Team by team breakdown as Hall of Fame Showcase set to take over Wayland-Cohocton Saturday

WAYLAND — The second annual Hall of Fame Showcase will be held this Saturday, Dec. 4 at Wayland-Cohocton High School.

The event will feature five games, four boys and one girls' game. This year's showcase will be played in memory of longtime Jasper-Troupsburg boys basketball coach Tom Price.

Schedule

Noon Jasper-Troupsburg vs. Elba

2 p.m. Maple Grove vs. Pavilion Girls

4 p.m. Caledonia-Mumford vs. Marcus Whitman

6 p.m. Avoca-Prattsburgh vs. York

8 p.m. Wayland-Cohocton vs. Wellsville

Previews

Here are previews on the teams playing Saturday.

Jasper-Troupsburg Wildcats

Coach: Lou Zver, 2nd season

Last season: 6-3, lost to Batavia Notre-Dame in the Sectional Quarterfinals.

History lesson: Jasper won sectionals in 1959 and 1975, Jasper-Troupsburg won sectionals in 1993, 1994 and 1998.

Numbers: Averaged 51.6 PPG, Opponents 46.6 PPG

Players to watch: Sr. Colby Cornish (First Team Steuben County All-Star last year, Team MVP), Sr. Louie Zver, Sr. Brennan Waters, Jr. Cash Bouton.

Top newcomers: Jr. Cayden Lawson, Jr. Gage Guerin, Jr. Jared Ainsworth.

Fact: This is the first time since 1990 that there won’t be a Price on the roster as a player or coach.

Coach Zver says: "As a team we are very excited to have the opportunity to be playing. Back in August our high school in Jasper suffered major damage from a flood caused by tropical storm Fred. Thankfully we found a home in the old Greenwood High School Building allowing us to be able to still operate as a district. The boys on the team and I realize the true gift we have been given to be able to play this year."

Avoca-Prattsburgh

Coach: Brian Putnam

Last Season: 11-0, won the Section V, Class D2 Championship.

Numbers: Averaged 81.0 PPG, Opponents 43.9 PPG. A-P defeated all 11 opponents by double figures in 2021.

History Lesson: Prattsburgh won 12 Sectional Championships overall and were the 1991 NYS Class D State Champions, finishing 29-0. Avoca won 5 Sectional Championships overall and were the 1989 NYS Class D State Champions finishing 28-0.

Players to Watch: Macoy Putnam Sophomore guard (10.9 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 3.8 APG, 4.5 SPG), Pacey Hopkins Senior guard (9.1 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 3.1 APG, 2.4 SPG), Sawyer Devoe-Junior guard (12.5 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 2.2 APG, 3.0 SPG), Caleb Johnson Senior Guard (3.5 PPG, 1.5 RPG), Tucker Gerych Senior Forward (4.0 PPG, 1.3 RPG).

Top Newcomers: Junior Guard Haden Abbott, Junior Guard Evan Campbell.

Fun Fact: In 2020 Avoca won the Class D1 Sectional Championship while Prattsburgh won Class D2. In 2021 they joined forces and repeated as Class D2 Champions.

Coach Putnam says: “I am very excited; we have a great group of kids. They are very unselfish, and love playing with each other. I love our quickness and ability to defend. We are deep on the bench, and we have a bunch of kids that can score 20 on any given night. We will focus on Defense, which we hope will lead to points in transition. We will have to team rebound because of our lack of size."

Showcase history: Prattsburgh defeated York 71-69. Avoca lost to Elba 56-53. It was Avoca’s only loss of the 2019-2020 season, they went on to win their next 23 games and advanced to the Far Western Regional before their season was ended by Covid-19.

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Wayland-Cohocton Golden Eagles

Coach: Jake Kenney, 3rd year

Last season: 4-6, did not qualify for Sectionals.

History lesson: Class CC Sectional Champion in 1995. Class B2 Champion in 2012.

Numbers: Averaged 50.6 PPG, Opponents 56.1 PP

Players to watch: Brogan Cotter SR Guard (13.2 ppg, 4 rebounds, 2.3 assists), Michael Gammell JR Guard (9.3 ppg, 5 rebounds, 2.6 assists), Darnell LaPlant SR Guard (5 ppg), Brady Knudsen SR Forward (5 ppg).

