Click here or on the ad above to reach the Schuyler County Partnership for Economic Development website

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Click here or on the ad above to reach a Chamber of Commerce website.

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Do you want to make a difference in Schuyler County? Join SCCUDD today!ti

See website here.

Did you know that kids whose parents disapprove of underage alcohol and substance abuse are less likely to regularly use alcohol or drugs? Please talk to youth early and often about the dangers of underage alcohol and drug use so they can develop into happy, healthy adults.

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Watkins Glen
Family Dentistry
and Implant Center

703 S. Decatur St.
Watkins Glen
(607) 535-4666

Accepting new patients

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Mechanics Club

Serving the youth of our area since 1932. Click here for details.

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We are open:
Tuesday-Friday 8-8
Saturday 8-2

Simply Your Best

Hair - Skin - Nails. JoAnna Sindone's salon at 4588 Route 224, west of Odessa, offers a variety of services:

Phone: 607-594-2811.

To reach the Simply Your Best website, click here.

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Mechanics Club - Serving the youth of our area since 1932 - click here for details.

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Dealer/collector looking to buy groups of pre-1970 paper memorabilia: cards, magazines, posters, programs etc. Call Charlie Haeffner at 742-2772.

To reach the Watkins Glen School District website, click here. 

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Click on the ad below, and go to the H.L. Stephens website

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To go to Jim Guild's Famous Brands website, click on the drawing above or here.

Click on the ad below for more information.

For 1st time in years, O-M has XC runner

ODESSA, Sept. 20, 2023 -- Odessa-Montour Junior/Senior High School has a cross-country runner -- a "team of one" -- for the first time in many years.

Seventh grader Lexi Strobel placed 2nd Tuesday night among 24 female modified runners at an Interscholastic Athletic Conference meet at Trumansburg. Her father, O-M track coach (and now cross country coach) Skip Strobel, explained:

"We had a cross country program here until the early 2000's. So Lexi is the first participant since then. I cannot recall the exact year the program ended.

"Things came about when Lexi asked me why she couldn't run cross country for Odessa. She loves to run and wanted the opportunity. That conversation led to her petitioning Superintendent Tracy Marchionda and presenting a PowerPoint requesting a team of one. The superintendent then took the idea to the School Board, and they approved it at their meeting last week.

"As a result, she can run this year as a team of one for Odessa-Montour, and she is hoping that in the future this will lead to the re-creation of a cross country team at Odessa."

Photo in text: Lexi Strobel leads the pack in the modified race at Trumansburg. (Photo by Gail Sgrecci)

Watkins Glen's Natalee Oliver sends the ball flying upfield as a Tburg player closes in.

Watkins girls edge Trumansburg, 2-1

TRUMANSBURG, Sept. 20, 2023 -- The Watkins Glen High School girls varsity soccer team met its first serious test of the season Wednesday night, and responded with a 2-1 Interscholastic Athletic Conference road victory over a talented Trumansburg squad.

The Lake Hawks, now 7-0, struck early, with Skye Honrath blasting a shot from the left at 37:53 for her ninth goal of the season, assisted by her sister Sasha. But the Blue Raiders, themselves unbeaten going into the game, answered with a goal at 29:46 on a long shot from the right that floated over the outstretched arms of a leaping Lillian Ameigh, the Watkins goalkeeper.

Watkins, often beaten to the ball in that first half by the quick Tburg players, made it to intermission 1-1, and then turned it up a notch in the second half. About a minute after Sasha Honrath sent a penalty kick wide of the Tburg goal, she atoned with a beautiful through pass to Ava Kelly, who put it in the net at 33:24, her eighth goal of the season. Sasha was given her second assist of the game on that play.

The battle after that was mostly in the midfield, with both goalies turning back any forays into their territory. Ameigh registered 10 saves overall.

"We knew going in that Trumansburg would be a difficult game, and it certainly was," said Watkins Glen Coach Scott Morse. "Playing an unbeaten team on the road is always a challenge, but we did a great job of battling throughout and finishing strong. We had some opportunities to extend the lead a couple of times, but just couldn’t finish them.

"The goals we had both began with some outstanding passing from Sasha Honrath, and Ava and Skye are both great finishers. Defensively, we did a nice job of picking up the Trumansburg attack and winning the ball back. Our forwards often get a lot of attention for what they do, but our defense has also been playing really well all season! Lilly Ameigh had some great saves in the net today, too.

"Trumansburg is fast and aggressive, and I was proud of our girls that they kept their composure and played their game. Playing talented teams like Trumansburg is a great opportunity to learn and grow as a team, and I know we will get back to work and improve."

Watkins Glen returns to action Friday at Candor, against the Spencer-Van Etten/Candor squad. Game time is 4:45 p.m.

*******

Photos in text:

Top: Watkins Glen's Skye Honrath, right, maneuvers against a Trumansburg defender.
Middle: The Lake Hawks' Sasha Honrath, left, sends the ball upfield.
Bottom: Watkins' Ava Kelly (7) tries to maneuver for a shot in front of the Tburg net.

Watkins Glen's Olivia King (29) races upfield with the ball.

Left: Watkins Glen's Jennifer Gublo, left, tries to work around a Trumansburg player.
Right: The Lake Hawks' Zade Gomez-Fitzsimmons (45) prepares to send the ball flying.

Watkins Glen boys fall to SVEC, 7-0

CANDOR, Sept. 20, 2023 -- The Watkins Glen High School boys varsity soccer team's record slipped to 3-3 Wednesday night when the Lake Hawks dropped a 7-0 decision to Spencer-Van Etten/Candor in an Interscholastic Athletic Conference game on the Candor High School athletic field.

Caleb Bresett registered 22 saves in goal for Watkins Glen.

The Lake Hawks return to action Thursday night at Newark Valley.

Watkins Glen's Jocelyn Sisana goes low to volley in first-game action.

Volleyball: Watkins falls to Tburg, 3-0

TRUMANSBURG, Sept. 20, 2023 -- The Watkins Glen High School varsity volleyball team dropped a 3-0 decision to Trumansburg Wednesday in an Interscholastic Athletic Conference match in the Tburg gym.

Game scores were 6-25, 4-25 and 12-25.

Individual statistics for the Lake Hawks included the following:

Maulena Kamakawiwioole: 4 digs.
Alyson Gibson: 2 service points, 3 kills, 4 digs.
Jocelyn Sisana: 7 digs.
Sarah Jones: 2 service points, 1 ace, 3 assists.
Kyra Yaw: 4 kills.
Anna Franzese: 1 service point, 2 assists, 3 digs.
Kaylee Yaw: 1 service point.

Photo in text: Watkins Glen's Sarah Jones battles at the net against Trumansburg.

Watkins Glen's Alyson Gibson, left, and Anna Franzese volley against Trumansburg.

Volleyball: O-M loses to S-VE, 3-0

ODESSA, Sept. 20, 2023 -- The Odessa-Montour High School varsity volleyball team dropped a 3-0 decision Wednesday to Spencer-Van Etten in an Interscholastic Athletic Conference match in the O-M gym.

Game scores were 11-25, 17-25 and 14-25.

Individual statistics for O-M included the following:

Maya Moser: 3 service points, 2 aces, 1 kill, 2 digs.
Kayla White: 1 service point, 1 assist.
Cassie Allen: 4 service points, 1 assist.
Olivia Rivera: 1 service point, 1 dig.
Madison Stone: 3 service points, 1 dig.
Rilke Arrance: 3 service points, 1 dig.

The Grizzlies return to action Friday at Union Springs.

Junior Varsity: Spencer-Van Etten defeated O-M, 3-0. Game scores were 3-25, 15-25 and 10-25.

To reach the H.L. Stephens website, click here.

XC: Watkins Glen boys 4th at Tburg meet

TRUMANSBURG, Sept 19, 2023 -- The Watkins Glen High School boys varsity cross country team placed 4th Tuesday at a five-team Interscholastic Athletic Conference meet at Trumansburg.

Tburg finished first with 32 points, while Lansing was second (45), Groton third (75), Watkins Glen fourth (79) and Southern Cayuga fifth (122).

Watkins Glen senior Johnny VanScoyk was 4th in 13:54, while Isaac Hendrickson was 11th in 14:50, Aidan Maphis 12th in 14:55, Nick Bonsignore 22nd in 16:11, Andrew Champion 35th in 18:26, and Marcus Delong 36th in 18:31. There were 51 runners.

Boys Modified: Watkins Glen placed second among four teams. Liam Knight was second in 7:46, Zane Chambers 8th in 8:32, Drew Popovich 9th in 8:34, Zach Brusso 21st in 10:22, and Oscar Luca Mintique 26th in 13:43. There were 28 runners.

Girls Modified: Watkins had an incomplete team score (without the minimum five runners). The Lake Hawks were led by Kathryn Planty's 4th place (9:25), followed by Kambrie Thorpe in 12th (10:28), Nicole Perry in 18th (11:20), and Rachel Perry in 20th (11:50). Odessa-Montour had a single entrant, Lexi Strobel, who placed 2nd in 9:17.

Odessa-Montour girls fall to Tioga, 2-0

TIOGA CENTER, Sept. 19, 2023 -- The Odessa-Montour High School girls varsity soccer team's record slipped to 0-6 Tuesday night when the Grizzlies dropped a 2-0 decision to Tioga in an Interscholastic Athletic Conference game on the Tioga athletic field.

Jackie Mace registered five saves in goal for Odessa-Montour.

The Grizzlies were set to return to action Wednesday at Candor against the combined Spencer-Van Etten/Candor team, but that contest has been postponed due to malfunctioning lights on the Candor field.

Photo in text: Odessa-Montour's Evvie Zinger, right, moves the ball as a Tioga defender approaches. (Photo by Gail Sgrecci)

Watkins Glen goalkeeper Lillian Ameigh, right, who left her net to attempt a penalty kick, watches as her shot goes past the Newfield keeper for the Lake Hawks' third goal.

Watkins Glen girls defeat Newfield, 5-1

NEWFIELD, Sept. 18, 2023 -- The Watkins Glen High School girls varsity soccer team got goals from five different players Monday as it posted a 5-1 victory over Newfield in an Interscholastic Athletic Conference game on the Newfield athletic field.

The victory lifted the Lake Hawks' record to 6-0 heading into a game Wednesday night at Trumansburg. Watkins has outscored its opponents 33-2.

Goals Monday came from Skye Honrath, Ava Kelly and Lillian Ameigh (on a penalty kick) in the first half, and from Sasha Honrath and Olivia King in the second half. Skye Honrath, Kelly and King each earned an assist.

"We played pretty well tonight," said Watkins Glen Coach Scott Morse. "I liked the ball movement a lot as we worked on some different things. Now we have to get back to work as we play a very talented Trumansburg team on Wednesday."

Photos in text:

Top: Watkins Glen's Sasha Honrath (44) maneuvers past a Newfield defender. Teammate Olivia King is in the background.
Bottom: The Lake Hawks' Skye Honrath, right, unleashes a shot that found the Newfield net for Watkins Glen's first goal, less than two minutes into the game.

Left: Watkins Glen's Rachel Vickio heads the ball upfield. Right: The Lake Hawks' Maddie Tuttle (9) maneuvers with the ball.

Watkins Glen's Natalee Oliver sends a pass upfield in first-half action at Newfield.

Volleyball: Watkins Glen tops O-M, 3-0

WATKINS GLEN, Sept. 18, 2023 -- The Watkins Glen High School varsity volleyball team posted its first Interscholastic Athletic Conference victory of the season Monday, defeating Odessa-Montour 3-0 in the WGHS Field House.

Game scores were 25-10, 25-14 and 25-7.

"Tonight's success was due to strong serving," said Watkins Glen Coach Krysti Westervelt. "We were able to spread the offense and get many players with kills. It was a good match overall."

Individual statistics for Watkins Glen included the following:

Maulena Kamakawiwioole: 4 service points, 1 ace, 1 kill.
Alyson Gibson: 7 service points, 7 aces, 5 kills, 1 assist.
Jocelyn Sisana: 4 service points, 4 aces, 2 kills, 1 dig.
Sarah Jones: 5 service points, 4 aces, 13 assists, 1 dig.
Kyra Yaw: 4 kills.
Anna Franzese: 14 service points, 9 aces, 3 assists, 2 kills.
Kaylee Yaw: 13 service points, 6 aces.
Keira Sulkey: 1 service point, 1 ace.

Individual statistics for Odessa-Montour included the following:

Maya Moser: 3 service points, 1 assist, 6 digs.
Kayla White: 1 kill, 1 dig,
Cassie Allen: 1 service point. 3 assists, 1 dig.
Madison Stone: 3 service points, 1 assist.
Maylynn Hourihan: 2 service points, 1 assist.
Rilke Arrance: 3 service points, 2 kills.

Junior Varsity: Watkins Glen defeated Odessa-Montour 2-1. Game scores were 25-18, 25-23 and 19-25.

Photos in text:

Top: Watkins Glen's Jocelyn Sisana goes high to volley.
Bottom: Odessa-Montour's Cassie Allen handles an incoming shot.

Left: O-M's Madison Stone volleys. Right: Watkins' Alyson Gibson reaches high.

Schuyler Storm swimmers top Dryden

DRYDEN, Sept. 18, 2023 -- The Schuyler Storm girls varsity swim team posted a 97-75 victory Monday over Dryden in an Interscholastic Athletic Conference meet in the Dryden High School pool.

