By Warren Kozireski

Kendall has already equaled their win total from all last season with their ninth coming on February 2 against Attica, using a stifling man defense and a fast-paced offense to literally run away from many opponents.

All but one of their first nine wins were by double-digits, with their largest margin of victory being 40 points. And they have allowed more than 50 points only twice in their victories.

It’s been a bit of a family affair with two D’Agostinos and two Contes, along with junior Noah Morehouse as the core, with help from freshman Ryan Gaesser.

Junior CJ D’Agostino leads the team, averaging 14.8 points per game and in rebounding with 115 (53 offensive), while senior and cousin Vincent D’Agostino is second in points (13.9 ppg) and second in assists with 34.

Senior point guard (since senior starter Justin Rhodes was injured), Jonathan Conte led the squad with 64 assists, was second with 63 rebounds, and stood third on the scoring chart with 7.8 ppg, while freshman Samuel Conte was third in rebounding with 59 and chipping in seven points per game.

“We’re pretty unselfish on this team; our defense is our offense, we get the ball and get up quick,” Vincent D’Agostino said. “Our offense comes from our defense, and when we keep a strong defensive game, then our offense is always there.”

The Eagles were limiting opponents to shooting just 36% from the field, outrebounding them by 134 boards in 13 games, and combined for 150 steals.

“High intensity the whole game; even when we’re struggling on offense, we maintain a high intensity on defense,” Jonathan Conte said.

“We put a lot of energy into defense and rebounding…we have 15 to 20 assists every game, and I think that’s a beautiful thing,” noted head coach Kevin Rhodes. “We emphasize coachability, hard work, and being a great teammate. You might go 0-21, but if you can be those three things, you can build great memories and great experiences and relationships.”

Kendall last won a league title in 2014-15 and was the ninth seed last season for the playoffs before falling in the quarterfinals. As of February 3, they were slotted sixth in Class C1.

“We knew that we could come back, work in the offseason, and we can go deeper in sectionals this year, and that’s what we’re working to do,” Jonathan Conte said.

They will honor their past on Senior Night, February 12, when they will induct the championship 1975-76 boys basketball team, led by Roosevelt and Nate Bouie, into the Hall of Fame on their 50^th anniversary. The team was ranked first by the New York State Sports Writers as the top team in the state after winning sectionals, the Genesee Region League, and 55 straight victories.

Provided information and photo

Despite losing 11 players from last year’s team, including Second Team All-State goaltender Barrett Paolini, the 13^th state-ranked Cadets again sit near the top of the Class A standings behind only eighth-ranked Pittsford with a 7-4-1 record. But two of those losses came to state top-ranked Orchard Park and Class B third-ranked Webster-Schroeder.

“The guys who have stayed have done an unbelievable job picking up where we left off last year,” Hilton head coach Chris Monfiletto said. “There has been a mindset…that we still have it. We still have the belief that we are one of the teams that can do it.

“We purposely this year made our schedule the hardest it has ever been…because for all the success we had last year in the regular season, when Portside punched, we didn’t respond well enough. So now we respond and make sure we’re battle tested.”

Hilton is built around four upperclassmen on defense in senior Jack Palmer and juniors Luke Zelesnikar, Liam Porter, and Braden Burr, along with senior goaltender Lennon Suplicki.

Suplicki had played the most minutes of any goaltender in Section V and stood second among those playing at least five games in goals against average (1.80) and save percentage (.943).

“From goaltending all the way out to forwards, I feel like we’re all super-connected, we’re all super-tight, and everyone is looking out for each other. Our goaltender is having a great season so far, and it’s really easy to win games when your goaltender has a 95% save percentage,” co-captain Palmer said.

“That’s where it starts with us; our d-corps is absolutely fantastic,” Monfiletto added. “We play a style that not a lot of high schools play, where we like our ‘D’ to jump up in the play. The guys that we have run it perfectly.”

The Cadets were also getting offense from two lines with senior Hunter Huttemann centering senior Mason Knight and Cameron Gebo on the top line, and the newly formed second line of sophomore Parker Smith in the middle of classmate Lucas Grizzanti and freshman Jayden Teetsel.

In a recent 7-2 victory over Churchville-Chili, the new second line accounted for six of the seven goals. Huttemann stood in the top five in all of Section V in scoring with 21 points in the first ten games, while Grizzanti and Knight were also averaging more than a point per game.

Even with many different players in upgraded roles from last season’s juggernaut team, the Cadets are staying primed to finish the job of bringing the first hockey brick signifying a championship to put in the display case.

“The mantra, even starting from the summer, is that we still have something to prove and we believe that we can,” Monfiletto said.

“We haven’t forgotten about that loss (in last year’s semifinals), and we use it as fuel. We’re looking to do something that’s never been done before here, and that’s get a Section championship,” co-captain Huttemann said.

Provided photo

Churchville-Chili grad and SUNY Cortland senior Alyssa Rich was named Second Team All-Conference as libero/defensive specialist in women’s volleyball. She led the Red Dragons with 487 digs (4.4 per set) and was third with 37 aces in 110 sets over 31 matches. She has a .963 reception percentage with 19 errors in 512 serve receptions.

Spencerport’s Cate Burns was part of the ALL-MAAC Second Team in women’s soccer as a sophomore at Sienna College. She led the conference in both individual shutouts (eight) and save percentage (.848), while ranking third in goals against average (0.72). She is already the program’s all-time career leader in goals against average (0.75) through her first 38 career appearances in goal.

St. John Fisher senior and Churchville-Chili alum Nick Rippe was named First Team All-Empire 8 conference on defense. The first-time honoree played and started in 16 games this season, scoring his first collegiate goal against rival Nazareth on October 29.

