WNY High School Programs Flock To Fisher Camp For Summer Run

This time of year, the vast majority of action revolves around AAU programs preparing for the July grind. There's still plenty of that, but a good amount of Section V & Section VI/MMA's premier talent found the time to get some work in with their high school teams on Tuesday & Wednesday. As a small town native, I'll always have a soft spot for scholastic sports (if you can't tell by my coverage taking on a life of its own in the winter). When there's a chance to see a concentration of respectable high school programs under one roof, I won't pass it up, so it was an easy decision to make the trip to Tri-County Sports Complex outside of Rochester for Wednesday's festivities, the final day of St. John Fisher's team camp.

I wasn't able to watch every participating team in Wednesday's four time slots, but I covered as much ground as possible. A few notes from the day's action:

- This is in no way a comment against any other area, but as my coverage base has expanded to all borders of New York, I've developed an opinion that Section V has some of the best high school coaching in the state. As much fun as it was to watch the players get after it, I also enjoyed watching some of the coaches in "teach mode" in a team camp setting.

Anaya Coleman was must-see TV at the St. John Fisher team camp, including an attention-demanding offensive display in Mendon's final game vs. Penfield.

- This isn't news to anyone that pays legitimate attention to girls' basketball in NY, but Pittsford Mendon is the real deal. The scary thing? Their success in Section V has been as consistent as death & taxes in recent years, they have a state championship & another state finals appearance over the last few years, and this is as talented of a Mendon group that I've seen. Their rising senior group is very strong, and their guard play might be unmatched in New York among the Class A ranks. Anaya Coleman is one of upstate NY's most skilled & exciting guards, and she lit up the gym Wednesday with her scoring ability & creativity. Dani Strauf is a steady performer that can score or create for others, play on or off the ball, and brings some of the "glue player" qualities. Lily Kennedy is in the same boat in many ways, and at 5'10" & a long, fluid athlete, she brings a different level of versatility at both ends. Add Bridget Miller in the post, a strong 6 footer with a budding offensive game, and their firepower is undeniable. A trademark of the Mendon program is what they bring on the defensive end as well - in their 15-0 run culminating in a Section V Class A title in March, they held their opponents under 50 on 13 occasions - so despite graduating Cornell bound Lexi Green, one of Section V's usual suspects appears to be set up for February/March success once again.

Kyleigh Chapman (Canandaigua 2024) is developing into one of Section V's most intriguing young talents.

- Keeping with the Section V Class A talk, if Mendon is the #1 hit, the group rising up the charts has to be Canandaigua. They went 11-2 last winter and made it to the Class A semifinals, and not only are most of their contributors & rotation players back... most of them are 2023s/2024s. They're young in age, but quickly gaining meaningful experience. Behind scrappy & athletic 2023 guard Mya Herman (12.6 PPG), a 5'10" 2024 wing that's developing into a trusted half-court scorer in Kyleigh Chapman, and active & athletic size in 6 footer Kayla Taylor and 5'11" Macy Bacon, both 2024s, they have most of the necessary pieces set for long-term success. The future is now for the Braves, and it'll be fun to watch them continue to grow over the next couple years.

Bella Pucci (Fairport 2023), a dynamic guard with a scholarship-level basketball future, has blossomed into one of Section V's premier players.

- Time to bump up to Class AA for a minute. A couple years ago, Fairport was the team with the young kids that "could end up being really good". Last season, they took the next step into being a legitimate group that no team in Section V could look past, finishing with a 9-4 record & sectional loss to eventual champion Penfield. Going forward, they have to be looked at as a serious contender that could beat anyone in Class AA. Their dynamic 2023 duo of Ella Meabon (17.4 PPG) & Bella Pucci (17.2 PPG) have grown into two of the 585's must-see players with Division I futures. It's not just those two though, as Abigail Smith (2022) gives them another reliable backcourt presence and Riley DeRue (2022) is an athletic 5'11" workhorse that helps anchor their efforts around the rim. I would also anticipate that Ne'vaeh Buntley, a 2024 with upside that shows promise, takes a big step forward too. Combine the dynamic ability of Ella & Bella with their general depth and ability to get production from others, and in my opinion, Fairport now has to be mentioned among the perennial powers like Bishop Kearney & Penfield as a major player in Class AA for the next couple years.

