balanced offensive output was PJ Picco, who concluded with 13 points. Demayne Dixon had 10 points, while Aaron McInerney totaled nine.

For the Lions, JJ Howard led the way with a team-high 14 points. Trent Green finished with 10 points, while Karson Grover had eight.

The 2024-25 campaign for Wellsville is now officially history, as they put a wrap on a season that saw them finish with a record of 14-8 overall. The team will bid farewell to four of their five starters when Graduation hits this upcoming June, as Howard, Grover, Ty Vogel and Aiden Cowburn all prepare to walk across the stage later on this year.

Looking back, Muska notes how dedicated to the game each of his four seniors were, especially No. 5 running the middle. A kid that even his own kids have grown attached to since the beginning of his coaching journey a few short years ago.

“It never gets easier,” he said. “You end up spending more time with them over a few years than you do with a lot of your own family. And they’re great kids, so you love them. I’ve never coached a game without JJ before. If the squeaks of sneakers are played on TV in our house, whether it was men’s or women’s high school, or the NBA, my two and four-year old sons would yell “Go JJ” every time to every game. It’s going to be weird making a gameplan without having the best shot blocker Wellsville has ever had on the court.”

Muska continued on his seniors, saying that “We had the team around him. AJ is a dynamic player with the ball in his hands, we know how well Tyler scores the ball, and not ever enough gets said about Karson. He’s taken every star player on and always makes everyone around him even better each and every night. We are going to miss all four of those guys a lot.”

Wellsville 11 9 8 12 — 40

Hornell 16 11 13 19 — 59

WELLSVILLE: Aiden Cowburn 3 0-1 6, Karson Grover 2 4-5 8, JJ Howard 5 4-6 14, Trent Green 3 4-4 10, Derek Coleman 1 0-0 2. Totals: 14 12-16 40.

HORNELL: Wyatt Evingham 5 0-0 14, Demayne Dixon 4 0-0 10, Marco Picco 1 0-0 3, Austyn Gollnitz 3 1-1 7, PJ Picco 5 2-3 13, Aaron McInerney 3 2-2 9, Ben Woolever 1 0-0 3. Totals: 22 3-3 59.

3-point goals: Hornell 9 (Evingham 4, Dixon 2, M. Picco, P. Picco, McInerney).
Total Fouls: Wellsville 16, Hornell 16. Fouled out: None.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Class C1 Quarterfinals

No. 1 Caledonia-Mumford 55, No. 9 Cuba-Rushford 9

CALEDONIA — The top-seeded Caledonia-Mumford Lady Raiders showcased why they are at the top of Class C1 on Saturday, as they hit the cruise control across all four quarters of play while holding No. 9 Cuba-Rushford at a standstill along the way, securing their spot in the Semifinal round next week with a dominant 55-9 victory over the Lady Rebels, ending their season.

The tone was set right away by the Lady Raiders, as they froze Cuba-Rushford in place across the first half, holding the No. 9 seeds to just one shot from the field and one free throw from the charity stripe, on their way towards capitalizing on a 26-3 halftime lead they never looked back on.

Only three scorers navigated their way into the scorebook for the Lady Rebels, with Lily Farwell’s four points leading the way. Brynn Lavery and Lily Tompkins rounded off with three and two points, respectively.

The season is now over for Cuba-Rushford, as they finish off their very first 10-win season under head coach Aaron Wight, wrapping up with a record of 13-9 overall. The team will graduate just two seniors at the end of the year in June, in Lavery and Cloey Larabee.

“This was the best finish we’ve had since I started coaching here. That, along with my first Sectional win coaching. I have to be happy with this season. To look back where we were my first year and see the improvement and progression, I’m super proud of these girls,” said Lady Rebels coach Aaron Wight. “Brynn and Cloey have been a huge part of that. I think they’ve really helped the program grow and set a standard. I think we have a lot of depth and some good underclassmen coming back. I’m excited to get to work this offseason.”

