Friday Roundup: Wolverines win close quarters battle with Cal-Mum/Byron-Bergen to earn 5th straight win; Lions nearly upset unbeaten Frewsburg after strong start, fall in 37-28 decision
CALEDONIA — Five years ago, the Wolverines of Bolivar-Richburg came up with 13 of the biggest points in their season back in 2016 to win a memorable Hyphen Bowl against Cuba-Rushford. That win would allow them to move to 5-1, and ultimately, clinch a spot in the Class D Sectional Tournament, where they would reach the Semifinal round for the first time in recent memory.
Since then, the Wolverines have made just one more deep Sectional run, and now are looking to perhaps add some more this season when they visited Caledonia-Mumford/Byron-Bergen on Friday, to begin their search for their fifth straight win.
It was a game that the Wolverines managed to strike first in, but the hosts put on the pressure in the second half. But despite it, Bolivar-Richburg maintained their ground and kept Cal-Mum/Byron-Bergen in the rearview mirror until the end, as they came away with a massive 9-7 close quarters victory to earn their fifth straight win, and their first over the road in Caledonia since 2004.
“As far back as I can remember, we have not won in Caledonia since 2004. We’ve been there a handful of times since, but it was nice to come away with a win knowing that we controlled the game to get it,” said Wolverines coach Steve Smith. “We had a couple of quarters where we didn’t feel like we did much, but we hung in there and made the plays when we needed to. In the fourth, I thought the offensive line did a great job controlling the game to allow us to run the clock out. Score doesn’t really tell the story, but this was a great test for the boys, and they responded to it very well.”
After both teams exchanged a scoreless first quarter to begin the night, the second quarter saw the ice being broken courtesy of Bolivar-Richburg (5-1), who scored all nine points within the frame to take a 9-0 lead on the hosts at the break, with Kadin Tompkins scoring 11 yards out on the ground to put the Wolverines ahead.
Later on, in what was perhaps the biggest key towards victory, Hunter Stuck connected with his first official field goal of the season for the visitors in white and red, using his leg to send a 22-yard field goal straight through the uprights to branch out Bolivar-Richburg’s lead to nine at the break.
Cal-Mum/Byron-Bergen cut the deficit down to as little as two when they ended the shutout pitched by the Wolverines in the third quarter, paid in part by a 56-yard touchdown scamper from Jacob Cappotelli in the backfield, and an extra point following after the score.
But the fourth quarter, the Wolverines defense took over by holding Cal-Mum/Byron-Bergen strong, while the offense led by the front line, controlled the clock in their favor by winding it down until there was no time left to finish off their big road win.
The Wolverines collected 240 yards of total offense, 170 of those yards on the ground with Landon Danaher leading the way behind 17 rushes for 70 total yards. Brayden Ellis would also accumulate 70 yards through the air under center. On defense, Lloyd Kinnicutt had a massive night off the edge, scoring 12 tackles. Camdyn MacDonell chipped in with eight tackles of his own.
Next week, the Wolverines will face their biggest challenge of the season back home at Dunsmore-Latimer Field. For their final home game of the regular season, they will welcome in the unbeaten Oakfield-Alabama/Elba Aggies, who they defeated this past Spring in a 14-8 contest, for a 1 p.m. visit beginning next Saturday. The Aggies defeated State-ranked Avon earlier in the night over the road by a 24-7 count.
For Smith, the message is loud and clear for his crew — they have to play their best game of the season.
“It feels good to be 5-1. We’ve got a tough one coming up with Oakfield. We know they are a very good team, and we did play them in the Spring, so we have somewhat of an idea of what to expect,” he said. “It will be nice to have them here in our house, that’s for sure. Anything can happen here in the final couple weeks of the regular season, so we’re going to have to bring the best versions of ourselves if we want a chance to win this game.”
Bolivar-Richburg 0 9 0 0 – 9
Cal-Mum/Byron-Bergen 0 0 7 0 – 7
Scoring Summary
1st
None
2nd
B-R – Kadin Tompkins 11-yard run, PAT failed (6-0 B-R)
B-R – Hunter Stuck 22-yard field goal (9-0 B-R)
3rd
CM-BB – Jacob Cappotelli 56-yard run, PAT good (9-7 B-R)
4th
None
Total Yards: B-R 240, CM-BB 110.
Passing: B-R 70, CM-BB 0.
Rushing: B-R 170, CM-BB 110.
