Even as boys lacrosse teams from Marcellus and Jordan-Elbridge rested through most of last week and had games postponed, Westhill forged ahead with back-to-back weekend tests, each of which it passed.
By far, the tougher of the two games for the Warriors was last Friday night’s visit to East Syracuse Minoa, but even here Westhill asserted itself at the start of each half and breezed past the Spartans 14-5.
A 4-0 first quarter set the game’s tone. Westhill went from there to not getting a single goal in the second period, but halftime adjustments led to another long surge that, in the third period, saw the Warriors gain seven unanswered goals to settle matters.
Luke McAnaney led with four goals, while Nick French scored three times to earn the hat trick. Casey Rogers had two goals and two assists as Braeden Elmer also scored twice. Ryan Zimmerman gained four assists as Matt McAnaney had a goal and two assists. Kyle Rey, Jack Miller and Owen Matukas picked up single goals.
Without any time to rest, the Warriors returned home Saturday afternoon to face General Brown. To its credit, the Lions stayed right with Westhill during the first half and were tied, 5-5, at the break.
Unhappy at this, the Warriors blitzed GB in the third quarter with 11 unanswered goals, eventually prevailing 19-5 as Zimmerman, picking up three goals and four assists, led this barrage, feeding it to Rogers, Hunter Waddington and Luke McAnaney, who each finished with four goals.
Matukas got two assists as Chase Gedney, fully recovered from the knee injury that sidelined him midway through Westhill’s basketball season, joined Elmer, Miller and Matt McAnaney by earning his first goal of the spring. Tim O’Connor had eight saves on his way to a second-half shutout.
A big showdown on Tuesday pits Westhill against defending Section III Class B champion Jamesville-DeWitt, the perfect tune-up since the Warriors wouldn’t play again until its April 19 sectional final rematch with Cazenovia, a game it has long waited for.
