Area high school boys lacrosse teams will populate all four brackets of the Section III playoffs, each of them with genuine championship aspirations, though some paths are easier than others.
How they finished the regular season would matter a lot, especially Christian Brothers Academy, who had endured plenty of ups and downs in anticipation of its state Class D title defense.
But the state no. 9-ranked Brothers did offer a strong closing statement last Tuesday at Alibrandi Stadium, handling potential playoff foe Cazenovia 11-4 with one of its best all-around efforts of the season.
It began with a defense that nearly shut out the Lakers in the first half, allowing a single goal. That didn’t pay immediate dividends, but up 4-1 at halftime, CBA took charge in the third quarter, outscoring Cazenovia 5-1.
Depth was a theme, too, with the Brothers having nine different goal-scorers. Sam Bonacci scored three times as Patrick O’Brien, Mike Adornato, Wyatt Auyer and Colin Kelly each had one goal and one assist.
Joey Matheson, Ryan Mackenzie, Mike Catalano and Francis Canizzo also found the net. Goalie Will Fallon stopped nine of 13 shots he faced.
Drawing the no. 3 seed in the sectional Class D bracket, CBA hosts no. 6 seed Skaneateles, a team it beat 13-4 in April, in the quarterfinal round Tuesday night. The winner meets Marcellus or Bishop Ludden/Onondaga in Friday’s semifinals.
Fayetteville-Manlius geared up for the Class A sectional tournament and honored its seniors before last Tuesday’s game at Syracuse, where the Hornets romped past the Cougars 20-2.
A 14-1 dash through the second and third periods was F-M’s most productive spurt of the season, with 13 different players getting goals and 16 of them gaining at least one point, the attack anchored by Jack Shanley, who had a career-best six assists.
Chris Lubrino (four goals) and Nick Papa (three goals, two assists) benefited from Shanley’s passes as Tommy Farry and Nick Howe both scored twice. Carson Yancey had a goal and two assists.
Goals also went to Shanley, Zach Nestor, Mikey Porter, Sam Stratton, Nate Fischi, Nico Foster, Joe Puccia and K.C. Miller. Cal Isley got two assists as Sam DiChristina and Aidan Welling also had assists.
F-M’s no. 3 seed in Class A means it has to knock off no. 6 seed Rome Free Academy in order to get a semifinal against no. 2 seed and defending champion Baldwinsville next Thursday at Cicero-North Syracuse’s Bragman Stadium.
East Syracuse Minoa, ready to defend the Class B sectional title, had climbed to no. 10 in the state rankings and celebrated by routing Oswego 23-6 for its ninth straight win.
Even as it worked its way to a 10-5 halftime lead, the Spartans were not too pleased, so in the third quarter it buried the Buccaneers with a 9-1 outburst.
Adam Caramanna and Gavin Houghtaling each had three goals and two assists, with Lance Madonna and Jackson Plumb both getting three goals and one assist.
Derrek Madonna, Tim Crouse and Mike Kavanagh each scored twice, with Dan Boland earning a goal and two assists. Devon Spencer and Gannon Abreu had matching totals of one goal and one assist as Luke Rosaschi and Alex Recor also converted.
ESM is the top seed in the Class B sectional bracket of four teams. The semifinalsnext Friday at F-M pit the Spartans against Whitesboro and no. 2 seed Auburn against no. 3 seed Watertown.
Jamesville-DeWitt, still fuming about its loss to ESM a week earlier, handled Central 22-5 last Tuesday, the state Class C no. 7-ranked Red Rams scoring 20 goals in the first half alone.
Griffin Cook had five goals and four assists in that barrage, with Nick Kemis scoring four times. Matt Kemmis and Will Davis both had three goals as Johnny Keib had two goals and two assists. Goals also went to Pat Murad, Ryan Evans and Brendan Coyle.
Given the no. 2 seed in a six-team sectional Class C bracket, J-D will play no. 3 seed Westhill or no. 6 seed Cortland in the semifinals Friday at Liverpool High School Stadium, while top seed Homer gets Carthage or New Hartford.
