Perhaps not since that 2011 Section III Class AA championship run has the West Genesee football team hosted a game as important as what it will have next Friday night at Mike Messere.
First place, and perhaps the Class AA-2 regular-season title itself, will be at stake when the Wildcats host 4-0, state no. 8-ranked defending sectional champion Cicero-North Syracuse in a game that kicks off at 6 p.m.
Actually, both teams are unbeaten, at least in the books. Though WG lost 12-7 to Corcoran on Sept. 7, it was awarded that game as a forfeit because the Cougars used an ineligible player that the team did not suspend for a game after an ejection in last year’s sectional semifinal loss to C-NS.
Forfeit or not, the Wildcats still had to navigate through Saturday’s game at Utica Proctor to set up the showdown with the Northstars, and big plays early, combined with lots of defense, helped WG beat the Raiders 17-8.
Given the way it had shut down its opposition (including shutouts of Henninger and Baldwinsville) early this season, WG knew that any early offense it could generate might discourage an opponent, even one as solid as Proctor.
Yet it was the defense providing the early spark, stopping the Raiders near the goal line midway through the first quarter. Minutes later, Tyler Cook, from his own 45-yard line, threw down the right sideline to Ben Rustay, the 55-yard touchdown giving WG a 7-0 lead.
In the last minute of that opening period, the Wildcats found itself on the Raiders’ 35, and again Cook threw deep and left, finding Rustay in the end zone.
Proctor drove again inside WG’s 10-yard line again in the second quarter, but a combination of Raider mistakes and big stops kept Proctor off the board, and a Wildcat drive followed that led to Riley Small’s 23-yard field goal.
Up 17-0 at halftime, the Wildcats could not add to that lead, hurt by a pair of fumbles, but it made a third defensive stop inside its own 20 before the Raiders finally scored on Isaiah Warmack’s 20-yard TD pass to Mike Reali late in the fourth quarter.
Leading the Wildcats’ defense, Cole Wade, Aminiel Mbeklu and Brendan Hammerle each had a part in 11 tackles, with Malin White contributing to nine tackles. Brian Felix helped in eight tackles and Christian Rossi contributed to seven tackles.
Earlier that afternoon, C-NS had fought its way past Fayetteville-Manlius 35-21. Now, after a short week of work for both the Northstars and Wildcats, they meet in Camillus with high stakes.
Also on Saturday, Jordan-Elbridge was challenged at home by unbeaten, state Class C no. 5-ranked General Brown, who had piled up 198 points in three wins to open the season.
And the Lions didn’t slow down here, defeating the Eagles 50-20 in large part by keeping J-E’s potent offense from getting any points during the first half.
All that J-E could manage during that stretch was Jeremiah Sparks returning a second-quarter interception by Jake Heller 80 yards for a TD, but by then GB already had a comfortable lead.
Heller, in those first two periods, ran twice for scores, from two and 35 yards, while also throwing a two-yard TD pass to Dominic Lutz, which helped the Lions take a 20-6 lead to the break.
Lutz broke it open in the third quarter, returning an Eagles punt 80 yards for six points. He also caught an 11-yard TD pass from Heller as Corey Smith added a 42-yard scoring run.
J-E made sure it didn’t get too far out of hand, Sparks and Nate Melfi connecting on a 42-yard TD pass and Sparks scrambling 13 yards for another. Having fallen to 2-2 on the season, the Eagles take on Southern Hills this Friday at 7 p.m.
