ONONDAGA COUNTY – Hitting the midway point of the regular season, the Cicero-North Syracuse Blue boys golf team again finds itself in a battle for first place in the Salt City Athletic Conference Metro division.

Any chance of getting to the top nearly dissipated last Friday as the Northstars, facing Liverpool, had to sweat out a tense 202-203 victory over the Warriors, nearly equaling the 196-199 decision when the two met in late August.

Over nine holes at Arrowhead Golf Course, Drew Kippen shot 37, two better than Liverpool’s low rounds from Dom Osbeck and Jake Berthoff.

Kaden Hacker shot 40, with teammate Luke Deinhart adding a 41. Alex Kirkby had his own 41 for the Warriors as Owen Michaud posted 43.

Thus, the Northstars needed Nate Bustin and Andrew Matysak to both shoot the exact scores of 42 they did to help C-NS Blue pull it out by a single stroke.

C-NS Blue defeated its younger C-NS Green counterparts 196-254 last Monday at Greens at Beaumont, with Hacker Kippen both shooting 39. Bustin, Matyasik and David Schimdt each posted 40.
Meanwhile, Joe LaFrance led C-NS Green with a 48, Brody Snyder and Jadien Gunnip each getting 50 as Evan Jones shot 53 and Andrew Dolson earned a 55.

When the Northstars topped Baldwinsville’s newly-formed White team 215-235 on Wednesday afternoon at Timber Banks, Bustin and Hacker tied for first with a 41.Kippen shot 43, equaled by B’ville White’s Brayden Sheridan, while Matyasik and Quinn Empey both finished with rounds of 45.

A day earlier, against unbeaten West Genesee Gold, C-NS Blue lost 185-194. Bustin’s 34 and Kippen’s 36 were not enough as Frank Barbuto, Jason Clifton and Jack Einlich each shot 36, too, with Schmidt’s 40 equaled by Nick Stemkoski as Matyasik settled for a 41 and Luke Deinhart a 43.

Before it met C-NS Blue, Liverpool. was 2-3 going into last Tuesday’s match against B’ville White at Timber Banks, but the Warriors climbed to the .500 mark with a 207-226 victory.

Brady Michaud led all individuals with a 39, Owen Michaud adding a 41. Steven Puccia and Jake Berthoff both stepped up, their 42s equaling B’ville White’s low round by Brayden Sheridan, while Owen Salanger finished with a 43.

Now Liverpool faced back-to-back road matches, facing West Genesee Blue on Wednesday at Westvale, where it took a 198-207 loss to the Wildcats.

Joe Gravante had a season-best 38, which tied WG Blue’s Lincoln Christopher at the top of the standings. Nate Benjamin added a 39, but the Wildcats’ Jonathan Lupe and Max Leubner equaled it, and two others beat the 42 from Nick Scholz as Kirkby and Berthoff both shot 43.

Liverpool challenged F-M Green on Thursday at Green Lakes, holding up well, yet still falling to the Hornets 204-211.

Six different players shot 40 – Salanger, Brady Michaud and Owen Michaud for the Warriors, Tyler Burns, Duncan McDaniel and Ryder Baldwin for F-M Green. But the Hornets added 42s from Will Kettell and Hugh Roddy to beat the 45 from Gravante and 46 from Kirkby.