- Speaking of Penfield, I wasn't able to watch the eventual Section V Class AA champions in person during the shortened season, so I was glad to get a chance at this team camp. Much of what they did Wednesday was centered around 2023 PG Grace Alexander, 2023 wing Jackie Funk, and 2022 forward Kennedy Cone, but their system means that everyone is a weapon and they all have a certain level of basketball IQ & understand the game. Can't have a Section V girls' basketball discussion without bringing up Penfield - or a New York discussion for that matter - and that clearly won't change anytime soon.

Emily McDonald, an Orchard Park 2026 that hit the court with St. Mary's, has the potential to be one of WNY's future stars.

- The team camp featured primarily Section V teams, but it wasn't exclusively a 585 thing. Monsignor Martin (Section VI private school) programs St. Mary's and Nichols made the trip east for the two-day event. Missing the first day meant I missed out on watching Shay Ciezki in action for St. Mary's, a nationally regarded 2022 with Power 5 offers & now holding the #40 spot in espnW's latest rankings for the 2022 class. However, they came equipped with several notable players, both established varsity contributors and young up & coming talent. The one in particular that I'll bring up here is Emily McDonald. This was my first time watching her, and it didn't take more than a couple minutes to realize it wouldn't be my last. She's just a 2026 and not remotely close to done physically developing, but her skill level & court presence both are beyond her years, and there was no fear in her eyes even when going up against the aforementioned Mendon guards that are four years older. Her shooting stroke is pure and she knocked a couple down from deep even with a contest, and she has the skill on the ball to create off the bounce. The rising Orchard Park 8th grader will likely be a name that WNY basketball enthusiasts will know sooner rather than later. So much is left to be determined at her young age when it comes to physical/skill development, but she looks to be cut from that cloth of recent Buffalo area lead guards (the aforementioned Ciezki & Kaylee Krysztof, a 2023 getting MM offers). Time will tell... remember the name.

- Now over to Nichols because they've done some shaking up of their own. Along with returning 2023 standout Quinn Benchley making things happen, they also had 2024 Brianna Barr in the building, a 6'2" 2024 that averaged nearly 18 PPG/15 RPG for Grand Island as a freshman and already holds an offer from Buffalo. Bri was a game changer for Nichols as a two-way force - back-to-basket & face-up scoring ability, rim protection, and a powerful rebounding presence. I think she's made serious strides since first watching her a couple years ago, and there's more where that came from.

Again, I wasn't able to catch every one of these teams in action, but shoutout to the 15 programs that spent their Tuesday & Wednesday nights in the gym. They included:

- Avon (Section V Class C1 finalist)

- Canandaigua (Section V Class A semifinalist)

- Churchville-Chili

- Dansville (Section V Class B2 finalist)

- Fairport

- Nichols School

- Our Lady of Mercy

- Penfield (Section V Class AA champion)

- Pittsford Mendon (Section V Class A champion)

- Pittsford Sutherland

- St. Mary's - Lancaster (Monsignor Martin finalist)

- Webster Schroeder (Section V Class AA semifinalist)

- Webster Thomas

Also, this isn't a 100% comprehensive list as I'm sure I'm missing at least a couple - the whole not getting to watch every team thing - but a general list of some of the more notable players putting in work that caught my eye at the team camp:

Anaya Coleman (5'6", Pittsford Mendon 2022 - multiple D1 offers)

Kennedy Cone (6'2", Penfield 2022)

Lily Kennedy (5'10", Pittsford Mendon 2022)

Haley Potenza (5'6", East Aurora 2022 - playing with Nichols)

Dani Strauf (5'10", Pittsford Mendon 2022)

Grace Alexander (5'3", Penfield 2023)

Quinn Benchley (5'9", Nichols School 2023)

Jackie Funk (5'10", Penfield 2023)

Mya Herman (5'7", Canandaigua 2023)

Rachel Kamrowski (5'4", Lancaster 2023 - playing with St. Mary's)

Sarina McDowell (6'2", Avon 2023)

Ella Meabon (5'8", Fairport 2023 - numerous D1 offers)

Sydney Postell (5'10", Churchville-Chili 2023)

Bella Pucci (5'8", Fairport 2023)

Brianna Barr (6'2", Nichols School 2024 - D1 offered)

Kyleigh Chapman (5'10", Canandaigua 2024)

Kayla Taylor (6'0", Canandaigua 2024)

Emily McDonald (5'6", Orchard Park 2026 - playing with St. Mary's)

Sydney Postell is one of upstate NY's most rapidly emerging talents, and junior year is shaping up to be a big one for the Churchville-Chili standout 2023.

