Sure, there won’t be three state champions like we had last year (Nichols, OTC Middle College and Maple Grove), but the 2010-11 Western New York boy’s high school basketball season has been a wild ride, and it’s not quite over yet. Jamestown and I-Prep at Grover have advanced to the state finals in their respective classes at Glenn Falls, and both squads have the firepower to pull off titles.
Regardless of how they fare downstate, there’s no denying this has been a remarkably exhilarating, and balanced campaign that saw numerous twists and turns. Canisius came back from the dead in the second half to upend St. Joe’s and capture the Manhattan Cup. Speaking of St. Joe’s, they defeated then-undefeated and top ranked Niagara Falls in what was the game of the year. Williamsville South’s Joe Licata became the state’s all-time three point king while another Williamsville product, North freshman Sterling Taplin put his name on the map following a coming out party against Jamestown.
We saw several league battles go down to the wire and a plethora of thrilling finishes in the Sectional finals at Buffalo State College. Jamestown was able to defeat Niagara Falls for the first time ever when it counted most, while East and Williamsville South put on an epic double overtime thriller. Cassadaga Valley became the darlings of the Section VI finals while other favored squads simply wilted under the pressure.
We withstood a glut of head coaching changes while another bench leader, Greg Plumb announced after the season he’s stepping down at Nichols just one year removed from winning a State Federation title.
2010-11 All-BSD High School Basketball Team – continue reading…
For anyone who’s followed a moment’s worth of Monsignor Martin Association boy’s high school basketball in 2010-11, this is the way it has to end. The two best teams, which happen to comprise Western New York’s most fierce high school rivalry, square off Wednesday with the Manhattan Cup hanging in the balance as St. Joe’s faces Canisius.
Playing for and winning the league’s biggest prize is nothing new to either institute. Canisius has 11 Manhattan Cups to their credit, including two since 2005 and have won as recently as 2009. St. Joe’s has been even more prominent though their storied history; winning 21 titles, including four since 2002.
Two times in recent years these enemies squared off with the Cup on the line. Canisius upended Joe’s in 2005 while the Marauders returned the favor one year later.
Manhattan Cup Preview: St. Joe’s vs. Canisius – continue reading…
Senior Aaron Nevins showed why he’s one of the premiere players in Western New York, scoring a game-high 24 points as Canisius advanced to Wednesday’s Manhattan Cup final with a convincing 70-46 victory over St. Mary’s of Lancaster.
It will be the Crusaders third straight trip to the Catholic championship game. They lost to Nichols last year after defeating them in 2009.
“I’m down to my last few games and I want to go out with a bang,” said Nevins, who scored 14 points before halftime. “I wanted to step it up but I didn’t really do anything I haven’t been all year.”
To St. Mary’s credit, they fought heavily favored Canisius tooth and nail for two and a half quarters before the talent disparity between the teams took over. On this night and for this season, the gritty Lancers simply didn’t have the horses to play with Canisius for 32 minutes.
Nevins Powers Crusaders To Manhattan Cup Final – continue reading…
We’re down to the semifinals of the Manhattan Cup and come Saturday evening, only Timon and St. Mary’s stand in the way of what could be an epic third battle between St. Joe’s and Canisius, with the Catholic high school basketball championship on the line.
St. Joe’s is looking to reach the Manhattan Cup final for the first time since 2008, when they defeated Nichols to capture the trophy. Canisius lost to Nichols last year after winning in 2009 over the same opponent.
For that to happen, both favored teams and in particular St. Joe’s have risky business to take care of. The Marauders take on the Tigers in the second game of a doubleheader that begins at 6pm and while St. Joe’s owns a pair of victories over Timon this year, neither has been a cakewalk.
Manhattan Cup Semi-Finals Preview – continue reading…
About a year ago at this time, Nichols romped Canisius, 73-50 to win the Manhattan Cup; their first major step towards eventually capturing the Class-AA New York State catholic high school basketball championship. Since then, the core of Canisius’ team remained intact while Nichols was decimated by graduations and a key transfer.
The sides met again in the first round of this year’s Monsignor Martin Association playoffs and as everyone expected, the Crusaders blew out Nichols, 77-49 Tuesday evening at Canisius College.
After finishing as the top-ranked school in all of Western New York last year, Nichols lost their top eight players to graduation, including two-time Buffalo News Player of the Year Will Regan. The one non-senior to be a major contributor was sophomore Stan Wier, who transferred to school in Indiana.
Meanwhile, Canisius has remained a steady force in the league. They finished with just one league loss during the regular season and won a coin flip last weekend over St. Joe’s to earn the first seed after the schools finished tied atop the standings.
Canisius was out in front, 10-1 before the game was 2:30 old and by the time the first quarter mercifully ended for Nichols, they were on the wrong side of a 29-5 shellacking.
Canisius led at halftime, 40-22 and went on a 19-5 run over the first five minutes of the third quarter before head coach Kyle Husband called off the dogs and got his starters out for the remainder of the contest.
