Led again by its seventh-grade sensation, Anthony Maglisco, the Westhill boys golf team remained atop the Onondaga High School League Freedom National division standings heading into the final week of the fall schedule.
The Warriors hosted Phoenix last Monday at Camillus Country Club and routed the Firebirds 201-277 to stay ahead of Homer and Cortland atop the league standings.
Nearing a par round, Maglisco shot a 37 to again pace all individuals, ahead of the 39 posted by Sean Dadey. Tim Alcaro and David Bleskoski matched Phoenix’s top individual, Spencer Evans, each shooting 41 as Josh Marshall’s 43 beat the other Firebirds golfers.
Then the Warriors took on Mexico 24 hours later at Emerald Crest in Palmero, and won again, topping the Tigers 197-224. Maglisco shot a 35 to beat teammate John Geer (37) for individual honors as Alcaro added a 40 and Bleskoski a 41, the same as Mexico’s top finisher, Ron Marsden. Nick Sauro had a 43 and Dadey added a 49.
Even after the Skaneateles match, another challenge awaited Thursday as Homer visited CCC with first place in the league on the line. This spicy mix of young and experienced Warriors handled the pressure, though, and beat the Trojans 213-227.
For the second match in a row, Maglisco shot 35, and no one else was close to that mark. Dadey did get a 40, which beat Homer’s top performer, Brent McNeil, by two shots as Alcaro contributed a 44.
West Genesee, meanwhile, attempted to avenge its narrow 198-220 defeat to CNY Counties League front-runner Baldwinsville last Tuesday at Westvale, nearly doing so – only to fall by four shots to the Bees in a 185-189 decision.
Dylan Plis shot a 35, but so did B’ville’s Ryan Fecco. Then the Wildcats’ Nick Bove had a 36 to put his team in front, but the Bees’ duo of Maxwell Dec and Matt Shipman answered with 38s to match another WG golfer, Joe Morgan.
The difference in the outcome came from B’ville placing five golfers under 40, with Ben Donahue and Zach Ravas each shooting 39, something only one other Wildcats golfer, Jack Corcoran, could pull off as Mike DiPaola finished with a 41.
Another tough match loomed on Thursday at Northern Pines against Cicero-North Syracuse’s Blue side, who was 6-3, just ahead of the Wildcats (5-3) in the standings. It did prove close, but the Wildcats pulled it out, edging the Northstars 190-192 to complete a season sweep.
Having won the first meeting 188-194 at Westvale on Aug. 30, WG got another great round from Plis, whose 33 beat C-NS Blue’s top individual, Andrew Brunozzi, by four shots – twice the eventual winning margin.
Then Morgan shot a 38 to match C-NS Blue’s Nick Ernstine, while Jimmy LaValle’s 39 got equaled by three Northstars – Brendan Villnave, Chris Ranalli and Justin Pellegrini. Thus, Bove and DiPaola both had to shoot 41 in order for the Wildcats to prevail, and they both got it with a shot to spare, finishing with 40 apiece.
In this last week of the regular season, WG would get three matches, taking on Liverpool and C-NS Green before the big Friday finale against Fayetteville-Manlius at Woodcrest Golf Club as the Wildcats looked to avenge a 183-187 defeat to the Hornets earlier this month.