Anyone have a team camp, summer league, or anything where several high school teams will be in the same gym on any given night? Let me know and I'll do everything I can to be there. This was fun - thanks to St. John Fisher coach Melissa Kuberka for giving me the heads-up on this. Glad I was able to make the trip!

The Prime Event East: Saturday Recap

I'm usually terrible with getting event articles to the blog - so trying a new format!

High temperatures in the Lancaster, PA area were forecast to be above 90 degrees both days this weekend, so Mother Nature decided to bring the heat. However, the action inside the Spooky Nook facility is proving to be even hotter as The Prime Event revs up. I'm on hand for the entire weekend - Spooky Nook has become one of several second homes to me, so not a surprise - and before Sunday tips off, let's do something a little different and take a look back at the games I was able to catch on the opening day.

8:30 - Albany Lady Stars 2022 vs. Bay State Jaguars 2023 Gold

The day started off with a competitive battle, as I finally got to watch a full game of Coach Twigzz' 2022 squad. This one was pretty close from the jump, and the Jags held a narrow 25-24 edge at halftime. They threatened to separate themselves at one point in the 2nd half, but recent Caldwell (Division II) commit KJ Gordon had a monster 2nd half for the Lady Stars to keep them within striking distance. However, BSJ proved to be too much - thanks in large part to a killer 2025 tandem of Olivia Rodrigues and Aleah Bracey - in a 56-50 Jags victory.

KJ Gordon went off in the 2nd half & led a furious Lady Stars charge in the final minutes.

9:40 - Albany Lady Stars vs. NEPA Elite 2024s

Another time slot, another Lady Stars game, this time the 2024s as they took on NEPA Elite in a battle between two programs in my "primary coverage region". Lady Stars grabbed an early lead, but NEPA went on a big run late in the 1st half fueled by the perimeter shooting of Finley Bittenbender on the way to a 28-22 halftime lead. The Scranton-area crew maintained a narrow lead the rest of the way and held off the Lady Stars for a 43-40 victory. Along with Finley & Kennedy Bittenbender, it was a lot of 2025s that made noise in this one; Sophia Tallutto & Ella Wilson for NEPA, and Azera Gates, Morgan Brewer, & Hannah Lauenstein for Lady Stars.

10:50 - X-Gen Elite vs. Team Final 2023s

Most games that I watched on Saturday were close & competitive the whole way. This was the first one where a team broke away, and it was the X-Gen crew out of the Buffalo area. After a sluggish start, they went on a 7-0 spurt late in the 1st half to push ahead to a 23-13 halftime lead. They continued to extend it from there, running to a 46-28 W. Casey Mahony was particularly impressive for X-Gen. Her impact is always felt on the court, often heavily in non-box score contributions (effort/energy/leadership & on the boards), but she packed a scoring punch with several jumpers off the catch, a couple finishes in transition, & more on the offensive glass. Rachel Kamrowski also picked it up in the 2nd half to help them extend the lead, although in limited minutes due to taking a shot below the eye.

Casey Mahony made her presence felt by impacting the boards & the scorebook as X-Gen ran to 2-0 on the day.

12:00 - City Rocks vs. Team Rio

The first 2022 platinum division game I got to see was this one, as City Rocks took on GUAA program Team Rio. Rio was able to extend their cushion late in the 1st half, thanks in large part to hot shooting across the board, particularly off the right hand of 2022 Faith Pappas, and the offensive prowess of Mikayla Blakes, a 2024 that already holds Power 5 offers. She ended the half with a couple buckets to push their lead to 42-27. Rio pushed the margin into the 20 range in the 2nd half, but an undermanned City Rocks squad continued to battle and eventually cut the deficit back into single digits. However, the hole was too deep, as Team Rio pulled out a 74-65 victory. Payton Graber (2022) packed a much-needed scoring punch for City Rocks and was a noticeable presence on the ball. Maren Louridas (2022) also had her moments throughout the game, and Natasha Chudy, a 2023 that recently picked up her 1st offer from Siena, got it going in the 2nd half.

