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Gowanda outdoor ice rink offers hockey and free skating to community members By Mark Benton
SPORTS CORRESPONDENT
The Village of Gowanda Recreation Department has once again constructed an outdoor ice rink at St. John Park for community members to enjoy. This is the eighth time in the last 10 years that the weather has cooperated (long cold snaps), which has enabled the basketball court at St. John Park to be flooded and sustain an ice surface. “This outdoor rink is unbelievable. What a great activity for the children in the Gowanda area,” said Tom Maloney. “Three of my grandchildren come here almost every night that the rink is open to skate or play hockey.” St. John Park has a long history of ice skating on the grounds located between the streets of St. John, College, Aldrich and Carpenter Terrace
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
The Village of Gowanda Rec Department has constructed an outdoor ice rink at St. John Park for the eighth time in 10 years. in the heart of the village. As far back as the 1940s, the local fire company would flood a large portion of the grass area for community ice skating.
Several parents that resided near the park also gave the village a hand in constructing and maintaining an ice rink on the old spray pool during
the 1960s. However, after almost 40 years of no ice skating at St. John Park, the new staff at the Recreation Department began
to explore ways to restore the outdoor winter activity in 2005. Several different methods have been used over the past 10 years to build and retain a rink. But the most effective method is a long and sustained cold spell that allows the ice surface to be built up over a period of 10 or more days. “My daughter, Julianna, looks forward to coming to the rink to skate and see other children,” her mother, Karen Speers, said during a recent visit to the Park. “The children all seem to be having such a great time.” Besides the free skating that takes place each night when the rink is open, recreational hockey games also are a staple for the ice rink. Most of the players are high school age with a few adults that are still active. “The hockey is a lot of fun” said Gowanda Central School senior Seth Halftown. “It is
the only outdoor rink for us to play hockey on in the area and it has lights.” Through donations, grants, and careful spending with a limited budget, the Recreation Department has amassed a collection of 65 pairs of high quality ice skates over the past 10 years. Hockey sticks, nets and pucks have also been purchased, which has enhanced the program. The rink is open to community residents of all ages every weeknight from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. when the weather cooperates. Weekend hours fluctuate, so it is best to call the ICE-LINE at 532-3431 to get the latest information on the ice surface. For insurance purposes and to maintain a good ice surface, no one is allowed on the ice except for during the scheduled hours of operation. There is a small fee to skate each night with free skate rentals.
Grey, Kelly, Goodmote keep winning
Farner had strong game
“Wrestling” from page B1
“Hoops” from page B1
“We won six of the ten matches that were contested but were pinned in the four that we lost,” said Timberwolves co-coach Rex Brown. “Both teams had some illness and were without some of their top wrestlers.”
Although Cattaraugus-Little Valley/Pine Valley lost to the best small school in Western New York, they were once again competitive throughout the meet between the two southern tier programs.
“Randy Grey recorded his 11th pin of the season, Alex Kelly notched his 26th win and 15th pin and Reggie Goodemote moved up to the 220 weight class and improved his record to 14-6,” Brown said.
Those are all positives that the Timberwolves can build on as they moved towards the most important part of their season, the Section VI championships and the opportunity to advance to the New York State meet.
