By PAUL GOTHAM
Weekly rankings from the New York State Sportswriters Association (NYSSWA) have 17 Section V boys’ teams among the top in New York. All of those squads will be in action over the next three days including three head-to-head meetings and an inter-sectional matchup that sees the reigning NYS Class C champion travel to a local spot for a state-ranked tilt.
Greece Athena (9-0) kept its spot at No. 2 in Class AA while East (9-0) did the same in Class A. The two teams meet Saturday night at East High. Athena enters the weekend scoring 77.2 points per game while allowing 53.3. With Khorie Reaves leading the way (19.0 PPG), the Trojans have won all but one of their games by double digits. Athena has the distinction of being the only public school from upstate among the top five in Class AA. Bishop Timon-St. Jude (Monsignor Martin Athletic Association) is No. 1. George Westinghouse, Brooklyn Law and Technology and Murray Bergtraum of the Public School Athletic League (PSAL) of New York City hold spots 3-5.
East scores 78.3 points per game and gives up 48.1. The Eagles have won seven games by double digits. Micah Johnson scored 21.6 per game to lead the Eagles.
Both squads are in action on Friday with East playing host to RCAC rival, McQuaid. Athena travels to Brockport for a 7 PM start.
A 6 PM tipoff is scheduled Saturday at the corner of Main Street and Culver Road.
The “weekend” opens with a Genesee Region matchup of state-ranked squads as Alexander (No. 23 Class C) welcomes Byron-Bergen (No. 17 Class C) for the only regular season meeting between these rivals. Alexander (8-2) edged (50-48) No. 10 Pembroke last Friday on a Kingston Woods layup at the buzzer for the Trojans fifth straight win. Byron-Bergen (8-2) has won four in row with the Bees’ most recent setback coming to that same Pembroke club (61-50).
Finger Lakes East foes Newark (No. 29 A) and Wayne (No. 26 A) tip off Friday night. Newark (8-1), the reigning NYS Class B regional champ, will be coming off its first loss of the season – a 60-57 setback against Marcus Whitman. Wayne (9-2) hasn’t lost to a Section V team yet this year with the Eagles dropping decisions to Northview (California) and Murphysboro (Illinois) during its recent trip to Florida.
A 7:30 PM start is scheduled at Wayne.
York (No. 6 Class C) welcomes Randolph (No.1 C) of Section VI on Saturday for a 3:30 PM tilt. Randolph (9-0) hasn’t lost since last February (a stretch of 15 games/the second-longest current winning streak in NYS) when the Cardinals dropped a 59-48 decision at Salamanca. Randolph defeated Section I champ Haldane (58-55) in the 2023 NYS C championship. This will be York’s third meeting with a state-ranked squad this season having beaten reigning NYS Class D champ Avoca-Prattsburgh (No. 4 D), 77-48 and falling to Avon (No. 6 Class B), 62-47. This does not include a 76-60 win at Bishop Kearney (Class A) and a 49-46 loss to Wheatland-Chili (6-2) which is among the teams listed as Honorable Mention for Class C.
Other state-ranked teams in action this weekend:
Class AAA
Aquinas (11-0/No. 10) vs. Northeast at East High, Saturday 4:15 PM
Class AA
Victor (6-2/No. 23) at Rush-Henrietta, Friday 7:00 PM
Class A
Monroe (5-2/No. 15) vs. World of Inquiry, Thursday 6:30 PM
Class B
Avon (11-0/No. 6) at Rochester Academy Charter, Saturday 3:00 PM
Hornell (9-1/No. 7) vs. Wellsville, Friday 8:00 PM at Alfred State College
Canisteo-Greenwood (9-1/No. 7) vs. Addison, Thursday 7:15 PM
vs. Cuba-Rushford, Saturday 2:00 PM at Alfred State College
Class C
Lyons (10-1/No. 3) vs. C.G. Finney, Friday 7:00 PM
Pembroke (5-2/No. 10) vs. Elba, Thursday 7:00 PM
Bolivar-Richburg (8-2/No. 11) vs. Addison, Saturday 4:00 PM at Alfred State College
Byron-Bergen (8-2/No. 17) vs. Albion (VI), Saturday 7:00 PM
Class D
Avoca-Prattsburgh (6-4/No. 4) vs. Alfred-Almond, Saturday 1:00 PM
CONSPICUOUSLY ABSENT
Not listed among the state’s top teams is Section V’s other undefeated squad, East Rochester (10-0). The Bombers are among the Class C Honorable Mentions. ER has wins over Gananda (8-4/52-49), C.G. Finney (7-4/48-39) and Sodus (7-2/45-35). Worth noting that New York State High School Basketball has East Rochester ranked No. 7 in Tier V with the previously mentioned Randolph at No. 1 and Lyons No. 2 in that group. The Bombers travel to play North Rose-Wolcott in Wayne County action on Friday, 7:00 PM and will get a chance to prove themselves later in the month when they face Gananda, School of the Arts and Lyons over a six-day stretch from January 25th – 31st.
