St. Francis High School 45th Anual Sports Awards

St. Francis High School

45th annual

SportS AwArdS

Thursday, June 8, 2023 ST. FranciS HigH ScHool alumni Hall THeaTer

To All Loyal Red Raiders,

Welcome to our 45th Sports Awards Ceremony. While we are evolving with some changes in venue and format, I am grateful to take time as we wind down the school year to acknowledge the accomplishments of our programs and student-athletes. Thank you to all of you here tonight and for your support throughout the seasons that with its twists and turns gave our young men the opportunity to compete and be called a “Red Raider.” The process towards success is made possible by all of us involved working together. Day in and day out, everyone has helped to make things possible. With this cooperation along with the hard work we have seen, our athletes and teams make great things possible. To all of you here and to those not able to attend tonight, thank you for all you have done to support our athletic programs and our student athletes.

Thank you to the Bycina, Jablonski, Pace and Wilson Families for all of the support you give to St. Francis High School with your scholarship awards. These awards are given to the St. Francis Men who exemplify the intangibles to which these awards wish to acknowledge. These elements lead to success both in Athletics and in the biggest game of all, life. As we continue to evolve may we in attendance attempt to apply some of these intangibles in our lives and strive to be better to which all who remember these men tonight exemplified with their lives.

To the seniors, thank you for your leadership and all that you have done through your 4 years at St. Francis. While many were stepping back you put your best foot forward. You overcame so many obstacles to carve out a piece of St. Francis High School history. You and your teammates will be remembered as a class with determination, resolve and toughness. May you look back at this time as special and a foundation to the next step in your lives. I wish all of you the very best, and I know we send into the world young men who will make a difference in a positive way with St. Francis High School as a foundational piece to future successes.

Our entire Athletic staff is grateful for all who are here tonight to celebrate this past year’s athletic accomplishments with tonight’s ceremony. We are blessed to be able to do this tonight because of your support. Your belief in your son by giving him a St. Francis education and allowing him to chase his dreams is truly special. We remain dedicated to the process that enables us to challenge ourselves to be the best version of ourselves and to represent St. Francis High School with class and dignity. I am energized by the young men who will continue to build on the proud tradition that is St. Francis High School as I am thankful to all who will be moving forward. Thank you Fr. Matt and the entire St. Francis Administration who play a vital role in our ability to make these opportunities possible.

St. Francis Pray for Us.

Go Red Raiders!

