Even an undefeated mark, a spot atop the OHSL Liberty division standings and home-course advantage could not help the Marcellus boys golf team get to the top during last Monday’s West Side Invitational.
With a team score of 185 at Marcellus Golf Club, the Mustangs finished second, just two shots behind Skaneateles, who won with 183. Cazenovia was third with 190 despite having the low individual nine-hole score by Cody Thorp, who posted a 39 in windy, cool conditions.
In that first-place duel, Frank Szczech led Marcellus with a 44, followed closely by Jay Colella, who had a 45. Carter Austin and Nick Sonnacchio both finished at 48 as Tim Sheridan got a 52.
Skaneateles won, though, because its top two individuals, Sam Clymer and Jacob Patalino, beat the Marcellus group, Clymer shooting a 41 and Patalino adding a 43. Then Luke Palmer posted a 48 and seventh-grader Ty Jones got a 51 to help the Lakers hang on.
Westhill finished fourth with 195, led by Sean Dadey, who shot a 45. David Bleskoski posted a 48, with Josh Marshall adding a 50 and Jake Mullen a 52. Solvay had a 201for fifth place and Jordan-Elbridge had a 220 to take sixth place.
For its part, Westhill used that team total at the West Side Invitational to beat Altmar-Parish-Williamstown 248-314, improving to 5-2 on the season before it took on Cazenovia Wednesday and lost, 218-227, to the Lakers.
Dadey had a 41 at Cazenovia Country Club, but it trailed Thorp’s 35, and though Bleskoski had a 44 and Mike Laszlo added a 45, Cazenovia stayed in front because Hayden Fasset, Trevor Nourse and Ryan Mistur all had 45s of their own ahead of Mullen’s 48 as Marshall and Jared Zion both shot 49.
Marcellus topped Solvay 215-244 in Thursday’s head-to-head match at Pine Grove to move to 7-0 on the season.
The Bearcats’ Jon Smolen shot a 40 to lead all individuals, but the Mustangs soon took over as Austin and Szczech both shot 41, with David Bosak adding a 43 and Colella getting a 44. Sheridan added a 46 as Solvay saw Colby Skrupa shoot a 45 ahead of Joe Sardo (50) and Conrad Skrupa (51).
Also on Thursday, J-E beat APW 283-314, seeing Max Bondgren shoot a 53 to beat out Robert Alcock and Nate Melfi, who both posted 54. Cole Melfi added a 59 and Brad Sullivan a 64, all of it overcoming the top individual 50 posted by the Rebels’ Kenny Bush.
Ludden, who shot 228 at the West Side Invitational, went on to beat Pulaski 257-289 a day later. Matt DeAngelis shot the low individual round of 45, while Dan Cacchione posted a 48. Nick Jones led the Blue Devils with a 51. Then the Gaelic Knights made it back-to-back wins by topping Cato-Meridian 261-273 on Thursday, though Cacchione’s 45 was behind the 44 posted by Cato’s Mike Grant.