Spencerport’s Sidney Khuns, a junior midfielder for Alfred University, was named Third Team All-Empire 8 in women’s soccer. She finished with a career-high three goals from the midfield. The captain scored in three of the final six games of the 2025 season for the Saxons, including two goals against top-seeded Brockport.

Alfred State sophomore and Hilton alum Ryan Masi was named Second Team All-Conference at forward after he finished second on the Pioneers in goals (6) and points (13).

Teammate and senior Liam Fitzpatrick (Brockport HS) was also named to the Second Team on defense after leading the backline all season and put in a goal while adding five assists for a total of seven points.

Holley grad Samantha Bates led Genesee Community College in scoring with 15 goals and 13 assists. The sophomore’s assist total was fifth-best in the nation in NJCAA Division III. Teammate and Byron-Bergen alum Natalie Prinzi was third in the country in save percentage (.910) and fourth in goals against average (.58) as a freshman goalkeeper.

Roberts Wesleyan women’s soccer seniors Cami Brescia (Spencerport) and Kara Choate, along with sophomore Mackenzie Hagen (Byron-Bergen), led a group of six players named to the East Coast Conference All-ECC team. Brescia, Choate, and Hagen were all Second Team selections, while seniors Alyssa Hackett (Spencerport) and Larissa Johnston and junior Jenna Northup (Churchville-Chili) were Third Team selections. Brescia was a leader on the Roberts defense but still found a way to score one goal and add a team-leading six assists. Hagen and Choate were the top two scorers on the squad with a combined 12 goals and seven assists, and five game-winning goals. Hackett finished with four goals and three assists, while Northup added five goals and one assist for the offense. Johnston was a leader on the defense that allowed just 1.13 goals per game this season.

Junior defender Takumi Horan highlighted a group of five members of the Roberts Wesleyan University Men’s Soccer team who were honored on the All-ECC Teams for Men’s Soccer. Takumi earned First Team All-ECC honors while fellow junior Archie Murphy and seniors Jack Hopson and Eric Jewson earned Second Team honors. Senior Luke Hanes was a Third Team pick. Horan was a leader on the defensive end of the field and, together with Jewson and Hanes, helped to allow just 1.29 goals per game over the 17-game season. Murphy was tied for second in the conference with six goals in conference play and was fourth with 13 points in the ECC matches. For the season, Murphy totaled 28 points on 12 goals and four assists. Hopson was a standout leader in the midfield and finished with 11 points on four goals and three assists.

Redhawks sophomores Trevor Heitkamp and Jakob Zibbel, with junior Vincent Ciraolo, earned All-Region recognition from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. On the women’s side, senior Rachel Horner-Richardson, sophomore Paige Reeser, senior Lydia Roselund, sophomore Evelyn Schmit, and freshmen Michaela Goettel and Emma Lipa were also All-Region.

Sophomore Terralyn McLaughlin and junior Sophia Jones landed on the All-Conference Second Team, and freshman Elise Brady on the Third Team for the SUNY Brockport field hockey team. McLaughlin finished tied for the team lead in points (17) and led all Brockport players with five assists on the year. Jones was excellent defensively, recording two defensive saves, and added two goals and an assist offensively for five points on the season. Brady powered the offense with a team-leading eight goals, with four serving as game winners. Brady’s 17 points tied Terralyn McLaughlin for the team lead.

The Brockport women’s soccer team earned four major Empire 8 Awards along with eight All-Conference Selections. Junior Amelia Breton (Churchville-Chili) was named Empire 8 Midfielder of the Year after leading the team in points with 21, in goals with nine, and shots with 55 (34 SOG). Senior Lyndsey Miller was selected as Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Year, leading Brockport to only allow seven goals in over 20 contests this season, and is just the third player in Empire 8 history to be named a two-time Defensive Player of the Year. Churchville-Chili’s Emily McCane was Empire 8 Goalkeeper of the Year after she finished the season with an undefeated individual record of 9-0-3, recording 0.25 goals against average, and a .920 save percentage. Senior Caitlin Nelson (Hilton), Megan Gerber, and Ella Camalleri earned First Team All-Conference. Nelson finished third on the team in goals with four and led the team with five assists. Gerber finished second on the team with five goals and was third with 12 points. Camalleri helped the Golden Eagles to only allow one goal in E8 play, finishing sixth in the country for goals against average (.278). McKenna Slate and Lena Turaj were Third Team All-Conference picks. Slate accumulated three goals and three assists for nine points, while Turaj contributed as the backbone of the Brockport defensive line. The coaching staff of head coach Mike Idland, with assistants Kody Haywood, Kate Wagner, and Jaylah Cossin, was named Empire 8 Coaching Staff of the Year for the second consecutive season

Two Golden Eagle men’s soccer team players earned Individual Awards, and seven more were named to All-Conference teams. Alex Rivera was selected as Defensive Player of the Year and First Team All-Conference as he led a  backline that registered eight shutouts this season, allowing just 1.33 goals and 10.1 shots per game. AJ Nelson was named Goalkeeper of the Year and First Team All-Conference after he led the Golden Eagles on a 12-match unbeaten streak, posting a 10-0-2 record with seven shutouts. He finished the season with 31 saves to just seven goals allowed, saving over 81% of his shots and allowing just 0.58 goals per outing. Max Voyer and Jadin Lyle were also First Team honorees. Voyer finished third on the squad with four goals, adding three assists for 11 points and two game-winning. Lyle saw time at forward, midfield, and defense while leading all Golden Eagles with 1,607 minutes played. Senior Brady Reinagel and sophomore Khadim Amar were Second Team nods. Reinagel finished with six goals and three assists for 17 points, netting three game-winning goals, while Amar buried three goals and added an assist for seven points. Freshman Ryan Mathis was a Third Team pick as he led the Golden Eagles with eight goals and 18 points, with two goals serving as the game-winner.