ABOUT LAST FRIDAY
By now, most are aware of the events surrounding the suspended (still waiting on the day when people understand the difference between postponed, cancelled and suspended) RCAC contest between Franklin and East. Nothing official has been announced, but administrators are working to complete the contest which was halted with 4:05 remaining in the second quarter and Franklin holding a 21-15 lead. There will be player ejections for those who left the bench.
BATTLE and DELISANTI ADVANCE in FREE THROW COMPETITION
Drew Battle of Canandaigua knocked down 18 of his 25 free throw attempts at this past weekend’s Elks Free Throw Competition in Lyons to win the 8 and 9-Year-Old Boys’ Division. Battle claimed the regional victory in Canandaigua with this weekend’s win, and he will be representing the Canandaigua Lodge in the state finals.
Honeoye’s Matthew Delisanti hit 21 of his 25 free throw attempts to win the 10 and 11-Year-Old Boys’ Division. Delisanti won the regional in Canandaigua in December making 21 out of 25 shots as well. With this weekend’s win he will be representing the Canandaigua Lodge in the state finals.
REMAINING WEEKEND SCHEDULE
FRIDAY
Honeoye Falls-Lima at Edison/SWW 6:15 PM
Harley-Allendale-Columbia at School of the Arts 6:15 PM
Franklin at Wilson Magnet 6:30 PM
McQuaid Jesuit at East High 6:30 PM
Victor at Rush-Henrietta 7:00 PM
Irondequoit at Churchville-Chili 7:00 PM
Greece Athena at Brockport 7:00 PM
Batavia at Greece Olympia 7:00 PM
Greece Odyssey at Eastridge 7:00 PM
East Rochester at North Rose-Wolcott 7:00 PM
Clyde-Savannah at Williamson 7:00 PM
Marion at Gananda 7:00 PM
Dansville at Livonia 7:00 PM
Warsaw at L Roy 7:00 PM
Pavilion at Mount Morris 7:00 PM
Keshequa at Perry 7:00 PM
Caledonia-Mumford at Letchworth 7:00 PM
C.G. Finney at Lyons 7:00 PM
Fairport at Webster Thomas 7:15 PM
Penfield at Hilton 7:15 PM
Webster Schroeder at Spencerport 7:15 PM
Canandaigua at Pittsford Sutherland 7:15 PM
Pittsford Mendon at Greece Arcadia 7:15 PM
Cuba-Rushford at Fillmore 7:30 PM
Andover-Whitesville at Houghton 7:30 PM
Waterloo at Geneva 7:30 PM
Newark at Wayne 7:30 PM
Marcus Whitman at Palmyra-Macedon 7:30 PM
Midlakes at Mynderse 7:30 PM
Gates Chili at Brighton 7:45 PM
Wellsville vs. Hornell at Alfred State College, 8:00 PM
SATURDAY
Andover-Whitesville vs Hammondsport at Alfred State College NOON
Alfred-Almond at Avoca-Prattsburgh 1:00 PM
Pittsford Mendon at Rush-Henrietta 1:45 PM
Canisteo-Greenwood vs. Cuba-Rushford at Alfred State College 2:00 PM
UPrep at Green Tech (II) 2:30 PM
Lyndonville at Notre Dame-Batavia 3:00 PM
Avon at Rochester Academy 3:00 PM
World of Inquiry at Penn Yan 4:00 PM
Bolivar-Richburg vs Addison at Alfred State College 4:00 PM
Randolph (VI) at York 3:30 PM ***note time change
Williamson at Weedsport (III) 5:30 PM
Thomas Edison vs. Jasper-Troupsburg at Alfred State 6:00 PM
Greece Athena at East High 6:00 PM
Albion (VI) at Byron-Bergen 7:00 PM
Genesee Valley/Belfast vs. Arkport-Canaseraga at Alfred State College 8:00 PM
SUNDAY
Bishop Kearney vs. Bishop Grimes (III) at Cicero-North Syracuse
McQuaid Jesuit at Corning-Painted Post 2:00 PM
School of the Arts vs. Dunkirk (VI) at SUNY Fredonia
COACHES: To report scores and game details, please email: scores@picksplinters.com
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