ONONDAGA COUNTY – An exciting four-way race for top reuglar-season honors in SCAC Metro division boys golf would include Cicero-North Syracuse Blue if the Northstars could knock off other top contenders.

But the Northstars’ title hopes took at hit at home last Tuesday when it fell 198-206 to Fayetteville-Manlius Green last Tuesday afternoon at Arrowhead Golf Course.

Kaeden Hacker’s 37 equaled Will Kittell and Drew Kippen’s 38 matched that of Ryder Baldwin. However, three other Hornets shot 43 or less, while the rest of the Northstars only got 43s from Nate Bustin and David Schmidt, Ethan Hanson adding a 45.

Then, in Thursday’s 196-209 defeat to Baldwinsville at Timber Banks, Kippen’s 39 trailed three Bees – Aiden Motala (36), Billy Shipman (37) and Owen Frechette (38). Hacker and Bustin both shot 40, but two other B’ville golfers beat the 44 from Quinn Empey and 46 from Luke Deinhart.

Before this, C-NS Blue prevailed 195-209 over West Genesee Blue last Monday at Arrowhead. Kippen and Hacker tied for top honors with a 37, with Schmidt and Bustin both getting 39 ahead of the Wildcats’ Topher Shoults and his 40. Andrew Matyasik added a 43.

Liverpool returned to action last Wednesday at Foxfire, meeting a Baldwinsville Red team it lost to 190-202 back on Aug. 30 at Timber Banks.

The rematch was closer and the Warriors played quite well, yet still lost 187-190 as, individually, Owen Salanger’s 35 equaled that of B’ville teammates Aiden Motala and Owen Frechette.

Brady Michaud matched part with a 38, while Owen Michaud had a 39. Even with a 40 from Alex Kirkby and 41 from Jake Berthoff, the Bees held on helped by 39s from Alex Blum and Caleb Kinley.

A 183-205 defeat to West Genesee Gold followed last Wednesday, Liverpool catching the Wildcats at an inopportune time a mere 24 hours after it lost its first match of the season to F-M Green by a single stroke.

Salanger’s 37 at Westvale was the only Warriors score under 40, which Owen Michaud equaled ahead of Brady Michaud’s 41 as Joe Gravante (43) and Calen Brown (44) followed. Five WG golers were under 40, led by a 35 from Jameson Bard.

C-NS Greeen, winless in seven straight matches, broke that skid last Monday afternoon against Baldwinsville’s younger White team, prevailing 233-236 over the Bees.

It helped that Blake Wise shot 41, two ahead of the Bees’ low round by Craig Vredenburg that Jaiden Gunnip matched. Cooper Pallotta’s 47 and Andrew Dolson’s 48 maintained the lead and Brody Snyder added a 54.

A day later, it turned around, C-NS Green taking a 190-242 loss to B’ville Red at Timber Banks. Wise again had a 41, well clear of 49s by Gunnip and Dolson, but behind a Bees quintet led by Aiden Motala’s two-under-par 34.

In Wednesday afternoon’s 198-224 defeat to West Genesee Blue at Westvale, Gunnip’s 39 was just one behind the low individual total of 38 from Shoults. Three other WG golfers beat Wise’s 45 as Dolson and Joe LaFrance both shot 46.

Then C-NS Green lost 195-265 to F-M Green on Friday, Dolson’s 51 at Green Lakes the low Northstars round and well back of the 37 put up by Kettell to pace the Hornets.