Perfect pitch

That’s exactly what happened for the Trojans as they marched through the regular season with only one loss, then dominated the Section VI Class B2 playoffs until the championship match against Lafayette.

Southwestern outlasted Lafayette in overtime when Cole Johnson sprung Seth Vaughn on a breakaway which he slid home to secure the 3-2 golden-goal victory. That win gave the Trojans their third sectional title in program history.

The only team to get in Southwestern’s way of advancing in the playoffs was East Aurora and the Blue Devils went on to win the state title. The Trojans are in good position to get back to where they were last season, and it all starts with reigning Post-Journal/OBSERVER Player of the Year Connor Young coming back for his senior season.

Young scored a whopping 32 goals and registered 15 assists as he was named the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association West Division Player of the Year and earned a All-WNY Small School First-Team selection.

Westfield’s Carson Swanson is expected to be one of Section VI’s best offensive threats once again this season.
OBSERVER Photo by Christian Storms

Not only does Southwestern bring back Young, but also his partner in crime and Post-Journal/OBSERVER All-Star Seth Vaughn returns for his senior year after scoring 27 goals dishing out 11 assists last year as the West Division Offensive Player of the Year and All-WNY Small School First-Team selection.

The Trojans graduated several key players, but none was more important than Post-Journal/OBSERVER All-Star Neves Hoose, who led Southwestern from his spot on the backline.

While Southwestern took home a sectional final a year ago, Maple Grove came up short in the Class C championship to Wilson.

Year after year in the running for a sectional title, the Red Dragons will have plenty of shoes to fill this season with the graduation of several key players, including a pair of Post-Journal/OBSERVER All-Stars in Jonah Foley and Trey DeMink. Foley led the Red Dragons offensively with 18 goals and 10 assists and earned an All-WNY Small School selection, while DeMink helped the Maple Grove defense post nine clean sheets.

Also graduating are CCAA Central Division Player of the Year, goalkeeper Nathan Cresanti and fellow First Team selection Keegan Rishel.

Maple Grove will look to lean on Drew Oste in his senior year after the First Team selection posted 16 goals and 12 assists a season ago.

Westfield/Brocton also fell victim to the Wilson Lakemen in the Class C playoffs, but the Wolverines are geared up for the 2024 campaign.

Leading the Wolverines is one of the section’s best offensive threats in Post-Journal/OBSERVER All-Star Carson Swanson, who scored 32 goals and dealt 13 assists to contribute to 55% of Westfield/Brocton’s goals last year as he earned a All-WNY Small School selection.

Westfield/Brocton graduated a pair of Central Division First Team selections in Aiden Gatto and Donny St. George, but reigning league Coach of the Year Neil Huber has players coming up to fill in.

Cassadaga Valley/Falconer also lost in the semifinals to a top seed, falling to No. 1 Lackawanna in Class B1. The Golden Cougars graduated several key players, including Post-Journal/OBSERVER All-Star Ethyn Gilbert, who scored 21 goals and six assists; and East Division First Team selections Finley Pavlock at defender and Austin Main in the midfield.

However, Cassadaga Valley/Falconer does bring back the East Division Defensive MVP and Post-Journal/OBSERVER All-Star goalkeeper Nathan Bailey, who posted six shutouts.

The reigning East Division co-Player of the Year, Randolph junior Cooper Freeman, was also a sectional semifinalist as the Cardinals fell to Maple Grove in Class C. The Post-Journal/OBSERVER All-Star and All-WNY Small School selection Freeman scored 35 goals and tallied 21 assists in his sophomore campaign.

Freeman returns with senior defender Caden Inkley, who was named an East Division First Team selection, and coming back from an injury his junior campaign, now senior Griffin Nelson, will look to return to the huge offensive numbers posted his sophomore season.

Randolph will need someone to pick up the offense lost from Post-Journal/OBSERVER All-Star Diego Stradi, who graduated and returned to Italy from his foreign-exchange program. Stradi scored 25 goals and had 30 assists as he was also named the East Division Offensive MVP along with an All-WNY Small School nod.

Jamestown will look to get back to the Class AAA final again, but has some big shoes to fill with the graduation of Post-Journal/OBSERVER All-Star Tyler Maloney, who was named the CCAA West Division Defensive Player of the Year. The Red & Green will also have to replace Post-Journal/OBSERVER All-Star Noah Rivera, who scored 22 goals and six assists and a pair of CCAA West Division First Team selections in Noah Burch and Andres Pacheco.

Dunkirk brings back a pair of CCAA West Division First Team selections in senior defender Peter Felt and junior midfielder Naisaih Rodriguez.

Fredonia’s lone CCAA West Division First Team selection was an underclassmen, however Post-Journal/OBSERVER All-Star sophomore Juan Botella Lledin was a part of the foreign-exchange program and his 14 goals and one assist will have to be replaced.

The Hillbillies do bring back senior midfielder and West Division Second Team selection Aiden Czekanski.

In the Central Division, Chautauqua Lake graduated First Team defender Clayton Fairbank and brings back First Team goalkeeper Brendan Klossner; Silver Creek/Forestville graduated lone First Team selection Dean League and brings back Second Team pick Alex Karnes; and Frewsburg graduated both of its First Team picks in Zayne Cline and Garrett Brink as they now face issues fielding a team for this season.

In the East Division, Pine Valley/Gowanda graduated honorable mention Jack Sheldon, but returns Sawyer Bradigan and Hayden Chase. Salamanca/Cattaraugus-Little Valley returns three honorable mentions from last year’s squad.