Alex Moore

Alex Moore
Senior, Orchard Park HS
Football, Swimming

Dream job: Buffalo Bills GM
Favorite sports team: Houston Rockets
Favorite band: Bun B
Favorite OP athlete:
Spencer “Two Pack” Bray
I would like to have dinner with: Maddie Gerber
Hobbies other than sports: Gaming
Fondest sports memory: Qualifying for states in medley relay
I am looking forward to: Growing my flow
Favorite teacher: Mr. Aungst
I admire Jeff Bridges because: he is old and still has the best flow anyone has ever seen.

Jon Corto. Photo/James Goller

Jon Corto has signed a contract extension with the Buffalo Bills, the team announced Friday.

The 6-foot-1, 220-pound Corto originally joined the Bills as an undrafted free agent out of Sacred Heart in 2007 and has played in 43 games, posting 22 tackles on special teams.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Corto, 26, is a graduate of Orchard Park High School.

Dan Murphy

Dan Murphy
Junior, Orchard Park HS
Football, Hockey, Lacrosse

Favorite sports team: Buffalo Bills
Favorite school subject: Math
Favorite number and why:
18, I have worn it since I was a kid
Dream job:
Professional athlete
Favorite Orchard Park athlete:
Kole Robinson – “K-Rob”
Favorite meal: Pasta
Favorite song:
“Back Door Man”, The Doors
I want to visit: California
I am currently looking forward to: Hockey playoffs

Kyle Witkowski

Kyle Witkowski
Senior, Orchard Park HS
Football, Basketball, Baseball

Dream job: Runway model
Favorite Orchard Park athlete: Kyle “The College Guy” Jeziorski
Favorite OP hangout:
The Reese’s house
Favorite sports team:
New York Giants
Hobbies other than sports:
Video games
Favorite number and why:
15, because my game resembles Tim Tebow
Favorite school subject: Math
I want to visit: Tokyo
I am currently looking forward to: Official visits
Favorite quote: “Oh, this isn’t a whiteboard.”

Daquan Rodriguez

Daquan Rodriguez
Junior, Orchard Park High School
Football and Wrestling

Dream job:
Stand-up comedy
Favorite Orchard Park athlete: Marshall McGraw
I want to visit:
San Juan, Puerto Rico
I am currently looking forward to: The 4A’s wrestling tournament
Favorite musical artist:
Lil Wayne
Favorite OP hangout: Panera Bread
Hobbies other than sports: Facebooking and texting
Favorite thing about winter: Wrestling begins
Fondest sports memory: Mr. Tundo dancing on the bus ride home from Jamestown

Photos from Thanksgiving day football games at South Davis. All photos by James Goller.

Okoya Anderson

Junior Okoya Anderson is among ten finalists for the Connolly Cup which is awarded to Western New York’s top high school football player.

The other candidates include Travis Eman (Canisius), Jordan Johnson (Sweet Home), Chad Kelly (St. Joe’s), Zach Lauricella (Clarence), Joe Licata (Williamsville South), Jimmy Rauh (Southwestern), Tyler Stoldt (Alden), Shane Smith (Fredonia) and Zach Williams (Silver Creek).

The winner will be announced December 4 at Ilio DiPaolo’s Restaurant.

This season, Anderson rushed for 1,443 yards and 20 touchdowns in ten games.

Junior running back Okoya Anderson rushed for 209 yards and three touchdowns in Friday night's sectional championship lose to Clarence at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

At Ralph Wilson Stadium Friday night, the Quakers trailed after one quarter, 14-0, but managed to pull within seven by halftime, 21-14.

Clarence extended its lead by scoring a touchdown on the opening drive of the second half to go up, 28-14.

Orchard Park came back with an Okoya Anderson run and a Connor Hicks touchdown reception to equal to the score at 28-28, with just less than eight minutes remaining in the game.

Orchard Park held the ball at midfield with under a minute left, but failed on three passing plays and punted the ball over to Clarence, who subsequently connected on a 45-yard pass play down to the Quaker 20-yard line.

With five seconds left in the game, Clarence hit a 37-yard field goal to win the Section VI Class AA championship, 31-28.

Anderson finished with 209 yards rushing and three touchdowns. Orchard Park’s defense was led by Paul Leavell’s 12 tackles. James Schneider picked up 11 tackles and an interception. Zach Schenk and Cody Hallick each had an interception in the loss.

The Quakers finish the season with a mark of 8 wins and 2 losses.

Two OP Little Loop football teams will compete for championships in Eden on Saturday, Nov. 6.

OP Little Loop Freshman White / Photo by Monica Bruce

At 11 a.m., the Freshman White will play Alden. OP comes into the game with an 8-2 record after a 32-14 win over Hamburg in the first round of the Hunter James Kelly playoffs last week. Alden is undefeated at 10-0 and narrowly edged OP in the regular season, 14-8.

Orchard Park Little Loop JV Maroon / Photo by Monica Bruce

The second contest will feature Orchard Park’s JV Maroon and Boston. OP boasts a mark of 9 wins and 1 loss after a 22-13 win over CSRA in the first round of the Hunter James Kelly playoffs last week. They will be facing a 10-0 Boston team that previously defeated OP, 39-8. Game time is set for 1:30 p.m.

If you’re interested in supporting the teams, the games will take place at the site that hosts the Eden Corn Festival behind the American Legion. Take Route 62 south out of Hamburg and take a left at Legion Drive once you get into Eden.

[Hat tip to Orchard Park Little Loop Commissioner Chris Wood for the info.]

This past Friday, Oct. 29, OP went 3 for 3 in playoff contests at Orchard Park High School.

Junior Kelly Hornbarger

The field hockey team started off the first of three games played at the OP stadium field with a 3-2 overtime win over visiting West Seneca West.

