For the second week in a row, the Cazenovia football team turned a fourth-quarter deficit into a comfortable winning margin.
Just like the Sept. 3 opener in the Carrier Dome against Mexico, the Lakers’ 37-18 victory over Vernon-Verona-Sherrill Saturday afternoon felt in no way secure for much of the afternoon until the likes of Austin Enders and Cody Thorp made the plays that counted.
Enders, both on offense and defense, had turned the tide of Cazenovia’s initial escape at the Dome, where three touchdowns in a span of less than four minutes rescued a 28-18 decision from Mexico’s grasp.
Now, VVS, who had lost 46-13 in the Dome to Utica-Notre Dame in its season opener hours after the Lakers topped the Tigers, was the opposition, and carried with it the memory of falling twice to the Lakers a season ago – once in the regular season, and again in the sectional final.
Adding to the script, Enders had taken over at quarterback for Matt Regan, and found himself trailing 6-0 in the first quarter after a fumble was pounced on in the end zone by the Red Devils’ Sean Galla.
That deficit didn’t last long, for the Lakers took just five plays to go 70 yards, most of it on long passes from Enders to Matt McLaughlin that covered 47 and 15 yards. The final yard went to Enders on a quarterback sneak, and Nate Morgan’s extra point briefly pushed Cazenovia in front 7-6.
Seconds before the first quarter ended, Galla returned and, without the need for a fumble, ran 12 yards to the end zone. Again, the conversion was missed, but VVS had a 12-7 edge that it maintained for much of the next two quarters, each defense making a series of stops.
When Jake Macheda scored from two yards out with one minute left in the third quarter, the Lakers went back in front 14-12, but moments later Chris Cable broke loose on a 58-yard touchdown run on third-and-short.
Not only did the Lakers trail 18-15, it muffed the ensuing kickoff and Matt Evans recovered for the Blue Devils. Now VVS had a chance to pick up a two-score lead, but Thorp made the game’s most crucial play when he gained an interception at his own six early in the fourth quarter.
Steady work by Cazenovia’s offensive line led to big gains and, with six minutes to play, Enders went back to the air, finding Anders Hansen for an 18-yard scoring strike, giving the Lakers its third lead of the day – and this one would stick.
VVS went three-and-out, and the Lakers promptly blocked the ensuing punt to get it at the Red Devils’ 25. It moved down to the two, from where Enders scored his second TD of the game and Morgan added the PAT.
From full control, VVS had gone into desperation mode, and trying to force a big play, the Red Devils instead saw Clay Fox earn an interception with 2:14 left that translated into six more points when Joey Gates scored on a six-yard run.
So the Lakers are 2-0 heading into this Saturday’s home opener against Utica-Notre Dame, who followed its season-opening rout of VVS with a 30-7 loss to Central Valley, who is tied with Cazenovia and Oneida for first place in Class B East, each of them with 2-0 marks.
