With so many new faces to break into the lineup and an opponent determined to show that it belonged among the Class B brethren, the Chittenango football team knew that its task in last Friday’s season opener at Skaneateles was a tall one.
What made things worse for the Bears, though, was its inability to hang on to the ball and finish off drives. Instead, it was the Lakers providing the production, as three defensive touchdowns helped them beat Chittenango 40-13 in last Friday’s season opener at Hyatt Stadium.
After three seasons of Class C competition that included a sectional title two years ago, Sknaeateles’ promotion to its old home in the B West division would start with Chittenango.
Since the Bears were breaking in lots of new starters and the Lakers far more polished on both sides of the ball, it didn’t take long for Skaneateles to assert control.
Linebacker Aubrey Leverich managed to force a fumble on Chittenango’s first possession. With the short field, the Lakers drove it to the Bears’ one, where Noah Cliff plunged in for the score.
But the Lakers, up 6-0, weren’t done forcing turnovers. With the Bears pinned deep in its own territory early in the second quarter, Skaneateles caused another fumble, this one in the end zone, and Zach Schneider fell on it for a defensive touchdown.
Then, after Connor Hill delivered a 51-yard TD run that made it 19-0, Chittenango tried to climb back in it, driving deep into Laker territory – only to see Tanner Cain pick off an errant Justin Gondeck pass and go 91 yards the other way for a back-breaking six points.
That play was made more important by the fact that the Bears’ Duncan Smith returned the ensuing kickoff 60 yards for Chittenango’s first TD. Thus, the Lakers, despite just two brief scoring drives, carried a 26-6 lead into the break.
Even with a comfortable margin, Skaneateles did not let up on the defensive side, getting a third TD on that side of the ball when Dan McLean returned yet another Gondeck interception 50 yards for the score in the third quarter.
Just to round it off, Gene Hackler added a 23-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter. Gondeck would throw a scoring pass of his own, 49 yards to Wyatt Myers, but it came far too late to save the Bears against the Lakers’ superb all-around effort.
And this was just the first of three straight road games for the Bears, who at least gets a chance to recover this Friday at Phoenix, a team that lost its opener to Phoenix 72-6.
