By BILL COLLMER (Special to Pickin’ Splinters)
WAYLAND — Ten area High-School Basketball teams will help kickoff the 2024-2025 Basketball season Saturday December 7th at Wayland-Cohocton High school in the Fifth Annual Way-Co Hall of Fame Basketball showcase. There will be five games: four boys and one girls game. Some of the top teams in Sections Four and Five and New York State will take the floor with proceeds benefiting the Wayland-Cohocton Sports Hall of Fame. The Fifth Annual Showcase will feature one team from the Genesee Region, two from the Steuben County League, Two from Section IV, four from the Livingston County Athletic Association and one team who is an independent. This years’s showcase features a coach entering his 19th season and two entering their first season. One coach is entering his third and has won back-to-back sectional championships in his first two seasons.
This year’s lineup:
NOON – Avoca-Prattsburgh vs. York
1:30 – Wayland-Cohocton vs. Elba
3:00 – Canisteo-Greenwood vs. Marcus Whitman
4:30 – Hornell vs. Watkins Glen (Girls)
6:00 – Corning vs. Hornell
This year’s showcase will be dedicated to longtime Wayland-Cohocton sports supporter and former Steuben County Sheriff Richard Tweddell and in memory of Sylvia Collmer who was a dedicated Steuben County Basketball fan mainly following the Prattsburgh Vikings and Avoca Tigers and most recently the Avoca-Prattsburgh Titans.
Tweddell worked for the New York State Police from 1965-1997. He was Sheriff Walter Delap’s Undersheriff from 1997-1999 and was Steuben County Sheriff from 1999 until 2008 overall he was involved in Law Enforcement for 44 years. He also was school resource officer for a few years. For years, no matter their records and how far away they played he was always at the boys’ and girls’ basketball games, as well as most other school athletic events. Dick has been Way-Co’s number one sports fan for 20+ years. He is not your usual fan of today. He enjoys watching all athletic events, enjoys watching the kids, doesn’t critique the coaches or players. You’ll never hear a negative word come out of his mouth while watching the games. He’s what a true fan should be. He will be presented with a reserved seat sign for his seat at the top of the bleachers.
Sylvia (Snyder) Collmer passed away July 22, 2024 after a four-year battle with cancer. She graduated from Prattsburgh Central School class of 1965. Sylvia moved her family to Avoca in 1983 and was an avid high School Basketball fan following the Avoca boys’ varsity Basketball team and making the occasional trip over the hill to her alma mater Prattsburgh. Her Son Gary Storms played for Avoca from 1992-1995. She attended the Steuben County boy’s tournament semifinal and championship games in Bath for over 20 years. Her Grandson Logan Storms is a senior on this years Marcus Whitman varsity boys basketball team. Sylvia was a wonderful mother to her five kids, an amazing grandmother and gr
greatly missed by her family and the Avoca community. Sylvia spent most of her adult life volunteering for various organizations including the Avoca American Legion and Wallace Volunteer Fire Department.
It was a trip to the Steuben County Championship game in Bath in 1992 that turned her youngest son Bill into a high school basketball junkie. That night Campbell ended Prattsburgh’s 57 game winning streak in front of a packed Bath-Haverling gymnasium. Bill had wanted to stay home and watch the NBA Slam Dunk contest but Sylvia insisted he attend. The intensity of the two teams playing, the atmosphere in the gym and the overall experience was so memorable it turned him into a high school basketball enthusiast that has lasted 32 years and counting. In 2002, Bill started the Avoca Summer Classic 3-on-3 Basketball tournament that went on for 18 years. Sylvia volunteered all 18 years. Bill also coached both modified boys and girls’ basketball at Avoca Central School. Sylvia never missed one of his games even though she didn’t know the kids she was there to support her son.
This year’s Hall of Fame Showcase will kick-off with a rematch from last year with York versus Avoca-Prattsburgh.
York was hit hard by graduation last season losing four starters and several key reserves.
“Our team put in a lot of effort in the Off- Season. We played Spring League, Summer League, attended camps and had college coaching staffs in to work with our guys in addition to our open gyms and individual workouts. This group really loves basketball and I look forward to seeing them develop throughout the year,” York Coach Ed Orman Jr. Said
Orman is entering his 19th season as varsity coach at York and has noticed some changes since he started coaching in 2005
“Honestly the game and the kids haven’t changed that much. However, as schools have gotten smaller and individual opportunities for development have increased, we are having younger players securing spots and roles on our team. I don’t think I had a single Freshman play for us my first 10 years. In the past 5 years we have had many and most likely will have a few this year. The competition for spots has become really competitive because there are so many opportunities to develop skills outside of our halls. The days of picking up a ball in November and putting it down in March and being able to earn a spot or role on a team have changed. The ages have gotten younger but the competition for the spots has become more intense. Honestly, I believe skill level is up, but physicality is down, the game is faster, cleaner and more skillful. Size and strength are still quality tangibles to have but can be overcome more easily with great skills and abilities,” Orman Jr. said.
