Prep Talk

How The News voted: Canisius No. 1, St. Joe's No. 3, see you on Friday

Every week during the basketball season a panel of voters participates in The News' large and small school boys basketball polls.

And every week we let you know, like the title says ... how The News voted.

Here is a link to previous ballots: last week -- Jan. 17 (MLK edition), Jan. 10 (back from the break), Dec. 20, Dec. 13 (the tipoff).

Here are this week's polls, and here's our ballot:

LARGE SCHOOLS

1. Canisius (9-4) [last ballot: 1] -- I'm sticking with these guys, Friday night guests of the guys who beat Aquinas.  

2. Niagara Falls (9-3) [2] -- Sticking with these guys here over ...

3. St. Joe's (13-2) [6] -- ... the guys who beat Aquinas.

In other seasons, a win over one of the best programs in the state would vault a team, especially a 13-2 team, to the top. I would argue that Aquinas should be ranked No. 1 in a combined Section V/Section VI/Monsignor Martin Association poll. And in voting St. Joe's No. 3 here, I guess I would have Aquinas at the top? Canisius played Aquinas tough at home without Matt Hart. Aquinas lost at St. Joe's without starter Jarron Jones, who is certainly a great body to have in the lineup but certainly not the kind of impact player that Phil Valenti or Christian White or Jhamahl Pardner are. 

For me, it came down to my gut, based on what I've seen and gathered from this season. I would take No. 1 and No. 2 over No. 3 if they played. Which means I would take No. 1 over No. 3 no matter where they played. And would you look at this: No. 1 Canisius at No. 3 St. Joe's on Friday night. PrepTalkTV will be there (duh :-) ).

[After-the-votes-were-tallied note: I'm quite surprised that St. Joe's didn't get more than one No. 1 vote. I thought I might be on an island in considering Canisius still at the top.]

4. Jamestown (10-1) [3] -- Slide down with Joe's moving up. (at Clarence on Ridiculously Busy Friday).

5. Bishop Timon-St. Jude (11-3) [4] -- Make that two. (hosting Kearney on Ridiculously Busy Friday).

6. McKinley (8-2) [5] -- Make that three. (

7. Riverside (8-2) [7] -- Same spot for Frontiers, and with exams this week we're not expected to learn much about the city teams ...

8. Hutch-Tech (6-3) [8] -- ... including these guys. 

9. Williamsville East (11-2) [9] -- Really liked the way the Flames played without their coach, on rival's floor, against a program that had owned them the last six years or so. Liked the team play big-time. They play together on both ends, they are fundamentally sound, they have guys making unselfish plays, with 6-foot-3 Isaiah Kaudeyr making a ton of them. I wanted to vote them higher -- but they're just kind of stuck here in some sense. These three are in like a tie for seventh.

10. Kenmore West (9-2) [10] -- Blue Devils (at Niagara Falls on Ridiculously Busy Friday) still a step ahead of other contenders for this spot, a huddle that Frontier just rejoined after completing a season sweep of a Will North team I thought was on an upswing. East Aurora definitely in this crowd, Will South, Cheektowaga and maybe even Amherst too from competitive ECIC III that also includes top 10 small school Depew. Tough to figure out where the rest of ECIC I fits with Lancaster beating Clarence, along with Orchard Park beating Hamburg and then OP losing to Sweet Home in its next game. The rest of the NFL probably is in that neighborhood. 

SMALL SCHOOLS

1. Olean (11-1) [1] -- Schedule check: Dunkirk at Olean, next Tuesday, Jan. 31.

2. St. Mary's (11-5) [2] -- Fairly close ones over Nichols and Niagara Catholic and a huge blowout of St. Francis. Hmm.

3. OTC Middle College (6-3) [3] -- Host MST Seneca on Ridiculously Busy Friday.

4. Archbishop Walsh (11-3) [6] -- Chances to see these guys up north: Wednesday at Canisius, Friday at St. Francis. Scheduling note: First game with St. Mary's is home on Jan. 31.

5. Tonawanda (12-0) [5] -- A week after I wrote how impressed I was at Lackawanna, I can't say the same about the home win over Holland. Part of the reason for the Walsh promotion.

6. Depew (7-4) [7] -- I liked what I saw from Cheektowaga in close loss to I-Prep (probably No. 11 on this list) at MLK Classic; Cheektowaga just won in OT at Depew. I suppose you could argue that these Wildcats should drop further, but ECIC III is no picnic with large schools like Cheektowaga, Amherst and EA (which got a good run from Maryvale the other night).

7. Wilson (8-2) [8] -- I saw one quarter in a tiny, packed, loud CSAT gym and really liked what I saw. Diez hitting threes, Martin playing like a senior, well-run operation. Like Will East, wanted to vote them higher, but just couldn't.  

