Hundreds of Oneida School District students have been kept home this week — and that flu bug has directly impacted the athletic realm, too.
So many students were home sick that, last Monday, all after-school activities, including team practices, were cancelled.
And even when activities resumed Tuesday, it wasn’t a full slate. Oneida couldn’t send its field hockey team to a non-league game at Cazenovia because it didn’t have enough healthy bodies. However, the Oneida cross country teams did compete in the Tri-Valley League meet at nearby Vernon Verona Sherrill.
The field hockey Indians would play on Thursday, losing to Tri-Valley League leader Camden 3-0 as Megan Keil led the Blue Devils with two goals and one assist. Taylor Youngkrans finished with 15 saves.
At the same time, Oneida’s girls soccer team resumed action — against another Tri-Valley leader, Whitesboro, and lost 3-1 to the Warriors.
For a half, the Indians stayed close, as Maria Rocco scored off a feed from Calley Lynch and the game was 1-1 at the break. Whitesboro wore Oneida down, though, overcoming Erin Simmons’ 18 saves as Jennifer Deuel led the Warriors with one goal and one assist.
One team would overcome all this, though, as Oneida’s boys soccer team knocked off Whitesboro 3-1 to clinch a Section III Class A playoff spot.
Even though some players had the flu and one had to leave at halftime, the Indians still roared out to a 2-0 lead as Jeb Stewart scored nine minutes into the game and Sam Adams converted five minutes later. Connor LoMonaco and Kevin Cavanagh earned assists.
Whitesboro controlled much of the rest of the game, but kept missing chances until Jordan Collver scored early in the second half. Oneida quickly countered, though, as Cavanagh took a cross from Chris Wurst and headed it home in the 57th minute, creating the final margin.
Amid all this, 19 Oneida football players have missed practice this week, leading to concerns that the Indians might have to pull up JV players for Friday night’s imposing first-round Class B playoff game against unbeaten Westhill.