Cuba-Rushford 2 1 5 1 — 9

Caledonia-Mumford 10 16 16 13 — 55

CUBA-RUSHFORD: Lily Tompkins 1 0-2 2, Brynn Lavery 1 0-0 3, Lilly Farwell 1 2-4 4. Totals: 3 2-6 9.
CAL-MUM: Emma Brogan 1 0-0 2, Shea Drazkowski 4 1-2 10, Olivia Amorese 3 0-0 8, Ava Amorese 2 3-4 8, Mackenzie Poray 4 1-2 10, Julia Wasilco 1 0-0 2, Hazell Nickerson 6 1-2 13, Kennedy Williams 1 0-0 2. Totals: 22 6-10 55.

3-point goals: C-R 1 (Lavery), C-M 5 (O. Amorese 2, Drazkowski, A. Amorese, Poray).
Total Fouls: C-R 8, C-M 8. Fouled out: None.

Class C2 Quarterfinals

No. 2 Dundee/Bradford 61, No. 10 Genesee Valley/Belfast 29

DUNDEE — The No. 10 Genesee Valley/Belfast ladies were buzzing around alongside No. 2 Dundee/Bradford in the opening sequences of their Class C2 Quarterfinal battle on Saturday. Well enough in range of the Lady BraveScots, they looked to shift gears and turn it up to a much different level.

But the No. 2 seeds had different plans in store, and on the blueprint was an immaculate second quarter that completely changed the course of the game going forward, as Dundee/Bradford shut down Genesee Valley/Belfast with a first half ending shutout to build a lead that remained firmly intact all the way to the end, coasting towards a 61-29 victory to claim their spot in the Class C2 Semifinal round.

“Overall, I was really happy with the resilience of this group despite the loss,” GV/Belfast coach Raegan Ryan said. “They did a really good job against a really tough team like Dundee/Bradford. I have to give props to them because they just have a lot of different pieces to the puzzle. It starts with (Kendall) Parker and the way she is able to facilitate the action on the floor. She’s a great player and she has a bright future ahead of her. Dundee/Bradford is a great team, and we learned a lot from today.”

Genesee Valley/Belfast hung right next to Dundee/Bradford through the opening eight minutes of battle, using both fields of view on the hardwood to their advantage, with Bayleigh Tallman controlling all three fronts — inside, outside and the charity stripe, with seven first quarter points. On the opposite end, the Lady BraveScots pulled ahead behind a strong three-point presence, nailing four of them in the frame to propel ahead towards a 21-12 advantage.

Then the heat was turned up immensely by the hosts, as they locked down both ends of the hardwood emphatically with a titanic 26-0 game-changing run in the second quarter that kept them out in front permanently.

Despite the major amount of adversity, Genesee Valley/Belfast continued to fight, as they drew next to even in the third quarter with the Lady BraveScots, with Ava Aronson and her eight second half points leading the charge. Ryan says the team’s efforts in the second half, even after an injury suffered during the waning minutes of the game, spoke volumes.

“We tried a bunch of different things against them. A box-and-1, a 2-3, man-to-man, and their defense got a lot of tips and forced turnovers against us, and capitalized on them. I thought we got into foul trouble in the second quarter that set us back even more,” she said. “But we came alive and competed much better in the second half, especially in the third quarter. We could easily have been defeated, but after we had an injury with three minutes left, the girls came together and made the decision to finish the game. That spoke volumes about their character and who they are as people. I’m really proud of them, and it makes me feel honored to be their coach.”

Along with Aronson, Bayleigh Tallman also finished the contest with nine points to aid the Genesee Valley/Belfast offense. Jenna Hill had seven points.

The season is now over for Genesee Valley/Belfast, as they finish their campaign with a record of 13-9 overall. The team will bid farewell to five seniors in Aronson, Hill, Sophie Zillgitt, Kate Calanni and Keanna Sands. Ryan says that her departing leaders helped set the standard for what basketball is all about at Genesee Valley/Belfast.

“The seniors left it all out there. I was really proud of the way they finished, and we talked about rising above adversity and what it looks like from possession to possession. They battled on defense and then regardless of the result, they turned around and made it a distant memory to win the next play,” she said. “Now that the season is over, I hope they reflect on winning in the small things. It really starts to add up and it all deposits into the right account. All of their contributions have really helped establish the culture for this team. They have been integral parts of what we do, and without them, we would be a completely different team. Their absence will be dearly missed, but I'm confident that they all will be successful in what they choose to do next.”

