Roundball Roundup: Far West Regionals

Double-digit points from Russell Ellis and I'zick Reaves helped Athena hold off Health Sciences to advance to the Class AA final four.
Ellis scored nine points in the first quarter to lift Athena to a 19-13 lead after one. Health Sciences closed the gap to just three in the second quarter with Athena still out front 32-29.
After a back-and-forth battle in the third, it was tied 44-44 with the final eight minutes to play.
Athena opened up the fourth-quarter scoring with five-straight points. I'zayah Reaves hit a three followed by a layup from Ne'Sean Fowlks to put the Trojans out front 49-44 with six minutes to play.
Health Sciences responded with a run of its own and took the lead with an and-one bucket from Zayvion Hawkins. Health Sciences led by two with four minutes remaining.
After two made free throws from Athena, it was tied 54-54 with a minute to play. A reverse layup from Dominic Lamar gave Athena the lead right back, 56-54.
Health Sciences knocked down a free throw to bring it back within one. With just four seconds left, a missed free throw from Athena gave Health Sciences a shot at the game-winner. Nahsaan Young heaved it up from half court, but it wasn't enough, and Athena escaped with the one-point victory.
Ellis paced Athena (22-2) with 17 points. I'zick Reaves finished with 13.
Hawkins led Health Sciences with a game-high 20 points. Young added 15.
The win sends Athena to the Class AA semifinals in Binghamton on Thursday, March 20th, where it will face Niskayuna.
Cam Blankenberg's 32 points lifted Wayne to the win over Williamsville South to advance to the Class A semifinals.
Blankenberg started strong and put up eight points in the first quarter to help give Wayne a 12-7 heading to the second.
Williamsville South opened the second quarter with a 9-0 run to take the lead, but the Eagles responded with a 16-4 run to lead by nine at the half.
Richie Miles made the difference in the third quarter for Wayne, knocking down three three-point jumpers and tallying 13 points to give Wayne a 10-point lead.
Wayne maintained the lead in the fourth to secure the win, earning a spot in the semifinals where it will take on Glen Falls on Saturday, March 22nd. The two teams met in the title game last year, with Glens Falls winning 50-37. The Black Bears have won 52 straight games.
Aidan Twist's 19 points helped Wayne (23-2) get the win. Miles added 16.
Carter Lampke led Williamsville South with 23 points, while Noah Redd tallied 13.
Landon Washburn dropped 32 points to give Honeoye the edge over Westfield in the Class C regionals.
After ending the first quarter tied 16-16, Honeoye pulled ahead by two at the half to lead 30-28.
In the third, Honeoye extended the lead to six as Washburn led the way with 11 in the frame.
Honeoye pulled out front by 10 with just under five minutes to play, but a 12-1 run from Westfield gave it the one-point lead with less than two minutes remaining.
A free throw from Honeoye brought the game back to a tie, 58-58, with just over a minute remaining. With 50 seconds left on the clock, Washburn was fouled and made one at the charity stripe to give Honeoye the lead back, 59-58.
It was free throws the rest of the way for Honeoye, sealing it at the line to hold off Westfield and come away with the win.
Braiden Schneider added 13 points for Honeoye, while Dylan Washburn finished with 10.
Carson Swanson led Westfield with 23. Zach Maguire brought in 13, and Braylon Swanson finished with 10.
The victory sends Honeoye to the Class C semifinals where it will face the winner of Cooperstown and Moravia in Binghamton on Friday, March 21st.
Fillmore's season came to an end in the Class D Far West Regional, falling to Section VI's Panama.
Fillmore started the game on a 12-3 run, but Panama rallied back to trail by just two at the end of the quarter.
It was just a three-point game at halftime as Panama pulled ahead 47-44.
Panama extended its lead in the third, taking a 66-59 advantage into the fourth quarter.
In the fourth, Panama outscored Fillmore 20-10 to hold on to the win and bring Fillmore's season to an end.
Cam Mucher led Fillmore with 26 points. Jonah Bialek followed with 17, and Jameson Rhett added 12.
Bryce Hinsdale scored 25 for Panama, while Carter Brink brought in 24. Tate Catanese tallied 18, and Alex Barmore added 10.
