Williamsville South High School basketball player Nathan Wilemski talks to The Buffalo News about the Billies' victory over Nichols on Saturday
Williamsville South boys basketball coaches and players are fond of what happened last season, but want to keep it in the past to focus on the present.
The Billies won the Section VI Class A1 championship a year ago, their first section title since 2016. The program had gotten retribution from the season before, as it thwarted Amherst from winning a third straight crown.
This season, Williamsville South is going for a second straight championship and begins its playoff journey at home as the No. 3 seed against No. 6 South Park at 7 p.m. Friday.
"The stuff from last year is great," Williamsville South coach Michael Trzybinski said. "It's a memorable year and it's something I'll always hold near and dear to me. Last year is last year and this year is this year. We've got to forge our own legacy and continue our journey, which we hope will be going on for a bit."
People are also reading... Multimillionaire's estate mired in claims by a possible unknown child; Diocese seeking $2M in pledges Carter out as administrative judge in WNY; Eagan loses supervisory role No drought, no drama: Brawling, beer throwing and other bad Bills fan behavior brought down to all-time low To buy a PSL or not: Sticker shock eases for some Bills fans Town of Tonawanda says police officers went on illegal strike by failing to write tickets Reduced hours and hefty fine coming for Jack Rabbit amid neighbor complaints State moving inmates out of Collins Correctional Facility due to strike Downtown was at the heart of Buffalo's restaurant renaissance. Now, 'it feels like we're sliding back' Buffalo Bills rank 23rd in this year's NFLPA report card. Here's why At heated meeting, Town Board votes to bring strike charges against Tonawanda police Officer accused of mishandling drug evidence just before Tonawanda police 'strike' began Mike Harrington: Sabres are still bought in, no matter what the standings say Bills send reminder that they have sole control over community benefits spending Erie County real estate transactions Bills GM Brandon Beane is open to trading his first-round pick ... under the right circumstance
Trzybinski doesn't want to look past South Park, but the expectation is Williamsville South and No. 2 Amherst will meet again in the playoffs, this time in the semifinals. The Tigers also play on Friday, hosting No. 7 Iroquois. If Williamsville South and Amherst win, it will set up a battle of Main Street.
The teams are 1-1 in their last two playoff meetings and split the regular-season series, with Williamsville South earning the latest win. The constant matchups and working in similar basketball circles led Trzybinski to spark a friendship with Amherst coach Chris Kensy, who led the Tigers to the New York State Public High School Athletic Class A semifinals in 2022.
"Chris and I have become good friends over the years," Trzybinski said. "We go golfing and hang out socially a little bit. It's fun and we have some good laughs. A lot of it is through the Basketball Coaches Association (BCANY). He's a tremendous coach and I always felt they were a tough matchup because you don't exactly know what you're going to get. There's always a wrinkle or tweak here and there. His kids play hard. They really listen to what he and his staff want to do and pose a great challenge. It's fun to have a rivalry. When we're not playing each other, we're pulling for each other, which is pretty cool to have in the coaching world."
Despite the coaches' and programs' respect, they still want to get the better of one another. Williamsville South's leading scorers are seniors Carter Lampke (18.8 points), Stash Foster (13.2 points) and junior Nathan Wilemski (13.2 points). Lampke was an All-Western New York second-team selection last season and Foster is in his first and only season with the Billies after attending Williamsville North.
Lampke has been on varsity for four seasons, and Wilemski since he was an eighth grader. Both have experienced the program's highs and lows, and they have thrived competing against their Main Street foe.
"That rivalry is a bit hectic and chaotic," Lampke said. "I think in those type of environments, my teammates and myself thrive in it. Especially when we get comfortable. We're very passionate and the battle of Main Street has been competitive and loud. I just love that and I'm thankful for that. It's like those old Olympic chariot games with the fire is how it feels, like fighting with swords."
Wilemski, who was called the team's "glue" by Trzybinski, does a little bit of everything at the guard position. He's a playmaker, has a big wingspan and, more importantly, is a reliable shot-maker. As one of the team's leaders, he's leaving last year in the past but couldn't help but smile when talking about Amherst and a possible playoff trilogy.
"It was nice to come into the season as section champions, but in reality, it doesn't really do anything for us," Wilemski said. "A lot of our key players left the team, so we're trying to go into this season by putting it in the past and focusing on the now. As for Amherst, I love every matchup. It brings the top competitiveness form every individual that plays. Each game is a dog fight. There's nothing you can replace it with. They have a great coaching staff and great players. Each year, they put together a roster of kids that get it done and I think that's what they're really good at."
Championship weekend
Friday: KeyBank Center will host three championship boys hockey games. St. Joe's vs. St. Francis, 3 p.m.; Orchard Park vs. Lancaster, 5:30 p.m.; Williamsville East vs. Williamsville North, 8 p.m.
Saturday: Cheerleading section finals at Starpoint High School, session one begins at 9 a.m. and session two at 12:40 p.m.; indoor track and field state qualifier at Houghton University, 9 a.m.; state gymnastics championships at Clarence High School, 10 a.m.; Manhattan Cup final, St. Joe's vs. Canisius at Canisius University, 6 p.m.
College signings
Williamsville South will hold a college signing ceremony for Syanne Tyson, the Section VI individual tennis champion, at 2 p.m. Friday.
On Wednesday, East Aurora held a signing for Megan Cassidy (Ithaca, basketball), Shane Fraser (SUNY Geneseo, cross country/track and field), Amelia Jones (Houghton, soccer), Nate Roorbach (Hartwick, volleyball), Dominic Seneff (SUNY Oswego, cross country/track and field) and Susannah Winfield (Smith, swimming).
0 Comments Get in the game with our Prep Sports Newsletter
Sent weekly directly to your inbox!
Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Clevis Murray
Sports Reporter
Author facebook Author twitter Author email Follow Clevis Murray Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification.
{{description}}
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today