HS FLAG FOOTBALL STATE SEMIFINAL COVERAGE THIS WEEKEND
The Semifinal and Championship games for New York State high school flag football are this weekend. Last episode, we heard from Pioneer Panthers Head Coach Chris Edwards, telling the story of the lone Section VI representative headed to Homer High School tomorrow. Pioneer takes on Section VIII’s Plainedge at 11:30 a.m.
If the Panthers are victorious, they’ll advance to the State Championship, to be played Sunday. The other side of the bracket features Beekmantown (Section VII) and Owego Free Academy (Section IV). The Class C flag football Championship game is slotted for 1:15 p.m. at Cortland High School on Sunday. I’ll be providing coverage on the Panthers throughout the weekend on my X account, @jackkreuzer, and on our website, btpm.org.
HS BASEBALL, SOFTBALL, LACROSSE REGIONALS SCHEDULE THIS WEEKEND
The New York State Regionals are taking place this weekend for high school baseball, softball, and lacrosse teams. Here’s a schedule to follow along with all of the local teams on the hunt for a State Championship:
Friday June 6, 2025
Baseball
- Class A Far West Regional (Amherst) - 4 p.m. at Innovative Field (Rochester)
- Class AAA Far West Regional (Niagara Falls) - 7 p.m. at Innovative Field (Rochester)
Softball
- Class D Far West Regional (Forestville) - 5 p.m. at Frontier High School
- Class C Far West Regional (Chautauqua Lake) - 7:30 p.m. at Frontier High School
Saturday June 7, 2025
Baseball
- Class AA Far West Regional (Williamsville East) - 10 a.m. at Innovative Field (Rochester)
- Class C Far West Regional (Gowanda) - 11 a.m. at Dwyer Field (Rochester)
- Cass D Far West Regional (Franklinville) - 12 p.m. at Colburn Park (Newark)
- Class B Regional (Medina) - 2 p.m. at Frontier High School
Softball
- Class A Far West Regional (Williamsville South) - 1 p.m. at Grand Island High School
- Class AA Far West Regional (Orchard Park) - 4 p.m. at Grand Island High School
- Class AAA Regional (Lancaster) - 6:30 p.m. at Grand Island High School
Boys Lacrosse
- Class A Far West Regional (Orchard Park) - 11 a.m. at Churchville-Chili High School
- Class B Far West Regional (Lake Shore) - 1:30 p.m. at Churchville-Chili High School
Girls Lacrosse
- Class A Far West Regional (Orchard Park) - 11:30 a.m. at Clarence High School
- Class B Far West Regional (Clarence) - 2 p.m. at Clarence High School
OPINION: HOW THE SABRES SHOULD REACT TO THIS STANLEY CUP FINAL
It is often said that the champion of a big-four sports league shapes the mold of how a team should be built and how they should play for the rest of the league. With a repeat of last year’s Stanley Cup Final in 2025, there is a clear recipe that has worked for two teams, in dramatically different areas of North America, for success.
While watching game one of the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday night, I was enamored with the habits, pace, and physicality both the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers displayed. Edmonton, who opened the scoring one minute into the game, would fall behind 3-1 early in the second period. By the six-minute mark of the third period, the Oilers erased Florida’s lead, tying the game at three to force overtime. Just before the twenty-minute extra period wound down, Edmonton capped off a smooth passing sequence with a power play goal to win the series opening game, 4-3.
The habits that both teams showed throughout the night, and for a majority of the postseason, are the reasons they are meeting again in the Final, after Florida won the 2024 Stanley Cup in seven games. Both the Oilers and Panthers kept the play simple, but what does that mean? No matter where they have possession, players instinctively make the “right” decision to keep the puck out of danger, not to force anything, and allow time for the play to develop. It’s similar to football, when a quarterback takes their time in the pocket to allow the play to develop down field, before firing a pass to the open receiver, rather than rushing the play, scrambling, and throwing deep into double coverage. While those plays may work every once in a while, their rarity in success rate is what makes those plays so special when they do work out for the offense.
The Oilers and Panthers play in a flow state, where no passes are forced up ice into troubled areas, and players are rarely caught out of position defensively. When you hear coaches and players talk about playing more “north and south” hockey, what they are describing is exactly what was on display in game one, where the team with the puck wouldn’t spend any time working laterally, but constantly either moving the puck forward toward the opposing net or retreating toward their own. Sometimes, defenders would see that no outlet pass was available for them toward the opponents’ goal, so they would, key work simply, loft the puck from their own zone all the way toward the other net, with the chance of an odd bounce going their way.
While watching that game, I couldn’t help but think about the Buffalo Sabres and how they play. Most times, the game is forced, out of sync, and looks complicated for the players. While the Panthers and Oilers were relentlessly physical, with all eighteen skaters finishing every bodycheck, I went back and watched clips of the Sabres throughout this past season constantly shy away from physicality.
So how can the Sabres, who are eyeing down what could be their fifteenth straight season without a playoff appearance, play in a manner that better resembles the best two teams in the league over the last two seasons?
It begins in the front office with roster construction. During last season’s 14-game losing streak, the Sabres got away from that simplified style of hockey that had given them bursts of success throughout the season. Sustained success over the course of a season begins with bringing in players this offseason that play a relentlessly physical, poised, and simplified style. Players that go to the net offensively and sell out to block shots defensively with passion win hockey games in the playoffs, let alone in December. Going into this draft and free agency period, Buffalo should be focused on cultivating a full roster of players that instinctively play this brand of hockey on display in June.
Take a look at how the two teams play over the course of one period and you’ll see exactly what the Sabres need to change to make it to playing hockey beyond April. Game two of the Stanley Cup Final in Edmonton is tonight at 8 p.m.
The Scoreboard is presented by Zenner and Ritter Heating and Cooling.
