by Mark Benton
Sports Reporter

     Bill Gugino Builders successfully defended their playoff title in the Hidi Park Men’s Softball League by sweeping Newtown on Aug. 31. Gugino’s posted an overall record of 7 wins against 1 loss in the playoff round-robin tournament.

     Members of the playoff chaipionship team included:
Bill Gugino, Steve Jolls, Dylan Huch, Jake Kellerman, Rob Fetterick, Jed Dispenza, Aaron Benton, Mark Benton, Ed Howard, Doug Cooper, Jordan Bergmann and Rob Draegert. Cooper received the George Merrill Memorial plaque that is presented annually to the Most Valuable Player during the playoffs.

     The Jets and Packers Midget and Pee-Wee Football teams met at the Sachems Field on Saturday, Sept. 5. The Pee-Wee Jets and Midget Packers were both victorious by clear margins. Hats off the Midget Packer coaches, whose team led 32-18,for having their quarterback take a knee with the ball on the one-yard line on the game’s final play. While many football coaches have been criticized for running up the score, the Packer staff displayed good sportsmanship against their long-time local rivals.

     The Gowanda Merchants Baseball Team defeated the Giants from Dunkirk 6-4 in the Men’s Senior Baseball League on Sept. 6. The game, played at Panther Field, catapulted the Merchants into the finals. Gowanda’s Rick Johnson went the distance on the mound. Brad John’s single scored Jeff Johnson from second in the bottom of the sixth inning to break up a 4-4 tie. Brett Thompson followed with a two-out single that plated John with an insurance run. The Giants went 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh.

     Several former Gowanda Panther football players are coaching at various high schools this fall. Gowanda’s staff includes Sean Gabel, Tyler Thompson, Brian Denea and Chuck Ross. Volunteer assistants for the Panthers include Joe Herman and Mike Maloney. Dan Elvin, the former head coach at Dunkirk, Orchard Park and Lake Shore, is a volunteer assistant at a private high school in Florida. Jason Beckman is the head coach for the second year in a row at Tonawanda. Longtime varsity assistant coach at Spnngville Mark Heichberger has taken over the reins as the head junior varsity coach for the Griffins. After following his son Aaron’s career at Gowanda for the past five seasons, former Gowanda and Dunkirk Head Coach Mark Benton returns to the sidelines at Springville.

     Fall sports are under way at Gowanda Central School. Look for the boy’s cross-country and both the JV and varsity girls’ volleyball teams to do very well this season. Despite not having a field to call home for the second time in four years, the varsity football team will be tough to beat no matter where they play this fall. Many of the players are just two years removed from a dominating 8-0 JV campaign in 2007.