Avoca-Prattsburgh has played in Glens Falls three straight seasons and won four straight sectional championships since merging programs, however for the first time there won’t be a Putnam on the floor or on the sideline. Macoy Putnam graduated in June and Brian Putnam resigned in late July. The program also took a hit when All-State Power Forward Daniel Stilson decided to transfer to Canisteo-Greenwood in Mid-August.
Former J.V coach Andy Ratchford takes over the program.
All-State third team Sophomore guard J.J Crowder returns to lead the Titans and a handful of J.V callups from last season will team with him and sophomore Carter Button who started most of last season as a freshman.
“They will play a crucial role for us this year,” A-P Coach Andy Ratchford said.
A-P will play York, East-Rochester, Gananda, Genesee-Valley/Belfast, Dundee-Bradford and Andover-Whitesville non-League this season.
“We do have a handful of tough non-league games this season. We will plan and prep ahead of time to go in with a winning mindset. The goal is to always come out on top however the reality is that may not be the case. The secondary goal is to learn what our weaknesses are and to take care of business before post season comes to ensure the team is ready when it counts. The one benefit of losing a player like Macoy Putnam is that this season’s team played under his leadership last year or even the year before that. There are guys returning this year that share some of the same goals and strive to make similar achievements that Macoy made in his amazing career. This alone could help bring the team where we would like them to be before the playoff push,” Ratchford said.
“We will graduate one player this season. Bryan Heale. He does have leadership qualities that we will need this season. Overall, the team is still young,” Ratchford added.
Ratchford graduated from Bath in 2007 played College Basketball at Corning Community College then finished up at Houghton.
“High School basketball around here when I played was different because every team had at least one solid big man in the paint, who was skilled offensively in some way and an obvious defensive presence. Post play was important to break down defenses and get guys to the free throw line. I just remember some of the “bigs” locally like Jon Onyiriuka from Corning West, who always had good battles with Isiah Smalt in Campbell-Savona. The Szabo brothers at Wellsville, Scott Young in Hornell. There may be an occasional big man here and there now, but they are not dominant in most cases. Athletes just seem to be smaller for some reason,” Ratchford said.
Elba will then meet the host Wayland-Cohocton Golden Eagles. Elba was one of a number of Genesee Region teams to do well in sectionals last season. Both Notre-Dame and Byron-Bergen captured Sectional Championships last season with Elba, Alexander and Pembroke all falling in the sectional championship game.
“I was so proud of how our league played not just in sectionals last year, but all season long. It was test after test every single night. I do believe that the GR is as strong of a small-school league as you will see in our section. I feel like we will see much of the same thing again this season,” Elba Coach Ciaci Zambito said.
Elba will field a young team this season with only one senior on the nine-player roster. One of the top players will be freshman Ryan Marsceill who saw a lot of time on the floor last season.
Zambito has noticed some changes since he started coaching.
“Certainly, much like other sports, merged programs have become something that people are seeing more of now. The impact that it has on class sizes, number of teams in each class, etc. have definitely impacted the landscape of the sport at this level for the small classes,” Zambito said.
Wayland-Cohocton second year coach Brandon Davis is trying to build the Golden Eagles back into a contender and has the boys playing in summer leagues and has hosted a basketball camp to try and rejuvenate the program.
“We competed in the LCAA Summer League once again, and we got our JV team into some different team camps/tournaments where they saw some great competition. The boys continued to work hard in every way possible, whether it was summer skills sessions or camps, they all did what they could this summer to work on their game,” Way-Co Coach Brandon Davis said.
“We also hosted our second annual Wayland-Cohocton youth hoops camp this summer. It went very well once again. We had two sessions, one for kids in grades 2-5 and one for kids in grades 6-8. Kids worked on their fundamentals like ball handling, passing, defense, rebound, layups, shooting, etc., and we put in more advanced skill work for the middle school group. We had a ton of fun while working on our craft. A few of our returning JV and Varsity kids were able to volunteer their time to the camp and the campers enjoyed them being there as well. It was a great turnout and was exciting to see so many younger kids interested in basketball,” Davis added.
Davis played high school basketball for Coach Ed Orman Jr. at York.
“The biggest difference in high school basketball between now and then is how fast the game is played. When I was playing basketball, we were playing a fast-paced style offense, get the rebound and push. Back when I played, it seemed like very few teams were doing the same thing. There were a few schools who were playing that style, but we were very competitive because we had 7-8 guys who could play basketball at a high level for a longer period of time. In basketball today, it seems that every team we face is playing this fast-paced style of basketball, and teams are in the minority if they are not trying to outrun your opponent down the floor,” Davis said.
The third game will feature Canisteo-Greenwood versus Marcus Whitman. Both teams will be contenders in Class B2 Sectionals. C-G had a memorable regular season last year but were upset at home in the Sectional Quarterfinals by Wellsville. While Marcus Whitman defeated Wellsville in the semifinals and advanced to the sectional Championship game but fell to Class B powerhouse Avon at the Blue Cross Arena.
Canisteo-Greenwood returns their top two players from last season in Thomas Sirrani and Carson Chaffee and got a big boost in August when Avoca-Prattsburgh All-State Power Forward Daniel Stilson transferred to C-G for his senior year. Stilson played Summer League with the Chargers at St. John Fisher and already lived in the district, when Brian Putnam resigned as coach at A-P Stilson decided to transfer to C-G.
