Monday, February 24th
Class AA
Williamsville North vs. Clarence
- Much like Lockport/Kenmore West in the quarterfinals, this is the ultimate tie-breaker game. Both teams split in the regular season and were co-champs in ECIC I.
- This game has star power in the form of North's Sterling Taplin and Clarence's Ryan Funk. Either player is capable of taking over a game. The last time Taplin played on the big court at Buff State, he put on a show against Niagara Falls.
- The place should be packed, as both schools are usually well-represented by their fans.
- I voted North #3 and Clarence #4 in the large school poll this week.
Jamestown vs. Lockport
- The last time they met was in 2005, when Jamestown lost at Lockport in the quarterfinals.
- Jamestown is the defending champs in Class AA, and has won it in three of the last four years.
- The Red Raiders Zack Panebianco has been on a recent tear and performed very well at Buff State the past two seasons.
- Lockport has a great balance of everything needed to compete with the defending champs, from size, to shooters, to ball handlers.
- I voted Jamestown #2 and Lockport #5 in the large school poll this week.
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Tuesday, February 25th
Class B2
East vs. Health Sciences
- East is the defending Class B2 champs and this is the fifth consecutive season the Panthers have reached Buff State.
- Tyree Tyson returns for East.
- Health Sciences quietly put together an excellent season, earning a share of the Charter Cup. They are very athletic and eager to prove that everyone has been under-valuing them all season.
- The Falcons are a balanced team, but Carl Goodwin & Allen Wright will standout.
- There was a point this season prior to a mid-season skid, when the Panthers were the top ranked small school in WNY. This game will give us some indication as to whether or not they still have that chip on their shoulders that helped them to that top ranking.
- I voted East #3 in the small school poll this week & did not vote for Health Sciences.
Class B1
Fredonia vs. Tonawanda
- The Hillbillies brought back nearly their entire squad from last season that reached the Class B2 final and lost to East by five.
- Tonawanda has lots of size and has shown the ability to slow games down and give opponents fits in their own end.
- Dylan Meyer will be the best player on the court. The Fredonia senior is a quiet and hardworking player, who always produces and makes an impact on the game.
- I voted Fredonia #6 in the small school poll this week. I did not vote for Tonawanda.
Olean vs. Depew
- Olean has three career 1,000 point scorers in Wil Bathurst, Sam Eckstrom, & Nick Schmidt. They also have one of the best point guards in WNY in Luke Hennessy, who has nearly 400 career assists.
- The Huskies won at St. Mary's by 29, and at Timon by 18. They also beat Bishop Kearney twice and Greece Athena once. After Canisius, there isn't a more relevant basketball team in WNY.
- Depew will likely find a way to make the game competitive. For a little while.
- I voted Olean #1 in the small school poll this week. I did not vote for Depew.
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Wednesday, February 26th
Class B2
Cleveland Hill vs. Salamanca
- One of the most intriguing matchups of the week for me.
- Both teams have balance and multiple players who can score.
- Each team won its league, the Golden Eagles took ECIC IV, while the Warriors won CCAA East I.
- Damien Taylor of Salamanca is so talented and so athletic. He's the guy at Buff State this week who will have you reaching for your program to see who he is. One coach likened his game to that of Olean's Wil Bathurst.
- I voted Cleveland Hill #9 in the small school poll this week. I did not vote for Salamanca.
Class A2
Amherst vs. Lew-Port
- Both schools return to the Class A2 semifinals from last year- Amherst for a thrid straight season.
- The Tigers are the defending Class A2 champs and winners of ECIC III again this season.
- The Lancers snagged their first ever win over the Niagara Falls Wolverines this year, and also scored a late season win over North Tonawanda.
- The teams share one common opponent, East Aurora. Amherst beat them twice by 11 points, while Lew-Port won its game against the Blue Devils by five points.
- I voted Amherst #8 in the large school poll this week. I did not vote for Lew-Port.
Cheektowaga vs. Maryvale
- Another league rubber match, as the two teams split a pair of regular season contests.
- Cheektowaga finished second in ECIC III, while Maryvale took third.
