No longer is the Solvay football team scratching just to earn any victory.
In Todd Lisi’s first season as head coach, the 2016 edition of the Bearcats shook off years of cellar-dwelling status in Class B West, pushing to a 3-5 record, winning its last two games, including a 44-36 thriller over neighbor and rival Westhill.
“It (the win over Westhill) brought us up and made us more confident in ourselves,” said wide receiver Nate Gardner.
Now the trick for Solvay is to build upon that foundation, rise up the B West standings and, at the very least, return to the Section III playoffs, where it hasn’t been in more than a decade.
Lisi said the key to that long-awaited breakthrough involves having the stamina to hold up for four quarters every game. To that end, players frequented the weight room three days a week in the off-season, with many of them staying in shape through track and field in the winter and spring.
“Last year we weren’t strong enough to compete at a (playoff) level,” said Lisi, adding that the off-season work, especially in the weight room, centered on building up strength and endurance.
Having 12 seniors back and listing 60 players on hand for varsity and JV squads, helps in that effort. Having to replace a strong-armed quarterback (Jake Dippold) and a 1,000-yard rusher (Alex Britton) will make things a bit more difficult.
Traditionally, Solvay’s offense featured a powerful ground attack anchored by big, strong linemen. With Dippold gone, that might prove true again, especially with Lamar Flood in the backfield. Quick and durable, Flood could see lots of carries, even with help from fellow backs Noah Capella and Jamien Bliss.
Gardner returns as one of the top wideouts in the area, having led B West in 2016 with nine touchdown receptions. It’s up to sophomore Elijah Wright and tight end Austin Martin to step up and make sure Gardner isn’t double-teamed by opposing defenders.
At quarterback, the approach changes after Dippold took his strong left arm to Wofford College in South Carolina. Whether it’s John Bliss or Jordan Tryon taking the snaps, they’re likely to run first and pass second, more of an echo of past Bearcats ground games.
All of this is contingent on the performance of Solvay’s offensive line. Big tackles Noah McLean (270 pounds) and Brad Lando (265 pounds) protect either side, while 175-pound guard Joe Eppolito offers a nice contrast. Rich Leonardo (210 pounds), a Bishop Grimes transfer, steps in at guard next to center John Canestrare (210 pounds).
The problem for Solvay a season ago was that, even though it scored a lot of points, it gave up more. Thus, it lost to league foes Skaneateles, Marcellus, Homer and Institute of Technology Central despite putting up a combined 138 points in those four games.
By far, the most intriguing new face in the Solvay lineup is German exchange student Lars Segger. Not only will he see time on the Bearcats’ defensive line, Segger is a first-rate kicker, with Lisi saying he’s close to automatic on extra points and has a field-goal range beyond 40 yards.
Martin, at nose guard, and Eppolito, at tackle, flank Segger as part of a five-man Solvay front that includes Wright and Matt Reale at end. Michael Pellizzari, at 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds, returns at middle linebacker, with Trent McLaughlin and John Bliss working outside. Flood and Capella are at cornerback, with Tyriq Block returning at safety.
The first three games will say plenty. Solvay hosts defending sectional Class C champion Lowville on Friday at Al Merola Field, and then tries to take the Tom Anthony Silver Cup from Marcellus Sept. 8 before meeting Homer a week later.
Many of these same Solvay players were part of JV teams that lost just three times in the last two years. So they have experienced winning, said Lisi, and are quite willing to do the work necessary to win again.
“They like that (winning) feeling, and are buying into what we are selling,” said Lisi.