Wins for the Storm -- a combined squad of Watkins Glen and Odessa-Montour high school athletes -- came as follows:

200 Medley Relay: 1st, Kendra Fish, Alannah Klemann, Emily Melveney, Thalia Marquez, 2:07.31.
200 Free: 1st, Alannah Klemann, 2:11.70.
200 Individual Medley: 1st, Kendra Fish, 2:30.98.
50 Free: 1st, Thalia Marquez, 26.97.
Diving: 1st, Skye Cummings, 139.10.
100 Fly: 1st, Kendra Fish, 1:09.75.
100 Free: 1st, Thalia Marquez, 58.13.
500 Free: 1st, Alannah Klemann, 5:58.82.
200 Free Relay: 1st, Malina Butler, Emily Melveney, Skye Cummings, Cara Reynolds, 1:56.87.

Odessa-Montour's Drew Parmenter clears the ball from in front of the Grizzlies' net.

Odessa-Montour boys fall to Newfield

ODESSA, Sept. 18, 2023 -- The Odessa-Montour High School boys varsity soccer team's record slipped to 0-7 Monday night when the Grizzlies dropped a 2-1 decision to Newfield in an Interscholastic Athletic Conference game on O-M's Charles Martin Field.

The score was deadlocked 1-1 at halftime, Odessa getting on the board on a Patrick Croft goal, and Newfield scoring on an own goal.

The winning goal was put in the net by the Trojans at 17:11 of the second half. The Grizzlies' best chance after that was a long free kick by Croft that hit the crossbar.

Odessa-Montour returns to action Thursday at Trumansburg.

Photo in text: O-M's Benson Patterson maneuvers with the ball.

Left: O-M's Lucas Barr meets an incoming pass. Right: A long free kick by O-M's Patrick Croft hits the crossbar of the Newfield goal before bouncing high and away.

Watkins Glen boys drop 2-0 decision

TIOGA CENTER, Sept. 18, 2023 --- The Watkins Glen High School boys varsity soccer team's record slipped to 3-2 Monday when the Lake Hawks lost 2-0 to Tioga in an Interscholastic Athletic Conference road game.

Watkins Glen goalie Caleb Bresett registered 11 saves in goal.

"Our team played incredibly well, especially with four boys out due to illness," said Watkins Glen Coach Jessica Purpura. "Watkins Glen outshot Tioga 2 to 1, but couldn't find the net. It was a tough loss, but we are looking forward to two more games this week."

The Hawks return to action Wednesday at Candor against Spencer-Van Etten/Candor. Game time is 5 p.m.

Watkins Glen girls blank Moravia, 7-0

MORAVIA, Sept. 16, 2023 -- The Watkins Glen High School girls varsity soccer team improved to 5-0 this season with a 7-0 victory Saturday over Moravia in an Interscholastic Athletic Conference game on the Moravia athletic field.

The Honrath sisters scored five of the Lake Hawks' goals, with Sasha netting three and Skye two. Also scoring: Ava Kelly and Maisie Robertson. Assists were registered by Sasha Honrath, Jennifer Gublo and Brenna Pierce.

Goalkeeper Lillian Ameigh recorded four saves as Watkins Glen posted its fourth shutout in five games. It has outscored its opponents 28-1.

"The team played really well today," said Watkins Glen Coach Scott Morse. "We haven't had too many games on grass yet this season, so it was great for us to play on grass today. Our next two games are on grass as well, so it was a good opportunity for us."

The Lake Hawks return to action Monday at Newfield. Game time is 5:30 p.m.

Photos in text: Sasha, left, and Skye Honrath. (File photos)

Storm swimmers defeat Ithaca, 94-81

ITHACA, Sept. 16, 2023 -- The Schuyler Storm girls varsity swim team defeated the Class A Ithaca High School 94-81 Saturday in a non-league meet in the IHS pool.

"The girls swam very well against the Class A powerhouse," said Storm Coach Jason Westervelt, whose team is composed of Watkins Glen and Odessa-Montour high school athletes.

"The meet was very close all the way through," he said. "There were a few key moments in the meet that gave us the edge.

"The first was Kendra Fish eking out a win in the 50 Freestyle while Malina Butler took third place and Cordelia Thompson swam over a second faster than her previous best time to take fifth place. That race gave us our first lead of the meet.

"Coming back after the 10-minute intermission, our Butterfly crew of Emily Melveney, Cara Reynolds and Skye Cummings gave us a cushion going into the next two events." They finished first, second and fourth, respectively. 

"Ithaca," Westervelt said, "rallied in the 100 Freestyle and 500 Freestyle to narrow the gap despite outstanding performances by Riley Brooks and Lauren Signor in the 500 Free. 

"The 200 Free Relay turned all the momentum in our favor. The A Relay team of Kendra Fish, Malina Butler, Alannah Klemann, and Cara Reynolds along with the B team of Emily Melveney, Claire Lewis, Aubrey Klemann, and Thalia Marquez placed 1st and 2nd (1:52.40 and 1:54.19).

"After the relay the Storm swimmers and divers held on to take a 91-84 win over the Little Red.

"We had great performances throughout the meet. The girls all stepped up and took on big roles and responsibilities in this meet. They were never intimidated and never showed any lack of confidence. It was a great lead into next weekend's Invitational in the Glen." That home meet will feature swimmers from more than a dozen schools around the state.

Race victories for the Storm against Ithaca included the following:

200 Individual Medley: 1st, Alannah Klemann, 2:26.47.
50 Free: 1st, Kendra Fish, 27.00.
Diving: 1st, Skye Cummings, 115.50.
100 Fly: 1st, Emily Melveney, 1:11.27.
200 Free Relay: 1st, Kendra Fish, Malina Butler, Alannah Klemann, Cara Reynolds, 1:52.40.

Second places were posted by:

-- The 200 Medley Relay team of Malina Butler, Elizabeth Fitzwater, Emily Melveney and Cara Reynolds;
-- Thalia Marquez in the 200 Free;
-- Cara Reynolds in the 100 Fly;
-- Aubrey Klemann in the 100 Free;
-- Thalia Marquez in the 500 Free;
-- Kendra Fish in the 100 Back;
-- Alannah Klemann in the 100 Breaststroke;
-- The 400 Free Relay team of Thalia Marquez, Aubrey Klemann, Kendra Fish and Alannah Klemann.

*******

Photos in text: From top, Emily Melveney, Kendra Fish, Alannah Klemann, Cara Reynolds and Malina Butler. (File photos from earlier in the week).

Watkins XC boys 8th at CV invitational

BINGHAMTON, Sept. 16, 2023 -- The Watkins Glen High School boys varsity cross country team placed 8th among 13 teams Saturday at the 55th Annual McDaniel-Baxter Invitational at Chenango Valley High School.

The Lake Hawks' Johnny VanScoyk placed 9th among 104 runners in 14:44.4 as Watkins finished with 193 points. Vestal High School was first with 77 points, and Blue Ridge second with 103.

Other Watkins Glen runners and their times: Isaac Hendrickson 32nd in 15:46.3, Aidan Maphis 43rd in 16:28.9, Nick Bonsignore 55th in 17:09.9, and Andew Champion 86th in 19:44.8.

Boys Modified: Watkins Glen placed 10th out of 12 teams, led by Liam Knight's 21st-place finish in 8:23.6 among 166 runners. Other Lake Hawks and their times: Zane Chambers 59th in 9:26.3, Drew Popovich 81st in 9:51.6, Zach Brusso 127th in 11:24.8, and Oscar Luca Mintique 158th in 14:30.4.

Girls Modified: Watkins Glen had four runners, not enough for a team score. The Hawks were led by Kathryn Planty, 37th among 83 runners in 10:35.5. Other Watkins runners and their times: Kambrie Thorpe 50th in 11:20.9, Nicole Perry 59th in 11:53.5, and Rachel Perry 73rd in 12:49.4.

Photos in text:

Top: The WGHS cross country varsity and modified teams.
Bottom: Top 10 finisher Johnny VanScoyk. (Photos provided)

Watkins Glen boys defeat Groton, 8-1

GROTON, Sept. 15, 2023 -- The Watkins Glen High School boys varsity soccer team improved its record to 3-1 Friday with an 8-1 victory over Groton in an Interscholastic Athletic Conference road game.

Four Watkins players -- Liam Smith, Michael Purpura, Jude Santos and Christopher Simiele -- had two goals apiece. Purpura also had two assists, while Santos and Aidan Kelly had one each.

Lake Hawks goalkeeper Caleb Bresett registered 15 saves.

Watkins Glen returns to action Monday at Tioga.

Odessa-Montour girls lose to Newfield

NEWFIELD, Sept. 15, 2023 -- The Odessa-Montour High School girls varsity soccer team's record fell to 0-5 Friday with a 2-1 loss to Newfield in an Interscholastic Athletic Conference game on the Newfield athletic field. The game was scoreless at halftime.

Both O-M and Newfield had six shots on goal, while Newfield had a 7-1 advantage in corner kicks.

The Grizzlies' lone goal was scored by Evvie Zinger, with an assist from Reese Rounds. Jackie Mace recorded four saves in goal for O-M.

Odessa returns to action Tuesday night at Tioga.

Odessa-Montour boys lose to SVEC, 4-0

ODESSA, Sept. 15, 2023 -- The Odessa-Montour High School boys varsity soccer team saw its record slip to 0-6 Friday night with a 4-0 loss to Spencer-Van Etten/Candor in an Interscholastic Athletic Conference game on O-M's Charles Martin Field.

The Grizzlies will return to action Monday night at home against Newfield. Game time is 7 p.m.

Photo in text: Odessa-Montour goalkeeper David Patterson stops a SVEC shot. (Photo by Gail Sgrecci)

Storm gridders fall to Chenango Forks

WATKINS GLEN, Sept. 15, 2023 -- The Schuyler Storm varsity football team's record slipped to 1-2 Friday night with a 40-8 loss to Chenango Forks in a Section IV divisional game on the Watkins Glen High School Alumni Field.

The Storm, a combined squad of WGHS and Odessa-Montour High School athletes, also suffered the loss of defensive standout and talented ball-carrier Thomas Snow, a team captain who left the game with a broken collarbone sustained on a defensive play.

"Thomas Snow has the heart of a lion," said Storm Coach Trevor Holland. "It's a huge loss. He's our leader on defense, and such a classy player."

The tone of the game was set on the first play from scrimmage, when the Storm fumbled the ball and Chenango Forks recovered on the WG/OM 30-yard line. Eight plays later, the Blue Devils scored on a 2-yard run.

That score held until 9:10 of the second quarter, when Forks scored on a 4-yard run by Chris Boyle after he had broken loose for a 48-yard run two players earlier. A point-after attempt was blocked by the Storm's Gavin Lohmeyer.

The Blue Devils broke the game open with 1:47 to go before halftime on a 62-yard TD pass that started as a short flare to the left sideline. Forks' Finn Stark then broke a couple of tackles on his way to the end zone. A two-point conversion made it 21-0.

The Devils made it 27-0 at 10:42 of the third quarter on a 33-yard quarterback keeper, but an extra-point attempt failed. Forks made it 34-0 at 7:07 of the same period on a 7-yard TD run and point-after, and 40-0 at 1:07 on another 7-yard TD run. The extra-point attempt again failed.

The Storm got on the scoreboard at 7:48 of the fourth quarter on a 55-yard run to the left by Brad Gillis, followed by a two-point conversion run by Ryan Willett.

Forks had 322 total yards (189 rushing and 133 passing) to the Storm's 220 yards (179 rushing and 41 passing).

Gillis gained 109 yards on 11 carries, Willett 25 yards on 11 carries, Nick D'Alleva 19 yards on seven carries, Quacey Wilt 19 yards on three carries, and Daniel Coston 12 yards on one carry.

Lohmeyer completed five passes in 16 attempts for 41 yards. Gillis caught three of them, while Willett and Wilt caught one apiece.

Gillis led the defense with 15 tackles, while Willett, Brady Cannon and D'Alleva recorded six each.

Chenango Forks, which is in the same division as the Storm (Class C Division IV), is now 1-1. Other teams in the division include Susquehanna Valley, Oneonta, Waverly and Sidney.

The Storm returns to action Friday night at Owego, a Class B school.

Photos in text:

Top: Storm ball-carrier Ryan Willett goes airborne at the end of a run.
Middle: The Storm's Alex Holmes encounters traffic on a kickoff return.
Bottom: WG/OM's Brad Gillis tackles a Forks player, one of his 15 tackles.

Left: The Storm's Quacey Wilt broke this tackle on the way to an 8-yard gain.
Right: Storm defenders swamp a Chenango Forks ball-carrier, bringing him down.

Left: Storm quarterback Gavin Lohmeyer is hit as he tries to throw the ball. It was ruled an incompletion. Right: WG/OM ball-carrier Daniel Coston, right, is dislodged from the ball at the end of a 12-yard run. The Storm retained possession when the ball went out of bounds.

The Schuyler Storm's Thalia Marquez on the way to victory in the 200 Individual Medley.

Storm swimmers defeat Notre Dame

WATKINS GLEN, Sept. 14, 2023 -- The Schuyler Storm girls varsity swim team cruised to a 90-48 victory Thursday over Elmira Notre Dame in an Interscholastic Athletic Conference meet in the Watkins Glen High School pool.

