The intention was for Jamesville-DeWitt and Fayetteville-Manlius to have a day-long sports festival Saturday, featuring varsity contests in lacrosse, baseball and softball.
But the incessant late-week rains wiped out the diamond contests, leaving only the lacrosse twin bill to take place on the F-M turf Saturday night – which resulted in a split.
Going first, the girls Hornets and Red Rams arrived at the end of a busy, crowded week where each team had played twice – F-M falling to West Genesee and topping Baldwinsville, J-D coming up with back-to-back wins over East Syracuse Minoa and Syracuse.
Here, it would go in F-M’s direction as it beat the Red Rams 16-9, and much of that damage was done in the first half. From a 1-1 tie, the Hornets took the lead for good with three unanswered tallies before J-D resumed the exchange later in the half.
However, with the score 7-4, F-M broke out again, Gemma Adonizio’s goal sparking another spurt that doubled the Hornets’ margin to 10-4 by halftime. From there, the lead grew as much as nine, 16-7, during the second half.
Addonizio led F-M throughout the game, scoring five times and adding an assist, but otherwise the attack was well-balanced. Amanda Cramer, Kaylee Steigerwald, Maddie Noel and Kiera Shanley had two goals apiece, with Jane Cote contributing three assists.
Katie Shanley got a goal and two assists. Allison Macrae also had two assists as Annie Steigerwald and Sydney DeGirolamo earned single goals. Combined, F-M’s pair of goalies, Maria Angello and Elizabeth Brady, had 11 saves.
J-D saw Katie Lutz pick up nearly half her team’s goals – four in all. Riley Burns scored twice, with Lizzie O’Brien, Lindsay MacLachlan and Riley LaTray earning one goal apiece. Bess Murad and Ana Dieroff each picked up assists.
Then it was the boys turn, and though F-M had recorded big wins over West Genesee and Baldwinsville earlier in the week, J-D, no. 2 in the state Class C rankings, cared for none of this and, thanks to a strong second-half performance, proceeded to beat the Hornets 14-8.
At first, it looked like F-M could keep up with the potent Red Rams attack, emerging from a busy exchange of goals to grab a 6-3 lead by the second quarter. It turned, though, when J-D buzzed the Hornets for four unanswered goals to inch in front, 7-6, at the break.
Now the Rams’ defense began to assert itself. Throughout the second half, F-M found itself stymied as J-D gave up just two tallies the rest of the way, with many big stops from goalie Bennett Chirco, who finished with six saves.
Frustrated, the Hornets started committing penalties, and the Rams, with goals from Joe Kiesa, Jacob Rivasi and Jack Mulvihill, extended its lead to 11-6, a margin F-M could not overcome.
As usual, Ryan Archer and Griffin Cook anchored J-D’s attack, each of them producing four goals and two assists. Kiesa also got two assists as he and Mulvhill both scored twice, with Casey Platenik also finding the net.
In defeat, F-M saw Donovan Welsh, Nick Papa and James Rettinger get two goals apiece. Mac Fish added one goal and one assist as Luke Burnam got the other goal. Ryan Cicci picked up an assist and Ryan Boshart finished with eight saves.