8. MST Seneca (8-1) [4] -- Drop down with loss to City Honors, which moved probably from Top 20 to Top 15 with that win. 

9. East (4-6) [9] -- Saw them against McKinley without top guard Johnathon Lewis. Team deserves to be -- just holding on -- in the top 10.

10. Silver Creek (7-1) [10] -- Hosting Portville, one of many contenders for this spot, on Ridiculously Busy Friday.

Don't like what you're reading? The comment space is below.

---Keith McShea

buffalonews.com/high-schools     facebook.com/preptalkblog     twitter.com/bufnewspreptalk

How The News voted: Week Six

Every week a panel of voters participate in The News' large and small school football polls.

Here's our shot after three weeks of action.

For reference: Week Five, Week Four, Week Three, Week Two, Week One and the preseason poll.

LARGE SCHOOLS

1. Orchard Park (6-0) [last week: 1] -- An very respected e-mailer brought to my attention that the one spot that I wrote about that OP hasn't been dominant in -- its defense -- is the perfect (or imperfect) counterpoint for those who argue for the Maurauders being in this spot. I hear that. I think the Maurauders and Chad Kelly, in any kind of shootout-type game, could outscore just about anybody. I still like OP's overall well-rounded-ness, and the Quakers' offense is loaded, too. The "Big Cat" formation got a passing TD this week. 

2. St. Joe's (5-1) [2] -- Marauders can make a serious statement Friday night in the land of serious high school football. That's Steubenville, Ohio, where St. Joe's is 0-10.

3. St. Francis (4-2) [3] -- Akeel Lynch's night in South Buffalo the performance of the year so far. 

We definitely see a top three and then another tier in this poll, which brings us to ...

4. Jamestown (5-1) [8] -- ... the Red Raiders. They've shown a ton of dominance, and with the rest of the poll tough to figure, that kind of dominance deserves a jump like this. 

5. Clarence (5-1) [5] -- Didn't look like Gelz played last week. Enough of a concern there to have the Red Raiders run by. Will Jamestown's speedsters do that Friday night at Strider Field?

6. Sweet Home (6-0) [6] -- Two out of the last three weeks, I've hustled to Sweet Home to see a team down at the half get bailed out by Jordan Johnson touchdown runs. In the third quarter Johnson was running and Tim Oaks was making plays on defense, giving a glimpse of a team that -- if it were more consistent -- would be higher than this. But I can't put them any higher, and I certainly thought about moving them behind the ... 

7. Williamsville South (6-0) [7] -- ... Billies, who I've had behind Sweet Home all season because that's the way the season started (Sweet Home is the defending champion four times over, by the way). A move might be in order after South hosts Amherst this weekend. We shall see. Last week I got my first look at South, and after watching the first quarter at at Will East, I'm like, "huh?" Then the Billies shook off Thursday afternoon cobwebs and Trent Ferguson was impressive. The only thing they didn't execute well after the first quarter were the last-minute water-jug dumps on assistant coaches (0 for 2).

8. Canisius (2-4) [4] -- Timmis didn't play this week. As with Gelz, there's enough of a concern there to result in a drop. If Timmis comes back, and they play like the team that played St. Joe's tough, they could back move up. Reminder to those who want to mindlessly howl about a 2-4 record: losses to St. Joe's, Aquinas, Cathedral Prep (Pa.) and Walsh Jesuit (Ohio) -- four teams who I think would beat everyone on this post other than the top three large schools.

9. Kenmore West (5-1) [9] -- Thought that win over Lockport was solid, then Falls routs visiting Lockport this week. Ahh, life in the AA North. Blowout last week, could be another blowout during Rivarly Week.

10. Bishop Timon-St. Jude (5-1) [10] -- They showed me enough to keep them here ahead of NT. They pushed St. Francis and were only overwhelmed by an overwhelming player. Ryan Dougherty can really throw the ball while fellow hoopers Jordan Williams and Bryant Fulton sure can go up and get it. DiMillo was able to be mostly neutralized by the St. Francis defense, which I don't think would happen against most teams. 

Who's No. 11? NT has the inside track on McKinley (beat NT) and Starpoint (beat McKinley, 7-0 loss at NT), which are both a step ahead of Amherst (seemed to find its early-season form against Will North following loss to South Park and OT win over Hamburg).

 

poll by twiigs.com

poll by twiigs.com

 

SMALL SCHOOLS

1. Alden (6-0) [1] -- Can't wait for what should be an intriguing Class B playoff bracket for Bulldogs ... 

2. Depew (5-1) [2] -- ... and Wildcats ...

3. Cheektowaga (5-1) [3] -- ... and Warriors. 

4. Maple Grove (6-0) [4] -- Handled Frewsburg nicely. Red Dragons have some serious athletes at key positions. We see a strong top four in this poll, then it gets very tricky. 

