Matt Spielman is pictured with Clevis Murray of the Buffalo News after Spielman received the Allen Wilson Media Award at Saturday’s Dick Gallagher Football Awards Banquet at the Lake Erie Italian Club. Photo courtesy of Mario Hall | WNYAthletics

BUFFALO — Two Ogden Newspapers sports writers were honored for their work at the annual Dick Gallagher Football Awards Banquet on Saturday at the Lake Erie Italian Club.

Matt Spielman received the Allen Wilson Media Award, presented in honor of the late Buffalo News reporter and columnist who passed away in 2011 after a battle with leukemia, while Scott Kindberg received one of three Dennis Sarow Legacy Awards.

Spielman has been employed by The Post-Journal and Dunkirk OBSERVER for nearly 24 years, covering local sports for most of that time.

“During his time at The Post-Journal in Jamestown and the OBSERVER in Dunkirk, Spielman has earned admiration throughout those circulation areas for his reporting, writing, page design and photographic talents,” an excerpt from the awards program stated.

The Basketball Coaches Association of New York took notice of Spielman’s talents in 2023 when it presented him with the Golden Media Award for his coverage of girls basketball throughout the 2022-23 season.

A 2000 graduate of Chautauqua Lake Central School and 2002 graduate of Jamestown Community College, Spielman lives in Frewsburg with his wife, Emily, and three children: Cooper, Claire and Curtis.

Kindberg received one of three legacy awards along with Coach Jerry Smith of St. Francis High School and Nelson Adams of the Connolly Club Committee. He has been employed by The Post-Journal and OBSERVER for over 40 years and has been recognized with New York State Associated Press Association awards 14 times, specifically for his work chronicling the journeys of numerous Chautauqua and Cattaraugus County high school athletes and coaches throughout their high school, collegiate and professional careers.

A 1979 graduate of Jamestown High School, 1981 graduate of Jamestown Community College and 1982 graduate of Point Park University, Kindberg lives in Jamestown with his wife, Vicki.

In addition to league all-star teams, which were voted on by coaches and previously announced, several local student-athletes were honored Saturday.

Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton’s Carson Fairbank and Clayton Smith were named, along with Jamestown’s Chase Bonta, to the All-Western New York Team, presented by the Buffalo News.

Chautauqua Lake/Westfield/Brocton’s Trent Houser, Salamanca’s Payton Bradley and Southwestern/Frewsburg’s Roger Markham were honored with Western New York Athletics Unsung Heroes Awards.

Jamestown’s Alaric Richards was named one of five Rising Stars Award winners by Western New York Athletics.

Tim Gardner received the Western New York Athletics Man of the Year Award.

“Gardner has been with WNY Athletics for the past five years and is ultimately responsible for all of the live streams you enjoy today,” the program said. “It was Tim that brought the instant replay feature to our broadcasts as well as many other features such as the scorebug, intros and highlight reels.”