ONONDAGA COUNTY – All kinds of storylines permeated through area high school boys soccer as the 2021 season got underway, including what would happen next with Jamesville-DeWitt.
The last time there was a full season, in 2019, the Red Rams made an inspired run to the Section III and regional Class A championships, ultimately reaching the state final four in Middletown.
After going 7-3-1 last fall, J-D made a roaring start to this season on Sept. 4, picking up four first-half goals against Corning and eventually defeating the Hawks 6-2.
More than anything else, the game was a showcase for senior Jacob Mone, who constantly burned Corning’s defense on his way to a career-best four goals.
Ryan Brazell got a goal and two assists, with Kyan Barbuto also converting. Max MacCaull and Kyle Sweeney earned single assists.
A week later, J-D met its neighbors from Christian Brothers Academy, who had draws in its first two games before playing twice more and splitting those games to start 1-1-2 overall.
But the Brothers would turn things around in a big way, blanking the Rams 3-0 by seeing Jack Griffith, Tyler Broschart and Connor Morgia each put in a goal, with assists credited to Andrew Kohlbrenner, Tom Leskoskie and Will Harrigan.
Before all this, CBA had tested itself at the outset during the Cicero-North Syracuse Optimist Tournament on Sept. 3-4, managing to play the host C-NS Northstars to a scoreless draw.
A day later, against New Hartford, the Brothers did get on the board with Sravan Kodali’s goal, but Aly Radwan countered for the Spartans and two goalies, Mahmoud Radwan and Dylan Zayachek, made 17 saves between them.
So it ended 1-1, and CBA went for a win again last Tuesday against Marcellus but instead were shut down in a 1-0 loss to the Mustangs.
Despite its 0-3 record without a goal in any of those games, Marcellus grabbed an early lead with John White’s first-half goal and kept it due to 10 saves from Adam Sullivan. Finn Wheeler made eight saves for the Brothers.
Finally, against Mexico on Thursday, the Brothers got into the win column, its offense breaking out during a 7-2 romp over the Tigers.
Morgia and Kohlbrenner both scored twice, with Morgia adding two assists and Kohlbrenner a single assist. Harrigan and Rico Petrosillo both had one goal and one assist, with Leskoskie and Connor Schmidt also earning assists.
At Manlius-Pebble Hill, it was seeing its legendary head coach, Don Ridall, inch closer to 600 career victories. He was just five away from that milestone heading into the fall.
One of those wins arrived in last Wednesday’s season opener, with the Trojans getting the best of Bishop Ludden 3-1.
Both Ayman El-Hindi and Jack Hogan produced a goal and assist, with Alex Fung also finding the net. MPH goalie Ryan Kinane’s eight saves preserved that lead.
Against long-time rival Faith Heritage two days later, the Trojans made it 597 wins for Ridall, keeping the Saints off the scoreboard in a 3-0 shutout.
Dashing to a 2-0 advantage by halftime, MPH ultimately saw Fung, Evan Cook and Chance Mugabe pick up goals, with Fung adding an assist. The Trojans took 13 shots to Faith’s three.
Bishop Grimes, still in search of its first goal in 2021, lost 2-0 to LaFayette last Wednesday and fell 3-0 to Tully on Friday, with Greg Docos getting eight saves against the Black Knights.
