Though it was the Skaneateles football team sending it through the air in Friday night’s season opener at Chittenango, it was a pass given up by the defense that put the Bears on top, and spoiled Joe Sindoni’s return to the coaching sidelines.

Prevailing by a score of 26-21, Chittenango already is halfway to matching its two-win total from 2014, establishing an early benchmark in what promises to be a tough Class B West division.

Sindoni, who coached Skaneateles to the 2012 Section III Class C title, returned to the Lakers after he was let go at Cicero-North Syracuse earlier this year. With a young, modest roster, Skaneateles would start against a Chittenango side bent on bouncing back from last season’s massive struggles.

Devin Callahan made it through the Lakers’ scrimmage unscathed this time (he didn’t last year, and missed the season with a broken collarbone), and would establish his team’s passing attack early, putting together a scoring drive that was capped with a seven-yard pass to Michael Addison.

But the Bears still led 14-7, having seen Connor Fredericks scramble 29 yards for one touchdown and tight end Hunter Hendrix score another.

Fredericks would be a force all night, finishing with 173 yards on 17 carries. The two sides would trade scoring drives in the second quarter, and Chittenango took a 20-14 lead to halftime.

Callahan continued to find his targets, completing 14 of 27 passes for 227 yards. His biggest play in the third quarter netted a TD when Callahan, from midfield, found Tommy Hagen for a 50-yard scoring strike.

So as time wound down, Skaneateles led 21-20, and its defense was playing better, too, making several stops and pinning Chittenango at its own 23-yard line.

But one throw changed everything.

Wyatt Myers sent one deep downfield, and Duncan Smith caught it, not stopping until he was in the end zone 77 yards later to put the Bears out in front. Try as it could, Skaneateles could not answer it.

This was the first of three straight home games for the Bears, who welcome Syracuse’s Institute of Technology Central next Friday night after the Eagles lost its homer to defending sectional champion Homer 42-12.

As for Skaneateles, it is home on Thursday to face neighbor and rival Marcellus, who began its season by turning back Solvay 41-21. Game time at Hyatt Stadium is 7 p.m.