School of the Arts completes successful season after hosting sectionals at Cobb's Hill

[5/25/22 SOTA players were in good spirits if maybe a little subdued during the sectional loss to Pittsford Sutherland at Cobb’s Hill]

Yesterday, the School of the Arts hosted the sectional quarterfinals at Cobb’s Hill against the Pittsford Sutherland Knights, after a 10 – 7 regular season earned the Silverhawks the 4th seed in the Class A bracket.

5/25/22 (top and bottom left) SOTA’s Abel Austin hitting off a tee; (bottom right) baseballs on the SOTA bench

Unfortunately for SOTA, the outcome was lopsided. City schools usually have a rough going against better resourced suburban schools with strong little league programs. This season, no RCAC won a sectional game. Nonetheless, the Silverhawks gave their all. The Pittsford Sutherland JV coach, Jason Cronenberger, who coached SOTA until a couple of years ago, said of his former players: “It was nice to see SOTA still competing and playing hard until the final out.”

5/25/22 (left) Robin counting pitches for Pittsford Sutherland; (right) Angelo Cutaia keeping score for SOTA. Sutherland won 20 – 2.

Although not as eventful as the 2021 season, SOTA did reach the championship game in the City Tournament. The Silverhawks did it the hard way. The semifinal game was a rare 13 inning marathon, 6 extra innings from the usual 7. The game was suspended due to darkness and completed the next day with SOTA winning 5 – 4.

The day after the suspended game was finished, East beat a possibly tired SOTA squad 9- 0. Nonetheless, SOTA’s first-year head coach Cameron Scharf told Paul Gotham of Pickinsplinters.com:

The energy never stopped, never stopped the entire game. It didn’t stop Tuesday [the City Tournament semi-final]. It didn’t stop Wednesday [the continuation of the suspended game]. My boys showed up every day and every single inning. Even today when it was 9-0 [the City Championship game], guys had the same energy.

Scharf echoed what Cronenberger felt about the Silverhawk spirit.

2022 did not quite reach the heights of last season. In 2021, As seen in The Battle of the Birds: Eagles and Silverhawks return to Cobb’s Hill in a barnburner, SOTA won a dramatic 13-12 walk off late season victory over East.

May 21, 2021. SOTA celebrates, including the traditional water cooler dousing. From The Battle of the Birds: Eagles and Silverhawks return to Cobb’s Hill in a barnburner

Then, SOTA beat East in the City Tournament to win its second title and first since 2008.

Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, (left) 3/28/03, 3:46 p.m. Sheila Cortes runs down University Avenue with the baseball team. She played on the softball team last year. (right) 5/30/08 Dedication to offseason workouts helped Anthony McKnight and School of the Arts to their first city championship on May 21 From Sectional Extravaganza on Culver Road

Then, as seen in Sectional Extravaganza on Culver Road, SOTA beat Wilson/Edison Tech in the sectional quarter finals.

6/7/21. Cobb’s Hill Field # 1 off Culver Road. The School of the Art’s bench looks upward at foul ball. Last season, many of the players were masked. From Sectional Extravaganza on Culver Road

As seen in Sectional extravaganza in Brighton. SOTA lost to McQuaid in the semifinals.

This season, East was the cream of the RCAC crop. The Eagles were undefeated in league play and went 19 -1 in the regular season, winning the City Tournament they have dominated for about 15 years. East was leading 3 – 2 entering the 7th inning against Wayne in the sectional quarterfinals, but Wayne rallied for 4 runs in a 6 -3 win.

I went to the sectional game and also the last two home games at Cobb’s Hill. On Senior Day, the Silverhawks beat Franklin 12 – 2. I didn’t stay for the entire 13 inning marathon semi-final City Tournament game.

5/12/22 (top) Legendary Franklin Coach Eddie Lee directing baserunners; (bottom) Coach Lee with Jonathon Dones, holding the 2017 City Champions when the Quakers beat East in a 9- 8 nailbiter from East falls just short. And views from the press box

5/12/22. SOTA’s Dale Janezic pitching against Franklin.

SOTA game can be family affairs. (left) 5/12/22 The Janezics, Roger and Ross, SOTA ’20 who played at SOTA and now attends. RIT. Ross came back to keep score. Roger, father of Dale, is one of SOTA’s biggest boosters. From Sectional Extravaganza on Culver Road; (right) 5/18/22. Father and son, Angelo and Nick Cutaia. Angelo kept score.

5/18/22. Cake served at SOTA’s Senior Day. Lori Bryce, wife of Roger and mother of Ross and Dale, was instrumental in bringing delectables to feed the hungry team.

(left) SOTA Coach Willie Mason. Last year, Mason was the varsity coach and RCAC coach of this year. This season Mason coached modified baseball and also landed a dream job as varsity basketball head coach at World of Inquiry High School; (right) SOTA athletic director David Mickelson said the season was a success. Dave will take a 10 and 8 season and a trip to the City Tournament finals any year.