So the Cazenovia football team begins a season looking to banish the memory of a Section III Class B championship game defeat to Homer in the Carrier Dome.
The last time this happened, in 2015, the end result was the Lakers’ first-ever state championship.
Past accomplishments guarantee nothing, but head coach Jay Steinhorst, entering what he says is his last season on the Cazenovia sidelines, can draw upon that example of turning hunger into ultimate accomplishment.
Steinhorst, along with assistant coaches Mark Evans and Kyle Martin, have more than 30 players on the varsity roster, a solid number that creates depth and plenty of chances for players to contribute.
“We need to maximize the talent we have and fine roles for these kids to contribute,” said Steinhorst.
On an offense that can play at a fast or slow tempo, depending on the game situation, how senior quarterback Drew Johnson fares is crucial, especially since he’s replacing two-year starter Matt Regan.
Johnson will have more passing options than normal. Cazenovia wants to utilize its tight ends more, especially with Chad Carges lining up at that spot, blocking and catching passes to complement receivers like James Pavelchak, Tony Heaney and Ian Fostveit.
When the Lakers run the ball, Pavelchak, one of the team captains, could play a featured role along with junior Ryan Romagnoli, and they’ll run behind an offensive line with plenty of experience on hand.
Captain Dan Hammond returns at center, as does guard Nolan Frisbey and tackle Evan Duskee. Between that trio, along with Shawn Szlamczynski, John Frega and Gordon Wester, the Lakers have a chance to control the line of scrimmage most of the time.
Bigger concerns await on the defensive side, where seven starters graduated. Steinhorst said his greatest challenge is replacing the top cornerback duo of Matt McLaughlin and Patrick Nourse.
It will take the entire secondary to make up for those losses, whether it’s Johnson and Fostveit working at safety or the likes of Pavelchak, Romagniol, Heaney and Isaac Seveli rotating at cornerback.
The Lakers have less questions at linebacker, with Hammond anchored in the middle and Frega flanking him, along with Vito Brio. In front of them, Frisbey, Duskee and Casey Cunningham all are solid choices at end, with Carges, Szlamczynski, Dylon Anderson and Keegan Bailey part of the tackle rotation.
Cazenovia has to like its schedule, since four of the first five games are at Buckley-Volo Field, two under the lights on Sept. 14 (against Camden) and Sept. 21 (against Vernon-Verona-Sherrill). Then the Lakers finish the regular season with back-to-back road tests, including its first trip to Chittenango since 2011.
With the Bears now in Class B East, and a tough West division that includes 2017 state Class C champion Skaneateles, Cazenovia knows that gaining a sixth sectional title in nine years is a heavy task.
What helps, said Steinhorst, is that his players are smart, hard-working and willing to learn new things, attributes that has bred so much Lakers success in years past, and just might work again.