The Storm, a combined squad of WGHS and Odessa-Montour High School athletes, "swam well today, setting us up for a tough meet this weekend against Ithaca," said Coach Jason Westervelt. That meet is on the road Saturday morning.

The Storm swimmers placed first in the following events:

200 Medley Relay: 1st, Aubrey Klemann, Riley Brooks, Emily Melveney, Kendra Fish, 2:15.94.
200 Free: 1st, Emily Melveney, 2:20.50.
200 IM: 1st, Thalia Marquez, 2:27.77.
50 Free: 1st, Alannah Klemann, 27.07.
Diving: 1st, Skye Cummings, 157 points.
100 Fly: 1st, Thalia Marquez, 1:10.81.
500 Free: 1st, Alannah Klemann, 5:58.96.
400 Free Relay: 1st, Thalia Marquez, Lauren Signor, Claire Lewis, Cordelia Thompson, 4:43.17.

Photos in text:

Top: The Storm's Emily Melveney dives at start of the 200 Free, which she won.
Bottom: WG/OM's Cara Reynolds competes in the 200 Medley Relay. Her squad finished second.

The Storm's Aubrey Klemann dives at start of the 200 Medley Relay, which her squad won.

Left: The Storm's Paige Ells dives at start of the 200 Free Relay. Right: WG/OM's Kendra Fish competes in the 200 IM, where she placed second.

The Schuyler Storm's Lauren Signor dives at start of the 50 Yard Freestyle.

Watkins Glen's Sasha Honrath sends a shot toward the Tioga goal. She scored three times.

Watkins Glen girls blank Tioga, 5-0

WATKINS GLEN, Sept. 14, 2023 -- The Watkins Glen High School girls varsity soccer team exploded for five goals in the second half Thursday night to post a 5-0 victory over Tioga in an Interscholastic Athletic Conference game on the WGHS Alumni Field.

After a scoreless first half in which the Lake Hawks dominated play but couldn't put the ball in the net, the Honrath sisters accounted for all five goals -- three by Sasha and two by Skye. Jennifer Gublo had an assist, but more importantly provided a spark through her aggressive play that helped turn a close game into a rout.

Watkins Glen, now 4-0 heading into a game Saturday at Moravia, amassed 22 shots on goal, and a dozen or more beyond those that went just wide of the Tioga net or just over it. The only time the Lake Hawks put the ball in the net in the first half, it was disallowed because time had expired a second before.

The Lake Hawks' first goal came at 36:57 of the second half, by Sasha Honrath off a corner kick by her sister. Skye netted the second one at 18:04 on a blast from the right, and Sasha added two more, at 16:43 and 14:17. Skye closed the scoring at 11:17 with a shot from the left.

Watkins goalkeeper Lillian Ameigh registered five saves as the Hawks posted their third shutout of the season.

"It was certainly an interesting game tonight," said Watkins Glen Coach Scott Morse. "We controlled possession of the ball for the majority of the first half but failed to score. I believe we took around 20 shots on goal. In the second half, we were able to start scoring but I thought we played well throughout both halves of the game.

"Our defense was really good again tonight. They do a fantastic job of challenging early and recovering if we get beat. I can't say enough about how well we have been defensively so far this season.

"Up front, the combination of Skye Honrath, Ava Kelly and Sasha Honrath has been terrific! All three are prolific scorers, and it has been impressive watching how well they move the ball and play together. We have a very deep team with many players stepping up at different times. Jennifer Gublo really brought a lot of energy and impacted the game tonight. She is another player who is dangerous attacking the goal and I loved what she did in the game.

"Tioga is a tough team, coming in having won their last five games. They did a good job making it hard for us to score in the first half. I was pleased that we kept our composure and didn't get too frustrated early. Overall a good night, but we will be right back at it with games Saturday, Monday and Wednesday.

Photos in text:

Top: Watkins Glen's Skye Honrath tries to head the ball into the Tioga goal off of a corner kick, but she redirected the ball over the net.
Middle: The Lake Hawks' Ava Kelly shoots, but the ball hit the goalpost and bounced away.
Bottom: Watkins Glen's Olivia VanSkiver sends a shot on goal.

Left: Watkins Glen's Rachel Vickio, left, kicks the ball upfield. Right: The Lake Hawks' Brianna Hatch meets the ball.

Action was heavy in front of the Tioga net in the first half, but no goals were scored.

Watkins Glen's Michael Purpura (1) sends the ball (center) toward the O-M goal ...

... and it goes past the O-M keeper, David Patterson, for the game's first score.

Watkins Glen boys defeat Odessa, 3-1

WATKINS GLEN, Sept. 13, 2023 -- The Watkins Glen High School boys varsity soccer team improved its record to 2-1 Wednesday night with a 3-1 victory over Odessa-Montour in an Interscholastic Athletic Conference game on the WGHS Alumni Field.

The Lake Hawks never trailed, taking a 1-0 lead on a blast by Michael Purpura that found the right corner of the O-M net at the 35:21 mark of the first half.

Watkins Glen increased its lead to 2-0 when Liam Smith scored at 18:12 of the second half after maneuvering around O-M goalkeeper David Patterson and knocking the ball into the open net.

The Grizzlies (0-5) cut their deficit to 2-1 with 14:10 left to play when Patrick Croft sent a blast into the left corner of the Watkins goal, but the Lake Hawks made it 3-1 on a penalty-kick goal by Aidan Kelly with 1:54 on the clock.

Both goalkeepers -- O-M's Patterson and Watkins Glen's Caleb Bresett -- were kept busy, with each registering 13 saves.

"I’m happy with the Grizzlies' performance," said O-M Coach Kennith May. "We came out flat in the first half, but in the second half stepped up against a very well-coached team full of some really good soccer players. We played hard for 80 minutes and didn’t give up, and that’s all I can ask for.

"For me, this is my favorite game of the season: O-M at WG. I get to watch O-M’s 18 players who for 2.5 months I spend more time with than my own wife and kids, against WG, whose young athletes I know through family, CVSA and/or soccer. As a fan of soccer I get to watch all these players who I know personally play a game I love. The best part of this rivalry, win or lose, is after the game, after the team handshakes, when all the players, O-M and WG, are joking and laughing together. I don’t care who you are; that’s a win."

Watkins Glen returns to action Friday at Groton, while O-M's next game is Friday night at home against Spencer-Van Etten/Candor.

Photos in text:

Top: O-M's Patrick Croft watches from the ground as his shot gets past Watkins goalkeeper Caleb Bresett for the Grizzlies' lone score.
Middle: The Grizzlies' Gunner Herrmann, left, sends a shot that went high and wide.
Bottom: O-M goalkeeper David Patterson goes high to grab a second-half shot by Watkins Glen's Michael Purpura.

Left: O-M's Riley Yaw (top) and Watkins Glen's Aidan Kelly get tangled up. Right: The Lake Hawks' Jaymes Forker meets the ball.

Left: Watkins Glen's Max Ricca (left) and O-M's Connor Foggie battle for the ball.
Right: Watkins Glen's Chris Simiele (left) and O-M's Max Sgrecci contend for the ball.

Watkins Glen goalkeeper Caleb Bresett prepares to stop a shot on goal by Odessa-Montour's Lucas Hoffman.

Odessa-Montour girls fall to Groton, 3-0

GROTON, Sept. 13, 2023 -- The Odessa-Montour High School girls varsity soccer team's record slipped to 0-4 Wednesday when the Grizzlies dropped a 3-0 decision to Groton in an Interscholastic Athletic Conference game on the Groton athletic field.

Groton outshot O-M 11-2, and had a 5-1 advantage in corner kicks. Odessa goalkeeper Jackie Mace recorded 12 saves.

O-M returns to action Friday at Newfield.

Watkins Glen goalkeeper Lillian Ameigh sends the ball flying in the rain.

Watkins Glen girls blank Odessa, 6-0

ODESSA, Sept. 12, 2023 -- The Watkins Glen High School girls varsity soccer team improved its record to 3-0 Tuesday night when it defeated Odessa-Montour 6-0 in an Interscholastic Athletic Conference game on O-M's Charles Martin Field.

The Lake Hawks, defending Section IV, Class C champion, took an early lead with a goal from the left by Ava Kelly at the 34:25 mark of the first half. A goal by Skye Honrath at 17:57 made it 2-0, and then one by Olivia King on a corner kick made it 3-0 at the 4:48 mark.

The second half, beset by a steady rain that became a downpour for a few minutes, saw Watkins pin the Grizzlies back in their end of the field for most of the period. Along the way, the Hawks scored on Kelly's second goal of the night at 21:26, one by Sasha Honrath at 14:17, and one by Brianna Hatch at 5:46. Assists for Watkins were registered by Kelly, Skye Honrath and Michaela Wheaton.

Watkins Glen outshot Odessa-Montour 12-3, and had a 6-2 advantage in corner kicks. Hawks goalkeeper Lillian Ameigh required three saves in posting the shutout, the team's second in three games. They have outscored their opponents 16-1.

O-M goalkeeper Jackie Mace recorded six saves, and "made a lot of great plays coming out of the net that don't count as saves," said her coach, Burton Brewster.

Watkins Glen, said Brewster (whose squad is now 0-3), "has a good team and finished strong. They exposed our weaknesses, so we know what we have to work on."

"The girls played really well tonight," said Watkins Glen Coach Scott Morse. "O-M is always a tricky team as they have a terrific coach, and they always play hard and aggressive.

"It's been challenging this season as we have had a couple of games postponed, so this was only our third game so far. I am pleased with where we are and how hard the team has been working to improve every day. It's a busy week ahead with three games in the next six days, so we will have to stay focused and ready for this next stretch."

Odessa returns to action Wednesday at Groton, and plays again on Friday at Newfield.

Watkins Glen will host Tioga at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, and then plays at Moravia on Saturday.

Photos in text:

Top: Odessa-Montour's Leah Antes just misses a goal, putting the ball over the crossbar.
Middle: Watkins Glen's Natalee Oliver sends the ball flying as O-M's Lillian Halpin approaches.
Bottom: Watkins Glen's Sasha Honrath barely misses a goal, sending the ball just wide of the goalpost as O-M's Maddie Raymond rushes in to defend. Honrath later scored.

Watkins Glen's Ava Kelly sends the ball upfield as O-M's Sarah Strobel communicates with a teammate.

Left: O-M's Olivia Barr inbounds the ball. Right: Watkins Glen's Michaela Wheaton, left, and O-M's Kelsey Bates battle for possession of the ball.

Left: Watkins Glen's Brianna Hatch (28) watches as her shot hits the back of the O-M net for the Lake Hawks' final goal. Right: Watkins Glen's Olivia King, rear, keeps pace with O-M's Maggie Pentz.

Watkins' Skye Honrath, right, watches as her shot reaches the far corner of the O-M net for the Lake Hawks' second goal of the game.

Left: Watkins Glen's Erin Snow, left, and O-M's Paisley Jeziorski fight for possession of the ball. Right: Watkins' Rachel Vickio prepares to send the ball upfield.

Watkins volleyball team falls to N. Valley

WATKINS GLEN, Sept. 12, 2023 -- The Watkins Glen High School varsity volleyball team dropped a 3-1 decision Tuesday to Newark Valley in an Interscholastic Athletic Conference match in the WGHS Field House.

Games scores were 14-25, 25-18, 19-25 and 21-25.

Watkins Glen, said its coach, Krysti Westervelt, "played a good competitive match. It was challenging to defend against their very tall middle hitter, who had 18 kills. We had some excellent plays and played a smart and clean match."

Individual statistics for Watkins Glen included the following:

Alyson Gibson: 8 service points, 4 aces, 9 kills, 7 digs.
Jocelyn Sisana: 3 service points, 2 aces, 8 kills, 19 digs.
Sarah Jones: 7 service points, 2 aces, 2 kills, 5 digs, 19 assists.
Kyra Yaw: 3 kills, 1 dig.
Anna Franzese: 4 service points, 1 ace, 3 digs, 6 assists.
Kaylee Yaw: 3 service points, 1 ace, 2 kills, 5 digs.
Keira Sulkey: 6 service points, 1 ace, 3 digs.

Junior Varsity: Newark Valley defeated Watkins Glen 3-0. Game scores were 21-25, 18-25 and 15-25.

Watkins Glen's Liam Smith (left) watches his shot go past the Newfield keeper for a second-half goal.

Watkins boys post their 1st win, 2-1

WATKINS GLEN, Sept.11, 2023 -- The Watkins Glen High School boys varsity soccer team improved its record to 1-1 Monday night with a 2-1 victory over Newfield in an Interscholastic Athletic Conference game on the WGHS Alumni Field.

The Lake Hawks took a 1-0 lead in the first half on a Michael Purpura goal (assisted by Liam Smith), and went up 2-0 at 36:31 of the second half when Smith found the right corner of the Newfield net with a shot from the left. Purpura earned an assist on the play.

Newfield countered with a goal just 3:41 before the end of regulation play, but Watkins Glen, instead of adopting a defensive posture, increased its attack, missing two shots that sailed just over the goal.

"The defense, led by Jaymes Forker and Sam Hohle, were able to contain the Newfield offense the majority of the game," said Watkins Glen Coach Jessica Purpura. "Aidan Kelly at center mid had excellent field awareness controlling the middle. Forwards Liam Smith and Michael Purpura were able to put together some great combinations. Overall, the entire team played well. Each player contributed to the success."

