Not in a long time had Skaneateles football fans been able to see its hometown team appear in a post-season game at Arthur Hyatt Stadium.
And the Lakers nearly turned that novel experience into a nightmare Friday night, requiring its best defensive effort of the season, plus a clutch kick from Tyler Saunders, to survive Watertown IHC 10-7 in the first round of the Section III Class C playoffs.
During a 7-0 regular season where it rose to the no. 3 spot in the state Class C rankings, Skaneateles had accumulated 390 points, its high-octane offense averaging more than 55 points per game.
This tended to overshadow the work of the Lakers’ defense. Except for allowing 31 points in the opener against General Brown and 28 to Jordan-Elbridge a month later, Skaneateles had done a solid job containing all opponents, even if it escaped the notice of all but the most devoted Laker followers.
On this night, though, that defense had to be good. IHC, who arrived with a 5-2 record, had held five opponents this season to a touchdown or less, so Troy Green and his offensive mates could not expect the same sort of gaudy numbers it had attained against earlier foes.
Sure enough, Green only went 11-for-20 for 108 yards, going without a touchdown pass after throwing for 10 the previous two weeks. He accounted for his team’s only TD on a 16-yard run in the first quarter.
IHC countered by driving to the Lakers’ 24-yard line, from where quarterback Matt Moran found Billy Koelmel, who tumbled into the end zone. The game was tied, 7-7, and there it would stay for a long while.
Typically, during the second and third periods of games this fall, Sknaeateles would tack on points and pull far away. But the Cavaliers used sound strategy and physical play to shut down the Lakers during those middle stages, culminating with Green getting knocked out late in the third quarter with what was later diagnosed as a concussion.
So it was up to the Lakers to offer the same stiff resistance. Led by Saunders, Ryan Sherman, Luke Drancsak, Jake Cooney and Conor Herr, Skaneateles kept forcing IHC into mistakes and did a good job containing the Cavaliers’ top rusher, Santonio Alteri, who had averaged more than 110 yards a game entering the night, but could not produce big plays here.
Deep into the fourth quarter, it remained 7-7, and the idea that the Lakers’ magical season could ride on overtime was quite real. But Skaneateles worked the ball to IHC’s 20-yard line with less than two minutes to play.
Now it was up to Saunders to avoid OT, or worse. From 32 yards out (an IHC penalty moved the ball five yards closer), Saunders lined up his kick, and with 1:32 left, the ball sailed through the uprights, putting Skaneateles in front.
One more defensive stop remained, and the Lakers got it to earn its eighth consecutive victory and a berth in next weekend’s Class C semifinal.
It won’t get any easier, though. Skaneateles (not knowing if Green will be available) will face Utica-Notre Dame this Saturday at 3 p.m. at Chittenango High School. Unlike the Lakers, UND was dominant in its opening-round game, going to Mount Markham and pasting the Mustangs 37-0.
The Jugglers feature tailback Colin Husler, who has more than 1,000 yards this season and has set a single-season school record with 27 touchdowns, two of them against Mount Markham.
Win here, and the Lakers go to the Carrier Dome on Nov. 5 at noon for the Class C title game against Herkimer or Tully. The Magicians eliminated Canastota 43-12 in the first round and the Black Knights ended the reign of two-time defending champion General Brown 24-6.
