Recent history suggests that the Skaneateles boys soccer team is, by most measurements, equal to its well-accomplished OHSL Liberty division rivals from Westhill.
But in the last few years, no other local side, in any class, has matched what the Warriors have done in the post-season.
Having won the last two Section III Class B titles, Westhill earned a chance at a three-peat, and denied the Lakers its shot at a first sectional championship since 2015, by claiming a 1-0 decision in Wednesday’s sectional semifinal at Jamesville-DeWitt.
These two were meeting in the same round as they did in 2016. Westhill won that game, 2-1, but when they played each other Sept. 24 at Hyatt Stadium, it was Skaneateles on top 1-0 at night’s end.
Each side had survived a harrowing sectional quarterfinal game the previous weekend, Skaneateles needing to rally past Marcellus as Westhill required overtime to edge South Jefferson, each of those games 2-1 decisions.
When they kicked off on this night, though, it was apparent that the Warriors had done a better job of regrouping. It attacked hard, forcing Lakers defenders like George Ross, Andrew Neumann and Will Pinckney to constantly protect Yorvin Solis.
This culminated in a series of set pieces late in the first half. Skaneateles turned back most of them, but in the 37th minute Westhill’s Jack Grooms broke loose and poked it past Solis for the go-ahead goal.
Were it not for a diving Solis stop right before halftime, that deficit may have doubled, but it did not, and for the rest of the game Skaneateles was always one big play from pulling even.
Twice early in the second half, Jack Panasci generated opportunities, once with a low shot that Westhill goalie Liam Robb smothered, and again with a well-placed cross that eluded several Lakers players in position to convert.
Those plays proved the exception as the Warriors defense broke up most plays long before they reached the net, ably preserving the slim lead and setting up a third straight sectional final against Cazenovia, who beat Camden 3-1 in the other semifinal.
Finishing at 14-4-1, the Lakers will see Solis, Ross, Panasci, Sam Gadjo and Tommy Reed graduate, but return Neumann, Pinckney, Tylar Moss, Andrew Moss, Landon Hellwig. Gavin Cheney and Owen Cheney next fall with another championship quest in mind.