5. Fredonia (6-0) [5] -- We still like that gut-check win at Cleve Hill.

6. Lackawanna (5-1) [6] -- People might forget about the Steelers after a home loss during the regular season. Same people might forget what Lackawanna did last year after doing the same thing.

7. Pioneer (6-0) [10] -- Strong finish for the Panthers. The way this division has done I foresaw a close one with Olean, which would match up with where I've had Pioneer on my ballot most of the season. The Panthers delivered a 28-0 win, enough for me to give them a boost. The Silver Creek Week One win over Dunkirk (the great benchmark that had many, including me, considering the top D schools stronger than a lot of B schools) lost a bit of its luster with Springville continuing a solid season with a win over Dunkirk. Springville's solid season began with a win over Salamanca, which keeps the Class C South first-place team off the ballot.

8. Randolph (5-1) [8] -- Big win over I-Prep, as expected. Things get a little muddled here since they've beaten Frewsburg, which played Maple Grove a little better than the Cardinals did. One could argue the Bears should move past Randolph based on how they're playing right now, but I'll keep them as close as Randolph's two-point win. Should these Ds be higher? Right now, I don't think so. Maple Grove created enough separation in the scores with the Cardinals and Frewsburg that I think some separation is appropriate on this ballot as well.

9. Frewsburg (4-2) [9] -- The good news for the Bears is that they might get a shot to avenge both of their losses in just a few weeks.

10. Cleveland Hill (5-1) [7] -- Had a big win over Lafayette, as expected. In the same way that I liked Fredonia's gut-check win, I gotta admit that watching the Golden Eagles fall at home is still sticking in my head a bit, too. But we'll keep them ahead of Silver Creek, Salamanca, Southwestern and St. Mary's.

Don't like what you're reading? The comment space is below, let us know via Twitter or facebook (addresses below), or join the live chat Wednesday evening (which starts live-video-style at 8).

---Keith McShea

(@KeithMcSheaBN on Twitter)

buffalonews.com/high-schools     facebook.com/preptalkblog     twitter.com/bufnewspreptalk

How The News voted: Week Five

Every week a panel of voters participate in The News' large and small school football polls.

Here's our shot after three weeks of action.

For reference: Week Four, Week Three, Week Two, Week One and the preseason poll.

LARGE SCHOOLS

1. Orchard Park (5-0) [last week: 1] -- We have a very clear top three, and after seeing them all on Saturday, we have a very clear No. 1. They have not only beaten three top 10 teams on this ballot, they have dominated them. Multi-dimensional, talent all over the field, could be a longggg season.

2. St. Joe's (4-1) [3] -- Canisius? Check. St. Francis? Check. And both on the road. Very impressive.

3. St. Francis (3-2) [2] -- Akeel Lynch, who was defended well by St. Joe's in the mud, can be a much different factor on turf. The postseason is on turf.

4. Canisius (2-3) [5] -- We're not doing this just to get people riled up. We swear. We had Canisius ahead of Clarence two weeks ago, now we're swapping them back. Canisius lost to Cathedral Prep (Pa.) two weeks ago, lost to Walsh Jesuit (Ohio) this past week, something that we think would happen to the schools below as well. Canisius also played the No. 2 team tough. Sneak preview: This might happen again next week since Canisius is at Aquinas Friday night.

5. Clarence (4-1) [4] -- Red Devil fans hoping Gelz is OK for the stretch run. After West Seneca West visits Friday, the final week of the regular season has the Red Devils at the Red Raiders down in Jamestown for a game that likely decides second place in AA South (and a home playoff game).

6. Sweet Home (5-0) [6] -- Blowout of Kenmore East doesn't tell us any more about team that toughed out wins over Starpoint and McKinley. 

7. Williamsville South (5-0) [7] -- Billies could be the most underrated team on this ballot. Thursday Night Football this week.

8. Jamestown (4-1) [9] -- If the Billies aren't the most underrated team on this ballot, then the Red Raiders are. Not to say I told you so, but I had these guys in my top 10 last week before they beat Lancaster. Also own a respectable 31-14 loss at OP.

9. Kenmore West (4-1) [10] -- Solidified spot in top 10 and perch in AA North with a solid, 20-point win at Lockport.

10. Bishop Timon-St. Jude (5-0) [NR] -- Are they better than any of the teams I go through below? We're not completely sure, but we're leaning to yes here after a quality win at a solid Springville team along with DiMillo being back and running all over the place. Fun Friday football at Fitzpatrick Field with Frannies visiting. First major test for the Tigers.

