The final state rankings of the season have been released by the NYSSWA.  Below are the Far Western Region teams that made the cut:

 

Class AA

Aquinas #2

Fairport #15

 

Class A 

Canisius #2

Park #6

Williamsville South #15

Batavia #16

Amherst #17

Pittsford Sutherland #18

Greece Athena #20

McKinley #24

 

 Class B

Olean #2

Fredonia #12

Wellsville #14

North Rose-Wolcott #17

Walsh #18

St. Mary's #23

Health Sciences #25

 

 Class C 

Middle College #1

Early College #2

Northstar Christian #6

East Rochester #10

Olmsted #12

Perry #16

 

 Class D

Panama #3

CG Finney #7

York #12

Genesee Valley #13

Elba #17

Ellicottville #20

Franklinville #21

 

 ** According to the rankings…

 

– The Canisius vs. Aquinas, Canisius vs Park, and Park vs. Aquinas games were the type of elite level NYS games we thought they were.  Aquinas lost in the Class AA Federation Championship game by just seven points.  Canisius defeated the Lil Irish twice, Aquinas beat Park by five, and Canisius needed overtime to move past Park for the Manhattan Cup.

 

– McKinley took a bit of a snub.  With the Macks' only loses coming to Canisius and South (by four), they end up #24 in NYS Class A, behind #17 Amherst, who fell to the Billies by 10. With South, Batavia, & Amherst all bunched together in consecutive slots, McKinley seems a little far down seven spots behind Amherst.

 

– From the start of the season to the NYSPHAA Class B State Championship game, Fredonia was the only team to lose to Olean by single digits…and they did it all three times they played, including an overtime loss by two.  Yet for whatever reason, they end up #12 in NYS Class B, behind the likes of Marlboro & Hudson who the Huskies knocked off by double figures, Bishop Grimes who struggled with Marlboro, and three other teams that didn't even reach Glens Falls.  Sorry Neil Kerr, but even if you want to throw a bone to the other three teams that reached Glens Falls in Class B, the next team in line that didn't reach Glens Falls HAD to be Fredonia.  You dropped the ball on that one big time.  Do your research or listen to the Section VI rep who probably told you the same thing I'm saying!!!

 

– Championships don't matter to the panel, apparently.  Nichols wins the Class B Manhattan Cup and ends up unranked, while Walsh & St. Mary's get in.  If it's all about regular season records, don't have a postseason tournament.

 

– All season long, I mocked the Class C rankings for picking a new flavor of the week, while Middle College struggled to get in and then hovered around the middle of the Class C rankings because of the all-important record.  Scoreboard!  

 

– Staying with Class C for a moment, after seeing what was waiting for Middle College at Glens Falls and coming from WNY, we had it going on in Class C.  Teams like Silver Creek, Chautauqua Lake, East, Tapestry, Randolph, and Portville are all deserving of being in the top 20 and could have competed in that state tournament.

 

– Panama finished at #3 in Class D, which is right where I would have had them also.  Excellent season for the Panthers and the best in program history.

 

For complete state rankings, click here.

 

-centercourt