ONONDAGA COUNTY – Before and after Labor Day weekend, the area’s high school boys soccer teams ventured out with plenty of competition inside and outside league play.
West Genesee, who had opened Sept. 1 with a win over Nottingham, topped Fulton 3-0 two days later in the opening round of the Wildcats’ own tournament.
Casey Scharoun’s early goal was all WG needed, but it still added to that 1-0 margin in the second half as James Mungro put in the second goal and another insurance tally was recorded by Jake McMahon.
Now the Wildcats turned its attention to a final against Watertown, who outlasted Liverpool in penalty kicks after the two sides went through regulation and overtime scoreless.
It took less than eight minutes for Jadin Lyle to put WG in front. Then it maintained that lead until Tyler Waverchak put home an insurance goal in the opening minutes of the second half.
To preserve a 2-0 decision over the Cyclones, the Wildcats’ defense clamped down in a big way, Watertown only able to record two shots as, in the consolation game, Liverpool blanked Fulton 3-0.
Now it as time to enter the SCAC Metro division as WG faced Cicero-North Syracuse last Tuesday at the Gillette Road complex and suffered its first blemish of the season, falling to the Northstars 1-0.
The story of this game was how the Wildcats never could generate many good chances against a stifling Northstars defense, which made Sean Graves’ first-half goal hold up. Between them, goalies Anthony Augello and Mark McPike made eight saves to keep it close.
Another local rivalry unfolded last Thursday when Skaneateles, whose last full season ended with the 2019 state Class B championship, faced Marcellus at Hyatt Stadium and the Lakers emerged with a weather-shortened 2-0 victory.
During the first half, Skaneateles pu on constant pressure, and it paid off as Tylar Moss netted one goal and assisted on another by Nick Cerimeli, with David Petersack assisting on the Moss goal.
Just six minutes into the second half, lightning in the area sent the teams to the sideline, and when it persisted, the game was not resumed.
Skaneateles begaen its season by crushing Jordan-Elbridge 10-0 last Tuesday night, seeing four different players record multiple goals
Owen Cheney led that grup, scoring three times and contributing a pair of assists. Moss, Cerimeli and Jack Phillipshad two goals apiece, with Carter Corbett getting the other goals.
That same night, Marcellus, who had started 0-3, broke into the win column by knocking off Christian Brothers Academy 1-0.
Having endured three straight shutouts, the Mustangs finally got on the board with John White’s first-half goal, assisted by Landon Kelly, and a strong defense preserved that slim margin, Adam Sullivan stopping all 10 shots he faced.
Marcellus, who lost its Sept. 1 opener to Westhill, fell 3-0 to New Hartford in the Sept. 3 opening round of the Cicero-North Syracuse Optimist Tournament. A 2-0 defeat to host C-NS followed a day later.
Westhill took on Solvay last Wednesday at Al Merola Field and the Warriors rolled to a 6-0 victory over the Bearcats.
Prior to that, the Bearcats had opened Sept. 3 with a 3-0 defeat to Homer, the same day as Bishop Ludden taking on Binghamton Seton Catholic and absorbing a 1-0 loss despite Phil McGarvey’s eight saves.
A 3-1 defeat to Manlius-Pebble Hill followed on Wednesday afternoon, the Gaelic Knights getting a goal from Charlie Colella assisted by Colden Sheen, but nothing more as Phil McGarvey finished with nine saves.
Solvay was overwhelmed last Friday in a 13-2 loss to DeRuyter. Goals by Jonathan Gonzalez Perez and Josh Chapman were swallowed up by a Rockets squad led by Gavin Richardson’s five goals and two assists. A 7-0 defeat to Cortland followed on Saturday afternoon.
