Each spring, the Jamesville-DeWitt boys lacrosse team tries to test itself as much as possible against benchmark programs – and that includes an annual battle with West Genesee.
Those two powerhouses got together again last Saturday afternoon at Wildcat Stadium, the turf in Camillus now in working order after weather-related issues forced WG to play home games at different venues (including Fayetteville-Manlius) early in the season.
And it turned into another classic, the young Red Rams taking over in the game’s middle stages, only to have the Wildcats rally late and, with Tyler Shoults’ overtime goal, pull out a 12-11 victory.
In order to move to 8-0 on the season, WG, no. 5 in the state Class A rankings, had to come back from a three-goal deficit, and then had to absorb Ryan Durkin’s tying goal with 23.3 seconds left in regulation that tied it again, 11-11, and sent it to the extra period.
All game long, the Wildcats had controlled the face-off circle, and it did so again at the outset of OT, David Procopio winning the draw. After a shot went wide, Shoults took the ball behind the net and, going to the left side, flung a hard shot that eluded J-D goalie Joe Morgan and found the net.
This game had plenty of momentum swings. WG controlled the first quarter with aggression on both ends, and goals from Shoults, Conor Bartlett and Matt McDonald created a 3-0 margin.
J-D countered with a second-quarter surge led by its young attack trio of junior Grayson Burns, sophomore Ryan Archer and freshman Griffin Cook. It was Cook’s back-to-back goals, including one right at the second-quarter horn, which forged a 5-5 halftime tie.
Flush with momentum from that goal, the Rams kept it up early in the third quarter. In a 68-second span, Archer scored twice and Durkin converted, too, and suddenly J-D had an 8-5 advantage.
Now it was the Wildcats’ turn for a comeback, and it was Shoults, along with two proven seniors, Procopio and Ryan Cunningham, providing the firepower during a 4-0 run that helped WG take a 9-8 lead to the fourth quarter.
Three different times in that final period, the Wildcats led, only to get caught. With the game 10-10, Shoults hit on his third goal with 6:39 to play, and WG did everything it could to protect that slim one-goal advantage.
However, J-D forced a turnover with 1:26 left. Using both of its time-outs, it patiently worked the ball around until Durkin, off a feed from Cook, beat Ryan Mavretish to make it 11-11. Led by Shoults, though, the Wildcats had the final say.
Prior to that, J-D, who was no. 2 in the first state Class B rankings of the season (behind only defending state champion Yorktown), took the measure of its neighbors from East Syracuse Minoa last Tuesday night, a game that was decided in the middle stages thanks to a major offensive surge from the Red Rams that produced a 17-7 victory over the Spartans.
ESM was within a goal, 3-2, going into the second period, but that changed. J-D won a string of face-offs and turned them into and goals during an 8-1 run that covered the rest of the half.
A 5-1 third-quarter push sealed it, Archer leading the way with his five goals and three assists. Durkin scored three times, plus an assist, while Dieroff had two goals.
Cook and Ben Wipper combined for five assists as Burns and Charlie DiGristina each had one goal and one assist. Anthony DiGiovanni, Anthony Cacchione and Matt Murad also had single goals, with Morgan recording seven saves.
On ESM’s side, Nick Drogo made 11 saves while, in front of him, Kollin Diedrickson managed a three-goal hat trick. Joe Rosaschi added two goals as Nate Sturick and Tyler Ott also scored. Derrek Madonna added an assist.
Two days later, facing Oswego, the Red Rams ripped the Buccaneers 21-4, not allowing a goal in the second half, even after it picked up a large lead.
Durkin, with five assists, and Burns, with three assists, spread passes around, especially to Archer and Alex Dieroff, who had four goals apiece. Burns scored three times and Cook added two goals as DiGiovanni, Zach Duby, Austin Dieroff and Andrew Barkley had single goals.
