ONONDAGA COUNTY – Both the Skaneateles and Solvay football programs have known recent tastes of gridiron glory, whether it was the Lakers’ state Class C championship run in 2017 or the Bearcats’ Section III Class B title earned in 2019.
They were supposed to get together last Friday night at Al Merola Field, but the game got canceled, yet another contest unable to take place amid COVID-19 concerns.
This Saturday, Skaneateles is set to face Bishop Ludden, who knocked off Solvay in its April 1 opener and, a week later, moved to 2-0 by beating those other Lakers from Cazenovia last Friday in a 25-19 decision.
Trailing 7-0 going to the second quarter, the Gaelic Knights sprinted out in front with a pair of Nazier Kinsey touchdown passes to Jarin Beauford, one covering 25 yards, the other going 23 yards.
When Evan Cervantes sprinted 25 yards to the end zone in the third period, Ludden extended its lead to 18-7, but that didn’t prove safe as Cazenovia staged a comeback of its own.
On back-to-back drives, the Lakers found the end zone, Peter McCole scoring on runs of 20 and 17 yards to inch Cazenovia in front 19-18 and setting up a dramatic finish.
The Gaelic Knights drove to the Cazenovia 12, from where Kinsey scrambled up the middle and found the end zone for the go-ahead score with 2:47 left.
Cazenovia then drove and used the remaining clock to reach Ludden’s 10-yard line, only to have the Gaelic Knights’ defense make two stops in the waning seconds to hang on.
Marcellus finally had its season opener last Thursday night, hosting Chittenango, and the Mustangs, a sectional Class B semifinalist in 2019, led most of the way, only to get caught and overtaken late in a 15-14 loss to the Bears.
Sean Tierney’s two-yard TD run was the only score for either side in the opening period. Then Tierney dashed 26 yards for a score in the second quarter, only to have Chittenango counter with Nathan Smith’s one-yard scoring plunge.
Up 14-8 at the break, the Mustangs kept it that way through a scoreless third period before the Bears put together a late drive, tied the game on Nate Addison’s two-yard run and then had Cal Reed hit the go-ahead extra point. Try as it could, Marcellus could not answer.
Back on Wednesday night, Westhill, who beat Institute of Technology Central in its April 3 opener, took on Cortland and lost, 32-12, to the Purple Tigers.
Trailing 8-0 after one period, the Warriors were able to score twice in the second quarter, Miguel Monic throwing TD passes of seven yards to Jailyn Anderson and 34 yards to Rahmonyee Gonzalez.
Even with that, Cortland led 16-12 at the break and, with Westhill playing on just three days rest, wore down the Warriors in the second half. Collin Williams and Chris MacDuffie both topped 100 yards rushing for the Purple Tigers and combined for three touchdowns.