God Bless

Steve Otremba, Athletic Director

Owen Allaire V Fed Hoc

Cael Banks V Base

Juan Berbel-Montoya V Club Hoc, V Ten

Jack Bierl V Lax

Alexander Boyd V Prep Hoc

Jake Broad V Fed Hoc, V Base

Nicholas Brokx V XC, V Lax

Brendan Cheng V Soc

Adam Cline V XC

Andrew Cook V Base

Steven-Lewis Dickey V Soc, V Lax

Daziem Dixon V FB

Noah Dobrick V Soc, V Ten

Neil Downey V Fed Hoc

Aiden Dubeck V FB

Brenden Dukat V Base

Zachary Dusza V Fed Hoc, V Ten

Nicholas Eckhert V Fed Hoc, V Lax

Griffin Edwards V Golf

Daniel Feeley V Soc, V T/F

David Friedrich V Ind Tr, V T/F

James Giallella V Bowl

Anthony Giardina V Lax

CLASS OF 2023

James Gordon V Wres, V Lax

Samuel Griffin V XC, V T/F

Samuel Hallmark V XC, V Ind Tr, V T/F

Kevin Herr V VB, V Base

Braden Hill V Fed Hoc, V Base

Matthew Hilton V Base

Ryan Hilton V Base

Andrew Jin V FB, V Ten

Justin Jusiak V Lax

Dylan Kacmarski V Fed Hoc

Ricardo Kidd V FB, V T/F

Aaron Kline V Club Hoc, V Lax

Doyle Knodel V Golf, V Swim, V Lax

Andrew Krug V FB, V Ind Tr, V T/F

Eric Lanning V XC, V T/F

Patrick Lawless V FB, V Ten

John Mallory V VB

Bowen Mann V Prep Hoc

Sammy Marry V Bkt

Brennan Matthews V Fed Hoc, V Lax

Connor McGrath V Fed Hoc, V Ten

Benjamin Michalski V Base

Balaam Miller V FB

Gabriel Miller V Wres

Joshua Monaco V Fed Hoc

Joseph Morcelle V Ten

Owen Mulderig V Soc

Dylan Mullen

V Fed Hoc, V Wres

Vincent Ni V VB, V Swim, V Ten

Paul Nowadly V VB, V Lax

Aidan O’Brien V Fed Hoc, V Base

Elijah Obrochta V Ten

Steve Otremba V FB, V Bkt, V T/F

Brycen Pace V Ten

Elias Printup V Fed Hoc

Logan Reaska V FB, V Bkt

Jonah Reichenberg V XC

Bryce Roberts V FB, V Soc, V Ind Tr, V T/F

Brycen Roberts V Fed Hoc

Daniel Roeder V Lax

Charlie Rooney V Bkt, V Lax

Jason Schiltz V Base

Gavan Schwenkbeck V Prep Hoc

Greyson Settipane V Prep Hoc

Erik Shattenberg V Soc, V T/F

Matthew Sheehan V Soc, V T/F

Devon Shepherd V XC, V Ind Tr, V T/F

Brian Sibley V FB

Aidan Sikorski V Swim, V Lax

Nicholas Siler V VB, V Wres

Matthew Stadler V FB, V Ind Tr, V T/F

Jude Strittmatter V Swim, V Ten

Charles Taggart V VB, V Ind Tr, V T/F

Aidan Tamol V Ten

Aiden Thomas V FB

Mateo Torres V Fed Hoc

Aidan Trimper V VB, V Base

Brendan Walczak V Fed Hoc, V Base

Dylan Walker V FB, V T/F

Camden Wappman V Soc

Charlie Webb V Lax

Malik Williams V FB

Ondrej Zetek V Prep Hoc

Benjamin Ziobro V Prep Hoc

Naythan Zurowski V Prep Hoc, V Lax

Noah Albano V Fed Hoc, V Base

Carson Balester V Fed Hoc

John Bauer V Club Hoc

Nicholas Bienko V Bkt, V Swim, V Base

Caden Brenner V Lax

Keegan Brunet V FB, V T/F

Mario Camillo V FB

Felix Cedeno V FB

Noah Cervoni V VB

John Coughlin V FB, V Wres

Sam Couture V Prep Hoc, V Ten

Brody Davis V Fed Hoc, V Ten

Mason Dole V Bkt

Brandon Drummond V FB, V Wres

Nicholas Dzimian V VB, V Club Hoc

Conor Ebel V Swim, V Ten

Nolan Edwards V Soc, V Bkt

Zander Esford V VB

Charles Farrell V Prep Hoc, V Club Hoc

Elliott Firth V Fed Hoc

Christian Garner V Bkt

CLASS OF 2024

Jacob Gearhart V VB, JV Bowl, V Ten

Shane Giesser V FB

Nathan Gonsiorek V Soc, V Bkt, V T/F

Slade Gonzales V FB

EJ Goveia V Club Hoc

Brady Greenough V FB, V T/F

Marcus Harrison V FB, V Ind Tr, V T/F

Jonas Herdlein V VB, V Ten

Jack Homer V Prep Hoc

Julian Huckaby V Prep Hoc

Max Huttenlocker V Fed Hoc

Kyle Hybicki V Prep Hoc

Aldiyar Irik V Prep Hoc, V Ten

Robert Kendall Jr. V FB

Jakob Kilger-Lorenzen V Prep Hoc

Thomas Knickerbocker V Prep Hoc, V Ten

Alexander Kochan V Ten

Tyler Kocher V Soc, V Base

Hunter LaMoy V Swim

Zachary LaRosa V Base

Carson Latt V Fed Hoc, V Ten

Mathias Levasseur

V Prep Hoc, V Ten

Ian Love V Golf, V Club Hoc

Camden Marx

V Ind Tr, V T/F

Tyler Matte V Prep Hoc

Ethan Metro V FB

Peter Milito V FB

Connor Miller V FB, V Wres

Matthew Morcelle V Soc, V Ind Tr, V Ten

Jeremiah Neely V FB, V Bkt

Kaleb O’Connor V Soc

Aidan Pacholec V FB, V Wres, V T/F

Joseph Panzarella V Base

Terrence Pendergrass V FB, V Bkt, V T/F

Xavier Petit V Prep Hoc, V Ten

Josh Petrini V Prep Hoc

Nathan Phillips V XC, V Ind Tr, V T/F

Boston Pokigo V Club Hoc, V T/F

Owen Riggs V Golf, V Bowl

Leyton Roberts V Golf, V Bkt

Teddy Roberts V FB, V T/F

Robert Roche V Swim

Cameron Rogan V Soc, V Fed Hoc

Patrick Roof V XC, V Ind Tr, V T/F

Luke Rybczynski

V Prep Hoc, V Base

Dylan Savage V Wres

Drake Schmidbauer V Soc

Zachary Seifert V Swim

Cole Smith V VB

David Spadone, Jr. V Soc, V T/F

Djordje Stevanovic V Prep Hoc

Adam Suffoletto V Base

Nicholas Szpylman V VB, V Ten

Kion Ulanga V FB, V T/F

Kynan Ulanga V FB, V T/F

Thomas Utter V Base

Romeo Valle V FB, V Ind Tr, V T/F

Anthony Venditti V Fed Hoc, V Base

Noah Wasiura V Base

Simon Wojcik V Bkt, V Lax

Dylan Zielinski V Golf

Damone Allen JV FB, V Wres

Charlie Allesi V VB, V Bkt

Jackson Antonelli V Prep Hoc

Oliver Bennett JV Lax

Henry Bickerstaff JV Bkt

Brandon Blaszak JV VB, JV Prep Hoc

Ryan Borrello V XC, JV Bkt, JV Base

Andrew Boyczuk V Ten

Eddie Bratek V Swim

Thomas Brozyna JV Prep Hoc, V Club Hoc

Logan Burns JV VB, JV Lax

Cameron Bush V XC, JV Base

Matthew Capozzi JV Prep Hoc, V Club Hoc

Anthony Cervi JV FB, JV Base

Sam Comstock V Swim, JV Base

Dominic Davis JV FB, JV Bkt, V T/F

Chad English JV Soc, JV Bkt, V T/F

Lucas Fabianski V Soc, V Lax

Ethan Farley V FB, V Ind Tr, V T/F

Ryan Forringer V Ind Tr, JV Base

Edward Gauthier JV FB

CLASS OF 2025

Sal Giardina JV Bkt

Anthony Gillette V Club Hoc

Aidan Goodberry V Soc

Elliot Graham JV Soc

Eli Greenough JV FB, JV Bkt, JV Lax

Landon Guzowski JV Base

Maxwell Haggerty JV FB, V T/F

Robert Hall JV FB, V T/F

Will Hanson V FB, JV Base

Michael Harris V FB

Hunter Held JV Soc, JV Bowl

Laferald Hines Jr. V Bkt

Kyle Huttenlocker JV Prep Hoc

Jayse Jemiolo JV Prep Hoc

Tucker Jobe JV FB, V Wres, V Lax

Derek Johnson V Prep Hoc

Peyton Johnson JV FB, V Ind Tr, V T/F

Robert Karalus V Lax

Matthew Kotlowski JV FB, JV Bowl

AJ Kraus V Lax

Karol Krzyszton JV FB, V Wres, JV Lax

Joe Littlejohn JV FB, V Wres

Justin Lombardo JV FB, V T/F

Brayden Mahoney

JV Soc, V Ind Tr, V T/F

Ryan Malburg JV Prep Hoc

Luke Maracle JV VB, V Ind Tr, JV Base

Andrew Markel JV Prep Hoc, JV Base

Robert McCall V Wres

Michael McCann V Swim

Austin McGowan JV FB

Payton Mitchell JV VB, JV Bkt

Matthew Mysiak V Club Hoc

Aidan Nardello JV Soc, JV Lax

Abraham Nicol JV Soc, V Ind Tr

David Nowadly JV FB

Dalton Pelow JV Soc, V Ind Tr, JV Base, V T/F

Nicholas Picone V Golf

Nathan Powers JV Soc, V Ind Tr, V T/F

Matthew Pukalo JV Soc

Connor Quinn JV Prep Hoc, V Ten

Christian Ramos JV FB

Theodore Reid V XC, JV Lax

Gavin Roberts JV Bkt, JV Base

Waylon Runfola JV FB, JV Lax

Grant Rybczynski

JV FB, JV Prep Hoc, JV Base

Zachary Same JV Prep Hoc

Luke Schaller JV Base

Benjamin Siler JV Soc, V Ind Tr, V T/F

Connor Smith JV Soc, JV Base

CJ Snusz JV FB, JV Base

Michael Sojda V Club Hoc

Michael Stadler V XC, JV Bkt, V T/F

Matthew Stepniak JV Base

Maximus Sturniolo JV FB, JV Bkt, V T/F

Jacob Suffoletto JV FB, JV Bkt

Jack Tebeau V Golf, V Bowl, V Swim

Charles Thomas JV Base

Johann Vasquez Garces JV FB, JV Lax

Louis Violanti JV Soc, V Ind Tr, V T/F

Kaden Vitko V Swim

Camden Weiss V Club Hoc, JV Lax

Landon Welka JV FB, JV Bkt, V Lax

Luke Wickett JV Soc, V T/F

Nathan Barnas

JV Soc, V Ind Tr, V T/F

John Bernas

JV Prep Hoc

Chance Bolton JV Lax

Andrew Boyd JV Prep Hoc, JV Lax

Cole Cervoni V Golf, Fr Bkt

Bradyn Chudoba V Club Hoc, Fr Base

Dom Conte JV Prep Hoc, JV Lax

Eleazar Cordova JV Soc, V Ind Tr

Gavyn Cotter V Club Hoc

Patrick Coughlin JV FB, Fr Bkt, JV Lax

Timothy Coughlin JV FB, FR Bkt, JV Lax

Mason Dengos–Gravius JV FB

Hunter Esford JV FB

Caidon Evancho

JV Prep Hoc, Fr Base

Thomas Fino JV Lax

Josh Fischer

JV Soc, V Ind Tr, V T/F

Connor Flood JV Soc

Colby Francavilla V Golf, V Ten

Josh Friedrich JV Soc

John Goldfinch JV FB

Sean Gordon JV VB, V Wres, V Lax

CLASS OF 2026

Christopher Gosciak JV Soc, JV Prep Hoc, JV Lax

Peter Gow JV Soc

Garrick Green JV FB, V Club Hoc, Fr Base

La’rafus Green JV FB

Kevin Guy JV FB

David Haj JV FB, Fr Base

Mikey Hanks JV Soc

Larry Hardy JV FB

Kaden Heidt JV Lax

Brayden Howard JV Lax

Dominic Insera JV Soc, Fr Bkt, JV Lax

Mason Jimerson-Kenjockety V Swim, V lax

Brayden Keppel JV FB, V Club Hoc, V Bowl, Fr Base

Nathan Klimtzak JV FB, Fr Base

Logan Knodel JV VB, V Bowl, V Swim, V Lax

Luke Lanning JV VB, Fr Base

Macari Lewis Fr Bkt

Jamison LiVecchi V Golf

Troy Massey JV Prep Hoc, Fr Base

Connor Matte JV Prep Hoc

Timothy McCann JV FB, V Wres, V T/F

Mitchel Miller JV FB

Owen Miller V Wres, JV Lax

Will Miller, III JV Prep Hoc

Gabe Moran JV FB, JV Bowl, Fr Base

Andrew Mroz V Club Hoc, V Lax

Connor Nannen JV Prep Hoc, Fr Base

EJ Newby-McKinnie Fr Bkt, JV Lax

Bryan Ni V Swim

Dylan Noecker Fr Base

Evan Noecker JV FB, Fr Bkt, Fr Base

Mason Nurmi JV Soc, V Ind Tr, V Ten

James O’Brien Fr Base

Luke Panzarella Fr Base

Nico Pinelli JV FB, Fr Bkt

Thomas Pivarunas V XC, V Ind Tr, V T/F

Brady Rakoski JV Prep Hoc, JV Lax

Nathan Reichenberg V XC, V Ten

Kyle Roth JV Soc

Chase Russo

JV FB, V Wres, V Lax

Jack Salerno

JV VB, Fr Base

Evan Sampson JV Soc

Christopher Schuster JV FB

Donovan Schwanz V Club Hoc, JV Lax

Vincent Scott JV FB, JV Lax

Joshua Sikorski JV Prep Hoc, JV Lax

Angelo Simoncelli JV FB, V Swim, V T/F

Sam Skalski JV FB, Fr Bkt

Jack Sobkowiak V XC, Fr Bkt, V T/F

Garrett Tiutiunnyk V Club Hoc

Braiden Truby V Golf, V Club Hoc

Sam Uglow V XC, FR Bkt

Jamere Valentine JV FB, Fr Bkt

Jimmy Valentine JV FB

Aidan Wallace JV VB, V Ind Tr, V T/F

Brady Waring JV FB, Fr Bkt, JV Lax

Colton Warner JV VB, V Ind Tr, V T/F

Rory White JV FB, V T/F

Gavin Wolf V Club Hoc

Oleg Zaitsev V Swim

Matthew Zielinski JV FB, JV Bkt

GDW

SCHOLARSHIPS

RONALD A. PACE MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

The family of Ron Pace, a 1990 St. Francis graduate who passed away shortly after graduating, would like to present annually a football scholarship and plaque to a deserving graduate.

Ron had a great love and respect for St. Francis High School, and the sports he participated in – football, wrestling and lacrosse. Despite being dyslexic, Ron set and achieved outstanding goals for himself in the classroom and in sports.

This scholarship, therefore, is awarded to a senior who also displays a perseverance in maintaining academic standards in the classroom and also fulfills his desire to compete athletically.

GEORGE WILSON MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

The George Wilson Memorial Scholarship is presented in memory of a long time benefactor of St. Francis High School.

This scholarship is awarded annually with pride by the Wilson and White families.

The scholarship will go to an underclassman that best exemplifies the spirit, hard work and community involvement that emanated throughout George Wilson’s life. This athlete must participate in Wrestling, Football or both and must be well-rounded, have a love of St. Francis High School and maintain at least a 2.0 grade point average.

Midshipman 1st Class Jason D. Jablonski SALUTE Award

The Jablonski family is humbled to honor their son/brother, Jason ’JJ’ Jablonski, a 2013 graduate and 2018 inductee into the Fr. Rufinus Niedzwiecki Athletic Hall of Fame.

With wholehearted belief that he would not have received an Appointment to the Naval Academy without the education and growth as a young man while attending St Francis High School, JJ was humbly grateful for the opportunities he was blessed with while there including being Yearbook Editor, and a member of the Soccer, Hockey and Track & Field teams.

JJ had the innate ability to be both encouraging and commanding while upholding the hallmark humbleness of a St. Francis gentleman and a US Naval Academy Midshipman. This award will go to a current Sophomore or Junior who best demonstrates these qualities, attributes and skills that made him such an impact on everyone he met, mostly being a respected teammate/leader who made those around him better and a worthy foe feared by opposing teams. This athlete must participate in Soccer, Hockey or both and must be a demonstrated leader on and off the field.

S - Selfless

A - Acts of

L - Leadership to

U - Unite

T - Teammates to

E - Excel

Michael Bycina Optimist Award

A member of St. Francis High School’s Class of 1982, Michael J. Bycina was a devoted husband, father, son, friend, coach and mentor remembered for his robust personality, strong work ethic, unwavering faith and enthusiastic outlook on life.

An outstanding hockey player, he skated for the Buffalo Regals and Junior Sabres before playing collegiately at the University of Waterloo. Mike went on to play professionally in the Atlantic Coast League, International Hockey League and American Hockey League. In 1985, he participated in the Buffalo Sabres Training Camp after receiving an invitation from legendary NHL Hall of Fame Coach Scotty Bowman. Mike’s passion for hockey was lifelong as he coached in several youth organizations after his career ended, inspiring young players throughout Western New York with his ever-present smile and constant encouragement.

While Mike is no longer with us, his legacy of positivity and optimism lives on through his wife Dina, children Michael John and Allana, and all who were fortunate enough to know him.

ST. FRANCIS SpoRTS RevIew

BASEBALL-Spring Sport

VARSITY BASEBALL

(As of this writing the St. Francis High School varsity baseball team is 16-11 and competing in the Georgetown Cup finals. Stats/record are reflective of this)

As they have done for over 20 years, the Varsity Baseball team traveled to Florida to practice and play games in preparation for their season in Western New York. They practiced at Tampa Preparatory School and played six games, giving all players an opportunity to earn a starting position upon their return home. While the record on the trip south wasn’t a winning one, valuable practice time in ideal conditions and games against perennially strong Florida high schools provided the foundation for a competitive and successful season.

The Raider Nine finished 7-3 in the always-tough Monsignor Martin League, good for second place. Key wins over St. Joe’s and Canisius positioned them for a bye in the first round of the Georgetown Cup Playoffs. The league contests were complemented by non-league games against Orchard Park, McQuaid Jesuit, Lancaster, Aquinas, Williamsville East, Depew, Christian Brothers Academy (Albany), Clarence and Dunkirk, completing what was widely considered the most difficult schedule in the Buffalo area.

Most good seasons are highlighted by strong pitching performances and 2023 was no different. Noah Albano ’24 and Aidan Trimper ’23 were outstanding on the mound all season. Trimper sported a 5-1 record with a 2.04 ERA while Albano was 4-1 with 62 strikeouts in 44 innings of work. Hilbert College commit Ryan Hilton ’23, Andrew Cook ’23, Tom Utter ’24, and Noah Wasiura ’24 also saw significant time on the bump and provided the depth the Red Raiders needed.

Offensively, St. Francis was led by Junior standout Joe Panzarella, NCCC commit Brady Hill ’23, and Anthony Venditti ’24. Panzarella hit at a .385 clip while knocking in 15 runs and leading the team in hits with 25. A fellow junior, Venditti batted .361 with 14 RBI and a team-leading 8 doubles. Hill collected 24 hits, 15 RBI, 3 doubles, and a triple on his way to another outstanding season. Additionally, Cael Banks ’23 (CF), Nick Bienko ’24 (2B) and Jake Broad ’23 (LF) were often the catalysts for run production as their speed and offensive versatility provided a spark just when the Red Raiders needed it. Three-year varsity starting shortstop Ben Michalski ’23 anchored the defense while catcher Luke Rybczynski ’24 did an outstanding job behind the plate all year.

Special thanks to this year’s captains, seniors Aidan Trimper, Brady Hill and Ben Michalski for their leadership and perseverance. Go Red Raiders!

JV BASEBALL

The JV Red Raider baseball team had a successful season ending the year with a record of 9 wins and 5 losses. Key pitching victories came from Will Hanson, Landon Guzowski, Cameron Bush, and Grant Rybczynski. Great relief appearances and closing of games from Luke Schaller and Ryan Forringer. Sam Comstock was consistent all year from the plate as a leadoff batter. Will Hanson lead the team in RBIs and slugging. Landon Guzowski was the team’s leading hitter and pitcher before suffering an injury. Jake Suffoletto started the season exceptionally but unfortunately came down with a season ending injury early in the year. Connor Smith and CJ Snusz were solid behind the plate as the team’s two catchers. Andrew Markel was the team’s cleanup hitter and had four hits in one game. Ryan Borrello had a great year defensively playing multiple positions.

The Captains were Will Hanson and Grant Rybczynski. The season was certainly a rollercoaster with the weather and crucial injuries however the student athletes did their best to stay positive through it all. Some great moments were beating Clarence, beating a very good Cathedral Prep team, beating St. Mary’s, traveling to McQuaid on a rainy Friday night and securing a victory, and Will Hanson’s two homeruns.