In a back-and-forth affair, it was Williamsville South who stood tall at the conclusion, ending Sutherland's season.
Sutherland led 13-12 after the first quarter, with Williamsville South answering in the second. They ended the quarter on a 7-0 run to lead 30-26 at the half.
The game kept close, with Will South leading 51-48 heading into the fourth.
With 6:19 left in the game, Williamsville South led 55-50. Sutherland answered with nine straight points to take a four-point lead. Petra Hunt hit a pair of free throws, then made a three-pointer. Maddie Littlefield made a bucket, followed by another by Hunt to give the Knights a 59-55 lead with 4:26 to play.
Williamsville South called timeout, and whatever was said in the huddle seemed to work.
Down 59-56, Holy Cross commit Kimora Berry grabbed an offensive rebound and made the putback to cut the lead to one. She then fired off a pair of assists to give Williamsville South a 62-59 lead with 1:08 to play.
Sutherland had a chance to tie the game down three with ten seconds to play, but their three-point attempt did not fall.
Sutherland (18-7) was led by Hunt, who had 23 points, making a trio of three-pointers. Lucy Bush scored 16 points and Littlefield had 9.
Berry led Will South with 17 points.
Hornell dominated the opening minutes and kept that pressure going the rest of the game to roll into the state semis.
Hornell led 21-3 after the first quarter and 37-17 at the half. The second half was all but a formality, with Hornell reaching the final four for the first time in program history.
Jordyn Dyring led the way for the Red Raiders, scoring 32 points with a trio of three-pointers. Selena Maldonado added 17 points.
Hornell (21-3) advances to the Class B semifinals where it will face the winner of Yonkers Montessori and Chenango Forks on Friday, March 21st at Hudson Valley Community College.
An early deficit proved to be too much for Keshequa to overcome, falling in the state semifinals.
Frewsburg used a 10-0 run in the first quarter to take a 19-10 lead heading to the second. The Bears continue their charge, leading 34-17 at the half and 47-27 after the third quarter.
Keshequa was able to chip into the lead in the fourth, but they were never able to get it back to single digits.
Braelyn Isaman led Keshequa with 17 points, with six in the third quarter.
Teghan Trocki led Frewsburg with a game-high 18 points.
The game was delayed for about five minutes in the third quarter when the fire alarm went off due to burnt popcorn at the concession stands. Fans briefly left the gym before returning to their seats.
Keshequa (23-1) had a 21-game winning streak snapped with the loss.
Elba kept its perfect season alive on Saturday, winning a thrilling game that featured several momentum shifts in the final minutes.
The Lancers were down 24-19 at the half and trailed 38-30 heading into the fourth quarter. Then, their defense stepped up to the plate.
Sherman scored just one point in the first 7:55 of the fourth quarter, allowing Elba to start the quarter on a 12-1 run. Brea Smith had 11 points in the fourth quarter and made a three-pointer in the charge, the only bucket for Elba in the frame. The Lancers went 11-for-16 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter.
With 11 seconds to play, Sherman was down 42-39. They tried to make a three-pointer, but Carlie Gable corraled the miss for a putback to make it 42-41.
Elba's Madalyn Hall made a pair of free throws with three seconds left to increase the lead to 44-41. Sherman called a timeout to advance the ball. The inbound went to Kelsey Wagner, who took one dribble and heaved up a three-pointer from her hip. The ball flew into the net, tying the game as the buzzer rang.
Elba was not phased by the dramatics, starting the overtime session with quick buckets by Smith and Hall to take a four-point lead. Sherman would cut it to a two-point game, but Elba remained in front until the clock struck zero.
Smith, who played through an apparent ankle injury in the final minutes of regulation and overtime, had a game-high 20 points for Elba. Sydney Reilly had 14 points, Mariah Ognibene scored 11, and Hall had eight.
Sherman was led by Emmersen Crawford's 18 points.
Elba (23-0) will play Northville (2) in the state semifinals on Thursday, March 20th at 4:15 p.m. The two teams met in the state semis last year, with Northville winning 42-34.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Dominion Post