Mikayla Blakes left no doubt as to why she's already receiving offers from Power 5 programs as a 2024.

1:10 - Bay State Jaguars Gold 2022 vs. Lehigh Valley Fever

This was about the time of day where things got screwy. Because of timing (last game ending late, this one starting early), I didn't get over to Court 10 until later in the 1st half. A scrappy, physical, sloppy-at-times last few minutes of the half led to a 20-14 Jags edge. They were able to open it up in the 2nd half with an overall balanced attack, a testament to the depth of their program, en route to a 52-35 victory.

2:20 - NEPA Elite II vs. NJ Sparks Red

I missed the entire 1st half of this game (and the first couple minutes of the 2nd) due to deciding 2:20 would be my lunch break. When I got there, the Sparks led 34-26. By the end, NEPA had pulled away to a 52-40 victory, so feel free to do the math as to how the last 12+ minutes went. They received a heavy dose of post production from 2022s Chase Purdy and Claire Dougherty, and 2023 guard Kallie Booth was able to handle pressure & spend a lot of time in the paint in the 2nd half in what was an impressive comeback W.

3:30 - NY Havoc Blue GUAA vs. Boston Showstoppers

Two teams that were looking to break into the W column after falling in their bracket play openers, and the Havoc crew shook off a slow start to make sure that it'd be them. Despite struggling offensively through much of the 1st half, they kept the Showstoppers at 4 on the scoreboard for a very long time & pulled to a 22-10 lead at the break. They continued to separate themselves & ran to a 52-29 victory, which was the largest margin I saw on the day. Morgan Tompkins had a particularly solid performance, especially in the 2nd half as they stretched their lead, and Marist commit Jackie Piddock had the kind of solid performance on the ball that you come to expect from her at this point, but the story at this point is the presence of Morgan Lee. The 6'4" 2022 and Georgetown commit recently joined Havoc and has instantly made an impact with her presence around the rim and ability to score in the post. She was a clear difference maker in this game, and I look forward to seeing them as they continue to gel.

Georgetown commit Morgan Lee is already proving to be a major addition for the Havoc program.

4:40 - Exodus EYBL vs. Team PA Polly

Of course, I circled this one on the schedule to stop in and watch longtime WNY standout Shay Ciezki in action, but it's always fun to watch a team with talent depth like Exodus. Shay's profile has blown up over the last 8 months, and her recruitment is cemented among the Power 5 ranks while now seeing her name among the nation's elite on the espnW Hoopgurlz rankings. She had a nice start in what was a competitive opening half, and it didn't take long for others to make their presence felt. It felt like nearly everyone took their turn as they pushed to a 42-32 halftime lead. The beginning of the 2nd half belonged to Carys Baker (2022) as the lefty flashed the offensive versatility, and they broke it open in the process & eventually earned a 66-45 W. Despite the final score, Team PA stepped up to the plate, especially in the early going. Niagara commit Marlie Dickerson made plays for herself & teammates with the ball in her hands, and 6'1" 2022 Anastasiya Astapenka stepped out & showed the range with a few early threes.

Shay Ciezki helped Exodus get started on the right foot in their Prime Event opening W.

5:50 - Capitals Team McBride vs. NJ Sparks NEYC 2024

Though the Capitals led essentially wire to wire, this turned into one of the more entertaining games of the day. The Albany-based group led 27-20 at the break and held off the Sparks on the way to a 55-50 W, but there were a couple twists & turns along the way. I thought Gabby Martin had a particularly noteworthy performance with her effort, energy, & finishing ability 12' and in, and she's clearly cementing herself as a 2024 to watch in the Capital District. Allison O'Hanlon provided consistently solid play and a feeling of steadiness that they needed in the backcourt, and Ellie Cerf packed a big scoring punch for the Capitals along with getting a couple big steals in the final minute. Sofia Sanchez, a strong 2024 guard that showed the ability to get to the rim & score and knock it down from the perimeter, caught my eye for the Sparks.