Watkins Glen will return to action Wednesday night at home against intra-county rival Odessa-Montour.

Photo in text: Watkins Glen goalkeeper Caleb Bresett stops a point-blank Newfield shot. Bresett registered 14 saves.

Left: Watkins Glen's Brady Bockelkamp (23) sends the ball upfield. Right: The Lake Hawks' Aidan Kelly, right, passes the ball.

Odessa-Montour goalkeeper James Halpin, left, grabs a second-half Tioga shot for a save.

Odessa-Montour boys fall to Tioga, 5-0

ODESSA, Sept. 11, 2023 -- The Odessa-Montour High School boys varsity soccer team saw its record slip to 0-4 Monday night when it dropped a 5-0 decision to Tioga in an Interscholastic Athletic Conference game on O-M's Charles Martin Field.

O-M Coach Kennith May said it was "a tough loss where it seemed O-M controlled possession more than Tioga." The Grizzlies had several shots on goal, including a trio late in the game that went wide.

Odessa-Montour returns to action Wednesday night on the road against intra-county rival Watkins Glen.

*****

Photo in text: O-M's David Patterson sends a shot on the way in second-half action.

Odessa-Montour's Drew Parmenter (7) turns with the ball as a Tioga player gives chase.

Members of the Odessa-Montour girls varsity soccer team were on hand to cheer on the boys squad. From left: Reese Rounds, Leah Antes, Sarah Strobel, Evvie Zinger and Olivia Barr. They will play Watkins Glen Tuesday night at home.

The Schuyler Storm's Thomas Snow stretches for some extra yardage as he is tackled.

Storm gridders rally to overtake Lansing

ODESSA, Sept. 9, 2023 -- The Schuyler Storm varsity football team spotted Lansing a 15-0 second-quarter lead before charging back Saturday night to defeat the Bobcats 26-15 in a Section IV game on Odessa-Montour High School's Charles Martin Field.

The Storm, a combined team of O-M and Watkins Glen High School athletes that is in the Class C Division IV, evened its record at 1-1 while Lansing, playing this year in the Independent Division, fell to 0-2.

After a scoreless first quarter, Lansing scored at 11:34 of the second period on a 5-yard run, and then converted a 2-point conversion. The Bobcats scored again at 7:12 of the same period on a 7-yard TD pass, and then kicked the extra point.

The Storm responded 6:06 before intermission when Brad Gillis caught a sideline pass and ran it in from 34 yards out, but a two-point conversion attempt failed, leaving the score 15-6. The Storm struck again before halftime on a 5-yard run by Ryan Willett, but once again a two-point conversion attempt fell short.

WG/OM took the lead early in the third quarter after Willett intercepted a Lansing pass on the 40 and returned it to the 4-yard line. He then carried the ball in from 4 yards out at 10:46, and Brady Cannon added an extra-point kick for a 19-15 Storm lead.

The Storm withstood a Lansing challenge late in the third period after the Bobcats had broken a long run to the 10-yard line and subsequently moved the ball to the 4. But an apparent TD pass was nullified by offensive interference, pushing Lansing back until it was facing a fourth down from the 25. A pass to the goal line fell incomplete, and the Storm took over on downs.

WG/OM then drove the length of the field, eating up clock and scoring on a 1-yard TD run by Thomas Snow with 6:00 left to play. Cannon kicked the extra point, concluding the scoring. Willett intercepted another Lansing pass on its concluding possession.

The Storm outgained Lansing on the ground, 231-157, and through the air, 62-20. Willett gained 66 yards on 13 carries and scored twice, while Gillis gained 80 yards running and 34 receiving, scoring one touchdown. Snow gained 88 yards on 12 carries and had the team's last touchdown. Quarterback Gavin Lohmeyer completed 5 of 9 passes, one of them for a TD .

Defensively, Snow led the Storm in tackles with 9, while Gillis and Aries Harler had 5 each and Thomas Field 4. Aiden Summers recovered a Lansing fumble.

The Storm will return to action at 7 p.m. Friday at Watkins Glen High School against Chenango Forks.

Photos in text:

Top: An official signals the Storm's first touchdown, scored by Brad Gillis in the second quarter off a pass from Gavin Lohmeyer.
Middle: The Storm's Thomas Field tackles a Lansing ball-carrier.
Bottom: WG/OM quarterback Gavin Lohmeyer sheds a tackler on a first-half run.

The Schuyler Storm's Ryan Willett picked off two Lansing passes -- in the third quarter (left) and the fourth quarter (right).

The Schuyler Storm's Brady Cannon kicks an extra point, one of two he converted.

Watkins XC boys place 3rd at ND meet

SOUTHPORT, Sept. 9, 2023 -- The Watkins Glen High School boys varsity cross country team placed third among five squads Saturday at the Crusader Clash 2023 hosted by Elmira Notre Dame.

Corning won the meet with 18 points, while Horseheads had 47, Watkins Glen 92, Edison 169, and the Elmira Express 189.

Johnny VanScoyk led the Lake Hawks with a 6th-place finish in 14:39.5 on the 4,000-meter course. Teammate Isaac Hendrickson was 15th in 15:43.2, Aidan Maphis 16th in 15:54.2, and Nick Bonsignore 25th in 16:51.4. There were 56 runners.

In boys Modified competition, Liam Knight led Watkins runners with an 8:06.2 on a 2,000-meter course. Zane Chambers was 16th in 9:42.1, and Drew Popovich 20th in 9:55.4. There were 32 runners.

In girls Modified competition, Kathryn Planty led Watkins runners with a 9:50.4, while Kambrie Thorpe was 18th in 11:21.4. There were 39 runners.

Photo in text: Johnny VanScoyk (foreground) led all Watkins runners. (Photo provided)

Glen volleyball team loses in C-S semis

CAMPBELL, Sept.9, 2023 -- The Watkins Glen High School varsity volleyball team went 6-2 in round-robin pool play before falling Saturday in the semifinals of the annual Campbell-Savona tournament.

The Lake Hawks, who lost in two sets to Wellsville in the semis, "had a very good day of play today," said their coach, Krysti Westervelt. "The team chemistry has much improved, and every player played a key role in today's successes."

Individual Watkins Glen statistics for the tournament included the following:

Maulena Kamakawiwioole: 1 kill
Alyson Gibson: 31 service points, 23 aces, 10 kills, 1 block, 10 digs.
Jocelyn Sisana: 13 service points, 7 aces, 10 kills, 21 digs.
Sarah Jones: 17 service points, 6 aces, 22 assists, 1 kill, 6 digs.
Kyra Yaw: 4 service points, 4 kills.
Anna Franzese: 20 service points, 7 aces, 2 assists, 1 kill, 3 digs.
Kaylee Yaw: 13 service points, 3 aces, 1 kill, 3 digs.
Keira Sulkey: 6 service points, 3 aces, 6 digs.

Watkins Glen's Jocelyn Sisana was named to the All-Tournament Team in a vote by opposing coaches.

The Lake Hawks return to action Tuesday at home against Newark Valley.

Photo in text: Watkins Glen's Jocelyn Sisana with her All-Tournament Team medallion. (Photo provided)

Storm swimmers top Dryden in opener

DRYDEN, Sept. 7, 2023 -- The Schuyler Storm girls varsity swim team opened its season Thursday with a 104-61 victory over Dryden in an Interscholastic Athletic Conference meet in the Dryden pool.

The Storm, a combined squad of Watkins Glen and Odessa-Montour high school athletes, won all but the final two races, the 100 Breaststroke and 400 Free Relay. Victories were recorded as follows:

200 Medley Relay: 1st, Alannah Klemann, Thalia Marquez, Emily Melveney, Kendra Fish, 2:05.44.
200 Free: 1st, Thalia Marquez, 2:06.85.
200 Individual Medley: 1st, Emily Melveney, 2:33.46.
50 Free: 1st, Kendra Fish, 27.81.
Diving: 1st, Skye Cummings, 95.80.
100 Fly: 1st, Emily Melveney, 1:11.45.
100 Free: 1st, Alannah Klemann, 59.59.
500 Free: 1st, Thalia Marquez, 5:42.18.
200 Free Relay: 1st, Emily Melveney, Cara Reynolds, Malina Butler, Aubrey Klemann, 1:55.36.
100 Back: 1st, Alannah Klemann, 1:04.07.

Odessa-Montour's Maylynn Hourihan reaches low to volley against Groton.

O-M volleyball team falls to Groton, 3-0

ODESSA, Sept. 7, 2023 -- The Odessa-Montour High School varsity volleyball team's record slipped to 0-2 Thursday when the Grizzlies fell to Groton 3-0 in an Interscholastic Athletic Conference match in the O-M gym.

Game scores were 20-25, 6-25 and 5-25. The Grizzlies had opened the season on Wednesday, falling to Newfield 3-0.

Individual statistics for O-M Thursday included the following:

Maya Moser: 10 service points, 2 aces, 2 digs.
Kayla White: 2 service points, 1 ace, 2 digs.
Cassie Allen: 1 service point.
Olivia Rivera: 1 dig.
Maylynn Hourihan: 2 service points.

Junior Varsity: Odessa-Montour fell 3-0 to Groton. Game scores were 24-26, 19-25 and 10-25.

Photo in text: O-M's Rilke Arrance sends the ball over the net against Groton.

Left: O-M's Cassie Allen serves. Right: The Grizzlies' Maya Moser volleys at the net.

O-M boys lose 2-0 to Elmira Notre Dame

SOUTHPORT, Sept. 7, 2023 -- The Odessa-Montour High School boys varsity soccer team dropped a 2-0 decision Thursday night to Elmira Notre Dame in an Interscholastic Athletic Conference game on the Notre Dame athletic field.

Notre Dame took a 1-0 lead with 7:24 remaining in the first half, and added its second goal at 27:34 of the second half.

"O-M’s performance was one of the best they have had, with the entire squad playing as one team," said Odessa Coach Ken May. "Notre Dame is a talented group of young athletes who are well coached. They played a very tough and well executed game to come out with a W.

"I couldn’t be prouder of the O-M boys' performance," he added, "and as their coach I only see them getting stronger as the season progresses and they are at full health."

Photo in text: O-M goalkeeper David Patterson goes high as he controls the ball. (Photo by Gail Sgrecci)

Watkins volleyball team falls to Edison

ELMIRA HEIGHTS, Sept. 7, 2023 -- The Watkins Glen High School varsity volleyball team lost 3-0 Thursday to Edison in an Interscholastic Athletic Conference match in the Edison gym.

Individual statistics for Watkins Glen (now 0-2) included the following:

Maulena Kamakawiwioole: 2 service points.
Alyson Gibson: 2 service points, 2 aces, 2 kills, 1 block, 4 digs.
Jocelyn Sisana: 5 service points, 3 aces, 3 kills, 11 digs.
Sarah Jones: 4 service points, 3 kills.
Kyra Yaw:1 kill.
Anna Franzese: 1 block, 4 digs.
Kaylee Yaw: 2 service points.
Keira Sulkey: 3 service points.

The Lake Hawks return to action Saturday at the Campbell Savona Tournament. "A full day of play will give us an opportunity to work on some things," said Coach Krysti Westervelt.

Junior Varsity: Watkins Glen fell to Edison 3-0.

Watkins Glen's Sasha Honrath, second from left, sends a shot on its way. It found the Notre Dame net for one of her two goals.

Watkins girls top ND, 4-1, improve to 2-0

WATKINS GLEN, Sept. 6, 2023 -- The Watkins Glen High School girls varsity soccer team improved to 2-0 Wednesday night with a 4-1 victory over Elmira Notre Dame in an Interscholastic Athletic Conference game on the WGHS Alumni Field.

The Lake Hawks built a 2-0 first-half lead on goals by Ava Kelly at 28:15 and Sasha Honrath at 25:31. They expanded the lead to 4-0 in the second half on another goal by Sasha Honrath and one by her sister Skye.

Watkins goalkeeper Lillian Ameigh recorded eight saves.

"It's always a challenging game when we play Notre Dame," said Watkins Glen Coach Scott Morse, "and tonight was no different. It was somewhat of a weird game in that we would play really well for long stretches of time, then fall into brief moments where we were a little stagnant. That happens on warm days like today, but generally, I thought we dominated the action and kept the pressure on much of the game.

"In only our second game, I'm really pleased with where we are. There are still many things to work on, but with such a committed and talented team of girls, I know we will continue to improve."

Watkins Glen returns to action Thursday (Sept. 7) with a 6:30 p.m. game at Trumansburg.

Photo in text: Watkins Glen's Olivia VanSkiver, right, moves in on the ball, which she stole from the Notre Dame player.

Left: Watkins Glen's Ava Kelly (7) races in on the ball, which was rolling loose in front of the Notre Dame net. She scored seconds later. Right: The Lake Hawks' Skye Honrath cuts loose with a shot that soared over the Notre Dame keeper for Watkins Glen's final goal.

Left: Watkins Glen's Olivia King, left, fights for the ball. Right: The Lake Hawks' Rachel Vickio, right, and a Notre Dame player eye the ball.

Odessa-Montour goalkeeper Jackie Mace knocks away a Newark Valley shot on goal.

