SOUTHERN TIER SPORTS REPORT: BANGE HEADLINES MALE NEWCOMERS OF THE YEAR LIST (2022-06-21)

By Brian Fees
Southern Tier Sports Report
Newcomers in male sports this year produced State medalists, big-time performers and leading scorers for their teams.

Picking a Super Seven of all-Southern Tier Sports Report newcomers became nearly impossible, so we expanded it out to a Nifty Nine of the best newcomers of the year in sports.

We will have five athletes, in no particular order, and then a second runner-up, a runner-up and a newcomer of the year for all sports.

CARTER ROSNO, CORNING, BOYS’ SOCCER
Rosno was a force up front for the Hawks. He had seven goals and seven assists this year, including a big play to score the first goal in the Class AA, Section IV final against Elmira, which the Hawks went on to win. He also had one of the goals of the year when he scored on a 43-yard drive against Elmira during a 3-2 win in the regular season.

He was the All-STSR boys’ soccer newcomer of the year.

AMIR WILLIAMS, ELMIRA, FOOTBALL
Williams became a force in the run game after getting his chance against Vestal this year. In a team deep at running back, the freshman waited his turn, and when his number was called he had a 100-plus-yard, two touchdown effort against Vestal. He then became one of the team’s leading rushers down the stretch with more than 300 yards in the final five games.

He was an all-STSR football all-rookie team selection.

TEVIN MCLAREN, CORNING, CROSS COUNTRY
McLaren was consistently the fourth runner for a Corning team that won the state title. The Hawks were dominant all season and the first-year cross country runner played a big part in it. He helped the Hawks go one through five at both the  STAC Championships and the Section IV meet.

MICHAEL RENNELLS, HORSEHEADS, BOWLING
Rennells finished 33rd at the state qualifier with an average of 191. He had a high series of 612 and a 220 high game at the state qualifier. Rennells had a 195 average this season for the Blue Raiders. He was the all-STSR boys’ bowling newcomer of the year.

GAVIN HARDEE, CORNING, BASEBALL
Corning’s Gavin Hardee was the All-STSR baseball newcomer of the year. He had three wins and two saves on the year, with an impressive .58 ERA in 19 innings, striking out 24 for the Hawks.

He was the all-STSR baseball newcomer of the year.

WILL KIBLER, CORNING FOOTBALL
Kibler, who played in Pennsylvania last year, is a newcomer to the area and he made his presence felt right away, intercepting nine passes for the Hawks this season to lead the region in interceptions.

He was the all-STSR football newcomer of the year.

SECOND RUNNER-UP
CHRIS GRIMALDI, CORNING, LACROSSE
One of the area’s best boys’ lacrosse players this year, was also a varsity newcomer.

Corning’s Chris Grimaldi scored 57 goals and added 27 assists this year and he was the boys’ lacrosse all-STSR newcomer of the year and now he was the overall STSR newcomer of the Spring.

Grimaldi led the area in goals and points this year and was a first-team All-STSR boys’ lacrosse all-star. Grimaldi is a junior, and a UMass commit.

RUNNER-UP
ISAIAH HENDERSON, CORNING, BOYS’ BASKETBALL
Henderson is one of the best scorers in Section 4. He’s a 6-4 walking mismatch, who also happens to be one of the best shooters in the section. Henderson scored 18.7 points a game this year, shooting 40% on threes and 83% from the free throw line this year. He made almost three threes per game this year.

He was The Sports Reports’ 2021-22 Male Newcomer of the Winter.

The sophomore was the All-STSR boys’ basketball newcomer of the year.

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
ASHTON BANGE, CORNING, T&F
There were some incredible performances by male varsity newcomers in the Fall of 2021, but Corning junior Ashton Bange topped them all and was The Sports Reports’ 2021 Male Newcomer of the Fall.

He was also the all-STSR boys’ cross country newcomer of the fall.

Bange had a dominant season after playing soccer in previous years. He won the Section IV championship, he was fourth at States, and he did all this in his first year of cross country.

He was consistently one of the best  runners in the State all season, helped Corning capture the state title, and was a main cog in a team that swept the top five spots at both the STAC Championships and the Section IV Championships.

He finished 17th at the Eastbay Regional cross country Meet.
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IN TOP PHOTO: Corning’s Ashton Bange. . . STSR FILE PHOTO


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