SUNY Brockport’s football team had a program-leading nine different student-athletes named to the First Team in the Empire 8 conference and 11 other all-conference nods. Linebacker Nazhier Wilson was named Empire 8 Rookie of the Year and Second Team All-Conference after he recorded 49 total tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, and five quarterback hurries. Kicker Zach McGowan was named Empire 8 Special Teams Player of the Year and First Team All-Conference as he converted 61-of-63 extra points and was 6-of-7 on field goal attempts.

The Golden Eagles had four offensive players and five others on defense or special teams earn First Team honors in running back Isaiah Simmons, offensive linemen Julian McGaughy and Adam Montalvo, wide receiver Daniel Manneh, defensive linemen Jayden Ferrell and Jayson Thomas, linebacker Luca Friedman, defensive back Kyle Slywka, and returns specialist Daniel Manneh. Simmons led the E8 in rushing, setting career benchmarks with 1,384 total rushing yards, a mark that slotted him 6th nationally in Division III, and 19 rushing touchdowns, ranking 5th in the nation, while his staggering average of 133.8 yards per game placed him 7th nationally. McGaughy and Montalvo paved the way for the 31^st-best rushing offense in the country, ranking 10th nationally for allowing a minimal five sacks all season. Manneh compiled career highs with 829 receiving yards on 59 catches and seven touchdowns. Ferrell led the team with 12 tackles for loss, while racking up three quarterback hurries and one fumble recovery. Thomas recorded 29 total tackles, eight tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks. Friedman led the team with 63 total tackles, with 8.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. Slywka tied for a team-high two interceptions, along with four pass breakups and one blocked kick.

Three players earned Second Team status: offensive lineman Liam Malgieri, All-Purpose Daniel Manneh, and defensive back Colton Thorp. Four others earned Third Team nods: quarterback Ben Gocella, linebacker Kanye Davis, defensive back Liam Nealy, and punter Connor Parker (Hilton). Parker led the team with an average of 40.6 yards per punt with a long of 59 yards and included two punts over 50 yards, along with two that he pinned the opposing team inside the 20-yard line.

While in college, Williams became the Equipment Manager for the Plattsburgh Cardinals hockey team under head coach Bob Emery, with the team going to the NCAA Final Four in his first year in 1993.

“Bob Emery was a very intense individual who demanded the best out of his players and me as well,” Williams said. “One time, I was late to practice, so he made me run the stands just like he would a player. I ran cross country at Plattsburgh, so I handled it pretty well at the time, but not so much anymore. I owe a lot to him for getting me started.”

After graduation, a former Cardinal recommended him for a job in the East Coast Hockey League in Knoxville, Tennessee, where he stayed for two seasons. One year with the Pee Dee Pride in South Carolina preceded a call home to work with his hometown Rochester Americans, where he spent seven seasons.

In 2005, he was “called up” to the parent Buffalo Sabres, where he is in his fourth season as Head Equipment Manager after 17 years as Equipment Manager under Sabres Hall of Famer Rip Simonick.

Williams, though, still commutes between Chili and Buffalo.

“Born and raised in Rochester, so when I was offered the job here (Buffalo) in September of ’05, we had a one-and-a-half-year-old and one on the way, and my wife (Tammy) said, ‘I’m not leaving.’ Family is in Rochester, so I get it. I was living in Greece at the time, and we moved to Chili in the summer of 2008 just to get us a little closer.

“I got the New York State commuter program – Thruway Authority and the gas companies.”

And he has now worked over 2,250 Sabres games.

“I left home around 7:30 a.m. today (a game day), and I’ll get home around 12:15 a.m. There’s nights when we’re on the road and get home at 2 a.m., there is no sense in driving, so I’ll sleep here (the locker room). No glamour there, but it is what it is,” he said.

“Overall responsibility I have is ordering all the team equipment, inventory, and the financial aspects, with budgeting and invoices. Past that, coordinating moving all the equipment on the road and back home, and skate sharpening all the way down to laundry. Taught myself how to sew and how to use Excel.”

Williams said, “It got to be a bigger job as I moved up – more people, more responsibility, more money to be responsible for. During games (I’m) on the bench, skate sharpening if needed, occasional repair, but on the bench is probably the quietest time for us as opposed to getting ready for the game.”

Plus, keeping track of any player superstitions.

“Some guys want things at exact times and only want a certain type of tape. We have one guy here that, if he gets a stick, it has to be the one from the right, so stuff to try to keep in mind.”

Williams was honored for his 2,000^th NHL game in October 2021. And like some rare athletes who get to play with their sons, he may one day work with his son.

Just this fall, his son Max, who worked two seasons in the visitors’ locker room for the Pittsburgh Penguins while attending Duquesne University, is trying to keep the family business going by working in the visiting locker room for Rochester home games.

“Born and raised, I was around it a lot,” Max Williams said. “Hoping to continue if I can into that and become an equipment manager one day.”

Max played four years of varsity hockey at Churchville-Chili.

“I helped him (his father) out in Buffalo a couple times when he needed help or if one of his guys was off. Growing up, I was there quite a bit; he would bring me around a lot. My favorite player was always Tyler Ennis, so going on the ice after practice, and he was nice enough to stay back and pass the puck with me, so that was pretty cool. I always wore #63 growing up because of him.”

