Top boys golfers from Cicero-North Syracuse and Liverpool would make their way to Radisson Greens on Wednesday to take part in the Section III Class AA championship tournament, hoping for berths in the state qualifier nearly eight months from now.
And C-NS Blue did so with a genuine belief that it could claim the team title, especially after it knocked off Fayetteville-Manlius 192-197 last Wednesday afternoon at Northern Pines, denying the Hornets the outright CNY Counties League regular-season title.
F-M entered the match with a 10-1 record, having just knocked off Baldwinsville 197-200 two days earlier to displace the Bees from the top of the standings. What’s more, the Hornets had routed C-NS Blue 184-205 when they had first met Sept. 6 at Woodcrest.
Back on its home ground, though, the Northstars turned things around by posting five rounds under 40, as opposed to F-M’s two.
Chris Ranalli, with a nine-hole score of 37, tied the Hornets’ John Cacchio for top individual honors. Then Nick Ernstine shot a 38 to equal F-M’s Jason Coleman before the Northstars won it with a trio of 39s earned by Logen Field, Justin Pellegrino and Andrew Brunozzi, all of them ahead of the Hornets’ Colin Sommers (40), Adam Butch and Nick Perry (41 each).
C-NS Blue eased into the last week of the regular season by venturing to Drumlins last Monday and defeating the combined Syracuse City team 199-233.
Windy conditions guaranteed that the scores would rise a bit, but four Northstars –Brunozzi, Pellegrino, Field and Nick Bough – each shot 39, with Azzat Almasri adding a 43. Josh Williams paced Syracuse with a 41.
While C-NS Blue was knocking off F-M, C-NS’s Green team made its way to Camillus, where it posted a fine team score against West Genesee, but got beat by a better one in a 179-190 defeat to the Wildcats.
Brian Pellegrino shot a season-best 36, yet that still trailed WG’s Dylan Plis (34) and Nick Bove (35) and matched another Wildcats star, Joe Morgan. Then Jimmy Lavalle, Dan Benetti and Mike DiPaola each shot 37 to put things out of reach.
Still, the Northstars had plenty of fine rounds of its own. Aside from Pellegrino, Chase Hurley and Carson Carino each posted rounds of 37, while Jake Nardozza finished with a 39. Mike Battaglia shot a 41, beating out Ryan Sisco (44) by three shots as Pat Cuddy had a 45 and Ben Haven added a 47.
And C-NS Green closed the regular season strong by beating Syracuse 186-214 Friday at Northern Pines. Haven stepped up, matching Nardozza’s low round of 36, while Battaglia recorded a 37. Hurley got a 38 as Sisco and Carino also played well, posting matching rounds of 39.
A tough final week for the Warriors began last Monday against West Genesee at Liverpool Country Club, where the Wildcats pulled away and prevailed 197-223, posting the four lowest individual rounds of the day.
Spencer Baum and Elijah Marris each shot 42 for Liverpool, but WG’s Dom Pensabene matched that total, and he was the fifth-best player on his side. Plis led the Wildcats with a 36 ahead of Morgan (38), Benetti (40) and Jack Corcoran (41) as Kenneth Krafft, with a 43, was one behind Baum and Marris. Tyler Dorval and Zach Curcie both shot 48.
Two days later, Liverpool did defeat the combined Syracuse City team 192-206, with Spencer Baum shooting a 35 at Drumlins to edge Krafft (36) by one shot at the top of the standings. Syracuse’s Jon Kinane had a 38, but Curcie and Brandon Exner both got 39 to preserve the margin and Tyler Leatherwood added a 43.
Liverpool had to host Baldwinsville on Friday four days after the Bees’ narrow defeat to Fayetteville-Manlius in a first-place CNY Counties League showdown at Woodcrest Golf Club. Due to C-NS Blue’s win over F-M, the Bees could grab a share of the CNYCL regular-season title if it beat the Warriors.
B’ville did just that, defeating Liverpool 196-214. Though Baum shot a 39, the Bees’ Max well Dec topped it with a 39 and Ryan Fecco matched it. Then Tim Garraffo, Dan Reiser and Matt Shipman all posted 40, bettering Exner’s total of 42. Krafft and Curcie both shot 43 and Dante Quilty had a 47.
