Though the Skaneateles football team was quite happy with the 2-1 start it put together, what it didn’t like was the fact that each of those first three games had the issue in doubt until the final minutes.

Eager to change that pattern, the Lakers ventured to Solvay’s Earl Hadley Stadium Friday night and, much to the relief of its followers, had things well in hand by the fourth quarter of a 63-28 victory over the Bearcats.

More importantly, the victory lifted the Lakers into a tie for second place with Chittenango in the Class B West division, with a chance to ascend to the top spot if Skaneateles can go to Homer next Friday and upset the 4-0, defending Section III Class B champion Trojans.

At the every least, the Lakers make that trip to Homer quite confident in its ability to stretch opposing defenses with its potent pass attack, as it proved again at Solvay.

Devin Callahan threw for a career-best six touchdowns, all of them in the first three quarters, quieting the home crowd in “The Pit”, especially in a decisive stretch late in the second quarter.

Skaneateles and Solvay were tied, 14-14, An early 14-0 Laker advantage had melted away when Colin Lucio threw a 22-yard scoring pass to Mike Yaizzo and, minutes later, Alex Britton found the end zone from 20 yards out.

Callahan would put the Lakers back in front when, from the Bearcats’ 23-yard line, he found Aubrey Leverich, who rumbled to the end zone and gave the Lakers a 21-14 lead with 55 seconds left in the half.

Solvay promptly turned it over, and Skaneateles had the ball again. With just three seconds showing on the clock, Callahan, working from Solvay’s 12, connected with Marc Pietropaoli for the touchdown.

Taking a 28-14 lead to the third quarter, the Lakers didn’t let up. Callahan connected again with Leverich, who completed a 43-yard scoring play just 1:23 into the period.

Quickly, the Lakers got the ball back on its own 21. Callahan then threw deep – and found Pietropaoli, who went the rest of the way, 79 yards. Skaneateles had scored 28 points in a span of four minutes, 10 seconds, had a 42-14 edge, and would not get caught.

That was Pietropaoli’s third TD of the night, having put the Lakers on the board midway through the first quarter by catching a 16-yard scoring pass from Callahan before Leverich had a 25-yard TD reception in the waning seconds of the period.

Not taking any chances, Skaneateles added two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter, both on runs of four yards from Noah Cliff and Areh Boni.

And now the Lakers put that offense to the test against Homer, who come off a 23-0 shutout of the same Chittenango team that handed Skaneateles its lone defeat of the season on Sept. 4. The Trojans’ defense held the Bears to just 52 total yards.