11-13-20 SPORTS EXPRESS

All the scores, from all the sports (in action)!

Here is the Sports Express Wrap from Friday, November 13, 2020.

Coming up aboard the express... the high school fall sports season is almost over but team's are closing it out with historic success!

Plus... a community mourns the loss of the winningest coach in new york state's history.... (((2-shot))) hello everyone and welcome to sports express.

Its friday the thirteenth - but tonight - we're definitely lucky.

After a couple of games were postponed last night- due to a potential coronavirus scare - things seemingly cleared up - and we were back on the schedule for tonight.

As the fall sports season reaches its end - we still do have champions to crown despite not having sectionals this year.

At r-f-a stadium - the black knights hosted the new hartford spartans for the tri-valley league title.

Rome - at 8-0 - looking for the program's first undefeated season since 1994.

--- spencer second quarter - knights on top by one and looking for more.

Off a penalty corner - ari williamson throws it inside - drew kopek turns and fires.

These two helped helped the clinton girls ice hockey team to a state title this past winter...now they've got r--f-a closing in on program history.

2-0 rome.

--- chelsea final minute of the half - black knights keeping up the pressure.

Izzy mcmahon pokes it free - alanna fragapane sends it home.

Her second of the night.

R-f-a can feel it - they lead 3-0 at the break.

--- spencer they're not done yet either - in the third - jace hunzinger - looking to close out her high school career with a bang.

She does just that - a shot from the end line sneaks inside the post and over the line.

Threading the needle there... (((score))) ...that'd be the final goal of the season.

R-f-a wins this one 4-0 to take the t-v-l title and secure its first undefeated season in 26 years.

Mackenzie welter: it's definitely been a roller coaster.

Everyone was just happy to be together...it was such a great experience forever.

Jace hunzinger: just pure excitement, i'm just so proud of our team and program for how far we've come...we just found a way.

We always find a way and it's just amazing.

Unbelievable.

Alanna fragapane: honestly, it's kind of every emotion you can even think of...we expected to do awesome and the outcome the season has had, going now 9-0, undefeated, it's crazy and well deserved honestly.

Drew kopek: between covid and everything that me and my teams have accomplished, i have never felt so much excitment...it's been the most exciting and achieving thing ever...i'm just so excited, i don't even know what to say.

Spencer nothing to say - but perfection.

Starting the year with four straight overtime wins - the knights outscored opponents 30-8 with five shutouts in nine games.

Chelsea same schools different sport.

Over at don edick field in new hartford, the spartans and black knights squared off in the boys soccer tri-valley league semifinal.

-- about midway through the first half, spartan junior nick lindor with the advantage, he sends a pass that bounces in front of the goal, the keeper runs out, but ashton giambrone gets to the ball first and puts it into the back of the net.

Horns are honking, new hartford takes a 1-0 lead.

-- spencer the second half would be scoreless until about 6 minutes left in regulation, where ashton giambrone, finds his brother chase giambrone who puts just enough on this strike for it to bounce off of the keeper's hands.

Spartans go up 2-0.

-- chelsea two minutes left in gametime, there is an r-f-a foul inside of the 18 yard box.

New hartford's chase giambrone is granted a penalty kick and sneds it into the bottom left corner of the net for his second goal of the day.

(((score))) and that would seal it.

The spartans win 3-0 and will play for the tri-valley league championship tomorrow afternoon against whitesboro.

Spencer some sad news to pass along tonight - the area has lost an absolute legend as former mount markham soccer coach charlie engle has died.

Engle enjoyed a 48- year coaching career for the mustangs - retiring in 2016 with 654 wins...the most in new york state history.

During his time at the helm - his teams earned 13 section titles and four trips to the state final four.

Engle was also a long-time physical education teacher until retiring from that in 2003.

He was elected to the new york state public high school athletic association hall of fame in 2018.

(((2-shot))) (((start music when second anchor starts talking))) that'll take us to the first intermission on sports express.

Still to come - this week's featured athleteop next... college commitments.

Local athletes are taking their talents to the next level.

(((2-shot))) welcome back aboard the express... this year's high school sports seasons hockey player since the 8th grade and helped lead the camden blue devils to three straight section three titles.

-- just this month, the decorated senior captain made history by breaking camden's all time scoring record tallying 83 goals and 41 assists in her career as a blue devil.

-- with her family, she has chosen to continue her academc and athletic career by joining the division two field hockey and track and field programs in east stroudsburg, pennsylvania.

Spencer at dolgeville central school today, senior wrestler jacob null along with his family and wrestling coaches signed his national letter of intent to compete on the division one level at north carolina state university.

-- null will leave behind an accomplished high school career at dolgeville which includes last season when became the first dolgeville wrestler to win a state title on top of completing a perfect 48-0 season.

Spencer the start of the syracuse basketball season is two in the show.

They weren't the only ones that did so though.

The poland girls soccer team finished this year unbeaten as well - and this week's featured athlete was right in the middle of that success.

Alexis bates - better known as lexi to those close with her has been a mainstay on the powerhouse poland girls soccer team since she was in eighth grade.

Now a junior - she's a co-captain on the team and while she's scored plenty in her career already - she lead the team this year in goals with 14.

Lexi bates: in last year's class d final - lexi was named the game's m- v-p after scoring a hat trick to help lead poland to the state title.

With already so many accomplishments on her resume - she's proud of how far she's come but isn't ready to rest on her laurels.

Lexi bates: for the third straight season - bates helped poland finish undefeated.

Since 2017 - they are 53-0-1 - going 12-0 this season.

Despite not having a chance this year to repeat as state champs or three-peat as section champs - lexi said it was just great to get out and play.

Lexi bates: jason potempa took over head coaching duties after tom basel stepped down in the offseason...he said having a player like bates has helped his transition into the new role become easier.

Jason potempa: aside from being an ultimate team player - potempa said that with lexi's skillset and mentality - the tornadeos are a tougher team to play against when she's on the field.

Jason potempa: bates credits her family as being a major support system for her in her journey to be the best she can be both on and off the field.

She's also drawn inspiration from the poland greats who came before her.

Lexi bates: prior to this pandemic-riddled year - the whole village of poland would come out to cheer the tornadoes on.

Streets are lined with the names of poland student- athletes.

Bates said the support from the community makes putting on the tornadoes jersey an honor.

Lexi bates: (((2-shot))) that's it for us... we'll see you back here next friday night for another edition of