No numbers for equipment managers, but maybe some shared rides down the Thruway and back in the near future.

Photos provided by the Buffalo Sabres. Sabres assistant equipment manager George Babcock, associate athletic trainer Bob Mowry, and equipment manager Dave Williams.

“It means a lot to us; we work hard every day and, when I was a freshman training with varsity, knowing that we have a legacy to hold up and we just want to carry on the legacy,” said outside hitter Nate Long.

“It pushes us because we know teams are on our backs; they want to take the big dog down, take the Goliath down, but we just know we have to work hard every day in the gym.”

In the final, the Rangers trailed in the first set 13-11 but went on a 9-1 run, with junior Connor Galloway registering two kills and two aces, on their way to a 25-19 victory.

In the second, Churchville-Chili again led midway through 15-12, but Spencerport rallied 13-4 down the stretch to seal a 25-19 win. Junior Nathan Long had a kill and a block, senior Gavin Zimmer a pair of kills, and Galloway two blocks and a kill during the run.

“We got dogs on this team, so we’re going to keep fighting no matter what, and we can win any game, and we know that,” Galloway said.

The third and final set was tied 17-17 before Galloway took over two kills, two blocks, and an ace while sophomore Bradley Judge and Long added kills during an 8-1 close.

“We played against tougher opponents this year, so it definitely prepared us for this.”

2025 Class B1 All-Tournament Team members included Trey Harpole and Frank Cirri from Churchville-Chili, Long and Mason Endres from Spencerport, while the Rangers’ Galloway was named Most Valuable Player and Austin Coach of the Year.

“He (Galloway) became a monster the last two games; we knew he had it in him, and I think he decided he wanted it more than everyone else, which was amazing to watch,” Spencerport head coach Aaron Austin said.

“The upperclassmen overshadowed some of the younger players, and then the younger players stepped up, so then the upperclassmen stepped up toward the end of the season. A lot of them were afraid to be in the big moment at first, but playing against harder teams, I think, really pushed them.

“It means that these boys are building a legacy that continues to get passed on through the players and families, even. We’ve had brothers; I played with some of the players’ dads, and now they’re coming back and playing. It means everything from family to tradition.”

After sharing the Section V Class AA girls soccer championship with Spencerport and advancing to the state tournament on penalty kicks, Churchville-Chili knocked off Clarence of Section VI in the regional round and Frontier 2-0 in the quarterfinals to advance to the state final four for the first time since 2003.

Senior and second-leading scorer Jillyan Ewing converted a pass from junior Ava Fedele in the first half. Then, freshman and leading scorer Elise Faix scored on a second-half penalty kick after senior Alexis Olson was taken down by the Frontier goalkeeper in the box.

“I felt really honored to take it (the penalty kick); I had a lot of confidence…and scoring it was a great moment,” Faix said. “We kept the intensity up the entire game; in some moments it did get kind of scary, but we kept it going.”

Senior goalkeeper Tessa Wood registered her tenth shutout of the season and fourth of the postseason.

“As a team, we defended really well the entire game,” Wood said. “We work really hard on defending not only coming from our defense but coming from our offense too…and I think we did a really good job with that.”

The Saints finished the regular season with a 12-3 record and are now riding an eight-game winning streak, with seven of them shutouts, including the postseason.

Churchville-Chili began the regular season  with four wins but suffered consecutive losses to rival Spencerport and Penfield in mid-September, which may have helped the team in the long run.

“Kind of a reset for us; we figured out what we needed to work on, worked on that, and I think we’ve improved a lot since then,” Wood said about the three losses.

“Looking at the season schedule before we started, we knew that was going to be a tough week because obviously one of those losses was to Spencerport, which is always going to be a tough game…so I don’t know if it was necessarily a wake-up call, but it was fuel for the fire,” head coach Brooke Elnicky said.

The Saints have received contributions offensively from several sources. Besides the aforementioned Faix, Ewing, and Fedele, Olson has seven goals with nine assists, senior Avery Alai has five goals, senior Shavonne Callahan added three goals with two assists, and junior Hailey Hotaling chipped in a pair of goals with two assists.

“We have a lot of seniors—I think 12—so everyone is a leader,” Ewing said.

“Our back line (seniors Avery Aloi and Kayla Cervini; juniors Gianna Denning and Hotaling) and our goalkeeper have been amazing, but all season long we’ve been focusing on team defense, and I think we’re finally getting to the point where we’re really starting to see that come to fruition in our games,” Elnicky said.

The Saints take on Section IX’s Warwick in the state semi-final on November 15 for the right to face the winner of Albertus Magnus (Section I) vs. West Islip (Section XI) in the state championship game.

Boys making first trip to semifinals

Churchville-Chili, Kendall, Brockport, and Byron-Bergen are state-ranked and, as of October 7, the Saints, Blue Devils, Spencerport, and Hilton took up the first four spots in the Section V Class AA standings as area boys soccer teams continue to do well this year.

Kendall, 14-0-0, was ranked fourth in the New York State Sportswriters rankings in Class C2. The Eagles have outscored their opponents 56-4 as senior Pablo Rosario-Reyes stood third in all of Section V with 54 points on 17 goals and 20 assists. Classmate Brandon Barrett was tied for 20th with 34 points, senior Jonathan Esposito had 30 points, and junior Brenden Eichas added seven goals with 10 assists. Goalkeeper Jonathan Conte stood fourth in Section V with a .31 goals against average.

