Prep Talk

Prep Talk Live's C state semi replay: Southwestern shuts out Forks, 21-0

Check the Prep Talk Live page for live coverage of playoff football and outstanding photography from The News' Mark Mulville.

What did you think of the game? Let us know in the comments section below.

---Keith McShea

buffalonews.com/highschool     facebook.com/preptalkblog     twitter.com/bufnewspreptalk

Prep Talk Live's A state semi replay: Sweet Home turns over Whitesboro, 36-13

Check the Prep Talk Live page for live coverage of playoff football and outstanding photography from The News' Mark Mulville.

What did you think of the game? Let us know in the comments section below.

---Keith McShea

buffalonews.com/highschool     facebook.com/preptalkblog     twitter.com/bufnewspreptalk

Prep Talk Live's D state semi replay: Randolph runs over Groton, 61-8

Check the Prep Talk Live page for live coverage of playoff football and outstanding photography from The News' Mark Mulville.

What did you think of the game? Let us know in the comments section below.

---Keith McShea

buffalonews.com/highschool     facebook.com/preptalkblog     twitter.com/bufnewspreptalk

Who's going to the Dome?

Section VI sent four teams to the Carrier Dome for the state championships last year. Four teams will try and repeat the feat this weekend.

poll by twiigs.com

poll by twiigs.com

See you here tonight as we bring you the games to you from Rochester via Prep Talk Live.

---Keith McShea

buffalonews.com/highschool     facebook.com/preptalkblog     twitter.com/bufnewspreptalk

Research material: State football semifinals

Around this time of year, we bop around the Web doing a lot of research and then pass on the links to you. Here's where our research of our state semifinal football preview took us. The preview appears as part of Football Friday.

First and foremost, of course, is the link to Prep Talk Live, where I'll have coverage of all four Section VI teams' games this weekend along with Mark Mulville's kick-butt photos.

Here are the basics:

* The Section V football site has plenty of basic info as well as the lineup of the entire state football tournament.

* Here's our history of Section VI football in the state tournament, which includes last year's tremendous results as well as all previous years, from the regionals to the state finals.

* Section4football has great overall history of the state, including the two Section IV teams that are taking on Section VI teams this weekend.

* We again will be live from Rochester's Marina Auto Stadium, where this link shows you what I can attest to first-hand -- that the stadium, for the third straight year, remains a work in progress. The picture of the work being done on the luxury box isn't too far from the appearance of our indoor/outdoor press box. Hey, as a colleague of mine says, it's not shoveling coal. There is electricity and a place to work, even if the entire press box is to one side of midfield. But it is far from an ideal venue for a state semifinal. 

* Here are this week's state rankings, part of the gallons of info available at the outstanding Road To Syracuse site administered by Moriello of the state sportswriters association.

Going class-by-class ...

Fall sports head to state final fours

If you haven't seen them already, check out Pete Simon's front-page story on Grover Cleveland boys soccer and Mary Jo Monnin's wrapup of all of the non-football teams searching for state titles this weekend.

So who comes home with a plaque?

poll by twiigs.com

poll by twiigs.com

As always, let us know how and why you voted in the comments section below.

---Keith McShea

buffalonews.com/highschool     facebook.com/preptalkblog     twitter.com/bufnewspreptalk

Live chat Nov. 18 (and two polls)

There are four football teams in the state semifinals for the second straight year -- will there be four football teams advancing to state title games for the second straight year? How will the nine Section VI soccer, volleyball and field hockey teams do at the states?

How about these questions? We don't have a football poll this week but ...

poll by twiigs.com

poll by twiigs.com

It makes for plenty to talk about during our weekly chat at 7 tonight.

You can review our previous chats from Week One, Week Two, Week Three, Week Four, Week Five, Week Six, Week Seven, Week Eight, Week Nine, Week 10 and Week 11.

As always, anything related to high school sports is up for discussion -- last week's big games, this week's big games or any fall -- or winter -- sport.

If you're not going to be around, type in a question in the comments section below and I'll discuss it during the chat.

---Keith McShea

buffalonews.com/highschool     facebook.com/preptalkblog     twitter.com/bufnewspreptalk

Connolly Cup finalists announced

The Riverside Athletic Club's Connolly Cup committee has announced its 10 finalists for the award given to the most outstanding football player in Western New York:

David Fluellen, Lockport
Justin Juda, Lancaster
Andy LaLonde, Grand Island
Joe Licata, Williamsville South
Patrick McMahon, Sweet Home
B.J. Monacelli, Cassadaga Valley
Matt Rosenhahn, St. Joe’s
Chris Secky, Maple Grove
Calvin Sluberski, Iroquois
Zack Sopak, Southwestern

The winner will be announced, as always, on the first Saturday of December (the fifth) in a ceremony at Ilio DiPaolo's Restauraunt in Blasdell.

A reminder to all that any discussions about who should win the award, or about players who should have made the the top 10, should be respectful. Thanks.

---Keith McShea

buffalonews.com/highschool     facebook.com/preptalkblog     twitter.com/bufnewspreptalk

Prep Talk Live's AA regional replay: NT survives Webster Schroeder, 26-24

Check the Prep Talk Live page for live coverage of playoff football and outstanding photography from The News' Mark Mulville.

Our apologies for the technical difficulties that hampered our live coverage of the AA game. The response time on my end was terrible -- I was literally typing and waiting several seconds for the computer to catch up. I don't know if it was my computer, the connection or the amount of people trying to keep track of the game -- although none of those variables have been different during our Prep Talk Live games this postseason.

We'll check it out and hope to have it remedied by this weekend's state semifinals. The Prep Talk Live isn't only a cool feature (we hope) for readers as you keep track of the game, it literally becomes my notes for my story -- so let's just say I wasn't pleased :-). Thanks again to all for your patience and your participation.

What did you think of the game? Let us know in the comments section below.

---Keith McShea

buffalonews.com/highschool     facebook.com/preptalkblog     twitter.com/bufnewspreptalk

Prep Talk Live's B regional replay: Hornell hammers Cheektowaga, 48-12

Check the Prep Talk Live page for live coverage of the Far West Regionals this weekend including outstanding photography from The News' Mark Mulville.

What did you think of the game? Let us know in the comments section below.

---Keith McShea

buffalonews.com/highschool     facebook.com/preptalkblog     twitter.com/bufnewspreptalk