In order for it to have a chance at Salt City Athletic Conference Metro division honors, the Cicero-North Syracuse Blue boys golf team had to make sure it still had the upper hand on its rivals from Liverpool.
The two met last Monday at Liverpool Country Club, and with a bit more depth from its roster, the Northstars turned back the Warriors 200-208.
While far closer than the 183-208 romp by C-NS Blue at Northern Pines earlier this season, the Warriors could only get a tie at the top of the individual standings as Spencer Baum’s nine-hole 36 matched that of the Northstars’ Andrew Brunozzi.
Back of them, Pat Cuddy was alone in third place with a 40, while Jake Nardozza and Liam Mussi both shot 41. The Warriors’ Tyler Leatherwood also had a 41 as Jacob Fahey and Pat Langlois each shot 42.
Right after that, C-NS Blue handled Syracuse 192-210 on Wednesday afternoon, with Brunozzi blazing to a 34 at Northern Pines and Cuddy shooting 38 to match Syracuse’s Jon Kinane. Nardozza, Ryan Sisco and Brian Pellegrino each posted 40.
These wins put C-NS Blue at 7-2, right behind Fayetteville-Manlius, and now the two squared off on Thursday at Northern Pines, a rematch of the Aug. 23 battle at Woodcrest that the Hornets claimed 186-192.
Here, the Northstars got even and, by prevailing 199-203, moved into first place, just ahead of F-M and Baldwinsville.
Nardozza led all individuals with a 37, while Brunozzi’s 38 tied the Hornets’ Adam Butch for second place as Velton Perry put up a 39 for the Hornets.
It was Cuddy and Sisco each shooting 40 that gave C-NS Blue a winning cushion and Pellegrino who clinched it with a 44, while the Hornets got 41s from Matt LaCombe and Andrew Heyman, plus a 44 from Seth Bailey.
This followed F-M’s match with Liverpool on Tuesday where the Warriors lost to the Hornets 191-214, the individual race featuring Baum shooting a 37 at Liverpool Country Club.
Butch, with a 35, beat that total from F-M’s side, but then it had four other golfers shoot 41 or lower in front of Langlois, whose 43 led a Warriors pack that included Fahey (44), Brodie Powers and Sam Sgroi (45 each).
Meanwhlie, C-NS Green had to deal with West Genesee last Tuesday and, despite some solid scores, lost 180-203 to the Wildcats.
Brody Kennedy had a 37 at Westvale, behind WG teammates Nick Bove (32) and Tim Dipaola (34), with three other Wildcats – Kevin McDermott, Joe Artini and Jack Gordon – each shooting 38. Sean Lawler had a 40 for the Northstars, beating out the 42s from Sam Thompson, Cullen Scott and Carter Costello.
But C-NS Green did win on Thursday, edging Syracuse 200-202 even though the low three rounds all came from Syracuse golfers as Kinane, Liam Murphy and Josh Williams each shot 38 at Drumlins.
Scott and Steve Filapello both finished at 39, with Kennedy adding a 40. It also took 41s from D.J. Villnave and Ethan Shallcross to overcome 44s from Syracuse’s Tommy Burke and Kevin Schmidt.
Before that, C-NS Green had lost, 177-200, to Baldwinsville on Wednesday, with Filapello and Lawler each shooting 39 and Shallcross getting a 40 in front of Villnave and Kennedy (41 each), but the Bees had the top five round, led by a sizzling 32 from Max Dec as Tanner Glavin had a 35 and Matt Shipman a 36.
This busy week ended with Liverpool against West Genesee on Friday. Despite a 33 from Baum, the Warriors lost, 187-200, as Bove tore to a 31 at LCC and Dipaola had a 36 to match Leatherwood.
Sgroi was fifth with a 37, but three other Wildcats broke 40 and no other Liverpool golfer did, with Langlois landing on that number and Luke Harder shooting a 41.
