CENTRAL NEW YORK – Of all the local football teams that plunged into the Section III playoffs this weekend, only two made it through to the semifinal round.
Skaneateles did so in Class C, turning back Lowville 26-20 at Hyatt Stadium to earn a semifinal date against defending champion General Brown in next weekend’s sectional semifinals.
And in Class A, defending champion West Genesee rolled past Nottingham 32-0, setting up a semifinal game against East Syracuse Minoa, who rallied in the fourth quarter past Auburn 12-8.
In the Lakers’ case, its four-game win streak was put to a severe test against a 6-2 Lowville side whose only defeats of the season came to General Brown and Adirondack.
Colin Henry’s 18-yard touchdown run in the first quarter provided an early 7-0 lead, but Skaneateles was shut out the rest of the half as Lowville found the end zone in the second period and, with a two-point conversion, took a slim 8-7 advantage to the break.
It appeared the Lakers gained control in the third quarter when, deep in Lowville territory, Cole Krauter brought back an interception (one of two he had on the night) 12 yards for a score and Ellis earned a second TD on a 32-yard run.
That 20-8 lead didn’t hold, though, as Lowville twice found the end zone and tied it, 20-20, setting up a tense conclusion.
Like it did against Solvay a week earlier, the Lakers used a late drive to reach the goal line and Torin Bennett scored what proved to be the game-winner on a one-yard plunge.
Ellis (71 yards, eight carries) and Dom Caraccio (56 yards, eight carries) led the Lakers’ ground attack. Ellis also excelled on defense, amassing 12 tackles as Landon Brunelle earned eight tackles.
Over in Camillus, West Genesee was still the second seed in Class A despite its 3-5 regular-season mark, and wasted little time taking control against Nottingham.
Francisco Cross scored twice in the first quarter, on runs of two and 14 yards. Then the Wildcats added to that 14-0 margin in the second period when Wade added a third TD on a six-yard run and Jack Wade threw 16 yards to Anthony Baggett for another score.
Elijah Apps got a third-quarter TD as his 77 yards on 11 carries complemented Cross, who gained 110 yards on 19 carries. Wade threw 15 times, completing 10 of those passes for 137 yards.
Better yet was a WG defense that never let Nottingham find the end zone. Apps, with six tackles, led the group, Carson Pagan adding four tackles as Jalen Zachery and Teshale Kelly each picked up interceptions.
Things turned out different for Westhill in Class B as it led undefeated, state no. 8-ranked New Hartford late in the first half before things got away in a 37-14 defeat to the Spartans.
A second-quarter TD had the Warriors in front 7-6, but right before halftime New Hartford reached the Westhill 33, from where John Vitullo found Peyton way for a scoring strike that gave the Spartans the lead for good.
Earning 16 unanswered points spanning the third and fourth quarters, New Hartford put Westhill away, led by Cole Raux, who ran 28 times for 215 yards to complement Vitullo going six-for-12 for 189 yards despite two interceptions.
Solvay and Bishop Ludden were both knocked out in Class C, the Bearcats falling 35-6 to the General Brown side that will meet Skaneateles in the semifinals and the Gaelic Knights outscored 50-35 by Adirondack.
A second-quarter TD was all Solvay could muster against an inspired General Brown side, while Ludden had far more success on offense in Boonville yet could not contain Adirondack’s attack.
Jahbari Clarke twice scored for the Gaelic Knights on 60-yard runs after X’zavion Streiff threw 60 yards to Tom Cervantes for a TD in the opening period, all of which helped Ludden fight its way to a 21-20 halftime advantage.
They traded scores again, Cervantes finding the end zone from six yards out early in the fourth quarter, but then Adirondack broke out of the 28-28 tie with three scoring drives in a row, leading to TD’s by Max Weiler, John Hennessey and Isaac Croneiser that settled the outcome.
As part of a special Class C/D-2 four-team playoff bracket, Jordan-Elbridge met Sherburne-Earlville in last Thursday’s semifinals and lost, 40-14, to the Marauders.
Even with a solid start, the Eagles saw S-E put up 20 points in the second quarter to move out in front. More would follow in the second half as Ethan Shaw got a pair of touchdowns and Noah Ackerman returned a fumble 88 yards for a score. J-E’s season concluded with a 2-7 record.
