Varsity Voices: Girls Volleyball – HF-L girls volleyball set their sights on a state crown!
Jeff DiVeronica talks with coach Rene Monks and seniors Molly Taylor and Sydney Uthe about their success and this weekend’s Class B state championships in Glens Falls.
Varsity Voices: Cross country – Class B state champ Nathan Lawler
Jeff DiVeronica talks with Pittsford Mendon coach Chris Compson and junior Nathan Lawler about winning the state title after finishing runner-up last year.
Varsity Voices: Cross Country- Livonia’s Hayleigh Palotti talks about winning a state championship
Jeff DiVeronica and James Johnson talk with Livonia coach Dave Crabb and junior Hayleigh Palotti about her running career and the upcoming Federation meet. She won the state Class C championship Nov. 12, 2016.
Varsity Voices: Spencerport girls soccer state champs
Jeff DiVeronica recaps the state championship run by the Spencerport girls soccer team with coach Jamie Schneider and players, Leah Wengender and Luca Famer
Varsity Voices Football: Bishop Kearney is back in the state quarterfinals for a 2nd straight year
Jeff DiVeronica and James Johnson talk to Kings coach Eddie Long and senior running back Dahmir Pross about their season and Saturday’s matchup at New Era Field against Cleveland Hill.
Varsity Voices Football: Victor – The unbeaten Blue Devils face Lancaster in the Class AA playoffs
Jeff DiVeronica and James Johnson recap the Section V championship run with Coach Geoff Mandile and senior Zack Estabrooks and also preview Saturday’s Far West Regionals at New Era Field.
Varsity Voices: Football-After finally winning sectionals, can Greece Athena keep going?
Their last title was 35 years ago and now the Trojans face Buffalo Bennett at New Era Field in Friday’s Far West Regionals, the Class A state quarterfinals. James Johnson and Jeff DiVeronica talk with coach Rob Cerone and QB Tavon Granison.
Varsity Voices: Girls Soccer – Wheatland-Chili goes after a state title for a second straight season
After finishing as runners-up last fall, the Wildcats are through to the Class D semifinals Saturday with seven other Section V soccer teams.
Jeff DiVeronica talks with coach Gary Ward and midfielders and twin sisters Abbey and Hannah Callaghan.
Varsity Voices: Football, Class AA-Power vs. Power, Victor vs. Pittsford
Top seeded Victor meets 2nd seeded Pittsford with the Section V championship on the line.
Jeff DiVeronica and James Johnson and the coaches weigh in.
Varsity Voices: Football Class A – Rematch for the trophy, Athena vs. Brighton
Top two seeds Athena and Brighton met in Week 5 and Athena won. Can Brighton pull off an upset?
Jeff DiVeronica and James Johnson and Barons coach Stephen Lian break it down.
Varsity Voices: Football Class B, Hornell vs. Batavia
Can the top-seeded Blue Devils win a third straight title or will No. 2 Hornell reclaim its first crown in 4 years? Jeff DiVeronica and James Johnson analyze the matchup.
Varsity Voices: Football Class C Defense is key in ER/Gananda vs. Bishop Kearney
Jeff DiVeronica and James Johnson break down Saturday’s noon matchup and we also hear from coaches Dennis Greco (ER/Gananda) and Eddie Long (Kearney).
Varsity Voices: Girls Volleyball, Penfield
Jeff DiVeronica talks with Coach Andrew Solomon and senior setter Alea Steigerwald about the top-seeded Patriots’ season, national ranking and Friday’s Section V championship match.
Varsity Voices: Football Chris Battaglia talks about the end of his era as Aquinas coach
D&C Digital sports reporter James Johnson talks with long time coach Chris Battaglia about highlights of his last 11 years with Aquinas and what’s next.
Varsity Voices: Girls Tennis
Jeff DiVeronica speaks with Mercy freshman Julia Andreach, the Section V tennis champion and reigning All-Greater Rochester Player of the Year. Andreach leads area players into the state championships this weekend.