This group of student athletes is very talented. Some of the most talent in one class that the coaching staff has been around. Hard work, dedication, and staying committed to being better each day are the things these guys need to do

to keep the St. Francis Baseball program one of the best in Western New York. These next two years will be very exciting for this group of players. I look forward to watching them grow as baseball players and men. Good luck to everyone and congratulations to all St. Francis student athletes and champions!

FRESHMAN BASEBALL

The Freshman Baseball team had a strong winning season versus some of the best schools in Western New York and Rochester. The Red Raiders had an excellent work ethic, character, and sportsmanship to go along with their skill level. They exhibited everything we want in a St. Francis young man and the coaching staff was proud to work with them.

The team went undefeated against Clarence and Canisius, had a late lead against Canisius JV, and added excitement with a season highlight walk-off win against Williamsville North. This was a team that was never out of any game and above all else showed mental toughness and a “never quit” mentality that will be an asset in the years to come.

The young Red Raiders had a deep roster of players contributing on offense, defense and pitching. Whenever a change had to be made during the game, the other team did not get a reprieve. The future of these young men is bright and the ceiling is high. We look forward to watching their growth all the way to Varsity and beyond.

BASKEtBALL

VARSITY BASKETBALL

The St. Francis Red Raider Basketball team entered the 2022-23 season looking to improve upon a 21-22 season that ended with a tough semifinal defeat in the closing seconds of the game. The Red Raider’s returned two full time starters from last season, as well as a number of players who played valuable minutes last season.

The team embarked on another daunting schedule that matched them up with some of the top teams locally and state wide. This year the Raiders welcomed Long Island foes Holy Trinity and St. John the Baptist as well as Syracuse power Bishop Grime to Athol Springs for nonleague matchups. Locally, St. Francis faced off against the top ranked local schools including; McKinley, Williamsville North, Williamsville East, Lackawanna, and Health Sciences Charter as well as traveling to two of the top schools from Rochester; McQuaid and Aquinas. Add these games to the ultra-competitive MMHSAA schedule and the Red Raiders featured one of the toughest schedules in Western New York. Highlights of the non-league schedule included road non-league wins over top ranked opponents McKinley and Lackawanna. The Red Raiders also earned home victories over Williamsville East and Williamsville North. In league play, they held victories over St. Joseph’s, Nichols, St. Mary’s of Lancaster (2), Park (2), and Cardinal O’Hara (2). The Red Raiders entered the Manhattan Cup Playoffs as the 5 seed, knocking off Cardinal O’Hara in the first round, and upsetting the 4 seed Nichols in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals the Red Raiders took on the #1 seed Timon Tigers at Canisius College. The Raiders battled the Tigers but couldn’t pull off the upset, losing by 6.

The Red Raiders had a well balanced offensive attack all season, consistently getting contributions from 9 players. Leading the way for the Red Raiders were seniors Sammy Marry and Logan Reaska. Their leadership and on court contributions were vital to the team’s success this year. For their efforts Logan Reaska was named 2nd Team All Catholic and Sammy Marry was named Honorable Mention. Junior guards Nick Bienko and Nolan Edwards manned the PG position all season, both of them handled offensive and defensive responsibilities nicely. Junior wing Jeremiah Neely provided an inside presence on the boards and an outside presence as a three-point shooter, Jerry was also named Honorable Mention All Catholic. Senior Charlie Rooney contributed on both the offensive and defensive end; his contributions did not always end up on the score sheet but were vital to the team’s success. Off the bench sophomore forward Laferald Hines Jr., who made the jump from the freshmen team to varsity, provided the Red Raiders with a strong inside presence on both ends of the floor. Juniors forward Nate Gonsiorek and guard Leyton Roberts consistently provided a spark for Coach Ferris and the Red Raiders with their relentless effort. Juniors Mason Dole and Simon Wojcik, as well as senior Steve Otremba Jr. round out the Red Raider roster, their contributions to the team were felt game in and game out.

JV BASKETBALL

The 2022-2023 JV Basketball season got off to a roaring start. The boys won their first 6 games, and started the first half of the season 8-1. Wins in this stretch included games against Aquinas, Lancaster, St. Joes and Nichols. It also included being crowned champions of the Live Like Luca Tournament held at St. Francis. Henry Bickerstaff’s stellar all around play (8.8ppg for the season) and Sal Giardina’s extraordinary shooting touch (12.1ppg) led the way for the Red Raiders during the 1st half of the season, with help from Mike Stadler (8.8ppg in the first 10 games) and Chad English controlling the boards. Max Sturniolo and Charlie Allessi, both scoring in 3 of the first 5 games, and adding tough and intelligent defense, brought a punch off the bench during this stretch as well.

The JV Red Raiders first four losses came by a combined 14 points, but the boys stayed tough, pushing through to the meat of their schedule against MMHSAA opponents. Matt Zielinski, a freshman playing up on JV, had a run of 22, 15, 18 and 16 points all against league opponents. Landon Welka was a much improved player for the Red Raiders, having strong games against Canisius at home and Timon on the road. Gavin Roberts, playing in all 21 games, was the most consistent steadying force for the squad, going over 10 points 5 times in the month of January.

The boys dominated out of conference competition, with wins over Will. North (+19), Will East (+33), Newfane (+27) and McKinley (+27). The depth shined during these games with Ryan Borrello, Payton Mitchell and Eli Greenough showing their elite shooting, rim protection, and on-ball defense skills respectively.

The final stretch of the season was condensed, with 8 games in 16 days, including 4 games in 5 days in the last week of the season. For the first time ever, there was a JV playoff tournament, which gave St. Francis one last shot to compete against the rest of the MMHSAA. In two games against Canisius, Dominic Davis took on the challenge, and predominantly succeeded, in shutting down Canisisus’ big man. E’Ryan Lawrence developed throughout the season and ended up being a key bench contributor down the stretch, scoring in every one of his final 5 games played.

The future is bright for the St. Francis Basketball program as this group moves to the Varsity level. Go Red Raiders!!

FRESHMAN BASKETBALL

The Freshman Red Raiders started out the season an incredible 13-0.

The team was led all year by Evan Noecker (leading scorer) and Dominic Insera (great point guard play). These two players provided amazing consistency and leadership throughout the season for their team.

Early in the season, Jack Sobkowiak came off the bench to help his team to wins against Lockport and Lancaster. Evan Newby also contributed early in the season against McQuaid and Bishop Timon. Newby shot the ball well and attacked the basket. Tim Coughlin was a steady contributor coming off the bench all season and played really well against St Mary’s early in the season.

As the season progressed, players improved and the team became well-rounded and hard to beat. Brady Waring was a co-captain and certainly played like that all year. He provided great leadership to his teammates and was an overall great player for the team. Nico Pinelli and Cole Cervoni started to get comfortable towards the middle of the season. Nico provided some great offensive outburst throughout the year and Cole improved significantly on both sides of the ball.

During the last quarter of the season, Sam Uglow really came into his own and had some great performances against Canisius and St. Mary’s. Sam Skalski was also a key contributor throughout the whole season. Sam played exceptional defense and also provided an offensive spark when needed. Pat Coughlin was out for the first 16 games of the season. When he got his opportunity, he made the most of it with a great performance against St. Mary’s towards the end of the season. The team finished the season 18-1 where all players contributed to the the overall success of the team.

BoWLing

VARSITY BOWLING

The Varsity Bowlers improved on the previous season finishing with a 30-15 record, good for 3rd place. The team was led by Sophomore Jack Tebeau who finished the season with a 193 average, good for 4th highest and 1st Team All-Catholic. He had a high game of 269 and a high set of 691. Freshman Brayden Keppel averaged a 181 with a high game of 233 and 663 high set. Senior James Giallella had a high game of 223, Freshman Logan Knodel had his first career 600 set, and rounding out the varsity squad was Junior Riggs who had a career high game of 209.

The team managed the first 1000 game (a 1018 vs. O’Hara) in 3 seasons, rolled a season high 2798 set vs. Canisius, and finished the Baker side of the Patrick Kwiatkowski Memorial Classic in 4th place against some of the best high schools in Western New York.

The team saved their best bowling for the end of the season. At the newly formatted All-Catholics the team was in 3rd place through 3 of 5 games, but big games by Logan Knodel, Jack Tebeau, Brayden Keppel, and JV call-up Matthew Kotlowski pushed the Red Raiders ahead of St. Joe’s to finish All-Catholics in 2nd place. Jack Tebeau finished All Catholic qualifying with an 1156, qualifying 1st for the step-ladder finals. Keppel also finished in the top 10. In the championship match, Tebeau beat B. Benson 244-205 to win the All CatholicChampionship, the first ever given out to an individual.

At the NYSCHSAA Individual Championship, Tebeau finished qualification in 5th place, just 4 pins ahead of 6th place. In the step-ladder finals Tebeau beat T. Skowron of Canisius 215-194, beat D. Forte of St. Anthony’s 244192, then lost in the semifinals to D. Tufano of Chaminade 204-179 to finish 3rd at the State Championship. With 4 of the 5 starters returning next season, two of whom made the State Championship, and 2 contributing JV members looking to make the move to Varsity, the future looks bright for the Red Raider Bowlers.

JV BOWLING

The JV Bowlers finished the season with a 26-22 record, good for 3rd place this season. The team was led by the Sophomore tandem of Hunter Held (143 average) and Matthew Kotlowski (138 average). Hunter had a high game of 216 and Matt had a high game of 202. The team was rounded out by junior Jacob Gearhart and latecomer, freshman Gabriel Moran. Their best performance was a 3-1 win vs. O’Hara at Abbott Lanes where the team bowled well over their average and Kotlowski rolled a 201. A couple of the guys will look to make the jump to Varsity next season and continue their improvements.

CroSS CoUntrY

The St. Francis Cross Country made history this year with their Three-Peat Title. For the third consecutive year the Red Raiders went undefeated in both the regular season and the All CatholicChampionships. Despite losing their top 2 runners from the previous year, the team did not miss a beat, with senior Eric Lanning and Sophomore Mike Stadler taking turns leading the team most weeks, with both earning 1st Team All Catholichonors. Lanning, a 4-year runner, has been in the top 7 and dressed for all three championship races. Seniors Adam Cline (2nd team AC) and Devon Shepherd continued their leadership roles, and remained in the top 7 the entire year. Junior Nate Phillips was also a consistent presence along with classmate and newcomer Patrick Roof. Sophomore Ryan Borrello (2nd Team AC), in his first season of Cross Country, scored points in every race. Sophomore Cam Bush won the All CatholicJV race and is sure to be a huge piece moving forward. While the seniors will be missed, it has become a feature of this team that the next generation will take what they have learned, and continue this incredible run into the next season.

FootBALL

VARSITY FOOTBALL

The 2022-23 Varsity Football Team faced many a daunting schedule as usual. With only 2 scheduled home games the Red Raiders became road warriors. Not being able to fill week 1 with any local competition was a testament to the heights that the Red Raider program has risen to. Traveling to Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Long Island has become a way of life to find schools willing to compete.

Traveling to Kellenberg High School on Long Island in week 2 proved to be an adventure. Due to a traffic issue, it took 5 hours to go what normally would take an hour. Arriving late, stepping off the bus and competing, the Red Raiders just couldn’t find their rhythm, coming out on the short end of a 21-18 score. Kellenberg made 1 more play than the Red Raiders. Ricardo Kidd gave his all rushing for 171 yards and a TD. Losing the turnover battle, giving up 3 proved to be the difference. Brady Greenough, Balaam Miller and Teddy Roberts had 27 tackles amongst them.

Week 3 traveling to Rochester to take on undefeated Rush Henrietta, the Red Raiders amassed 563 yards of offense to Rush’s 196 yards. All Red Raiders contributed to the first win of the season. Ricardo ran for 161 yards and 2 TD’s and Logan Reaska had 100 yards receiving and a TD. Steve Otremba Jr. threw for 247 yards and 3 TD’s in the route. Daziem Dixon led the defense with a sack and 2 tackles for loss along with 4 solos tackles.

