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Best Of The Best

Haskell, Pfeiffer Earn POY Recognition

Franklinville’s Dani Haskell, Panama’s Natalie Angeletti, Westfield/Brocton’s Sophia DeMarco, Sherman’s Mackenzie Gratto, Olean’s Sara Pfeiffer, Panama’s Kylie Schnars, Frewsburg’s Gabby Iuculano, Southwestern’s Erin Radack and Maple Grove’s Bre Hill were all named to New York State Sportswriters Association All-State teams Tuesday. Haskell, is pictured above. P-J file photos

Throughout the season, Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association girls basketball coaches believed they played some of the toughest competition in the state during their league schedules.

If individual postseason accolades from the New York State Sportswriters Association are any indication, those coaches were spot on.

Franklinville junior Dani Haskell has repeated as the Class D state Player of the Year while Olean senior Sara Pfeiffer has been named the Class B Player of the Year as all-state teams were announced Tuesday afternoon.

Haskell averaged 27.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 4.4 steals per game in leading the Panthers to a CCAA Division 2 East crown en route to their first New York State Public High School Athletic Association championship this past winter. She had 28 points in a one-point Section VI championship game win over Panama; 33 points in a 49-32 Far West Regional victory over Elba; 33 points in a 56-26 state semifinal win over Bishop Gibbons; and 40 points in a 61-47 state title-clinching victory over Edwards Knox.

Pfeiffer was equally impressive for the Huskies. After playing in Arizona for a year, she returned to Western New York and terrorized opposing defenses to the tune of 35.5 points per game.

Natalie Angeletti

Pfeiffer’s most prolific night came Feb. 5 when she poured in a school-record 63 points, including 13 3-pointers, in an 89-56 win over eventual Section VI Class C champion Maple Grove. She had 34 points at halftime before scoring 18 more in the third quarter, including a half-court buzzer-beater to eclipse the school’s previous record of 51 points in a game.

Southwestern senior Erin Radack, a two-time Post-Journal Player of the Year, was named to the 10th Team in Class B. Radack averaged 21.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, 5.2 steals and 4.8 assists per game for the Trojans, who won the Section VI Class B2 championship with a 58-45 win over Olmsted before losing in the Class B Crossover game to East Aurora.

Portville junior Karly Welty was named to the Second Team in Class C after averaging 16.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 5.2 steals per game for the Panthers. Westfield/Brocton senior Sophia DeMarco was named to the Third Team following a season during which she averaged 15.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. State semifinalist Maple Grove featured junior Bre Hill on the Seventh Team after she averaged 12.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game. The final Class C honoree was Frewsburg senior Gabby Iuculano, who earned 10th Team recognition for her 20.3 points, 4.2 steals, 4.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.

Panama junior Natalie Angeletti received Second Team recognition in Class D after putting up averages of 15.2 points, 11.2 rebounds and 2.9 steals per game for the Panthers. Junior teammate Kylie Schnars was named to the Fourth Team following a season of 14.0 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. Franklinville junior Abby McCoy was named to the Seventh Team after averaging 14.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.4 steals and 2.9 assists per game while Sherman sophomore Mackenzie Gratto received Eighth Team recognition for her 14.4-point and 11.8-rebound per game averages.

Other Section VI players honored were Frontier junior Claire Kruszka on the Class AA 12th Team; Frontier senior Kennedy Izzo, a Honorable Mention choice in Class AA; Amherst sophomore Ella Wenzer on the Class A Sixth Team; Lake Shore junior Tashawni Cornfield on the Class A 12th Team; Lake Shore junior Noelani Cornfield, an Honorable Mention choice in Class A; East Aurora senior Sarah Tully on the Class B Sixth Team; and City Honors sophomore Kyra Wood on the Class C 12th Team.

Sophia Demarco

Ossining senior Aubrey Griffin was the Player of the Year in Class AA; Seton Catholic senior Julia Hauer and Pittsford Mendon senior Alana Fursman shared the honor in Class A; and Millbrook junior Erin Fox and Sauquoit Valley senior Allison Moreau were co-Players of the Year in Class C.

Mackenzie Gratto

Sara Pfeiffer

Bre Hill

Erin Radack

Gabby Iuculano

Kylie Schnars

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