4 days ago

• Dominion Post

Trinity Christian's Hopkins, Clay-Battelle's Parker named to Class A baseball all-state first-team

MORGANTOWN – In a season riddled with injuries and questions, the East Hardy High School baseball team completed a remarkable run through the 2025 postseason, all the way to the Class A state championship, where they defeated Madonna 10-7 in extra innings to capture the title. One key piece of the Cougars' puzzle was junior infielder Evan Hamilton, who was selected to captain the WVSWA Class A baseball all-state first team after a solid 2025 campaign that culminated in that championship. Hamilton batted .451 with 37 hits and 21 RBI with eight doubles, six triples, and four home runs. He also stole 19 bases and scored 35 runs. Hamilton is joined by his teammate Garrett VanMeter, a sophomore, who occupies a first-team utility position after batting .508 with 30 hits, seven doubles, four home runs, and 23 RBI. The runners-up for the Class A championship, Madonna, who were at the top of the rankings for most of the season, landed a trio of players on the first team in Pitcher Reed Wilharm, infielder David Connors, and outfielder Jacob Lazear. Wilharm went 8-1 in 2025 with an outstanding 0.41 ERA and 83 strikeouts. He threw two no-hitters and one perfect game in 51.1 innings. Connors batted .541 with 12 doubles, three home runs, and 35 RBI while Lazear was .437 at the plate with ten doubles, four triples, and 25 RBI. Wilharm is joined by hurlers Kason Angel of Cameron and Jaxon Drennen of Tygarts Valley. Angel held a 1.69 ERA through 35 innings with 69 strikeouts, while Drennen threw 42 innings with 97 strikeouts and a 0.49 ERA. The final three infielders listed are Gilmer County's Kolten Holbert, Wahama's Eli Rickard, and Ryan Parker of Clay-Battelle. Holbert batted .432 with a .558 on-base percentage and 25 stolen bases. Rickard earned 44 hits at a .454 clip, with nine doubles, 25 RBI, and 29 runs scored. Parker led the Cee Bees with a .607 average, 12 doubles, 18 runs, and 17 RBI. Two catchers were named to the first team, with Cam Gerace of Man and Parker Hopkins of Trinity Christian occupying the spots. Gerace batted .365 and was a wall defensively for the Hillbillies. Hopkins makes his second first-team of the year after being named first-team goalkeeper in soccer. He hit .471 with a. .618 OBP. Hopkins threw out 13 of 24 runners attempting to steal. 'Parker is a dedicated and hard-working athlete, and his efforts behind the scenes are paying off,' TCS head coach Wes Hopkins said. 