The history of Gowanda’s last championship basketball team By Mark Benton
SPORTS CORRESPONDENT
Basketball is one of the oldest interscholastic sports that have been played at Gowanda High School. Old photos and local newspaper articles can trace the sport back to the early 1900s. Gowanda High School had a powerful team during the 1930s as it won the Cattaraugus County championship on numerous occasions. During World War II and shortly thereafter, Gowanda was again the team to beat. As a matter of fact, no opponent defeated the Blue and White “Cagers” during the 1946-47 season as Gowanda posted a perfect 19-0 record. That string of victories included the Cattaraugus County, Bi-County and Section VI championship. Gowanda High, which had inherited the ‘Panther’moniker in the 1950s, made another strong run in that decade and appeared in Buffalo’s Memo-
rial Auditorium several times while competing for another Section VI title. The 1953-54 squad, coached by Harold Hollenbeck, finally brought home the trophy from the “Aud” with a 60-46 win over Frontier High School. The following year, another very good Gowanda squad was upset in the Section VI semifinals and fell short of recording consecutive titles. A downturn followed, as no boys basketball championship banner has been raised at Gowanda High since the 1953-54 season, except for the CCIAC Division I title that was secured following the 1983-84 season. And that was a magical season for the Panthers. Just two years removed from going 0-18 in 1980-81, Gowanda started to show signs of a title contender when it went 13-7, which included its first Section VI playoff win in 28 years. In 1983-84, the turnaround continued as the Panthers opened the season by recording
four easy wins over non-league opponents before losing to Bishop Walsh in the IIABO tournament at St. Bonaventure University. The Blue and White rebounded two nights later and defeated Pioneer, the eventual Section VI Class B finalist, in the consolation game. Gowanda returned home and began league play with a close win over Fredonia. A trip to Southwestern Central School was another somewhat easy victory for the Blue and White before losing by one point at Olean. What followed the Olean loss was one of the biggest wins for Gowanda in recent memory. The undefeated Dunkirk Marauders invaded the Panthers’ gym as the No. 1 ranked small school in Western New York. And as the game progressed, the home team struggled while Dunkirk looked as though it would win once again. But Gowanda went into a half-court trap defense and outscored the Marauders 13-2 over the final two and a half
minutes to win by four. Gowanda had a letdown the following game and lost at Salamanca. The team’s league record dropped to 3-2. The Blue and White was not discouraged and won the next three games against Fredonia, Southwestern and Olean. Dunkirk was still the No. 1 ranked school when the Panthers met up with the Marauders for the second encounter, this time in Dunkirk. Gowanda jumped out to an early 14-2 lead and hung on for another three-point win. Three nights later, the Panthers defeated the Salamanca Warriors by 15 points at home to clinch the league title. After the game, the players cut down the nets in their gym for the only time in school history. Members of the 198384 CCIAC Division I championship team included: Tim Boswell, Doug Schindler, Shawn Van Slyke, Mike Miller, Seth Halftown, Jr., Greg Parkin, Mark McHale, Jim Hassett, Curtis Archer and Doug Lay.
Area bowlers ‘Strike Out For Cancer,’ prepare for postseason By Mark Benton
SPORTS CORRESPONDENT
The co-ed high school bowling regular season schedule is winding down as each team is gearing up for the County and Section VI championships. And the bowling programs at Forestville, Silver Creek and Cattaraugus-Little Valley will be more than ready when those big matches take place. On Jan. 14, the annual “Strike Our For Cancer” match between Forestville and Silver Creek took place. The Forestville boys swept all three games and the total pin count
from their rivals. “Austin Pierce and Brad Dillenburg each rolled a threegames series of 580,” noted coach Jean Flagler. “Macadam Gadewoltz and Phil Narraway also contributed to the sweep.” Gadewoltz had a high game of 220 for the Hornets. The Black Knights were led by Carl Cotroneo, who had a three-game score of 533. On the girls side of the alleys, it was Silver Creek that won two out of three and the total pin count. “Emily Narraway rolled a three-game set of 528 with a high game of 201,” Flagler reported. “Katie Dittiger was
Silver Creek’s top bowler with a high game of 212 that helped her reach a 557 set.” Both of the teams at Cattaraugus-Little Valley swept West Valley by wide margins. The win improved the boys’ overall record to 12-12. The girls remained right behind Gowanda in the standings with a record of 20-4. “Finally, we had another match,” lamented Cattaraugus.-Little Valley coach John Busekist after the Timberwolves endured several postponements due to inclement weather. “Jamie Belzile did not have his best day but it was still
good enough with a 531 series” Busekist said. His high single game was a 207. “Colin Liddle, Tom Kehr and Andrew Larkin also bowled well for us.” The girls team received an excellent performance from Britney Grey. She put together a three-game set of 648 with high games of 257 and 216. Mindy Pritchard, Anna Gassman and Vicki Grey also contributed to the sweep. “Next up is our double match with Salamanca and Allegany-Limestone,” echoed Busekist. “We follow that up with another against Hinsdale two days later.”
DAVE ECKHARDT
Gowanda fell to 3-5 after losing to the Gators. “We couldn’t make any shots,” said fifth-year Gator coach Glenn Anderson. “We have struggled with our shooting so far this season and that first quarter was our lowest point.” When the second frame began, it was Gowanda that could not find the bottom of the net. The visiting Gators took advantage of the all-of-a-sudden cold-shooting Panthers and began to make several baskets in transition to climb back into the contest. When the second quarter ended, Gowanda retreated to their locker room holding just a two-point lead. Allegany-Limestone continued to scrap and make second chance shots during the third period and took a 37-35 lead with one minute remaining. By the end of the quarter, the Gators led by four. “Bailey Higbie was having a great game inside that allowed us to come back,” noted Anderson. “This will build
his confidence since he has struggled lately.” Cole Davis also started to find his shooting touch, which attributed to the turnaround. By the fourth quarter, an undermanned Gowanda team that was playing without two starters due to long-term injuries could not keep pace with its league rivals. AlleganyLimestone increased the lead to 10 points late in the contest before Gowanda’s Les Young scored five points in the final minute. When the final horn went off, the Gators had claimed their first league win by a score of 50-42. On a bright note for Gowanda, Kyle Farner came off of the bench and played his best game of the season. The senior center finished with eight points. With the loss, Gowanda’s overall record fell to 3-5. The Blue and White have upcoming home games with Randolph and Chautauqua Lake.
