Frewsburg head coach Sierra Beaver led the Bears to a second straight Class C state championship and is the 2026 OBSERVER/Post-Journal girls basketball Coach of the Year. OBSERVER File Photo

With Jadyn Trocki — the newly minted 2026 OBSERVER/Post-Journal Girls Basketball Player of the Year — back for her junior season and senior Abery Harvey joining her, Frewsburg was going to be good this year.

The Bears were likely the favorites to win a third straight Section VI Class C title going into the season.

But head coach Sierra Beaver did have to replace four seniors, including three starters, from last season’s New York State Public High School Athletic Association championship team.

Sophomores Jaden Jimerson and Elysse Gruber joined freshman Presleigh Stelmack in stepping up to that challenge.

Three more freshmen — Lucy Moore, Rozlyn Haglund and Alexis Darling — provided valuable minutes for the Bears, most notably in the first half of the state championship game against Greenwich when Harvey and Gruber were in foul trouble.

On the biggest stage, Frewsburg’s youngest players did not crumble under the pressure.

A lot of that can be attributed to coaching, and Beaver does that as well as anybody around.

Frewsburg didn’t just go 8-0 in Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association Division 3 play on accident. The Bears outscored league opponents 488-268 — by an average of 27.5 points per game.

In fact, because there were just five teams in the league, Frewsburg was able to load up on nonleague competition.

Locally, Frewsburg swept Section VI Class B champion Southwestern and Section VI Class D champion Sherman.

But the Bears’ schedule also included NYSPHSAA Class AA champion North Tonawanda, with which Frewsburg split a pair of regular-season contests.

Despite getting blown out by PIAA District 10 Class 5A champion Cathedral Prep 55-25 in late January, the Bears rebounded to lose by just a point in overtime against the Ramblers just over a week later.

Frewsburg also beat Section VI Class AA Orchard Park, Class A Amherst and Cardinal O’Hara during the regular season.

The Bears were rarely tested, even during their Section VI Class C postseason run. After coasting past Maple Grove 64-38 in the quarterfinals, they beat rival Randolph 61-38 in the semifinals at Jamestown Community College. Frewsburg then overwhelmed Wilson 53-33 in the sectional final at the Physical Education Complex for its fourth championship in the past five years and eighth overall.

Just like they did a year ago, the Bears beat Keshequa by 14 in the Far West Regional to advance to their third straight NYSPHSAA Class C final four.

Section IV champion Delaware Academy proved little resistance in the semifinals as Frewsburg won 57-30 to set up a title game matchup with Section II champion Greenwich.

The Witches proved to be a formidable opponent for the Bears, leading by as many as 14 in the first half before Frewsburg closed the gap to just three at halftime.

Sophomore Jaden Jimerson converted a three-point play to give the Bears a 37-36 lead with 1:16 remaining in the third quarter and they would never trail again.

Leading by as many as nine in the fourth quarter, Frewsburg went 8 of 8 from the foul line in the final two minutes to become the first Section VI team to win back-to-back championships since Pine Valley won three straight titles from 2003-05.

With her 22 wins this season, Beaver improved to 73-25 in four seasons as the Bears coach and now is the OBSERVER/Post-Journal Girls Basketball Coach of the Year for a third straight year.