Wednesday Roundup: Fillmore boys build momentum towards big clash with ND-Batavia, use hot start to cash in 71-33 win over Houghton; Wellsville wrestling edged out by Ark-Can

[PHOTOS BY JASON MUCHER]

FILLMORE — With a titanic clash against Notre Dame-Batavia beginning to eclipse over the horizon this weekend, the Eagles of Fillmore wanted to ensure a mammoth burst of momentum going into the weekend. On Wednesday, they were granted just that and a whole lot more, as they used an absolutely ferocious first quarter to their utmost advantage, creating their fourth straight win by rolling past crosstown rival Houghton Academy with a 71-33 home-opening victory.

“I challenged my starters to come out with a focused effort in the first quarter and they really responded. It was nice to get time for everyone at our home opener and get some needed experience for all of the rotation,” Eagles coach Randy Crouch said. “JD (Bialek) had another great effort. He is the anchor of everything we do defensively, and he’s been great on the glass. Tonight, we were able to get him a few more post touches as well.”

Fillmore (4-0) left their mark in the opening eight minutes of play in a hurry, answering the call in dominant fashion on both ends of the floor to hold Houghton Academy absolutely scoreless while cashing in on what was a 20-0 run that garnered all the room for the Eagles to work moving forward throughout the battle.

Every single Eagle all saw a piece of the action on the hardwood, with four different scorers registering 10 points or more. Among the contributors: JD Bialek, who led all scorers with a team-high 14 points. Carson Sanasith and Isaiah Sisson each had 11 points of their own to chip in, while Cam Mucher bucketed 10 points of his own to further the offense’s cause.

Houghton Academy (2-1) was led by Josh Davidson, who recorded a game-high 26 points. Jack Prentice followed with the team’s remaining seven points. The Panthers will look to rebound back home on Friday, hosting The Gow School in a 6 p.m. contest.

Fillmore will now get set for a colossal showdown at Genesee Community College on Saturday, as they prepare to square off with the Notre Dame-Batavia Irish, with tip-off set for a 2:30 p.m. commencement.

Houghton Academy 0 10 6 17 – 33

Fillmore 20 12 23 16 – 71

HOUGHTON ACADEMY: Josh Davidson 11 2-2 26, Jack Prentice 2 2-2 7. Totals: 13 4-4 33.

FILLMORE: Jordan Bialek 3 0-0 9, Carson Sanasith 4 0-0 11, Isaiah Sisson 5 0-0 11, Jonah Bialek 1 1-1 3, Tyler Voss 1 1-2 3, Ezra Knapp 1 0-0 2, Jameson Rhett 4 0-0 8, Cam Mucher 4 2-2 10, JD Bialek 6 0-0 14. Totals: 29 4-5 71.

3-point goals: HA 3 (Davidson 2, Prentice), Fillmore 9 (Jor. Bialek 3, Sanasith 3, JD Bialek 2, Sisson).
Total Fouls: HA 5, Fillmore 4. Fouled out: None.

Bolivar-Richburg 62, Friendship/Scio 39

BOLIVAR — The Friendship/Scio boys gave Bolivar-Richburg everything they could handle, Wednesday night.

After they closed the gap at the start of the second half, it would come down to the last eight minutes of the night to determine it all. Fortunately for the Wolverines, they saved their grand finale for last, as they unleashed their fury with a 25-point fourth quarter to pull away towards what was deemed a 62-39 victory.

“Hats off to Dillon (McFall) and his boys, they came ready to play and gave us everything they had,” said Wolverines coach Justin Thomas. “The score was not indicative of what really transpired here tonight. We just happened to find the basket a bit more, and thankfully, we were able to get out of here with a win. They made it very tough, and Friendship/Scio is very much improved from last season.”

It was a fight early on that Friendship/Scio was able to take a grasp on the game’s advantage through the first eight minutes of action, as they fought tooth and nail with the Wolverines to come away with a narrow two-point, 9-7 lead going into the second quarter. In that frame, the tables were turned by Bolivar-Richburg (3-1), who ended the first half with a monstrous 21-10 run of their opposition to take the lead back into the locker room.