- The Warriors are young, starting just one senior. They are led by freshman Dominik Welch, who averages a a double-double for them. Junior Zak Ciezki and senior point guard Preston Summers will also impress.
- Despite finishing with three league losses, Cheektowaga swept league champ Amherst.
- Maryvale is led by a talented pair of seniors in Ed Smith & Jayln Putnam. Both can shoot & get to the basket, but also create for their teammates.
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Thursday, February 27th
Class A1
Williamsville South vs. North Tonawanda
- The Billies won at Iroquois in their regular season finale to force a share of the ECIC II title.
- The teams share the common opponent of Sweet Home. South split with the Panthers in the regular season, while the Jacks beat them by nine to advance to the semifinals.
- North Tonawanda returns to Buff State for the first time since since 2010.
- South makes its sixth consecutive trip to Buff State.
- Both teams are balanced, with Soouth having an edge in shooting, while NT defends better.
McKinley vs. Hamburg
- The Macks swing into Buff State like they belong there...because they do. This is the 15th straight season reaching the semifinal round for the Macks.
- The defending Class A state champions don't return any starters from last year's team, but they still play the same hectic style.
- The teams share one common opponent, Williamsville East. Hamburg swept the Flames in a pair of meetings this season, by 19 points & one point. McKinley knocked off Williamsville East by 15 points to advance to this game.
- The Bulldogs finished 6-6 in ECIC II, but knocked off league co-champ Iroquois to earn the semifinal trip.
- Hamburg is a balanced team led by Griffin Ryan, and boasts a big inside presence in Jeremiah Bill.
- I voted McKinley #6 in the large school poll this week.
-centercourt
Great preview. Where can i find past records for semifinal and final rounds? I'm curious to see the # of times each school and which divisions/ leagues are most represented over the last 10-15 years.
Posted by: NFL | Tuesday, February 25, 2014 at 12:51 PM
http://www.section6.e1b.org/Page/869
Here is a pretty good one for the last 4 years.
Posted by: StateChamps2003 | Tuesday, February 25, 2014 at 01:07 PM
http://www.section6.e1b.org/domain/103
Here is a listing of sectional winners that can most likely be found on the back of the Buff State programs this week (are they available yet?).
Posted by: StateChamps2003 | Tuesday, February 25, 2014 at 01:11 PM
Observations from East vs. Health Sciences:
- Health Sciences (HS) played harder and had a ton more desire and hustle than East for all of regulation.
- HS 2-3 zone worked great and was very effective at applying pressure to the guards. BUT, East did not do a great job at working the ball inside...at all. Three times they fed a guy in the high post and and twice, they got easy buckets inside to Tyson. The ball should have gone there every possession.
- East did themselves no favors by going 7/18 (give or take a FT) from the free throw line in the 4th quarter and overtime.
- "Ref Clifford" officiated a horrible game including some very questionable foul calls against both teams in the final 30 seconds. I have no idea how he still refs Buff State games.
- Damone Brown of East plays with absolutely no desire and no hustle whatsoever. I know he hit the game tying shot in regulation but I thought that Ayala Jr. should have received significantly more playing time.
- Tyree Tyson of East is definitely not 100%. His first game back from his knee injury. He probably played maybe 20 of the 36 minutes.
Posted by: StateChamps2003 | Tuesday, February 25, 2014 at 11:28 PM
Also, if anyone has any video of the Fredonia player who BADLY missed an attempted ALL-ALONE-NO-ONE-AROUND-ME-BY-TEN-FEET-DUNK in teh first quarter, I would greatly appreciate it if it was uploaded to this site. Thanks.
Posted by: StateChamps2003 | Wednesday, February 26, 2014 at 10:28 AM
I want a McKinley vs. East High (Rochester) Class A regional game. I'm dyin to see this Dontay Caruthers of East.
Posted by: StateChamps2003 | Wednesday, February 26, 2014 at 10:00 PM
Totally AGREE; The REFS would have to be in Shape for that one!!
Posted by: fullcourt1 | Thursday, February 27, 2014 at 12:58 AM