Who could be next? Lancaster, which (lost to Jamesown and Clarence but) beat Lockport, which (lost to Ken West but) beat Starpoint, which (lost to Sweet Home but) beat McKinley, which (also lost to Sweet Home but) beat 4-1 North Tonawanda, which I definitely have ahead of 4-1 Amherst (especially after the team they lost to, South Park, lost to 1-4 Lake Shore), which beat West Seneca East, which (also lost to Will South) beat Bennett, which beat Hamburg, which beat South Park and Lake Shore and lost at Amherst in OT.

From that list, NT and Starpoint were probably the teams I considered most for the 10th spot -- both ever-so-slightly ahead of Lancaster since those two are on an upswing while Lancaster isn't -- and would you look a this? The Lumberjacks host Starpoint in a quality Niagara County deal on Friday night.

 

poll by twiigs.com

poll by twiigs.com

 

SMALL SCHOOLS

1. Alden (5-0) [1] -- Can I vote them higher than No. 1? Yes, Depew went for two when it probably should have kicked, but the late FG attempt was a long shot, and if Patterson plays the second half it's not that close. 

2. Depew (4-1) [2] -- Certainly still tucked right behind the Bulldogs after losing to them.

3. Cheektowaga (4-1) [3] -- Certainly still tucked right behind the Wildcats after losng to them (Week One). 

4. Maple Grove (5-0) [7] -- Thorough win over Randolph leads to a switch of spots.

5. Fredonia (5-0) [10] -- To go to Cleve Hill and play disciplined defense and offense for what should end up being a division-clinching win, you get rewarded with a big jump here.

6. Lackawanna (4-1) [5] -- Only loss to Cheektowaga.

7. Cleveland Hill (4-1) [6] -- Still an explosive team.

8. Randolph (4-1) [4] -- Swapped spots with Maple Grove after bigger loss than would have been expected.

9. Frewsburg (4-1) [NR] -- Probably should have had them in here last week, not that there was an easy place to put them.

10. Pioneer (5-0) [9] -- We're not sure what we've got in dealing with those Bs Pioneer keeps beating, but we'll keep them ahead of Silver Creek, Salamanca, Southwestern and St. Mary's.

Don't like what you're reading? The comment space is below, let us know via Twitter or facebook (addresses below), or join the live chat Wednesday evening (which starts live-video-style at 8).

---Keith McShea

(@KeithMcSheaBN on Twitter)

buffalonews.com/high-schools     facebook.com/preptalkblog     twitter.com/bufnewspreptalk

How The News voted: Week Four

Every week a panel of voters participate in The News' large and small school football polls.

Here's our shot after three weeks of action.

For reference: Week Three, Week Two, Week One and the preseason poll.

LARGE SCHOOLS

1. Orchard Park (4-0) [last week: 1] -- Super Saturday starts with Quakers' homecoming game at noon.

2. St. Francis (3-1) [2] -- Super Saturday ends with Red Raiders' hosting St. Joe's at 7.

3. St. Joe's (3-1) [3] -- This Super Saturday stuff is lining up as if we planned it like a made-for-TV ESPN event or something because the two games include the top four teams on our ballot, these Marauders (impressive out-of-town display in Pa.) and ... 

4. Clarence (4-0) [5] -- ... the Red Devils (who seemed in a different league than Lancaster during a rainy, 20-0 win Friday).

5. Canisius (2-2) [4] -- We did consider not moving Canisius down, based on our standard everyone-would-lose-to-that-opponent-too rule. However, all 58 points in the first half -- even at Erie, Pa., power Cathedral Prep -- was not something that was expected.

6. Sweet Home (4-0) [6] -- These Panthers like close calls, following a close win at Frontier with a close homecoming win over Starpoint. Or, perhaps, as quarterback Jordan Johnson told me (and everyone watching PrepTalkTV), Sweet Home's opponents are better than we think.

7. Williamsville South (4-0) [7] -- Billies rolled past Iroquois, welcome West Seneca East Friday, and all of a sudden that season finale against Amherst has a different feel.

8. McKinley (3-1) [9] -- Week Five's ridiculous amount of good games includes another solid one as the Macks go to Starpoint.

9. Jamestown (3-1) [NR] -- We had a feeling last week that Red Raiders might be better than Lancaster. Now we're saying it's more than a feeling. We'll find out Saturday. That 31-14 loss at OP is far from terrible. The opponents aren't the greatest, but they've posted big wins over Falls, Wheatfield and West Seneca West.

10. Kenmore West (3-1) [NR] -- AA North, as it has historically, seems to be a significant step behind the South, but we'll go with this offensive firepower over what we saw from Lancaster (and yes, we did take into account the rain).

