Right at the end, the field – or more specifically, Cazenovia – nearly caught up to the Westhill boys golf team.
But it was still the Warriors laying claim to its second consecutive Section III Class B championship on Monday at Kanon Valley Country Club in Oneida, beating the Lakers by a slim two-shot margin.
The same full team effort required to run through the OHSL Liberty division was required here, too, as Westhill, with 418, fended off Cazenovia, who finished at 420.
Mike Wild led the Warriors with an 81, alone in third place, one shot behind Cazenovia’s top player, Matt Schaffner, though both of them were well off the swift pace set by Canastota’s Ian Campbell, who won the individual title a 74.
Nate Miesner, with an 82, tied another Cazenovia golfer, Trevor Gatzke, for fourth place. Then Gus Gosson and Chad Pichoskie pushed Westhill in front with rounds of 83 that led to a share of seventh place.
With Trevor Nourse (84) and Brian Demo (86) producing solid rounds for Cazenovia, the Warriors needed its fifth player, Jon Fowler, to finish ahead of the Lakers – and he did, managing an 89 to clinch the victory. Andy Vadnais finished with a 91.
Marcellus finished fifth in the 10-team field with 462, led by Brennan Files, who shot an 83, and Jackson Mordaunt, who got an 86. Both of them joined Wild, Miesner, Gosson and Pichoskie in advancing to the state qualifier later this week at Colgate University’s Seven Oaks course in Hamilton.
In the sectional Class C tournament at Barker Brook in Oriskany, Bishop Ludden shot a 444, which beat the field – except for OHSL Patriot division rival Manlius-Pebble Hill, who prevailed with 438.
Four Gaelic Knights players advanced to the state qualifier. Kevin Sierotnik had an 84, tying for 11th place, while Will Wallace, Tim Murphy and Tyler Harvey each shot 85 to share 13th place.
During Tuesday’s Section III girls golf tournament, also held at Kanon Valley, West Genesee shot a team total of 398, putting them in fourth place among seven teams. Fayetteville-Manlius (336) beat Auburn (361) for the top spot.
Brianna Corcoran led the Wildcats’ efforts, averaging a bogey per hole on the way to a 91, while Bridget Hohl finished with a 97. Danielle Schmidt finished at 104, with Rachel Kavney finishing at 106 and Ashley Davis (134) further back.
Westhill’s Shannon Bunce had a 90, which tied her for 13th place, one shot better than Corcoran. For Marcellus, Avery Mordaunt shot 113, with Mary Colella posting 123.
Auburn’s Larissa Carter, a day after a surgery on her left arm, still won the individual championship, with a 75, by one shot over Carter’s seventh-grade teammate, Lindsay May.