New coach Brandon Beers oversaw their development at Fisher and participated in a lot of off-season programs with this group of players.
“My hope is that this summer has shown the boys how much I care about them. We have had a chance to get familiar with one another and I hope it translates to hard work on the court,” Brandon Beers said
C-G has beefed up it’s non-league schedule this season and will play defending Class C Champions Lyons and Byron-Bergen, Section IV class AAA powerhouse Elmira who is coming off back-to-back sectional championships. Section Five power Bishop Kearney, Marcus Whitman twice, Cuba-Rushford and Hornell.
“Playing against amazing programs with amazing coaches should help all of us get better,” Beers added.
Beers graduated from Canisteo in 2003 played college basketball at Medaille and Roberts Wesleyan. The past few years he’s coached his son Jackson in travel basketball leagues he also coached the Modified Boys Basketball team at C-G.
“The game is much faster since I played. There is much more opportunity to play and coach with all of the AAU leagues out there which in turn leads to better players and coaches. I feel lucky to be apart it,” Beers said.
The Canisteo area was heavily affected by flooding this past August, August 19th Beers got a call from one of his players who saw on Facebook that a woman had a basement full of mud. The next day 16 of his teammates joined him in shoveling mud out of a basement. All volunteer, they wouldn’t accept a dime.
Marcus Whitman returns its starting five from last season and enjoyed a very successful off-season with several of their players playing AAU, Summer League, attending camps and participating in private workouts with Section Five legendary shooter Jack Leasure. The AAU team traveled all along the east coast playing in high profile tournaments.
“We have always done a summer league and at least one team camp. It gets up 10 plus games throughout the summer. We also have open gyms as often as we can. Three guys played AAU which got them around basketball for more hours than normal. This will all help us this season to be more consistent. Jack Leasure is a great resource to have locally. I am glad they got connected with him this offseason and have put in a ton of time with him. I know they have learned a ton from him and work on their own based on drills he has provided for them,” Marcus Whitman Coach Greg O’Connor said.
Marcus Whitman will be an older team this season with Eight seniors and Five juniors. The Five newcomers will have a good impact on the team pushing the seniors to play their best as the seniors would like to end their careers with a Section Five Championship.
“Of course, a title would be fitting for anyone to go out with, Brody Royston and Tariku Blueye did not play a fall sport and when Logan Storms lost his soccer season, he joined in on the workouts to start preparing for the season. I am glad they took advantage of the opportunity to be in the gym as much as possible,” O’Connor said.
Marcus Whitman will play a challenging independent schedule this season with games against Lyons, Canisteo-Greenwood, Hornell, Wellsville, Batavia, Mynderse, Livonia, Bishop-Kearney, Rochester Prep, Geneva, Pal-Mac, Rochester Academy and East Rochester.
“I guess to me, basketball is basketball. The goal is to play team defense and put the ball in the hoop. It’s a game of strategy, finesse, athleticism, and energy. Within my coaching years, I wouldn’t say much has changed because I continue to keep the same philosophy, coach fundamentals, and stress the importance of playing together. From when I was playing, I would say there are more opportunities for athletes to keep playing “organized” basketball in the off season. After my junior year, I remember trying out for 1 AAU team and there were 50 kids at the tryout. Now, 50 kids would just be split into 5 AAU teams. There are also more ways for kids to train. It may take some travel and money, but there is a lot out there to choose from. I think it takes a special athlete to really put in the work they need to in the off season. There are not a lot of kids in the driveway in the off season. A question I often get at the beginning of each season is, “what can I do to improve?” My response to that is “It is called March through October”. Of course we focus on development throughout the season, but players will grow more when they put their own time into the game,” O’Connor said.
The fourth contest will be the Girls game featuring Section IV Class C Powerhouse Watkins Glen versus Hornell who is coming off back-to-back Sectional Championships with most of their team returning. Hornell fell in the far western regional last season and is looking to get back to that game and make the next step with a trip to Hudson Valley Community College. In order to make that happen they beefed up an already challenging schedule.
They will be playing Four Section IV teams, AAA Corning twice, Defending AAA Champion Elmira, defending AA Champion Horseheads and Class C runner up Watkins Glen. They’ll be playing Section Five Class AA runner-up Victor, defending Class A Champion Aquinas twice, Wellsville, and Section VI Small School Powerhouse Randolph along with a tough LCAA Schedule with Keshequa twice, York, Caledonia-Mumford, Livonia, Dansville and Bath.
“The hope is that we can become more consistent as a team because our schedule is packed with great teams this year. We will have to bring our best every night to get wins, and we think that this will prepare us for the post-season. Our goal is to get better every day, and hopefully, if we can consistently improve, we will end up being successful,” Hornell Coach Jim Dagon said.