Sports writers wanted
Community Papers of WNY is seeking dedicated writers to cover high school sports on a freelance basis in Hamburg, Springville and Gowanda. The ideal candidates will provide beat coverage of the area they’re hired to work in and have experience writing feature stories, game recaps, game previews and other forms of sports stories. Additionally, qualified indi-
viduals will have strong verbal and written communication skills, knowledge of Associated Press style and be able to write four-six sports stories per week. If interested, submit a resume and three writing samples to CPOWNY sports editor Tom Gallagher at TGallagher@ CPOWNY.com. For more information, call Tom Gallagher at 716-668-5223 ext. 8168.
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Rod, Gun & Game: Greater Niagara Fishing and Outdoor Expo set for this weekend By Forrest Fisher SPORTS REPORTER
The Greater Niagara Fishing and Outdoor Expo is set for this weekend, Jan. 23-25, at the Niagara Falls Conference and Event Center, in downtown Niagara Falls. At this “cabin-fever” time of year, winter-bound sportsmen are looking to learn more about the outdoors and improve their outdoor skills. The Niagara Outdoor Expo this year will help with those needs, providing more than the usual outdoor show, since the show will focus on outdoor education. More than 60 expert speakers will present over 100 seminars during the three day event. With the laudable goal to educate locals and visitors about the Greater Niagara Western New York outdoor paradise we live in, helping folks just into the outdoors to learn more the abundant our outdoor adventures just waiting to be discovered. Most of us already know that the Greater Niagara Western New York area is an outdoorsman’s paradise, featuring some of the best freshwater sport fishing in the world. We have hiking, kayaking, snowmobiling, cycling, camping, shooting, photography and so many more world class outdoor activities! The Expo will offer more 150 manufacturer and vendor booths across 116,000 square feet of space at the Conference Center, while continuous free seminars will be offered in the 10 private, sound and picture screen conference rooms at the site. Numerous nationally and internationally renowned keynote speakers will be on hand each day. On Friday night, Jan. 23, one of America’s greatest outdoor personalities, Charlie Alsheimer, will offer two free seminars: one on Creative Nature Photography and the second on Ultimate Deer Hunting. Alsheimer is a legend in
the outdoor world and his insight into the world of whitetail deer is extremely knowledgeable and thought provoking. If you are a deer hunter and you’ve never heard Charlie speak, you owe it to yourself to sit in on his seminars. If you own a camera and want to take better pictures outside, there isn’t anyone better in the outdoors with a lens. In addition, expert angler, Matt Straw, will be around all three days giving seminars on fishing expertise. Straw is an expert angler himself and his articles are found in nearly every angling periodical around the country, including In-Fisherman, Great Lakes Angler, Salmon/Trout/ Steelheader and others. If you are ready for ice fishing, this show will offer an opportunity to get in tune with hard water tackle with advice and new tips too. Whether you are a beginner learning more on how to get started, or an expert learning to expand your ice fishing knowledge, you will be able to talk with Scott Brauer on ice fishing gear and Mike Smith from the Clam Corporation, the ice fishing shelter guy. Both will be on hand to answer ice fishing questions. Tim Thomas from the New York State Pro-Am Ice Tournament’s and Winter Classic will be offering information on those new fishing competitions. Will Elliott will offer seminars on ice fishing WNY and Lake Erie perch fishing. This is the largest educational three-day show of its kind on the Great Lakes. Entry fee for the show is $8, kids 10 and under are free. For more on this show, see www.niagarafishingexpo.com to check the complete list of speakers and seminar times. Look for my better half and I to be on hand to meet with you and talk about the many facets of our great WNY outdoors, we’ll be in the booth with the Erie County Federation of Sportsmen. See you there!
JOE FORMA
WNY whitetail bucks are even more handsome in January, but it will not be long until the male deer drop their massive antlers and start to grow new antlers for 2015.