Coach Kenney says: “This team will be led by a core group of returning guards who will help pace the team. They work hard on both ends of the floor and play a very unselfish style of basketball. Our ability to hit perimeter shots will be a big factor in how successful this team can be on any given night.”

Showcase history: Lost to Hornell in inaugural Showcase 67-41.

Wellsville Lions

Coach: Raymie Auman

Last season: 9-2, lost in the Class B2 Sectional Quarterfinals to Mynderse

History lesson: Sectional Champions in 2010, 2015, 2016, 2019

Numbers: Averaged 54.6 PPG, Opponents 44.0

Players to watch: Logan Dunbar (12 PPG, 8 RPG), Alex Perkins (5 PPG), Connor Ferguson, Dalton Ketchner, Kailob Phelps.

Top newcomers: Cody Costello, Aidan Riley, Eli Schmidt, Cooper Brockway.

Fun fact: Wellsville lost their first game last season then won nine straight before losing to Mynderse in sectionals.

Coach Auman says: “We will be a very young and energetic team with only two players returning who played significant minutes last season. This is a very talented and hard-working group who had a pretty good summer developing and coming together. I’m looking forward to seeing how much we grow throughout the season."

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Elba Lancers

Coach: Ciaci Zambito 7th Season 91-30 overall record.

Last Season: 3-6, season was ended prematurely due to Covid-19.

Numbers: Averaged 51.6 PPG, Opponents 55.7 PPG

History lesson: Have won four Sectional Championships, most recently in 2017.

Players to watch: Senior C.J Gottler, Senior Zach Marsceill, Junior Connor Scott.

Top newcomers: Sophomore Angelo Penna (21.0 PPG, 11.0 RPG on JV last season), Sophomore Mike Long (11.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG on JV last season).

Fun fact: Elba only played two D Schools last season and won both games.

Coach Zambito says: “We are very excited to get things going this season. We have a very “together” group who seems to enjoy being around each other, and that’s so important. We had a great offseason where we put in a lot of work and had the opportunity to bond. The guys are hungry to compete, especially after such a crazy year last season (we couldn’t compete in sectionals due to playing against a team who had a kid test positive with COVID-19). We return 3 very experienced guards, which is such a key - especially in sectionals. CJ Gottler and Zach Marsceill currently have combined 5 years of varsity experience, 7 at the end of this year. They can really shoot the basketball and will have the green light to pull the trigger from me all year. I want them to feel comfortable taking big shots for us at any point in the game, they have earned that right. They’ve played in a ton of big games and have really taken that “next step” as far as leading our team. Connor Scott is also a returning Junior guard who is extremely athletic and already has a year of varsity experience. Sophomore call ups Angelo Penna (6’3”, true back to the basket scorer who loves to rebound) and Mike Long (6 ft G/F who can really defend and has a great mind for the game) will round out our starting lineup. We have a great, enthusiastic bench - look for seniors Caden Muehlig and Nate Esten to get good minutes nightly. I wanted us to be battle tested for sectionals, so we loaded up our schedule. Two of our first three games will be played against non-league powerhouses Jasper-Troupsburg and Avoca-Prattsburgh, who are the defending undefeated sectional champions. We also play in a prestigious holiday tournament at GCC and scheduled Class B opponent Early College. Our goal, just like every year, is to be healthy and geared up for a sectional championship run. I’m going to really stress to my team this year that March is still Four months away, and we can’t skip steps on getting there. Every single game is a big game, because it’s the one we are playing in at that point in time. We are ready to go!”

Showcase history: Defeated Avoca 56-53 in inaugural Showcase.

Pavilion Golden Gophers

Coach: Ben Schwenebraten

Last season: 12-1, lost in the Section V, Class C2 Championship game.

Numbers: Averaged 57.6 PPG, Opponents 30.3 PPG.

History lesson: Won their second sectional Championship in Class D1 in 2020, the only other championship was in 1981.