Week 4 saw the 5-time Pennsylvania State Champions Ramblers of Cathedral Prep in the house. The Red Raiders showed grit, determination and a no holds bar attitude as they beat the Ramblers 28-26 for the 1st time in 20 years. Rushing the ball 57 times for 308 yards, with Ricardo Kidd scampering for 186 of those. The 2nd of the 1 - 2 punch Terrence Pendergrass ran for 99 yards and 2 TD’s. Logan Reaska secured 2 TD receptions. Keegan Brunet led all receives with 4 catches for 48 yards. Jeremiah Neely, Terrence Pendergrass and Shane Giesser all had 5 tackles apiece to lead the defensive effort. St. Francis never punted as they went 7 of 9 on fourth down.

Week 5 getting on the bus and traveling to Akron, Ohio to face the 6 - 0, #1 ranked and defending state runner-up Archbishop Hoban Knights. Tied at the half 7 to 7, the Red Raiders could not stop Mr. Ohio (Ohio’s best football player) RB Lamar Sperling. The UB commit kept breaking tackles and getting enough for the Knights 1st downs. The Red Raiders amassed 185 yards of offense but the Knights accumulated 354 yards, 285 by Sperling mostly in the second half. Jeremiah Neely led all tacklers with 10 followed by Kynan Ulanga with 9 and an interception.

Week 6 found the Red Raiders in Erie, PA to take on the Royals of Erie High. Winning 43-7 saw many contributors. Spreading the wealth, 6 different players ran the rock for over 200 yards. Steve Otremba, Terrence Pendergrass, Brandon Drummond and Malik Williams all scored TD’s. The defense shut down the Royals holding them to 119 yards total offense. Teddy Roberts led the charge with 7 tackles followed by Shane Giesser with 6 tackles. The defense forced 4 turnovers. A pick 6 by Dylan Walker and another interception by Brady Greenough along with a fumble recovery by Aidan Pacholec and a blocked punt by Ethan Metro helped put the offense in many advantageous situations.

Week 7 and Homecoming vs. the Marauders of St. Joe’s. St. Francis 297 yards of offense to 73 total yards of offense for the Maroon & White. Ricardo Kidd rushed for 124 yards and 3 TD’s along with Terrence Pendergrass’s 89 yards rushing. The defense was led by Balaam Miller with 9 tackles, 3 for losses. Brady Greenough had 7 tackles with 2 for loss. The Red Raiders earned 18 first downs to 8 for Joe’s. For the second game the Red Raiders did not punt. Scoring a 22 - 0 victory. With three TD’s called back, the score did not indicate the dominance by the Red & White.

Week 8 the Red Raiders traveled to hostile territory in West Seneca to face the Crusaders of Canisius. St. Francis never has beaten the Blue & Gold on their new home field. These Red Raiders made history beating Canisius 36-13. The score did not indicate the dominance by the Red & White. Amassing almost 400 yards of offense and holding the Crusaders to 110 total yards, 29 on the ground. 22 first downs to 6. Ricardo Kidd ran for 130 yards. Terrence Pendergrass had 96 with 2 TD’s. Steve Otremba Jr. threw for 107 yards, 2 TD’s and a 2-point conversion. Logan Reaska led all receivers with 5 catches, 2 for TD’s. Balaam Miller and Brady Greenough each had 5 tackles. Connor Miller and Balaam had a sack each with Connor recovering a Crusader fumble. The Blue & Gold knew we would see each other again, but it would be on our turf.

Week 9 and traveling back to Erie, Pa. to face the McDowell Trojans. The 7-2 Trojans were having one of their best years. The Red Raiders fought hard but made too many mistakes. The effort by the Red Raiders was there, but the execution, especially on defense was not. Trailing 21-14 at the half the Red Raiders were still in the ball game. Still down by 1 score after 3 the Red Raiders were giving up too many yards on the ground. Trying the game at 28 with a 21-yard TD pass from Otremba to E’Ryan Lawrence some momentum. But, as was happening all game, McDowell responded big runs and poorly executed coverage to give the Trojans a 42-28 victory. Teddy Roberts had 13 tackles along with Kynan Ulanga with 9 and Balaam Miller with 7 tackles. The Red Raiders were looking forward to the 1st round bye to heal and regroup.

With the memory of the trip to Erie still in the back of their minds, the Red Raiders trained hard with a renewed sense of purpose. A desire to repeat as MMHSAA Champions.

MMHSAAA Championship: Before Canisius could blink, Ricardo Kidd ran 66 yards for TD, Shane Giesser rumbled 47 yards with a fumble return for a TD, Logan Reaska’s catch and run for a 70 yard TD reception and Terrence Pendergrass’s 31 yard TD run cleared the visitors stands. What started out as a raucous crowd turned into a Sea of Red Raider faithful. With Aidan Pacholec’s 2-point reception from Steve Otremba Jr. and 3 Mario Camillo’s extra points the Red Raiders had a 29-0 lead at the end of 1 quarter. After an Otremba 1 yard run, Canisius finally got on the board with a couple of scores near the end of the 1st half. The second half did not have as many fireworks as Ricardo added a 6 yard run with Otremba’s 2 point run. Terrence Pendergrass finished the TD scoring with a 3 yard run as Pat Lawless ended all scoring for the Red Raiders with his extra point. Terrence added 7 tackles, a sack and a tackle for loss to his great game. Balaam Miller and Ethan Metro added 5 tackles each in the great defensive effort. With Canisius adding a late 4th quarter score the Red Raider repeated as MMHSAA Regular and Playoff Champions 50- 0. That makes 17 Championships in the last 32 years.

CHSAA Championship: After over 6 feet of snow, yes 6 feet, fell on the Hamburg and Buffalo area, the CHSAA Championship game was postponed to Wednesday November 30th. The #1 Ranked Team in New York StateThe St. Anthony Friars came to town. With snow piles surrounding the field, the Red Raiders took advantage of the blustery and cold weather to take a 20-0 lead at the half. Ricardo Kidd had a 28 and a 9 yard Run, Terrence Pendergrass a 15 yard run all for TD’s. The Red Raiders were 1 for 3 on 2 point conversions. After 3 quarters, the lead was cut to 20 to 7. With 8 minutes left in the fourth quarter the Friars made it 20-14 on a 4 yard run. The ensuing kickoff hung up in the air, the Red Raiders lost sight and the Friars recovered on the St. Francis 29-yard line. On 4th and 1, the Friars fumbled the snap but their RB was in perfect position to scoop up the ball and gain 2 yards for the 1st down that lead to the Friars taking a 21-20 lead. After turning the ball over on downs the Friars added another score but missed the extra point. With the score at 27-20 the Red Raiders worked their way down to the Friar 21-yard line with 14 seconds left. The second half was reminiscent of the McDowell game, in which the Red Raiders could not execute as well as they could have. A last ditch 4th down play with 10 seconds left ended in a sack - game over - season over.

Epilogue: The 2022-23 Red Raiders gave everything they had. Effort, Determination, Love and Sacrifice. Beating Cathedral Prep for the first time in 20 years, beating Canisius on their home field for the first time ever since they built their field, tied with the #1 team in Ohio, and finally leading the #1 team in New York State at the half is truly remarkable. 2 time Champions. Top 2 in Western New York last 2 years. Numerous players with post season awards. Senior Ricardo Kidd was named MMHSAA Player of the Year. 1st Team AC, AWNY, ANYS, AWNY Athletics. Connolly Cup Finalist. Led the league in rushing yards, # of carries and rushing TD’s, points scored, and total TD’s. Senior Aiden Dubeck was named 1st Team AC, 2nd AWNY, AWNY Athletics. Attending Grove City College. Junior Marcus Harrison named 1st Team AC, AWNY, AWNY Athletics, 2nd Team ANYS. Senior Balaam Miller named 1st Team AC, AWNY, AWNY Athletics, 2nd Team ANYS, WNY Defensive Lineman of the Year, Dick Gallagher Mount Cushmore Award Winner. Attending St. Francis University. Senior Steve Otremba Jr. named 1st Team AC, HM AWNY, ANYS, Led league in 2point conversions. Attending Cortland State University. Senior Logan Reaska 1st Team AC, AWNY, AWNY Athletics, HMANYS, 2nd in league in receiving yards and TD’s. Junior Slade Gonzales 2nd Team AC. Junior Terrence Pendergrass 2nd Team AC, 2nd Team WNY Athletics, 3rd Team AWNY, Ilio DiPaolo Captain Award Winner, 1st in league in rushing TD’s, 2nd with TD’s, 3rd in scoring. Junior Teddy Roberts 2nd Team AC, AWNT Athletics, HMAWNY. Junior Romeo Valle 2nd Team AC. Senior Dylan Walker 2nd Team AC, Career leader for SFHS in passes defended. Attending Edinboro University.

With the mentorship of the 2022 seniors the 2023 Red Raiders will finish the job and build on the standard of excellence that has been established. Thank you to the 2022 Red Raiders for all the great memories and the standard you have set. We will continue the legacy of CHAMPIONS!

goLF

It was a rebuilding year for the St Francis High School Varsity Golf team with seven new players joining the team including four freshmen, two juniors and one senior. Cole Cervoni, Braiden Truby, Colby Francavilla, Jamison LiVecchi, Ian Love and Leyton Roberts - all played in and contributed in 2022 matches this season. The team finished with a 3-6 record with several lost matches being extremely close. A few strokes here or there and this young team would easily have had a .500 record.

Season highlights include a team victory over Orchard Park High School to re-capture the much sought-after Southtowns Cup, and Sophomore Jack Tebeau placing 6th overall in the two-day multi-state Mid-West Prep Classic Tournament with lowest round of all competitors (72) on the second day of competition. 1st Team All Catholichonors were awards to Jack Tebeau for the 2nd consecutive year where he finished 2nd overall in the league with a 37.2 nine-hole stroke average. Owen Riggs, junior, and Nick Picone, sophomore, received second team All Catholichonors.

Tebeau, Riggs and Picone qualified to compete in the CHSAA State Championship in June at James Baird State Park in Poughkeepsie, New York.

HoCKEY

PREP HOCKEY

The 2022-23 Prep Hockey team finished the season 18-37-5. For the first time in school history, the Prep Hockey became a full season hockey team starting play in August and going all the way through March. The Red Raiders took road trips all over the Northeast and Midwest to play the highest level of competition possible. A few highlights from the season include receiving a personal tour of the University of Vermont’s athletic and hockey facilities by Buffalo native and UV Athletic Director, Jess Schulman. In addition to trips to Boston, Burlington, Cleveland and Chicago along with the showcase in Las Vegas were amazing experiences. Capping off the season was a huge victory where our Red Raiders defeated cross town rival Nichols Prep for the first time in 14 years. At season’s end, Gavan Schwenkbeck and Sam Couture were names MPHL Honorable Mention All-Stars. We thank our seniors, #3 Ben Ziobro, #10 Gavan Schwenkbeck, #12 Ondrej Zetek, #19 Alexander Boyd, #24 Bowen Mann, #86 Naythan Zurowski and #94 Greyson Settipane for a great season and wish them all the best on the next chapter. The coaches look forward to a promising 2023-2024 season with a lot of returning players.

FEDERATION HOCKEY

The St. Francis Red Raiders came into the 2022-2023 season with five returning players. In addition, the team kicked off the season with 19 new players including Asst.Captains Dylan Kacmarski and Brady Hill, and Captain Aidan O’Brien. The rest of the Red Raider leadership was led by Asst. Captain Brycen Roberts and Captain Mateo Torres, both returning seniors to St. Francis Fed. The team wrapped up their season being named the Niagara Cup runner-ups. This year’s top point earner once again was Brycen Roberts with 7 goals and 10 assists in 20 games. Congratulations to Brycen Roberts and Mateo Torres on receiving 1st Team All Catholic honors and Brendan Walczak, 2nd Team All-Catholic. All Catholic Honorable Mention players were Brady Hill, Owen Allaire, Brennan Matthews, Aidan O’Brien and Dylan Kacmarski.

VARSITY CLUB A HOCKEY

The St. Francis Varsity Club A Hockey team had a young roster that continually improved throughout the season. Their record did not reflect the talent as the team suffered some injuries that shortened the bench for much of the season. There were many players that stepped up to fill the gaps. Senior Aaron Kline contributed to the leadership of the team both on and off the ice and performances. Though the team faced its challenges, it is hopeful next season will bring further success.

