S-GI VOLLEYBALL WINS CHAMPIONSHIP Springville Journal /Saturday, October 25, 2014
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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2014
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Valenti named Buffalo Bills-National Guard Coach of the Week after upset win By Dave DeLuca SPORTS REPORTER
Rob Valenti would be the first one to say he doesn’t need the attention. But he’d be the last one to say that being recognized amongst some of the best coaches in WNY doesn’t matter. Valenti, the SpringvilleGI head football coach, has been named the Buffalo Bills-National Guard Coach of the Week after the Griffs upset East Aurora, which was previously unbeaten in the league, 28-23 on Oct. 10. “This award is a true testament to how hard people in this football program work,” Valenti said. “It starts with our coaches and it trickles all the way down to our players. To win this award after Week 6 against EA, it is significant in so many ways. “From our players perspective, they knew after our Week 5 loss to Dunkirk, we were out of the playoffs and the B-Bowl, losing three games by a combined six points. To see the resolve and fortitude to come back to work the following week and to grind and work to get better is just tremendous.” The award also gives Springville a $1,000 grant to use for some program needs. “He’d also be the first one to say that everyone had a hand in it,” assistant coach Sean Bruso said. “After the week we had against East Aurora,
DAVE DELUCA
After guiding the Springville football team to an upset win over East Aurora, Rob Valenti earned Coach of the Week honors. it’s certainly nice to get a little recognition for this program. “He does a great job checking his ego at the door and looking out for everyone else; working for everyone else.
He always puts the program first. He’s takes everything to heart. Everything that happens he’s very emotional about because he wants the best for everybody, players
especially” Springville has had, on paper, a head-scratching season. The Griffs lost a 22-point fourth quarter lead and lost to Fredonia, 38-36 in Week
One. They followed that up with a 20-18 loss to Olean in Week Two, getting stopped on two-point conversion attempt in the final minutes. Even after winning their next two games,
Springville was disappointed yet again, losing to Dunkirk in the final seven seconds.
See “Coach” on page B2
Springville cross country Griffins soccer falls teams take sixth at Eden Invite in pair of games, season ends
EMYLE WATKINS
Springville’s top five boys finishers from the Eden Invitational on Oct. 17. By Emyle Watkins SPORTS REPORTER
EMYLE WATKINS
Elle Russell set a new personal best and finished fourth of 110 competitors at Eden.
Friday (Oct. 17), the Springville boys and girls cross country teams’ hard work this season paid off as individual runners placed near the top of their races at the Eden Invitational. Springville overall placed sixth among boys teams and sixth among girls teams. “All the work you put in comes out in the end,” Springville girls runner Elle Russell said. “You can see the progress
you’re making as an athlete. Overall, 201 boys from 14 area high schools and 110 girls from 11 area high schools competed in the invitational at Eden High School. St. Francis, Frontier and East Aurora would take top three overall spots on the boys side while Hamburg, Fredonia and Lake Shore took the top three for the girls. Russell and McKenzie Maloy were top finishers for the SGI girls. Russell beat her best time and placed fourth with a time of 20:06 while Maloy would follow with an impressive 20:49 finish, earning her eighth place. “You have a goal set in your mind. You just try to reach it as best and fast as you can,” Russell said about her race. Mitchell Bunic and Tyler Olrogg were among the leading runners on Springville’s boys team. Bunic was first out of the Springville boys to come in, placing 26th with a time of 18:05. “I feel like I did a lot better than I have been in the last few races,” Bunic said. “I feel like as a team, we did really, really well.”
See “XC” on page B2
By Emyle Watkins SPORTS REPORTER
On a rainy Thursday night (Oct.16), Springville boys soccer took on Lackawanna at home in its final regulation game. The Griffins fell, 3-1. Springville goalkeeper Nolan Gills played well, stopping 12 Lackawanna shots. The team’s only goal was scored in the first half by Damian Fisher, who finished off a pass from Dustin Emerson. Springville had four shots on goal. All of Lackawanna’s goals were scored by Ali Shawish with assists from Faisal Ali and Zaidan Moshin. Shawish opened the scoring in the first half, but Fisher and the Griffins answered just two minutes later. Lackawanna added another goal before the end of the opening half and one more in the second to round out the scoring. “I think we played very well versus Lackawanna,” said senior Owen Gow. “We played strong throughout
EMYLE WATKINS
Dustin Emerson. the entire game and only limited them to a few goals.” The seniors also celebrated senior night at half time when the rain let up just enough for the boys to share an important moment with their individual and soccer families. Trey Aebly, Mark Doud, Emerson, Fisher, Garret Frank, Calvin Gath, Gills, Gow, and Justus Hamm make up the Griffins’ senior class. Springville’s season came to an end when the team fell to Tonawanda in the first round of sectionals on Oct. 21. Aebly scored the team’s lone goal in the 2-1 overtime loss.