Churchville-Chili was ranked seventh in the state in Class AA as of October 4 with a 9-0-1 record and added two more wins this past week to stand at 11-0-1 and clinch the division title. Through 12 games, they were outscoring their opponents 43-3.

The Saints use team speed up front and on the backline and are getting offensive contributions from multiple sources, led by junior Lucas Cariola with 11 goals and eight assists—the first Saint to break the ten-goal barrier since 2018. Senior midfielder Chris Keller had eight goals (including the double-overtime game-winner against Spencerport last week) and seven assists, senior Braeden Naujokas had eight goals with four assists, and junior Bryce Wolf added 17 points.

“We have scored 43 goals and given up three, but most games (in Sectionals) aren’t going to be four or five nothing, but we have the quality to finish this year, and I think that’s the big difference,” Saints head coach John Maloney said. 

“We start nine seniors and seven of them were in the Section final two years ago, so they seem pretty calm and don’t seem fazed.”

Senior goalkeeper Mason Simmons broke the program’s career record for shutouts (previously 19) with 28 and counting. He also holds the record for shutouts in a season with 11 last season, though he already has nine this year, so that could change.

As of this writing, he stood third in all of Section V in goals against at .24 per game.

“I think we knew since last year; we had a lot of juniors on that team, so a lot of returning seniors, and we knew we had a lot of talent on the team,” Simmons said. “We’ve been really good defensively, and offensively, we’ve been able to find the net on a lot of teams. A lot of credit to our defense.”

Seniors Trevor Caldwell, Ryan Vujanovic, Isaac Bailey, and Kyler Thomas make up the back four for the Saints most minutes.

Division foe Brockport was in second place at 9-4-0 and ranked 18th among Class AA schools in New York State. They were 5-1 in one-goal games.

Senior Cash Rosado and freshman Andrew Phillips were tied for the team lead with eight goals each, while juniors Ryan Camman, Aiden Fitzpatrick, and Drew Nichols chipped in four, three, and two goals, respectively, with Camman leading the squad with eight assists.

And Byron-Bergen was ranked 18th in Class C in New York State and in second place in Section V behind East Rochester in Class C1 with a 10-3-0 record heading into the final week of the regular season.

Senior Colin Rea led the way offensively with 11 goals and 11 assists, with junior Cody Carlson scoring eight times. Senior Bing Zuber added five goals, with sophomores Mason Farmer and Xavier Vargas each with four tallies, and seniors Jadiel Amaro and Cole DiQuattro combining for six more for the Bees.

The regular season concludes on October 17, with the Section V playoffs commencing on October 21.

Byron-Bergen (7-2-0) was ranked second in Class C, but that was prior to their recent loss to Kendall (10-1-0), who was tied for 20th but will likely rise after beating the Bees 2-1.

Spencerport (7-0-1) was third in Class AA followed by Churchville-Chili (8-2-0) at 15th.

Kendall is getting offensive contributions from multiple players, but senior goalkeeper Brooke Rodas has allowed only six goals through 11 games with five of those coming in a loss to Class AA St. Mary’s from Long Island. She stood fifth in Section V in goals against at .53 with support from junior Addison Kludt at center-back, junior Keara Reed on the outside with sophomore Brynn Hardenbrook.

Offensively, sophomore Ryleigh Denning and junior Sophia Picardo were among the top 30 in all of Section V in scoring with 31 and 30 points, respectively. And eighth-grader Jersie Drake chipped in five goals with four assists. Senior Alea Barrett, classmate Stella Kwiatek, and junior Olivia Sawyer each had two or more goals through the first 11 games.

“I think this year is our comeback year after losing in Sectional finals last year; we regrouped, we rebuilt and now I think we’re stronger than ever,” Picardo said. “We have a really strong offense and one of the better defenses in the whole GR (Genesee Region) and I would say all of Section V.

“We only lost four seniors, I think, and I knew from the beginning that we were going to be strong.”
“Denning has picked it up within this past year; we had a key player leave and she’s just covered the hole,” third year head coach Angel Rosario said. “She has stepped it up, has a great left and right foot on her, which makes her very dangerous player, and she’s not selfish—she’ll find a teammate who can make a better play at the time.”

Seniors Mia Gray (University of Florida commit) and Grace DiQuattro lead the Byron-Bergen attack and both are among top ten in Section V with 51 and 38 points, respectively. The Bees are getting secondary scoring from eight-grader Anastacia Kuszlyk (6-4), senior Elizabeth Starowicz (2-10), and sophomore Genevieve Smith (3-3), with junior Rylee Burch allowing just over one goal per game.

Spencerport was paced offensively by senior Emily Peacock’s nine goals with sophomore Ryan Smith, seniors Carley Oakden and Liana Tata, and freshman Sydney Wyant all scoring at least twice through the first eight games.

Freshman Elise Faix stood among the top 25 in Section V with 11 goals to lead the Churchville-Chili in scoring with help from seniors Alexis Olsen (6-4) and Avery Aloi (3-1) and junior Ava Fedele (3-2). Senior Jillyan Ewing was tied for the team lead with four assists and chipped in a pair of goals.

The regular season ends in mid-October followed by the Section V playoffs and state championships.

Four short months ago, Roberts Wesleyan Athletic Director Bob Segave announced that the school would be adding women’s flag football to their roster of teams starting in spring 2026. Twenty days later, Churchville-Chili grad Paul Fricano was introduced as the new head coach.

Fricano played for the Saints under original head coach Paul Dick until 2014, where he helped the team improve from a 2-5 record to 5-2 averaging 37.0 yards per punt with 19 downed inside the 20-yard line and connected on 14-of-22 field goals and 60-of-70 extra points. He was named First Team All-County as a sophomore, junior, and senior and Second Team All-State as a place-kicker in his final high school season.

