A slate of 10 league games wasn’t enough to separate the Randolph and Allegany-Limestone boys basketball teams, nor the Franklinville and Ellicottville boys.
So in both cases to set the seedings for the Section 6 playoffs, the section’s boys basketball committee used the time-tested random tiebreaker of a coin toss. As a result, Randolph came out on top of the Class C bracket ahead of A-L and Franklinville pushed ahead of Ellicottville for third in Class D.
Franklinville (17-3) awaits either No. 6 Panama (11-9) or No. 11 North Collins (6-14) for a Friday Class D quarterfinal. The Panthers seek a second-straight sectional title after making a run to the state final four last year. But No. 1 seed Buffalo East (14-6) could stand in the way for both Franklinville and its rival Ellicottville.
If seeds hold, Franklinville would play No. 2 Sherman (15-5) and Ellicottville (18-2) would play East in the semifinals at JCC.
The Eagles will play either No. 5 Frewsburg (11-8) or No. 12 Brocton (2-18) Friday. Ellicottville beat Frewsburg 55-41 in the Eagles’ holiday tournament Dec. 14.
“They’re a pretty physical team, they have some good size, so that would be a tough matchup at home in that quarterfinal game,” coach Dave McCann said.
“As far as East goes, I’ve seen them play a couple times and they’re athletic,” he added. “(Willard) Anderson is one of the best guards in Western New York so that’ll be a challenging matchup as well if we’re fortunate enough to make it that far.”
No. 13 Portville (3-17) visits No. 12 Salamanca (7-13) Tuesday in a first-round Class C game in a rare fourth matchup between the Panthers and Warriors. Salamanca won the first three, starting with the Joe DeCerbo Memorial Tournament and two league games.
Warriors coach Adam Bennett discussed his team’s likely playoff matchup after a regular season finale, which despite a loss to Southwestern marked the end of a solid last week of the season, beating Portville and Pine Valley before Thursday’s finale.
“What I like is after that Silver Creek game (94-49 loss) we played really hard and really for the majority of the season, our effort’s been outstanding,” Bennett said. “But now we have to put it together in the playoffs. We’ve got a big challenge, we’re probably going to get Portville again for the fourth time, which is hard. The winner of that game gets Silver Creek, another league team. So we have to show off now how much better we’ve gotten and if we lay an egg in the playoffs it doesn’t matter.”
A-L (15-5) plays host to either No. 7 Lafayette (6-14) or No. 10 Global Concepts (5-15) Friday in the quarterfinals, while No. 1 Randolph (11-9) plays No. 8 Maple Grove (9-11) or No. 9 Buffalo Academy of Science (5-12). With a win, A-L would likely face No. 3 Tapestry (14-6) in a semifinal at Jamestown Community College. If the Cardinals, who finished the regular season with losses to A-L and Silver Creek, get past Maple Grove or BSAC, they could again face Silver Creek or No. 4 Chautauqua Lake (13-7) at JCC.
In the Section 6 girls playoffs, unbeaten Franklinville (20-0) received the second seed in Class D behind Panama (18-1), its foe in the last two championship losses.
Ellicottville (10-10) took the fourth seed in Class D and a Thursday first round home game against No. 5 Pine Valley (13-7). The CCAA East II teams split this regular season, with Pine Valley winning 50-45 in Ellicottville Jan. 17 and Ellicottville winning 50-41 at Pine Valley Feb. 5.
In Class C, Randolph earned a home playoff opener while Salamanca and Cattaraugus-Little Valley both hit the road Tuesday.
The Cardinals (12-7) took the fourth seed and play host to No. 13 Cassadaga Valley (4-16). The winner of that first-round game plays the winner of No. 12 Salamanca (4-16) at No. 5 Maple Grove (13-7) in a Thursday semifinal at the highest advancing seed. No. 9 C-LV (8-12) visits No. 8 Silver Creek (11-9) for the right to play No. 1 Holland (18-2) on Thursday.
SECTION 6 BOYS BASKETBALL
(All games 7 p.m. unless otherwise indicated)
CLASS C
Tuesday’s First Round Game
13. Portville (3-17) at 12. Salamanca (7-13)
Wednesday’s Second Round Games
9. Buffalo Academy of Science (5-12) at 8. Maple Grove (9-11)
Salamanca/Portville winner at 5. Silver Creek (15-5)
10. Global Concepts (5-15) at 7. Lafayette (6-14)
11. Cassadaga Valley (7-13) at 6. Holland (8-12)
Friday’s Quarterfinals
Maple Grove/BASC winner at 1. Randolph (11-9)
Silver Creek/Salamanca/Portville winner at 4. Chautauqua Lake (13-7)
Lafayette/Global Concepts winner at 2. Allegany-Limestone (15-5)
Holland/Cassadaga Valley winner at 3. Tapestry (14-6)
Monday’s Semifinals (Feb. 26)
(at Jamestown Community College)
Quarterfinal winners, 6 and 7:45 p.m.
Friday’s Championship (March 2)
(at Jamestown Community College)
Semifinal winners, 7:45 p.m.
CLASS D
Wednesday’s First Round Games
9. Forestville (8-12) at 8. Pine Valley (9-11)
12. Brocton (2-18) 5. Frewsburg (11-8)
10. Clymer (8-12) at 7. Westfield (12-8)
11. North Collins (6-14) at 6. Panama (11-9)
Friday’s Quarterfinals
1. Buffalo East (14-6) vs. Pine Valley/Forestville winner, at Bennett, 5:30 p.m.
Frewsburg/Brocton winner at 4. Ellicottville (18-2)
Westfield/Clymer winner at 2. Sherman (15-5)
Panama/North Collins winner at 3. Franklinville (17-3)
Tuesday’s Semifinals (Feb. 27)
(at Jamestown Community College)
Quarterfinal winners, 6 and 7:45 p.m.
Friday’s Championship (March 2)
(at Jamestown Community College)
Semifinal winners, 6 p.m.
SECTION 6 GIRLS BASKETBALL
CLASS C
Tuesday’s First Round Games
9. Cattaraugus-Little Valley (8-12) at 8. Silver Creek (11-9)
13. Cassadaga Valley (4-16) at 4. Randolph (12-7)
12. Salamanca (4-16) at 5. Maple Grove (13-7)
10. Westfield (8-12) at 7. Portville (12-7)
11. Barker (6-14) at 6. Tapestry Charter (10-8)
Thursday’s Quarterfinals
Silver Creek/Cattaraugus-Little Valley winner at 1. Holland (18-2)
Randolph/Cassadaga Valley winner vs. Maple Grove/Salamanca winner, at higher seed
Portville/Westfield winner at 2. Allegany-Limestone (19-1)
Tapestry Charter/Barker winner at 3. Chautauqua Lake (14-6)
Wednesday’s Semifinals (Feb. 28)
(at Jamestown CC)
Quarterfinal winners, 7:30 p.m.
Quarterfinal winners, 5:30 p.m.
Saturday’s Championship (March 3)
(at Jamestown CC)
Semifinal winners, 2 p.m.
CLASS D
Thursday’s First Round Games
8. North Collins (5-13) at 1. Panama (18-1)
5. Pine Valley (13-7) at 4. Ellicottville (10-10)
6. Frewsburg (7-12) at 3. Sherman (13-7)
7. Clymer (11-9) at 2. Franklinville (20-0)
Thursday’s Semifinals (March 1)
(at Jamestown CC)
Quarterfinal winners, 7:30 p.m.
Quarterfinal winners, 5:30 p.m.
Saturday’s Championship (March 3)
(at Jamestown CC)
Semifinal winners, noon