'His defensive presence is a major asset, and he is a tough out at the plate. Along with his on-field accomplishments, he is just as hardworking off the field, making him a great student and friend as well.' Sherman's Luke Tagliante and Man's Landon Cantrell complete the outfield. The final two utility players are Dom Bombardiere of Notre Dame and Braxton Messer of Man. Bombardiere served as the team's ace with a 0.36 ERA and five strikeouts, while batting .422 with 21 RBI. Messer hit for .494 with 33 RBI and 23 runs. Wooden plaques in the shape of West Virginia that include the player's name, school, licensed WVSWA logo, year of the honoree are available to All-State first-team, second-team, and honorable mentions, and can be purchased from the Bear Wood Company through or CLASS A First Team P – Reed Wilharm, Madonna, (Sr.) P – Kason Angel Cameron (Jr.) P – Jaxon Drennen, Tygarts Valley (Sr.) C – Cam Gerace, Man (Sr.) C – Parker Hopkins, Trinity Christian (Jr.) IF – David Connors, Madonna (Sr.) IF – Evan Hamilton, East Hardy (Jr.) (CAPT) IF- Kolten Holbert, Gilmer County, (Soph.) IF – Eli Rickard, Wahama (Sr.) IF – Ryan Parker, Clay Battelle (Jr.) OF – Luke Tagliante, Sherman (JR.) OF – Jacob Lazear, Madonna, OF – Landon Cantrell, Man (Jr.) Util -Garrett VanMeter, East Hardy (Soph.) Util – Dom Bombardiere, Notre Dame (Sr.) Util – Braxton Messer, Man (Sr.) Second team P – Kooper Statler, Clay Battelle (Jr.) P – Max Brown, Webster County, (Fr.) P – Wyatt Pence, St. Joe's (Soph.) C – Paul Fox, Greater Beckley (Jr.) C – Brody Ewing, Wirt County (Sr.) IF – Dominico Minnocci, Notre Dame (Soph.) IF – Finn Loy, Magnolia (Jr.) IF- Eli Gunter, Greater Beckley (Jr.) IF- Matt Geer, Madonna, (Jr.) (CAPT) IF – Landon Church, Calhoun County (Sr.) OF -Soier Reed, Cameron (Soph.) OF – Isaac Snyder, Webster County (Sr.) OF – Hayden Lloyd, Wahama, (Sr.) OF – Bryson Sanders, Trinity Christian (Sr.) Util – Hunter Muncy, Mount View, (Jr.) Util – Braylon Mencer, Gilmer County (Sr.) HONORABLE MENTION: David Beane, St. Joe's; Wyatt Boice, Wirt County; Chandler Copley, Tug Valley; Gavin Fitzpatrick, Tug Valley; Parker Giles, Richwood; Koleton Grishkevich, Madonna; Brayden Hamrick, Sherman; Ky'rece Hughes, Mount View; Kaden Lane, Richwood; Isaiah Lewis, Greater Beckley; Zayde Long, Cameron; Jovanni Minnocci, Notre Dame; Easton Moore, Van; Cade Price, Van; Reece Schoolcraft, Calhoun County; Hunter Skidmore, Webster County; Austin Smith, Tug Valley; Wes Starcher, Cameron; Cody Walls, Man; Jacob Wamsley, Tygarts Valley; Mason Watts, St. Joe's; Kaiden Wells, Madonna; Gage Whitt, Tug Valley.

