Prep Talk

Check the Prep Talk Live page for outstanding photography from The News' Mark Mulville.

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

---Keith McShea

Last year the Section VI champion won the state title? Before Maple Grove can try to repeat as a state champion, it has to do so as a sectional winner. Can they do it?

As with all of our polls, we want to hear how and why you voted. Let us know in the comment space below.

Be sure to vote in all of the polls: Class AA, Class A, Class B and Class C. 

---Keith McShea

WGR's Web site states it will be broadcasting the following games on Friday nights:

Friday: East Aurora at Iroquois
Sept. 11: Williamsville North at North Tonawanda
Sept. 18: Depew at Maryvale
Sept. 25: Sweet Home at West Seneca East
Oct. 2: Orchard Park at Lancaster
Oct. 9: Iroquois at Williamsville South
Oct. 17 (Saturday): Kenmore East at Kenmore West

A quality lineup of games, and it's definitely cool to see high schools going primetime -- especially on a station where they high school sports talk has been quarantined to one hour on Saturday mornings for years.

Iroquois is a big winner with two games, but both are good matchups. The Monsignor Martin Association is a big loser with zero games, but it's somewhat understandable since there aren't any Friday nighters screaming for coverage. If GR is still doing games on Oct. 30, it might not be a bad, spread-the-wealth idea to go with the Monsignor Martin championship rematch of Canisius at St. Francis rather than a Section VI semifinal.

The list is a good mix of games, teams and areas, and it shouldn't be a surprise that the lineup consists of all Erie County teams other than just-across-the-bridge North Tonawanda. Randolph-Maple Grove is a great game for high school football fans, but GR wants to move the ratings needle, especially in a first-time venture like this.

---Keith McShea

These are the updates to the football schedule we have received, almost all a result of the dropout fall out caused by Brocton, Hinsdale and Walsh pulling the plug on their seasons:

Week One
Sherman vs. Forestville at Silver Creek - Friday, Sept. 4, 7:30 p.m.
Clymer at West Valley - Saturday, Sept. 5, 1:30 p.m.
Week Two
Portville at Silver Creek - Friday, Sept. 11, 7:30 p.m.
Falconer at Randolph - Friday, Sept. 11, 7:30 p.m.
Pine Valley at Westfield - Friday, Sept. 11, 7:30 p.m.
Week Three
West Valley at Pine Valley - Friday, Sept. 18, 7:30 p.m.
V-Charles Finney at Salamanca - Saturday, Sept. 19, 7:30 p.m.
Bishop Timon-St. Jude has a bye week (after being scheduled against Walsh)
Week Four
Cattaraugus-Little Valley vs. Forestville at Silver Creek - Friday, Sept. 25, 7:30 p.m.
Week Five
Randolph at Portville - Friday, Oct. 2, 7:30 p.m.
Week Six
Silver Creek at Franklinville - Friday, Oct. 9, 7:30 p.m.
Week Seven
Frewsburg at Ellicottville - Friday, Oct. 16, 7:30 p.m.
Niagara Catholic at Allegany-Limestone - Friday, Oct. 16, 7:30 p.m.

All of the changes have been made to the 2009 week-by-week schedule accessible via the high school home page.

---Keith McShea

Maple Grove basketball has a great game plan, and it's months before the season will start.

The Red Dragons applied and were approved for an independent schedule, and they've put together a great lineup for a team that is expected to challenge for its third straight trip to the state final four in Glens Falls.

Here's a link to Scott Kindberg's excellent Jamestown Post-Journal story about Maple Grove going independent this year, and here are some specifics for your calendar:

"The Red Dragons open their season Dec. 4-5 at the Olean Tip-Off Tournament, play at Jamestown's United Way Tip-Off Tournament the next weekend and travel to St. Mary's of Lancaster on Dec. 15. The Dunkirk (Dec. 18-19) and St. Bonaventure (Dec. 29-30) tournaments close out 2009. Maple Grove will open with Newark in the Jamestown Tournament.

"Maple Grove's first home game isn't until Jan. 7 when it entertains Southwestern. Three games on the Dutch Hollow Road follow against Randolph (Jan. 11), C.G. Finney (Jan. 20) and Westfield (Jan. 29). After a game at Southwestern on Feb. 5, the Red Dragons entertain St. Joe's (Feb. 9) before closing out the regular season with road contests at Finney (Feb. 12), at Randolph (Feb. 16) and at North Tonawanda (Feb. 18)."

This is just an outstanding move by Maple Grove as it eschews league games that were extremely noncompetitive for top-notch tests that should help them prepare for the postseason. That benefits both the Red Dragons and the CCAA teams that took a pounding twice in league games last year. It also gives high school hoop fans throughout Western New York (and the rest of the state) some great games to watch. 

