Top Games of the Week: 1/7/19 — 1/13/19 – The View From Centercourt

(Randolph's Gabe McCoy & Tyler Hind defend Cam Barmore of Panama / Photo:Alex Shipherd,Post Journal)

Tuesday, January 8th

South Park @ Middle College – 6 pm

Olmsted @ MST Seneca – 6 pm

Timon @ Cardinal O'Hara – 6:30 pm

Sweet Home @ West Seneca East – 6:30 pm

CSAT @ Lockport – 6:30 pm

Lackawanna @ Cleveland Hill – 6:30 pm

St. Francis @ Park – 7 pm

Clarence @ Frontier – 7 pm

Health Sciences @ Amherst – 7:30 pm

Williamsville East @ Williamsville South – 7:30 pm

Chautauqua Lake @ Fredonia – 7:30 pm

Salamanca @ Silver Creek – 7:30 pm

Williamsville North @ Orchard Park – 7:30 pm

Wednesday, January 9th

Ellicottville @ Forestville – 7:30 pm

Thursday, January 10th

McQuaid @ Park – 6 pm

Nichols @ St. Joe's – 6:30 pm

BASCS @ Southwestern – 7:30 pm

Friday, January 11th

Wilson @ Newfane – 6:30 pm

Williamsville East @ Sweet Home – 6:30 pm

Timon @ St. Francis – 7 pm

Orchard Park @ Clarence – 7:30 pm

Forestville @ Franklinville – 7:30 pm

Jamestown @ West Seneca West – 7:30 pm

Allegany-Limestone @ Randolph – 7:30 pm

Sherman @ Panama – 7:30 pm

Saturday, January 12th

Lockport @ Niagara Falls – 12:30 pm

Park @ Canisius – 2:30 pm

* Game of the Week – Allegany-Limestone @ Randolph on Friday, January 11th

For the past two seasons, the Southern Tier has given us Franklinville vs. Ellicottville. But there's another rivalry that started brewing down there last season between two of the last four teams left standing in Class C and they just happen to be in the same league.

Randolph and Allegany-Limestone took turns knocking each other off during the 2018 season, and as a result, they shared the CCAA I East Championship. My prediction entering this year was that the two would once again split the regular season series.

The Cardinals & Gators each saw their season end at the hands of Tapestry in 2018. They each gave the Thunderhawks everything they bargained for and both schools entered this season with legitimate expectations of earning a sectional championship – the Cardinals in Class C2 and the Gators in Class B2.

Both teams boast talent and returned their standout players, with three of them having earned All-State honors. At Randolph, Tyler Hind was Second Team All-State in Class C. Allegany-Limestone was represented by Sam Flanders on Seventh Team and Michael Wolfgang on Ninth Team in NYS Class C. In addition, the Gators have Casey Curran, who can get buckets from any place on the floor, while Randolph has a freshman in Gabe McCoy who can look dominant in the lane.

With a lot of good games on tap for Friday night, there's one that I've been looking forward to since the preseason, so I'll be topping off my tank and taking a road trip. It's the 'Game of the Week' Southern Tier style.

-centercourt