It only figured that, having shared the regular-season league title, the Cicero-North Syracuse Blue and Baldwinsville boys golf teams would tie again in Wednesday’s Section III Class AA tournament at Tuscarora Golf Club in Marcellus.
What neither may have counted on, though, was that West Genesee would beat them, the Wildcats claiming its sectional title in three years with a 390 to beat the Northstars and Bees, who both posted 399 as Fayetteville-Manlius (400) took fourth place.
Similar to when B’ville, in 2016, took full advantage of a sectional tournament played in its backyard at Radisson Greens, West Genesee spent ample time at Tuscarora before the rest of the teams arrived on Wednesday, and used that local knowledge to post five scores of 80 or lower.
Despite the second-place team finish, C-NS Blue still had five of its golfers post scores of 81 or lower that advanced them to May’s sectional state qualifier at Seven Oaks in Hamilton.
Andrew Brunozzi tied for fourth place with a six-over-par 77, just three strokes from the runner-up spot as F-M’s Kyle Gilroy, with a 69, beat WG’s Nick Bove by five strokes for the individual title.
Justin Pellegrino, with a 78, shared sixth place, while Ryan Sisco finished with an 80. Jake Nardozza and Carson Carrino both posted 81 to make the sectional cut on the number.
Just behind them, Brendan Villnave posted an 83 and tied for 13th place. Chase Hurley had a 90, with Nick Bough posting a 94.
C-NS Green sent six of its own golfers to the sectional tournament. Of them, Liam Mussi, shooting a 91, had the best individual total, one ahead of Pat Cuddy’s 92. Brody Kennedy got a 94, Brian Pellegrino had a 95 as Austin Alberici gained a 96.
Liverpool finished with a team score of 442, but still had Spencer Baum advance to the state qualifier, Baum posting a six-over-par 77 to match Brunozzi and tie for fourth.
Otherwise, Brandon Exner, with an 86, had the Warriors’ best total, with Lukas McIlroy posting a 91. Dylan Husted and Patrick Langlois each posted a 92, with Brodie Powers shooting 95 and Tyler Leatherwood earning a 106.
C-NS Blue and Baldwinsville essentially had a dress rehearsal for the sectional tournament by clashing head-to-head last Monday at Liverpool Country Club, and the Northstars won, 188-194, over the Bees, with both sides ahead of SCAC Empire division champion East Syracuse Minoa Blue, who shot 204.
Villnave shot a three-under-par 33, which B’ville’s Ben Donohue matched. But Brunozzi and Nardozza each posted 38 ahead of the Bees’ Matt Shipman (39) as Ian Rivers and Justin Seltzer led ESM Blue with matching 39s of their own.
Liverpool and C-NS Green both had matches last Monday – and both lost, the Warriors falling to Oswego 192-333 and the Northstars taking a 212-227 defeat to Auburn. In the latter match, the Maroons prevailed at Highland as Tim Walsh shot a 39 and Ross Burgmaster added a 40.
In the Warriors’ case, Baum shot a 40 at Oswego Country Club, but three Buccaneers – Chris Sugar, John Rice and Ben Stevens – each finished at 37, and five other Oswego golfers topped the 50s from Exner and Powers. McIlroy had a 54 in front of Jacob Fahey (55) and Dylan Husted (56).