“We’ve got a couple of girls this season who will be getting more minutes than they did last year, A’Jonay Hawkins, Mia Nasca, and Zahra Mehr. They’ve all been working hard in the off-season and have shown that they can help the team consistently throughout this preseason, so I anticipate them all to play a much larger role than they did a year ago, which adds some depth
to our roster. Teegan Eveland, an eighth grader, will join the varsity roster this year. Obviously, for a young kid, there will be an adjustment period at the beginning of the year, but so far, she’s shown toughness and fearlessness this pre-season, and we anticipate her to impact this year’s team,” Dagon added
Hornell suffered a huge loss on the opening day of practice when Senior Sharp shooter Lilly Hoyt tore her ACL with ten minutes remaining in practice. She will miss the entire season and will end her career with 993 career points and 259 career three-pointers.
“It’s really hard to see such a great kid go through multiple injuries in a career. Lilly has been dedicated to basketball for her entire life, so her having to miss her senior season is really heart-breaking. The things she can do on the court have helped us be successful for the past few seasons, but her leadership is something that we will still get from her. She is in the gym with us every day, tracking practice stats and keeping her teammates motivated. She has also begun watching films of our opponents and creating scouting reports for us to use during our film sessions. She’s embracing a role that she did not expect to have for this season, but she just wants to do whatever she can to help her team succeed,” Dagon said.
“Her teammates know that in Lilly’s absence, they will all have to step up. No one player will fill her void on the floor, it needs to be a group effort. It isn’t what we anticipated, but this group is resilient, and their goals for the year still remain. Like all hardships, we are trying to rally around the challenge of not having Lilly in the lineup, so on the days when we are sore and aren’t feeling up to the challenge, we have to remember that you never know what the future holds, and that you should compete everyday like it could be your last. I think, in this way, the girls will all be playing for Lilly this year, so she is still playing a vital role for this team,” Dagon added.
“The game, especially on the girl’s side, has grown a ton since I was in high school. It’s a really exciting time to be a part of girls’ basketball. It’s grown so much in popularity as a result of the talent that is making its way through the high school, college, and professional levels. There’s so much talent, especially in the Rochester area right now, and there are so many teams who play the game the right way, too, that it can’t be ignored,” Dagon said.
Watkins Glen Coach Alicia learn has had a chance to watch Hornell on film
“Yes, I have seen a little. It should be a great game!” Learn said
Learn was a player on Watkins Glen’s first ever girls’ sectional championship team in 2000, she coached the J.V team in 2011 and 2012. Took over the Varsity team in 2013. She led them to Sectional Championships in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019. In 2017 she led them to Class C State Championship and in 2019 they lost in the State Championship game. Learn says the game has changed since she was a player.
“The game has become faster and more physical/aggressive. I feel that our numbers are dropping, some teams can’t field a J.V or varsity team,” Learn said
Watkins Glen was dealt a blow in the off season on the injury front
“We will be missing two players this year. A senior starter that is unable to play because of a back issue and a junior that is recovering from ACL surgery,” Learn added.
Learn returns four other starters from last years runner up finish in the Class C Championship game. Moravia who defeated them for the Section IV Championship went on to win the class C State Championship.
Hornell and Corning from Section IV will meet in a rematch of last years “Main Event”. The Class B Red Raiders defeated the AAA Hawks 63-59. The Player of the game was P.J Picco with 14 points, and 7 Rebounds. Picco returns for his senior season.
Corning features freshman Nolyn Proudfoot who is entering his third year of varsity Basketball, he averaged 21.0 PPG last season as an 8th grader and is already closing in on 1,000 career points. Proudfoot is the 3rd ranked player in the Class of 2028 in all of New York State. Proudfoot is a certified gym rat who gets up before school and puts up between five hundred and a thousand shots. He has a very high basketball IQ. Plays with an elite AAU team traveling the country playing in high profile tournaments. He could be one of the highest recruited players from this area in the last 30 years. He was an All-State selection last season in Class AAA and selected to the Stars and Stripes team.
“Nolyn shoots 1,000 shots a day before school starts (Breakfast Club). He and his teammates love basketball and invest a lot of time in Open Gym, Summer League, AAU, Pick Up, at the YMCA and the Proudfoot Home Gym,” Corning Coach Mike Johnston said
“He is special. One of a kind. He is destined to be the All-Time leading scorer in Corning History. He gets better every day and is very coachable. He eats, drinks and sleeps basketball,” Johnston added
Proudfoot’s teammate Kyler Stevenson had a good summer and is expected to have a big season. He scored 24 points versus Hornell in last years showcase. Stevenson is a Swiss Army Knight as he can do a little bit of everything. Last season he averaged 10.0 PPG, 2.0 APG, 5.0 RPG shot 38.7 % from 3-point land, 53.8% from the field and took 20 charges on the season.
Azim Griffin runs Elite607Runs a media group organized to get the top 9th-11th grade basketball players under the same roof. The goal is to play the top competition in the 607 area. Iron sharpens iron. Griffin is very impressed with Proudfoot, Stevenson and the entire Corning team.
“I see Corning winning AAA Sectionals and winning the STAC West Championship,” Griffin said.
Nolyn Proudfoot will be joined this season by his brother Carter a sophomore and also a deadly Shooter like his younger brother.
“He will be a major factor for Corning, he’s a great defender brings high energy. The focus will be on Nolyn and Kyler but don’t be surprised if he averages double figures in points and 3-4 steals a game along with a few three pointers,” Griffin said.
