Even with some banged-up midfielders, and even in the face of a ferocious challenge from the north country, the Jamesville-DeWitt boys lacrosse team has every intention on hanging on to the Section III and state Class B crowns that it currently holds.
In what amounted to a possible preview of the June 4 Class B final at Coyne Field, the Red Rams went up against Carthage Monday night and, in a seesaw battle, had the final say as it beat the Comets 11-10.
It marked just the second time Carthage had been beaten this season (Canton was the other), and it came despite the fact that the Rams were far from healthy.
John Clark, Jake Bratek and Mac Keefus all were injured or ill, yet still logged significant minutes against a Carthage squad loaded with talent all over the field, especially on its potent front line.
Unfazed by this, J-D shook off a quick 2-1 deficit in the first quarter with some firepower of its own, scoring three times in a span of 40 seconds. By the early part of the second period, the Rams’ margin had grown to 5-2, the largest either team would hold all night.
Carthage answered with its own flurry — three goals in less than two minutes — to square it at 5-5, and so the tug-of-war commenced that would consume the rest of the night.
Rob Grimm’s goal two minutes before halftime put the Comets in front, 6-5, and It grew to 7-5 in the third quarter as, at one point, J-D went more than 17 minutes without scoring.
Still, the defense of Alex Michalenko, Joe Daddario and Jared Nies, plus the solid work of goalie Alex Jorgensen, made sure that the Comets didn’t get away. And once Jeff Vetter and Mike Edwards scored within a minute of each other to tie it, 7-7, the Rams could start breathing again.
In all, the game had six ties and five lead changes. J-D inched in front twice in the fourth quarter, 9-8 and 10-9, only to have Carthage answer both times, Ben Koster converting with 2:35 left to create yet another tie at 10-10.
J-D patiently worked the ball into the Comets’ end. With 1:15 to go in regulation, Vetter, from the right, fed it to the point, where Eric DeJohn ripped a shot past Carthage goalie Kyle Goebel.
This time, the Rams’ slim lead would hold, as the defense made one more stand and it ran off the final 15 seconds of the clock to prevail and move to 15-2 on the season.
In advance of Carthage, the Red Rams got a serious scare. It came during last Thursday’s match at New Hartford, where the Red Rams took control early, then had to sweat through the rest of a 9-6 victory over the Spartans.
New Hartford, with a 10-5 mark, had every intention of slowing down the tempo and making J-D play the way it wanted, and it did — for much of the game.
However, the Rams had the good sense to bolt out to a 5-2 lead in the first quarter before that slowdown. The combination of a solid defensive work and Alex Jorgensen’s 13 saves helped J-D keep that lead.
Eric DeJohn and Mike Edwards led a balanced J-D offense, as DeJohn scored three times and Edwards added two goals and two assists. Jake Bratek also found the net twice, as John Clark and Jeff Vetter each got one goal and one assist.
Right after Carthage, J-D also takes on Whitesboro Thursday, just before the Section III Class B playoff pairings are announced on Friday.