Odessa girls fall to Newark Valley, 2-1

ODESSA, Sept. 6, 2023 -- The Odessa-Montour High School girls varsity soccer team slipped to 0-2 Wednesday night when it dropped a 2-1 decision to Newark Valley in an Interscholastic Athletic Conference game on O-M's Charles Martin Field.

Newark Valley (now 2-1) outshot the Grizzlies 6-1, while O-M had the edge in corner kicks, 5-4. Jackie Mace registered four saves in goal for Odessa, including a couple on what Coach Burton Brewster called "really nice dives."

After a scoreless first half, Newark Valley scored at 20:48 of the second half off a corner kick, and again at 16:43.

Odessa-Montour 8th grader Leah Antes pulled her team back to within 2-1 when she scored her first varsity goal on a blast from the left that found the far right corner of the Cardinals' net. "I'm happy for her," said Brewster, adding that Antes (who had an assist in the first game of the season) is generating "some offensive production for us." Evvie Zinger earned an assist on the goal.

After the team fell behind by two goals, said Brewster, "we seemed to play with some urgency and created some opportunities."

O-M returns to action Thursday (Sept. 7) at Candor. Game time is 7 p.m.

Photo in text: Odessa-Montour's Evvie Zinger, left, fights a Newark Valley player for possession of the ball.

O-M's Leah Antes (partially obscured at left) sends a shot on its way toward the NV net ...

... and the ball gets past the Cardinals' keeper, settling in the far right corner of the goal.

Left: O-M's Maddie Raymond, left, battles for possession of the ball. Right: The Grizzlies' Olivia Barr sends the ball flying upfield.

Members of the Watkins varsity cross-country team move forward at the start of the race.

Glen XC team hosts its only home meet

WATKINS GLEN, Sept. 5, 2023 -- The Watkins Glen High School boys varsity cross country team hosted its lone home competition of the season Tuesday, logging a 1-2 mark against Trumansburg, Candor and Spencer-Van Etten in an Interscholastic Athletic Conference meet in the Watkins Glen State Park.

The 3.1-mile competition was preceded by Senior Night, where the two Watkins Glen seniors, Johnny VanScoyk and Nick Bonsignore, were honored by their coaches and teammates.

Varsity Boys results were as follows:

Trumansburg 3-0
Spencer-Van Etten 2-1
Watkins Glen 1-2
Candor 0-3

Johnny VanScoyk led Watkins by placing third in 19:59.9. Aiden Maphis was 10th in 22:38.5, Isaac Hendrickson 18th in 24:49.9, Nick Bonsignore 19th in 24:57.8, Dominic Gublo 20th in 25:37.9, Marcus Delong 27th in 30:40.6, Andrew Champion 29th in 32:52.6, and Luca VanScoyk 34th in 40:17.8.

Varsity Girls team results were are follows:

Candor 3-0
Spencer-Van Etten 2-1
Trumansburg 0-2-1
Watkins Glen (which has no runners) 0-3

Said Watkins Glen Coach Kelly Sterner: The meet "worked out well and was a great start to our season. We are excited for what's in store for this season."

Photo above: The two Watkins Glen seniors, Johnny VanScoyk and Nick Bonsignore, pose with Coach Kelly Sterner at the Senior Night ceremony preceding the meet.

From left: Watkins varsity runner Aiden Maphis, who placed 10th in the 3.1-mile race; Kathryn Planty, who was fourth in the 1.5-mile Modified race, and Liam Knight, first in the Modified race.

******

Modified: Thirteen boys and girls ran the full 1.5-mile course. Watkins Glen Athletic Director Rod Weeden noted that "Candor took us up on running a fun relay, passing off a rubber chicken to a teammate at the halfway point."

"This event," he added, "was not scored out for team scores. The WG boys modified team was the only full team that could score" since it had five finish the race.

Watkins' Liam Knight placed first in a time of 11:19, while teammate Zach Chambers was third in 12:39, Kathryn Planty fourth in 13:54, Drew Popovich sixth in 13:59, Zach Brusso eighth in 14:56, and Kambrie Thorpe ninth in 15:48.

Left: Watkins Glen's Michael Purpura (1) makes a move around a Trumansburg player. Right: The Lake Hawks' goalkeeper, Caleb Bresett, sends the ball flying upfield.

Watkins boys drop soccer opener, 4-1

WATKINS GLEN, Sept. 5, 2023 -- The Watkins Glen High School boys varsity soccer team opened its season Tuesday night with a 4-1 loss to Trumansburg in an Interscholastic Athletic Conference game on the WGHS Alumni Field.

The Lake Hawks fell behind 3-0 in the first half before rallying with a goal by Liam Smith, assisted by Michael Purpura, at 17:35 of the second half. Trumansburg closed the scoring with a goal at the 4:21 mark.

Watkins goalkeeper Caleb Bresett registered 11 saves. Trumansburg got two goals from Weston Peake, and one each from Anthony Blomquist and Finn Lambro.

"Our team played well against a very skilled team," said Watkins Glen Coach Jessica Purpura.

Watkins Glen returns to action Thursday at Candor.

Photo in text: Watkins Glen's Jaymes Forker (5) and Max Ricca (24) contend for possession of the ball.

Left: Watkins Glen's Liam Smith (3) prepares to shoot. The ball went in for his team's only goal. Right: Watkins' Brady Bockelkamp maneuvers past a Trumansburg player.

Watkins Glen's Kyra Yaw (20) goes high for a volley against Dryden.

Watkins volleyball team falls in opener

WATKINS GLEN, Sept 5, 2023 -- The Watkins Glen High School varsity volleyball team opened its season with a 3-2 loss to Dryden Tuesday in an Interscholastic Athletic Conference match in the WGHS Field House.

Game scores were 22-25, 25-14, 25-19, 17-25 and 12-15.

"The team played well on this very hot night," said Watkins Glen Coach Krysti Westervelt. "Even though we lost in the deciding set, we showed promise for the upcoming season. Serving was strong tonight. We have a few things to work on, but I know the team will continue to improve."

Individual statistics for Watkins Glen included the following:

Maulena Kamakawiwioole: 20 service points, 5 aces.
Alyson Gibson: 8 service points, 5 aces, 12 kills, 8 digs, 2 blocks.
Jocelyn Sisana: 5 service points, 3 aces, 15 digs, 4 kills, 2 assists.
Sarah Jones: 13 service points, 2 aces, 12 assists, 2 kills, 3 digs.
Kyra Yaw: 6 kills.
Anna Franzese: 4 service points, 1 ace, 2 assists, 3 digs.
Keira Sulkey: 2 service points, 1 ace, 3 digs.

Watkins Glen returns to action Thursday at Edison.

Junior Varsity: Watkins Glen defeated Dryden 2-1. Game scores were 14-25, 25-23 and 25-19.

Photo in text: Watkins Glen's Jocelyn Sisana (14) volleys.

Watkins Glen's Sarah Jones (left) and Anna Franzese serve against Dryden.

The Schuyler Storm's Ryan Willett launches himself toward an SVEC ball carrier.

Schuyler Storm falls to SVEC in opener

WATKINS GLEN, Sept. 2, 2023 -- The Schuyler Storm varsity football team fell short on three scoring opportunities Saturday night en route to a 12-6 loss to Spencer-Van Etten/Candor in a Section IV season opener on the Watkins Glen High School Alumni Field.

The Storm, a combined squad of WGHS and Odessa-Montour High School athletes, thus lost possession of the shovel emblematic of the rivalry between the two schools -- first available to the winner in 2016. SVEC won it in 2016, and WGOM in 2017 and 2019. The two teams had not played since.

The Storm had a scoring opportunity in the first quarter, driving to the SVEC 16, but an interception on the 5-yard line ended the chance.

Another interception, this one in the end zone just before halftime, ended a drive that had carried WGOM to the 3-yard line.

In the fourth quarter, with the score tied at 6-6, a Storm field goal attempt at the end of a drive to the SVEC 10-yard line was blocked.

The Storm's lone score came on 41-yard pass from quarterback Gavin Lohmeyer to Brady Cannon up the right sideline with 10.7 seconds left in the third quarter, knotting the score at 6-6. However, a high snap from center prevented a point-after kick by Cannon.

The backbreaker for the Storm came with just 1:58 on the clock in the fourth quarter, when SVEC punched across the goal line from inches out after being set up there by a 53-yard run by quarterback Jacek Teribury down to the 1-yard line. The TD came two plays later, followed by a failed 2-point conversion attempt.

The Storm's last possession saw it reach only midfield before a succession of incompletions led to a turnover on downs.

The Storm gained 290 total yards to 231 for SVEC. WGOM gained 228 on the ground and 62 through the air. Brad Gilllis was the Storm's leading ground-gainer with 116 yards on 14 carries, while Thomas Snow carried 15 times for 69 yards, and Ryan Willett 14 times for 50 yards.

Lohmeyer completed 4 passes in 14 attempts for 62 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Cannon caught the 41-yard TD pass, while Willett caught two passes for 23 yards.

On defense, Nick D'Alleva and Gillis each registered four tackles, while Snow had three.

"We moved the ball well," said Storm Coach Trevor Holland, "but then things happened. It really was a matter of missed opportunities." That, and the feet of SVEC quarterback Teribury. "That kid can run," said Holland. "He scampers, and the next thing you know, he's gone."

The shovel that passes over to SVEC for now was designed by Run Rite Construction after the old Bucket Game ended with the merger of football foes Watkins and O-M. Another rivalry, between Spencer-Van Etten and Candor -- which used to play for possession of a jug -- ended when they combined their football teams.

The Storm returns to action on Saturday, Sept. 9 at 7 p.m. against Lansing on Odessa-Montour's Charles Martin Field. Lansing, which lost Saturday 25-14 to Palmyra-Macedon, plays in the Independent Division VIII. The Storm are in the Class C Division IV after playing in the independent division last year and amassing a 9-1 record. Other teams in Division IV include Chenango Forks, Sidney, Oneonta, Susquehanna Valley and Waverly.

Spencer-Van Etten/Candor plays in the Class D Divison V.

Photos in text:

Top: The Storm's Brady Cannon hauls in a 41-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Gavin Lohmeyer.
Second: WGOM's Brad Gillis is tripped up as he returns an SVEC punt.
Third: Storm ball-carrier Nick D'Alleva is gang-tackled.
Bottom: The shovel, emblematic of the WGOM-SVEC rivalry.

Schuyler Storm quarterback Gavin Lohmeyer is hit as he releases a pass (left), resulting in an interception (right) near the end zone, terminating a Storm drive.

Schuyler Storm running back Thomas Snow bursts through a hole for a ground gainer.

Watkins Glen's Sasha Honrath sends the ball flying upfield in first-half action.

Watkins girls blank Groton in opener, 6-0

WATKINS GLEN, Aug. 31, 2023 -- The Watkins Glen High School girls varsity soccer team opened the season with a 6-0 victory Thursday over Groton in an Interscholastic Athletic Conference game on the WGHS Alumni Field.

The contest, a rematch of last season's IAC Small School title game won by Watkins Glen in double overtime, was dominated by the Lake Hawks, who scored just 19 seconds into the game on a blast from the left by Ava Kelly. By halftime, the score was 4-0.

Kelly added another goal in the second half off a leading pass from Skye Honrath. Other goals came from Honrath, her sister Sasha, Jennifer Gublo and Michaela Wheaton. Kelly, Skye Honrath and and Briana Hatch were each credited with an assist. Goalkeeper Lillian Ameigh registered seven saves in posting the shutout.

"The girls played a phenomenal game today," said Watkins Glen Coach Scott Morse, whose team is the defending Section IV, Class C champion. "With such a short preseason, you don't always know what to expect, but they worked hard this summer in the weight room with Coach (Ralph) Diliberto and have been very focused in practice, and it certainly showed today.

"I loved our ball movement throughout the game. I thought we also did a great job communicating and transitioning between defense and offense. I'm really excited for the season and very proud of the girls for a terrific start!

"Next week we are back at it against two very good teams -- Notre Dame and Trumansburg -- so we will have to get right back to work tomorrow if we want to be ready."

Photos in text:

Top: Watkins Glen's Briana Hatch, left, passes the ball.
Bottom: Watkins' Ava Kelly shoots. The ball found the net for the game's first goal.

Watkins Glen's Michaela Wheaton (8, left) moves in on the ball as it bounced just outside the Groton net. She kicked it in for the game's second goal.

Left: The ball bounces high just outside the Groton net. Watkins' Skye Honrath, front left, headed the ball seconds later over and past the goal. Right: Watkins' Natalee Oliver, left, sends the ball upfield as teammate Rachel Vickio nears.

Watkins Glen's Jennifer Gublo, right, sends the ball into the net for the game's 3rd goal.

Left: O-M's Evvie Zinger, left, battles a Marathon player for possession of the ball.
Right: The Grizzlies' Maggie Pentz, right, maneuvers past a Marathon player.

O-M girls fall to Marathon in opener, 3-1

ODESSA, Aug. 31, 2023 -- The Odessa-Montour High School girls varsity soccer team dropped its season opener Thursday night, losing to Marathon 3-1 in an Interscholastic Athletic Conference game on O-M's Charles Martin Field.

The Grizzlies trailed 1-0 at halftime, tied the Olympians on a goal by Kelsey Bates at 34:53 of the second half, but then yielded goals at 23:17 and 11:08. Leah Antes was credited with an assist on the O-M goal.

Despite the defeat, O-M Coach Burton Brewster liked his young team's play.

