ONONDAGA COUNTY – At least when the Cazenovia football team made its trip to Bishop Ludden last Friday night, it got on the board, but it nearly did much more.
The Lakers led early and late against the Gaelic Knights, but could not hold on to either advantage and fell just short of a dramatic last-second comeback in a 25-19 defeat.
Quite unlike its 18-0 loss to Skaneateles in the March 31 opener, Cazenovia’s offense would find a fair amount of success and, in the first quarter, notched its first points of the season when quarterback J.P. Hoak scored on a four-yard scramble and Jack Byrnes added the extra point.
Up 7-0, the Lakers saw the Gaelic Knights sprint out in front in the second quarter with a pair of Nazier Kinsey touchdown passes to Jarin Beauford, one covering 25 yards, the other going 23 yards.
When Evan Cervantes sprinted 25 yards to the end zone in the third period, Ludden extended its lead to 18-7, but that didn’t prove safe as Cazenovia staged a comeback of its own.
On back-to-back drives, the Lakers found the end zone, Peter McCole scoring on runs of 20 and 17 yards to inch Cazenovia in front 19-18 and setting up a dramatic finish.
The Gaelic Knights drove to the Cazenovia 12, from where Kinsey scrambled up the middle and found the end zone for the go-ahead score with 2:47 left.
Cazenovia then drove and used the remaining clock to reach Ludden’s 10-yard line, only to have the Gaelic Knights’ defense break up a pair of Hoak passes in the waning seconds to hang on.
Chittenango, who lost to Homer in its March 31 opener, visited Marcellus last Thursday night and, like Cazenovia, had a game stay close all the way, but unlike the Lakers the Bears proved successful, edging the Mustangs 13-12.
Sean Tierney’s two-yard TD run was the only score for either side in the opening period. Then Tierney dashed 26 yards for a score in the second quarter, only to have Chittenango counter with Nathan Smith’s one-yard scoring plunge.
Up 14-8 at the break, the Mustangs kept it that way through a scoreless third period before the Bears put together a late drive, tied the game on Nate Addison’s two-yard run and then had Cal Reed hit the go-ahead extra point.
Try as it could, Marcellus could not answer as Chittenango’s defense preserved that slim margin. The Bears have its other two games this week on Tuesday against Institute of Technology Central and Saturday against Cortland as Cazenovia is scheduled to take on Solvay Wednesday afternoon at Buckley-Volo Field.
