A long time has passed since the Cazenovia football team dropped its first two games of the regular season.
And the frustration the Lakers felt at New Hartford on Sept. 6 multiplied itself in Saturday’s home opener at Buckley-Volo Field, where the Oneida Indians kept Cazenovia off the board and, with a fourth-quarter touchdown, pulled out a 6-0 decision.
Like so many others in the Class B East division, Oneida has endured more than its fair share of pain at the Lakers’ expense over the years, and celebrated its victory like it had claimed a league or sectional title.
At the very least, by improving to 2-0 and moving the Lakers to 0-2, Oneida helped to shape the early race in B East as the Indians stand tied with New Hartford and Vernon-Verona-Sherrill for first place.
Meanwhile, Cazenovia could only take small solace in the admirable way its defense performed throughout the afternoon, constantly thwarting Oneida’s chances while the game was still 0-0.
During the first half, the Lakers held the Indians to just two first downs. It also forced two turnovers, Chris Sparks intercepting a pass and Dylan Anderson recovering a fumble.
But it remained 0-0 as Cazenovia’s offense sputtered for long stretches. The Lakers only gained 82 yards on the ground, 66 of them by Ryan Romagnoli, yet nearly found itself gaining control late in the third quarter.
A good punt, penalties and a poor Indians punt into the wind left Cazenovia at Oneida’s 26 with a short field. The drive stretched into the fourth quarter, where at the Indians’ 16 the Lakers fumbled and Will Merrell returned it 53 yards deep into Cazenovia territory.
Now Oneida struck, moving the ball inside the 20, and then having Andrew Smith go 18 yards to near the goal line, from where Ty D’Arcangelis sneaked in for the scored.
Three more times, Cazenovia would have the ball, but never get past midfield and then watched as Oneida celebrated what could prove a breakthrough for a well-regarded program.
Defensively, Vito Borio led with three solo and seven assisted tackles. Connor Wilson added nine tackles, five of them solo, with Keegan Bailey getting three tackles and four assists.
Now the Lakers turn its attention to Saturday’s Homecoming game against its closest Class B East division neighbors, knowing it was something close to a must-win scenario.
Chittenango arrives at Buckley-Volo Field with a 1-1 record, having won its opener over Mexico Sept. 6, but then dropping a tense 6-3 decision to Vernon-Verona-Sherrill at Sheveron Field a week later.
Whoever won this game would have a place atop the B East standings, and it would largely hinge on the performances by the defenses on both sides.
It helped, no doubt, that heavy winds grounded both passing attacks, and VVS’s defense kept Chittenango one-dimensional and off the board after a first-quarter drive nearly reached the goal line.
The Bears drove inside the Red Devils’ five-yard line, but halted. Robert Connell hit a 21-yard field goal, but those would prove to be Chittenango’s lone points of the night.
Defensively, there was little wrong with Chittenango, who prevented any points from VVS’s offense. However, one special-teams lapse proved costly.
Punting into the stiff breeze in the second quarter, the Bears saw the Red Devils’ Bryce Palmer take that punt at the Chittenango 42 and sprint to the end zone for six points.
Even as the second half wore on, VVS controlled the ball thanks to Kyle Burback’s 126 yards on 24 carries. And its defense stifled Chittenango, forcing three turnovers, all interceptions (one each by Burback, Matt Hicks and Derek Tudman), and having Andrew Fox record 10 tackles.
