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Talent on display

Local boys among Section VI leaders in several categories

Westfield’s Carson Swanson leads Section VI in scoring with 31.0 points per game this year. OBSERVER File Photo

The Section VI boys basketball seeding meeting is scheduled for today, but before anyone sets their eyes on the playoffs, it’s probably a good idea to look back at some of the regular-season statistical leaders.

And, yes, in this corner of Western New York, there are plenty of them to feature. So — deep breath here — below are some of the more noteworthy items, courtesy of the boys sectional website:

¯ The section leader in points per game (72.0), Jamestown has already earned a berth in the Class AAA title contest and will play the Lancaster-Niagara Falls winner — the other two Class AAA schools — for all the marbles on March 8 at Buffalo State Sports Arena.

The Red & Green (17-3) doesn’t need Google maps to find that venue.

In many ways, it has become Jamestown’s home away from home. In fact, in the last 27 seasons, the Red & Green has played in either the semifinals or finals 24 times, winning eight championships. The only campaigns in which it didn’t make the trip to Buffalo in early March were 2004, 2005 and 2019.

Silver Creek senior Brady Eick led all of Section VI with 79 3-pointers. Photo courtesy of Mike Frame

¯ Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association teams that are also listed in the top-10 scoring offenses are Westfield (No. 3 at 69.9) and Panama (No. 4 at 69.8).

Cracking the top 25 are Randolph (No. 14 at 63.2), Salamanca (No. 18 at 61.8), Gowanda (No. 22 at 60.7) and Franklinville (No. 23 at 60.6).

— Speaking of scoring, there is plenty of local talent in the top 25.

Leading the way is senior Carson Swanson of Westfield, who is averaging a section-best 31.0 points. The other locals on that list are senior Carter Brink of Panama (third at 25.2), senior Drew Hind of Randolph (fourth at 24.3), senior Jaydian Johnson of Jamestown (fifth at 23.0), junior Trelin Warrior of Gowanda (sixth at 22.5) and senior Michael Garcia of Brocton (ninth at 22.0).

Rounding out the top 25 among area players are junior Aidan DeFazio of Portville (13th at 21.4), junior Roger Markham of Falconer (21.1), senior Carson Kwiatkowski of Allegany-Limestone (tied for 18th at 19.9) and senior Greg Orcutt of Dunkirk (24th at 19.3).

— The boys from Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties are well-represented in dropping “dimes,” too.

Swanson leads the section in assists with 160. Hind is third (140), Johnson of Jamestown and senior Griffin Nelson of Randolph are tied for fifth (97), junior Nick Jacobson of Chautauqua Lake is eighth (95) and junior RJ Koopman of Fredonia and senior Nathan Laurito of Brocton are tied for ninth (94).

Other locals in the top-25 assist category are Brink of Panama (tied for 14th with 87), junior Trent Lewis of Frewsburg (85), Markham of Falconer (19th at 84), sophomore Manny Sanchez of Forestville (tied for 20th with 82), senior Bryce Hinsdale of Panama (22nd at 81), junior Kameron Einink of Clymer and senior Maddox Isaac of Salamanca (tied for 24th at 79).

— Senior Brady Eick of Silver Creek leads the section in the most 3-pointers made (79).

Warrior of Gowanda is fourth with 63, Hind of Randolph is tied at 60 with Jacobson of Chautauqua Lake, and Swanson of Westfield is 10th with 54.

— Senior Zach Maguire of Westfield is No. 3 in rebounds (235), junior Jacob Ferranto of Sherman is fourth (232), senior Jeremy Weisner of Brocton is fifth (216), junior Elijah Farmer of Jamestown is sixth (213), and sophomore James Greene of Pine Valley is seventh (209).

— Swanson of Westfield is the section leader in steals with 125. Other CCAA players to crack the top 10 are junior Camryn Slade of Pine Valley (No. 5 with 83), senior Blake Weaver (No. 6 with 77), senior Simon White of Silver Creek (No. 9 with 74) and Jacob Anders of Forestville (No. 10 with 73).

— Swanson of Westfield and Hind of Randolph both surpassed the 2,000-point barrier this season.

Swanson set the Chautauqua County boys’ record, surpassing Jamestown’s Maceo Wofford (Class of 1999), while Hind joined his brother, Tyler (Class of 2020), who also reached that milestone for the Cardinals during his outstanding career.

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