Players to watch: Junior Lauren Kinglsey (16.2 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 4.0 BPG), Junior Karlee Zinkievich 16.5 PPG, 7.9 APG, 2.6 SPG), Senior Shea Amberger 9.1 PPG, 5.8 RPG), Senior Paige Landers (4.6 PPG).

Top newcomers: Ella Tillotson Freshman G, Kylie Conway Freshman G.

Fun Ffact: Pavilion has won 18 of their last 20 games spanning two seasons.

Coach Schwenebraten says: “We have a nice core of girls returning, either being their third or fourth year on varsity. We hope to get the newcomers acclimated to playing with them. It will be nice to have some time to do that this year after the condensed season last year that was over after 42 days. We're looking to build on the success of the program over the last few years.”

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Maple Grove Red Dragons

Coach: Bill Price 5th Season

Last season: 5-6, season was ended prematurely due to Covid-19.

Numbers: Averaged 42.4 PPG. Opponents 45.3 PPG

History lesson: Section VI Sectional Champions in 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2019. 2019 was the program’s only state tournament appearance losing in the State Semifinals.

Players to watch: Senior Madison Price (12.0 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 2.1 BPG), Junior Courtney Martin (11.1 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 4.0 BPG), Junior Erin Mansfield (5.7 PPG, 6.1 APG).

Top newcomers: Claire Price Freshman Guard, Chava Kerling Freshman Center, Hailey Johnson Sophomore Forward.

Fun facts: In 2021 Maple Grove only played one Class C School. They played five Class B schools including Class B2 champion Southwestern twice.

Coach Price says: “We are playing in a new league this year in Section 6. They realigned all the leagues and I'm not even sure what they're calling our new one. We play Portville, Frewsburg, Falconer, Cassadaga Valley, not sure who else. All C schools. Last year we played mainly B schools in league play. I expect to be in the middle of the pack in league play. We are facing entirely different teams which presents unique challenges and opportunities. I think for us, believing we can compete and win will be key. Starting the season against a top-quality program like Pavilion will be a good test to see where we are. If we can compete with them, I like our chances this season. Getting the girls to play together and believe in one another will be my biggest and most important job. A couple players have worked hard in the off season, and I'm excited to see how it translates into wins this season. If we can defend and take care of the ball, we can be competitive. I expect to do just that.”

Caledonia-Mumford Red Raiders

Coach: Dan Dickens

Last season: 13-1, lost in the Section Five C2 Championship game.

Numbers: Averaged 68.7 PPG, opponents 44.3 PPG

History lesson: Have five Sectional titles overall.

Players to watch: Kyle Wade Senior (21.8 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 5.1 APG, 2.4 SPG, 1.0 BPG, 56% from the field, 39% from 3-point land, 74% from FT Line), Evan Raniewicz Senior (14.9 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 4.0 APG), Scott Essig Senior (7.7 PPG, 3.6 RPG).

Newcomers: Soph Nate Doll, Soph Donny Peet, Senior Tristan Abbey.

Fun fact: In the last four seasons combined Cal-Mum is 75-9 with two Sectional Championships and a runner-up finish.

Coach Dickens says: “Obviously our season fell short of expectations last season, and we are hoping to use that as motivation for this season. Sectional wise, York is in with us again and those guys have put in a lot of time and effort to get better, HAC had a lot of success last season and returns a majority of their guys, Eugenia Maria de Hostos Charter was in the finals last season in D-1 and you never know who will be playing for them, besides them I don’t know a lot about what everyone has. This has been a strange offseason for us as both Wade and Carnes were out with injuries and there were not a ton of camp options that we normally do, so we really haven’t had our core of guys until the start of the season and even with that we have Poles-Harrison out for an extended amount of time. We are going to count on Kyle for a lot as he is one of the top players returning in Section V. Evan showed he could score last season and will be counted on again this season to provide the same. Cam is a good leader for us and we need more offensively from him this season. Scott provides a little more size for us and until Poles-Harrison is back will take on a lot of the defensive responsibility on the other teams bigs. Carnes will be a big-time hustle guy for us, he came up huge last year in the second half of our win in the semis against York, and brings a lot of competitiveness to the team. Raymond should feel more comfortable this year for us, he is an excellent shooter but looking for more out of him on the defensive side this year. Cappotelli is nursing a shoulder injury and we are bringing him along slowly; he is a scrapper for us and provides some more toughness and athleticism when on the court. Really excited to see how Doll and Peet handle the speed of the varsity game, if they can develop it will really help our depth. Abbey has size but is very raw.”

