THE SPORTS REPORTS: CORNING'S GREGORSKI TOPS BAKER'S DOZEN AS ALL-REGION 'BOYS ATHLETE OF THE YEAR' (2022-07-10)

The Sports Reports
Corning senior Jack Gregorski had a year for the ages, winning five State gold medals and setting Section IV and school records in the process. He is The Sports Reports’ 2021-22 All-Region “Boys Athlete of the Year.”

Let’s start with cross country season for the Corning senior.

Gregorski became the first Corning boy since the merger of the two schools to be a cross country state champion.  He finished 7th at Eastbay Regionals to become the first Corning boy to earn a medal there.

Gregorski helped guide the Hawks to a team state title and also led them to STAC and Section 4 titles, with the team going one through five in both of those meets. He helped the Hawks post the second best team score in state history.

Gregorski was The Sports Reports’ Boys Cross Country “Runner of the Year.”

Gregorski continued his dominance in the winter with indoor track & field, with a big performance on the biggest stage for the Hawks.

Gregorski went sub-nine minutes in the 3,200 meters at States to break the Section IV record and win the NYSPHSAA title in the process.

Gregorski was also a part of a state medal winning relay for the Hawks, and also was an All-American in a pair of relays — running the 1600 leg of the distance medley relay and running in a 4x1600 relay, going under 4:20 in both of those races.

This spring, Gregorski was The Sports Reports “Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year.”

He was the NYSPHSAA champion in the 3200 with a new Section 4 record of 8:53.92, and anchored the Hawks’ 4x800 relay that won the Federation title in 7:49.70. Gregorski ran a 1:55.48 leg as the anchor in the relay.

Gregorski also set a school record in winning the state qualifiers in the 1600 with a time of 4:12.80.

In the 5,000 meters Gregorski finished third in the nation with a school and Section IV record.

The focus for the year-end awards is on three-sport athletes, but there are some athletes recognized who thrive in two sports. Occasionally, someone will make the grade for just one sport.

The 2021-22 Baker's Dozen All-Region “Boys Athletes of the Year”
Jack Gregorski, senior, Corning: See Above.

Kade Sottolano, senior, Cowanesque Valley / Williamson: Sottolano had a tremendous senior season in three sports. He was a first-team All-Region selection in football and wrestling, and a fourth-team All-Region pick on the baseball diamond.

In the Fall, Sottolano anchored an offensive line that paved the way for the Cowanesque Valley backfield to rush for more 1,300 yards and throw for more than 1,700 yards as a team, leading to the best season for the Indians in more than 45 years (6 wins) and into the District IV playoffs for the first time in 32 years.

From his multiple spots on the defensive line, Sottolano was, quite simply, a problem for opposing offenses and their coaches. He endured double- and triple-teaming most of the time, and managed to rack up 60 tackles and a league-leading seven QB sacks.

Wrestling for Williamson, Sottolano began his quest for a State medal the moment the opportunity was taken away from him in his junior season when the 285-pounder injured his shoulder at the Regional tournament. He started his senior season at 30-0, winning a North Sectional title and finishing 3rd at Districts. He’d repeat the third-place finish at Regionals to qualify for the State Championships, where he would earn his foutth-place finish — just the fifth State medal-winner in Williamson’s history. Sottolano finished the season 38-4, and was 107-34 in his career.

Having lost his sophomore baseball season to the pandemic, and his junior season due to his shoulder injury, Sottolano entered the Spring not having played baseball since 2019. It didn’t show, as the versatile Sottolano played multiple positions in the field and hit .339 at the plate with 20 base hits and a .459 on-base-percentage. He had five doubles and two home runs, and added 23 RBI and 12 walks while striking out only twice the entire season, and added his third post-season appearance of his senior season.

Mikey Sipps, senior, Cowanesque Valley / Williamson: Sipps enjoyed an incredible senior season, earning first-team All-Region honors in football, and second-team honors in baseball and wrestling.

Sipps was a key component of Cowanesque Valley offensive line at center. The unit produce more than 3,000 yards in offense — 1,300-plus on the ground, and 1,700-plus through the air. Defensively, he had 115 tackles, 1 sack and 3 interceptions.

On the mats, Sipps finished second at the North Section Tournament, fifth at Districs, and fourth at Regionals to qualify for the PIAA Championships, where he went 1-2 to finish his season at 33-10. Had 88 career wins.