Nolyn Proudfoot is projected to be a potential scholarship player at a major Division I college.
“I truly believe if Nolyn grows to be 6’5” he will be a high major player, he still has a lot of time and his dad is 6’6”.” Griffin added.
Mike Johnston has been coaching high school basketball for 35 years, 17 at the varsity level.
“Everything is driven by the NBA and AAU. More people playing for themselves instead of the name on the front of their jersey’s. When you have a cohesive unit that is willing to share the ball, defend as one and compete as a team, you have a chance at being successful,” Johnston said.
Hornell lost All-State Guard Gennaro Picco and his 24.0 PPG to graduation but bring back several key players to their team that finished as Class B1 Runner up last season. Defensive stopper Wyatt Evingham and Picco’s younger brothers P.J and Marco return along with Senior Aaron McInerney.
“Marco has gotten better. I think the game has slowed down for him. He’s gotten stronger and he’s more assertive in his game. I expect him to be aggressive on the offensive end looking for his shot. Defensively, he’s gotten better this preseason and I’m looking forward to him having a good season. PJ is going to have a terrific season. I really don’t know what his offensive numbers will look like, but the thing with PJ is that he just always makes the right play. He will do a little bit of everything for us. He’s one of our leaders and we need a big season out of him,” Hornell Coach Kirk Scholes said.
“We went up and played at St. John Fisher. We also went to the AU team camp and played some good teams like Elmira, Marcus Whitman, Spencerport, and Rochester Prep. The offseason is important because it keeps a ball in the kids’ hands. They also learn to play together. Honestly, it gives me a chance to start the evaluation of our team. I try to figure out what kind of team I have and what are the possible strengths and weaknesses of the group,” Scholes added
Hornell will be playing a tough non-league schedule while also playing a tough LCAA schedule, non-League games with Corning, Rochester Prep, Wellsville, Marcus Whitman, and Canisteo-Greenwood along with crossover LCAA games with Avon, Leroy and York plus D1 games with Livonia, Bath, Dansville and Wayland-Cohocton.
“We look forward to the challenge of competing against a team like Corning. We know they are very well coached. They are very disciplined on the defensive end and have multiple kids that can put the ball in the bucket. We know that this game will only help later in the year and it will give us a great idea of where we are and what we need to work on.” Scholes said
Scholes played at Hornell in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s graduating in 2001.
“High School basketball is completely different in the way the game is played. The game in the 90’s and early 2000’s was dominated by big guys. I remember us playing through the post on nearly all possessions. The game was played in the paint. Teams that could score inside and defend the paint usually won. Today, kids have fallen in love with the three-point shot. It’s the shot they practice the most. It’s the shot that even big guys prefer. Since I started coaching, I’d say the midrange game has disappeared the most. Sometimes when looking at shot charts you see paint shots and 3’s. Kids don’t like to shoot the pullups or the 15-foot jumper,” Scholes said
The Wayland-Cohocton Hall of Fame showcase enters its fifth season as the season opener for many teams. Area teams have participated in this event, along with other teams from Section Five, Section VI and Section IV. Proceeds from this event help the Sports Hall of Fame at Way-Co continue to honor athletes from the past to get their spot in the Hall of fame. Hall of Fame member and longtime Prattsburgh coach Jim Burke has spearheaded the effort trying to bring the best teams to Wayland every year and his efforts have paid off. Burke spent 28 years as the Varsity Boys Basketball Coach at Prattsburgh where he led his teams to six sectional titles and one state title. Burke also led the girl’s team for 10 years. He retired in 2009 with 694 varsity basketball victories (517 with the boys team and 177 with the girl’s team) and led the Vikings to 10 total sectional championships (six boys, four girls). He simultaneously coached both the boys and the girl’s teams for seven seasons.
He is the only coach to win both a boy’s and a girl’s sectional title in the same year. Burke was inducted into the New York State Hall of Fame in 2005. He is also in the Section Five Basketball Hall of Fame and National Coaches Hall of Fame. Burke has noticed some changes since he retired.
“Biggest item is the lack of numbers on teams and the number of schools combining to form one team. Not just basketball, but sports in general. How many schools are not fielding a JV or Varsity team. Are travel teams ruining it for high school teams? Wish I knew the answer,” Jim Burke said.
Dr. James Naismith invented the game of basketball in 1891 while many things have changed since the first game was played 133 years ago the game itself remains the same. The things that have changed the most are the players who play the game.
Team-by team breakdowns:
Hornell Lady Red Raiders
Coach: Jim Dagon 3rd season
Last Season: 21-4, lost in the Class B Western Regional to Southwestern 63-61
Numbers: Averaged 64.2 PPG, Allowed 45.6 PPG last season
History Lesson: Won Second Consecutive Sectional Championship last season
Key Returners:
Junior Jordyn Dyring 15.0 PPG, 5 REB, 2.3 AST, 1.4 STL
Junior Selena Maldonado 9.7 PPG, 6.0 AST, 5.6 REB, 3.3 STL
Junior Payton Bentley 11.7 PPG, 7.5 REB, 3.3 BLK, 1.0 AST
Sophomore Raegan Evingham 10.4 PPG, 8.1 REB, 2.6 AST, 3.4 STL
Junior Mia Nasca – 4.3 PPG, 1.8 REB, 0.9 AST 46.2% 3FG% (Jan/Feb – led team)
6-foot Junior forward A’jonay Hawkins
Junior Guard Zahra Mehr
Top Newcomer: Teegan Eveland, an eighth grader
Fun Facts: – As a team Hornell made 245 3-Pointers last season. Senior Lillian Hoyt finished with 259 3-Pointers in her career.
