Jack Leasure Shooting and Skills Camp state semifinal preview: Notre Dame Batavia and Stamford/Jefferson to battle for a spot in state championship

One team is making its first state semifinal appearance since 2013 while the other last reached the final four in 1994. Notre Dame-Batavia meets Stamford Jefferson on Thursday for a spot in the NYS Class D championship game. Here’s the breakdown:

NOTRE DAME-BATAVIA FIGHTING IRISH
19-5 / Genesee County II / No. 4 NYSSWA
vs.
STAMFORD/JEFFERSON 
24-0 / Delaware County / No. 2 NYSSWA
Section IV
Thursday, Hudson Valley Community College, 6:00 p.m.

VIEW MORE PHOTOS FROM STEVEN TWARDZIK.

How they arrived here: Notre Dame-Batavia defeated Mount Morris (67-33), C.G. Finney (53-35), Elba (49-35) and Section VI champion Sherman (47-40) to reach the state semifinal.

Trends: Notre Dame Batavia enters on a seven-game winning streak which includes six double-digit victories.

Players to watch for Notre Dame-Batavia: Sofia Falleti Jr. (20.4 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 2.75 APG, 3.4 SPG, 2.8 BPG); Shirley Thompson 9th (14.3 PPG, 5.25 RPG, 2.0 APG, 3.1 SPG); Gianna Falleti Sr. (6.8 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2 APG, 4 SPG); Quinn Boardman 9th (6.6 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 1.3 SPG); Clairissa Milliman Sr. (5.1 PPG, 3.5 APG, 4 SPG).

Stamford/Jefferson: McKenna Hoyt; Tierney Turner.

History 101: Notre Dame-Batavia is making its first trip to the state semifinals since winning the NYS Class D title in 2013. ND-B has reached the final four on four occasions since 1999 with wins in 2002 and 1999 when the Fighting Irish won its first state title. Stamford last advanced to the state final four in 1994.

More history: Section V teams have combined for 28 state championships over the years. Only Section I (39) and Section III (29) have won more. Section V has claimed 14 small-school titles: Waterloo (’23, B), Livonia (’16, B), South Seneca (’16 C), Romulus (’14, D), Bishop Kearney (’13 C), Notre Dame-Batavia (’13 D), Elba (’12, D), Gananda (’11, C), Marion (’10, C), Nazareth Academy (’09, C), South Seneca (’03, D), Bloomfield (’00, C), Bloomfield (’99, C), Notre Dame-Batavia (’99, D).

What’s at stake: A spot in the NYS Class D championship game against either Chateaugay (X/26-0 No. 1 NYSSWA) or Smithtown Christian (XI/15-5 No. 4 NYSSWA) on Friday.