Genesee Valley/Belfast 12 0 9 8 — 29

Dundee/Bradford 21 26 11 3 — 61

GV/BELFAST: Bayleigh Tallman 3 2-12 9, Sophie Zillgitt 2 0-0 4, Kate Calanni 0 1-2 1, Ava Aronson 3 2-9 8, Jenna Hill 3 0-0 7. Totals: 11 5-23 29.

DUNDEE/BRADFORD: Korrin Yeoman 3 0-0 7, Kendall Parker 7 4-6 19, Cheyanne Grandall 2 3-4 7, Riley Stinson 3 2-2 11, Marleigh Parker 3 2-3 8, Maddie Knapp 2 0-0 5, Carsen Larrison 0 1-2 1, Danica Hall 1 1-2 3. Totals: 21 13-19 61.

3-point goals: GVB 1 (Tallman), D/B 6 (Stinson 3, Yeoman, Parker, Knapp).
Total Fouls: GVB 20, D/B 22. Fouled out: None.

[PHOTOS BY JASON MUCHER]

Class D Quarterfinals

No. 2 Fillmore 61, No. 10 Mount Morris 30

FILLMORE — A phenomenal offensive balance from across the board supplied by the Lady Eagles of Fillmore helped set the stage for their final home game of the season on Saturday.

After a tough battle side-by-side with No. 10 Mount Morris early on, the No. 2 seeds in Class D went to work and hammered down on a stupendous finish in the first half, transferring the momentum into the back 16 minutes of play where they continued to remain cushioned away from the Lady Blue Devils to help finish the punching of their tickets to the Semifinal round after the weekend, as Fillmore rolled towards a 61-30 win in The Rock.

“We got off to a little bit of a slow start. It could have been nerves, it could have been the time off, but once we got going, I thought we played a very solid game defensively and had great balance with four players in double figures,” Lady Eagles coach Tom Parks said. “Emi (Mucher) and Mattie (McCumiskey) had a strong first half and Morghyn (Ross) had a pretty explosive third quarter for us. I really liked the way Mylee Miller played for us tonight, she was a monster off the glass, got to the line a lot and hit a couple of nice outside shots. There were stretches where everything was clicking on both ends, and I thought the girls looked really sharp overall. We’re excited to be one of the last four teams standing, but there’s work to be done. We’re looking forward to our next challenge.”

The Lady Eagles, who went on to score their 20th win of the campaign, had to wedge their way past Mount Morris in an early stage battle to start the afternoon, wiggling their way free towards a five-point lead that ultimately served as the team’s foundation for success. In the second quarter, Fillmore (20-1) utilized every piece of momentum they could find, starting with a monstrous 19-6 jaunt of the Lady Blue Devils to close out the first half on top in double-digit territory.

In the second half, the lead grew exponentially larger after their strongest spurt of offense over the course of the afternoon, coming together for a 20-point assembly to keep Mount Morris at bay one more time to pull away and out of reach for good, securing a spot in the Semifinal round early next week.

Four different scorers all led the way on the attack in double figures, with Emalyn Mucher and her team-leading 19 points guiding the pack. Morghyn Ross chipped in with 15 points of her own, while Mattie McCumiskey and Mylee Miller followed suit with 12 and 10 points, respectively to close out a dominant Lady Eagles offensive tenure.

Coming up on Tuesday, Fillmore will now square off with the No. 3 C.G. Finney Falcons in the Class D Semifinal round, as they travel to Mount Morris for battle beginning in a 6 p.m. tip-off. The winner will face either No. 4 Notre Dame-Batavia or top-seeded Elba in the Finals, next weekend at Finger Lakes Community College in Canandaigua.

Mount Morris 6 6 8 10 — 30

Fillmore 11 19 20 11 — 61

MOUNT MORRIS: Addyson Barnhardt 1 2-2 4, Shaniese Brown 2 0-2 4, Gabrielle Pagano 4 0-0 8, Morgan Luick 5 4-5 14. Totals: 12 6-7 30.

