CENTRAL NEW YORK – All the shuffles done with a statewide expansion from five to six classes affected area high school boys soccer teams, with Christian Brothers Academy and East Syracuse Minoa joining Fayetteville-Manlius in Class AA.
And to get the season off to a rousing start, CBA and F-M met each other in the annual “Red Out” game with both teams working together to raise funds for the American Heart Association.
It was the Brothers defeating the Hornets 3-1, Connor Morgia leading a well-balanced CBA attack thanks to his goal and assist as Nick Genovese and Juliuz Kemp also converted and Zack Walma got two assists.
All that F-M could manage was a goal by Hugh Terreri, assisted by Tom Helmer. In goal, Will LaVelle recorded seven saves, the same as Ryan Petrie for the Brothers.
In its only action last week, CBA blanked Mexico 7-0, unleashing its depth on the Tigers as nine different players recorded a goal or assist.
With his pair of tallies and an assist, Morgia led the way. Xavier Kucera had one goal and one assist, while Genovese, Caleb Buddie, Jesse Beach and Grayson Taetsch also earned goals. Kemp and Grady Shanly had two assists apiece, Walma adding a single assists.
F-M, meanwhile, lost another 3-1 decision, this time to Nottingham, who beat the Hornets for the first time since 2015 as it scored twice in the second half to break out of a 1-1 halftime tie. Ebuela Bilengana led the Bulldogs with two goals and an assist on Finn Sullivan’s tally.
Another big game came was set for last Thursday when ESM was to take on Jamesville-DeWitt, but it got postponed by a heavy thunderstorm that made it too dangerous to play.
Instead, J-D would face F-M on Saturday and the Red Rams would beat the Hornets 2-1, with Emile Antoine getting one goal and assisting on Athan Cirman’s tally, Connor Burns adding an assist.
J-D was 2-0 after beating Whitesboro 4-2 on Sept. 2, the Rams breaking out of a 1-1 halftime tie. Burns and Ben Kenna both found the net twice, with Jasin Lamicchane and Sam Brazell getting assists.
ESM had opened its season on Aug. 31 with a tough performance against Rome Free Academy, getting some late production to defeat the Black Knights 2-1.
They were even, 1-1, when the Spartans got the ball with less than 10 minutes left and Jackson Tedesco, taking a pass from Nick Courcy, curved a shot inside the right post past RFA goalie Max Hilderbrant.
Prior to that, Hildebrant had made 13 saves to keep it close, ESM only converting on a Joel Alvarez goal. Spartans netminder Reide Scolaro had four saves.
Then ESM edged Central Square 1-0 last Tuesday night, the only goal coming from Alvarez as the Spartans overcame 13 saves by Redhawks goalie Andrew Watrous. Scolaro stopped all seven shots he faced.
On Saturday, the Spartans faced West Genesee in another potential playoff preview and built a big early lead – which was needed because it had to hang on late to beat the Wildcats 3-2.
Tedesco scored just past the midway point of the first half, assisted by Alvarez. Then Tedesco netted a second goal and, when Jett Winans converted, ESM had what looked like a comfortable margin.
Then, in a two-minute stretch late in regulation, Jake McMahon and Christian Ball both scored for WG, making Spartans nervous, but the hosts were able to see the game out and move to 3-0 on the season.
Manlius Pebble Hill was looking to build upon last fall’s run to the sectional Class D finals. Returning most of its lineup, the Trojans got underway last Wednesday and defeated long-time rival Faith Heritage 4-2.
The Lurvey brothers led the way, Nick Lurvey scoring twice and Sam and Andy Lurvey each getting a goal and assist. Connor Gardner also had an assist as, in goal, Abe Salomon recorded eight saves.
MPH kept it up Friday by handling Syracuse Academy of Science 4-1. Again, the Lurvey family led the way, Nick and Sam each scoring twice as the Trojans pulled away in the second half, Dash Goode and Brody Cook getting assists and Liam Allen stoping 10 of the Atoms’ 11 shots.
Bishop Grimes was successful on Friday, too, winning 2-1 over Jordan-Elbridge/Cato-Meridian. First-half goals by Cooper Boots and Eddie Korona held up as Cooper Stewart got an assist and Ryan Millay recorded four saves.