The Lady Quakers trailed at half, 2-0, and scored two second-half goals to send the game into the extra period.

Sam Sarles scored the game-winning goal with 3:52 left in overtime.

The Lady Quakers (9-5-3) move into the sectional semi-finals against Clarence on Thursday, Nov. 4 at 4 p.m. The game will be played at Amherst High School. The two teams tied, 1-1, when they met during the regular season back on Oct. 14.

Senior Ryan Farrell

The boys soccer team took the field after the field hockey win and scored five first-half goals to defeat West Seneca West, 5-0. Matt Hamister scored three goals while Ryan Lindquist and Ben Gordon each scored one goal.

The Quakers have won six straight games and nine of their last ten.

Orchard Park (13-4) will play Lockport in the sectional semi-final contest scheduled to be played at Hamburg on Wednesday, Nov. 3 at 5 p.m.

Jimmy Fitzgerald (left) congratulates Mike Fischer after grabbing an interception.

The Orchard Park football team defeated Jamestown, 26-0, in the triple-header night cap.

Quarterback Kyle Witkowski tossed touchdown passes to Ben Johnson, James Schneider and Connor Hicks while Okoya Anderson ran 24 times for 125 yards.

On the defensive side, Richie Moore earned two sacks and a forced fumble. Paul Leavell made 13 tackles and Cody Hallick made eleven.

The win puts the Quakers into the sectional championship to be played Friday night at Ralph Wilson Stadium against Clarence. The contest will be played at 9 p.m. and will be a re-match of the Week 2 regular season game that the Red Devils won, 37-28.

Junior Maddie Nowakowski

The Quaker football team started off Orchard Park’s post-season with an impressive win over Williamsville North last Friday night, 51-7.

Three more teams will begin post-season play before the end of the week starting with the girls soccer team, who will host Niagara Wheatfield Thursday night at 6 p.m.

The field hockey team will host West Seneca West Friday afternoon at 3 p.m. while the boys soccer team will host West Seneca West the same day at 3:30 p.m.

The football will play Jamestown at home Friday night starting at 7 p.m.

The volleyball teams begin their post-season next week on Wednesday, Nov. 3.

Senior Paul Leavell

Escaping from an 11-point fourth quarter deficit, the Orchard Park football team scored 20 points in the final period of its game at Jamestown Friday night to defeat the Red Raiders, 23-14.

Trailing at halftime, 14-3, the Quakers received a boost from captain Paul Leavell, who grabbed two late interceptions to spark the comeback.

Leavell scored the first of three fourth quarter rushing touchdowns. Kyle Witkowski scored from one yard out and Okoya Anderson scored on a five-yard run.

Anderson rushed for a total of 201 yards.

The Quakers finish the regular season with a mark of 6 wins and one loss (5-1 in Class AA South) earning a second place finish in the division.

Orchard Park will host its first round playoff game this coming weekend.

Josh Koscielniak

Josh Koscielniak
Senior, Orchard Park High School
Football

Favorite tv shows: SportsCenter
Favorite band: Eminem
Favorite sport other than what I play: Rugby
Favorite Orchard Park athlete: Kevin Burkhardt
Favorite sports team: Buffalo Bills
Favorite teacher: Mr. Agnello
Favorite school subject: U.S. History
Best concert I attended: Genesis
Favorite place in OP to eat: Mangia’s
Favorite quote: “Winning isn’t everything, but wanting to win is.” -Vince Lombardi

Katie Hylkema and Jayme Gmerek worked the sideline of the homecoming football game Saturday afternoon.

Katie Hylkema

Below are photos taken by Katie Hylkema and Jayme Gmerek:

Jackie Sullivan (Photo by Katie Hylkema)

OP Coaches (Photo by Katie Hylkema)

Ben Johnson (Photo by Jayme Gmerek)

Okoya Anderson (Photo by Katie Hylkema)

Junior wide receiver Ben Johnson made five catches for 66 yards and two touchdowns in Saturday afternoon's homecoming win over Bennett.

On homecoming Saturday afternoon, the Orchard Park football team left no question who the better was with a 55-6 thumping of the visiting Bennett Tigers.

The Quakers struck first with a 32 yard touchdown pass from Kyle Witkowski to Ben Johnson. Bennett bounced back with a 79-yard touchdown play. However, Orchard Park scored 48 unanswered points to finish off the victory.

The homecoming win extended Orchard Park’s home winning streak to 28 straight games.

“It’s huge,” senior wide receiver Connor Hicks said of winning homecoming. “Everyone is here watching us. To come out and perform our best makes it special.”

Hicks finished with five catches for 99 yards and a touchdown.

Okoya Anderson ran 16 times for 82 yards and three touchdowns while Witkowski was an impressive 18 of 24 passing for 233 yards and three touchdowns.

The Quakers (5-1, 4-1 in Class AA South) will visit Jamestown (4-2, 3-2 in Class AA South) for its regular season finale on Friday, October 15.

The Orchard Park seniors took an 18-0 lead at halftime and carried it through the second half to defeat the juniors, 31-14, in this year’s homecoming Powder Puff football game.

Seniors Win!

OPHS will host its annual homecoming Powder Puff football game tonight at 7 p.m.

The contest between female juniors and seniors that has become a highly-anticipated and intense rivalry will follow the 6 p.m. pep rally.

Senior Sarah Moore, goalkeeper on the girls varsity soccer team, will play in the contest and said the seniors will prevail despite the juniors efforts to prepare.

“The juniors have playbooks, but it won’t work,” said Moore. “The seniors are too good.”

With a majority of OP sports fans voting that they would rather attend the Powder Puff than head over to the Jamestown/Clarence game, the question is: who will win tonight?