VARSITY CLUB B HOCKEY

The Varsity Club B Hockey team had a decent season this year. Despite a very young roster, the team still fought hard until the end and had several positives to remember the season by. The main highlights of the season included defeating St. Joe’s in big fashion at home (7-2) and beating Cheektowaga in a nail biter 11-9 at home. All players grew in their hockey skills and competed at a high level. Their play on this team contributed to other wins in the hockey program this year, most notably with the JV Prep team winning their championship game.

JV PREP HOCKEY

JV Prep Hockey had a successful campaign this year capping off the season by being named Division I Champions of the NFJVHA. The Red Raiders defeated St Joe’s in the quarter final game 2-1 with the winning goal scored in OT by Dominic Conte. In the semifinals, they defeated Canisius which can be attributed to the outstanding goaltending of Brandon Blaszak who made a tremendous save with 2 seconds remaining to preserve the 3-2 victory. JV Prep defeated Frontier 7-0 in the championship game on the strength of a 5-point effort of Caiden Evancho and a shutout by Jayse Jemiolo. The Red Raiders displayed tenacity and talent during the 2022-2023 and the future of these young players is promising.

inDoor trACK

The 2022-23 Indoor team had a very successful campaign, leaving top 10 results in both WNY and CHSAA and NYS. A great mix of underclassmen and seasoned veterans were on the roster this season.

Leading the way on the track, Bryce Roberts, Andrew Krug and Sam Hallmark were both under the 7 second mark in the 55m sprint, with Bryce going 6.84 at the CHSAA Intersectional which was a top 10 performance. Sam Hallmark was the top 300m runner on the team going 38.6. The Sophomore 4x400m record was broken this year by Dalton Pelow, Ben Siler, Brayden Mahoney and Nathan Powers going 3:56.13, crushing a 21-year-old record. In the 600m, Devon Shepherd leads the way with a top 10 WNY run going 1:31. Nate Phillips and Pat Roof both ran well this season in the mile and 2-mile setting new Indoor PR’s.

In the fields, the SFHS throwing team was on full display. The Shot Put record was broken by Marcus Harrison. He threw 54-5.75ft in the event and was #1 in CHSAA, #1 in WNY and #2 in New York State. This breaks a 15-year-old record. Romeo Valle places 4th at the CHSAA Intersectional, throwing 45ft. Matt Stadler throws 41ft to place 8th in CHSAA. Both were top 10 performances in WNY and CHSAA. In the Weight Throw, Nate Barnas and Ethan Farley set the Freshman and Sophomore records. The SFHS Weight Throw record was set by Camden Marx throwing 42-10ft. He was top 10 in WNY and CHSAA in that event. The Pole Vault Record was broken by Nate Powers, clearing 10ft. This clearance was a top 10 in WNY. The combined Long Jump record was broken by Bryce Roberts (20-7) and Andrew Krug (20-6). Roberts and Krug were top 5 in the Long Jump in WNY and CHSAA. Krug placed 3rd in the Triple Jump and 4 in the Long Jump, scoring points at the CHSAA Intersectional meet. At the end of the year, Krug was top 10 in CHSAA in the 55m Hurdles, Long Jump, Triple Jump, and High Jump.

Thank you to these Seniors for competing this season: Andrew Krug, Bryce Roberts, Sam Hallmark, Charlie Taggart, Devon Shepherd, David Friedrich, Matt Stadler.

LACroSSE

VARSITY LACROSSE

The 2023 Varsity Lacrosse team concluded the season with a record of 12-8; finishing third in the Monsignor Martin Conference Standings.

On offense, the Red Raiders averaged over 14 goals per game on the season. Charlie Rooney (‘23) set the pace for the Red Raiders with 100 points (66 G/ 34 A). Sophomore Landon Welka finished the season with 77 points (43 G/34A) and Caden Brenner (’24) finished the 2023 campaign with a career high 45 points (19G/ 26A). Two way players Naythan Zurowski and Jim Gordon led the charge at the midfield, providing a punch on offense and solid defensive play while AJ Kraus (’25) finished the season with a 74% face-off win percentage.

Defensively, seniors Brennan Matthews and Jack Bierl led the way for the Red Raiders on the defensive end, leading a group that allowed 9 goals per game on the season. Matthews (’23) led the team in takeaways with 25. The future appears bright on the defensive side as underclassmen Lucas Fabianski (’25), Chase Russo (’26), and Andrew Mroz (’26) all made signification contributions early in their careers.

The Red Raiders won their first playoff game against Bishop Timon St. Jude by a score of 20-1 before falling to rival Canisius 10-9 in a thrilling double overtime game during which two Red Raiders net hat tricks (Zurowski) (Robert Karalus ’25).

JV LACROSSE

With only having four returning sophomores, the JV Lacrosse team had a successful season. This young lacrosse team had 11 wins, 2 losses and 1 tie. The team scoring was led by three freshmen who combine for a total of 71 of the teams 124 goals. The teams three leading scorer were Logan Knodel with 33 goals and 31 assists, Brady Rakoski with 23 goals and 5 assists and Brayden Howard with 15 goals and 4 assists.

Under the guidance of first year coach Aidan Meade, our young group of defensemen worked hard every practice, developing their stick skills as well as their knowledge of the game. This young defensive group was made up of one returning sophomore, Aidan Nardello, and four freshmen, Evan Newby, Andrew Boyd, Vincent Scott and Patrick Coughlin, two of whom had no lacrosse experience at all.

With the Red Raiders defensive play and our two outstanding goalies, Teddy Reid and Karol Kryszton, we held our opponents to an average of 6.07 goals per game. This team was also lead under the guidance and leadership of returning sophomore midfielder Waylon Runfola. Johan Vasquuz deserves recognition for stepping in as the team’s face-off guy and winning almost every face-off he took this season.

With this team’s hard work and dedication at practice and in games, we were able to outscore out opponents 124 to 79. The coaches are looking forward to continuing our team’s success into the 2024 lacrosse season.

SoCCEr

VARSITY SOCCER

The Varsity Soccer team held their own this season while playing a difficult schedule including 14 road matches and games against three division champions and two state championship teams. The team was led by senior captain, Owen Mulderig who dominated the midfield on his way to 1st Team All Catholic and All-WNY honors. Senior Matt Sheehan was also named 1st Team All Catholic for his outstanding midfield play. Junior Kaleb O’Connor earned 2nd Team All Catholic honors while leading the team with 12 goals. Nolan Edwards was the final 2nd Team selection this year earning the honors for his tenacious play and aerial domination.

Senior captains SL Dickey and Brendan Cheng provided leadership and a physical presence on the pitch. The Red Raiders also received strong seasons from seniors Erik Shattenberg and Daniel Feeley, juniors Nate Gonsiorek and Cam Rogan, and freshman Aidan Goodberry. The coaches are proud of how this team prepared and competed and will continue the pursuit of a championship in 2023.

JV SOCCER

The JV soccer team worked very hard this season. The team was very young, with freshmen comprising a majority of the group. Through hard work, determination, and perseverance, the team greatly improved as the season went on. Even though the record doesn’t reflect it, the players were competitive in most of the games during the season, of which included wins against Eden, Springville and St. Joe’s. The Red Raiders also had a thrilling overtime victory at home against St. Mary’s to end the season on a very strong note. The players will be working hard in the offseason preparing for next year and ultimately getting ready to play at the varsity level.

SWiMMing

St. Francis Swimming placed third at the All CatholicChampionships, with two first place finishes by Jude Strittmatter in the 100 butterfly and 200 freestyle. Doyle Knodel came in third in the 100 backstroke, and Zach Seifert touched third in the 500 freestyle. The 200-yard freestyle relay consisting of Hunter LaMoy, Sam Comstock, Zach Seifert, and Jude Strittmatter came in second place, and the 200 Medley relay of Doyle Knodel, Zach Seifert, Jude Strittmatter, and Sam Comstock came in third. The season was also highlighted by a good win over Eden.

tEnniS

The tennis team took another positive step this season, as we returned several starters, and had over 30 students join the team. The team swept St. Joes and beat Gow as well, to finish in sole possession of 3rd place in the league. Senior Zach Dusza anchored the 1 singles position, winning 4 times in straight sets. Seniors Aidan Tamol, Juan Berbel-Montoya, Eli Obrochta and juniors Aldi Irik, Jacob Gearhart, and Nick Szpylman, and Carson Latt also were major contributors at the singles and doubles lines. Depth was a strength of the team, as it rarely lost a game at the 2 doubles line. The team will return a large group of rising seniors next year, and look to improve upon the success of this season.

trACK & FiELD

St. Francis Track & Field completed the Spring 2023 season going 7-0 to win the regular season title for the MMHSAA & also winning the 2023 All Catholic Championship hosted in May at St. Francis by scoring 200pts as a team. Track & Field has gone undefeated in the MMHSAA for 5 straight seasons along with winning the MMHSAA All Catholic Team title for 5 straight seasons. For the first time in school history, Track & Field has 5-peated as Champions in the MMHSAA. Big wins over St. Joe’s (82-32) and Canisius (98-16) were complimented by strong showings at Invites that included Alexander (2nd), Depew (2nd), Dunkirk (2nd), West Seneca West (2nd) and winning the Hornell Invite for the first time in School history in early May

Marcus Harrison broke his own school record when he tossed the shotput 54-7.5 inches in early April. Junior Romeo Valle won the Shotput at All Catholics and placed 3rd in the CHSAA intersectional in Late May. Matt Stadler provided depth in both the Shotput and Discus while Junior Camden Marx steadily improved over the spring to earn points at the All Catholic. Ethan Farley won Discus in the Frosh-Soph All Catholic.

Seniors Andrew Krug, Bryce Roberts & Erik Shattenberg led the jumpers all season taking turns stepping up to beat the very competitive MMHSAA. Junior Keegan Brunet saved his best for the All Catholic winning both the Long & High Jump at the event. St. Francis had 4 jumpers leap over 20 feet in the Long Jump, a school first. This versatile group also helped on the track to make the team strong and compete with depth in all areas contested. Krug’s Pentathlon of 2831pts is one of the best scores in WNY this past Spring.

New in 2023 was St. Francis Track & Field having Sophomore Nathan Powers competing in the Pole Vault. His

personal Best of 10’3 is the current school record & his placing at Hornell was a key effort in the team winning the Invite in May.

Seniors Sam Hallmark and Dylan Walker helped lead the sprinters and both worked through difficult injuries to compete at the All Catholics. Their gritty competiveness served as an example to the entire team as they contributed to the squad beyond their performances. Bryce Roberts was dominating in the 200m and with his fellow sprinters Shattenberg, Kion Ulanga & Kynan Ulanga ran 43.65 in the 4 x 100 which is the 2nd fastest time in school history to win the All Catholic event.

Youth was prevalent in the mid-distance as Sophomores Maximus Sturniolo, Dalton Pelow & Dominic Davis worked with Junior Aidan Pacholec & steady Senior Steve Otremba Jr. to be a strength of the team along with dominating the mid-distance in the MMHSAA and Invites.

Sophomore Mike Stadler emerged into being one of the best mid distance distance runners in scoring a team high 28.5 points at the All Catholic & also placing 5th at the CHSAA Intersectional Meet in the 800m running under 2 minutes for the first time in his short career. He anchored the 4 x 800 relay that included Davis, Pacholec and ever improving Sophomore Brayden Mahoney to win the event at All Catholics. Juniors Patrick Roof and Nathan Phillips scored points in big meets all season doing what was asked to allow the team to be successful. Senior Eric Lanning was the elder statement but placed 3rd in the 3200m and ran his best at the end of the season to help the team to its team title. Tom Pivarunas took home titles at the Frosh-Soph All Catholic in the 1600m & 3200m.

St. Francis won all 3 relays at the All Catholic with 11 athletes which is another example of how deep the squad was and so many red raiders maximizing results in their roles.

