CENTRAL NEW YORK – Home at Buckley-Volo Field for the first time in 18 months, the Cazenovia football team did not want to waste that opportunity.
The Lakers took on reigning Section III Class B champion Solvay last Wednesday afternoon, and amid bright sunshine was able to earn its first victory in 2021, using a big second half to rally past the Bearcats 24-13.
Little went right for Cazenovia in the first two quarters, its offense moving the ball but unable to score and paying dearly for a turnover.
That was a first-quarter fumble at the Lakers’ own 35-yard line, which Solvay’s Sam Washington picked up and returned for a touchdown to give the Bearcats the lead.
By halftime, Cazenovia trailed 13-0, Zach Bowen throwing a 54-yard scoring pass to Jordan Dippold. But those would prove to be Solvay’s last points of the game.
It all turned early in the third quarter when the Lakers’ defense recorded a safety. On the ensuing possession, Cazenovia reached Solvay’s nine, from where Peter McCole ran in for the TD.
Minutes later, McCole struck again, this time gathering a pass from A.J. Rothfeld and going 30 yards for the go-ahead score, the extra point making it 17-13.
Cazenovia clinched it when McCole netted his third TD on a three-yard run in the fourth quarter. All told, McCole gained 98 yards on 19 carries, with Rothfeld adding 66 yards on nine carries as Andrew Kent caught three passes for 60 yards.
Earlier in the week, Chittenango, at 1-1 but coming off a narrow victory at Marcellus on April 8, hosted Institute of Technology Central and fell 18-16 to the Eagles.
Cal Reed’s impressive 37-yard field goal was the only points for either team in the first quarter, but they traded touchdowns in the second quarter, Chittenango scoring on Aiden Cavotta’s run.
Up 10-6 at the break, the Bears’ defense sputtered a bit in the third period, ITC putting together a pair of scoring drives to take an 18-10 lead as Prince Perry and Tre’Jeur Sledge both found the end zone.
Chittenango countered with a drive and Cavotta’s five-yard TD pass to Ethan Robles, but missed a tying two-point try and, throughout the fourth quarter, was stopped in every attempt to go in front.
Against Cortland on Saturday in its season finale, Chittenango fell to the Purple Tigers 28-10 to end at 1-3 overall.
Colin Williams’ 62-yard TD run and his subsequent two-point pass to Alex Musci got Cortland in front early, but the Bears were able to keep the Purple Tigers off the board the rest of the half.
Reed hit on a 36-yard field goal, and Chittenango added a TD in the third quarter, only to have Cortland take charge late with 21 straight points, the key blow Jaden Fitch returning a Bears interception 45 yards to the end zone.
To finish its own abbreviated season, Cazenovia has a rematch Wednesday against Skaneateles, looking to improve upon its 18-0 defeat in the first Laker duel on March 31.