South Buffalo conspiracy theorists want to know where Bishop Timon-St. Jude and South Park are. Timon's 4-0 start has come against two local small schools and two middle-of-the-road teams from outside the area (Timon just crushed Wilson Magnet, which was crushed by McQuaid, which was crushed by Canisius; Timon also crushed St. John the Baptist, which was crushed by Canisius last year). We like what the Tigers are doing, very much, especially without Adam DiMillo the last two times out, and we certainly thought about them, but we don't like them enough right now to put them ahead of teams like Jamestown or Kenmore West. Timon takes on another small school this week in Springville, an intriguing game but one that might not help them crack our top 10 -- a venture that will ultimately rest in how the Tigers do against the MMA's "big three."

South Park knocked off ranked-all-season Amherst, but we can't vote for a Sparks team that owns a loss to Hamburg. The Tigers, with the way they went 3-0, really seem like a team that might be worthy of getting back in the top 10, but it would probably take quite the performance in Week Seven at South to do it. North Tonawanda, with its lone loss a close one to McKinley in Week one, might be a better choice than all of these.

 

poll by twiigs.com

poll by twiigs.com

 

SMALL SCHOOLS

1. Alden (4-0) [1] -- We couldn't have come up with a better Week Five lineup if we tried. Super Saturday is one thing, but on Friday we get these Bulldogs against ...

2. Depew (4-0) [2] -- ... the Wildcats? What a weekend.

3. Cheektowaga (3-1) [3] -- I had them here last week based on a close opening loss at Depew and the major win at Lackawanna, and the Warriors played the part with a blowout of Tonawanda. 

4. Randolph (4-0) [5] -- Man, are the Southern Tier chatters gonna give it to me Wednesday about Southwestern losing :-). 

5. Lackawanna (3-1) [6] -- We'll keep the Steelers here but definitely thought about ...

6. Cleveland Hill (4-0) [7] -- ... the high-scoring Golden Eagles.

7. Maple Grove (4-0) [8] -- Tremendous Week Five extends all the way to the top of the D's, where the Red Dragons play at Randolph.

8. Silver Creek (2-2) [9] -- Black Knights lose at Maple Grove, which one would think would cause a drop (or more of a rise for MG), but welcome to life in the crowded small school poll. Black Knights continue to bolster the D portfolio as a whole with that season-opening rout of Dunkirk. 

9. Pioneer (4-0) [10] -- Latest close win came against Dunkirk this week.

10. Fredonia (4-0) [NR] -- We've got Cleve Hill rated higher based on the points they're putting up -- including in a rout of Gowanda, a team that the Hillbillies had to come from behind to beat this week.

A Week One loss to what has proven to be a solid Springville team keeps Salamanca out after their big win over Southwestern, which -- whoa -- when's the last time this ballot didn't include Southwestern? Frewsburg -- with a two-point loss to Randolph -- might actually be the No. 11. St. Mary's gets a nice win over Cardinal O'Hara but there's too much small school depth right now for that to earn -- as it may have in many past years -- a vote.

Don't like what you're reading? The comment space is below, let us know via Twitter or facebook (addresses below), or join the live chat Wednesday evening (which starts live-video-style at 8).

---Keith McShea

(@KeithMcSheaBN on Twitter)

buffalonews.com/high-schools     facebook.com/preptalkblog     twitter.com/bufnewspreptalk

PrepTalkTV's Plays of the Weekend for Week Four: Vote for your favorite

Here are the Plays of the Weekend for Week Four of high school football.

Watch video highlights below and vote in the poll:

1. Rashad Rush: Rashad Thomas of Cheektowaga took this one 75 yards to the house in the Warriors 43-6 win over Tonawanda Friday night.

2. J.J. Juke'N Jive: Jordan Johnson of Sweet Home dodged a few defenders and wiggled his way out of a tackle on the way to the end zone in the Panthers 22-14 win over Starpoint Saturday.

3. Not it!: Here at PrepTalkTV we got a good laugh out of this one. As one TV reporter on the sideline said, "I went swimming and a football game broke out" at Clarence Friday night. There were more fumbles than touchdowns in the second half, and this 'play' was just ridiculous ... and hilarious. (We realize this highlight won't receive votes for football greatness, but entertainment purposes maybe?)

4. Stop in the name of Thomas Mitchell: Number nines collide as Sweet Home's Mitchell delivered this blow to Starpoint standout Cory Regnet.

poll by twiigs.com

More great plays: Here are the Plays of the Weekend for Week One, Week Two and Week Three.

PrepTalkTV will be on the sidelines again this weekend to catch more exciting plays during Week Five action.

--Lauren Mariacher

Week Five showdowns: Who's going to win? What's the top game?

Week Five is FULL of big games. Vote in the polls and back up your answers in the comments section.

poll by twiigs.com

poll by twiigs.com

poll by twiigs.com

poll by twiigs.com

poll by twiigs.com

poll by twiigs.com

We'll be talking about these games all week. See what the polls (and our ballot) look like on Tuesday, join the live chat Wednesday evening (which starts live-video-style with co-host Lauren Mariacher at 8) and join us for all of the action at Prep Talk Live this weekend.