Despite the minor setback, it didn’t steer Friendship/Scio away from keeping their foot down on the gas, as they fired right back with a third quarter spurt that ultimately closed the gap down to just a two possession game.

In the last eight minutes however, the Wolverines flipped the switch one last time, with the assistance of their three-point game, as they hit four crucial longshots out of their 11 total for the game to help set up a shapeshifting 25-7 game-ending jaunt of Friendship/Scio (1-2) to lock up the victory for good.

Bolivar-Richburg was powered by Landon Barkley, who posted a game-high 20 points. Behind him was Brayden Zilker, who chipped in 10 points of his own. Julian Weekley had eight points to add.

For Friendship/Scio, Deacon Brown provided a strong inside game to set up his team-leading 10-point performance. Connor Blouvet had nine points, while Jerome Harmon had seven. The team is now away from action until next Thursday night, when they head home to Scio to welcome in Hinsdale for a 6 p.m. contest.

On Friday, the Wolverines head for Wellsville and the annual IAABO Tournament, where they will get set for opening round battle against Arkport-Canaseraga beginning at 6 p.m.

Friendship/Scio 9 10 13 7 – 39

Bolivar-Richburg 7 21 9 25 – 62

FRIENDSHIP/SCIO: Jerome Harmon 2 3-5 7, Connor Blouvet 4 0-0 9, Aiden Golden 2 0-0 6, Jerimiah Brown 1 0-2 2, Matt Donohue 1 0-0 3, Carson Wonderling 0 0-4 0, Cooper Greenman 1 0-0 2, Deacon Brown 5 0-1 10. Totals: 16 3-12 39.

BOLIVAR-RICHBURG: Julian Weekley 3 0-0 8, Maddox Davison 2 0-0 6, Landon Barkley 6 6-9 20, Brayden Zilker 4 0-0 10, Ryder Iantorno 2 0-0 6, Dylan Abdo 1 1-3 3, Waide Karnuth 3 0-0 6, Mason Baldwin 1 0-2 3. Totals: 22 7-14 62.

3-point goals: F/S 4 (Golden 2, Blouvet, Donohue), B-R 11 (Weekley 2, Davison 2, Barkley 2, Zilker 2, Iantorno 2, Baldwin).
Total Fouls: F/S 11, B-R 12. Fouled out: None.

Keshequa 55, Hinsdale 23

HINSDALE — The Keshequa Wildcats offense fired on all cylinders on Wednesday over the road on Wednesday by taking care of business with an early lead, as they strolled towards victory over the host Bobcats of Hinsdale by a 55-23 count.

Stats and a complete box score were not made available to report upon publication.

The Bobcats (1-3) are back on the hardwood Friday night with a 7:30 p.m. to Belfast to take on host Genesee Valley/Belfast.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Fillmore 39, Allegany-Limestone 35

ALLEGANY — It has been a thrilling 48-hour sequence for the Lady Eagles of Fillmore. Back on Monday, they did everything imaginable to hang onto a three-point victory over Arkport-Canaseraga behind a stellar career-night from Emalyn Mucher. Two days later, they were in a similar position again back on the road at Allegany-Limestone, Wednesday night.

After knocking down 34 points during their victory over the Lady Wolves at the start of the week, Emalyn Mucher was the primary focus for Allegany-Limestone on defense, as he held her in check to just three points. But for the Lady Eagles, that did not slow them down one bit. Instead, a coming-out party for Morghyn Ross was held.

She changed everything.

After a dynamic first half was cemented in place, the Fillmore junior helped the team rebound in the biggest of ways, accounting for six of the team’s 10 fourth quarter points while the defense fortified their position to not let in a single basket from the Lady Gators along the way, allowing them to provide full capitalization upon their third straight win to open the season, as they paved towards a 39-35 road win.

“Although things didn’t really flow like they did the first two games tonight, we have to find ways to win in different ways,” Lady Eagles coach Tom Parks said. “Tonight was a grind and we had to play through some adversity. Lily Sisson hit a big shot to give us the lead late and we were able to build off that with some stops. Morghyn had a huge night tonight. She really carried us all game and she has stepped up when she’s needed to. She was fun to watch. We’ve been talking about versatility, and having a variety of people step up. It was Emalyn last game, tonight it was Morghyn.”

