Though it had to surrender the Class C West regular-season crown to Syracuse’s Institute of Technology Central a week earlier, the Skaneateles football team still has plenty of momentum as it returns to the Section III Class C playoffs next weekend.

The Lakers used overwhelming force to overcome an early deficit at Jordan-Elbridge in Friday night’s regular-season finale, eventually earning a 45-14 victory over the Eagles to improve to 5-2 on the season and 5-1 in league play.

Clearly, the 24-21 defeat Skaneateles took to ITC on Oct. 11 at Hyatt Stadium left no ill effect as it scored 35 points in a span of 10 minutes during the first half to put the Eagles away.

J-E entered the night at 3-3 and still harbored faint playoff hopes. The Eagles proceeded to rile up the home crowd on Senior Night when Ryan Matousek broke loose on a 44-yard touchdown run less than four minutes into the game.

Late in the first quarter, Skaneateles still trailed 6-0. But once sophomore quarterback Devin Callahan (back under center after starting three times earlier this season) hit running back Matt Lee on a six-yard scoring pass and Colin Alexander’s extra point put the Lakers on top 7-6, the visitors began to take over.

J-E bobbled a punt on its next possession, and Skaneateles quickly turned it into seven points as Lee ran 19 yards for his second TD. Then, on the Lakers’ next possession, Mike Parsons, from midfield, took off on a 48-yard run to set up Lee’s one-yard plunge on the first play of the second quarter.

But that was just the appetizer, as Callahan found Connor Hill on a 28-yard pass to set up another Hill TD, from one yard out. When Callahan connected with Collin Jones on a 35-yard scoring pass minutes later, it was 35-6, less than a quarter after J-E was in front.

Still, the Lakers tacked on another TD in the last minute of the half, Callahan finding Mark Goetzmann on a five-yard pass. Even though J-E used a hook-and-lateral play, Austin Barrigar to Zach Pangaro lateraling to Kyle Humberstone, to cut it to 42-14 by halftime, the Lakers were set.

Alexander, who went six-for-six on extra-point tries, added a 39-yard field goal in the third quarter, and Laker fans got anxious when Callahan was slow getting up after tackling a J-E defender trying to return a fumble. He left the field and should be okay for the playoffs.

And it’s a tough playoff assignment. Drawing the no. 6 seed for Class C, the Lakers will meet no. 3 seed Watertown IHC (7-0) Friday night in the opening round. The winner will face Sherburne-Earlville or Thousand Islands in next weekend’s semifinal round.