A 9-1 start proves that the Cazenovia boys basketball is at the very least, a good side that can cause some danger for Class B favorites like unbeaten, state no. 2-ranked Westhill, whom the Lakers face for the only time in the regular season next Tuesday night at Buckley Gym.
To its good fortune, the Lakers have avoided, more the most part, all of the schedule changes caused by winter weather that includes snowstorms and cold temperatures.
For example, while most teams were set to play last Tuesday before subzero conditions closed all of the area’s schools, the Lakers were in action a night earlier, at Jordan-Elbridge, where Andrew Vogl led the way in a 74-63 victory over the Eagles.
Though at 2-5, J-E had a potent attack that Cazenovia had to deal with, and it did so by playing at a fast pace throughout the first quarter and easing its way to a 22-16 lead.
Not backing off, the Lakers expanded that margin to 40-29 by halftime. Then it spent the rest of the game protecting the lead against all sorts of Eagles charges as Kyle Matousek, with 20 points, and Zach Wagner, with 17 points, led the resistance.
Vogl made sure the Lakers were successful, leading both sides as he scored a season-best 24 points, most of it from 11 field-goal conversions, and he had plenty of help as two other Cazenovia players reached double figures and three others nearly did.
Ryman Seeley and Kevin Hopsicker both finished with 10 points, while Ross Gerber chimed in with nine points. Keaton Ackermann and Ryan Henderson finished with eight points apiece.
All of this came on top of the news that Hopsicker was selected as a first-team All-State quarterback for his work during football season. Vogl, at running back, was a third-team All-State choice (despite missing a month due to a hamstring injury), as was lineman Cody Westfall and linebacker Mike Nourse.
Weather improved enough for activity to resume long before the Lakers ventured to Hannibal on Thursday night. And unlike with J-E, Cazenovia’s defense came along, turning into the dominant factor as it breezed past the Warriors 49-27.
Hannibal managed just two points in the first quarter, shut down by its own cold shooting and by the Lakers’ continual pressure. The Warriors never reached double digits on the scoreboard until the third quarter, by which point Cazenovia was in command.
Just to be sure, the Lakers closed with a 15-6 spurt, led by Hopsicker, whose 18 points included a trio of 3-pointers, and Vogl, who chimed in with 16 points. Together, they produced 15 of Cazenovia’s 21 field goals as no Hannibal player reached double figures.
Aside from the Westhill showdown, Cazenovia will also go to Onondaga Community College’s Allyn Hall Jan. 19 for a doubleheader against Bishop Grimes as part of the day-long Pathfinder Bank Zebra Classic. The girls game tips off at 3:30 and the boys game starts at 5 p.m.
