PIONEER FLAG FOOTBALL CAPS STATE CHAMPIONSHIP WITH THRILLING COMEBACK WIN IN OVERTIME
On Sunday in Cortland, the Pioneer Panthers flag football team won the 2025 Class C New York State Public High School Athletic Association Championship, defeating Owego Free Academy 13-12 in Overtime.
The Panthers trailed the Section IV representative, Owego, 6-0 at halftime in a defensive battle. "We blew one coverage, you know. Other than that, we said we're going to cut the head off the dragon. We're going to take away their best player the whole game. And I think we did that." - Pioneer HC Chris Edwards.
With fifty-three seconds left in the second half, Panther's freshman quarterback Ellie Edwards found junior Abigail Mason on the right side of the endzone for the game's tying score.
In overtime, the Panthers scored on their first possession, with Edwards connecting with Mason once again, to take the 12-6 lead. Pioneer converted their one-point attempt after the score, once again, Edwards to Mason for the 13-6 advantage.
On defense, the Panthers secured the win, despite Owego scoring on their lone overtime possession. Owego attempted to tie the game at thirteen with a passing play after the touchdown, but the pass fell incomplete, ending the game.
“Our girls are so resilient. They're so tough, they work so hard. We were losing with a minute left; they're not phased. That's who we are. That's who Pioneer kids are; they're hard working, tough kids [with] big hearts, and they love each other.” - Pioneer HC Chris Edwards
Pioneer is the first school from Section VI to win a State Championship for flag football since the sport became sponsored by the New York State Public High School Athletic Association in 2024.
THREE SOFTBALL TEAMS ERASE DEFICITS TO ADVANCE TO STATE SEMIFINAL
On Saturday, three Section VI softball teams punched their ticket to the NYSPHSAA Semifinal with victories at the Regional Championships at Grand Island High School. The common thread: all three teams came from behind to reign victorious.
Williamsville South and Sutherland (Section V) were tied at one run each from the first inning of the Class A Regional until the top of the third, when Sutherland took their first lead of the game, up 3-1. The Billies, who were kept in the game by their ace pitcher Alyssa Budzinski, got one run back in the fourth inning, cutting into the deficit, down 3-2. In the fifth, Will South took the lead for the first time, with a two-run inning. Olivia Sackel led the Billies offensively with two runs batted in on the game. Williamsville South held on to win the Class A Far West Regional, 4-3, and advance to the State Semifinal, to face Ichabod Crane (Section 2) on Friday at 11:30 a.m. in Binghamton.
The middle game on Saturday was the Class AA Far West Regional, with Orchard Park against Section V’s Webster Thomas. Scoreless through one inning, the Titans got on the board in the top of the second, with OP’s defense a bit unsettled. The Quakers trailed, 2-0, until the bottom of the third, when the bats came alive. Orchard Park started hitting up and down the lineup, exploding for three runs in the bottom of the third to take a 3-2 lead. A monster fifth inning, adding five more runs, gave the Quakers plenty of cushion, leading 8-2. Despite Webster Thomas tacking on two runs in the sixth, OP responded with another three in the bottom half of the inning. Senior pitchers Reese Politowski and Ava Farina split the game, with Farina picking up the win. Sophomore Maddie McDermott went 3-3 at the plate, with a double and a triple for the Quakers, and junior Lainey Babich went 4-5 offensively, including OP’s lone home run of the game. Orchard Park advances to the State Semifinal, to play Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake (Section 2) on Friday in Binghamton at 4:00 p.m.
Lancaster started the nightcap on rocky footing, trailing Rome Free Academy, 1-0, after one inning of the Class AAA Regional. That Section VI magic was nowhere near running out, however, as the floodgates burst open in the bottom of the second inning for Lancaster, putting up a ten spot. It began with the Legends loading the bases, then a hit by pitch and a wild pitch later saw Lancaster take a 2-1 lead, and they never looked back. Lancaster chased two RFA pitchers throughout the game, pouring on nine more runs in the third. The Legends dominated in the circle with junior Alyssa Brunner, while her classmate Peytyn Chojnacki paced the red and black at the dish with a 4-5 night offensively. Lancaster would run-rule the Rome Free Academy Knights, 20-2, in five innings, claiming the regional crown. The Legends head to Binghamton to face Corning-Painted Post (Section IV) in the State Semifinal on Friday at 2:30 p.m.
TWO SOUTHERN TIER TEAMS ARE HEADED TO STATE SEMIFINAL
Two more teams are headed to Binghamton for the State final four, with Forestville softball and Gowanda baseball packing their bags as Regional Champs.
Forestville’s softball team knocked off Section V’s Fillmore, 5-2, in the Class D Far West Regional on Friday night. Senior pitcher Megan Gruber was terrific, striking out 11 batters for Forestville, while freshman Olivia Valentine led the Hornets with two runs batted in offensively. Forestville advances to face Hamilton (Section III) in the State Semifinal in Binghamton on Friday at 1:00 p.m.
The Gowanda Panthers are the only Section VI baseball team to be heading East for the state semifinals this weekend, after defeating Kendall (Section V) in the Class C Far West Regional Championship, 8-1. In the State Semifinal, the Panthers will face Deposit-Hancock (Section IV), who won the state title in 2022. First pitch from SUNY Binghamton is set for Friday at 7 p.m.
The Scoreboard is presented by Zenner and Ritter Heating and Cooling.
