by TYLER HATHAWAY
CANANDAIGUA, N.Y– Not many people knew what to expect of Canandaigua entering the 2025-26 season.
The Gray Wolves were returning just one starter a year removed from having their season end in the Class AA quarterfinals. However, head coach Mike Brennan and his team had belief in themselves despite the shake-up.
“We had some small goals, and we had some big goals,” said Brennan. “We wanted to win our league, and we wanted to compete for a sectional title, give ourselves a shot. We felt like people saw who we graduated, and felt like ‘Last year was Canandaigua’s best shot, they’re starting three sophomores, they’re going to have to wait a while.'”
But Brennan and his staff knew something that others around Section V didn’t.
“This group? They don’t have patience.”
Third-seeded Canandaigua (18-5) avenged a regular season loss to No. 1 Pittsford Sutherland (No. 2 NYSSWA Class AA) and used a staunch defensive effort to win 43-34 in the Class AA2 sectional title game at Finger Lakes Community College on Friday night for the Gray Wolves’ second sectional title in the past four seasons.
“We graduated four starters last year,” said Brennan. “There wasn’t anyone outside our locker room who thought we were going to win our league, let alone the whole section.”
“I never expected this to happen this year,” said senior Leah Sheridan. “It was a whole new team, I mean we lost four starters. But we were able to rebuild really well. I think we started peaking at the perfect time, and it really benefited us.”
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One of Brennan’s three starting sophomores, center Sophia Frayne, was the difference for the Gray Wolves. She led all scorers with 25 points, blocked four shots, and was named Tournament MVP.
“She’s always impacted the game for us defensively by allowing us to take risks that we normally can’t take,” said Brennan. “But tonight, she really impacted it offensively. She has been impacting games for us with offensive rebounds and put backs, but tonight, Sophia went to work. She had kids on her back, making threes, mid-range jump shots. She really took it a step up tonight.”
“It feels amazing,” Frayne said of winning a title. “We’ve worked so hard for this all throughout the season. We lost to them earlier in the season so we knew it was going to be tough tonight and we had to bring high intensity.”
The Gray Wolves opened the game on a 10-3 run, similar to how they opened their regular season matchup against Pittsford Sutherland on a 13-6 run. However, unlike back in January, when Sutherland started to mount pressure through the midway points of the game, Canandaigua didn’t blink.
“I think the big difference was we had some turnovers for touchdowns against (Sutherland) tonight, and we broke their press really nicely,” Brennan explained. “We had a game plan put in for it and the kids executed it beautifully. We were able to beat it and get points a couple times, and by the end of the game they had to be conservative with it. They generate a lot of points out of their press and they weren’t able to tonight.”
“I think it was our intensity and how badly we wanted this game,” Frayne said was the difference. “Obviously, it’s sectionals. You want to win and be willing to put everything out on the court.”
Early in the third quarter, it seemed like Sutherland was starting to take control of the game. The Knights went on a 7-2 to run over the first five minutes of the second half to build a 24-20 lead, but Canandaigua responded with a 10-0 run over the final three minutes to enter the final frame up 30-24.
“We knew that there was going to be a lot of up and downs throughout the game,” said Sheridan. “We knew that they would hit some shots, or some three’s and get some momentum. But we knew if we just kept playing good defense and held them to low scoring like we did, that we would come out with the win.”
According to Brennan, his team developed the ability to overcome adversity over the past few weeks, thanks to come from behind wins against Mercy at the end of the regular season and Pittsford Mendon in the sectional semifinals.
“Against Mercy, we never felt like we were in control of the game, but we came back and won it. The Mendon game we were down five with a minute to go. They never quit, and just have faith on each other. Tonight, when Sutherland went on their run, it was the same thing.”
Leading by four with a minute to play, the Gray Wolves ran a perfect in bounds play that resulted in Sheridan converting a tough and-one layup. Canandaigua closed the game with three stops on defense and a pair of free throws by Frayne to ice the game.
“Whenever we have a play like that (inbound play), it really sparks our energy,” said Sheridan. “Everyone just builds off of it.”
Canandaigua held the Knights to 24 points below their scoring average on the season.
“These kids have what I call ‘Canandaigua grit'”, Brennan said. “When you match that, with a game plan that puts them into a position to be successful. I just have to do my job and I know effort’s never going to be a problem. They’re always going to go down swinging. Obviously tonight they didn’t go down, but I always know that effort, and that physical and mental toughness is going to be there. Our basketball players have it, lacrosse players, football team. All these kids have it.”
Gianna Buchere scored nine points, and Sheridan added seven. The two joined Frayne on the All-Tournament team. Lola Schorr had two points.
Petra Hunt knocked down three three-pointers and finished with a team-high 13 points for Pittsford Sutherland (21-2). Lucy Bush had 10 points. Hunt and Bush were also selected to the All-Tournament team. Madison Littlefield buried three three-pointers and finished with nine points. Mackenzie Dermody scored two points.
Canandaigua advances to the NYS Class AA Far West Regional qualifier, where it will face Class AA1 winner Webster Schroeder.
“We’ve worked so hard,” said Frayne. “People didn’t really know what to expect from us because we lost four of our five starters. I think we’ve really proved ourselves. We all just love each other so much as a team. It’s just amazing.”
“I think this really proves that we can do so much that we didn’t even know we could do,” said Sheridan. “I think if we keep practicing hard, that we could do anything.”
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