FROM PRESS ROW: ATHLETES OF THE WEEK, AND UNSUNG HEROES, ALONG WITH THE NEW BREAKOUT STAR OF THE WEEK NAMED (2021-10-05)

Another big week of high school sports is in the book.

There were some big performances last week, with Horseheads getting a big football win at Corning and Elmira winning their homecoming game against Vestal.

The Corning cross country teams had dominant performances at McQuaid and the Corning golf team won their first ever sectional title among other big performances throughout the area.

It’s time to recognize some of the best performances of the year with our athletes of the week, unsung heroes of the week and new this week, our breakout star of the week, focusing on standout athletes who are sophomores and younger.

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
RILEY LOOMIS, HORSEHEADS, FOOTBALL:
He’s had some big games already this season, including a 200-yard game in the week one win over Vestal. But, what he did on Friday was spectacular.

Loomis had 27 carries in the game. At times everyone in the stadium knew the ball would wind up in the star running backs hands, and yet no one could slow him down.

The Horseheads senior ran for 159 yards and scored all three of the Blue Raiders touchdowns in the victory over the state-ranked Hawks.

It isn’t just offense where Loomis stood out, as he was also a force on defense throughout the game, helping to hold a Corning team that had scored at least 28 points every game this year, to 17 points.

After the win the Horseheads football team moved into the state rankings in Class A for the first time this year, sitting at 22nd in the state.

BROOKE TERWILLIGER, CORNING, DIVING:
Corning has faced some tough competition this year. They went to the Waverly Invite, the Watkins Glen Invite, and last week the Maine-Endwell Invite. Everywhere Corning has gone this year, there has been a constant, Terwilliger has won the diving.

The Hawks standout is unbeaten on the season. She’s already hit the state mark multiple times. Last week she broke the pool and meet record at the Maine-Endwell Invite, along with hitting the state mark at the meet.

In a home meet against Vestal last week Terwilliger also re-broke her own school record in diving, with a six-dive total of 312.40. As a point of comparison only six divers had a score that high with 11 dives at the Maine-Endwell Invite.

UNSUNG HEROES OF THE WEEK
CARSON CRANE, CORNING, GOLF:
Through his career Crane has had to work hard to find a spot in the Hawks lineup.

The senior has spent a lot of the year working to be the sixth golfer for the Hawks.

There were times he was out of the lineup, and then he’d be back in the lineup, always right on the edge of being in or out of the top six for the Hawks.

He was in the lineup on Monday for the class sectional meet and he came up with a performance to remember.

He wasn’t the low golfer for the Hawks, with Jack Creath shooting a 73 to tie for medalist honors, but Crane’s 79 was a big part of the reason why Corning won their first ever sectional title.

Crane has constantly been a golfer that Corning could count on for a big round, in a big spot. Earlier in the year when Corning had a narrow win at Corning Country Club over Horseheads, it was Crane coming up with a 38 to help lead them to the win.

AMANDA SIMPSON, NOTRE DAME, GIRLS’ SOCCER:
Goal scorers get all the attention, but as the saying goes, defense wins championships.

The Notre Dame defense has dominated all season long, and is a big part of the reason why the Crusaders are ranked 13th in the state in Class C this year.

On Monday the Crusaders had a second straight scoreless tie with Waverly. That’s 200 minutes of soccer between the two teams this year, and the Crusaders never allowed a goal, and Simpson is a big reason why.

The senior helps anchor the defense, while her sister Rachael has helped lead their offense

Amanda seems to be everywhere for the Notre Dame Crusaders, controlling neutralizing any offense Notre Dame has come up against.

BREAKOUT STAR OF THE WEEK
AMIR WILLIAMS, ELMIRA
Elmira has had one back after another come up with big performances to lead them at times this year.

Coach Jimmy McCauley has said he has a number of backs he can trust running the ball, and on Saturday he found another one.

Elmira was looking for a spark on Saturday and that’s exactly what Williams provided. He started with a 24-yard run on his first carry.

Williams added a 57 yard run, where he ran through the defense, then past the secondary for his first varsity touchdown.

He later added a second touchdown and finished the game with over 100 rushing yards to help lead Elmira to the win.

Elmira is now ranked 21st in the state in AA, the first time this year they have been ranked.

MIA CAPILLI, ELMIRA
The freshman has been one of Elmira’s stars all season long.

Last week she helped the Express in a comeback win over Ithaca, 4-2.

Capilli had a pair of assists in the Elmira victory, and has been dominant in the middle of the field all season long for Elmira.

There area is loaded with talented young girls’ soccer standouts, and Capilli has been one of the bester of them all season.