Coach Dagon says: “One of the biggest advantages of having a lot of returning players is that you don’t have to rework your style of play at the start of the year. Rather than putting in a new offense or defense that better suits a new roster of players, we are able to add layers to things and refine the things we did last season. We are building off of what worked last season and hopefully making some adjustments that will make us more prepared for a wider variety of scenarios and game scripts. All of our players are multi-sport athletes, so their off-season schedules are jam-packed. I think it’s good for them to play multiple sports so that they don’t get burnt out, and so they get the chance to hear from other coaches. Throughout the off-season, the majority of our girls play on various AAU teams. We also run open gyms a few times a week, and a bunch of them picked up some strength training programs that have really made a difference. In August, we took a weekend trip to Albany to play in a tournament against some great teams, too.”
Showcase History: Lost to Elba in inaugural Showcase 55-47, Lost to Pavilion 50-45 in 2022
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Watkins Glen Lake Hawks
Coach: Alicia Learn 12th Season 144-75
Last Season: 17-4, lost in Section IV Class C Championship to eventual State Champion Moravia 50-42
History Lesson: Sectional Champions in 2000, 2015, 2016, 2017, & 2019. Class C State Champions in 2017, State Runner up in 2019.
Key Returners: Junior Brianna Hatch, 11.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 2.0 APG, 2.0 SPG, 1.0 BPG Junior Rachel Vickio, 13.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 2.0 APG, 2.0 SPG, 1.0 BPG, Senior Addison Coolican, 9.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.0 APG, 3.0 SPG, Olivia King 7.0 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 1.0 APG, 2.0 SPG, 1.0 BPG Natalee Oliver, Michaela Wheaton, Emma Cady and Olivia VanSkiver
Top Newcomers: Grace Underdown, Grace Roney and Makenzie Glover (all juniors)
Fun Fact: Hatch & Vickio were IAC First Team All-Stars last season, Coolican was Second team and King was Honorable Mention.
Coach Learn Says: “I try to instill hard work, determination and growth with my players. I am lucky to have my assistant coach Bub Chaffee run a youth program (3rd-6th grade) with the help of Steve Oliver. We participate in summer league and most of our girls play AAU. I hold many open gyms throughout the year and encourage all ages to come. I encourage players to go to camps when they can. I have a great group of girls that want to go out and get things done this year.”
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Corning Hawks
Coach: Mike Johnston 17th year
Last Season: 8-11, Lost in Section IV Class AAA Championship game to Elmira 82-69
History Lesson: Corning West won Class B Sectionals in 1998, Corning-Painted Post won Class AA Sectionals 2017 and 2022. Originally a Section Five School Corning won Sectional Championships in Section Five in 1924, 1926, 1930, 1933, 1936, 1939, 1940 & 1965.
Numbers: As a Sixth Grader Nolyn Proudfoot scored 42 and 48 points in an eighth-grade tournament.
Key Returners: Freshman Guard Nolyn Proudfoot 19.3 PPG,
Sophomore Kyler Stevenson 10.7 PPG
Senior Mekai Daniels
Top Newcomers: Sophomore Carter Proudfoot
Junior Guard Cameron McPherson
Fun Fact: Proudfoot’s older brother Aiden plays at Fredonia State; Carters twin brother Landyn doesn’t play Basketball.
Coach Johnston Says: “We will emphasize man-to-man defense, we shoot it pretty well, we like to get up and down in transition, we aren’t large in stature but compete, had a very successful summer and off-season, this group loves basketball,”
Showcase History: Lost to Hornell 63-59 last season
Canisteo-Greenwood Chargers
Coach: Brandon Beers 1st season
Last Season: 18-2, lost to Wellsville in the B2 Sectional Quarterfinal 56-40
Numbers: Senior Daniel Stilson Scored 37 Points in the Sectional Semifinals versus Hammondsport, scored 32 in a regular season loss to Arkport-Canaseraga and 33 in a win over Arkport-Canaseraga he Scored 23 in the State Semifinals versus Sackets Harbor all while playing for Avoca-Prattsburgh last season
History Lesson: Canisteo never won a sectional championship. Greenwood won four straight sectional championships in Class D from 1981-1984. They haven’t won sectionals since combining schools in 2004.
Key Returners: Junior Thomas Sirianni (10.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG) and Junior Carson Chaffee (18.0 PPG, 9.0 RPG)
Top Newcomers: Senior Daniel Stilson a transfer from Avoca-Prattsburgh. Averaged 16.2 points and 7.4 Rebounds a game last season. He was a section Five Class D Tournament All-Star and was named to the New York State Class D All-Tournament team. He was named Sixth Team All-State Class D
Assistant Coach Dan Peters who will bring a ton of experience and has coached in a sectional championship game.