The degree of separation through the first half ultimately became just two points after a pair of 11-point frames, paced by the efforts of Ross, set up shop for a strong first quarter lead before the deficit was trimmed down by Allegany-Limestone in the next. Ross went on to net 14 of her game-high 20 points for the Lady Eagles to help capture a 22-20 halftime lead.

Ross also chipped in 13 rebounds and eight steals to nearly complete a triple-double.

In the second half, a big momentum burst was developed by Allegany-Limestone, as they registered a gargantuan 15-7 jaunt of Fillmore (3-0), taking the 35-29 lead with them into the final eight minutes.

During that sequence however, a complete flip of the script was performed. Behind six last points from Ross, two more big buckets from Lily Sisson and Mattie McCumiskey allowed Fillmore to put the finishing touches on a 10-0 fourth quarter shutout to steal away the victory over the road.

Finishing behind Ross for the Lady Eagles was McCumiskey, who had seven points. Mylee Miller had five points to pair with eight rebounds, while Lily Sisson had four points.

“I am proud of the girls,” Parks said. “This is a young team that was trailing by six going into the fourth quarter and pitched a shutout defensively in the third quarter. To find a way to win on the road really is something special.”

The Lady Eagles are back on the road Friday night for a 6 p.m. visit to Hinsdale.

Fillmore 11 11 7 10 – 39

Allegany-Limestone 6 14 15 0 – 35

FILLMORE: Mylee Miller 2 1-2 5, Lily Sisson 2 0-0 4, Morghyn Ross 9 1-3 20, Emalyn Mucher 1 1-2 3, Mattie McCumiskey 2 3-3 7. Totals: 16 6-10 39.
ALLEGANY-LIMESTONE: Serena Frederick 3 0-2 7, Abby Peck 2 0-0 4, Mya Hayes 4 3-6 12, Addie Fisher 3 0-0 6, Emerson Ortego 1 4-6 6. Totals: 13 7-14 35.

3-point goals: Fillmore 1 (Ross), A-L 2 (Frederick, Hayes).
Total Fouls: Fillmore 10, A-L 14. Fouled out: Frederick (A-L).

Rick Hughes Memorial Tournament at Franklinville

Portville 40, Genesee Valley/Belfast 20

FRANKLINVILLE — From start to finish, the Portville Lady Panthers were on the button, Wednesday night. During the opening round of the annual Rick Hughes Memorial Tournament in Franklinville, the Section VI stalwarts were pinned to the driver’s seat after establishing an early lead of Genesee Valley/Belfast, as they controlled both ends of the floor to punch their ticket to this weekend’s Championship game after a 40-20 victory.

“Portville is a very well-coached team and they were a tough matchup for us. I thought we did a really good job defensively and held our own on that end of the floor,” said GV/Belfast coach Raegan Ryan. “Whenever you’re able to hold your opponent to an average of 10 points a quarter, you’re putting yourself in a solid position. We just struggled to knock down opportunities offensively. I can see a lot of improvement already in our team in just our first four games. I just really appreciate their gritty approach every day.”

Almost immediately from the tip at center court, the Lady Panthers went straight to work limiting Genesee Valley/Belfast’s (2-2) opportunities. Although they were granted some great looks, the offense for the team in black was ultimately held to under 10 points across each frame. With a strong punctuation on the first half to go into the locker room with, Portville came out swinging one final time in the third quarter with a massive 13-4 run to finish off their trip to the tournament’s title game.

Sophie Zillgitt and Addisyn Ely both led the Genesee Valley/Belfast offense with six points each. Keanna Sands, Bayleigh Tallman, Kate Calanni and Jenna Hill each had a two-point basket to help round off the scoring.

A return trip back to Franklinville will be made for Genesee Valley/Belfast on Saturday, as they now look to split their tenure in the Rick Hughes Tournament with a 10 a.m. Consolation round battle against Chautauqua Lake.

