CENTRAL NEW YORK – At some point, each of the area’s boys lacrosse teams that would enter the Section III Class D playoffs knew that it would have to knock off reigning state champion LaFayette in order to finish on top.
Except that Westhill and Skaneateles managed to do so late in the regular season, both of them defeating the Lancers to add intrigue to the eventual sectional tournament.
Westhill, with a 9-2 record, was in the best position, and on May 27 it went to LaFayette and put together its best all-around performance of the season to defeat the Lancers 11-8.
Ignoring LaFayette’s 8-1 mark and its average of nearly 17 goals per game, the Warriors’ defense did a superb job frustrating the Lancers, holding its top scorer, Jameson Bucktooth, to just one goal.
Meanwhile, Luke Gilmartin carried Westhill’s attack, scoring five times and adding two assists as Will Delano and Griffin Grooms got two goals apiece. Kyle MacCaull and Brian Allen earned the other goals.
Then, when Skaneateles got its turn against LaFayette last Tuesday at Hyatt Stadium, it got off to a perfect start and rode that momentum all the way to a 14-11 victory over the Lancers.
Esentially, the first quarter proved decisive. Claiming face-offs and patiently working its attack, the Lakers didn’t let up until it had built a 5-0 advantage.
Building the margin to 10-4 by halftime, the Lakers saw LaFayette move closer in the third quarter, only to match every attempt to catch up down the stretch as Luke Renaud was sensational in the net, recording 19 saves.
Grayson Brunelle and Ryan Willard both scored four times, with Brunelle adding three assists and Willard two assists. Colin Morrissey got two goals and two assists as Max Wamp and Sean Kerwick both had one goal and one assist. Goals also went to Jack Weeks and Nolan Signor.
Before that, on May 17 Skaneateles cruised past Jordan-Elbridge 14-5, with Willard and Weeks leading the way, each scoring three times.
Morrissey had two goals and three assists, with Brunelle and Jack Buff each getting two goals and one assist. Kerwick and Cole Kennedy also converted as Wade Brunelle scored twice for J-E, with single goals going to Wyatt Mullen, Griffin LaFleur and Jack Daly.
And after it beat LaFayette, Skaneateles then pulled away from Cazenovia on Thursday, winning the Laker duel 15-8 with an attack anchored around Wamp, who earned five assists.
Brunelle and Willard both got three goals and two assists, with Weeks, Signor and Colin Morrissey, each converting twice. Kerwick had two assists, with single goals going to Buff, Ethan Hunt and Cooper Morrissey.
Marcellus was just 3-7 going into its game against Chittenango on May 27, but promptly sprinted out to a 9-0 halftime lead on the way to bashing the Bears 14-3.
Sean Tierney, with five goals and two assists, led the charge, though Marcus Darminio matched that point total thanks to his three goals and four assists.
Doryn LeClair and Sam Barney both scored twice, LeClair adding two assists as single goals went to Ryan Moses and Adam Rayfield. Moses and Will Burnett earned single assists.
Marcellus then lost on Tuesday 13-1 to Christian Brothers Academy, LeClair netting the Mustangs’ lone goal, as J-E fell 19-3 to Cazenovia, with Brunelle scoring all three goals.
When Westhill took its turn against CBA last Wednesday, it lost 13-7, only getting three goals from Gilmartin and two goals apiece from Delano and Schneider. The Brothers, by contrast had seven different goal-scorers.
Badly in need of a quality win, Marcellus got it Thursday when it faced 8-4 Homer and defeated the Trojans 8-6, led by Marcus Darminio’s three goals as Tierney got two goals and one assist and LeClair had a goal and two assists. Rayfield also had two assists as Moses and Kyle Darminio also earned goals.
Just 24 hours later, the Mustangs fell 10-9 to General Brown. Corey O’Connor had two goals and seven assists for the Lions. LeClair, Rayfield and Tierney had two goals apiece to lead Marcellus. J-E lost 20-10 on Saturday afternoon despite Wade Brunelle’s four goals and two goals apiece from LaFleur and Nixon Karcz.
All of this left Westhill as the top seed for the sectional Class D playoffs. The Warriors face Holland Patent in next Tuesday’s quarterfinals as no. 2 seed Skaneateles meets South Jeffeson and Marcellus, the no. 6 seed, will try to upend LaFayette. Semifinals are Thursday and the final is Saturday.l