Coach Beers says: “These boys have worked all summer long giving up time with their friends and family to get better. I believe that hard work should provide a foundation to everything we want to do this year on the court. I feel like all 14 guys on our team bring something crucial to the team. I am excited they are all returning and am lucky to have every one of them.”
Fun Fact: Thomas Sirianni and Carson Chaffee were both Steuben County First Team All-Stars last season while Daniel Stilson was a Second Team All-Star at Avoca-Prattsburgh.
Avoca-Prattsburgh Titans
Coach: Andy Ratchford 1st season
Last Season: 15-10 lost in the State Semifinals 58-57 to Sackets Harbor
Numbers: Averaged 62.6 PPG, Allowed 48.6 PPG last season.
History Lesson: Prattsburgh won 12 Sectional Championships overall and were the 1991 NYS Class D State Champions finishing 29-0. Avoca won 5 Sectional Championships overall and were the 1989 NYS Class D State Champions finishing 28-0. Avoca-Prattsburgh has won four Straight Sectional Championships and Won back-to-back State Championships in 2022 & 2023 they lost in the State Semifinals last season.
Returning Starters: Two
Key Returners: J.J Crowder 5’10” Sophomore Guard 15.3 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 3.4 APG, 2.6 SPG-Section Five Class D All-Tournament Team, First Team Steuben County All-Star. Third Team All-State Class D
Carter Button 6’0” Sophomore Guard
Landon White 6’1” Junior Forward
Top Newcomers: Austin Swift 6’0” Sophomore Forward
Colin Zurlick 6’1” Junior Forward
Connor Parulski 6’1” Junior Forward
Gracyn Rumsey 6’6” Junior Center
Fun Facts: A-P J.V Coach Brady Brandow played in the inaugural Showcase in 2019 for Avoca.
Coach Ratchford says: “I have been blessed to be a part of the late success of A-P boys’ basketball. It’s definitely a new era. I said in our “meet the coach night” that program leadership has changed but the program expectations remain the same. There is a culture built here that can set up any coach for success. The guys want to work hard and seem dedicated. The community understands that success at that level just can’t be maintained at a class D school. So, to answer the question, if there is pressure out there, I don’t feel it. I feel supported and wanted and I am excited to continue the culture that produces success.”
Showcase History: Prattsburgh defeated York 71-69, Avoca lost to Elba 56-53, in the inaugural Showcase. Avoca-Prattsburgh defeated York 59-45 in the 2021 Showcase. York defeated A-P the 2022 showcase 77-69 and in the 2023 Showcase 77-48.
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Elba Lancers
Coach: Ciaci Zambito
Last Season: 7-16, Lost in Class D Sectional Championship to Avoca-Prattsburgh 50-37.
Numbers: Coach Ciaci Zambito is 114-51 in his career at Elba.
History Lesson: Have won four Sectional Championships, most recently in 2017.
Players to Watch: Freshman Ryan Marsceill
Sophomore Nicholas Scott
Junior Bing Zuber
Top Newcomers: Senior Jason Rowe
Junior Jadiel Omar Amaro
Fun Fact: Elba made Championship game appearances in 2017,2020, 2022 & 2024. They earned Number one seeds in 2016 and 2020.
Coach Zambito says: “I think that if you take the experience, we had last year (struggled record wise through 20 games, then reached the Sectional Finals), the goal not only remains the same, but we hope to build off of that. We will look to improve day after day from November-February, and then take a real nice shot at a Sectional Championship.”
“I really Love how connected our team is. The guys are really close. They all try and make each other better, and are really top-notch teammates. Every few years I have had teams that just seem to gel, and so far, this group has had that vibe to them. They have an energy about wanting to improve that is really exciting for me.”
Showcase History: Elba is 4-0 in the Showcase they Defeated Avoca 56-53 in inaugural Showcase. Defeated Jasper-Troupsburg in year two 57-50. Defeated Wayland-Cohocton in the third Annual Showcase 52-26, defeated Wayland-Cohocton in the fourth Showcase 41-35
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Marcus Whitman Wildcats
Coach: Greg O’Connor
Last Season: 16-7, lost in Class B2 Championship game to Avon 69-47.
History Lesson: Gorham won sectionals in 1947; Middlesex won sectionals in 1965 & 1966. The schools merged to become Marcus Whitman in 1969. They won the Class A Championship in 1976. They won the Class C1 Championship in 2020.
Numbers: Averaged 45.8 PPG, Allowed 41.3 PPG last season.
Returning Starters: Five
Players to Watch: Senior Brody Royston G 17.0 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 5.0 APG
Senior Myles Prendergast, G/F 12.0 PPG, 10.0 RPG
Senior Logan Storms, G 10.0 PPG, 4.0 APG
Senior Brayden Amadeo G 7.0 PPG
Junior Tariku Blueye, G/F 7.0 PPG (Missed most of season with Injury)
Coach O’Connor says: “The goal each day is to become better than the day before. I believe putting ourselves in challenging games is the key to improving the way we want to throughout the year. The goal is always to make a deep run-in sectional and I hope our schedule provides us with that opportunity.”
