ONONDAGA COUNTY – While it waited longer than other local sides to see game action, the Jamesville-DeWitt boys lacrosse team more than made up for it with the impressive nature of its first two victories.
To start with, the Red Rams went to West Genesee and, mixing in strong offense with a fabulous effort in goal by Ian McIntyre, defeating the Wildcats 16-7.
Even though WG had played twice, splitting those games, it could not contain a sharp J-D attack that outscored them early, grabbing an 8-5 edge by halftime, and got away with a 5-1 third-quarter surge.
On one end, McIntyre stopped 21 of the Wildcats’ 28 shots. On the other end, Gannon Kessler, with five goals and four assists, led an attack where Sam Brazell had a big night, too, with four goals and three assists.
Graham Kesselring finished with three goals as single goals went to Lucas Patchen, Mario Streiff, Aidan Bates and Andrew Laubenstein, Patchen adding three assists and Streiff two assists.
Considering this performance, J-D may have expected a similar result when it faced neighbor East Syracuse Minoa two nights later.
Instead, the 1-2 Spartans turned this contest in a battle that lasted all the way to the final horn, forcing J-D to go all 48 minutes and finally emerge with a 13-11 victory.
A majority of the game was played on even terms. The Rams only led 3-2 through one period and, in the course of the second half, ESM was able to outscore J-D 6-4.
What made the difference was a second quarter where the Rams doubled up the Spartans 6-3 and saw nice balance from its top scoring line.
Kesserling finished with four goals. Not far behind him, Bates and Kessler each netted three-goal hat tricks as Brazell got a goal and four assists. Laubenstein and Nick Miller both had one goal and one assist, assists also credited to Patchen, Streiff and Caden Parker. McIntyre finished with 12 saves.
Perhaps these games took a toll on J-D, for when it challenged reigning state Class A champion Baldwinsville on a hot Saturday afternoon at Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium, it was handled 14-4 by the Bees.
Brazell scored twice, with Kessler and Miller earning the other goals, but B’ville contained everyone else and was led by Carson Dyl’s three goals and one assist as Keegan Lynch got two goals and three assists.
Before all this, ESM got into the win column last Tuesday when it delivered a 12-3 victory over Syracuse City. Even with Syracuse’s 3-0 start, the Spartans stayed patient through a low-scoring first half and then went on a 9-2 push through the second half led by Evan deBerjeois, who finished with four goals.
Logan Welch, Mike Santillo and Dan Abreu each scored twice, Welch adding two assists as single goals went to Gavin Rinaldi and Noah Taylor. Dillon Abreu added an assist.