Varsity Voices: Football Class A semis preview
Jeff DiVeronica and James Johnson preview the Section V Class A football semifinals. Greece Athena takes on Canandaigua and Brighton plays Eastridge Friday at Rhinos Stadium. (Oct. 26, 2016) Video by James Johnson and Jeff DiVeronica.
Varsity Voices: Football Class AA semis preview
Jeff DiVeronica and James Johnson preview the big Class AA semis Sunday at Rhinos Stadium: Victor vs. McQuaid and Pittsford vs. Fairport. (Oct. 26, 2016)
Varsity Voices: Football preview – Rush-Henrietta vs. McQuaid
The host Knights face the Royal Comets in a Week 1 rematch on Saturday. R-H won the first matchup, 27-13. (Oct. 19, 2016)
Varsity Voices: Football preview – Batavia hosts upstart UPrep
The top-seeded Blue Devils edged UPrep earlier this season, 30-26. Will the rematch be as exciting? (Oct. 19, 2016)
Varsity Voices: Football preview – Brockport vs. Eastridge in Class A
The defending Section V champion Blue Devils travel to East Irondequoit for a rematch. Brockport won their Week 2 game, 31-15. (Oct. 19, 2016)
Varsity Voices: Boys Soccer – Fairport hopes to regain title
The Red Raiders are the top seed in the Class AA tournament. Head coach Gianni Bussani, and senior Pete Critchlow, talk with Jeff DiVeronica about their season and sectionals.
Varsity Voices: ER/Gananda looks to remain undefeated
Marc Dovi and James Johnson discuss ER/Gananda’s attempt to remain undefeated in the regular football season.
Varsity Voices: Girls Soccer Eastridge
Marc Dovi and James Johnson talk with Eastridge coach Marc Dall and senior captain Christina Hess about the rise of the division champion Lancers.
Varsity Voices: Football key matchups in the final week of regular season.
Marc Dovi and James Johnson talk about Batavia’s interesting matchup with Class D Clyde-Savannah, the undefeated Livonia and Hornell game, a Class AA scramble, and the play-in game between Class A Irondequoit and Greece Arcadia.
Varsity Voices: Girls Golf Section V Championship
Marc Dovi and James Johnson talk about how players at Penfield, Pittsford, Webster and Victor fared at Oak Hill.
Varsity Voices: Top area boys soccer teams
Jeff DiVeronica and James Johnson discuss the top area teams, most notably Fairport and Hilton along with the upstart Canandaigua Braves.
Varsity Voices: Football preview, McQuaid vs. Aquinas
Jeff DiVeronica and James Johnson previews Saturday’s matchup between two private school rivals.
Varsity Voices: Football preview, Spencerport at Athena
Jeff DiVeronica and James Johnson preview Saturday’s class A football matchup between Spencerport, with Alton Jones and undefeated Greece Athena.
Varsity Voices: Football preview, Victor vs. Fairport
Jeff DiVeronica and James Johnson preview the challenge ahead for Fairport at Victor on Friday night.
Varsity Voices: Boys Volleyball
Penfield coach Mike Fusare, center, talks with Jeff DiVeronica and James Johnson about the big win over McQuaid and the Patriots’ strong start to the season.
Varsity Voices football: Rushing record season highlight so far
Sports writers Jeff DiVeronica and James Johnson spotlight record-setting Spencerport running back Alton Jones including highlights of his 491-yard, eight-TD game, and preview this week’s matchups.
Varsity Voices: Runner discusses McQuaid Invitational
Sports writers Jeff DiVeronica and James Johnson talk with Webster Thomas senior Amanda Vestri about her career and running in Saturday’s 52nd annual McQuaid Invitational, one of the most historic cross country meets in the U.S.
Varsity Voices Girls Volleyball: Fast start by Penfield, Victor
Sports writers Jeff DiVeronica and James Johnson highlight the fast start by Penfield and show Victor’s three-set win over Webster Schroeder this week.
ICYMI: Spencerport’s Jones runs for 491 yards. See how he did it
Alton Jones rushed for a Section V record 491 yards and finished with eight total touchdowns in Spencerport’s 63-39 victory over Irondequoit on Sept. 23, 2016.
