ONONDAGA COUNTY – In order to repeat as Section III Class B champions, the West Genesee boys lacrosse team had to, once again, withstand the challenge of Fayetteville-Manlius.
And it did so in a way familiar to all Wildcats fans, a display of superb defense and timely scoring bursts that produced an 8-6 victory over the Hornets in Wednesday’s sectional final at Cicero-North Syracuse’s Bragman Stadium.
Through two regular-season meetings with F-M that were split, WG knew that the first task was to keep F-M’s leading goal-scorer, Rob Madden, quiet – which it did.
Brendan Patrick got the assignment on Madden and tailed him all game long, never letting him score a single goal and helped in that task by back-line mates Charles Sorbello and Anthony Edgar.
“We won because of them,” said Wildcats head coach Eric Burns.
Even more valuable was the contributions of midfielder Teshale Kelly, who by his own admission was nervous going into the sectional final but then played the best game of his high school career.
On one end, Kelly defended well and made a series of strong clears. He also provided an unexpected offensive contribution by earning a pair of first-half goals after scoring just three all season.
“I knew we had to get something going for our team,” said Kelly.
Even with this, WG trailed before Nash Oudemool and Liam Burns scored 11 seconds apart late in the second quarter to take a slim 5-4 advantage to halftime.
The Wildcats’ defense blanked F-M for more than 20 minutes, but it couldn’t get away, F-M just as tough on defense and, trailing 7-5, threatening to snatch the game when Griffin Berry hit on his first varsity goal and defender George LaCombe converted on his own rebound with 6:21 to play.
Fittingly, WG’s proven seniors had the final say. Jack Mellen, already with a goal, put his side ahead for good less than a minute after LaCombe’s tally, and with 3:43 left Burns tacked on an insurance goal, his fourth of the day.
Shane Staudt’s trio of late saves clinched it, Staudt having recorded 12 saves in a steady effort that helped produce a second straight sectional title.
All of this followed last Friday’s sectional Class B semifinals at Liverpool High School Stadium, where WG was impressive for long stretches of a 13-8 victory over the Spartans.
They were tied,1-1 when Burns Ryan Considine and Jake McMahon all scored in short order. Inspired by this, the Wildcats steadily built in its margin until it led 10-5 at halftime.
Though the Spartans did play a solid second half, it could not make up ground, Burns finishing with four assists as he and Nolan Belotti both had three-goal hat tricks.
Mellen scored twice, adding an assist. McMahon and Oudemool matched each other with one goal and one assist as Liam Bergen and Zach Ryan also got goals.
