CAMILLUS – With a critical victory over Utica Proctor on Oct. 7 in the books, the Baldwinsville football team could afford to relax a bit as it traveled to Camillus Friday for a non-league game against West Genesee.

But even if the Wildcats were now in the Class A ranks, the old intensity of this rivalry shone through in an exciting contest where the Bees rallied once and nearly did so again, but lost by a score of 20-14.

Seeking its fourth win in a row after a 1-2 start, WG’s defense controlled the first quarter, not allowing a single first down and producing the game’s first points, too.

A fierce pass rush deep in B’ville territory forced quarterback Greg Marinelli into a throw that got tipped in the air and caught by defensive lineman Christian Burns, who rumbled 15 yards for a touchdown.

Maintaining that momentum, WG, on in its next possession, drove from midfield, mixing runs and passes before Vincent Firenze, from the Bees’ 11 scrambled out of the pocket and found the end zone early in the second period, the extra point making it 14-0.

Striking back, B’ville turned solely to its ground game on a scoring drive that consumed more than six minutes, which Brandon Levin finished off with a two-yard TD run.

Then, in a two-play sequence late in the half, Marinelli intercepted a deep Firenze pass and then scrambled 47 yards into Wildcats territory before finding Griffin Killian on a 17-yard scoring pass 1:01 before halftime.

That, plus Killian’s extra point, tied the game 14-14, where it stood at the break.

WG went back into its passing game in the third quarter. Firenze mostly relied on short passes until, working from the Bees’ 28, he threw to the end zone and Dom Burris, despite heavy coverage, snared it for the go-ahead TD.

For the rest of the game, the Bees would attempt to answer, driving into Wildcats territory late in the third quarter, only to have Killian, on fourth down, slip while wide open and drop a Marinelli pass that would have meant a first down.

B’ville’s defense kept the game alive when Marinelli, with 4:32 left, intercepted Firenze for a second time at his own four.

A modest drive followed, but with 1:25 left, Noah Coleman stepped in front of Marinelli’s deep pass at the Wildcats’ 32. Firenze’s pair of first-down runs clinched it.

Having fallen to 3-3, the Bees finish the regular season next Friday at 0-6 Henninger. Kickoff is at 6 p.m.