MANLIUS – A long, long wait to return to game action, the presence of a long-time rival and a comprehensive display of energy and skill made the Fayetteville-Manlius boys lacrosse team’s 2021 debut a particularly special one.

The Hornets put away West Genesee 18-7 on its home turf Tuesday night, flourishing in its first game in more than 700 days since it fell in the 2019 Class B regional final to Vestal.

An entire spring lost to the COVID-19 pandemic meant that F-M’s senior class of 2020 never got a chance to say a proper farewell, something that motivated the returning Hornets.

So, of course, did having as a season opener a clash with the Wildcats side that, constantly over the decades, provided the biggest obstacle to the Hornets’ quests for glory.

Never trailing, F-M grabbed a quick 2-0 edge on goals by Caden Yancey and Ransom Reynolds, who throughout the night would cause problem for WG’s defenses.

A bigger factor, though, was the domination by the Hornets at the face-off circle. Logan Wilkinson kept claiming the draws all night (25 of 28 in all), giving F-M extra possession time that would gradually wear the Wildcats’ defense down.

Twice in the second quarter, Wilkinson would score directly off face-offs in eight seconds or less, with one of them capping a stretch of three goals in 48 seconds that built upon the Hornets’ 4-3 advantage.

Then F-M had another quick 3-0 burst in the last two minutes of the half from Yancey, Frechette and T.J. Conley that doubled the lead to 10-4 going into the break.

But the night’s biggest highlight belonged to goalie Matt LaCombe, who shared net duties with fellow senior Alex Duggleby.

Early in the third quarter, LaCombe made a save in his own end and took off down the right side. Instead of passing to a teammate, LaCombe kept running, near the sideline, then turned back to the middle of the field, not stopping until he was in front of the net and firing a shot past Wildcats goalie Bryce Landry.

Yancey finished with four goals and three assists. Reynolds and Frechette each scored three times, with Conley getting two goals. Aside from LaCombe, single goals went to Ty Teelin, James Addonizio and John Angelicola as Josh Michel and Matt Fiorentino picked up assists.

All of this was followed for the Hornets by its first road game Thursday at Bragman Stadium against Cicero-North Syracuse, who was debuting under new head coach Nick Gatto, a former long-time assistant at Onondaga Community College.

C-NS was game for a while, even leading 3-2 through one quarter, but a second-quarter outburst, led again by Reynolds and Yancey, helped F-M take charge as it eventually beat the Northstars 16-10.

Reynolds finished with six goals and Yancey scored five times. Teelin earned four assists as Conley got a goal and two assists, with Michel, Angelicola, Anthony DaRin and George LaCombe also finding the net. Duggleby and Matt LaCombe combined for 11 saves.

After a week to rest, F-M is home next Thursday to face reigning sectional Class A champion Baldwinsville before a Saturday rematch with C-NS.