For much of the season, it appeared that the Baldwinsville boys golf team would roll to the Salt City Athletic Conference Metro division title and establish itself the favorite to repeat as Section III Class AA champions.
All of that changed, though, in last Tuesday’s match at Northern Pines, where Cicero-North Syracuse Blue put together the full team effort it needed to defeat the Bees 188-192 and claim its share of the regular-season league title.
A week earlier, B’ville had turned away Fayetteville-Manlius at Woodcrest, a big step toward securing that league crown. However, C-NS Blue followed up three days later with its own win over the Hornets that, combined with other wins during the week, improved them to 8-2 in the league, only behind the Bees’ 10-1 mark.
Also, the Northstars had come close to defeating B’ville Sept. 8 at Timber Banks, that 203-206 decision something which motivated C-NS Blue for the rematch, where it proved nearly as hot as the 90-degree temperatures both sides had to face.
In particular, Jake Nardozza stood out for C-NS Blue, shooting a season-best 34 for nine holes at Northern Pines to match Maxwell Dec’s 34. They remained even when Ben Donohue shot 37, matched by Brendan Villnave, and Matt Shipman had a 38, equaled by Andrew Brunozzi.
Where it turned in the Northstars’ favor was with the 39s shot by Justin Pellegrino and Mike Battaglia, a number that the Bees’ tandem of Ryan Fecco and Tanner Glavin could not quite match as they finished at 40.
In a brief interlude, B’ville had a non-league match at Timber Banks where it defeated the Fulton Red Raiders 188-212. Donohue tore his way to a 33, well clear of the 36 from Fecco and 37 from Jarrett Phinney. Vic Ianno got his turn and posted a season-best 40 as Dan Reiser earned a 42. Kameron Whipple (39) and Brian Trombley (40) had Fulton’s low rounds.
Now the league championship came down to Thursday afternoon, and both of the C-NS teams were involved. B’ville had to beat C-NS Green at Timber Banks and hope C-NS Blue lost to a solid West Genesee side to claim the outright crown.
Doing its part, the Bees handled C-NS Green 189-211, with Donohue and Fecco both shooting 34 and Shipman adding a 39. But C-NS Blue matched that win, edging West Genesee 191-200 as all five of its top players broke 40 to counter the top 35 from the Wildcats’ Nick Bove.
Both having gone 10-2 in league play, the tie would get broken by Wednesday’s Section III Class AA tournament at Tuscarora, though B’ville and C-NS Blue had to be aware of challenges from the likes of West Genesee and F-M, too.
