Several of the Frewsburg seniors and the Sherman seniors were paired together with athletes from Panama, Clymer, Westfield and Falconer to earn one more win in their high school careers on Wednesday evening.

Led by Panama senior Kaitlyn Horton, the Gray Team heated up in the second quarter and never looked back, defeating the Green Team 79-63 in the 2025 Exceptional Senior All-Star Basketball Game at SUNY Fredonia’s Dods Hall.

“It’s really cool,” Horton said about ending her career with a win. “It was a lot of fun. I never knew what it was like to be in this game and I always got to see my friends grow up and play in this game. It was cool to be a part of it.”

The Green Team started fast with Cassadaga Valley seniors Aliyah Hopkins and Emiley Anderson combining for half of the team’s points in the first quarter, taking a 20-13 lead. The Green Team was also composed of girls from Dunkirk, Fredonia, Maple Grove, Pine Valley and Southwestern.

Dunkirk’s Brooke Szymczak guards Falconer’s Augustine Krenzer. OBSERVER Photo by Christian Storms

However, that did not last long as the Gray Team found its groove for a huge second period and snagged the lead by halftime. Horton led the girls with 6 points in the period, while another five teammates reached the scoresheet as Gray took a 35-30 halftime lead.

“A lot of us grew up playing travel basketball together,” Horton. “We’ve all grown up and played against each other for a while. In-season we’re really competitive with each other, but when it’s over we’re really close.”

The Gray Team did not slow down at halftime and by the end of the game every girl had a basket, but it was Horton, who was named the MVP, leading the way with a game-high 18 points. Horton’s biggest play was in the fourth quarter when she had a chance at the 5-point play, hitting a triple and following up with one made free throw for four points.

“It’s really cool,” Horton said about being named MVP. “I think everyone played a big part. I wasn’t expecting to get MVP because everyone did great.”

Horton also had a pair of teammates hit double-digit scoring with Falconer’s Augustine Krenzer scoring 11 points and Frewsburg’s Teghan Trocki matching that total.

Brocton’s Michael Garcia floats up a shot for the Green Team during the 2025 Exceptional Senior All-Star Game at Dods Hall on Wednesday. OBSERVER Photo by Christian Storms

The Green Team also had every player score, but it was Hopkins paving the way with 14 and Anderson having 11.

Adding to the Gray Team’s success and big night for Panama was sophomore Jessica Lyon winning the 3-point contest, edging Southwestern seventh-grader Gianna Sirianni in the final.

BOYS

In the second contest of the evening it looked like the Green Team would avenge the loss by the girls, but a big third quarter from Jamestown’s Jaydian Johnson resulted in a Gray Team sweep of the 2025 Exceptional Senior All-Star Basketball Games.

Trailing most of the first half, the Gray Team returned from the break with a 40-point third quarter in which Johnson scored 16 of his game-high 34 points en route to a 110-108 victory.

“Started out pretty slow in the game,” Johnson said about his MVP performance. “Then I just started to find my rhythm and I knew I didn’t want to lose. I said let me start taking over the game and I just got a little bit more aggressive and tried a little bit harder.”

With the Gray Team composed of Jamestown, Panama, Frewsburg, Southwestern, Falconer and Sherman, it had several players who knew a little bit about winning. Four players were just competing at the state championships this past weekend and the Panama trio of Carter Brink, Bryce Hinsdale and Jordan Mescall even claimed the Class D title on Saturday.

However, Johnson and the Red & Green lost in the semifinals, giving him the opportunity to end his great Jamestown career with a victory at the Exceptional Senior All-Star Game.

“It’s a good achievement,” Johnson said about Jamestown’s season. “We worked hard to get everywhere we went and I put the work in. When I want to do something, you go do it and help my team get far.”

In a contest that saw both sides surpass the century mark, there was no shortage of talent, especially with reigning OBSERVER/Post-Journal Player of the Year Carson Swanson of Westfield leading the Green Team.

In the first quarter, Swanson showed off many of the skills that make him special and he even managed to throw down one of his three dunks. Usually connecting with Westfield teammate Zach Maguire, Swanson very quickly built chemistry with Dunkirk’s Greg Orcutt and the duo had the Green Team fighting for the lead most of the game.

“We’ve got some good talent,” Johnson said about the level of play in the all-star game. “It’s the all-star game so everybody here is not a scrub or a slouch. Everybody can score the ball and defend so it was a fun night.”

After Johnson and the Gray Team took over in the third quarter, Swanson and Orcutt looked to finish the game strong for the Green Team, entering the fourth trailing 83-76. In that final period, Orcutt scored 14 of his team-high 33 points and Swanson added the final 6 of his 23 points.

The Green Team, composed of Brocton, Dunkirk, Fredonia, Maple Grove, Pine Valley and Westfield, was unable to slow down the Gray Team as Johnson finished with 9 more points in the final quarter to maintain the lead for the win and eventual MVP.

Johnson’s big third quarter was what lifted the Gray Team to victory, that overshadowed Hinsdale’s effort in less playing time that period as he hit four 3-pointers in the third and finished with 19 points. The Gray Team also received 15 points from Mescall, and Sherman’s Nolan Dekoning provided another 11 while everyone scored on the team.

Joining Orcutt and Swanson in double-digits was Fredonia’s Ashton Putney scoring 11 points and everyone on the floor registered a basket. Fredonia was not just represented by Putney’s 11 points, but junior RJ Koopman also won the boys 3-point contest.