---Keith McShea

(@KeithMcSheaBN on Twitter)

buffalonews.com/high-schools     facebook.com/preptalkblog     twitter.com/bufnewspreptalk

Vote for winners, then let us know who wins at Prep Talk Live

Who's going to win? Take your picks below.

When the teams hit the field, be sure to keep track of the action -- you can even help play a part in the updates -- at Prep Talk Live.

poll by twiigs.com

poll by twiigs.com

poll by twiigs.com

poll by twiigs.com

poll by twiigs.com

We're again looking for Western New York high school football fans to help us keep track of the action even as we're doing the same. 

Our Prep Talk Live page includes a live chat, video, photos and scoreboards that will be updated throughout tonight and Saturday afternoon. Several staff members, including myself, will be out and about checking out the action. But we can't be everywhere. That's where you come in. 

Provide updates from the game you're at via several ways:

* Join the live chat on the Prep Talk Live page.

* Tweet us at the Twitter via @bufnewspreptalk and @KeithMcSheaBN. 

* Comment on our Facebook page, The Buffalo News' Prep Talk blog.

* Email us at the shiny new address of preptalk@buffnews.com.

Note: Typing in buffalonews.com/ptlive will also get you to Prep Talk Live.

We'll be starting our Friday night at Amherst's 6 p.m. kickoff against West Seneca East. I'll be off to a showdown of two of the state's best Class D teams as 2009 state champion Randolph visits 2010 sectional champion Silver Creek, and we'll have photographers and videographers at several spots. 

On Saturday, PrepTalkTV's Lauren Mariacher and I will be at Canisius' Stransky Complex in West Seneca for all the pageantry of St. Joe's-Canisius. We'll also have team members at other games as well.

See you at Prep Talk Live.

---Keith McShea

(@KeithMcSheaBN on Twitter)

buffalonews.com/high-schools     facebook.com/preptalkblog     twitter.com/bufnewspreptalk

How The News voted: Week Two

Every week a panel of voters participate in The News' large and small school football polls.

Here's our shot after one week of action.

For reference: Week One; the preseason poll.

LARGE SCHOOLS

1. Orchard Park (2-0) [last week: 1] -- Another very solid win, something we saw a lot of this week. I continue to believe there are six contenders for this spot.

2. St. Joe's (1-1) [2] -- Impressive win out of town, Part I. Yes, I'm keeping them here. I know St. Francis and perhaps Canisius had just as big a wins against probably better opponents, but when you get to see things on the field, like this Saturday, I'll wait until after then.

The writing is on the wall: Canisius and St. Francis may be bigger, may be able to run on St. Joe's with their standout backs. I hear that. Will that overcome St. Joe's quarterback play? Like I said, we'll see on Saturday. Definitely a Bart Scott, "CAN'T WAIT!" game. 

3. St. Francis (2-0) [3] -- Impressive win out of town, Part II. Maybe the most impressive. Lynch again puts on a show (and does it in front of an impressed Mike Quick of MSG, who tweeted, "Can see why St. Francis of Buf RB Akell Lynch is #1 in NYS. The BC recruit scores 52 yard TD on 2nd carry of game.").

4. Canisius (2-0) [6] -- Impressive win out of town, Part III. Ran away from the new combined Elmira Class AA team that had started its season with a 70-20 win over Horseheads (but that shouldn't mean much because Horseheads won one game the last two seasons).

5. Sweet Home (2-0) [5] -- We win 42 straight against WNY and we're fifth?!?!?!!??!

6. Clarence (2-0) [4] -- Rout of Riverside doesn't look as good after Lockport throttled the Frontiers, and rout at Frontier doesn't show us a whole lot since Lancaster won big over the Falcons as well. I just liked what I saw from Sweet Home, I liked the value of the wins by the MMA teams. This top six situation is definitely in flux. 

7. Williamsville South (2-0) [7] -- They keep going like they're going, and this will be a top seven.

8. Amherst (2-0) [8] -- Fine display against Lake Shore, although West Seneca East's win at Iroquois really has us looking forward to Friday's 6 p.m. kickoff.

9. McKinley (1-1) [9] -- I suggest taking in the (Reyzon) Jordan & (Stephon) Johnson show for the Macks. Two juniors who could be among the top all-around playmakers in Western New York. Exciting when they've got the ball, and they have the ball a lot.

10. Lancaster (2-0) [10] -- Not the most impressive win over West Seneca West (23-9), but being in 2-0 in AA South is good enough for me right now. A team like Jamestown might be better. We'll see. Bishop Timon-St. Jude might be the mythical 11th after two huge wins. Kenmore West seemed to have an Orchard Park hangover until the third quarter against a team you would think it would have had routed before a 20-point fourth quarter (41-6 final at home over Hutch-Tech). NT has a close loss to McKinley and a monster win over Will North.