Genesee Valley/Belfast 6 8 4 2 – 20

Portville 12 11 13 4 – 40

GV/BELFAST: Keanna Sands 1 0-0 2, Bayleigh Tallman 1 0-2 2, Sophie Zillgitt 3 0-0 6, Addisyn Ely 3 0-0 6, Kate Calanni 1 0-0 2, Jenna Hill 1 0-0 2. Totals: 10 0-2 20.

PORTVILLE: Ashley Carls 5 1-2 11, Emma Rhinehart 2 1-2 6, Addison Isaman 2 0-1 5, Natalie Reynolds 1 0-0 2, Aly Haynes 3 0-0 6, Ava Jo Edwards 5 0-0 10. Totals: 18 2-5 40.

3-point goals: Portville 2 (Rhinehart, Isaman).
Total Fouls: GVB 10, Portville 10. Fouled out: None.

Friendship/Scio 30, Campbell-Savona 29

CAMPBELL — There were times Wednesday night where Friendship/Scio was put on edge, especially in the last eight minutes of play.

After a running of the table was performed by Campbell-Savona heading into the last frame, the Lady Panthers went on to put a big bundle of pressure on Friendship/Scio to close the night. But after it was all said and done, the visitors in black and gold held on for dear life until the final buzzer to secure a gritty and narrow 30-29 road win.

“We had a really nice game tonight. We definitely made it way more interesting down the stretch, but this was a great end-of-game experience that we’ve established,” said Friendship/Scio coach Ashleigh Lewis. “I was extremely proud of Hunter’s (Hint) defensive game tonight, and Alexiss Herring is a freshman playing in her first year. She didn’t play scared, especially in the fourth quarter. Courtney Button was the same way as well. We’re learning every game and getting better, and we were able to see some great success on a great overall team effort.”

Both teams kept the action close quarters throughout the first half of play, with an early first quarter lead established by Friendship/Scio (1-2) being sustained going into the locker room. Up by five going into the second half, the Lady Panthers turned the heat up themselves with a gigantic 11-3 run of their opposition to create a brand new game heading down the homestretch.

The pressure was on Friendship/Scio to maintain their advantage going into the last minute of play. With their lead currently sitting at five, the Lady Panthers defense went to work to force some key late turnovers to their side of the court, trimming the deficit to just a single point with little room for error remaining. But in the end, Friendship/Scio was able to hang on for dear life to hold their lead intact and claim the victory.

Leading the scoring for Friendship/Scio was Kaydence Sadler, who had 12 points to pair with seven steals. Emily Lamberson and Alexiss Herring each had nine points to chip in, with Lamberson grabbing five rebounds off the glass. Adding more aid to the special teams was Hunter Hint, who recorded six steals.

Both teams will wrap up their home-at-home sequence on Friday in Scio, as they prepare for battle one last time this year at 6 p.m.

Friendship/Scio 7 6 3 14 – 30

Campbell-Savona 2 6 11 10 – 29

FRIENDSHIP/SCIO: Emily Lamberson 4 0-3 9, Kaydence Sadler 4 4-10 12, Hunter Hint 0 0-2 0, Alexiss Herring 4 1-2 9. Totals: 12 5-15 30.

CAMPBELL-SAVONA: Willow Koperczak 3 0-2 6, Mira Mehlenbacher 2 1-3 5, Olivia Zimar 3 2-4 8, Kennedi Harris 0 0-2 0, Maggie Hawken 4 2-2 10. Totals: 12 5-12 29.

3-point goals: F/S 1 (Lamberson).
Total Fouls: F/S 12, C-S 16. Fouled out: Hawken (C-S).

BOYS VOLLEYBALL

Bolivar-Richburg 3, Genesee Valley/Belfast 0

RICHBURG — For the first time on the young campaign, the Bolivar-Richburg Wolverines uncovered their winning touch, despite a back-and-forth exchange with Genesee Valley/Belfast in the final two sets of action, to record the straight-set sweep on Wednesday night by a 25-15, 25-23, 26-24 count.

Pacing the attack for the Wolverines (1-2) was Ayden Music, as he led the way with his seven team-high kills alongside his pair of aces. Owen Unfus handed out nine assists to go with four kills and a pair of aces. Connor Blankenship had five more assists to add into the mix, pairing them with two kills on offense.