Fun Fact -Marcus Whitman is playing an independent schedule this season
Showcase History: Defeated Caledonia-Mumford 73-64 in inaugural Showcase. Lost to Caledonia-Mumford 59-56 in the Second Showcase. Lost to Dansville 40-37 in the third annual Showcase. Defeated Dansville 45-35 last season.
York Golden Knights
Coach: Ed Orman Jr. 19th Season
Last Year: 16-7, Lost in the Class C2 Sectional Semifinals to Byron-Bergen 61-60
History Lesson: Won Class B Sectionals in 1939 and Class C3 in 2012 & 2022.
Numbers: Coach Ed Orman Jr. has 256 Career wins.
Key Returners: Parker Bonafede- 6’2” Jr. G- 10.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG
Ryan Brady- 6’0” Jr. F- (Missed last season with a concussion)
Liam Ezard- 5’9 G (Physical and athletic player)
Adam Szczech- 5’8 G- (Good set shooter and energy guy.)
Top Newcomers: Yeriel Diaz-Pena- 5’9 PG- (Had a great J.V. year last year should be a solid contributor right away.) Mason Parsons- 6’1 F- (Good set shooter and can put it in the hoop) Zach Bauer- 5’10 G- (Good shooter and energy) Brody Pangrazio- 5’10 G- (Similar to Bauer- Good set shooter and energy)
Fun Fact: Since 2016 York has made it to at least the Semifinals in Sectionals each season except for 2018. In 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020 & 2023 they lost in the Sectional Championship game. In 2021 and 2024 they lost in the Semifinals. They won sectionals in 2022.
Coach Orman says: “The key to this year will be finding our identity and making sure it continues to reflect our program values of team first play with all-out effort. I’m confident the guys will put in the work to develop and I think we have an opportunity to be very competitive by the end of the year in Class C2.”
Showcase History: Lost to Prattsburgh 71-69 in inaugural Showcase. Lost to Avoca-Prattsburgh 59-45 in the second annual Showcase. Defeated Avoca-Prattsburgh 77-69 in 2022 and 77-48 last season.
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Wayland-Cohocton Golden Eagles
Coach: Brandon Davis 2nd year
Last Season: 2-19 Lost to Penn Yan 64-41 in the first round of Sectionals
History Lesson: Class CC Sectional Champion in 1995. Class B2 Champion in 2012
Key Returners: Charles Mulford (Sr., C),
Alex Fedorchuk (So., G)
Top newcomers: Josh Joseph (Jr., F),
Cole Hanggi (So., G),
Orion Walker (So., G)
Coach Davis Says: “After the year we had last season we are looking to be competitive in more games this season and continue to build the program up. We lost a lot from last season and have a pretty young team this season, as we only return two players from last year’s roster, a Senior and a Sophomore. We are a younger group, with a mix of different levels of basketball experience and knowledge. The kids have been working hard in practice so far, and are pushing each other to be the best they can be. I am very excited for the season ahead and to continue to grow the program!”
Fun Fact: Coach Brandon Davis played for Ed Orman at York; in Davis’s first Game as varsity Coach last season, he met up with his mentor. York won 73-33
Showcase History: Lost to Hornell in inaugural Showcase 67-41, Lost to Wellsville 53-34 in Second Annual Showcase. Lost to Elba 52-26 in the 2022 Showcase and lost to Elba 41-35 last season.
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Hornell Red Raiders
Coach: Kirk Scholes 16th Season
Last Year: 19-4, Lost to Mynderse in the Class B1 Championship game 68-59
History Lesson: Won A Sectionals in 1931, Class AA in 1945, 1953 & 1988. Won Class B2 in 2013
Numbers: Averaged 68.1 PPG, allowed 53.3 PPG last season.
Key Returning players:
Senior 6’3” Forward Pasquale Picco Sr. 14.0 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 2.0 APG
Junior 5’10” Guard Wyatt Evingham Jr. 9.0 PPG, 3.0 APG
Senior 6’2” Forward Aaron McInerney Sr. 8.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG
Senior 6’0” Guard Quinn Mauro
Junior 6’0” Guard Marco Picco
Top Newcomers: Freshman 6’0 Forward Ben Woolever
Fun Fact: Coach Kirk Scholes has won 213 games as coach at Hornell
Coach Scholes says: “The expectations haven’t changed. The kids know what to expect from me. They know that we have to work hard, play together, and get better every day. We expect to be a very good basketball team. We may surprise a few people that think we will take a step back. It will be a challenge early in the season to replace Gennaro’s offense, but I think as the season goes, we will solve the puzzle. We have three returning starters, but we also bring back another five that came off the bench last year. They all got varsity minutes last year and I expect all of them to take the next step in the progression of their game. I think we’ll be a very good defensive team that can get stops as a group. We aren’t huge, but we have good length and we are athletic.”
Showcase History: Defeated Wayland-Cohocton in inaugural Showcase 67-41. Defeated Corning 63-59 last season.
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