"I'm proud of them," he said. "They showed a lot of poise in the midfield, where control by Paisley Jeziorski and Gina Gavich helped create scoring chances. And our backs played hard and stayed organized." The starting backs are Maggie Pentz, Maddie Raymond, Olivia Barr and Ella Kramer.

O-M had three shots on goal to eight by Marathon, while each team had four corner kicks. Jackie Mace registered five saves in goal for the Grizzlies.

"All in all I was pleased," said Brewster. "We had some brilliant play throughout the game in the middle."

O-M returns to action at home Wednesday against Newark Valley. Game time is 7 p.m.

Photos in text:

Top: O-M's Paisley Jeziorski sends the ball flying between two opponents.
Bottom: Odessa-Montour goalkeeper Jackie Mace registers a save.

Left: O-M's Gina Gavich moves the ball upfield. Right: The Grizzlies' Sarah Strobel.

Left: Odessa-Montour's Olivia Barr inbounds the ball. Right: The Grizzlies' Ella Kramer sends the ball flying.

O-M boys open with 6-1 loss to S. Cayuga

ODESSA, Aug. 30, 2023 -- The Odessa-Montour High School boys varsity soccer team opened its season Wednesday night on a losing note, dropping a 6-1 decision to Southern Cayuga in an Interscholastic Athletic Conference game on O-M's Charles Martin Field.

Southern Cayuga's Chiefs, a Class D state semifinalist last season, opened a 2-0 first-half lead before pulling away after intermission. Three of their goals came from junior Ben Kermidas, with one each from Paul Hayden, Parker Cullen and Bryce David.

Odessa-Montour's only goal was an own goal inadvertently netted by a Southern Cayuga player.

O-M goalkeeper David Patterson, victimized by two goals that caromed off the right goalpost and by a defensive breakdown on another, made several spectacular saves. His save total was not available, but was well into the double digits.

The Grizzlies return to action Friday at Marathon. Game time is 4:30 p.m.

Photo in text: O-M goalkeeper David Patterson grabs the ball as teammate Jed Lynch, center, keeps a Southern Cayuga player away.

Left: O-M's Moe Zinger, left, battles a Southern Cayuga player for control of the ball.
Right: The Grizzlies' Lucas Hoffman, left, races a Southern Cayuga player to the ball.

Members of the O-M girls varsity soccer team were on hand to cheer on the Odessa boys team. The girls were set to open their season the next night (Thursday) at home against Marathon.

Parental behavior has led to new state rules

WATKINS GLEN, Aug. 29, 2023 -- Watkins Glen High School Athletic Director Rod Weeden has sent out a note to the community warning of the consequences of bad behavior on the part of parents at high school sporting events.

Weeden, referring to new state regulations, said in part:

"I’m writing to remind our fans about the importance of sportsmanship. An uptick in the frequency and intensity of bad behavior in recent years at high school events prompted the New York State Public High School Athletic Association to design and approve a spectator sportsmanship policy that will go into effect at the start of the 2023-24 school year.

"I want all fans to be aware of the new rules that are in place and the consequences for being removed from a game. Spectators can lose the right to attend many of our games for a period of time. Fans removed from games will be required to complete a couple of one-hour online courses through NFHS Learn. One video is called “Positive Parenting within School Programs” and the other is called “The Parent Seat.” Please see the following online article here with more information about this issue and watch the short video here to see why many people are choosing not to officiate.

"It is a sad day when these kinds of unsportsmanlike behaviors rear their heads and punitive actions are needed to improve school safety for athletes, coaches and officials. Let’s reflect on our own potential behaviors, keep ourselves in check at events and stay positive no matter the call. We are the models of our children’s future behavior.

Photo in text: Watkins Glen Athletic Director Rod Weeden (File photo)

Watkins Glen High School girls varsity soccer player Natalee Oliver, left, moves the ball around a South Seneca player.

O-M season opener Wednesday

The Odessa-Montour High School boys varsity soccer team poses in front of the school before boarding a bus Monday for a trip to Dundee High School and a scrimmage. The regular season starts Wednesday with a 7 p.m. home game against Southern Cayuga. The team, with 18 players, is looking to improve over last season, when it won just one game and tied two others. Coach Ken May says the team, though young, has experience and a chemistry that could serve it well.

Members of the Watkins Glen High School boys varsity soccer team at recent practice.

Watkins Glen boys prep for new season

WATKINS GLEN, Aug. 28, 2023 -- The Watkins Glen High School boys varsity soccer team is preparing for the start of the new season, which kicks off with an opener Sept. 5 at home against Trumansburg at 6:30 p.m.

The Lake Hawks, who scrimmaged against Geneva on the road Monday, have 19 players on the roster, with Jessica Purpura returning as coach from last year. The team, nicknamed the Senecas back then before the state put pressure on school districts in the state to jettison any native American nicknames and imagery, won two games and tied two others last year.

Purpura says the team -- young, with about half of them sophomores -- struggled to score last year, but was close in several losses. As for scoring this season, she said, "we hope to improve."

Photo in text: Watkins Glen boys varsity soccer coach Jessica Purpura at recent practice.

OM/WG's Summers competes at Clayton

Special to The Odessa File

ODESSA, Aug. 7, 2023 -- This past weekend Odessa-Montour/Watkins Glen wrestler Aiden Summers traveled to Clayton, NY to compete in the annual 1000 Islands Wrestling Duals as Wayne Wrestling Club's 285-pound wrestler.

The tournament hosted 40 teams from New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New England, and Virginia.

Team Wayne finished with a 4-1 record, placing 5th in the "red" bracket -- posting victories over General Brown (33-32), Team Tim Tyler (36-33), APEX Gold Wrestling Club (39-18), and Titan White Wrestling Club (33-18), while losing to Team Niagara (27-36). OM/WG's Summers finished with a 3-2 mark.

Against General Brown, Summers posted a 7-2 victory over Anthony Mathews of Pennsylvania. Against Team Tim Tyler he won over Micah Collins from Fulton, 7-0. Against APEX Gold he posted a pinfall victory over Troy Thompson of Webster Schroeder.

In his losses, Summers was pinned by NYS Place Winner Hamza Merrick of Niagara and lost a hard-fought 5-1 decision to Section V standout Anthony Cimino of Webster Thomas.

Photo in text: Team Wayne after the tournament. (Photo provided)

Salem-Cambridge and Odessa-Montour/Watkins Glen wrestlers gather for a group photo. (Photo provided)

OM/WG wrestlers travel to Salem camp

Special to The Odessa File

ODESSA, July 22, 2023 -- Seventeen Odessa-Montour/Watkins Glen high school wrestlers traveled to Salem, NY for a four-day wrestling camp held from July 17-20 at the Salem Central School.

Aiden Summers, Balan Ault, Jackie Mace, Lucas Hoffman, Dana Guild, Daniel Coston, Steven Rook, Joey Chamberlin, Ean Walsh, Patrick Croft, Jared Watson, Dana Spaccio, Trenton Knapp, Johnny Hanville, Nicky Sorce, Dalton Smith and Hayden Sampson took the opportunity to learn technique from three distinguished clinicians in order to enhance their skills.

The three clinicians included Carl Fronhofer (two-time New York State champion, three-time NCAA Division 1 All-American for the University of Pittsburgh, and former Columbia University Head Coach), Ryan LeBlanc (NYS champion, three-time NCAA Division 3 All-American for SUNY Cortland, and current Head Coach for Jamesville-Dewitt), and Dominick Moyer (two-time Pennsylvania state champion, three-time NCAA Division 1 Qualifier for the University of Nebraska, and former Northern Illinois University Head Coach).

The camp included technique for successful wrestling scenarios, competitive matches, beach wrestling, and swimming in the nearby Dorset Quarry in Vermont for all campers.

The camp was nearly exclusively attended by members of the host Salem-Cambridge team and the OM/WG wrestlers.

Photo in text: OM/WG wrestler Jackie Mace, left, competes in beach wrestling at the Salem camp. (Photo provided)

Brewster places 6th in 100 at NY State track meet; Nolan is 7th in Pentathlon

MIDDLETOWN, June 10, 2023 -- Odessa-Montour High School seniors Tori Brewster and Hannah Nolan put in strong showings at the New York State Track and Field Championships at Middletown High School.

Brewster made the finals of the Division 2 (small schools) 100 Meter Dash during Friday's preliminaries, and ultimately placed 6th Saturday with a time of 12.58. There were 36 competitors in the prelims, spread across five heats. Brewster's qualifying run was a 12.54. She failed to reach the finals in the 200 Meter Dash, posting a time of 26.41.

Nolan was in the seventh or eighth position among 14 Division 2 competitors in each of the Pentathlon's five events. Overall, her 2,611 points were good for seventh place in Division 2 (and 16th overall among 25 Division 1 and 2 athletes).

She was seventh in D2 in the 100 Meter Hurdles in 16.91, eighth in the High Jump (1.42 meters), seventh in the Shot Put (7.87 meters), seventh in the Long Jump (4.65 meters), and eighth in the 800 Meter Run (2:36.57).

Photo in text: Hannah Nolan, left, and Tori Brewster (File photo)

From left: Female Athlete of the Year Faye Mooney, Leadership Award winner Sarah Jones, and Comeback Athlete of the Year Madison Tuttle.

Yontz, Mooney: Dub G Athletes of Year

WATKINS GLEN, June 10, 2023 -- Watkins Glen High School seniors Jacob Yontz and Faye Mooney were named the school's Male and Female Athletes of the Year Saturday evening at the annual Dub G Athletic Awards in the WGHS auditorium.

Yontz was an All-Star in soccer and basketball, while Mooney led the girls swim team to its sixth straight Section IV, Class C championship and was a tennis All-Star.

The evening, featuring video montages of various individuals and teams, also unveiled the following awards:

Rookie of the Year: Andre Wixson (Swimming).
Best Championship Performance: The girls soccer team, which won a sectional title.
Leadership Award: Sarah Jones (Volleyball).
Coach of the Year: Scott Morse (Girls Soccer, Boys Basketball).
Outstanding Individual Performance: Thalia Marquez (Swimming).
Excellence in Education: Katrina Ricca (Valedictorian).
Comeback Athlete of the Year: Madison Tuttle (Racewalking after ACL tear).
Sportsmanship Award: Sam Caslin and Liam Smith.
Unsung Hero Award: Jaymes Forker.
Best Upset: Baseball win over Edison in sectional semifinal.
Team of the Year: Girls Swimming.

Photo in text: WGHS Male Athlete of the Year Jacob Yontz, right, with his basketball coach, Scott Morse, at the Dub G Awards.

O-M names Nolan, Lewis as top athletes

ODESSA, June 7, 2023 -- Seniors Hannah Nolan and Daniel Lewis were named the female and male winners of the Harold Lynch Athlete of the Year honors at Wednesday night's annual Odessa-Montour High School Sports Boosters Awards.

Nolan was also named the Girls Basketball Player of the Year, the Girls Soccer MVP (for a season in which she set school single-season and career goal-scoring records), and Girls Track's Field Athlete of the Year.

Lewis was also named the Football MVP, and winner of a Boys Basketball Coach's Award and a Baseball Roberto Clemente Award.

The Charles Martin Sportsmanship Awards: The winners were Tori Brewster and Ben Campbell.

Brewster also was named the Girls Track MVP, the Girls Soccer Offensive Player of the Year, and the Girls Basketball Defensive MVP.

Campbell was also named the Boys Track Runner of the Year, the Boys Swimming Breakout Performer of the Year, and winner of the Boys Soccer Mike Davis Memorial Award.

Other honors included:

The Jim Anagnost Memorial Award: Sarah Barr.
Section IV Character Counts Awards: Gina Gavich, Bradley Gillis, Katie Adams, Mark Waterman.
Top Average Bowlers: Sarah Barr and Dominick Elliott.
Boys Basketball MVP: Tyler Malnoske.
Most Valuable Wrestler: Lucas Hoffman.
Volleyball MVP: Emma Landon.
Softball MVP: Lauren Signor.
Softball Defensive Player of the Year: Brooklynn Thompson.
Girls Basketball MVP-Offense: Gina Gavich.
Girls Basketball Coach's Award: Reagan Reese.
Girls Swimming Breakout Performer of the Year: Cara Reynolds.
Girls Soccer Defensive Player of the Year: Keyonna Garrison.
Boys Track's Field Athlete of the Year: David Patterson.
Football Russell Crainey Award: Brady Cannon.
Cheerleading Leon B. Williams Jr. Award: Maya Moser.
Boys Soccer Most Outstanding-Defensive: David Patterson.
Boys Soccer Most Outstanding-Offensive: Max Seles.

Photos in text:

Top: O-M Harold Lynch Athletes of the Year Hannah Nolan and Daniel Lewis.
Bottom: Odessa-Montour Charles Martin Sportsmanship Award winners Tori Brewster and Ben Campbell.

Schuyler Spring MVP honors go to O-M's Nolan, Brewster

Duo tops The Odessa File's All-Sports All-Star Teams

SCHUYLER COUNTY, June 6, 2023 -- With the spring high school sports season about wrapped up -- Odessa-Montour still has two track standouts competing soon in the New York State Track & Field Championships -- we take this opportunity to unveil our spring All-Star teams and the Schuyler Spring MVPs.