All C Atholi C s VA rsity

Michael Stadler 3200R, 800m

Keegan Brunet Long Jump, High Jump

Romeo Valle Shotput

Aidan Pacholec 3200R

Dominic Davis 3200R, 1600R

Brayden Mahoney 3200R

Dalton Pelow 1600R

Maximus Sturniolo 1600R

Steve Otremba 1600R

Erik Shattenberg 400R

Kion Ulanga 400R

Kynan Ulanga 400R

Bryce Roberts 400R

VoLLEYBALL

VARSITY VOLLEYBALL

All C Atholi C s Frosh- s oph

Tom Pivarunas 1600m, 3200m

Ethan Farley Discus

Ben Siler Sprint Medley

Nathan Powers Sprint Medley

Angelo Simoncelli Sprint Medley

Luke Wickett Sprint Medley

The 2022 Red Raider Volleyball team had high expectations for the season as the team consisted of 7 seniors, 7 juniors, and 1 sophomore giving the team a great mix of experience and athleticism. The red and white faced off against the best teams in Western New York on a nightly basis and finished the season with a 7-15 overall record including big victories over Hamburg, Williamsville East, and Williamsville South, a 3-7 record in the MMHSAA and a #10 ranking in the WNY Coaches Poll. The Red Raiders also competed in several tournaments including a 3rd place finish at the Williamsville South Tournament, a quarterfinal loss at the Eden Tournament, a quarterfinal loss at the Orchard Park Tournament, and a semifinal loss at the Grand Island Tournament. The Red Raiders were defeated by St. Joe’s in the semifinals 22-25, 20-25, 22-25 to end their season.

Despite the disappointing record, individual honors were given to senior Aidan Trimper and senior John Mallory as they were named 1st Team All Catholicand to senior Kevin Herr and sophomore Charlie Allesi who were named to 2nd Team All Catholicfor their outstanding performances all season long. Aidan Trimper was also named All-

Tournament at the Williamsville South Tournament and the Grand Island Tournament, while John Mallory was named All-Tournament at the Williamsville South Tournament.

Senior outside hitter Aidan Trimper ended the season with 190 kills to lead the team, along with 144 digs, 21 aces, 18 assists, and 10 blocks. Sophomore Charlie Allesi had 400 assists to go along with 74 digs, 35 aces, 22 kills, and 19 blocks from the setter position. Senior John Mallory had 112 kills, 54 digs, 33 blocks, 15 aces, and 14 assists as the team’s leading middle hitter. Junior Jacob Gearhart rounded out the 100 kill club with 109 kills, 104 digs, 25 aces, 14 blocks, and 10 assists. Senior Charlie Taggart (38 kills and 9 blocks) and senior Paul Nowadly (36 kills and 23 blocks) rounded out the offensive production on the season. Senior Kevin Herr patrolled the back row all season long and had 143 digs and 15 aces, while junior Nicholas Szpylman (62 digs, 38 assists, and 17 aces) and senior Nicholas Siler (16 digs and 5 aces) played well all season when called upon. Senior Vincent Ni (7 kills and 2 digs) will be sorely missed as he was the team’s motivational leader inspiring the team after every team huddle.

Junior Cole Smith (3 kills and 3 digs), junior Zander Esford (4 kills and 2 aces), junior Noah Cervoni (4 kills, 4 digs, and 2 blocks) Junior Nicholas Dzimian (1 kill) and junior Jonas Herdlein 3 digs and 2 aces) all earned great experience during their first varsity season and will be called upon during their senior seasons to lead.

JV VOLLEYBALL

The 2022 St. Francis Red Raider JV Volleyball team was a very young but talented group. Brandon Blaszak and Logan Burns were the only two returning players from last year. Along with Sean Gordon and Luke Maracle, they lead the team from the Libero position with their back row play. The versatility from Luke Lanning, Aiden Wallace and Jack Salerno allowed the team to improve throughout the season. First year players Peyton Mitchell, Colton Warner and Logan Knodel had a great season as they put up huge blocks hard hits from the center of the court.

WrEStLing

The Red Raiders fell short in their title defense this year, finishing in 2nd place in a competitive Monsignor Martin League. The team finished the season ranked #6 among large schools in WNY and capped the year off on a positive note with a CHSAA Division 2 Team State Championship while being awarded the CHSAA Sportsmanship plaque by the CHSAA tournament officials. Earning All-CHSAA State honors this year were freshman Sean Gordon (118) who placed 2nd, junior Connor Miller (189) who took 3rd, juniors Brandon Drummond (172) 4th and Jack Coughlin (215) 5th, and senior captain Jimmy Gordon (132) 6th.

Sean Gordon, Miller, Drummond, Coughlin, and freshman Rory White (145) who led the team in wins this year with 43, earned Monsignor Martin All Catholichonors as the champions of their individual weight classes. Placing 2nd as All Catholicfinalists were Jimmy Gordon, Tucker Jobe (152), and Joe Littlejohn (160). 3rd Place finishers included Owen Miller (126), Damone Allen (138), and Karol Krzyszton (215). Rounding out the Monsignor Martin place finishers were Dylan Mullen (138) 4th, Chase Russo (145) 4th, Nick Siler (145) 5th, Gabe Miller (152) 5th, Aidan Pacholec (160) 4th, and Tim McCann (285) 5th.

OUR PROGRAM FOR THE EvENING

OUR PROGRAM FOR THE EVENING

WELCOME AND INVOCATION

Mr. Steve Otremba . Director of Athletics

Fr. Matthew Foley, OFM Conv . President of St. Francis High School

MASTER OF CEREMONIES

Mr. Steve Otremba

PRESENTATION OF SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS

Mr. Anthony Micucci

Mr. Jason Cretacci

Mr. Jerry Smith

Mr. Steve Otremba

PRESENTATION OF LETTERS AND SERVICE PINS

Mr. Jason Cretacci

Mr. Brian Ferris ’00, HOF ’10

Mr. Andy Lanigan ’02, HOF ’18

Mr. Steve Otremba ’90, HOF ’00

Mr. Jack Panek

Mr. Nate Suchyna ’00, HOF ’10

PRESENTATION OF TEAM INDIVIDUAL AWARDS

Mr. Jason Cretacci

Mr. Brian Ferris ’00, HOF ’10

Mr. Andy Lanigan ’02, HOF ’18

Mr. Steve Otremba ’90, HOF ’00

Mr. Jack Panek

Mr. Nate Suchyna ’00, HOF ’10

PRESENTATION OF CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM AWARDS AND PRESENTATION OF ALL CATHOLIC/ALL STAR AWARDS

Mr. Nate Suchyna

Championship Team Coaches

THOUGHTS FOR REFLECTION

Mr. Steve Otremba

ST. FRANCIS HIGH SCHOOL

RED RAIDER ATHLETICS

2022-23 ADMINISTRATION AND COACHING STAFF

Friar Matthew Foley, President, OFM Conv.

Mr. John Zygai, Principal

Mr. Timothy Monahan, Assistant Principal

Mr. Andy Lanigan, Dean of Students

Mrs. Sue Schaffstall, Vice President of Marketing and Communications

Mr. Paul Bartell, Vice President of Development and Alumni Relations

Mr. Patrick Flaherty, Vice President of Finance

Mr. Steve Otremba, Director of Athletics

Mr. Nate Suchyna, Athletic Trainer, Assistant Director of Athletics

Mr. David Dyson, Athletic Trainer

Mr. Sam Hendricks, Director of Admissions

Mr. Anthony Micucci, Director of Hockey Operations

Cross Country – Jon Kiefer, Kevin Hoak, Alex Schaffstall

Football – Jerry Smith, Steve Otremba, Craig Browning, Bill Calkins, Mike Chuchla, Nick Corto, Matt Davis, Scott Greenough, Mike Hoak, Nathan Jobe, Bob Kendall, Georgio Khoury, Kevin Murphy, Adam Redden, Kynan Ulanga, Jerad Waring, Bob Wesolek

Golf - Chuck Stephenson, Mike Cullen, Cory Cullen, John Tebeau

Soccer

Jason Cretacci, Justin Moretta, Arek Janiga, Richard Luczak, Alex Davis

Volleyball – Andy Lanigan, Bob Hasenoehrl

Basketball – Brian Ferris, Kevin Roth, Roburt Welch, Alex Davis, Terrance Roberts

Bowling – Jason Cretacci

Hockey – Brian Becker, Joe Pezzino, Jack Panek, Jordan Farnham, Kevin Wicka, Mike, Rogan, Jay Ciamaga, Jordan Lambert, Richard Luczak, Joe Colosimo, Pat Roberts, Matt Wawrowski, Brandon Evancho

Hockey Moderator – Jason Cretacci

Indoor Track – Arek Janiga, Bob Hasenoerhrl, Alex Schaffstall

Swimming – Sam Hendricks, Nick Descovich

Wrestling – Mike Messore, Ron Lorenz, Matthew Heywood

Baseball – Paul Bartell, John Catanzaro, Gary Kaczor, Ed Hoak, Chris Hoak, Craig Browning

Lacrosse – Kevin Rautenstrauch, Kevin Overdorf, Cort Knodel, Dom Butera, Aidan Meade

Tennis – Sam Hendricks, Brandon Gaspar

Track and Field – Steve Otremba, Nate Suchyna, Bob Hasenoehrl, Arek Janiga, Alex Schaffstall

GO RED RAIDERS!

Congratulations to the St. Francis High School

ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

Logan Reaska

and SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR

Steve Otremba

THE ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT’S HIGHEST AWARDS FOR 2023 WERE PRESENTED AT THE COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES AT OUR LADY OF VICTORY BASILICA ON FRIDAY, MAY 19, 2023

DISTINGUISHED ATHLETE AWARD

Aidan

Trimper

and SCHOLAR ATHLETE AWARD

Matthew

Sheehan

THE AWARDS WERE PRESENTED AT THE BACCALAUREATE MASS AT ST. FRANCIS HIGH SCHOOL ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 2023

