Four area boys basketball teams would enter the fray of the Section III Class B playoffs – and two would do so against each other, with an upstart attempting to unseat the reigning two-time state champions.

Such was the storyline last Friday night when no. 2 seed Westhill hosted no. 15 seed Marcellus, but the Mustangs’ dreams of an enormous upset quickly fizzled as the Warriors returned a key face to the lineup and prevailed by a 68-42 margin.

Though Chase Gedney and Sean Dadey were still out, Kameren Jackson was back for the Warriors, and though he didn’t start, he quickly entered the game, scored four points late in the first quarter and anchored a defense that held Marcellus to a single field goal in that opening period. Jackson finished with eight points and eight rebounds.

This allowed the Warriors to race out to a 14-2 lead, and by halftime the margin had grown to 29-13 as Owen Matukas led the way, eventually picking up a game high 18 points to go with six assists, six steals and three rebounds.

Ryan Roland, who had 40 points when Westhill beat 69-54 just 11 days earlier, got held to nine points, but still added five rebounds and three assists. John Geer had 12 points and David Straughter eight points as Westhill’s lead grew as large as 31 in the fourth quarter. For Marcellus, Jerrod Gates, wih 11 points, and Mike Melnyczuk, with 10 points, led the way, with Nick Femano adding seven points and Ben Fedorenko six points.

What made the game more mysterious was that, two nights earlier, Westhill had lost, 70-57, to Syracuse Academy of Science. Angry that it had to forfeit four games for unintentionally using an ineligible player and see its playoff seed drop from no. 4 to no. 7, SAS gave an inspired effort against the still short-handed Warriors, the game going back and forth until the fourth quarter, when the Atoms outscored Westhill 27-15.

Roland got 20 points, nine rebounds and four assists, but no other Warrior player scored in double figures as Jordan Marcano, with eight points, led the rest of the pack. On the SAS side, Nessiah Smith had 23 points, while Jessie Murray got 15 points and Noreon Williams earned 14 points.

Ironically, by beating Marcellus, Westhill earned a rematch with SAS on Tuesday in the Class B quarterfinals, and Solvay could be waiting in Saturday’s semifinal at Onondaga Community College if the no. 6 seed Bearcats beat no. 3 seed Institute of Technology Central.

In its opening-round game Saturday, Solvay shut down no. 11 seed Lowville 52-33, not affected by the 24-hour weather postponement as the defense took over in the second half.

Only leading 21-18 at halftime, the Bearcats used a 16-4 third-quarter run to take full control. Though the offense didn’t dazzle, Mike Yaizzo hit a trio of 3-pointers and got 17 points overall, while Sammy Kippen added 14 points.

And Jordan-Elbridge had the no. 8 seed, knowing that if it beat no. 9 seed Canastota in the opening round, a quarterfinal with top seed Bishop Grimes loomed. The Eagles almost got there, but the Raiders would make the final push and prevail by a 70-67 margin.

Neither side could break way during the first half, but a J-E surge helped the hosts lead, 36-32, at the break. When the Raiders caught up again in the third quarter, Brandon Fell ended that period with a 3-pointer, and the Eagles were back in front, 51-50.

That didn’t last long, either. Canastota had a 64-61 edge when, with barely a minute to play, Lamatt Chisholm got two free throws. He made the first and missed the second – but Brandon Mazvicz converted the layup, tying it at 64-64.

Even when the Raiders converted a three-point play, Wick answered with a 3-pointer that again knotted it, 67-67, but only until Canastota’s Jake Burdy drew a foul with 14 seconds left. Amid big pressure, Burdy hit both free throws and helped Canastota make the big stop it needed at the end to hang on.

Macvicz, with 24 points, led both sides, while Wick’s 15 points included three 3-pointers. Chisholm had 12 points and Dale Wagner got over foul trouble to earn seven points. Purdy (20 points, six rebounds), Eddy Brooks (18 points) and Edquen Brooks (13 points, 10 rebounds) led Canastota’s effort.

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