SOLVAY – To long-time followers of the Cazenovia football team, it sure looked familiar.
Whether it’s big plays made by the defense, or the poise and confidence of an offense displaying a form better suited to late October than early September, the Lakers seem to have everything in place again.
Cazenovia’s impressive 34-7 victory over Solvay Friday night at Al Merola Field served several purposes. Not only did it announce the Lakers’ presence as a top-flight contender for league and sectional honors, but it also served as a bit of payback.
The last time Cazenovia played at Solvay, it lost in the opening round of the 2019 Section III Class B playoffs, the Bearcats going on to claim the sectional title as the Lakers made a rare early post-season exit.
Nearly two years later, a different Cazenovia group arrived, determined to show that all the work it had done since an abbreviated spring season could translate into on-field success.
It didn’t take long to get an answer.
From the moment J.P. Hoak found Andrew Kent on a 30-yard pass on third-down-and-13 on the Lakers’ opening possession, the offense clicked, with A.J. Rothfeld scoring from two yards out.
Already up 7-0, Cazenovia doubled that margin a minute later when it forced Solvay quarterback Connor Ellsworth to fumble on a scramble and Rothfeld returned it 35 yards for a touchdown.
And it was 21-0 by the time the first quarter ended, courtesy of a 72-yard drive where, again, Hoak found Kent for 30 yards and Rothfeld for 19 yards before returning to Kent for a two-yard scoring strike.
Hoak was sharp all night, completing 13 of 16 passes for 261 yards. In the first half alone, he was 11-for-14 for 198 yards, going deep again to find Chris Vecchiarelli for 57 yards during a second-quarter drive capped by a 17-yard TD pass to a wide-open Rothfeld.
Now with a 28-0 halftime lead, the Lakers scored once more in the third period on Peter McCole’s three-yard run after a 50-yard strike to Rothfield, who overall had six catches for 121 yards.
Solvay’s only points came after the defensive starters rested in the fourth quarter, including Rothfeld, who had six tackles and 10 assists as Jed Olkowski added five tackles and five assists.
In next Saturday’s home opener at Buckley-Volo Field, Cazenovia faces Lowville, who won the last sectional Class C championship in 2019, but lost its season opener 34-29 to Holland Patent.
Prior to the season, Cazenovia had scrimmaged against Chittenango, who still found itself in the Class B ranks headed into 2021 but ended up with the most difficult opening assignment possible.
At Homer, the Bears fell 61-14 to the Trojans, unable to keep up even with some big plays in the first half. Aiden Cavaotta threw a 36-yard TD pass to Ethan Robles and then took off on a 26-yard scoring dash in the second period.
Homer’s offense overwhelmed Chittenango, though, scoring four times prior to halftime and converting two points on each occasion to lead 32-14 at the break before it found the end zone four more times in the second half. Logan Peck led the Trojans with four touchdowns, the longest of them 43 yards.