As usual, the All-Star Teams are a combination of outstanding performers in all of the season's sports -- an All-County (which is to say O-M and Watkins Glen High School), All-Sports All-Star squad, separated into First and Second Teams.

First, the MVPs -- plural, since it's hard to differentiate between the acccomplishments of the winners: Hannah Nolan and Tori Brewster, those two O-M track standouts going to States.

Their MVP honors were well earned. Both have set school records as they have worked their way toward the States meet -- Brewster specializing in the 100, the 200, the 4x100 and the Long Jump, and Nolan excelling in the Triple Jump, 100 Meter Hurdles, and 400 Meter Hurdles. Nolan pursued a spot at States in the Pentathlon, and earned it by finishing first at the Section IV State Qualifiers.

Together, they led the O-M girls track team to an IAC division title; second place among 14 schools at the Legends of the Night meet held at Odessa; first place among Small Schools at the IAC Championships, and second place at the Section IV, Class D meet.

With Brewster's and Nolan's pending graduation, O-M will lose a pair of athletes who have been shining role models for several years -- a tandem whose impact is unlikely to be replicated anytime soon.

Photo in text: Hannah Nolan, left, and Tori Brewster when they signed to participate in sports at their chosen colleges. Nolan will attend SUNY Cortland, while Brewster will attend Houghton University.

2nd Team
Ethan Cary -- WG golf
Carly Thomas -- OM golf
Gunner Herrmann -- Storm baseball
Brad Gillis -- Storm baseball
Emily Melveney -- WG softball
Brooklynn Thompson -- WG softball
Brenna Pierce -- WG softball
Olivia King -- WG softball
Evvie Zinger -- OM track
Paisley Jeziorski -- OM track
Katie Adams -- OM track
Maggie Pentz -- OM track
Sarah Strobel -- OM track
Jed Lynch -- OM track
Lucas Barr -- OM track
Connor Fiala -- OM track
Natalee Oliver -- WG track
Kyren Young -- WG track
Sam Hohle -- WG lacrosse
Nick Ritter -- WG lacrosse

Storm third baseman Mike Hines reaches for a wide throw as a Little Falls runner nears third base. The ball went past third to the wall, and the runner scored.

Storm falls in Regional, 4-1

BINGHAMTON, June 3, 2023 -- The Schuyler Storm varsity baseball team's season ended Saturday with a 4-1 loss to Little Falls in a Class C Regional contest at Mirabito Stadium in Binghamton.

The Storm -- a combined squad of Odessa-Montour and Watkins Glen high school athletes who won the Section IV, Class C championship on May 26 -- failed to register a hit through the first six innings Saturday, but rallied in the 7th with a single by Ben Heichel, a walk to Brad Gillis, a sacrifice bunt by Gunner Herrmann, a pop single to left field by Brady Bockelkamp that drove in Heichel, and a walk to Gavin Lohmeyer. That put the tying run on first base with one out.

But Little Falls pitcher Brayton Langdon recorded his ninth strikeout before facing Daniel Lewis, who had thrown a strong game on the mound for the Storm and now, with hope still a whisper in the air , connected with a pitch that sounded solid, and was -- but hit in the direction of the Little Falls centerfielder, who gloved it for the final out.

"Tough end to an unforgettable season," said Storm Coach Jason Westervelt. "The boys left it all on the field."

The game was scoreless through three innings, with Lewis allowing just one hit while striking out four and walking two. But Little Falls broke through for a run in the 4th inning on a single to left, a fielder's choice, a walk and a single to center that drove in one runner but failed to plate a second when centerfielder Alex Holmes threw a strike to catcher Brady Cannon for a tag-out.

After Lewis fanned the side in the 5th, Little Falls struck for two runs in the 6th on a hit batsman, a single to left, a throwing error on a play at 3rd that allowed the first run in, and an RBI single to center. Little Falls added a run in the top of the 7th on a walk and -- after Lewis was relieved by Holmes -- an RBI triple over the head of rightfielder Daniel Coston.

That set the stage for the Storm's last-inning rally and, in the end, its loss.

Lewis pitched 6 1/3 innings, allowing three earned runs on five hits while striking out nine and walking four. Holmes struck out one batter and allowed one hit in his two-thirds of an inning on the mound.

The Storm's baserunners included Lohmeyer twice (on walks); Holmes, Gillis and Herrmann on walks, Lewis when he was hit by a pitch, Cannon on an error, and Heichel and Bockelkamp on their 7th inning base hits.

Photos in text:

Top: The Storm's Daniel Lewis delivers a pitch.
Middle: Storm shortstop Ben Heichel applies a tag on a runner stealing second. The ball was knocked loose, and the runner was safe.
Bottom: Schuyler Storm centerfielder Alex Holmes catches a fly ball.

Storm catcher Brady Cannon applies a tag on a Little Falls runner who was trying to maneuver around him. The throw to the plate came from centerfielder Alex Holmes.

Left: The Storm's Gunner Herrmann lays down a sacrifice bunt in the 7th inning.
Right: WG/OM rightfielder Daniel Coston chases after a long drive that barely eluded him for a triple.

The Storm's Brady Cannon, who reached base on an error, is picked off a few moments later, ending the 1st inning.

O-M's Hannah Nolan, left, stands atop the podium after winning the Pentathlon. (Photo by Gail Sgrecci)

Nolan wins Pentathlon, Brewster breaks school 200 mark; both are going to States

ENDICOTT, June 1, 2023 -- Odessa-Montour High School senior Hannah Nolan finished first in the Pentathlon and teammate Tori Brewster broke her own school record in the 200 Meter Dash Thursday on the final day of the two-day Section IV State Qualifiers.

With the Pentathlon win, Nolan advances to the New York State Track & Field Championships on June 9-10 at Middletown High School. She qualified by virtue of her victory, and by meeting the state standard qualifying score of 2637. She amassed 2644 points while finishing first in the 100 Hurdles (16.52), second in the Long Jump and High Jump, and third in the Shot Put and 800 Meter Run (2:33.17).

Brewster, who qualified for States in the course of the season in the 100 Meter Dash by meeting the standard qualifying time, placed first in that event among Small Schools on Thursday (and second overall) with a time of 12.52. She also qualified for States in the 200 by finishing first among Small Schools (and second overall) with a school record time of 25.95.

Watkins Glen freshman Rachel Vickio placed fifth in the Discus overall and third among Small Schools with a personal-best 100' 2" on her final throw. Meanwhile, the O-M 4x800 Relay team of Paisley Jeziorski, Jackie Mace, Olivia Barr and Evvie Zinger was 13th in 11:31.52, and Zinger posted a time of 6:05.04 in the 1500.

O-M's David Patterson placed fifth overall and third among Small Schools in the Pentathlon, amassing a score of 2522. After placing fifth in the High Jump, sixth in the 100 Meter Hurdles and ninth in the Shot Put on Wednesday, he was fourth in the 1500 Meter Run (5:04.05) and fifth in the Long Jump on Thursday.

The O-M boys 4x800 Relay team finished 15th in 9:33.08. Squad members were Isaac Hough, Zach Wyre, Ben Campbell and Lucas Barr.

Photos in text:

Top: O-M's Tori Brewster qualified for States in both the 100 and 200.
Bottom: Watkins Glen's Rachel Vickio was third among Small Schools and fifth overall in the Discus. (Photos by Travis Durfee)

From left: O-M's Tori Brewster on the podium, Hannah Nolan in the Long Jump portion of the Pentathlon, and Olivia Barr in the 4x800 Relay. (Photos by Gail Sgrecci)

O-M's Paisley Jeziorski, center left, at start of the 4x800 Relay. (Photo by Gail Sgrecci)

From left: Watkins Glen's Johnny VanScoyk in the 1600; O-M's David Patterson in the Long Jump portion of the Pentathlon; and Watkins Glen's Rachel Vickio on the podium after placing fifth overall in the Discus. (Photos by Travis Durfee)

From left: O-M's Ben Campbell in the 4x800 Relay, Evvie Zinger in the 1500, and Hannah Nolan in the 800 Meter portion of the Pentathlon. (Photos by Gail Sgrecci)

Odessa-Montour's David Patterson was in 5th place overall after the first day of the Pentathlon. (Photo by Travis Durfee)

Nolan, Brewster start strong at Qualifiers

ENDICOTT, May 31, 2023 -- Odessa-Montour High School track standouts Hannah Nolan and Tori Brewster had strong showings Wednesday on the first day of the two-day Section IV State Qualifiers at Union-Endicott High School.

Nolan took the lead in the Girls Pentathlon through the first three of five events, amassing 1547 points. Her closest competitor had 1395.

Nolan placed 1st in the Pentathlon's 100 Meter Hurdles, 2nd in the High Jump and 3rd in the Shot Put. Coming up Thursday: the Long Jump and 800 Meter Run.

Brewster placed second in the Preliminaries of the 100 and 200 Meter Dashes (posting times of 12.66 and 26.32, respectively). The finals are Thursday. She also finished 7th in the Long Jump with a leap of 14' 10". (Brewster already qualified for the New York State Track and Field Championships in the 100 by meeting a state standard time earlier this season. Those championships will be held June 9-10 at Middletown High School.)

Odessa-Montour's David Patterson was in 5th place in the Boys Pentathlon (third among Small Schools) after the first three events with a 1498 total. He placed 5th in the High Jump, 6th in the 100 Meter Hurdles and 9th in the Shot Put. Coming up Thursday: the Long Jump and 1500 Meter Run.

Watkins Glen High School's Natalee Oliver finished 14th in the 800 Meter Run with a personal best of 2:34.51, while Watkins' Kyren Young was 16th in the 200 Meter Dash in 23.99.

Photo in text: O-M's Tori Brewster (center) placed second in the Prelims of both the 100 Meter Dash and 200 Meter Dash. (Photo by Travis Durfee)

Left: Watkins Glen's Kyren Young (center) competing in the 200 Meter Dash.
Right: Watkins Glen's Natalee Oliver on the way to a personal best in the 800 Meter Run. (Photos by Travis Durfee)

The Section IV, Class C champion Schuyler Storm varsity baseball team.

Schuyler Storm rallies to win Section IV, Class C title, 6-4

Advances to regional contest June 3 vs. Section III foe

WATKINS GLEN, May 26, 2023 -- The sirens and horns of fire trucks accompanying the Schuyler Storm varsity baseball team's bus past Alpine and through Odessa and Montour Falls on its way back to the Watkins Glen High School Friday night were a way of announcing: Here are the Section IV, Class C baseball champions.

The Storm -- a combined squad of WGHS and Odessa-Montour High School athletes -- earned the emergency-vehicle convoy by defeating Bainbridge-Guilford 6-4 Friday afternoon in the Class C title game, played at Union-Endicott High School. It was a crowning achievement -- a first sectional title in the sport for Watkins Glen, and the second for O-M, which captured one back in 2007.

The victory sends the Storm into a regional contest on Saturday, June 3 against a Section III foe yet to be determined. The game will be played at a Section IV site not yet announced.

Friday's win did not come easy. No, this was another comeback, just as Wednesday's semifinal win against Edison required a rally. On that day, the Storm scored six runs in the 7th inning. This time, the rally came in the 5th inning -- five runs that turned a 2-1 deficit into a 6-2 advantage.

Here's how things went as the No. 6 seeded Storm defeated the No. 9 seeded Bobcats.

Bainbridge-Guilford scored in each of the first two innings while the Storm was struggling at the plate. In the first three innings, WG/OM only had one hit -- a 1st inning infield single -- and one walk. B-G scored in the 1st inning on a walk and a couple of singles, and in the 2nd inning on a walk, a single and an error.

The Storm got on the scoreboard in the 4th inning on a single, a walk, a sacrifice bunt and a passed ball, leading to the pivotal 5th -- where Daniel Lewis was hit by a pitch to start things off. A double by Alex Holmes put runners on second and third, and a wild pitch let in the tying run. Brady Cannon, who went 4-for-4 in the game, drove in a run with a single and stole second, and an error put runners on first and third. Another wild pitch let in the third run of the inning, and B-G compounded the miscue with a throwing error on an pickoff attempt at third that allowed two more runners, Ben Heichel and Brad Gillis, to score.

The Bobcats rallied with a run in the 6th on an error and a base hit, and scored again in their last at-bat on a single, a throwing error and a groundout. But when third baseman Mike Hines fielded a grounder with two outs and threw a strike to first baseman Brady Bockelkamp, the title was the Storm's.

WG/OM had six hits -- the four by Cannon and one each by Holmes and Gunner Herrmann. There was only one RBI, by Cannon. The Storm was aggressive on the bases, stealing five of them -- two by Gillis and one each by Herrmann, Cannon and Heichel.

Lewis started on the mound for the Storm and worked into the 7th inning, allowing just one earned run on five hits while striking out eight batters and walking five. Gillis worked the final two-thirds of an inning, allowing no runs and no hits.

Lewis -- who showed his mettle in the 5th inning, when he struck out two batters after B-G had loaded the bases with one out -- earned the victory.

Photos in text:

Top: Storm centerfielder Alex Holmes tracks down a long Bainbridge-Guilford drive.
Middle: WG/OM third baseman Mike Hines takes aim toward first base after fielding a grounder on the final play of the game.
Bottom: The Storm's two seniors, Daniel Lewis (left) and Caleb Reynolds, hold the championship plaque.

