Jack Leasure Shooting and Skills Camp Preview: Andover-Whitesville and Elba to battle in Boys’ Class D

One squad aims to win its first sectional title as a merged program. The other looks to capture its first title in nine years. Andover-Whitesville and Elba clash on Friday to determine the Section V Class D winner. Here’s the breakdown:

No. 1 ANDOVER-WHITESVILLE PANTHERS 
(20-2 / Allegany County Division II / No. 3 NYSSWA)
vs.
No. 2 ELBA LANCERS 
(17-5 / Genesee County Division II / No. 6 NYSSWA)
Friday, Blue Cross Arena, 5:00 p.m.

How they arrived here: Top-seeded Andover-Whitesville beat Hinsdale (77-33) and Mount Morris (92-41) to reach the Class D title game. Elba dropped Avoca-Prattsburgh (69-51) and Jasper-Troupsburg (52-45) to secure a spot in the championship game.

Scoring offense: Andover-Whitesville (81.4), Elba (61.7)

Scoring defense: Andover-Whitesville (52.0), Elba (47.5)

Trends: Andover-Whitesville has won nine of its last 10 games. Elba came out victorious in 10 of its last 12 games.

Players to watch for Andover-Whitesville: Brody Vance Jr. (29.2 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.4 APG, 3.0 SPG); Vincent Joyce Jr. (14.8 PPG, 13.0 RPG, 3.7 APG, 2.0 SPG, 2.5 BPG); Colton Calladine Sr. (13.5 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 3.5 APG, 2.5 SPG); James Miller-Young Sr. (11.0 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 1.7 BPG); Jake Mattison Jr. (5.7 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 1.4 APG, 2.0 SPG); Gavin Frungilo Jr. (4.4 PPG, 2.3 RPG).

Players to watch for Elba: Nick Scott Sr. (13 PPG, 10 RPG); Brady Werth Jr. (13 PPG, 7 RPG); Ryan Marsceill So. (14 PPG, 5 RPG, 4 APG); Bing Zuber Sr. (8 PPG, 8 RPG).

Coaches: Jimmy Joyce (Andover-Whitesville), Ciaci Zambito (Elba)

History 101: Andover-Whitesville is looking for its first sectional title as a merged program. Whitesville won the 2007 Class D championship. That ended a stretch of four sectional crowns in a six-year span. The last time an Andover-Whitesville squad reached a final was in 2012 in a 69-56 loss to Geneva DeSales. Collin O’Halloran led Elba to the Class D2 title in 2017. The Lancers fell in the 2024 Class D championship to Avoca-Prattsburgh, 50-37.

What’s at stake: A spot in the Class D Far West Regional against the champions of Section VI, either Clymer or Sherman.