The second season begins for boys, girls hoops
by PATRICK J. NAGY Reporter

Section VI's version of March Madness begins this week and the Town of Amherst boys and girls basketball teams are right in the thick of it.

Here is a rundown of the playoff match-ups, starting with the boys teams.

Sweet Home

The Panthers (11-9) look to make it three sectional titles in a row when they host Clarence (8-12) at 7 p.m. on Wednesday in a Class AA quarterfinal. Sweet Home won Class A two years ago and Class AA last year.

Sweet Home is seeded sixth; Clarence is a 12th-seed.

A win over Clarence could put the Panthers up against Williamsville North on Friday.

Williamsville North

The Spartans (17-3, 9-3), seeded third in Class AA, hosts fourteenth-seed Niagara Wheatfield (3-17) in a quarterfinal game at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.

North beat Niagara-Wheatfield, 61-54, during the regular season.

North coach Chuck Swierski said for his team to have success, they must play good team defense.

Williamsville South

The Billies (12-8) have surprised many this season, and hope to continue its success in the playoffs.

South, a three-seed in Class A-1, hosts 12th-seed Hutch-Tech at 7 p.m. on Wednesday. South beat Hutch-Tech, 65-57, in the Billies' season opener.

For South to be effective, they have to be healthy. The flu bug is going around the team, including dynamite point guard Mark Coppola and shooter Phil Stasiak.

South coach Al Monaco said his team also has to play better defense.

A South win could see them going to Lake Shore on Friday. Lake Shore won both meetings during the regular season.

Williamsville East

The Flames (11-9, 7-5), seeded sixth in Class A-1, host 11th-seed South Park (9-9) at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.

"South Park is a run and gun type team," said East coach Dennis Belote. "We can be quick too but we're going to have to cut down on turnovers and be more patient with our passing."

Amherst Central

The Tigers (8-11), seeded eighth in Class A-1, host ninth-seed Iroquois (9-11) at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.

"Iroquois has a nice inside-outside game," said Amherst coach Mike Chatelle. "We have to do a nice job on the boards and limit them to one shot. Hopefully, our offense will click and we'll get some points."

Girls hoops

Sweet Home

The ECIC Division II champions are seeded second in the Section VI Class AA Tournament and will face the winner of seventh-seed Orchard Park and 10th-seed Niagara-Wheatfield at 7 p.m. on Thursday at Sweet Home.

Sweet Home (16-4, 12-0) is coming off a brutal 57-30 non-league defeat at Williamsville North.

Sweet Home coach Matt LaRoach said the loss to North better change his team's mental approach to prepare for sectionals.

"I expect us to come in to practice and compete, push one another, and refocus on our strengths and weaknesses," said Sweet Home coach Matt LaRoach.

Williamsville North

The Lady Spartans (9-11) are seeded ninth in Class AA and played at eighth-seed Frontier (10-10) on Tuesday. The result was unavailable before The Bee went to press.

Each team won a game against each other during the regular season.

A win over Frontier puts North up against top-seeded Jamestown on Thursday.

Amherst Central

The Lady Tigers (12-8) hosted Lake Shore (4-16) on Tuesday in a Class A-1 quarterfinal but the result was unavailable before The Bee went to press.

Amherst is a six seed; Lake Shore is an 11th-seed.

For Amherst to continue its success in sectionals, coach JoAnna Fildes said her team has to play as a team.

Fildes calls Lake Shore "a scrappy team that never gives up."

"We are going to have to minimize our turnovers and force them to make mistakes," she added.

Williamsville East

The Lady Flames (14-6) beat Iroquois last week to earn the third seed in Class A-1 and will host the winner of Lake Shore and Amherst at 7 p.m. on Thursday in the quarterfinals.

East beat Lake Shore twice this year and Amherst twice last year.

"I think we have a good draw," said East coach Chris Durr. "For us to be successful, we have to be more consistent for 32 minutes."

Williamsville South

On the other side of the A-1 bracket is South (8-12), who hosted West Seneca East (4-16) in a Class A-1 quarterfinal game on Tuesday. The result was unavailable before The Bee went to press.

South beat West Seneca East twice in the regular season.

"I feel real good going into the playoffs," said South coach Erik Solomon. "The team is starting to play with confidence."

Should South win, they would play either Bennett or McKinley on Thursday.

Sacred Heart

The Monsignor Martin Association playoffs begin on Saturday but as of press time, Sacred Heart's opponent is unknown.

The Sharks (17-6, 10-3) are tied with Mount Mercy for second place.