Once more, a gulf separates the Cazenovia football team from most of the Class B East division crowd, displayed Friday night when the Lakers, after a short week of work, went to New Hartford and breezed to a 39-19 victory over the Spartans.
And the same thing exists in Class B West, as Chittenango found out when it traveled to Homer that same Friday night and didn’t get on the board until the fourth quarter of a 35-14 loss to the Trojans.
Still at no. 7 in the state Class B rankings, Cazenovia didn’t get a full week to rest after its Sept. 23 romp over Oneida. Instead, the Lakers found itself against a new league foe – New Hartford, who moved down from Class A this fall but had started the season 1-3.
Determined to settle matters early, Cazenovia seized a 19-0 lead by the end of the first quarter, with all phases of the game in top form.
Matt McLaughlin got it going with a 16-yard touchdown run. Then, on the Lakers’ next possession, Matt Regan, from his own 23, picked up blocks and took an option run 77 yards to the end zone. That accounted for most of Regan’s team-high 108 yards on the ground.
Cazenovia’s defense then put points on the board when Tony Heaney got in front of a New Hartford pass at the Spartans’ 40 and sprinted to the end zone, followed by Ian Fostvelt’s extra point.
Twice more in the second quarter, the Lakers burned New Hartford for touchdowns, Regan throwing a 33-yard scoring pass to Drew Johnson and then Heaney finishing off another drive with a one-yard scoring plunge.
Having gained a 33-0 lead by halftime, Cazenovia eased up a bit in the last two periods, allowing New Hartford to score three times, though James Pavelchak did add a 12-yard TD run.
On the defensive side, it was a complete effort, with five different Lakers – Fostvelt, Christian Winkler, Evan Duskee, Dan Hammond and Kevin Stalder – leading the way with four tackles apiece.
Meanwhile, Chittenango, coming off its first loss of the season to Canastota, was still tied for first with Homer in B West with a 3-0 league mark, but would find it difficult to keep up with the state no. 4-ranked Trojans.
Twice in the first quarter, Homer moved down the field against the Bears’ defense. Tucker O’Donnell’s one-yard TD plunge was followed by Krillin Drake breaking loose on a 44-yard dash to the end zone.
Through the game’s middle stages, Chittenango was able to prevent a sustained scoring drive, but were done in by a pair of big plays.
Dante Yacavone stepped in front of a Bears pass and returned it 44 yards for six points. Then, with the score 21-0 in the third quarter, John Horner scored on a 74-yard run, on his way to a game-high 151 yards on 12 carries.
Not until the final period, with the score 35-0 thanks to O’Donnell’s 23-yard TD pass to Dominick Natale, did the Bears break through, scoring on Griffen Smith’s 85-yard run. Connor Caparin added another score when he returned a Trojans fumble 36 yards to the end zone.
Even with the loss, Chittenango could take a large step toward hosting a sectional playoff game if it beats Marcellus, winners of four in a row, next Friday. Right after that, Cazenovia hosts Central Valley Academy on Saturday afternoon.
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