Many different aspects of the Cazenovia football team’s 28-27 defeat to Utica-Notre Dame Saturday afternoon at Buckley-Volo Field were difficult to grasp.
The Lakers rarely lose at home – in fact, it had not done in 52 straight games. Even more rare was seeing them lose a game where it led by double digits in the fourth quarter.
Yet it all took place, partially because Cazenovia made uncharacteristic errors that allowed the Jugglers to stay within range, and partially because, in the second half, it was undone by two special-teams breakdowns that led to blocked punts.
It all came to a head with 4:55 to play. The Lakers still had a 27-21 lead, and had to punt. Matt Regan was roughed, causing a penalty, but Cazenovia was flagged for a chop block, forcing another kick.
A bad snap forced Regan to run to his right to get the loose football. After picking it up, Regan tried to punt – but it got blocked by UND’s Isaac Czarnecki, and the ball rolled into the end zone, where A.J. Papa fell on it for the touchdown.
Tom Roefaro followed with the extra point, and the Jugglers, who once trailed by 13 early in the fourth quarter, had a one-point lead. Cazenovia got two more possessions, but punted on the first of them and, in its last chance, was stopped when Regan was sacked, fumbled and Sean Webster recovered with 9.3 seconds left.
The ending reflected what had gone on throughout the afternoon. Every time Cazenovia had notions of putting the game away, UND would fight back, aided by the state Class B no. 3-ranked Lakers’ own mistakes.
Late in the first quarter, Regan’s 33-yard scoring pass to Will Huftalen put the Lakers in front. With Cazenovia’s defense effectively containing the Jugglers’ running attack, the margin doubled to 14-0 when Regan, from the UND 39, threw a screen pass to Matt McLaughlin, who weaved around defenders, picked up blocks from Austin Enders and Ben Nichols and found the end zone.
Up 14-0, here was the Lakers began to drift from its usual form. Twice in the last 90 seconds of the half, Regan threw interceptions, the latter of them picked off by UND’s Sam Bianco, who then caught a 30-yard TD pass from Jalen Warmack with less than one second to play.
Initially, the Lakers responded well to this jolt, taking the second-half kickoff and marching right down the field, mostly on the legs of Anthony Veccharelli, whose 27-yard run got the drive going and who then sprinted 20 yards to the goal line to make it 21-7.
Late in the third quarter, though, a hint of the drama ahead was offered when the Jugglers blocked a Regan punt and, one play later, cut the deficit in half with Warmack throwing deep to Bianco, the TD covering 39 yards.
Right away, Cazenovia answered with a 72-yard drive, mixing runs and passes before Veccharelli scored from three yards out early in the fourth quarter – but the extra point was missed.
UND, on the ensuing drive, used Warmack’s 33-yard pass to Zach Brush to set up a short three-yard scoring pass from Warmack to Devin Smith with 6:48 left. Two minutes later, another blocked punt sent the Jugglers in front, and ultimately to a landmark win against the reigning state Class B champions.
This was the start of three consecutive home games for Cazenovia, who will play under temporary lights at Buckley-Volo Field next Friday at 7 p.m. against 0-3 Camden. A game with South Jefferson follows on Sept. 30 before crucial back-to-back trips to Central Valley Academy and Oneida close out the regular season.
With the Lakers’ defeat, CVA, who beat Oneida last Friday, is alone in first place in Class B East at 3-0, with Cazenovia tied for second alongside Oneida and UND.