On the diamond this spring, Sipps hit .476 with 30 hits, including seven doubles, one triple, two home runs, and 19 RBI. He also scored 25 runs and stole 21 bases. He walked 13 times and had a .598 on-base percentage. He also posted a 2.42 ERA in 8 2/3 innings with 10 strikeouts.

Blake Morningstar, junior, Wyalusing: Morningstar was a first-team All-Region selection in basketball and football.

On the diamond this spring, Morningstar posted a 1.249 ERA with 129 strikeouts to just 20 walks in 61 2/3-innings. while hitting .324 with 20 RBI.

On the hardwoods, Morningstar averaged 19.3 points and 10.1 rebounds, and led Wyalusing to its second straight District 4, Class AA title. He was the All-Region “Breakout Player of the Year.”

On the gridiron, Morningstar threw for more than 1,000 yards.

Ousmane Duncanson, sophomore, Tioga: Duncanson was a part of four state titles this year, and was a first-team All-Region in wrestling, and a second-team pick on the gridiron.

Duncanson shined on the gridiron in his first season at Tioga, playing an instrumental role on both sides of the ball, and helping the Tigers to the Class D state title.

Defensively, he made his biggest impact at linebacker for the Tigers. He was second on the team with 95 tackles, including 26 solo stops, six tackles-for-losses, four QB sacks, one interception, and one fumble recovery.

Offensively, Duncanson carried the ball for 18 times for 196 yards (10.8 yards per carry) and three TDs. He also caught four passes for 134 yards and two TDs.

On the mats, Duncanson wrapped up his first season at Tioga with a 44-2 record and a state title. His two losses came against Division I place-finishers, including 152-pound state champ and Princeton-bound Rocco Camillaci of Hilton.

He helped the Tigers to their fifth consecutive Section IV title, and third straight team title at the New York State Division 2 Championships. He also played a major role in Tioga’s third straight Section IV Duals title, and its first-ever New York State Duals title.

In the spring, Duncanson was part of Tioga’s school record-breaking 4-by-1 relay team, and also consistently placed in the 100-meter dash.  The foursome finished fourth at the State Qualifier, after winning the 4-by-1 at the Class D Championships, and finishing second at the IAC Championships.

Joey Tomasso, sophomore, Waverly: Tomasso blossomed into an impact three-sport star this year . He was a first-team All-Region selection in football and basketball, and was a member of the All-Region All-Defensive team on the baseball diamond.

On the gridiron, coach Jason Miller took the reigns off, and Tomasso became a dangerous dual-threat quarterback this season.

Tomasso completed 54.6 percent (149 of 273) of his passes for 1,847 yards and 18 TDs, while being intercepted just five times. He also led the Wolverines with 552 rushing yards and 13 TDs on 86 carries (6.4 yards per carry.)

On the basketball hardwoods, Tomasso, a smooth scorer with a polished all-around game, averaged 19.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 2.3 steals per game. He shot 48.8 percent from the field, and knocked down 40 3-pointers.

This spring, Tomasso, a slick-fielding shortstop was a Gold Glove winner, and the VSR “Defensive Player of the Year.”  He had just two errors in 71 defensive chances for a .972 fielding percentage. He was a part of turning seven double plays.   Tomasso hit .211 with 12 RBI, 11 runs scored, and four stolen bases. On the mound, he was he was 2-1 a 2.10 ERA, and 17 strikeouts in 16 2/3 innings.

Mikey Wandell, senior, Newark Valley: Wandell played just two sports — football and baseball, but he was first-team All-Region in both.

With a strong and accurate arm, the quarterback led the Cardinals to a Section IV Class D runner-up showing behind state champion Tioga. He threw for 1,056 yards and 12 TDs, and rushed for 686 yards and nine TDs. Defensive coordinator Ted Hardenstine said he was even better on the other side of the ball, where he anchored the defense at end, and recorded 78 tackles, four sacks and one interception.

On the diamond, Wandell almost single-handedly put Newark Valley in the playoffs. He allowed just four earned runs in 38 ⅔ innings on the mound, striking out 96 batters while posting a 0.47 ERA. His bat accounted for a .564 batting average (31 hits in 55 ABs), with nine doubles, two home runs, a triple and 28 RBI. He had a .684 on-base percentage, 873 slugging percentage and 1.557 OPS.

Emmett Wood, senior, Tioga: A premier athlete, Wood was one of the best football players in the state, and earned his second career medal at the New York State Division 2 Wrestling Championships. He was the All-Region “Football Player of the Year,” and a third-team All-Region wrestler.

