ONONDAGA COUNTY – Three local high school football teams have endured distinct sagas during September, with all of them eager to see what October might bring.
West Genesee went 2-2 in four straight road games before finally getting to play in Camillus, though it was in the grass Stadium at the high school since Mike Messere Field’s artificial surface was getting replaced.
Regardless of the surface or the opponent, what mattered most was that the Wildcats were ready – and proceeded to keep the Spartans off the board in the course of a 27-0 victory.
Both sides started slowly, but in the second quarter WG took over, one drive concluding with Francisco Cross scoring on a five-yard run and the other with Vincent Firenze throwing a 40-yard touchdown pass to Alex Malone.
All the while, the Wildcats’ defense stifled anything ESM tried to establish, allowing the offense time to put together drives even when things were not clicking.
Second-half scores from Cross on an 11-yard run and Firenze on a 15-yard run settled matters as WG is home again this Saturday to face Watertown. Kickoff is at noon.
Westhill had a far smoother first four weeks, winning each of those game to emerge as a prime Class B contender and make last Thursday’s showdown with fellow unbeaten Camden quite important.
Here, though, the state Class B no. 14-ranked Warriors found itself completely unable to contain the state no. 20-ranked Blue Devils, who prevailed by a score of 54-28.
It had all started so well, Elijah Welch throwing scoring passes of 12 and 48 yards to Taden Chester in the opening period, but Camden equaled it by also finding the end zone twice.
The wild exchange continued in the second, Welch twice finding Collin White for short TD passes, but the Blue Devils answering with Noah Morse’s 83-yard kick return for a score plus a Connor Dean scoring pass to Brian Gonzalez.
They were 28-28 at halftime, but the second half was all Camden as its defense contained Westhill and Dean’s 23-yard TD run highlighted a spurt of 26 unanswered points.
Welch, in defeat, was 14-for-17 through the air for 163 yards. Chester caught six of those passes for 113 yards. Westhill looks to rebound this Friday when it hosts struggling Chittenango.
Then there was Jordan-Elbridge, who in a matter of days announced that it would forfeit its first win of the season Sept. 22 over Hannibal for using an ineligible player, only to have it restored a few days later when the player was found to have followed transfer rules.
Away from that drama, the Eagles tried for back-to-back wins last Friday against Port Byron/Union Springs, but fell short as it lost 41-18 to the Panthers.