Then it was on to play at Eastern Michigan University as the starting kicker for the Eagles. He connected on 34 field goals and was nearly perfect hitting 76-of-79 extra point attempts. He helped the team to the Popeye’s Bahamas Bowl in 2016 where he set a pair of Bahamas Bowl records for field goals attempted (2-for-2) and made in the bowl game.

Fricano is listed in the Eastern Michigan record books at No. 7 for career points scored (178) and No. 2 (99) and No. 10 (79) for points in a season. He earned All-MAC honors in 2016.

fter completing an advanced degree at Roberts, he is now tasked with starting up a program from scratch.

“My playing career ended at Eastern Michigan University…was the time of my life and I got to experience football on a really high level,” Fricano said via email. “This experience is what validated me in knowing I wanted to be a coach at high level athletics. I transitioned to RWU for my graduate program where I earned my doctorate in Occupational Therapy.

“During my time in my program here, I also had aspirations to get involved in the athletics department. After many conversations with our athletic director, Bob Segave, the growth rate of flag was undeniable and once the NCAA announced it as an emerging sport, we announced the flag program! It’s now my passion project here.”

The Redhawks will begin play this fall with official games in spring 2026, a quick turnaround.

“Developing a new program from scratch is no small task. I committed my summer to going to as many camps, showcases, bringing athletes in for visits, etc. Any avenue I could possibly take that would lead me to girls who are passionate about continuing to play this game they really love so much. We’ve been fortunate enough to recruit and sign several girls who were All-Greater Rochester and then a mixture of girls from the Buffalo area as well. My motto is that this team will be a Section V/Section VI all-star team. We have plenty of athletes in this area to show that we have something special here with a deep pool of talent. We will have roughly 15 girls signed to play for us this upcoming Spring season.

“The interest level is high and that has been very validating for our program; the student athletes want to be a part of this. I was blown away when I went to Sectional games and saw the stands full and standing room only. How the sport is growing is unlike many things I’ve ever seen. It drives me!”

Kate Rayburn from Greece Athena signed on as the first official recruit after she was named All-Greater Rochester for the second time and was also a First Team All-Monroe County pick this past spring.

“Our season this year will be our first and I’m incredibly excited to see this group of girls grow into a team and a family. Our offseason will consist of educational opportunities to teach offensive and defensive philosophies along with getting playbooks in their hands. Once we get into the season, we will be playing local teams such as Geneseo, Brockport, Villa Maria, D’Youville and Mercyhurst amongst others. It will be a great litmus test to see where our program stands immediately.

“We are also fortunate to have some dual sport athletes who are joining the team from existing teams on campus. For example, we will have two basketball players and a track sprinter joining the team which will help immediately inject talent and athleticism onto the team.

“It’s an exciting time to be a part of this sport and my true end goal is to grow a culture that fits the Roberts mission statement and to give our community and our athletes the opportunity to grow something transformative and something that leads the way in this new and upcoming sport.”

