Multiple Allegany County basketball stars selected to partake in 35th Annual Ronald McDonald House All-Star Game; Fillmore’s Parks, GV’s Bliven selected to coach
UPDATE: This event has now been cancelled, due to Coronavirus concerns.
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ROCHESTER — For most of the student-athletes in Allegany County, the basketball season has been drawn to an end. But for a select few, the chance to suit back up for one more game representing their school’s colors will come about at the end of the month.
On Tuesday, selections have been made for all four boys and girls basketball teams that will be in attendance on March 28 at Rush-Henrietta High School, as five different Allegany County basketball stars will put the uniform back on one last time for their respective school in the 35th Annual Ronald McDonald House All-Star Charity Game.
Representing the red team on the boys basketball side of the world, is Fillmore senior Luke Cole, who will be the lone Allegany County player for the team. Cole finished the season averaging just over 16 points per game, the most for the Eagles under first-year head coach Randy Crouch, who saw an incredible amount of success with an overall record of 16-5. The Eagles senior will be joined by other Section V talents, like Gabe McDonald (Notre Dame-Batavia, Vinny Molisani (Caledonia-Mumford), Riley Stella (York) and Dom Trippi (Honeoye) on the red team.
The red team will be coached by York head coach Ed Orman, and Waterloo head coach Tim Darnell.
On the gold team, two more locals will hit the floor. Among them, is Genesee Valley’s Evan Windus, who finished as one of the top five leading scorers in Allegany County this season, averaging nearly 22 points per game for a Jaguars team that made their first trip to the Section V, Class D1 Finals in five seasons. They became runners-up to eventual champion Avoca. Windus was one of many County athletes that made history on the hardwood, becoming a 1,000-point scorer in Genesee Valley program history.
Windus will be joined by Wellsville senior superstar Max Jusianiec, who was the County’s second leading scorer with nearly 25 points per game on a Lions team that finished with a record of 11-11 in the midst of a Class B2 Semifinals run. Jusianiec too, was also a 1,000-point scorer for the Lions this season, marking his place in Wellsville history at the Dan Barkley Showcase this past January to help lead an exciting finish over Hornell with his father, Alfred State men’s head coach Jerry Jusianiec serving as the team’s interim head coach.
In addition to Windus and Jusianiec, they will be teamed up with fellow area elites such as Prattsburgh’s Mason Putnam, Elba’s Colton Dillon, Hornell’s Chase Freeland and Avoca’s Tristian Stark.
The two studs will not be alone though, as Genesee Valley head coach Lintz Bliven will join both on the trip to Rush-Henrietta as one of the gold team’s coaches. The team will be led by Hilton head coach Troy Prince.
As for the girls division, two standouts will join forces on the gold team — Fillmore’s Hannah Roeske and Cuba-Rushford’s Kate Howe, both senior shooters who have been highly regarded as one of the best in their respective program’s history. For Roeske, she finished as one of the top scorers in Allegany County, averaging nearly 16 points per game for a Lady Eagles squad that made a return trip back to the Class D1 Finals after winning it all for the very first time last season. Roeske was one of many student-athletes to reach the 1,000-point mark in their career, having done so in their regular season finale against Hinsdale at home.
Howe has been a constant record-breaker for the Lady Rebels in every sport she has partaken in across her high school career, becoming a pinnacle of success on the hardwood in both girls volleyball and girls basketball for Cuba-Rushford where she became a double 1,000 athlete in the same season, last year, earning 1,000 career assists and 1,000 career points in the span of a few months. This past year, Howe cemented her legacy by becoming Cuba-Rushford’s all-time leading scorer in girls basketball, smashing a record that had stood for over 30 years.
Both Roeske and Howe will not be alone, as Fillmore head coach Tom Parks will join both seniors as one of the gold team’s coaches for the event. The team will be headed by Penfield head coach Mark Vogt.
Two Allegany County cheerleaders were also selected to make the trip to the annual charity game as well, as Cuba-Rushford’s Averi Saulter and Whitesville’s Brianne Cavanaugh will be in attendance.
The action officially gets underway at the home of the Royal Comets on March 28, with the girls basketball contest beginning at 1 p.m. The boys contest will round off the day with tip-off scheduled for 3 p.m.