 

poll by twiigs.com

poll by twiigs.com

 

SMALL SCHOOLS

1. Alden (2-0) [1] -- Man that was a rout they put on St. Mary's.

2. Depew (2-0) [2] -- Not the biggest win over Newfane, but I suppose we like their well-rounded-ness just a tad more than ...

3. Lackawanna (2-0) [3] -- ... the Steelers, who just rolled out a freshman QB and in his first game he sets a record for TDs in a game (four). Shaquille Brooks is a serious playmaker at receiver, good punter as well. Fun to watch, and speaking of fun to watch, they host Cheektowaga Friday night. Very top-heavy with these B's.

4. Southwestern (2-0) [4] -- Maybe not the "same 'ol Southwestern," which I wrote last week, after a 21-14 win over Westfield. Might have caused a slide, but after two weeks I can't really see a reason to move anyone past them.

5. Pioneer (2-0) [5] -- Thorough win over East Aurora after beating Burgard. Very tough to gauge the poll after the top three.

6. Cleveland Hill (2-0) [6] -- Does Cleveland Hill score a gazillion points early every season (96 so far) or is it just me?

7. Silver Creek (2-0) [7] -- Two big wins, opener over Dunkirk looks even better after Marauders beat Eden.

8. Randolph (2-0) [10] -- We'll bop the Cardinals up after a strong win, and also to make room for ... 

9. Maple Grove (2-0) [NR] -- ... their good buddies, who continue to have one of Western New York's best team websites. Three D teams in the top 10! The D folks in the chat room must be getting to this pollster. :-)

10. Olean (2-0) [8] -- Didn't expect 12-6 win over Springville, but maybe that's just a sign of progress by the Griffins. Fredonia gets bumped -- at this point, Maple Grove impressed while the Hillbillies were robbed of a game by Lafayette's forfeit.

Don't like what you're reading? The comment space is below, let us know via Twitter or facebook (addresses below), or join the live chat Wednesday evening.

---Keith McShea

(@KeithMcSheaBN on Twitter)

buffalonews.com/high-schools     facebook.com/preptalkblog     twitter.com/bufnewspreptalk

How The News voted: Week One

Every week a panel of voters participate in The News' large and small school football polls.

Here's our shot after one week of action.

For reference, here's our preseason poll we posted last Thursday.

LARGE SCHOOLS

1. Orchard Park (1-0) [preseason poll: 4] -- We were very tempted to stay with our preseason top six, because each one of them had very impressive debuts. But none was as impressive as OP's, which had an AA final four team from last year, one which returned major talent, crushed by halftime. They deserve to be rewarded for that. 

Other than No. 2, the rest of the top six all had impressive wins, but not enough to move them up.

2. St. Joe's (0-1) [1] -- Aquinas routs team from Western New York. Again. We're keeping Joe's here for now, because we certainly think Aquinas could beat the rest of the contenders for this spot, including what we think is a fairly clear top six (that's because Aquinas has beaten most of the contenders for this spot -- going backwards to last season, Little Irish have beaten Sweet Home, Canisius, St. Francis and Joe's again).

As defending champ, we're keeping Joe's slotted as a No. 1 in the MMA, but we know it is definitely close, and we are definitely looking forward to those MMA clashes that will sort it out.

3. St. Francis (1-0) [2] -- Nice job representing in the Dome, Part I.

4. Clarence (1-0) [3] -- Very nice win at Riverside. 

5. Sweet Home (1-0) [5] -- Very nice win at home against Williamsville East.

6. Canisius (1-0) [6] -- Very nice win at McQuaid.

7. Williamsville South (1-0) [8] -- Rout of South Park was over at the half.

8. Amherst (1-0) [9] -- Thought about moving the Tigers past South based on a tougher win on the road. Another close call.

9. McKinley (1-0) [10] -- If the Macks' big lead over NT turned into a big win over NT, maybe they'd get a bump. Nice grit by the Macks to answer Jacks' comeback with their own.

10. Lancaster (1-0) [7] -- AA South is a trademark tough division, and Lancaster posted a major win over Frontier. That gives the Redskins the nod here over Kenmore West (South > North). Bennett's great start with a big win over Grand Island gave them consideration. Iroquois and North Tonawanda are on the long list as well, with Bishop Timon-St. Jude perhaps ready to throw their helmet in the ring.  

 

poll by twiigs.com

 

poll by twiigs.com

 

SMALL SCHOOLS

1. Alden (1-0) [1] -- Nice job representing in the Dome, Part II.

2. Depew (1-0) [3] -- Wildcats looked very, very good in the second half with freshman Rodney Turner looking very fast. Jaden Cotten's interview for PrepTalkTV on Friday (also part of the Week One show) was great.