FILLMORE: Mylee Miller 2 5-6 10, Morghyn Ross 6 0-0 15, Emalyn Mucher 5 6-6 19, Mattie McCumiskey 4 4-8 12, Rylie France 1 0-0 2, Kelsie Songster 0 1-2 1. Totals: 18 16-22 61.

3-point goals: Fillmore 7 (Ross 3, Mucher 3, Miller).
Total Fouls: Mt. Morris 20, Fillmore 8. Fouled out: None.

No. 4 Notre Dame-Batavia 41, No. 5 Andover/Whitesville 16

BATAVIA — The damage was done not only in the first half, but in the first eight minutes straight out of the gate by the No. 4 Lady Irish of Notre Dame-Batavia on Saturday, as they froze No. 5 Andover/Whitesville completely in place to set the tone, pushing straight down on the gas pedal to coast towards the Class C2 Semifinal round after a 41-16 victory.

“Notre Dame is as tough of a team as there is. Well-coached with good size, athleticism and talent. They dominated us in the first half. Our girls held their own in the second half, only being outscored by two. The damage was already done in the first 16 minutes. Sofia (Falleti) averages over 21 points a game for them and we held her to 10, but their defense was suffocating and we just couldn’t find a way to score.” said Andover/Whitesville coach Aaron Rawady.

Right away, the Lady Irish made their impact known in the opening quarter, setting the bar against Andover/Whitesville with a first quarter shutout paced by Sofia Falleti, who recorded eight of her 10 team-leading points from within an all-balanced offensive effort on the attack, in the frame.

After the 16-0 run put on by the No. 4 seeds, they proceeded to bolster their advantage even more with another strong finish to the half, limiting Andover/Whitesville to just three points in the midst of a 10-3 second quarter run to add more cushioning to their lead.

Despite the defeat at the end of the afternoon, Graci Lewis-Ellison led all scorers for Andover/Whitesville with 11 of the team’s 16 total points. Lilly Harrington had a three-point field goal to chip in, while Katrina Lewis had two points.

The season is now over for Andover/Whitesville, as they completely flip the script on a comeback season, taking a 3-17 finish from a season ago and morphing it into a 15-6 conclusion for the 2024-25 campaign. The team will graduate two seniors when Graduation arrives in a few short months, in Lewis-Ellison and Lewis.

As for the season itself, Rawady says the growth from his team has been second to none.

“Any time your season ends, you’re bummed. But if you put things into perspective, the girls have a lot to be proud of,” he said. “The growth they showed this year was outstanding. Last year, we finished last in the County, were seeded 15th in Sectionals and had three wins. This year, we were second in the County, got a No. 5 seed for Sectionals and had 15 wins. That was the biggest increase in wins out of all 100 teams in Section V. You just don’t see that turnaround in one year. That’s just a testament to the work that every single girl contributed.”

Rawady added on his graduating seniors, saying that “This is as proud of a team as I’ve ever been. Graci Lewis-Ellison and Katrina Lewis, our seniors, set the standard every day. I can’t say enough about those two. The impact they had, not just this year, but their entire career, has been tremendous. To say we will miss them, is an understatement.”

Andover/Whitesville 0 3 6 7 — 16

Notre Dame-Batavia 16 10 11 4 — 41

ANDOVER/WHITESVILLE: Makenna Vance 0 0-2 0, Graci Lewis-Ellison 3 3-6 11, Lilly Harrington 1 0-2 3, Olivia Waters 0 0-2 0, Katrina Lewis 1 0-0 2. Totals: 5 3-12 16.
ND-BATAVIA: Gianna Falleti 2 0-0 4, Emma Fitch 3 0-0 6, Harper Ferris 1 0-0 3, Lucia Fiorentino 1 3-7 5, Penny Jo Thompson 3 0-0 6, Shirley Thompson 2 0-1 4, Maddie Casey 1 0-0 3, Sofia Falleti 5 0-0 10. Totals: 18 3-8 41.

3-point goals: A/W 3 (Lewis-Ellison 2, Harrington), ND-B 2 (Ferris, Casey).
Total Fouls: A/W 9, ND-B 12. Fouled out: None.