Varsity Voices: Big games this week in soccer, football
Jeff DiVeronica and James Johnson look ahead to the big games.
Varsity Voices: Who is No. 1 in high school football, soccer
The beginning of the season brought some big games to Section V and the action is just heating up.
Varsity football returns to Monroe High after 30 years
At the 2016 Monroe High football pre-season camp, coach Jason Muhammad and players talk about what the return means to them. Video by James Johnson,
![Rush-Henrietta's Sammy Watson won the girls 400 and 1,500 state championships near the end of the last high school outdoor track and field season.]()
Rush-Henrietta’s Sammy Watson won the girls 400 and 1,500 state championships near the end of the last high school outdoor track and field season.
Wednesday was the opening day of the week-long National Letter of Intent signing period for several sports, but the most sought after senior in the Rochester area is still being chased by recruiters
Rush-Henrietta track star Sammy Watson hasn’t committed to a college yet and isn’t expected to soon. She’s still taking official visits, while the talent-rich Southeastern Conference (SEC) and several other national powerhouses continue to court her.
A former All-Greater Rochester Athlete of the Year in outdoor and indoor track, Watson took home four first places at last spring’s state championships. She also won the 400 meters at the prestigious Prefontaine Classic in Oregon (53.21 seconds) and the high school mile in a state-best time of 4:49.56 at the Penn Relays. She qualified and competed in the U.S. Olympic Trials in the 800.
Hilton senior and four-time state wrestling champion Yianni Diakomihalis will commit to the admissions process with Cornell University, an Ivy League school, making good on his verbal commitment from two years ago. Diakomihalis has won two straight United World Wrestling cadet freestyle titles. He is 232-3 and has won 199 straight matches in his decorated high school career.
The sport with the most early signees is girls lacrosse. Last spring nearly 60 former Section V players were on teams that competed in the NCAA Division I and DII tournaments and at least 30 more are expected to sign within the week.
JDIVERON@Gannett.com
Area athletes signing national letters of intent
Baseball: Tanner Cooper, Canandaigua (Stony Brook); Michael Jamele, Brockport (Merrimack); Shane Marshall, Webster Schroeder (Binghamton); Jeffrey Wilson, Greece Odyssey (LeMoyne).
Basketball: Nahziah Carter, Bishop Kearney (Dayton).
Girls bowling: Sarah Gerken, Hilton (Monmouth).
Boys Cross country: Paul Dellinger, Brighton (Duke).
Boys golf: Christian Chapman, Victor (Delaware); Danny Gianniny, Pittsford Sutherland (St. Bonaventure); Jack O’Donovan, Pittsford Sutherland (High Point).
Boys lacrosse: Devin Andrews, Canandaigua (Quinnipiac); Colby Barker, Pittsford Mendon (Ohio State); Jordan Bobbo, Fairport (Tampa); Jake Bucci, Fairport (Le Moyne); Michael DeWind, Fairport (Le Moyne); Brady D’Hont, Penfield (Canisius); Mitch DiSanto, Fairport (Belmont Abbey); Connor Fitzgerald, Pittsford Mendon (Tampa); John Galbraith, Pittsford Mendon (Colgate); Matt Gardner (Le Moyne); Connor Haims, Pittsford Mendon (Le Moyne); T.J. Hendricks, Fairport (Ohio State); Frank Imburgia, Pittsford Sutherland (Hobart); Michael Kozar, Fairport (Albany); Kyle McVoy, Fairport (Siena); Brett Randall, Brighton (Richmond), Jake Santini, Faiport (Le Moyne); Peter Schwab, Penfield (Albany); Patrick Sullivan, Pittsford Mendon lacrosse (Lenoir-Rhyne).
