For Jamesville-DeWitt’s basketball teams, the situation, headed into the Section III Class A playoffs, has undergone a total reversal.
Once a frustrated bridesmaid, the girls Red Rams are now the heavy favorite to repeat in the section and take a real shot at reaching the state final four in Troy, starting out as the top seed in the sectional tournament.
And the J-D boys, for so long the dominant powerhouse as it racked up eight sectional crowns and five state championships in the last 11 years, is positioned as a hungry challenger to sides like Bishop Ludden and Cortland carrying far higher expectations.
J-D’s girls, fresh off a satisfying 51-44 win at CBA on Feb. 9, closed out its regular season with a much easier assignment against visiting Fowler, who had not yet earned a victory this winter.
The Rams cruised past the Falcons 57-27, working its way to a 35-16 halftime edge and adding to the margin even as everyone on the roster got significant playing time.
Ten of the 11 J-D players that saw action earned at least one field goal. Cydney Goodrum, who had burned CBA for 26 points in her previous outing, got 14 points this time, 10 of them from free throws, while Kayleigh Cavanaugh, also playing her last regular-season home game, managed 13 points. Alyssa Robens added eight points and Nyree Mitchell contributed seven points.
Given the top seed in Class A for the sectional tournament, J-D awatots New Hartford or Fulton in next Tuesday’s Class A quarterfinal, the winner to get Oneida or Indian River in the semifinal round. The title game is Feb. 27 in the Carrier Dome.
Meanwhile, East Syracuse-Minoa (10-8) enters the Class A playoffs as the no. 6 seed, headed for Tuesday’s quarterfinal at no. 3 seed Carthage, this after drubbing Homer 53-24 to clinch a winning record for 2012-13.
The Spartans blanked the Trojans in the first quarter, which allowed it to work through its own offensive issues as the margin kept growing the rest of the way.
Gabby Eure, who has scored more than 300 points this season, earned 20 on this night, nearly as much as the entire Homer roster. Danielle Ventrone added 10 points as each of the 10 ESM players that saw action got at least one point.