We would also like to recognize the SECTION

VI ALL-WNY SCHOLAR ATHLETE WINNERS

Owen Mulderig - Soccer

Logan Reaska - Football, Basketball

Jude Strittmatter - Swimming

HONORABLE MENTION

Alexander Boyd - Hockey

Brendan Cheng - Soccer

Adam Cline - Cross Country

SL Dickey - Soccer

Noah Dobrick - Soccer

Daniel Feeley - Soccer

James Giallella - Bowling

James Gordon - Wrestling

Samuel Griffin - Cross Country

Samuel Hallmark - Indoor Track

Andrew Jin - Football

Andrew Krug - Football, Indoor Track

Eric Lanning - Cross Country

Patrick Lawless - Football

John Mallory - Volleyball

Vincent Ni - Volleyball

Paul Nowadly - Volleyball

Steve Otremba - Football

Brycen Roberts - Hockey

Charlie Rooney - Basketball

Erik Shattenberg - Soccer

Matthew Sheehan - Soccer

Devon Shepherd - Cross Country, Indoor Track

Nicholas Siler - Volleyball, Wrestling

Charlie Taggart - Volleyball, Indoor Track

Ondrej Zetek - Hockey

*Spring Scholar-Athletes were not announced at time of publication

ALL-CATHOLIC AND ALL-STAR SELECTIONS 2022-2023

VArSitY BASEBALL

Noah Albano

1stTeam All Catholic Playoff MVP

Joseph Panzarella

1st Team All Catholic

Braden Hill

1st Team All Catholic

Aidan Trimper

1st Team All Catholic

VArSitY BoWLing

Jack Tebeau

1st Team All-Catholic

VArSitY CroSS CoUntrY

Eric Lanning

1st Team All Catholic

Michael Stadler

1st Team All Catholic

VArSitY FootBALL

Aiden Dubeck

1st Team All Catholic

Marcus Harrison

1st Team All Catholic & AWNY

Ricardo Kidd

MMHSAA Player of the Year

1st Team All Catholic, All WNY, All NYS

Balaam Miller

1st Team All Catholic & All WNY

Steve Otemba

1st Team All Catholic & All NYS

Logan Reaska

1st Team All Catholic & All WNY

VArSitY goLF

Jack Tebeau

1st Team All Catholic

VArSitY FED HoCKEY

Brycen Roberts

1st Team All Catholic

Mateo Torres

1st Team All Catholic

VArSitY LACroSSE

Charles Rooney

1st Team All Catholic

Landon Welka

1st Team All Catholic

VArSitY SoCCEr

Owen Mulderig

1st Team All Catholic & All WNY

Matthew Sheehan

1st Team All Catholic

VArSitY SWiMMing

Jude Strittmatter

All Catholic - 100 Butterfly, 200 Freestyle

ALL-CATHOLIC AND ALL-STAR SELECTIONS 2022-2023

VArSitY trACK & FiELD

Keegan Brunet

All Catholic Long Jump, High Jump

Dominic Davis, All Catholic 4x800m Relay, 4x400m Relay

Brayden Mahoney

All Catholic 4x800m Relay

Steve Otremba

All Catholic 4x400m Relay

Aidan Pacholec

All Catholic 4x800m Relay

Dalton Pelow

All Catholic 4x400m Relay

Bryce Roberts

All Catholic 4x100m Relay

Erik Shattenberg

All Catholic 4x100m Relay

Michael Stadler

All Catholic 800m, 4x800m Relay

Maximus Sturniolo

All Catholic 4x400m Relay

Kion Ulanga

All Catholic 4x100m Relay

Kynan Ulanga

All Catholic 4x100m Relay

Romeo Valle

All Catholic Shot Put

VArSitY VoLLEYBALL

Aidan Trimper

1st Team All Catholic

John Mallory

1st Team All Catholic

VArSitY WrEStLing

Jack Coughlin

All Catholic 215 lb

Sean Gordon

All Catholic 118 lb

Connor Miller

All Catholic 189 lb

Brandon Drummond

All Catholic 172 lb

Rory White

All Catholic 145 lb

ST. FRANCIS HIGH SCHOOL

CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS 2022–2023

Congratulations on Being the Best CROSS COUNTRY

MMHSAA Regular Season Champions & All Catholic Champions

Head Coach: Jon Keifer

Asst. Coaches: Kevin Hoak, Alex Schaffstall

Ryan Borrello

Nicholas Brokx

Cameron Bush

Adam Cline

Samuel Griffin

Samuel Hallmark

Eric Lanning

Nathan Phillips

Thomas Pivarunas

Jonah Reichenberg

Nathan Reichenberg

Teddy Reid

Patrick Roof

Devon Shepherd

Jack Sobkowiak

Michael Stadler

ST. FRANCIS HIGH SCHOOL CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS 2021–2022

Congratulations on Being the Best VARSITY FOOTBALL

MMHSAA Regular Season Champions & League Champions

Head Coach: Jerry Smith

Asst. Coaches: Steve Otremba, Craig Browning, Mike Chuchla, Matt Davis, Scott Greenough, Mike Hoak, Kevin Murphy, Adam Redden, Kynan Ulanga

Mario Camillo

Felix Cedeno

John Coughlin

Daxiem Dixon

Brandon Drummond

Aiden Dubeck

Ethan Farley

Shane Giesser

Slade Gonzales

Brady Greenough

William Hanson

Michael Harris

Andrew Jin

Robert Kendall Jr.

Ricardo Kidd

Andrew Krug

Patrick Lawless

Ethan Metro

Pietro Milito

Connor Miller

Balaam Miller

Jeremiah Neely

Steve Otremba

Aidan Pacholec

Terrence Pendergrass

Logan Reaska

Bryce Roberts

Theordore Roberts

Brian Sibley

Matthew Sibley

Aiden Thomas

Kion Ulanga

Kynan Ulanga

Romeo Valle

Dylan Walker

Malik Williams

Keegan Brunet

Marcus Harrison

ST. FRANCIS HIGH SCHOOL CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS 2022–2023

Congratulations on Being the Best JV PREP HOCKEY

NFJVHA Division I Champions

Head Coach: Pat Roberts

Asst Coaches: Matt Wawrowski, Brandon Evancho

Jackson Antonelli

John Bernas

Brandon Blaszak

Andrew Boyd

Thomas Brozyna

Matthew Capozzi

Dominic Conte

Caidan Evancho

Christopher Gosciak

Kyle Huttenlocker

Jayse Jemiolo

Ryan Malburg

Andrew Markel

Troy Massey

Connor Matte

William Miller III

Connor Nannen

Connor Quinn

Brayden Rakoski

Grant Rybczynski

Zachary Same

Joshua Sikorski

ST. FRANCIS HIGH SCHOOL CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS 2022–2023

Congratulations on Being the Best

VARSITY TRACK & FIELD

MMHSAA Regular Season Champions & All Catholic Champions

Head Coach: Steve Otremba

Asst Coaches: Bob Hasenoehrl, Arek Janiga, Alex Schaffstall, Nate Suchyna

Nathan Barnas

Keegan Brunet

Dominic Davis

Chad English

Ethan Farley

Daniel Feeley

Joshua Fischer

David Friedrich

Nathan Gonsiorek

Brady Greenough

Samuel Griffin

Maxwell Haggerty

Robert Hall

Samuel Hallmark

Marcus Harrison

Peyton Johnson

Ricardo Kidd

Andrew Krug

Eric Lanning

Justin Lombardo

Brayden Mahoney

Camden Marx

Timothy McCann

Steve Otremba

Aidan Pacholec

Dalton Pelow

Terrence Pendergrss

Nathan Phillips

Thomas Pivarunas

Boston Pokigo

Nathaniel Powers

Bryce Roberts

Theodore Roberts

Patrick Roof

Erik Shattenberg

Matthew Sheehan

Benjamin Siler

Angelo Simoncelli

Jack Sobkowiak

David Spadone, Je.

Matthew Stadler

Michael Stadler

Maximus Sturniolo

Charlie Taggart

Kion Ulanga

Kynan Ulanga

Romeo Valle

Louis Violanti

Dylan Walker

Aidan Wallace

Colton Warner

Luke Wickett

Malik Williams

ST. FRANCIS HIGH SCHOOL

CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS 2022–2023

Congratulations on Being the Best

VARSITY BASEBALL

Georgetown Cup Champions

Head Coach: Paul Bartell

Asst Coaches: John Catanzaro, Gary Kaczor

Noah Albano

Cael Banks

Nicholas Bienko

Jake Broad

Andrew Cook

Brenden Dukat

William Hanson

Kevin Herr

Braden Hill

Matthew Hilton

Ryan Hilton

Tyler Kocher

Zachary LaRosa

Benjamin Michalski

Aidan O’Brien

Joseph Panzarella

Luke Rybczynski

Luke Schaller

Jason Schiltz

Adam Suffoletto

Aidan Trimper

Thomas Utter

Anthony Venditti

Brendan Walczak

Noah Waisura

CONGRATULATIONS RED RAIDERS ON A GREAT YEAR!

Your Fans in the oFFice For institutional advancement

Fr. Matthew Foley, OFM Conv.

Paul Bartell, Jr.'88

Br. Tim Blanchard, OFM Conv.

Sam Hendricks

Pat Kaczmarczyk

Cassie McKee

Anthony Micucci

Sue Schaffstall

Kate Taggart

Tom Telesco, Dan Puckhaber and Nick Suchyna

on your induction into the Fr. Rufinus Hall of Fame

and in keeping the Red Raider Legacy alive!

Dedicated to the Memory of The

Very Rev. Rufinus Niedzwiecki, OFM Conv.

The Very Rev. Rufinus Niedziecki Memorial Sports Hall of Fame at St. Francis High School is named after one of Western New York’s legendary sports figures. In over twenty years at his alma mater, St. Francis High School, Father Rufinus built a reputation as one of the area’s finest and most knowledgeable coaches. His basketball teams always enjoyed winning seasons and won numerous Manhattan Cup titles; and his baseball teams were an annual fixture in the Georgetown Cup championships. Besides compiling one of the best records of any coach in the area, his astute administrative abilities led to the building of one of the finest athletic programs in the region a St. Francis.

An outstanding basketball and baseball player, Father Rufinus was a member of the first class to graduate from St. Francis in 1931. Known as a stern disciplinarian, Father “Rufe” is best remembered by his players as a gentle and kind person who was deeply concerned about every young man he coached. In 2002, Fr. Rufinus was inducted in the Western New York Baseball Hall of Fame.

ST. FRANCIS ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME

1977

Rev. Rufinus Niedzwiecki, OFM Conv., ’31

1978

Adolph Trznadel ’45

Steve Aalasny ’57

Edward Maj ’58

Gerald Morawski ’63

Mark Finucane ’74

1979

Joseph Mikulewicz ’51

Stephen Mandy ’55

Leroy Majtyka ’58

Peter Compisi ’65

Gerald Martin ’74

1980

Walter Myslewski ’47

Joseph Plawecki ’48

James Burka ’53

Michael Hoak ’70

Greg Andzel ’74

1981

Fr. Ignatius, OFM Conv. ’31

Joseph Melerski ’52

Sephen Hetey ’55

Gary Kaczor ’76

1982

Fr. Joseph, OFM Conv. ’31

Tony Harasimowicz ’54

Edward J. Hoak ’68

Harold Summar, Jr. ’75

Coach Ed DeJoy

1983

Arthur Cholewinski ’53

John J. Kubitsy ’53

Stan A. Buczkowski ’54

James J. Michalek ’59

William G. Wilson ’75

1984

Henry J. Jankowski ’42

Leonard Paczesnik ’50

Anthony Paliwoda ’62

Mark Dietrick ’73

Coach Walter Andzel

1985

Ronald M. Bielicki ’50

Frank E. Mormul ’51

John J. Kaczor ’51

Donald W. Shinners ’73

John L. Mastrantoni ’76

1986

Fr. Adrian, OFM Conv. ’35

Robert E. Roth ’72

Bruce A. Sage ’77

Michael C. Leavell ’80

1987

Joseph Jastrzemski ’46

Anthony Compisi ’60

Robert Martin ’61

Fr. Jude, OFM Conv. ’66

Jim Boland ’68

Matthew “Jerry” Glavy ’81

1988

Joseph Dudas ’49

Kenneth Rollek ’62

Clair A. Montroy III ’68

Daniel J. Neaverth ’78

Joseph Laipple ’81

Coach Ray Karney

1989

Leo Nowak ’45

Victor Salasny ’58

Jerome Kornowicz ’63

William Jaworski Jr. ’83

Gerald Courier ’83

Michael Laipple ’83

1990

Chris Patton ’74

Jeff Bryk ’80

Jeff Zern ’82

Kevin Jerge ’82

Scott Slade ’82

E.J. Pfister ’84

1991

Joseph H. Stein ’59

Larry Simcox ’61

George Kontrabecki ’62

John Buczkowski ’63

Gerald McEnearney ’64

1992

Leonard S. Pittner ’47

Felix A. Wasiak ’48

Jerry Gorczyca ’73

Matthew Jaworski ’85

Mark Joseph Diebold ’85

Coach John Courtney

1993

Richard Dompkowski ’56

Jeffrey J. Blair ’77

James Bochenski ’77

James J. Donovan ’78

Daniel B. Mayer ’78

Cleophus J. Weeks ’78

1994

Fr. Maurice Piszczatowski, OFM Conv. ’46

Henry Wargula ’56

John P. Cisek ’61

Richard A. Cisek ’61

Henry T. Pietraszek ’64

Eric R. Karney ’87

1995

Michael R. Dylik ’74

Doug Giacomoni ’79

Ross Mancuso ’84

William Laipple ’86

Daniel P. Bohen ’88

1996

Eugene Dudas ’52

Richard Powers ’54

Edward W. Halady ’79

Robert T. Domon, Jr. ’84

John X. Dantonio, D.D.S. ’87

John C. Feltz ’88

Thomas P. Pasternak

1997

Joseph John Helak ’48

Scott Andrew Allan ’89

Sean Patrick Muldowney ’89

David Michael Hack ’90

James Kubiak ’90

1998

William R. Walsh ’78

Michael E. Hartnett ’84

Kevin M. Degnan ’86

Marc G. Calveric ’90

Christopher M. Dantonio ’90

1999

1946 Inaugural Football Team

Robert Pacholski

2000

1950 Golf Team

Carlos Justinaino ’69

Paul Bartell ’88

Steve Otremba ’90

2001

Christopher Polian ’89

Anthony C. Fest ’91

Scott J. Taylor ’92

Larry Tyger ’93

John Scibetta

Jerry Smith

2002

Donald Sheff ’72

Dennis H. Hoak ’73

George Kline ’82

Joseph Volpe ’85

Michael A. Messore ’91

William Joshua Davies ’93

2003

Ron Curry ’66

Jim Popielinski ’70

Christofer C. Fattey ’96

2004

Michael Patrick Fitzgerald ’66

John Conmy ’88

Brian Polian ’93

Brian Daboll ’93

2005

Robert Panek ’57

Matt Pawlikowski ’88

Mark Drabik ’94

Jesse White ’95

2006

Jim Chojnacki ’91

Chris Pasternak ’91

Dan Okoniewski ’95

Coach John Bowers

Fr. Joseph Benicewicz, OFM Conv.

