While it’s proved tense and suspenseful, the Westhill football team finds itself joining powerful Skaneateles as the only Class B West division sides holding 2-0 records.
In order to get there, the Warriors had to withstand a fierce challenge by its neighbors from Solvay Friday night, holding on for a 24-21 victory and dropping the Bearcats to 0-2.
With that same opportunity to win its first two games since its promotion to B West, Bishop Ludden could not replicate Westhill’s results at Marcellus as the Mustangs prevailed 27-19 for its first win of the season.
Having fought past Institute of Technology Central 18-14 the week before, Westhill initially thought it could have an easier time with Solvay, leading 12-0 after one period.
Gavin Kinney, who completed 10 of 20 passes for 150 yards, connected with Tom Howard on touchdown passes of 12 and 31 yards to give the Warriors that early margin.
Solvay fought back, though, behind its own balanced attack. A mix of run and passes set up Brock Bagozzi’s one-yard scoring dive, followed by a 44-yard TD pass from Bagozzi to Connor Lee.
All of this kept Westhill from pulling away as Kinney tacked on two more TD passes, 34 yards to Howard and 19 yards to Jose Gonzalez. Each time, though, the Warriors were unable to get a conversion.
So it was 24-14 when, in the third quarter, the Bearcats again drove to the Warriors’ one and, again, Bagozzi scored from there.
All told, Bagozzi threw 27 times, completing 13 of those passes for 182 yards, his work complemented by Jaimen Bliss rushing for 132 yards on 27 carries.
What doomed Solvay, though, were its turnovers. Twice, Bagozzi threw interceptions, and with two minutes left the Bearcats were set to get one more chance to win it, only to fumble a punt that allowed Westhill to run out the clock.
Solvay’s next opponent is Marcellus in the game for the Tom Anthony Silver Cup. The Mustangs, humbled 42-9 by Skaneateles in its opener, would rebound a week later against Bishop Ludden.
Brayton Johnson’s first TD pass of the season, 10 yards to Connor Rogalia, got Marcellus on the board and were the only points of the opening period.
A wild second quarter followed, with the Gaelic Knights twice scoring on runs of three and 20 yards by Ze’vion Derby and the Mustangs answering with two TD’s of its own, Johnson scrambling 22 yards for one and Rob Seeley going four yards for the other.
Despite this, Marcellus still needed Johnson’s 21-yard scoring pass to Seeley in the third quarter as a cushion because Ludden’s Tamir Rowser sprinted 67 yards to the end zone to pull his team within a score.
All through the homestretch, the Gaelic Knights had chances to erase that eight-point deficit, but the Marcellus defense made several clutch stops.
So the Mustangs are 1-1 going to Solvay and Ludden, also 1-1, hosts ITC next Friday as Westhill faces the big test at Skaneateles. The reigning state Class C champions followed up its effort at Marcellus by routing Homer 56-20, avenging its lone defeat from 2017.