Left: Storm shortstop Ben Heichel throws to first base after fielding a grounder.
Right: WG/OM's Daniel Lewis is hit by a pitch leading off the pivotal 5th inning.

Left: Storm first baseman Brady Bockelkamp catches a pop fly. Right: WG/OM's Brady Cannon scores after a B-G pitch got past the catcher.

The Storm's Brady Cannon slides safely into second with a stolen base.

A B-G base runner slides home with his team's first run on a single to center.

Left: Storm second baseman Brad Gillis throws to first after a force out at second.
Right: WG/OM's Gunner Herrmann connects with a pitch. He had one of his team's six hits.

Left: Storm shortstop Ben Heichel catches a pop fly. Right: Each Storm player was presented a medal after the game. Here, leftfielder Daniel Coston is presented his by Odessa-Montour Athletic Manager Greg Gavich.

The Storm's Brady Bockelkamp lays down a sarifice bunt in the 4th inning.

Left: A pickoff attempt at third by B-G goes awry, allowing two runs to score.
Right: The Storm's Daniel Lewis (facing camera) and Brady Cannon celebrate victory.

From left: O-M coach Greg Gavich and two of his players, Carly Thomas and Gina Gavich, listen as the day's rules were explained to the players before they teed off.

O-M trio competes at Section IV tourney

HORSEHEADS, May 25, 2023 -- The Odessa-Montour High School three-person team competed with other golfers from throughout the section Thursday at the 2023 Section IV Girls Golf Championship on the par-71 Soaring Eagles Golf Course.

Gina Gavich led O-M with a 121 score, putting her in a tie for 24th place, while Carly Thomas was 28th with a 124, and Riley Brooks 32nd with a 129 (including a birdie on the par-3 15th). A total of 40 girls completed the tournament -- the lowest round an 80 from Corning 7th grader Delaney Abel.The top nine finishers advanced to the State Tournament, the ninth-place golfer shooting a 99.

Horseheads won the team title, leading five other schools that met the minimum number of players (four) needed to qualify for a team score. Horseheads posted a 384 total (100 strokes over par), while Corning registered a 409, Lansing a 419, Spencer-Van Etten/Candor a 459, Waverly a 481, and Marathon a 493.

Left: O-M's Carly Thomas watches her drive on No. 16. Right: O-M's Riley Brooks.

Storm pitcher Alex Holmes prepares to tag out an Edison runner trying to score.

Rally carries the Storm past Edison, 12-8

Will play for Section IV, Class C title on Friday against Bainbridge-Guilford

ELMIRA HEIGHTS, May 24, 2023 -- The Schuyler Storm varsity baseball team -- on a chilly, windy, overcast day -- overcame its underdog status Wednesday by staging a six-run 7th inning rally to defeat No. 2 seeded Edison 12-8 in a Section IV, Class C tournament semifinal game on the Edison baseball field.

The Storm -- a combined team of Odessa-Montour and Watkins Glen High School athletes -- had fallen to these same Spartans on May 10 by a 12-5 count, revenge for Edison, which had lost 3-2 to the Storm early in the season. And if you mix in the six-game losing streak posted by WG/OM to close the regular season, a fan could almost be pardoned for thinking a tournament quarterfinal victory Monday over third-seeded Unatego/Franklin was an aberration.

But the No. 6-seeded Storm players are a resilient bunch. After relinquishing a 6-5 lead it had nursed for three innings and finding themselves down 7-6 entering the 7th inning, WG/OM staged a rally for the ages Wednesday, scoring six runs on a walk, four hits, an error, a sacrifice bunt, a fielder's choice and two hit batsmen. The stunned Spartans managed a run in the bottom half of the inning, but came up four runs shy.

That comeback earned the Storm a spot in the Section IV Class C championship game against 9th seeded Bainbridge-Guilford, set for 4:30 p.m. Friday at Union-Endicott High School.

This semifinal Wednesday was a wild three-hour ride, full of early scoring, middle-game defense and then late-game fireworks. For example:

Edison struck first, scoring twice in the 1st inning off Storm pitcher Alex Holmes on a couple of walks, two singles and a sacifice fly. But the Storm answered in the top of the second with three runs highlighted by a Ben Heichel triple and an RBI single by Gunner Herrmann. A bigger inning was short-circuited when two Storm runners were cut down in plays at second base and home.

Edison took the lead again 5-3 in the bottom of the 2nd inning thanks to a couple of Storm errors and a homer over the right-center field fence. But WG/OM responded with another three runs and a 6-5 lead in the 3rd inning on a Daniel Lewis triple, a Holmes ground-rule double, an RBI double by Heichel, an Edison error and several stolen bases.

The score stayed that way for the next three innings, until Edison rallied in the bottom of the sixth with two runs for a 7-6 lead -- an uprising fueled by a long triple to left, a check-swing RBI single down the third-base line and a two-out RBI single up the middle.

It looked bleak for the Storm -- but the sense of doom lifted quickly as Brad Gillis -- who had relieved Holmes on the mound the previous inning, opened with a walk and, after advancing to third, scored when Brady Bockelkamp hit a bouncer that went over the Edison third baseman. Then Daniel Coston was hit by a pitch, Herrmann sacrifice bunted the runners to second and third, and Mike Hines was hit by a pitch, loading the bases.

The Storm took the lead when Daniel Lewis hit an infield grounder that Edison decided to use for a force-out at second, Bockelkamp scoring. Then Holmes drove in two runs with a double, Brady Cannon another run with a grounder that handcuffed the third baseman, and Heichel another on his second double of the game.

Edison scored once in the bottom of the inning, but two strikeouts and a routine grounder to second ended the game and the Spartans' season, setting off a mild celebration by the Storm as the Spartans glumly gathered on the outfield grass for a post mortem.

The Storm, while registering five errors in the field (to Edison's four), amassed 14 hits that included four doubles and two triples. And the team was aggressive running, stealing eight bases (to Edison's three).

Heichel had three hits (two doubles and a triple), Holmes had two doubles, Cannon two singles, Gillis two singles, Bockelkamp two singles, Lewis a triple, and Coston and Herrmann a single apiece. Holmes, Heichel and Bockelkamp each had 2 RBIs, and Lewis, Cannon, Herrmann and Hines one each.

Holmes went 5 2/3 innings on the mound, allowing five earned runs on seven hits while striking out seven and walking four. Gillis finished up, allowing one earned run on two hits while striking out two.

Photos in text:

From top: The Storm's Daniel Lewis connects with a pitch for a triple; WG/OM's Daniel Coston is hit by a pitch that bounces high; the Storm players celebrate their win.

The Schuyler Storm's Mike Hines is hit by a pitch during the 7th inning rally.

Left: The Storm rightfielder, Gunner Herrmann, prepares to catch an Edison drive.
Right: Storm Coach Jason Westervelt motions Brady Cannon toward home in the 7th.

The Storm's Ben Heichel connects for one of his two doubles, driving in a run.

Vickio, VanScoyk, Pentz excel at C meet

NEWARK VALLEY, May 24, 2023 -- Watkins Glen High School's Rachel Vickio placed third in the Discus and Johnny Van Scoyk and Ross Pentz fourth in the 1600 and Discus, respectively, at the Section IV, Class C Track & Field Championships Wednesday at Newark Valley High School.

Vickio threw the disc a personal-best 95' 9" to claim third place. VanScoyk ran the 1600 in 4:52.35, and Pentz threw the disc 117' 4".

Girls: Other finishes for the girls included Ava Kelly's 11th in the Triple Jump (27' 2.25"), 13th in the Long Jump (13' 8.5"), 16th in the 100 Meter Dash (14.01), and 18th in the 200 (in 29.81). Natalee Oliver was 11th in the 800 Meters (2:40.71); Zade Gomez Fitzsimmons was 15th in the Shot Put (23' 8.25") and 19th in the Discus (57' 11"); and Sarah Stolpinski was 19th in the Shot Put (22' 1").

Boys: Other finishes included 10th places by Kyren Young in the 100 Meter Dash (11.75) and 200 (in 23.83); a 7th by Isaac Hendrickson in the 1600 Meters (5:10.10); an 8th by Skylar Lagramada in the 400 Meter Run (56.05); a 9th by Aidan Maphis in the 3200 Meter Run (11:41.70); an 11th by Pentz in the Shot Put (35' 2"); a 12th by Henry Smith in the 800 Meters (2:18.98); a 14th by Shea Young in the Discus (97' 6"); a 15th by Ryan Dean in the 110 Meter Hurdles (21.39); a 16th by Dean in the 400 Hurdles (1:13.30); and a 21st by Shea Young in the Shot Put (30' 3.5").

Photos in text: Watkins Glen's Ross Pentz (left) and Johnny VanScoyk on the podium. (Photos provided)

Brewster wins 2, Nolan 1 at Class D Meet

MARATHON, May 23, 2023 --Odessa-Montour High School track standouts Tori Brewster and Hannah Nolan led their team to a second-place finish among 27 schools competing at Tuesday's Section IV, Class D Championships at the Marathon Elmentary School. The Odessa boys placed 7th.

Unadilla Valley was first in the girls competition with 80 points, while O-M was second with 71, and Bainbridge-Guilford third with 63.

The top three finishers in each event Tuesday advanced to the State Qualifier, set for Wednesday, May 31 and Thursday, June 1 at Union-Endicott High School. Others might yet get the nod, but not until Thursday night.

Girls: Brewster won the 100 Meter Dash in 12.73 and the Long Jump (15' 8.75") and was second in the 200 Meter Dash (26.38). She was also on the 4x100 Relay squad that placed second in 58.13. However, with the other three events on her Qualifier plate, she is not expected to run there in the 4x100.

Nolan won the Triple Jump (34' 6"), was second in the 100 Meter Hurdles (16.90) and third in the 400 Meter Hurdles (1:09.65). She was also on the second-place 4x100 squad. She will actually be competing at the Qualifier in the Pentathlon (for which she qualified at a recent meet in Wellsville), and not in any of the others -- including the 4x100.

Other 4x100 squad members were Maggie Pentz and Katie Adams. Relay replacements for Brewster and Nolan were expected to be McKenzie Landon and Paisley Jeziorski.

Another relay team, the 4x800 squad, advanced by placing third with a time of 10:57.14. Members were Paisley Jeziorski, Olivia Barr, Evvie Zinger and Jackie Mace.

Other finishes of note: Evvie Zinger was 6th in the 1500 in 5:38.91; Jackie Mace was 4th in the Pole Vault (6 feet); Sarah Strobel was 9th in the 2000 Meter Steeplechase (9:32.67) and 10th in the 3000 Meter Run (14:14.67); Katie Adams was 10th in the 400 Meter Run (1:07.38); McKenzie Landon was 10th in the 100 Meter Hurdles (19.20); and Maggie Pentz was 16th in the Discus (65' 9").

Boys: David Patterson qualified in the Triple Jump with a personal best of 41' 5.75" -- but will instead be competing at the Qualifier in the Pentathlon. The 4x800 Relay squad, with Patterson, Ben Campbell, Zach Wyre and Lucas Barr, finished second in 9:29.15. Patterson will be replaced in the relay at the Qualifier by Isaac Hough.

Other finishes of note: Lucas Barr was 4th in the 3000 Meter Steeplechase (11:37.07); Ben Campbell was 5th in the 3200 (in 10:55.53); Connor Fiala was 5th in the 110 Meter Hurdles (18.71) and 7th in the 400 Meter Hurdles (1:08.08); Jed Lynch was 4th in the Pole Vault (9' 6"); Gabe Williams was 10th in the 400 Meter Hurdles (109.34); Aiden Summers was 8th in the Discus with a PR of 100' 8"; and Brody Williams was 11th in the Discus with a throw of 97' 1".

Photos in text: O-M's Tori Brewster and David Patterson. (Gail Sgrecci photos)

Left: O-M's Ben Campbell. Center: The Grizzlies' Hannah Nolan lifts Paisley Jeziorski, who is displaying their team's runnerup plaque. Right: O-M's Katie Adams. (Photos by Gail Sgrecci)

Baseball: Lewis throws 2-hitter as Storm defeats Unatego in sectional quarterfinal

UNATEGO, May 22, 2023 -- The Schuyler Storm varsity baseball team -- with pitcher Daniel Lewis delivering a two-hit shutout -- defeated Unatego/Franklin 2-0 Monday in a Section IV, Class C Tournament quarterfinal game on the Unatego baseball field.

"The boys played clean, aggressive baseball and really stepped up their level of play against the Number 3 seed," said Storm Coach Jason Westervelt, whose squad is a combined team of Odessa-Montour and Watkins Glen High School athletes. "Lewis threw an absolute gem and the defense did a great job of making plays when we needed them."

Hits were at a premium for both teams, with the Storm batters registering just three -- a double by Brady Cannon and singles by Alex Holmes and Ben Heichel. Both Holmes and Cannon scored in the 4th inning, with Heichel notching an RBI.

Lewis went the distance on the mound, striking out 10 batters while walking two. The Unatego pitcher, Braeden Johnson, fanned 13 Storm batters while walking one. Each team committed two errors.

With the victory, the No. 6 seeded Storm (9-9) advanced to play a semifinal game at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday in Elmira Heights against the No. 2 seed, Edison (17-2), which defeated No. 7 seed Moravia on Monday. WG/OM and Edison split a pair of games this season, the Storm winning on April 12 and Edison winning on May 10.

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