Gowanda Small Town Times

[photo] Pictured is Gowanda designated runner, Cheyanna Pasternak (#7), heading for home in the 6th inning of the home opener against Ellicottville. She was base running for Ella Luther.

On March 25, the Gowanda Varsity softball team finally was back in action after a cold, snowy week had delayed the start of the season. The last remnants of snow had disappeared from the field in the hours preceding the game. This was the team’s first competition since winning the 2023 state championship as well as pitcher, Addison Kota’s, first action following an ankle injury that saw her miss the entire basketball season.

With a still taped ankle, Kota pitched four scoreless innings giving up just a single hit and striking out 9. At the end of those four innings Gowanda was up 10-0 and Kota was replaced on the mound. Four Ellicottville batters were walked in a 5th inning that saw them pile up 7 runs. Four of those runs scored on wild pitches. That tightened things to 10-7 as Gowanda came up to bat. Gowanda answered back with leadoff batter, Grace Eddy hitting a triple to get things started. That was followed by a Hailey Christopher walk. The Ellicottville defense tightened up, but both Eddy and Christopher were able to score before the inning ended.

Eddy came in to pitch the 6th and 7th innings. Ellicottville did not score again while Gowanda picked up a pair of 6th inning runs to bring the final score to 14-7.

Leading the attack for Gowanda were Audrina Huss (3 runs, 2 hits including a double, 1 RBI, 1 stolen base), Alhanna Gabel (2 runs, 2 hits, 1 RBI) and Corrina John (2 runs).

Also with strong showings were Ella Luther (a double, 1 RBI, 1 stolen base), Emily Pound (1 run, 2 hits, 1 double, 1 RBI), Addison Kota (1 run, 1 double, 2 RBI), Holland Browning (1 run, 3 hits, 1 double, 4 RBI) and Gracie Eddy (1 run, 2 hits, 1 triple, 1 RBI).

Also scoring single runs were Aubrie Heron and Hailey Christopher.

Even after a couple sunny days over the weekend, this afternoon photo from Sunday, March 24, shows a fair amount of snow still on thhe GCS softball field. You can also see the baseball field in the distance.

Spring seemed to making an early arrival. Several weeks of sunny days and pleasant temperatures had given the Gowanda Spring sports teams plenty of chances to practice as opening day approached. After a cool, but sunny, St. Patrick’s Day on March 17, the weather shifted abruptly. Light snowfalls and below freezing temperatures through the week brought a return to Winter just as the Spring sports were about to kick off.

Beginning with Wednesday the 20th, all of the Gowanda Spring sports teams had been scheduled to play their first games. In the end, only Varsity boys lacrosse played as scheduled.

The first scheduled game of the Spring season was originally to be a home game for the Gowanda Varsity girls lacrosse team. That game was postponed to Friday the 22nd before being cancelled.

A Thursday game at East Aurora for the Gowanda Varsity boys lacrosse team did managed to be played as scheduled. Details below.

A Friday Varsity softball game was cancelled. The Gowanda Varsity baseball team was scheduled for a home game on Saturday the 23rd. That was postponed to Sunday before being cancelled.

While the Varsity boys lacrosse team was the only team to play to date, it was a very exciting way to open the Spring sports season. East Aurora was able to clear their artificial turf field well enough to play on schedule. Still, the field was ringed with snow piles from the cleared field and everything else, including the beachers was still coated with snow. With temperatures in the 30s, the 7pm game under the lights got underway.

The first quarter started with 15 minutes showing on the clock, instead of the regulation 12 minutes per quarter. After Gowanda missed on their first shot, East Aurora opened the scoring just short of 1-1/2 minutes into the game. Just over 3 minutes later, Gowanda scored to tie things up. Gowanda went on to pull into a 4-1 lead by the end of the quarter.

The 2nd quarter was hard fought and the most productive one of the game. Both teams added 4 goals in the period. At halftime, Gowanda was up 8-5. The 3rd period belonged to East Aurora. The reverse of the opening quarter, East Aurora outpaced Gowanda 4-1 with two East Aurora goals coming in the last 36 seconds of the period. Heading to the final quarter the game was tied at 9.

The East Aurora surge continued into the 4th quarter. That allowed them to build an 11-9 advantage. With time running short, Gowanda finally scored again dropping the Eastora lead to a sngle goal. With 1:49 left on the clock, the teams took a final time out before the end of the game. With just 24 seconds to go Gowanda tied the game at 11 all. That brought up a 4 minute overtime period. The winning goal came with 2:13 left in the overtime period. Gowanda came away with a 12-11 win.

Leading the Gowanda attack were Ha’tsihgahdo:d Stevens (5 goals, assists) and Croix Stevens (5 goals, 1 assist). Also scoring for Gowanda were Winter Rivera (1 goal, 3 assists) and Jessup Stevens (1 goal). While not scoring, Nakotah Jackson did manage to get a shot on goal in the game.

The Student Council of Gowanda High School named six outstanding Panthers as Students of the Month for January.

Honorees are selected based on the following attributes – collaboration, communication, critical thinking and creativity – otherwise known as The Four C’s. These skills and characteristics are central to the district’s mission and values.

Students include:

* Marcus Gamble for communication. “Marcus is doing amazingly well in Earth Science class this year. What impresses me the most is that he is always willing to share newly learned content with his classmates. He is often found re-explaining concepts to struggling students. It is a common understanding in education that it takes a deeper level of knowledge to explain a concept. Marcus is a master of communication based on his ability to explain confusing concepts to his peers.”

* Winter Mentley-Peters for critical thinking: “I’ve had Winter Mentley-Peters in both English 9 Honors and English 10 Honors, and his improvement over the past year has been impressive! He is able to think critically, analyze, explain, and also be creative in a way that shows his true knowledge of the subject. I’m proud of how much Winter has grown, and I’m looking forward to seeing how far he can go.”

* William Szalay for collaboration: “In JCC Precalculus, William Szalay always pays attention, works hard to understand the material and distinguishes himself by regularly collaborating with his peers. He is never satisfied to just get an answer. He works to make sure he understands why the correct answer makes sense. He does this by discussing his solutions or questions with other students in the class on a regular basis, and he tries to help other students understand if they are having difficulty.”

* Simone Kramer for collaboration: “Simone Kramer is the epitome of a collaborative learner. She works hard independently, but will seek out others whenever she is trying to gain a greater understanding of the learning. Simone is not afraid to share interactions with any of the instructional staff or her peers around school. Simone does her best to stay actively engaged while she is working with others.”

* MacKenna Furlet for communication: “Effective communication skills are crucial for high school students as they navigate through various academic and social situations. From classroom discussions to presentations, Kenna Furlet expresses her thoughts and ideas clearly, engages in meaningful conversations, and builds positive relationships with her peers and teachers. She is continuously impressing me with her confidence in her speaking skills, her ability to actively listen, and her empathy towards others, which is setting her up for success in all areas of her life. Assertiveness is an important communication skill that allows individuals to express their thoughts, ideas, and emotions while respecting the rights and opinions of others. Kenna’s ability to be assertive allows her to confidently communicate her ideas, ask questions, and engage in productive discussions, which makes her a true leader in and out of the classroom.”

* Winter Rivera for communication: “Winter Rivera demonstrates a very high-level proficiency communication skill in Seneca. He has the ability to read smoothly while pronouncing Seneca words accurately. He is also speaks extremely well in Seneca, capturing the tempo, candor and annunciation of a highly proficient Seneca learner.”

placeholder