First Downs: B-R 15, CM-BB 5.
Turnovers: B-R 0, CM-BB 0.
Penalties: B-R 2-21, CM-BB 2-20.
Punts: B-R 4-25, CM-BB 4-36.
Frewsburg 37, Wellsville 28
FREWSBURG — After a nearly two-hour bus drive to Frewsburg, the Wellsville Lions football team looked like road warriors, jumping out to a 22-0 first half lead over undefeated Frewsburg, one of the top ranked teams in the state.
However, after two Lion injuries and some costly penalties, Frewsburg scored with 5:22 left for a 30-28 lead and sealed it with a touchdown with 24 seconds left for a 37-28 victory.
Wellsville’s three-game win streak ends and the Lions are sitting at 3-3 in fourth place behind Frewsburg, undefeated Red Jacket and 4-1 Pembroke.
The Lions host Canisteo-Greenwood on Saturday, a team half-game behind Wellsville in the standings. The game could decide which one of the teams makes the Section V tournament.
To read more on the Lions and their near-upset of Frewsburg on the road, visit The Wellsville Sun to read more from John Anderson by clicking the orange link.
Clyde-Savannah 7, Cuba-Rushford 6
CLYDE — The Rebels of Cuba-Rushford got on the board, but host Clyde-Savannah would not allow them to record their first win of the season, as the host Golden Eagles managed to hang on by the slimmest of margins until the end to record the narrow 7-6 win under the Friday night lights.
Stats and a complete box score were not made available upon publication.
Cuba-Rushford (0-6) will return home for Senior Night festivities next Friday night with a 7 p.m. kickoff slated against the Notre Dame-Batavia Fighting Irish.
BOYS SOCCER
Fillmore 6, Ellicottville 1
FILLMORE — The Eagles of Fillmore caught fire from the offensive front all night long, as they posted 22 shots on goal while allowing just three in return on the defensive, scoring six goals from their barrage to set the tone right in the first half of play to coast past visiting Ellicottville with a 6-1 home win on Friday.
Deen Muzaid-Omar had the hot foot all night long for the Eagles (13-2), as he dished out three assists to help fire up the offense, two coming in the second half to establish a 3-1 lead for the hosts at the break, with his first coming near the 10 minute mark to Zach Sisson for one of his two goals in the contest.
Near the midway mark of the half, Muzaid-Omar handed out his second assist to Jack Cool to further Fillmore’s lead to a pair. After Ellicottville cut the deficit in half on the Eagles, Brent Zubikowski provided a response five minutes later at the 24:56 mark off a direct kick to end the session strong.
In the second half, the Eagles would go on to score three more goals to solidify their lead permanently, with their first being scored 45 seconds in from Matt Majoros, as he used his head to knock away his goal off a feed from Sisson. Sisson would then find the back of the net for his second of the game just over 10 minutes into the final half, making an unassisted rush into the offensive zone.
Alex Ellsworth would wrap up the scoring for the hosts in black and green, as Muzaid-Omar handed out his final assist with six minutes left in the game.
In goal, Mike McCumiskey earned the win making two saves.
Fillmore returns to action on Tuesday over the road, as they visit the Wolverines of Bolivar-Richburg for a 5 p.m. first kick.
Hinsdale 4, Friendship 1
FRIENDSHIP — The Hinsdale Bobcats saw a first half explosion come to fruition Friday evening, as Tucker Schwartz once again led the way for a Bobcats offense that built a 4-0 lead on host Friendship at the break and never looked back, as they bounced back from their loss to Cuba-Rushford with a 4-1 win over the Golden Eagles.
Schwartz recorded a 2-0 lead for Hinsdale (9-3-1), both of which coming on unassisted rushes with his first being scored at the 33:41 mark in the opening half, and extending upon it with 24:05 left. Four minutes later, Henry Schwartz added in a goal of his own off a pass dished along by Eric Showers to extend the Bobcats lead to three with 20:10 left until the break.
The scoring was wrapped up with a 4-0 lead at the half off a penalty kick from Brandon Hayman, netting it with 14:37 left. But in the second half, the shutout was foiled by the Golden Eagles (1-12) and Jerome Harmon, who recorded his second goal of the season off a feed from Jacob Golden just past the 10 minute mark of the new session.
In all, Hinsdale outshot Friendship by a 12-6 count with Ethan Cashimere recording the win behind three saves. On the other side, Taylor Moore made six stops for the hosts in purple and gold.