2007

Brian Attea ’85

Bob D’Orazio ’87

Jason Cichocki ’92

Peter Cavaretta

Dr. Leo Michalek

2008

David Caldwell ’92

Matt Davis ’92

Nicholas Fattey ’97

Craig Austin ’98

Fr. Charles Jagodzinski, OFM Conv.

2009

Frank Tabaczynski ’94

Tom Bestpitch ’96

William Mariani ’98

Coach Joe Molloy

2010

Gil Alba ’61

Korry Miller ’93

Cort Knodel ’93

Brian Ferris ’00

Nathaniel Suchyna ’00

2011

James Cullen ’81

Gary Cullen ’83

Peter Sartori ’84

Patrick Cullen ’85

Gaeton Camillo ’99

Kevin Van Remmen

2012

Ed Hoak, Jr. ’93

Dave Ferris ’02

Kiel Illg ’02

Mike Radon ’02

Kyle Smith ’02

2013

Andrew Degnan ’91

Patrick Lalley ’93

Patrick Hylant ’97

Nicholas Zieziula ’01

2014

Terence Waldorf ’87

Mark Dantonio ’93

Brian Mata ’99

Vincent DeMarco ’04

2015

John A. Compisi ’66

Jason Blatner ’98

Todd Kane ’99

Scott Greene ’01

2016

Dallas Pelz ’99

Jim Negrych ’03

Christopher Smith ’05

2017

Daniel J. Kick ’02

Adam Haas ’03

Rick Lynch ’03

Brian Haas ’07

2018

Kevin Hoak ’99

Andy Lanigan ’02

Doug Worthington ’05

+Jason “JJ” Jablonski ’13

2019

Anthony Day ’09

Zak Kedron ’05

Kevin Roth ’07

Vinny Scarcella ’07

CLASS OF 2022

HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

GREGORY A. PIVARUNAS ’06

Inductee Gregory Pivarunas, D.O. graduated from St. Francis High School in 2006. While at St. Francis, Greg was a member of the Cross Country, Indoor Track & Field and Outdoor Track & Field teams. Greg’s development over the 4 years was shown in his earning of All Catholic Honors in both Cross Country (2003, 2004 & 2005) & Outdoor Track & Field 4 times in his final 2 seasons representing St. Francis High School. He captained all 3 programs while being selected MVP in Cross Country, Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field multiple years during his career. Greg played a pivotal role in leading the Outdoor Track and Field to a Championship for the regular season in 2005 and both regular season and All Catholic Championships in 2006. He holds the outdoor track & field school record for the 800m with a time of 1:56.5 along ranking as one of the school’s all-time milers. His time of 4:21.6 placed him 1st in the 1600m open race at the CHSAA Intersectional which is a first in St. Francis Track & Field history. Greg also set the school records for the 1600m & 1000m for the St. Francis Indoor Track & Field team. Greg concluded his time at St. Francis High School being named the St. Francis Man of the Year for the class of 2006.

Greg continued his education at the University of Dallas graduating Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in English Literature in 2010 and from Lake Erie College Osteopathic Medicine, D.O. in 2015. He set numerous schools records while continuing his track & field career at the collegiate level. Greg has won multiple awards in his professional career. He is currently working with Parkside Medical Anesthesia Associates in Buffalo as an anesthesiologist. He is married to Catherine and is the proud father of Benedict (5), Grace (3) & Dominic (7 months).

CLASS OF 2022

HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

DAN J. PUCKHABER ’99

Dan J. Puckhaber is a member of the St. Francis graduating Class of 1999. Puck was a member of the football and wrestling programs during his 4 years at St. Francis. He earned 1st Team All Catholic honors in football as a senior in 1998. As a DE/TE for Jerry Smith, he helped the team to a Championship in the MMHSAA during the 1997 season. Puck was awarded the Ilio DiPaolo’s Captains Award after his junior year and was selected as a captain for the football team as a senior. Puck went on to play for Ithaca College where he helped the Bombers to prominence regionally and nationally. Puck earned 1st Team recognition for the ECAC Northeast Region & Empire 8 Conferences. He graduated in 2003 with a degree in Sports Studies. In 2006, he played and coached in the Italian Professional League for the Bolzano Giants.

After winning his fight with cancer, Puck ascended the ranks as a college football coach. He arrived at St. Lawrence in 2010 as a position coach, was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2012 and named head coach in 2016. During his time in Canton, he has rewritten the offensive record books and has been a part of 3 championship teams. In 2022, Puck was named D3 Top Recruiter for “Andy Talley Get in The Game” bone marrow registry. Puck resides in Canton, New York with his wife, Dr. Barat Wolfe, and is the proud father to his son Rasmus.

CLASS OF 2022

HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

NICHOLAS SUCHYNA ’03

Nicholas Suchyna is a member of the Class of 2003 for St. Francis High School. Nick was a leader for just about every team he played on at St. Francis High School that included football, basketball and baseball. Nick was named 1st Team All Catholic his Senior year for football. He played a big role in helping the football team win 3 straight titles in 2000, 2001 and 2002. He was the QB that led the Red Raiders to the first ever MMHSAA Championship held at Ralph Wilson Stadium in 2002 defeating Canisius. As a catcher, Nick helped lead the baseball team to a top 5 ranking in Western New York. His leadership helped bring the squad to prominence while always being a team first guy who enabled others playing with him to flourish.

After St. Francis, he continued his football career at St. John Fisher where he accumulated single season and career statistics that rank him in the top 10 in St. John Fisher’s All Time Records. Along with the team success, Nick was awarded the 2007 Roger Bunce Memorial Award which encompasses a team first player for the program to which Nick exemplified during his time in Rochester. His journey to his current position as the Assistant Principal and Athletic Director at Williamsville East started with Nick working in various roles at St. Francis from 2011 to 2019. Nick resides in Lancaster, NY with his wife Lisa of 8 years and their children Addison (7), Avery (6), Claire (3) and Bennett (1).

CLASS OF 2022

HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

TOM TELESCO ’91

Tom Telesco is a member of the Class of 1991 from St. Francis High School. Tom distinguished himself on the football field and the basketball court during his time as a Red Raider. He captained both football & the basketball teams while earning 1st team All WNY Academic Team along with the Ray Karney Memorial Award during the fall for St. Francis. In the winter of 1991 he helped the basketball team earn a berth in the Manhattan Cup Finals for the first time since 1981. Tom also played in the WNY Lions All Star Game in the summer of 1991. He went on to continue his playing career at John Carroll University. His 4-year career saw him rise to a prominent role for the Blue Streaks that brought them a conference title in 1994. He graduated with a degree in Business Management in 1995.

After graduating from John Carroll, Tom began his NFL journey that started in Carolina as a Scouting Assistant to his role currently as the Executive Vice President-General Manager of the Los Angeles Chargers. Tom was hired in 2013 as the youngest GM in franchise history after a successful run with the Indianapolis Colts that was highlighted by a world championship in 2007. The architect to one of the best rosters in the NFL, in 10 years Tom has signed or drafted 17 players that earned Pro Bowl Honors & played in a combined 34 Pro Bowls. Tom resides in Newport Beach, California. He is married to Larah and dad to 3 children Elena (20), Thomas (18) and Nicholas (16).

The St. Francis High School

Alumni Association

Congratulates all Red Raider Athletes

Upcoming Event….

ALL ARE WELCOME

39th Annual Alumni Association

Golf Tournament

Thursday, July 6, 2023

Terry Hills Golf Course

11:00AM Lunch

12:00PM Shotgun Start

5:00 Dinner (Estimated Time)

$165.00 Single Golfer, $330 Two Golfers, $495 Three Golfers, $660 Four Golfers, $50 Dinner Only

Includes golf, cart, drinks, lunch, dinner and numerous prizes and contests.

For more information and/or reservations, please contact Paul Bartell at 627-1200 ext.465 or www.stfrancishigh.org/alumni

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE TRACK & FIELD TEAM - MMHSAA Champions -

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE TRACK & FIELD TEAM - MMHSAA Champions -

Thank you to the coaches for all you do to bring out the best in our athletes!

Thank you to the coaches for all you do to bring out the best in our athletes!

A Special Congratulations to Peyton Johnson

A Special Congratulations to Peyton Johnson

GO RED RAIDERS!

GO RED RAIDERS!

Nana & Papa Carini

Nana & Papa Carini

CHRIS

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CONGRATULATIONS

TO ALL ST. FRANCIS STUDENT-ATHLETES ON ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL YEAR!

Thank you for all of the hard work and effort you applied to your sport. All this effort benefits you now and in your future. Your commitment gives St. Francis High School an outstanding reputation in our local community and beyond.

Have a great and restful summer.

Fr. Charles Jagodzinski, OFM Conv.

Congratulations

Congratulations

St. Francis High School Hall of Fame

St. Francis High School Hall of Fame

Inductees

Inductees

Tom Telesco ‘91

Tom Telesco ’91

Dan Puckhaber ‘99

Tom Telesco ‘91

Dan Puckhaber ’99

Nick Suchyna ‘03

Dan Puckhaber ‘99

Nick Suchyna ’03

Greg Pivarunas ‘06 --------------

Nick Suchyna ‘03

Greg Pivarunas ’06

Greg Pivarunas ‘06 --------------

The Hoak Family

Edward J. Hoak ’68, HOF ‘82

Michael J. Hoak ’70, HOF ‘80

The Hoak Family

Dennis H. Hoak ’73, HOF ‘02

Edward J. Hoak ’68, HOF ‘82

Andrew Hoak ‘89

Michael J. Hoak ’70, HOF ‘80

Martin Hoak ‘91

CDR Edward A. Hoak ’93, HOF ‘12

Dennis H. Hoak ’73, HOF ‘02

Matthew C. Hoak ‘96

Andrew Hoak ‘89

Kevin P. Hoak ’99 HOF ‘18

Martin Hoak ‘91

Michael C. Hoak ‘06

CDR Edward A. Hoak ’93, HOF ‘12

Matthew C. Hoak ‘96

Christopher Hoak ‘07

Kevin P. Hoak ’99 HOF ‘18

Boomer Hoak Lange

Michael C. Hoak ‘06

Henry Hoak Lange

Christopher Hoak ‘07

Aileen Hoak Lange

Boomer Hoak Lange

Henry Hoak Lange

Aileen Hoak Lange

TO OUR HALL OF FAME SUPPORTERS

Thank You

Brian Attea ’85, HOF ’07

Gaeton Camillo ’99, HOF ’11

Jason Cichocki ’92, HOF ’07

Vincent DeMarco ’04, HOF ’14

Michael P. Fitzgerald ’66, HOF ’04

Michael J. Hoak ’70, HOF ’80

Fr. Charles Jagodzinski, OFM Conv., HOF ’08

Brian Mata ’99, HOF ’14

Jim Negrych ’03, HOF ’16

Steve Otremba ’90, HOF ’00

Mike Radon ’12, HOF ’02

Jerry Smith HOF ’01

Nate Suchyna ’00, HOF ’10

Kevin VanRemmen, HOF ’11

Congratulations Red Raiders on a Successful Year

Congratulations to this Year’s Hall of Fame Inductees

especially Nick Suchyna ’03!

We are so proud of our Brother and Uncle on his accomplishment! Nate ’00 HOF ’10, Mary Kate, Sophia and Jack

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