Rodney Joyner got it started with an explosive dunk for the Triple Threats and Fran Snyder finished if off with a breathtaking game winning shot.
Buffalo, NY- WNY’s biggest basketball league is back in action. 28 teams are vying for two of the spots in the Healthy Buffalo regional playoff and a chance to win $1000 and signature jerseys. This is likely the largest and most talented group of teams in the history of the league. No wins will be easy. The margin for error so very slim. The record number of teams were able to be accommodated as the league has expanded to the North Buffalo Community Center. As the Healthy Buffalo network of league’s continues to become more regional in nature, there could be more expansions in the future.
The Healthy Buffalo house team got the action started against the Dream Chasers and pulled out the 45-38 win. Richard Sotero led the way with 20 points. The Billies opened up the season against the Triple Threats, but there was one glaring omission… no Mark Ward. After playing his entire Healthy Buffalo career with the Billies he has parted ways with the Billies to chase a title with We All We Got. In his absence the Billies could not match the firepower of the Triple Threats whose win was punctuated by a two-handed dunk in traffic by Rodney Joyner (15 points). 
In another classic matchup White Men Can’t Jump took on the VeryAggressiveGuys. The VeryAggressiveGuys were without forward Marcus Thompson as he is taking the season off to prepare for the birth of his first child. Congratulations Marcus Thompson. Frankie Musso regrouped from a heartwrenching finish to Season 12 and bounced back with a win in opening week. The addition of Nick Jarmusz is already paying dividends as he dropped 40 points in the 67-60 win to start the season.
Marcus Hervey pulled out all the punches in putting together the Gladiators for Season 13. In a roster loaded with Healthy Buffalo legends they will be tough to beat. They might as well have been called the Traveling Wilburys. They even brought back John Bowen! We All We Got put up a fight and the addition of Mark Ward will help them down the stretch, but it wasn’t enough to slow down the Gladiators super team as they pulled out the 59-42 win.
In a battle of newcomers Ball Hard took on Ray. The teams were new, but the faces were not. The two-time league leading scorer Edvin Ramulic suited up for Ball Hard and brought his brother Amir with him. Edvin wanted to stay with the Cleveland Beamers, but the franchise folded after five seasons when captain Johnny Meyers decided to concentrate his talents exclusively on his C League career at the NBCC. Ball Hard carried an eight point lead into the half, but let it slide away as Mike Bennett (23 points) and Steve Seneca (21 points) turned it up in the second half to lead Ray to a 77-66 win.
League newcomer Elevate put on a show in there win over Rodney Rodriguez and Monki Business. Healthy Buffalo analysts were a bit taken back by the performance of Jerry Shanley. After playing in some of the original Kronies Jamfest leagues as a star player for Swagged Out, he quietly hung up his sneakers in favor of the whistle and began the transition from player to referee. And then he got the call from captain Nick Osika and decided to lace them up once again. In his first game back he put on an epic performance dropping 40 points to lead Elevate to a 105-85 win.
Mark Gross brought his squad back for Season 13 with a slightly re-tweaked roster. Always coming into the league with a creative team name, this season they will play under the moniker of Henny Given Sunday. They won a nail-biter against Antwan Campbell and D-Block, 56-55.
2 Live Krew gave a warm welcome back to United Hoops, who missed a couple seasons after their captain Justin Stokes headed out west and said goodbye to Buffalo. Christian Thompson (19 points) lit it up in the first half, and Travis Craig finished it off in the second (22 points) to lead 2 Live Krew to a big win over United Hoops 66-51.
The Toon Squad had an easy one to start the season and begin their quest to repeat as champions as they took on Half Men Half Amazing, who returned to the A League despite an 0-8 performance in Season 12. Not so fast. In what was clearly a statement game, Half Men Half Amazing pulled out the 69-61 win and shocked the defending champs. Tyrone Brooks (8 points) and Damone Parker (12 points) led a solid team effort to pick up the win and get the season started on the right foot.
Norfolk N’ Chance came out ready to go as they took on Jeff Curry and Family First. Norfolk jumped out to a nine point lead at the break and stretched it out to 14 points in the second, before Jeff Curry (23 points) and Family First began to claw their way back. They had all the momentum as they scored the tying bucket with eight seconds remaining. It all came down to one shot for Norfolk N’ Chance. They inbounded the ball, passed it to Fran Snyder who took it all the way down the court, put a little spin move on his defender and coolly knocked down the winning bucket with an eight foot fade away off the backboard as time expired. Norfolk N’ Chance escaped with the 60-58 win to start the season 1-0.
In the final game of the night, two of the top teams from Season 12 faced off in an epic battle as the West Side Connection battled the Buffalo Braves. Captain Roy Wallace made some personnel moves, picking up the league’s reigning scoring champ Dave Robinson, but lost their court general Victor Arroyo. Arroyo put his playing career on hold for the time being to pursue his coaching career. This one was a slug-fest and it all came down to the end as the West Side Connection pulled out the 79-75 victory.
Stay posted to www.y2t.e80.myftpupload.com as we will recap the league’s action from the NBCC later on in the week and get the highlight video edited and posted. Visit our facebook page to check out over 100 pictures of the days action. Week 1 is in the books. Buffalo’s biggest basketball league is back in action! Can you handle it?
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