Hinsdale will look to eclipse the 10-win mark on the season when they return home to host Scio in a 5 p.m. contest on Tuesday, while Friendship hits the road to visit Mount Morris this afternoon in a 2 p.m. first kick.
Scio 8, Andover/Whitesville 0
SCIO — Coming off their fifth overtime game of the season, the Tigers of Scio made sure their rebound off their scoreless tie against Houghton Academy was successful, as they pulverized the Andover/Whitesville cage with 22 total shots, eight of them crossing the white line and into the net to set up shop on their 8-0 shutout back on their home field, Friday night.
The win put Scio above .500 for the first time this season, as they used a massive first half on offense to ignite their victory with six different scorers recording goals, and seven of their eight total netters being tallied in the first 40 minutes of play.
“I noticed a big difference with them tonight,” said Tigers coach Dillon McFall. “We had six different guys score, and we talked about how much we’ve been playing flat in games this year. Tonight, we had great energy and great intensity.”
Ethan Davenport, Jordan White and Brenden Loucks all scored in the first 10 minutes of play for the Tigers (6-5-2) to record a 3-0 lead right from the start on Andover/Whitesville. White, along with Frank White, would extend the team’s lead to five with a pair of goals being scored in nearly a minute’s span. Jordan White would finish up a first half hat trick with 15:20 left to branch the lead once more.
Later on to end the half, Lazar Bulajic recorded a goal of his own with 10:03 left on the clock to wrap up a seven-goal first half. Near the midway mark of the second half, the scoring concluded for the Tigers with Corey Field scoring his first of the season. Five of the eight goals all had an assist, with Loucks leading the way with a pair. Field, Jordan White and Carter Silsby all had one to add in.
In goal, Landon Arnold made one stop to record the shutout for the hosts in blue and gold. On the other side, Landon Ordway made 11 saves for Andover/Whitesville (1-12).
Both teams are back in action in a pair of 5 p.m. contests on Tuesday, with Scio hitting the road in a trip to Hinsdale, while Andover/Whitesville continues their road swing into Houghton Academy, visiting the host Panthers.
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
Wellsville 3, Bolivar-Richburg 0
BOLIVAR — Five incredible sets of volleyball were decided the last time Wellsville and Bolivar-Richburg met towards the beginning of the season. But this time around, only three were needed when the two foes met for the final time on Friday.
With both teams riding high on win streaks, one had to come to an end. After a back-and-forth opening set to begin the night, momentum was gained and momentum was used by the visiting Lady Lions, as they kept their undefeated season alive by taking the straight-set win over the host Lady Wolverines, ending their five-match win streak in the process in their 27-25, 25-21, 25-17 triumph.
“This was an awesome game. The girls worked so hard this week at practice making the adjustments they needed to make to stop a player like Jianna Nix on the other side,” Lady Lions coach Shannon Steiner said. “They did very well doing that in the game, and they adjusted their blocks and picked up tips. I am so proud of them. The energy in the gym was awesome, and between that and our fans, it was a great game to be a part of.”
The Lady Lions (8-0) propelled their way into the win column with the help of Brooklyn Stisser, who led the offensive attack behind a team-leading nine kills to go with four digs. Marley Adams (two aces, two digs) and Kaylee Coleman (three aces) each chipped in with six kills of their own. Jaelyn Knapp (three digs, two aces) followed with four kills, while Emma Dunaway (two aces) had three to chip in. Setter Maddy Parks dished out 20 assists to pair with four aces and four digs.
On the other side, the Lady Wolverines (7-3) were led by Jianna Nix, who recorded a game-high 19 digs, pairing them with 15 digs and four blocks. On defense, Haley Mascho provided a whopping 27 digs, while Kori Thomas (five kills, four blocks) had 13 more to dish in. At the front, Kaitlyn Graves tallied 21 assists.
Both teams will return to the court on Tuesday in 7:30 p.m. contests, with Wellsville returning home to host their next two matches, beginning with incoming Arkport/Canaseraga. As for Bolivar-Richburg, they will hit the road to visit the Wighthouse to take on the host Lady Rebels of Cuba-Rushford.
Fillmore 3, Houghton Academy 2
FILLMORE — The Rock was rocking Friday night. And for good reason.
