For the entire month of September, the Skaneateles football team did not have to travel anywhere, enjoying four consecutive home games and delighting the fans that ventured out to Hyatt Stadium – twice on Fridays and twice on Saturdays.
It was Senior Night on Saturday when the Lakers completed this long homestand against Institute of Technology Central, and after some early hesitation, the full Skaneateles force presented itself in the second quarter and helped produce a 49-16 victory over the Eagles.
Earlier in the week, the Lakers inched up to no. 2 in the state Class B rankings. Only Chenango Forks, from Section IV, now finds itself ahead of Skaneateles.
Whether it stays that way might not get resolved until November. For now, the Lakers have to settle for tearing through Class B West division foes, as it has by outscoring them a combined 231-51 so far.
Since this was the last regular-season home game for Pat Hackler, Areh Boni, Jimmy Liberatore, Nate Wellington and the rest of the Lakers’ seniors, a slow start may have been a bit understandable.
Indeed, Skaneateles only scored once in the first quarter, driving to ITC’s 10-yard line before Hackler found Wellington in the end zone.
Once the second period started, though, so did the separation, to the tune of 28 unanswered points.
Hackler’s second touchdown pass to Wellington, covering 20 yards, began the charge, and Hackler would also run seven yards for a score and throw 17 yards to Luke Viggiano for another.
Amid all this, Boni didn’t get left out, his 36-yard dash to the goal line helping the Lakers establish a 35-0 halftime margin, and he also had the lone TD of the third quarter on a four-yard run.
Again, the starters on both sides went to the sidelines by the fourth quarter. Only then did the Eagles score against the Lakers’ defense, but Skaneateles struck with its reserves, too, thanks to James Musso throwing deep and finding Cory Nesbitt on an 85-yard TD connection.
For its first road game since Aug. 31, the 5-0 Lakers will venture to Al Merola Field next Friday to face Solvay at 7 p.m. After starting 0-3, the Bearcats have earned back-to-back wins and still harbor post-season hopes.
