When they were scheduled to get together Monday night for a highly-anticipated head-to-head neighborhood clash, the East Syracuse Minoa and Jamesville-DeWitt boys lacrosse teams both had two wins in the books..
More importantly, these two teams arrived at 2019 in slightly unfamiliar positions, with the Spartans as a reigning two-time Section III champion and the Red Rams, for once, in the role of challenger, something it hasn’t faced in a decade.
J-D won nine consecutive sectional titles before Westhill stunned them in last May’s Class C semifinals, while ESM breezed to a second straight crown in Class B.
But a reshaping of the state classifications this spring means that ESM is joining J-D in Class C, and so is Christian Brothers Academy, moved up after back-to-back sectional Class D titles and a state crown in 2017.
ESM got underway last Wednesday, hosting Central Square and unleashing its potent attack during the second half to pull away and pound the Redhawks 19-9.
To its credit, Central Square kept things close throughout the first two quarters and only trailed 7-5 at the break, but the Spartans wore the Redhawks’ defense down, using a 5-1 in the third period to take charge.
Lance Madonna and Gavin Houghtaling both had four goals and combined for nine assists – Madonna five, Houghtaling four. Tim Crouse got three goals, with Luke Rosaschi earning three assists as Eric Callahan and Jackson Plumb had two goals apiece. Dillon May and Nolan Palmer contributed single goals.
Two nights later, ESM visited Bragman Stadium to face Cicero-North Syracuse, and though it proved closer, the Spartans were again successful, turning back the Northstars 11-9.
In a game played on even terms most of the way, the third quarter made the difference. Tied 6-6, ESM was able to score four times in that period to seize a 10-8 lead, and then turned to its defense to thwart any possible C-NS comeback.
And it was mostly a three-man show, the Spartans seeing Madonna notch five goals, with ample support from Houghtaling and Crouse, who produced three goals apiece.
Bent on getting back to the top, J-D began its season against Oswego last Tuesday night and put its high-octane attack on full display in a 19-6 romp over the Buccaneers.
Even though stars like Griffin Cook and Ryan Evans had graduated, the Rams have a large returning cast in 2019, and it steadily buried Oswego, building a 17-5 margin by the end of the third quarter.
Pat Murad, with five goals and one assist, led J-D as Tanner Burns scored three times. Connor Durkin and Matt Kemmis each had two goals and two assists as Johnny Keib also found the net twice. Will Davis, Brendan Coyle and Jason Waskiewics had one goal apiece.
It figured to get tougher Friday night when Auburn paid a visit, but that didn’t prove the case at all, J-D nearly reaching double digits on the board before the first quarter was over and blasting the Maroons 20-3.
During that opening period, Keib required just 46 seconds to get on the board, with Brang scoring twice and a Durkin goal in between to make it 4-0 before the game was five minutes old.
More would follow, the Rams making it 7-1 before Davis and Coyle scored seven seconds apart late in the period. Then Matt Kemmis dazzled with a behind-the-back goal early in the second quarter as the margin grew to 14-2 by halftime
Davis, Brang and Keib each finished with three goals, Davis adding three assists. Durkin got four assists as Murad joined Matt Kemmis in the two-goal column. Nick Kemmis, Hayden Braun, Josh Greenway and Alex Sandville earned one goal apiece.