In perhaps one of the more competitive games of the season, it was one that host Fillmore struggled to get their footing in the first two sets against Houghton Academy in the meeting between two seven-win teams. As a result, the visiting Lady Panthers pushed the Lady Eagles to the brink entering the third set.
Then, a remarkable comeback.
Despite all the pressure, the Lady Eagles shook it off and delivered a massive rally to end the night, as they fought their way past the Lady Panthers with three straight victories, including a back-and-forth fifth set thriller to complete the comeback, winning by a 21-25, 20-25, 25-19, 25-23, 26-24 count.
“After a slow start, we dug in and we wouldn’t let go even when Houghton took the lead,” said Lady Eagles coach Lacie Fuller. “This was a huge win, especially after dropping the first two sets against such a strong team. I can’t say enough about how proud and impressed of these ladies I am for the way they were able to handle adversity tonight.”
The Lady Eagles (8-3) could not have mounted their comeback without the massive night of offense gathered by Emma Cole, who scored a game-high 25 kills to pair with three aces and two blocks. Helping further the offensive cause was Jadyn Mucher and Zoe Hubbard, who each had nine more kills to add in, with Mucher adding in six aces, while Hubbard dished out a whopping 34 assists and had seven aces from the back.
Brooklyn Long had three kills and a block to add in for the hosts in black and green.
For Houghton Academy (7-3), Jessica Prentice led the way with a team-leading 16 kills, 15 digs and seven aces.
The Lady Eagles are back on the court Wednesday night with a 7:30 p.m. to Hinsdale, while Houghton Academy looks to rebound right after the weekend on the road themselves, visiting Letchworth in a 5 p.m. first serve on Monday.
Genesee Valley/Belfast 3, Hinsdale 1 (Thursday)
HINSDALE — After dropping a straight-set decision to the hands of Bolivar-Richburg 24 hours prior to their return, host Genesee Valley/Belfast made sure their rebound happened quickly, as they recorded a four-set victory over incoming Hinsdale on Thursday.
Leading the charge for Genesee Valley/Belfast (5-7) was Kaitlin Sadler, who recorded a team-high 11 kills to go with three aces. Setter Addy Herring dished out 14 team-high assists to pair with nine aces from the service line.
“There weren’t a lot of bright and shining moments for us, and our service was very struggling at times,” GV/Belfast coach Darren Bradt said. “On the good side, we got through it with a win, which is always a plus. At least we came out very strong, and dominated the game.”
Stats for Hinsdale (2-8) were not provided upon publication. The Lady Bobcats will look to rebound back on their home floor Tuesday night, hosting Salamanca at 7 p.m.
Genesee Valley/Belfast will also return to action Tuesday night, visiting Archbishop Walsh in a 5:30 p.m. first serve.
SWIMMING
Waldon breaks 500 freestyle record in Lady Sea Lions win over Way-Co (Thursday)
WELLSVILLE — History was made right inside the Lion’s Den on Thursday. From within a night that saw six first place finishes gathered by the Lady Sea Lions of Wellsville, one stood out from the rest — the 500 freestyle.
Hayden Waldon is the record holder for having set the penultimate time back during the 2019 season. Two years later, she rewrote history herself once again, as she recorded a new time to beat that will now stand on the team’s record board for time to come, swimming towards a time of 5:43.02 to help the Lady Sea Lions propel to a 110-72 win over visiting Wayland-Cohocton.
To go with her record-setting goal, Waldon raced the second and third leg in two relay victories for the Lady Sea Lions, who recorded their ninth straight win in the water, teaming up with Tiernee Brandes, Grace Kinnicutt and Isabelle Hart to deliver a opening-event punch with a 2:09.40 winning time in the 200 medley relay. Waldon, along with Kinnicutt, joined Ellie LaBenne and Morgan Mattison for their last relay win in the 400 freestyle with a time of 4:24.93.
In all, the Lady Sea Lions gathered six victories in the water, four of them coming individually. Helping the cause behind Waldon were Kinnicutt, Mattison and Brandes, who all had wins of their own, with Kinnicutt swimming to victory in the 100 butterfly (1:10.26), and later on, Mattison and Brandes recording back-to-back wins in the tail end of the meet, in the 100 backstroke (1:12.04) and 100 breaststroke (1:26.38) respectively to wrap up shop on another win to remain undefeated.
Today, the Lady Lions will go for 10 on Senior Day, as they host the Hornell Lady Red Raiders in a 10 a.m. swim that will conclude their regular season.