Niagara Falls went independent a few years ago for similar reasons, which was also a fine move. The Wolverines returned to the Niagara Frontier League the last few seasons; I wasn't in favor of their return and I still think Falls should go it alone when it comes to boys hoops.

---Keith McShea

WATERLOO -- We're coming to you live from the state softball championships at Waterloo High School with the Class B semifinal between Fredonia and Section IV champion Chenango Valley.

10:16 a.m. Fredonia leads 1-0 through four innings. Hillbillies took 1-0 lead in top of third inning on Katie Bartkowiak's two-out single to center that scored Mary Kate Bongiovanni, who worked a two-out walk and reached second on Anne Wasik's single to center. Good at-bat by Barkowiak, who fell into an 0-2 hole.

In top of fifth with one out, Hillbillies' Bongiovanni singles, steals second and moves to third on Wasik single to right. Wasik took second on throw home while Bongiovanni stayed at third. Bongiovanni scores on ball four wild pitch. Wasik to third while batter Bartkowiak moves to second. Fredonia leads 2-0.

Bunt single by T'ana Abt loads bases. Erin Pantano RBI single off pitcher's glove makes it 3-0, then Julie Arnold gets hit by pitcher to force in Bartkowiak. Hillbillies lead, 4-0. Marge Wronski safe on fielder's choice grounder but Abt forced out at home for second out. Throwing error by CV catcher lobbing ball back to pitcher enables Pantano to score to make it 5-0. Chrissy Ortolano safe on fielding error. Pinch hitter Katrina Johnston comes to plate as 10th batter of inning for Fredonia, and she strikes out to end inning. Fredonia leads 5-0.

10:25 a.m. Caitlin Roberts of CV leads off bottom of fifth with single, moves to second on wild pitch, takes third on fly out and scores with two outs on another wild pitch. After five innings, Fredonia leads, 5-1.

Through six innings, Fredonia leads, 5-1. Heading into bottom of seventh, it is still 5-1 Fredonia as Hillbillies went down in order in top half of inning.

10:47 a.m. FINAL SCORE: Fredonia beats Chenango Valley in Class B semifinal, 5-1.

The Hillbillies will face Section II's Mechanicville for the title this afternoon at 1:30 on field two.

It is the third straight state semifinal for the Hillbillies.

Anne Wasik and Erin Pantano each had two hits, while Mary Kate Bongiovanni scored two runs in the triumph. Fredonia pitcher Marah Dahn was solid, limiting CV to three hits with no walks and five strikeouts.

It will be a little crazy with Class B final and Randolph's Class C semifinal going on at the same time but we'll do our best to provide status reports. See you later.

* * *

12:33 p.m. Randolph trails Section IV champion Tioga, 5-2, in the Class C semifinal with Randolph batting in the top of the fourth. The Cardinals scored two in the first but Tioga answered with four in the bottom of the inning. Tioga added a run on an error in the third.

1:10 p.m. It's a FINAL SCORE: Tioga 5, Randolph 2 in Class C semifinal.

* * *

1:35 p.m. Class B final to start in 25 minutes or so.

2:54 p.m. Mechanicville leads Fredonia, 1-0, after four innings. Kelsey Hines with an RBI double.

3:04 p.m. Fredonia leaves the bases loaded in the fifth.

3:16 p.m. A two-run triple by Alysa Russell gives Mechanicville a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth.

3:29 p.m. Mechanicville's lead is 3-0 after six innings. Last chance for the Hillbillies.

3:32 p.m. We have a FINAL SCORE: Mechanicville beats Fredonia, 3-1, in the Class B state championship game. Fredonia falls in state final for third straight year. MaryKate Bongiovanni had an RBI triple in the seventh.

---Miguel Rodriguez

Saturday could be a very big day for Section VI. It certainly could be a big day for any number of teams.

In and around Binghamton, Clarence (Class AA), Fredonia (B) and Frewsburg (C) will participate in the baseball state final four. At Waterloo, Fredonia (B) and Randolph (C) will play in the softball final four. At downtown Rochester's Marina Auto Stadium (formerly Paetec Park), the Orchard Park boys lacrosse team will try and win Section VI's first state championship in that sport.

Orchard Park lacrosse might have an advantage in having to only play one game (the baseball and softball teams have to win a semifinal and a final for a state title), but the Quakers are charged with reversing decades of history in the sport.

What's your pick? Let us know how you voted in the comment space below. I'll have my pick as we get started on Saturday.

---Keith McShea