Wood, a three-time Valley Sports Report "Football Player of the Year," capped a brilliant four-year career at Tioga with 2,135 yards and 34 TDs on 181 carries (11.8 yards per carry). In five postseason games, Wood rushed for 1,036 yards and 16 TDs on 107 carries. He also had five receptions for 56 yards, and five two-point conversion runs.

Defensively, Wood had 42 tackles, including 11 solo stops, four tackles-for-losses, and three QB sacks. He also had two interceptions, both of which he returned for touchdowns.

Wood was named the New York State Class D “Player of the Year” by the New York State High School Football Coaches Association for the second time in his career, and was also voted the state’s best by the New York State Sportswriters.

On the mats, Wood won his second Section IV title. An injury in the state quarterfinals cost Wood a chance to wrestle for state gold, but the Tioga senior battled back for seventh place. He finished his career with a 35-10 record, and 154 career wins.

Riley Parker, junior Canton: Another two-sport standout, Parker was a first-team All-Region selection in football and wrestling.

On the gridiron, Parker rushed for 1,333 and 22 TDs, including 409 yards and eight TDs in four postseason games. Defensively, Parker had 40 tackles this season, including nine in the postseason — three of them tackles-for-loss, and one QB sack.

For much of the season, Canton used a multi-back approach, but when they needed big games, they gave it to Parker, who responded with strong efforts in wins over Athens and Steelton-Highspire.

On the mat, Parker was a key cog in a Canton team that won the NTL title, and place third at the District 4 Duals.  He posted a 34-13 record, culminating in a sixth-place finish at the PIAA Championships. He won the North Section title, and finished third at the District 4, and Northeast Regional Championships.

Ashton Bange, sophomore, Corning: Bange was a first-team All-Region pick in cross country, and track & field. He was a member of the Baker’s Dozen Boys “Athletes of the Winter” as the result of his efforts during the indoor track & field season.

Bange had a dominant cross country season in his first year after playing soccer in the past. He won the Section 4 championship, was fourth at States and he did it all in his first year of the sport.

He was consistently one of the best runners in the state all year and finished 17th at the Eastbay Regional Meet. He helped Corning capture the state title, and helped them go one through five at both the STAC Championships and the Section 4 Championships.

This winter, Bange had a huge performance at the state meet in the 1600 meters, bringing home a runner-up finish among the NYSPHSAA public school division going under 4:20 for the first time in his career. He also medaled at states in a relay and was a part of two relays at nationals that earned him All-American honors.

This spring, Bange was a state medalist in the 1600 meters, taking sixth in D1 and 7th in Federation in 4:14.78. He ran on a 3,200-meter relay that won a Federation gold in 7:49.70, running a 1:56.89 leg.

Devin Beach, senior, SVEC:  Beach was a first-team selection on the gridiron and wrestling mats, and a starter on the S-VE baseball team.

He was one of the hardest-hitting linebackers in all of Section IV and opposing offenses typically looked to run away from him. He was named the New York State Sportswriters Association 8-man Co-player of the Year after leading the Eagles to a 9-0 record, a No. 1 state ranking, and sectional regional championships.

Beach averaged six tackles per game (five solo). He also recorded 13 tackles-for-losses and had two QB sacks. Although he was a tight end, Beach often lined up in the backfield. He rushed for 793 yards and 11 TDs, and had 10 receptions for 313 yards and eight TDs.

On the mats, Beach went 29-5 overall with 23 falls, winning an IAC title and finishing second to the eventual state champ in Section IV Division II. He bowed out in the “blood round” at the state tournament.

Beach was also a mainstay for the SVEC baseball team.

Karson Dominick, sophomore, North Penn-Mansfield: Dominick was a second-team All-Region performer in basketball and baseball, and was among the top newcomers on the gridiron.

On the hardwoods, Dominick averaged 16.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. He knocked down 24 3-pointers, and scored 30 or more points three times.

On the baseball diamond, Dominick played six different positions, including catcher and center field. He hit .396, with 19 hits, including two doubles, one home run, seven RBI, 18 runs scored, and six stolen bases. He had a .455 on-base percentage.

On the gridiron, Dominick completed 60 percent of his passes for 922 yards and nine TDs, while being picked off five times.

Ethan Hart, senior, Corning: A two-sport standout, Hart was a second-team All-Region wrestler, and an All-American in lacrosse.

The Southern Tier Sports Report “Lacrosse Player of the Year,” Hart  scored 54 goals and added 15 assists.

This winter, Hart posted a 32-3 record, won he STAC and Section IV, Division I Championships, and placed seventh at the N.Y. State Division I Championships.

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