Indianapolis Star

6 days ago

• Indianapolis Star

Lizzy Sinders caps Clay City career at state with dad, sister in dugout. 'It means so much.'

WEST LAFAYETTE — Tears streamed down Lizzy Sinders' cheeks as she shared a few final moments on the softball field with her older sister, Clay City athletic director Harley Skinner (née Sinders), and their dad, head coach Jason Sinders. Friday's 2-0 loss to North Newton in the IHSAA Class A softball state championship game concluded a prolific four-year run for the senior pitcher and an unforgettable couple years for the Sinders family. Not many people can say they coached their daughters, Jason pointed out. Not only did he have the chance to coach both daughters, he got to coach with Harley for a season — and is now working for her. "That's exciting for everybody," the longtime coach smiled, pulling his daughters in closer as he continued. "It means a lot to me and their mother," Jason said. "I'm just very thankful, very thankful." IHSAA softball state championships: Schedule, ticket information, complete coverage 'Welcome to Indiana basketball.' A night with state's top-ranked small school a reminder Outcome aside, this is what Harley envisioned when she returned to Clay City. The Eels were never far from mind for the 2017 grad, who kept a Clay City visor attached to her backpack during her six-year run as Avon softball coach and would sneak updates on the Eels during the state tournament. She's a homebody, Lizzy grinned as she waited for her family members to finish other interviews. "I wanted to get them back to state," Harley later added, explaining how the last time Clay City reached this point (2021), the game was played at Center Grove, she was still coaching at Avon and Lizzy was in eighth grade. "It's just really, really special that we got to do this all together," Harley said. "It's just amazing (having Harley back)," Lizzy added. "It's nice seeing her and her kids' faces — I'm very close with both of (my nieces) and her husband, as well. It just all means so much." The Eels nearly punched their ticket to state last season, but fell short in the semistate semifinals to eventual state runner-up Tecumseh. They broke through this season, stringing together 21 wins, including a 10-inning regional thriller vs. Orleans and a weather-postponed semistate championship game vs. Indianapolis Lutheran. And leading the way both in the circle and at the plate was their senior pitcher. Lizzy constructed another prolific campaign this spring, going 14-5 with a 1.74 ERA and a career-high 197 strikeouts, while also batting .469 with 45 hits and stealing 10 bases. The three-sport standout went the distance in all six state tournament games, spinning a one-hit shutout of Cloverdale (17 strikeouts, zero walks), a 10-inning shutout of Orleans (14 strikeouts) and a two-hit shutout of Lutheran (six strikeouts). "She's not very big and for (her size), she packs a big punch," Jason said of Lizzy, who boasts a career 1.60 ERA with 612 strikeouts and 49 wins. "For her career stats — she's just been phenomenal to coach and the amount of stuff she's done is just crazy. Her mother, Amber, and I, we just love watching her play. And we're going to love watching her play in college." "It's been really amazing getting to watch her grow up and getting to see her on the field and mature," Harley beamed. "I was never a pitcher. I couldn't take that pressure. And she's had the world on her shoulders for a while. She's handled it well." As North Newton was presented the championship trophy, Lizzy, Jason and Harley shared one last group hug in the outfield grass, all three overcome with emotion. "These past two years are some of the best times I've ever had," Lizzy said. As they splintered off and returned to the third-base dugout, Jason brought a smile to his daughters' face in a way only a dad can. Lizzy just needs a hamburger and she'll be fine, he called out, grinning from ear-to-ear. "A bacon cheeseburger cures a lot of pain," Jason later explained.

Yahoo

7 days ago

• Yahoo

Lady Maroons continue run with strong victory over West Jessamine

For a few innings on Thursday, it looked like the West Jessamine Colts had complete control against the Pulaski County Lady Maroons and were heading towards a second victory in their third game against each other. That was, until, a junior came up huge with a blast in the third that flipped the lead in favor of Pulaski. Ryann Sowder, and that's two n's, made sure that the crowd at the War Path remembered her name with a blast that gave the Maroons the lead for good as they were able to advance to the regional finals with a 4-2 win. Pulaski struggled with their hitting early on, with the Colts' pitching giving the bats of the Maroons fits. With the Colts able to score two runs rather quickly in the top of the first inning, it looked like the Maroons would be going home in the semifinals. Advertisement A pitching swap in the top of the third for the Maroons, with Maggie Gregory coming in for Bella Ellis, seemed to change the momentum in the contest. After a scoreless top of the frame, Ellis was able to hit an RBI to cut the Colts' lead in half. Then, Sowder hit a rocket over the fence in center for a two-run home run, flipping the lead to the Maroons 3-2. Gregory continued to cruise on the mound as the innings went by, with Ellis able to claim another RBI in the bottom of the fifth to increase the Maroons' lead up to 4-2. It came all the way to the top of the seventh with the same score, but the Colts couldn't be counted out just yet. With two runners on base and what would be the go-ahead run coming up to bat, a ground ball was hit to who else but Sowder at third base, with the junior throwing to Ellis at third to record the final out. The players exploded in celebration as they clinched their second-straight regional championship appearance with a 4-2 victory. Ellis and Sowder each had two RBI's to help lead the Maroons in the win, with Novaleigh Baker adding two hits and the trio of Claire Hamilton, Rilee Ross and Shelbie Sellers each adding one hit apiece. Ellis went two innings in her start on the mound, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Gregory earned the win in relief, allowing no runs on three hits with two walks and one strikeout. Pulaski improves to 15-16 and will once again play for the 12th Region Championship. The Lady Maroons will take on Boyle County in the title game on Sunday evening at 6 p.m.