Teammate and junior outside hitter Casey Jackson (Spencerport) was named to the Second Team after registering 147 kills and a career-best .244 hitting percentage entering the postseason.
•Spencerport grad and Nazareth College senior men’s volleyball middle blocker Andrew Bodensteiner was named First Team Empire 8 while senior outside hitter Alex Bertino was a Second Team pick. Bodensteiner averaged 1.93 kills, .71 blocks, and .29 digs per set in five conference matches. Bertino had 2.85 kills and 1.38 digs per set in Empire 8 matches.
•Spencerport grad and St. John Fisher senior defender Connor Mesh was names Empire 8 First Team in men’s lacrosse while Hilton’s Tim Hubbard of SUNY Brockport and Cole Loewke from Alfred were named to the Second and Third Team, respectively. Hubbard led Brockport with 20 caused turnovers, adding 27 ground balls to eclipse 100 ground balls in his Brockport career (102). He finishes his Brockport career with seven assists, 45 caused turnovers, and 102 ground balls. Loewke led Alfred University in scoring for the first time in his career, tallying 46 points on 34 goals and 12 assists. In the conference, Loewke is fourth in goals per game (2.6), fifth in points per game (3.5), and eighth in total goals.
•Hilton grads and Hilbert College seniors Joey DiMaria and Mason Shehadi were named First Team All-Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) in baseball. DiMaria finished the season ranked 59th in Division III in goals per game and 187th in points per game and surpassed 100 goals in his career the day he set a single-game scoring record on Senior Day with 10 goals against Elmira. Shehadi, a four-year starter, tied for a team-best 46 ground balls and finished with 20 caused turnovers. He closed his final season ranked 155th in Division III in caused turnovers per game.
•Alfred State sophomore and Hilton grad Karlee Hargather was named First Team All-AMCC in women’s lacrosse after she led the Pioneers with 29 goals and 10 assists and adding 25 groundballs, won 24 draw controls and caused 10 turnovers.
•Byron-Bergen’s Kendall Phillips was named Pitcher of the Year and First Team All-SUNYAC in softball. The sophomore pitcher for Fredonia sported a 0.79 ERA at the time of voting, which ranked sixth in all of Division III and tops in the SUNYAC. Her final season earned-run average was 1.19, and she had an 8-5 record in the circle. She struck out 117 batters in 89-1/3 innings, including a season-high 14 strikeouts in a 2-1 win over Plattsburgh.
•Madison Buck from Churchville-Chili and D’Youville, was named Second Team All-East Coast Conference in women’s lacrosse. The junior attack led the team with 25 assists ranking third in the conference with 1.79 assists per game. During the team’s win against UDC, Buck set a single game record of 10 assists. She also finished second on the team in goals (34) and points (59).
•SUNY Geneseo senior attack and Churchville-Chili product Alaina Reina was named Third Team Empire 8 All-Conference in women’s lacrosse. She posted 60 points on 45 goals and 15 assists.
•Roberts Wesleyn junior Brady Kustra, senior Jacob Zimmerman (Spencerport), and juniors Isaac Marrero and Liam Linden were named as East Coast Conference (ECC) All-Stars. First Team Kustra was a star on the defensive side of the field for Roberts and finished the regular season with 13 caused turnovers and 33 groundballs. Second Team Zimmerman wrapped up the regular season with 35 points on 20 goals and 15 assists with 17 groundballs and nine caused turnovers. Marrero led the team from the faceoff X with 200 faceoff wins and a .678 win percentage. He led the team with 125 groundballs. Linden set the school record for caused turnovers in a season with 35 and was second on the squad with 51 groundballs.
•Roberts Wesleyan junior Moises Jimenez was named East Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season, freshmen Landon Brouwer Setter of the Year, and Ryan DeJohn Rookie of the Year in men’s volleyball. Head Coach Mike Dedee was named the co-Coach of the Year as he led the team to a second-place finish in the final ECC standings. Jimenez led the conference with 229 digs with an average of 2.54 per set. Brouwer led the ECC with 789 assists and an average of 8.58 assists per set. DeJohn finished fourth in the conference in attack percentage, kills and digs in his first season with the Redhawks. DeJohn and Jimenez were named First Team All-ECC.
•Redhawks graduate student Brynn King, freshman Thomas McConnelee, and head coach Mark McCown were each honored by the East Coast Conference (ECC) with post season awards in Outdoor Track and Field. King was the unanimous winner of the Female Athlete of the Year while McConnelee was named one of the Male Athletes of the Year and McCown was named the Men’s Track and Field Coach of the Year. King had another record-breaking season as she vaulted to the NCAA Record for pole vault when she cleared the 4.75-meter (15’ 7”) bar at the Texas Relays. McConnelee set and broke all the Roberts Wesleyan school records in the throwing events as he capped the outdoor season with an All-American honor in the Hammer Throw at the NCAA Championships. McCown led the Roberts men to a second consecutive men’s title at the ECC Outdoor Championships
•Seniors Emma Blumenstock and Shawna Lesmerises led a group of eight student-athletes from the Roberts Wesleyan women’s lacrosse team with selection to the East Coast Conference (ECC) All-Star team. Blumenstock was voted the Attacker of the Year and Lesmerises was named the Goalkeeper of the Year as both earned First Team All-ECC honors. The duo was joined by senior Annie Mulhall and juniors Kadie Tierney and Emma Taylor (Spencerport) on the First Team while junior Ella Dossier, freshman Lia MacDougall, and senior Allison Clahane were named Second Team All-ECC. Blumenstock (48 goals, 53 assists, 101 points) led the conference with 6.73 points and 3.53 assists per game while Lesmerises was listed among the leaders in saves, goals against average, and save percentage. Tierney was second on the team in points with 52 and third in goals with 44 goals. Mulhall was third on the team with 50 points and second on the squad with 46 goals. Taylor was second on the team with 51 draw controls and led the squad with 29 groundballs. Dossier was fourth in scoring with 43 points and second on the team with 34 assists. MacDougall led the team with 53 draw controls and was fourth with 21 groundballs. Clahane led the defense with 17 caused turnovers.
•SUNY Brockport baseball swept all four major conference awards in Zach Eldred (Player of the Year), Anthony Lapine (Pitcher of the Year), Jason Mansell (Defensive Player of the Year), and head coach Justin Beach and staff were recognized as the Coaching Staff of the Year along with eight All-Conference selections. Eldred was named the Empire 8 Player of the Year following his record-breaking fifth season at Brockport. Setting a new program record for single-season home runs (18), Eldred also had 69 RBIs and 58 runs scored. Starting 12 games on the mound for Brockport, Eldred pitched to an 8-0 record with a 1.89 ERA, holding opposing batters to a .197 batting average. Lapine had a perfect 9-0 record, held conference low marks in ERA (1.19) and WHIP (0.84), both ranking within the top-10 of Division 3. Mansell was named Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Year following an excellent season behind the plate. Helping lead the Brockport pitching staff to the top of the Empire 8, Mansell recorded a .996 FLD% (1E), racking up 22 assists and 222 putouts. Mansell’s 222 putouts and .996 FLD% both served as career bests.

Also named to the First team were outfielders Kyle Blake and Jason Story (Hilton) and relief pitcher Eric Servellon. Second Team nods went to second baseman Josh Indek, while shortstop Victor Alongi and outfielder Frank Vanzillota were Third Team.

Blake drove in 37 runs and committed just one error during the season for a .976 FLD%. Story finished second-best on the squad in home runs (10), RBIs (69), and slugging (.607). Servellon finished with a 4-0 record, 2.70 ERA, and 26 strikeouts in 26.2 innings of work. Indek posted career bests in nearly all offensive categories, including AVG (.331), runs (49), hits (46), and slugging (.410), and led all Division 3 players with 13 sacrifice bunts. Alongi posted a .387 batting average with a .974 OPS, driving in 24 runs with two home runs. Vanzillota set a new single-season walks record (42), led the squad with a .497 on-base percentage, adding a strong .905 OPS and team-leading 59 runs scored.