Genesee Valley/Belfast (0-3) was led by Lawson Ector, who recorded a team-high eight kills, two aces and a block. Setter Noah Miller finished with 15 assists to pair with four kills.

Both teams will have Cuba-Rushford up next on their schedule, with Genesee Valley/Belfast having first crack back home Friday night in a 6 p.m. first serve. The Wolverines will wait until after the weekend to resume play, as they travel to meet the Rebels in the Wighthouse in a 6 p.m. contest of their own on Monday.

Portville 3, Fillmore 1

PORTVILLE — The Eagles of Fillmore fought their way back after a first-set defeat to the hands of host Portville on Wednesday, but despite the setback, the Panthers were able to reverse the course of action and shift the momentum back in their favor for a strong finish, as they collected the four-set victory by a 25-17, 19-25, 25-13, 25-21 count.

Anderson Wiltsey provided some strong service from the back line for the Eagles (0-3), as he finished the night with 13 team-leading service points to pair alongside a duo of kills. Jayce Ashton collected seven more service points of his own to couple with two blocks at the front of the net.

Fillmore will get set for another road trip Saturday afternoon, visiting Cuba-Rushford at 1:30 p.m.

WRESTLING

Arkport-Canaseraga 36, Wellsville 22

ARKPORT — In the midst of a back-and-forth exchange of victories between Wellsville and Arkport-Canaseraga on Wednesday, the Wolves were able to collect two crucial forfeit wins down the homestretch before ending the night with a bang behind the quickest pinfall win of the night from Conor Smith, as they managed to hold off the Lions with a 36-22 victory on their home mat in Arkport.

The Wolves bookended the match with triumphant performances, two of six the team would record in action against Wellsville. After two gritty pinfall wins from both Brock Kellogg (138 pounds) to open the match and John Flaitz (160 pounds) right at the end of the opening period, the Lions managed to score their first of four wins on the mat from their junior leader, Xander Outman, as he recorded a 16-3 major decision at 170 pounds.

Arkport-Canaseraga went on to record victories in three of the next four matches to extend their lead on the Lions, with Drew Giblin (190 pounds) scoring a pinfall win in 1:25 over Gabe Black, while Korbin Crane (285 pounds) and Carson Smith (101 pounds) each scavenged forfeit wins. In between the chaos for the Wolves, Brayden Taggart delivered Wellsville’s first pinfall victory of the evening, wrapping up Arkport-Canaseraga’s Sam Spitulnik in 1:23 to claim the win at 215 pounds.

Sandwiched between a double forfeit shared by the two teams at 116 pounds, the Lions added their last two wins on the mat, both by pinfall, as Easton Joyce (108 pounds) and Paul Giovanniello (124 pounds) nearly went the entire distance in their matches to score their pinfall victories over Arkport-Canaseraga’s Ben Flaitz and Jacob Kellogg, respectively.

The Wolves were able to finish off the overall match victory with a rapid pinfall win for Smith over Blake Geffers at 131 pounds a short time later.

Wellsville will now host their home opener next Wednesday night with a 5:30 p.m. visit from Canisteo-Greenwood.

Results (* indicates starting weight)

101 – Carson Smith (A-C) by for.

108 – Easton Joyce (WLSV) def. Ben Flaitz (A-C) by pin, 5:16.

116 – Double for.

124 – Paul Giovanniello (WLSV) def. Jacob Kellogg (A-C) by pin, 5:00.

131 – Conor Smith (A-C) def. Blake Geffers (WLSV) by pin, :34.

*138 – Brock Kellogg (A-C) def. Brock Mattison (WLSV) by pin, 3:07.

145 – Double for.

152 – Double for.

160 – John Flaitz (A-C) def. Mason Edwards (WLSV) by pin, 2:00.

170 – Xander Outman (WLSV) def. Richard Flaitz (A-C) by major dec, 16-3.

190 – Drew Giblin (A-C) def. Gabe Black (WLSV) by pin, 1:25.

215 – Brayden Taggart (WLSV) def. Sam Spitulnik (A-C) by pin, 1:23.

285 – Korbin Crane (A-C) by for.