Girls lacrosse: Haley Barrett, Webster Thomas (Slippery Rock); Elizabeth Blanding, Pittsford Sutherland (New Hampshire); Bailey Boesel, Palmyra-Macedon (Alderson Broaddus); Brittany Chamberlain, Honeoye Falls-Lima (Florida); Payton Cook, Hilton (Mercyhurst); Madison Corcoran, Penfield (Hofstra); Katie Cosgrove, Churchville-Chili (Duke); Caroline Cullinan, Pittsford Mendon (Stanford); Jenna Doyle, Pittsford Mendon (Virginia Tech); Emily Glagolev, Webster Thomas (Arizona State); Paige Gottorff, Webster Schroeder (Grand Valley State); Ashley Guerra, Honeoye Falls-Lima (Butler); Natalie Gywnn, Canandaigua (Colgate); McKenzie Harris (Syracuse); Heather Higgins, Pittsford Mendon (Old Dominion); Maddy Howe, Fairport (Notre Dame); Isabelle Kenyon (Siena); Grace Lagoner, Webster Thomas (Butler); Anna Leva, Palmyra-Macedon (Edinboro); Sophia Leva, Palmyra-Macedon (Marquette); Sydney Meagher, Fairport (Le Moyne); Kaci Messier, Victor (Notre Dame); Megan Motkowski, Penfield (Hofstra); Maddilyn Mulcahy, East Rochester (Edinboro); Caitlin Muir, Honeoye Falls-Lima (Michigan); Taylor Nathan, Gates Chili girls (Binghamton); Nina Orlowski, Churchville-Chili (Le Moyne); Brittany Pollock, Fairport (Le Moyne); Jill Quevedo, Pittsford Mendon (Virginia); Sydney Reed, Victor (Duquesne); Aldyn Savage, Palmyra-Macedon (Binghamton); Cierra Scheik, Palmyra-Macedon (Niagara); Peyton Smith, Canandaigua (American); Katie Thomas, Newark (Edinboro); Emily Tomei, Webster Thomas (Roberts Wesleyan); Mackenzie Travis, Webster Thomas (Niagara); Gabriella Vasile, Webster Thomas (Duke); Maria Villanti, Honeoye Falls-Lima (Arizona State); Nicole Voci, Webster Thomas (Mount St. Mary’s); Maddy Walsh, East Rochester (Roberts Wesleyan); MacKenzie Winn, Pittsford Mendon (Delaware).
Softball: Sydney Bolan, Fairport (Central Connecticut State); Makayla Brzezinski, Bath (Saint Bonaventure); Eliza Demers, Brighton (Pennsylvania).
Boys swimming/diving: Jared Ritz, Victor (Xavier).
Girls swimming/diving: Madison Chapin, Victor (Canisius); Emma Corby, Pittsford Sutherland (Connecticut); Ali House, Newark (Ohio State); Sydney Lautenslager (Siena); Erin Norton, Victor diving (Auburn); Lindsay Stone, Pittsford Mendon (Notre Dame); Madi Sullivan, Honeoye Falls-Lima (Colgate)
Girls track/cross country: Abby Frank, Penfield (Quinnipiac); Anna Kostarellis, Churchville-Chili (Xavier); Natalie Neamtu, Webster Thomas (Rutgers).
Girls volleyball: Johanna Gregory, Penfield (Gannon); Emily Harnischfeger, Penfield (Carson-Newman); Renee LeBlanc, Fairport (Holy Cross); Alea Steigerwald, Penfield (Fairfield).
Wrestlin g: Matt Caccamise, Wayne (Buffalo); Louie DePrez, Hilton wrestling (Binghamton); Yianni Diakomihalis, Hilton wrestling (Cornell).
Names for Division I and II signees were submitted by area athletic directors. E-mail jdiveron@Gannett.com to report more.
![Hilton's Yianni Diakomihalis celebrates his fourth state title after winning the finals of the 138-pound class (Division I) during the NYSPHSAA 2016 State Wrestling Championships held at the Times Union Center in Albany, N.Y. on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2016.]()
Hilton’s Yianni Diakomihalis celebrates his fourth state title after winning the finals of the 138-pound class (Division I) during the NYSPHSAA 2016 State Wrestling Championships held at the Times Union Center in Albany, N.Y. on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2016.