3. Lackawanna (1-0) [2] -- Looked very impressive early against Lake Shore, but it was a one-touchdown win -- Depew's big finish against Cheektowaga moves them up our chart.

4. Southwestern (1-0) [4] -- Same 'ol Southwestern.

5. Pioneer (1-0) [6] -- Panthers keep pounding away with a tough early win in the city against Burgard.

6. Cleveland Hill (1-0) [10] -- Big scoring sheet against larger-school Maryvale.

7. Silver Creek (1-0) [7] -- Big win over their neighbor Dunkirk, also a larger class.

8. Olean (1-0) [NR] -- Lightning struck Saturday night, and then it did for Olean on Sunday. Huskies beat rival Bradford (Pa.), which went 8-2 last year including a 47-0 win over Olean.

9. Fredonia (1-0) [5] -- Thought the win over JFK would be bigger.

10. Randolph (1-0) [8] -- Nice job by Frewsburg hanging in there with the Cardinals. Class D maybe even tougher than we thought, which was pretty tough already. Next up would be Burgard (close loss to ranked Pioneer), which is a step ahead of Cardinal O'Hara, St. Mary's (nice big margin over I-Prep), Maple Grove, Cheektowaga, Lake Shore and Eden (not necessarily in that order).

Don't like what you're reading? The comment space is below, let us know via Twitter or facebook (addresses below), or join the live chat Wednesday evening.

---Keith McShea

(@KeithMcSheaBN on Twitter)

buffalonews.com/high-schools     facebook.com/preptalkblog     twitter.com/bufnewspreptalk

Live from the AA semifinals at Buffalo State: Paige scores 42 to set up Jamestown vs. Falls (with video & poll)

Hello from Buffalo State for tonight's highly anticipated Class AA semifinal doubleheader.

In the first game, No. 1 large school Niagara Falls takes on No. 7 McKinley at 6 p.m. That's followed by the scheduled 7:45 p.m. matchup of No. 2 Jamestown and No. 9 Lancaster.

We'll have separate "live" blogs on each game.

Some highlights:

And the postgame show:

The second semifinal:

[NOTE: I believe I owe an apology for my opining about a three-second call on Lancaster; I thought only one foot needed to be out of the lane to avoid the call but an emailer has whistled me on it and says both feet have to be out. My bad (chest tap).]

A highlight (I didn't have the iPhone rolling during Paige's great first quarter:

The postgame show:

* * *

The winners will play at 8:15 p.m. Saturday here at Buffalo State in the AA final.

The box scores for both games will be up at our scoreboard page as soon as possible.

After the games, let us know what you thought of the action -- and the finals matchup -- in the comments section.

poll by twiigs.com

* * *

The first game was obviously a downer in that the showdown fizzled and the second half saw some less-than-pretty basketball. Falls played great defense early, which I think set a tone -- it was going to be tough for McKinley to score, and it seemed like things just got worse when the Macks missed several easy ones.

Only until late in the game did the lid seem to come off the basket for the Macks. Marcus Feagin, Jeff Street and Jermaine Crumpton did a very nice job on McKinley leaders John Black (six points) and Antonio Avery (seven).

Jaysean Paige had a great start with those four first-quarter three pointers, then he kept scoring consistently to end up with 42. Jamestown coach Ben Drake had a great quote about how he wouldn't have thought Paige had that many -- he just does it consistently, sometimes quietly, sometimes spectacularly.

Lancaster again played Jamestown tough, but the Red Raiders just have too much, they are just a better team.

I'm trying to think back to the last time someone had a 40-point game at Buffalo State. Randolph's Ashton Brown had 47 in the Class C final two years ago, but that was at Jamestown Community College. I recall Finney (the one that shouldn't be in Class D) getting a major individual performance in winning a D regional here -- but I just looked it up and that was Andy Marchand's 24 points on seven threes against Clymer. Looks like I'll be hitting the history books. If you remember outstanding individual performances at Buffalo State, let me know of them in the comments section or email me at kmcshea@buffnews.com.

UPDATE: Prep Talk Nation has helped jog my memory -- Micole Parker of City Honors had 40 in the C-1 final in their 2003 state championship season, while I believe Dewan Stroud went for 40 for Seneca in a classic overtime game against Lackawanna in 2002 or 2003. More to come ...

Here's my story for Friday's paper.

Here are cool photo galleries by News Photographer Mark Mulville: one for Falls-McKinley and one for Jamestown-Lancaster.

---Keith McShea

buffalonews.com/high-schools     facebook.com/preptalkblog     twitter.com/bufnewspreptalk