WNY ice coverings on our inland lakes have grown considerably in the last few days, but anglers should still keep in mind that ice thicknesses can vary greatly on the same body of water due to underwater spring locations and other conditions. So be safe before you are sorry. Drilling holes or tapping with a spud bar to check ice thickness is recommended on your way out, or when moving around. Safety ice picks, boot cleats, throw rope and a floatation device are always recommended safety supplies. Use good judgment and fish with a friend when possible. Those new to ice fishing can check the NYSDEC ice fishing basics web at: http://www.dec. ny.gov/outdoor/7733.html. The Buffalo Small Boat Harbor has good ice of about
8 to 10 inches, with anglers catching yellow perch, sunfish, smelt and a few crappie, mostly using small jigs with grubs. Anglers using tip-ups with shiners have hooked an occasional northern pike and rainbow trout. At Chautauqua Lake, there is about 8 inches of ice in the south end and 4-6 inches of ice in the north end, with perch, crappie and walleye catches reported by anglers this past weekend. Ice fishing is popular on Cattaraugus County lakes too, with ice fishing activity on Harwood and Allen Lakes offering fair ice fishing success for smaller yellow perch and a variety of sunfish. However, there is also the opportunity to catch large breeder trout that were stocked in the fall by the Randolph Fish Hatchery. Since the controversial Safe
Keppel adjusted to new coach quickly
Act law was passed in January 2013, and was in effect by March, 2013, there have been approximately 4,000 arrests through mid-December under various SAFE Act provisions, these data from state records obtained by the Gannett News Albany Bureau, according to a report circulated by the New York State Conservation Council. The largest number of arrests have been in New York City (3,230), there have been 53 arrests in Erie County. Most of the arrests are reportedly for criminal possession of a firearm, which is a felony under the new Safe Act Law. The inside word is that Safe Act II is not too far behind. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) Summer Environmental Education Camp registration
opened on Wednesday, Jan. 21. Parents may register their children through DEC’s online registration system and pay by credit card, e-check or with a sponsor code. Parents and sponsors can currently access the registration site to create their profiles on line. It is important that all contact information is updated since email will be the primary method of contacting parents and sponsors. The link to the registration site is http://www. dec.ny.gov/education/61769. html. Look for the green “Register for summer camp button.” In addition to inviting parents to register their children to participate in DEC summer environmental education camp program, several local WNY sporting clubs sponsor one or more children for a week at camp. These include the West Falls Conservation Society, East Aurora Fish and Game, Southtowns Walleye Association and other groups. Information about becoming a sponsor is available at www. dec.ny.gov/education/1866. html The 2015 summer camp season will not include a price increase, as camps will remain at the $350 weekly fee, but this year, the summer camp week has been changed from 6 nights to 5 nights. The fee includes program supplies for outdoor lessons and adventures, 15 meals, a camper t-shirt and accommodations for 5 nights. Jan . 23-25: Niagara Falls Outdoor Sportsman’s Show and Educational Academy, info: www.niagarafishingexpo.com Jan. 25: 3D Winter Archery, 2015 league, walk-on’s welcome, Evans Rod & Gun, Cain Rd., 8 a.m.-2 p.m., info: 866-5072 Send outdoors info to Forrest Fisher Column 10 days in advance, email: nugdor@
K & L standings
“Keppel” from page B1
DAVE ECKHARDT
Keppel, left, tries to block a shot during a game against Gowanda. Now, the Eagles are on a three-game winning streak. “It was hard before we all
knew our old coach. We’ve grown up with him in high school and all of a sudden he’s gone and there’s this
new guy that we’ve never met ever before,” said Keppel. “It was a rough start. We weren’t too close,
but the practices were a lot different than we were used to. So that was a little hard, too.” Keppel and her teammates quickly adjusted to Lewis and began going to summer clinics with the little time Keppel had with summer volleyball and summer softball “It’s hard to mix it all in because those are my two main sports,” said Keppel. Even with all of the hard work that Keppel put into last summer, working on basketball individually and with her teammates, it is still surprising to her to see the results of it all. “We have five seniors and we’ve grown up since kindergarten so we all know each other and are comfortable with each other and I think that’s the biggest difference from last year,” Keppel said. “We’re all close and we’re blending together than we did last year.” Keppel has worked on her overall game so much that she is the Eagles’ leader in points with over 10 points per game. She is also the team leader in steals. All of what she is able to contribute has made North Collins a more competitive team. “It’s still a shock that we score over 10 points,” said Keppel.
K & L top bowlers