CENTRAL NEW YORK – Past reputation is a big factor when the initial state rankings in any high school sport are issued, and football is no exception.
Skaneateles, with its recent history that includes a 2017 state Class C title, got plenty of notice as the no. 2 team in the first state poll following its season-opening 50-0 romp over Clinton.
Then, after Westmoreland/Oriskany moved to the Independent division, the Lakers picked up a game last Saturday against Onondaga and, with its second consecutive shutout, throttled the Tigers 54-0.
Grayson Brunelle’s 61-yard touchdown run in the opening minutes set the tone, with Skaneateles scoring twice more in the opening period as James Musso threw a 49-yard scoring pass to Cody Nesbitt and Brunelle found the end zone again from 14 yards out.
Musso added a six-yard TD run and 45-yard scoring pass to Cooper Purdy, and Burnelle converted for the third time on a six-yard run, which made it 41-0 by halftime. Torin Bennett scored twice in the second half on short runs.
Throwing just 12 passes, Musso completed eight of them for 271 yards, an average of nearly 34 yards per completion. Patrick Herr’s pair of catches went for 102 yards as Brunelle gained 117 yards on just five carries.
At least Skaneateles got to play. West Genesee was sidelined for the second consecutive week, unable to take on Carthage, as scheduled, after its home opener Sept. 10 against Indian River was shelved.
Meanwhile, Marcellus met Oneida in a rematch of their classic 2019 sectional Class B semifinal. Again, it proved close, but again the Mustangs were on the wrong end of it, falling 26-20 to the Indians.
Bishop Ludden and Solvay went head-to-head, and the Gaelic Knights moved to 2-0 on the season, keeping the Bearcats winless by scoring all of its points in the first half of a 30-7 victory over the Bearcats.
Two first-quarter scoring drives put Ludden up 16-0 as Eric Phillips went 10 yards for one TD and Nazier Kinsey two yards for the other while also throwing two-point passes to Evan Cervantes and Steve Tussing.
Phillips made an even bigger play by dashing 73 yards to the end zone in the second period, and Kinsey threw a nine-yard scoring pass to Tussing that made it 30-0 going to the break.
Just like in its Sept. 10 season opener against Cazenovia, Solvay was shut out until the fourth quarter, when Jaylin Bliss scored from two yards out.
Back on Thursday night, Jordan-Elbridge put a 1-1 record on the line against Mexico, who had moved from Class B to the Independent ranks, but the Tigers still had more than enough on hand to subdue the Eagles 42-14.
Most of the damage was done in the second quarter when J-E, trailing 6-0, surrendered 28 unanswered points. Both of the Eagles’ touchdowns came in the fourth quarter.
Westhill, also 1-1 following a Sept. 11 defeat to Camden, went to Chittenango and put up plenty of points, only to surrender more of them in a 45-26 defeat to the Bears.
Twice in the first quarter, Reggie Welch scored on short runs, helping the Warriors take a 14-8 lead, and a defensive TD in the second period gave Westhill a bigger cushion.
By halftime, though, Chittenango had zoomed in front, 22-20, Aiden Cavotta throwing a 50-yard TD pass to Hunter Taylor and running eight yards for another score.
Geoff Daniul’s six-yard TD run in the third quarter returned Westhill to the lead as he had 92 yards on nine carries, but it was brief.
The Bears put together three scoring drives and pulled away late as Cavotta went 27 yards for a TD, with Martez Webb and Quentin Mohamed also finding the end zone late. Cavotta was 15-for-27 for 186 yards through the air and ran for 111 yards on 17 carries.
