Male athlete of the week: Ronald “Bubba” Brown, Brocton pitcher

Though this may seem like a broken record, the Brocton ace just keeps winning. Brown led his team to states with a complete game, two-hitter with 10 strikeouts on Saturday in a 5-1 win over Avoca in Jamestown. At the plate, Brown helped his own cause, with a pair of hits, a run batted in and a run scored. Brocton’s do-it-all junior will now get the ball in states this weekend. The only question remaining is whether he will be called upon to start on Friday, when a win would send the Bulldogs to the championship game, or whether Brown will be held back to start the title game on Saturday, provided that Brocton wins on Friday. Interim coach Ray Rosas has quite the decision on his plate heading to the biggest stage of all this weekend, but it is certainly a good problem to have. Brocton is on its way to the state finals — and the Bulldogs needed every contribution Brown has given them along the way to get there.

Female athlete of the week: Becca Cyrek, North Collins softball pitcher

The senior in the circle for the Lady Eagles all year long came up big when it mattered most, throwing a complete game to earn the win, leading North Collins back to the state finals once again this year. Cyrek began the game with five shutout innings, and although she allowed four runs across in the final two innings with a seven-run lead, the game was never in doubt. North Collins jumped out to a 3-0 lead before Cyrek even stepped into the circle.

OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen North Collins’ Becca Cyrek swings and drills a pitch to center field for a home run in the Far West Regional softball game in Fillmore on Saturday.

Once she got her second turn in the batter’s box, Cyrek blasted a home run to deep center field — one of her three hits in the game — to add on to the score. North Collins led 7-0 after the fifth inning and held on for a return trip to states after a crushing defeat last year.

Cyrek’s teammate, Alexa English, said after the game that “Becca always comes through.” Well, on Saturday, she certainly did, and once again, North Collins is headed to the state finals.

Team of the week: Chautauqua Lake Lady Thunderbirds softball

The Lady Thunderbirds accomplished something that has never happened in school history before Saturday — a trip to the state finals. The team with only one senior on the roster, Cameryn Hawkins, is now on its way to Glens Falls on Saturday with a chance to earn a state championship.

Led by the stellar pitching of Olivia Anderson, the leadership of Hawkins at shortstop, powerful hitters throughout the lineup and strong defense all over the field, the team that defeated both Dunkirk and Fredonia in the final week of the regular season to claim the CCAA Division 1 West title has been racking up honors ever since. Chautauqua Lake eliminated the previously unbeaten Cassadaga Valley Lady Cougars in the Class C semifinals, then defeated top-ranked Portville on Tuesday in the Section VI regional championship game to earn a spot in Saturday’s Far West showdown. Finally, Chautauqua Lake “got over the hump,” according to head coach Sue Teets and will play in the state finals on Saturday. What a run for the Lady T’Birds.

Quote of the week: “I will obviously miss the seniors tremendously. But they set a legacy that next year we’ve got to step up and fill again.” — Silver Creek head baseball coach Mike Janisch said after Saturday’s Far West Regional loss.

The Silver Creek Black Knights began the season 0-4. Later in the year, they were mercy-ruled on their own field by Fredonia in a game that featured the visitors celebrating a no-hitter and their coach’s 300th win. At either of those points in the season, it would have been easy for the team to give up.

Instead, Silver Creek went on a stunning run through the final weeks of the season, defeating Class D and Far West champion Brocton twice in the regular season, then Portville, Randolph, and finally, Allegany-Limestone — the team that eliminated Silver Creek last year — in the playoffs en route to a Section VI Class C championship, only the fourth such title in over 40 years in Silver Creek.

Silver Creek’s eight seniors shouldered not only the leadership load, but the bulk of the on-field production, as well. Pitchers Zach Rybak and Tom Galfo led the Black Knights on the mound through the playoffs, while catcher Sam Mullen and shortstop Stephen Romanik were offensive standouts for Silver Creek. Although the season came to an end on Saturday, the senior class will always be remembered for the magical playoff run it went on to make themselves — and Coach Janisch — Section VI champions.

Twitter: @bradencarmen