High school sports roundup: Grand Island girls varsity volleyball battles Williamsville South in Section 6 Class A1 finals

By Madeline Dorobiala

The Grand Island Vikings met the Williamsville South Billies on Nov. 5 at Clarence High School. Here’s what went down:

Fans came out strongly representing both teams. The first set started with the Billies making a series of kills putting them first on the board 3-0. Throughout, the Vikings held their own catching up with a 1-point difference. The Vikings defense shielded against the Billies, tying the game 6-6. After a kill drought toward the end of the set, the Billies caught up, making a kill and tightening the score, 14-18, with the Vikings in the lead. The Vikings cemented their lead, ending the set with a kill to make it 24-20.

The Vikings continued their lead into the beginning of the second set with a 3-0 start. Taking advantage of the Vikings exhaustion, the Billies took the offensive lead, 8-5. The Billies clutched the win in the second set, 25-10.

The Billies continued dominant momentum into the third set, quickly getting out 1-0. The Vikings were quick to respond with a kill, tying it at 1-1. The point distance between both teams extended to a 9-point difference in the middle of the third set. The Billies took the win in the third, 25-10.

The Vikings turned on the heat in the fourth set, adding the first point to the board. The Billies sped past the Vikings offense on the board. Eager to catch up, the Vikings defense worked together and made a kill to make it 16-18. The Billies won the fourth set, claiming the 3-1 win against the Vikings.

Standout players

•Madelyn Pfeil, sophomore outside hitter and libero, made fluid passes along with her teammate Layla Oursler, junior outside hitter.

•Teagan Willats, senior libero and defensive specialist, hustled and racked up 8 digs against Williamsville South.

History

Grand Island, Niagara Wheatfield and North Tonawanda were top three in the Niagara Frontier League. North Tonawanda ended up on top, but Grand Island beat Niagara Wheatfield once this season and were able to rob a set from North Tonawanda. Grand Island showed their strength at the beginning of their season, winning against St. Mary’s and Williamsville South. They had a taste of tough competition early in the week, defeating Hamburg on Nov. 3. With Hamburg being undefeated prior in their league, Grand Island’s win gave them a boost before entering the playoffs.

••••••••

Grand Island varsity football fights McKinley Macks in Section 6 A5 semifinals

The Grand Island Vikings met the McKinley Macks on Nov. 6 at All High Stadium. Here’s what went down:

The first quarter started with a kickoff by the Macks. The Macks regained possession and, with a handoff, they ate 57 yards and scored a touchdown, adding 8-0 to the board.

The Vikings ran to the 30-yard line for a first down, their first of the game. They had a chance to take offensive control at the start of the second quarter, eager to execute their plays. Their quarterback wove through the McKinley defense for a first down. He continued making passes only to have a turnover, with the Macks running straight into the end zone for a touchdown – making the score 14-0. The Vikings defense fought, but the Macks broke through past the 20-yard line for another touchdown adding 20-0 to the board.

The Vikings turned up the heat in the third quarter, passing deep in the Mack’s zone. The Macks tested the Vikings, but were no match for their defense as they brought the same strong plays from the first half of the game into the second.

The Vikings turned up their offensive power at the start of the fourth quarter. The Macks matched that power with an interception when the Vikings attempted to throw in deep. Much like through the first three quarters, the Vikings leaned on their defense when the Macks made offensive advances. With another taste of offense, the Vikings tacked on another first down that brought them to the 40-yard line. The Vikings stood firm, preventing the Macks from scoring the rest of the second half, which sealed the 22-0 loss.

Standout players

•Anthony Mantione, sophomore quarterback and defensive back, has been a natural leading rusher for the Vikings from the quarterback standpoint this season. Mantione was recognized as player of the game against the Macks.

•Johnathan Neville, senior wide receiver and defensive back, has been a three-year starter wide receiver for the Vikings this season. Neville was also recognized as player of the game against the Macks.

History

Grand Island was ranked No. 4 in the A2 league. They had a close sixth game of the season, losing to Williamsville East. Grand Island tacked on another loss against McKinley for a No. 2 seat in the A2 league. Playing with the same eagerness throughout the season, they defeated the top seed in the A1 league, Williamsville North. Grand Island had a total of 6 wins and 4 losses overall this season.