Manhattan Cup Playoffs: Canisius Dismantles Nichols – continue reading…
The 2010-11 Canisius vs. St. Joe’s rivalry saw round two Tuesday evening in Kenmore and for now, it’s a draw. The way both teams are looking on the high school basketball circuit right now, there will be a rubber match on March 2—with the Manhattan Cup on the line.
Last month St. Joe’s went into Canisius and handed the Crusaders their only Monsignor Martin Association loss of the season. Canisius returned the favor tonight, defeating the Marauders, 82-78 in front of a standing room only crowd.
A pair of free throws by senior guard Aaron Nevins with less than three minutes left finally put Canisius up for good in a wild affair that saw five lead changes and multiple ties in the fourth quarter alone. You hear the term “tight game” thrown out all the time, but indeed, this was a tight game.
For the duration of four quarters, neither team ever led by more than seven points.
Nevins, Gordon Lyons and Matt Hart were the difference for Canisius, scoring all but five of their team’s 32 final quarter points.
Canisius Gets Revenge On St. Joe’s – continue reading…
Spots in the outwardly large parking lot at Canisius High School were at a premium Saturday afternoon; to the point a school official stood at the entry point of Delaware Avenue, directing incoming traffic elsewhere more a full hour before tipoff of Western New York’s biggest high school basketball rivalry.
St. Joes, with their fair share of fans inside the crowded Bernard J. Kenney Center, didn’t mind at all.
With an overflow of fanatics that forced some to watch from the outside windows after being turned away at the capacity-filled door, it was visitors from Kenmore that owned the court Saturday afternoon.
St. Joe’s Earns Huge Rivalry Win at Canisius – continue reading…
If you’re a fan of high school basketball, it doesn’ t get much better than this afternoon in one of Western New York’s biggest rivalries resume. St. Joes travels to face Canisius in a key Monsignor Martin Association match up.
Both team are perennial Manhattan Cup contenders and this year looks to be no different. Along with Bishop-Timon St. Jude, these teams figure to battle it out for another catholic championship with Nichols on a down year. This meeting will be for first place in the league as both Canisius (10-5 overall) and St. Joe’s (11-4) are both undefeated in league play.
Canisius swept both meetings last year; winning easily 89-52 in the first meeting on the road and pulling out a 69-67 overtime thriller in the return engagement at home.
Canisius/St. Joes Rivalry Resumes Today – continue reading…
Bishop Timon St. Jude was expected to receive its first real test of the season Tuesday evening when the undefeated Tigers traveled to Williamsville East. The Flames came into the game with a record of 7-1, including an upset win over Clarence in the Amherst Tournament last month.
For the Tigers, considered this test aced.
Junior guard Kyle Kobis was outstanding, nearly single-handedly carrying the Timon offense in the first half as they overcame a sluggish start on both ends of the floor to rout Williamsville East in their own gym, 72-43.
Kobis scored 19 points and had six rebounds, including five on the offensive end… all before the teams went into the locker room for halftime.
Kobis, Rehbaum Big Nights Highlight H.S. Hoops Action – continue reading…
When it’s all said and done, Williamsville South’s Joe Licata will go down as having one of… if not the greatest high school sports careers in Western New York history.
Already the most prolific passing quarterback in WNY history as well as the 2010 Connolly Cup winner (given to the area’s best football player), Licata smashed another record Wednesday night, this time on the basketball court.
Licata sunk seven three-pointers as South defeated Williamsville North, 61-46 to win the Jolly Boys Tournament. In the process, Licata set the all-time WNY career mark for three-pointers with 288. City basketball legend Ritchie Campbell (Burgard) previously held the record of 285 in 1990.
Licata Continues Historic High School Career With Another Record – continue reading…
With no disrespect intended for Section VI and their exciting playoff season now in full swing, Sunday night is as good as it gets for boys high school basketball. The Koessler Center at Canisius College is the venue 6pm Sunday as the top two ranked large schools in Western New York square off.
Number one Nichols faces second ranked Canisius in a rubber match and this time it’s for all the marbles. The winner will be crowned 2009-10 Manhattan Cup champion.
The teams have met twice this season. Canisius held serve at home in a squeaker and Nichols won the rematch in a big way at their own gym to end the regular season. The Vikings lost while Ron Canestro was nursing a broken pinky but was back for the second meeting.
Manhattan Cup Title Preview: Canisius vs Nichols – continue reading…
About an hour or so before tipoff of their Manhattan Cup semifinal playoff game both Canisius and St. Mary’s were on their respective sides of a mostly empty gym getting loose. At one point Canisius players Blair Helton, Jimmy Gaines and CJ Coatsworth were taking turns showing off athletic prowess with an assortment of dunk attempts.
The Lancers pretty much stood around watching and admiring—maybe too much.
Maybe they weren’t in awe on Canisius. But on this night they sure played like it. Helton nearly outscored St. Mary’s by himself in the half, dropping in 15 on his way to a game-high 22 points as the Crusaders stormed to a 79-56 win to earn a berth in the Manhattan Cup title game Sunday.
Manhattan Cup: Canisius dominates to reach title game – continue reading…
