That time-worn cliche about records mattering little in rivalry games where trophies are at stake applied quite well to the latest football clash between Marcellus and Solvay.
With the Tom Anthony Silver Cup at stake on the turf at Al Merola Field Friday night, the two sides would take their battle into overtime before the Mustangs emerged with a 20-13 victory.
This was the second consecutive week the Bearcats had dropped a close game against one of its neighbors, having pushed Westhill to the wire in a 24-21 loss the week before.
Playing in its home opener, Solvay would strike first through the air. From his own 14-yard line, Brock Bagozzi threw deep and found Jaimen Bliss, who completed an 86-yard dash to the end zone as Ethan Bigelow added the extra point.
For the rest of the half, though, the Bearcats were stifled, Marcellus settling down and then getting on the board in the second period with a scoring drive that Rob Seeley finished with a one-yard plunge.
A missed PAT, though, meant that Solvay went to halftime up 7-6, a lead that only lasted until another Marcellus drive in the third quarter produced a three-yard touchdown scramble by Brayton Johnson.
As it had done throughout the game, the Bearcats tried to catch up through the air. Bagozzi would set a school record with 54 pass attempts, completing 22 of those passes for 420 yards, with a pair of interceptions.
So it was a bit ironic that, when Solvay drove to the Mustangs’ two-yard line in the fourth quarter, Bagozzi ran in for the TD. But a go-ahead extra-point attempt was missed.
Thus, it stayed 13-13 until the end of regulation. High school overtime rules give each team a possession at the 20-yard line, and Solvay won the coin toss, electing to play defense first.
Marcellus made them pay as, from the 12, Brock Seeley dashed to the end zone. When the Bearcats tried to respond, the Mustangs’ defense made one more stop to clinch victory.
Now Marcellus finds itself in a four-way tie for second place in Class B West with Westhill, Homer and Bishop Ludden, who leaned on its defense Friday and won 12-0 over Institute of Technology Central.
All of the points came in the first half, with the Gaelic Knights taking a 6-0 lead on a scoring drive capped by Ze’vion Derby’s one-yard TD run.
An even bigger play came in the second quarter. Taking an ITC punt at his own 30, Jamir Rowser made several Eagles players miss tackles and traversed 70 yards to the end zone.
All game long, though, the story was Ludden’s defense, who stifled ITC as Dan Cacchione led the way, earning six tackles and an interception. Derby also had an interception to go with four tackles as Sire Jones, Antwon McMullen and Willie Jennings contributed three tackles apiece.
Westhll was 2-0 following that tense win over Solvay, but had to travel Friday to Hyatt Stadium to face state Class B no. 3-ranked Skaneateles, where it was overwhelmed in a 47-6 defeat to the Lakers.
To its credit, the Warriors emphasized stopping the vaunted Skaneateles passing game and, to an extent, did so, as Pat Hackler only had 135 yards and one touchdown through the air.
But the Lakers have far more than an air attack. Areh Boni burned Westhill on the ground with 175 yards on 15 carries, scoring twice in the second quarter after the Warriors had netted its lone TD.
And throughout the game, a tough Skaneateles defense frustrated Westhill, capped when Hackler and Luke Viggiano both returned interceptions for TDs in the third quarter.
