Gowanda Sports Report for Aug. 5

Two weeks remain in the Gowanda Recreation six-week summer program. Upcoming field trips to Fantasy Island on Aug. 9 and to Buffalo for a Bisons baseball game on Aug. 16 will be exciting events.

The last day of the program on Friday, Aug. 17 will feature a Talent Show and Awards Ceremony at St. John Park beginning at 12:15 p.m. In case of inclement weather, the activities will be moved to the Gowanda Middle School gymnasium.

The start of the high school fall sports season is just around the corner. The first official day of practice for the football, volleyball and cross-country programs is Monday, Aug. 13. The first interscholastic contest for the 2012-13 academic year will take place on Friday, Aug. 31. The Gowanda Varsity football team will host Wilson at Hills Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Gowanda youth football began pre-season practices on Monday, July 30. The four Panther teams will again compete in the OATKA football conference for the second year in a row this fall. Last fall saw the varsity (12-13 year olds) reach the championship game before losing to South Buffalo. After a year of adjustments, the other three Gowanda youth teams will be more competitive this season. The overall competition level is a bit stronger than Gowanda's former conference, the CCMFL. However, Gowanda has many upcoming talented athletes who can meet the challenge.

After playing on two Little League (Gernatts), two high school (Gowanda Central) and two college (St. John Fisher) championship teams, Aaron Benton was a member of another first-place team this summer. He pitched two innings of no-hit ball game to close out the game against the Geneva Twins on July 24 that clinched the Western Division title for the Hornell Dodgers in the New York Collegiate Baseball League. Players on each team's roster hail from throughout the United States. Hornell will now enter the playoffs as the number one-seeded team.

While other high school football fields are bone dry and brown, Steve Rozler and his GCS maintenance staff have done a commendable job in keeping Hillis Field green and in excellent shape for the upcoming football season. Gowanda has always had one of the top athletic facilities in whichever conference (Southwestern, Lake Shore, ECIC or CCAA) they have competed in. Playing baseball under lights at the high school level continues to be a rarity. Gowanda has been doing it with their high school and town teams since 1950.

A fall co-ed soccer league for children ages 5-12 will be held on five consecutive Monday nights from 5 to 7 p.m. beginning Sept. 10. Soccer skills, drills and scrimmage games against children based on age level will take place each week. Previous soccer experience is not mandatory. Call Mark Benton at 532-4053 or e-mail hidibenton@aol.com to register.