The Brockport coaching staff of Head Coach Justin Beach, Associate Head Coach Jonathan Schwind (Hilton) and Assistant Coach/Pitching Coach Kyle Canavally earned the Coaching Staff of the Year award in their first season in the Empire 8 after setting a new program record for single-season wins (36) and conference wins (21). Brockport’s coaching staff has guided the Golden Eagles to a #12 national ranking and NCAA Regional appearance.
•The Golden Eagles softball team had two players earn conference recognition. Olivia Simone was named Second-Team All-Conference as an outfielder and earned Third-Team All-Conference as a utility player. Simone had a .420 batting average and 1.075 OPS. The outfielder/catcher totaled 50 hits, 12 doubles, six triples (tied program record), 23 RBIs, and 31 runs scored. Freshman Teresa Cotty was awarded an At-Large Third-Team All-Conference selection at the designated player position after she batted .323 with an .850 OPS. Across 65 at bats, she totaled 21 hits, six doubles, one home run, six runs scored, and 13 RBIs.
•In addition to Hubbard mentioned earlier, SUNY Brockport men’s lacrosse added Nate Askin and Jack Rice as All-Conference Team selections. Askin for the third straight season was named to the Second Team as Brockport’s top point scorer with 44 (27G, 17A), Askin added 24 ground balls and a 56.4 FO%. Askin ranks sixth in program history in goals (75), assists (42), and fifth all-time in points (117). Rice earned a Third-Team selection for his excellent offensive season where he netted 22 goals with 16 assists for 38 points on the season (T-2).
•Karaline McCarthy was named Empire 8 Rookie of the Year in Golden Eagles women’s lacrosse, with Alayna Foos, Christina Ross, Hailey Lewkovich, Sarah Kilburn, Journey Naab, and Arianna Reed all earning All-Conference nods. McCarthy led all Golden Eagles with 31 assists and 93 draw controls, adding 23 ground balls and 10 caused turnovers. She added 34 goals for a team second-best 65 points. Foos led the squad with 51 goals and 74 points and now ranks third all-time in career goals and seventh all-time in points with 232. Ross posted career highs in ground balls (18) and caused turnovers (10). Lewkovich netted a team second-best 39 goals with 42 points, 18 ground balls, and five caused turnovers. Kilburn buried 31 goals for 34 points on the season with 15 ground balls and 11 caused turnovers. Naab posted career highs in ground balls (20), caused turnovers (19), goals (4), and points (5). Reed racked up 147 saves in goal with a 48.8 save percentage and 10.61 GA/AVG.
•In Golden Eagles track & field, Rebecca Heuler, the 2024 NCAA Outdoor Champion in the javelin throw was named the 2025 Empire 8 Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year. Heuler earned 2025 All-American honors in the javelin, placing sixth overall at the NCAA Championships with a toss of 40.78 meters. She also won the javelin at the 2025 E8 Championships and qualified for nationals with a season-best throw of 41.23 meters at the Brockport Multi-Outdoor meet in April.
Jonathan Zavala finished seventh in 3:50.53 in the final round of the men’s 1500m race at the NCAA DIII Championships to earn All-American status for the second year in a row.
All-Conference honorees:
•Marissa Wise – 1st Team, 200-Meter Dash (24.84)
•Alexis Rodriguez – 1st Team, 400-Meter Hurdles (1:02.84)
•Mia Vizcaino, Ethne Degan, Jaylah Cossin, Vanessa Ramos – 1st-Team, 4×800-Meter Relay (9:23.28)
•Rebecca Heuler – 1st Team, Javelin (39.12)
•Marissa Wise – 2nd Team, 400-Meter Dash (57.85)
•Mia Vizcaino – 2nd Team, 1,500-Meter Run (4:40.72)
•Alexis Rodriguez, Marissa Wise, Lily Rexford, Courtney Bostic – 2nd Team, 4×100-Meter Relay (49.04)
•Alexis Rodriguez, Monica Cammarota, Courtney Bostic, Marissa Wise – 3rd Team, 4×400-Meter Relay (4:02.58)
•Sasha Schramm – 3rd Team, Long Jump (5.63m)
•Lainey Porter – 3rd Team, Hammer Throw (47.87m)
•Derek Grimshaw – 1st Team, 100-Meter Dash (11.00)
•Jeremy Chen – 1st Team, 400-Meter Hurdles (54.18)
•Jeremy Chen – 2nd Team, 110-Meter Hurdles (14.99)
•Ayden Grinion – 2nd Team, 400-Meter Hurdles (54.45)
•Owen Arbocus – 2nd Team, 800-Meter Run (1:53.54)
•Jonathan Zavala – 2nd Team, 1,500-Meter Run (3:50.05)
•Kevin Brown, Michael Durski, Aaron Ottenwalder, Derek Grimshaw – 2nd Team, 4×100-Meter Relay (41.95)
•Michael Durski, Jeremy Chen, Cole Ferris, Ayden Grinion – 2nd Team, 4×400-Meter Relay (3:18.21)
•Jack Valentine – 2nd Team, High Jump (1.93m)
•Bryce Roberts – 2nd Team, Long Jump (6.78m)
•Dennis Bobbitt – 2nd-Team, Triple Jump (13.94m)
•Timothy Smith – 3rd Team, 400-Meter Hurdles (54.47)
•Daniel Reinhart – 3rd Team, Pole Vault (4.70m)
•Duncan Harbin – 3rd Team All-Conference, Discus Throw (40.22m)
•Allen Reome – 3rd Team, Javelin Throw (49.15m)
•Tyler Miller – 3rd Team, Decathlon (5,767 points).