Gabby Martin made a major impact for the Capitals in their Prime Event opening W.

7:00 - NY Havoc 2023 GUAA vs. CT Starters White

Similar to my first Havoc game of the day, this was a matchup between two teams looking to break into the W column. Also similar to my first Havoc game of the day, T-Flo's group made sure it was them. Behind solid play from Jayla Tyler and a perimeter shooting barrage from Jaidyn Chest & Ava Pearson, they jumped to a 31-16 halftime lead. The Starters responded and continued to battle throughout, with 2023 Annelise Martens and 2024s Samantha Mancini, Sequoia Turcotte-Briggs & Adeline Standish all making some impact. In a 2nd half that I think the Havoc crew would admit was ugly for long stretches, they needed to grind it out, and Meagan Schuermann answered the ball with an extended series of impact plays fueled by her motor. Havoc eventually won 52-40.

8:10 - NEPA Elite Clark vs. Fairfax Stars EYBL

The last game of the day was arguably my best one, as two high-powered groups put on a show while trying to earn a berth into the Platinum division quarterfinals. Ciera Toomey, currently ranked #14 in the 2023 class in the latest espnW rankings, and Drexel commit Kylie Lavelle made their presence felt early. However, the loaded backcourt of Fairfax Stars, led by Kiki Rice (#6 in espnW 2022 rankings), Riley Nelson (2023), and Kiyomi McMiller (#4 in espnW 2024 rankings), quickly established themselves and set the tone for a battle. Moriah Murray, also a Drexel commit, stepped up to the challenge for NEPA Elite & had a strong end to the 1st half, which saw them hold a narrow 30-27 lead. It was the usual suspects doing damage on both ends as Fairfax took a lead, extended it to double digits, and lost it as NEPA battled back. Toomey & Murray had fantastic 2nd halves in particular, and Kaeli Romanowski stepped up & made some big plays in the final minutes, including a three to give them a late lead followed by an assist to Toomey's game winning layup in the final seconds. NEPA walked out with a 67-65 W and a trip to the quarterfinals on Sunday.

Moriah Murray (Drexel commit) was fantastic for NEPA Elite as they ended the day 2-0.

The Brackets: Who's In The Hunt?

I mean, this is bracket play and everyone is playing to win, right? So a quick rundown of who's still in the race for a Prime Event title as all brackets enter quarterfinals Sunday morning:

The 2022 Platinum division features 7 shoe teams and an independent. The top half of the brackets sees a GUAA battle as GTS Fusion lines up against Team Curry, and NJ Sparks EYBL takes on lone remaining independent NEPA Elite. It's Nike vs. Adidas in the bottom half, as Philly Rise EYBL takes on Team Lex Nation 3SSB and Team Takeover EYBL draws Mass Rivals Platinum 3SSB.

Like the 2022s, the 2023 Platinum division also has 7 shoes and an independent remaining. WPA Bruins GUAA takes on Mass Rivals Platinum 3SSB, and Nike vs. Nike completes the top half as Philly Rise plays Fairfax Stars. Team Takeover EYBL gets lone independent I-90 Elite - Wright in a rematch of a fun battle last month, and Exodus EYBL draws the Comets GUAA squad in the bottom half.

The 2024 Platinum division is more evenly split between shoe-sponsored & independent programs. WPA Bruins GUAA starts their Sunday with a good MCW Starz squad, and Mid-Atlantic Magic draw Team Takeover EYBL to complete the top half. The Comets GUAA group plays Team Melo, and it's Philly Rise EYBL and New Heights completing the 2024 matchups.

There are also Gold division championships in each age bracket. I won't go through all of them, but from my primary coverage region: NEPA Elite Rini is in the 2022 quarterfinals after a 2-0 start, where they'll play GTS Fusion Rise. The 2023 Gold bracket is filled with teams from the extended region, highlighted by a Buffalo vs. Scranton matchup as X-Gen Elite gets NEPA Elite. I-90 Elite - McCauley has also made the quarterfinals, where they'll take on Comets Iacone. The 2024s have a Westchester County representative, as the Hoopers - Ziogas squad plays a CT Spirit group in the quarterfinals.

One day down, one to go. See you in the gym as bright & early as I'll wake up for!