Showcase history: Lost to Marcus Whitman in inaugural Showcase 73-64. Cal-Mum would avenge their loss at Wayland-Cohocton, defeating Marcus Whitman 58-53 in the Class C State Qualifier later that season.

Marcus Whitman Wildcats

Coach: Greg O’Connor

Last season: 8-7, lost in Class C1 Championship game to Avon in overtime.

History lesson: Gorham won sectionals in 1947, Middlesex won sectionals in 1965 and 1966. The schools merged to become Marcus Whitman in 1969. They won the Class A Championship in 1976. They won the Class C1 Championship in 2020.

Numbers: Averaged 57.4 PPG, opponents 56.0 PPG

Players to watch: Connor Tomion Sr., Grant Kestler Sr., Nolan Lee Sr., Jack Blankenberg Sr. Connor Gorton Jr.

Top newcomers: Freshman Brody Royston.

Fun fact: Marcus Whitman played in the rugged Finger Lakes East in 2021. They did not play a Class C school until the first round of sectionals.

Coach O’Connor says: “Losing 5 starters and a key bench player, it would be easy to say we are rebuilding. However, we had a good off season of open gyms and we took part in Geneva's summer league. Several guys (at least 5) played AAU with various programs. Two years ago, we chose to play an independent schedule and in the COVID season we had to play in a league and were able to play in the FL East. These two seasons of tough competition has been a huge part of our success in the post season. It has forced us into times of adversity to overcome, overtime games, and late game situations to manage and learn from. This year, we are back playing in the FL East. I feel we can continue to compete in this league knowing there are some REAL solid teams we have to compete against.”

Showcase history: Defeated Caledonia-Mumford 73-64 in inaugural Showcase.

York Golden Knights

Coach: Ed Orman Jr.

Last year: 8-4, lost in the Class C2 Semifinal to Caledonia-Mumford.

History lesson: Won Class B Sectionals in 1939 and Class C3 in 2012.

Numbers: Averaged 68.4 PPG, Opponents 57.1 PPG

Players to watch: Maddox Timothy JR G (10.3 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 2.0 APG), Austin Flynn SR F (6.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG), Tyler Brady Soph G/F (10.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG), Jake Pangrazio Soph G (8.0 PPG 4.0 RPG).

Top newcomers: Adam Swede Sr G (3 PPG), Greg Jaroszek Sr G (Missed the season due to injury last year), Jackson Feltham SR G (2.0 PPG), Conner Rodwell- 6'2 Soph F 3.0 PPG), Joe Bauer- 6'0 Soph. G (16 PPG on JV last year).

Fun fact: Three of their four losses last season were to league rival Cal-Mum, in the past two seasons York is a combined 27-8 with six of those losses coming at the hands of Cal-Mum, their other losses are to Prattsburgh and Geneseo.

Coach Orman says: “We are still a really young team (4 sophomores in our top 8, which I've never had. Three of them played for me as freshmen last year marking the first time in my 16 years I had ever had a freshman on varsity). We have some players that can fill it up and have worked hard on their games for a long time. Senior leadership is a big question mark, as these seniors have only played 12 varsity games. We need to develop really quickly on the defensive end and be more consistent offensively this year. We were very streaky last year with games where we scored in the 90s and some games where we scored in the 40's. Building consistency, understanding our roles, and learning to play as a team for team success will all be key in how far we go this year. I'm excited about this group and we've had a lot of fun preparing for this season. Now the rubber hits the road, hopefully we can develop into a quality ball club throughout the year and make a run at playing in some of those big games we are accustomed to in March!”

Showcase history: Lost to Prattsburgh 71-69 in inaugural Showcase.

This article originally appeared on The Evening Tribune: Hall of Fame Showcase: What to know about teams in Saturday tourney