CENTRAL NEW YORK – All that kept the Marcellus boys basketball team from a long-awaited Section III Class B championship last winter was a Westhill side that would go on to earn yet another state title in coach Kevin King’s final season.
Now the Warriors are in Class A and the Mustangs, still in Class B with Skaneateles, Jordan-Elbridge and Solvay, are intent on finally reaching the top.
But Marcellus would have to wait until every one of these other Class B sides had played a game, since last Tuesday’s opener with Bishop Ludden was postponed by winter weather.
As the Mustangs travele to Phoenix to finally begin play early this week, it does so knowing that J-E was already 2-0 and the Lakers had claimed its opener, too, over General Brown.
J-E, who was 15-7 a season ago and fell in the sectional Class C quarterfinals to Dolgeville, got underway last Wednesday against Southern Cayuga, from Section V, and pulled out a tense 51-48 victory over the Chiefs.
All game long, it proved close, the Eagles inching to a 23-21 advantage by halftime, only to have Southern Cayuga go back in front in the third quarter and threaten all the way to the end.
In order to pull it out, the Eagles mainly leaned on 19 points from Nolan Brunelle and 14 points from Preston Murray, with Lewis Vincent adding nine points. Combined, the trio hit eight 3-pointers.
Then, meeting Canastota Friday night, the Eagles cranked up the defense in a big way, smothering the Raiders most of the night on the way to winning by a 53-32 margin.
Canastota struggled to get any kind of rhythm, and J-E made it pay when it outscored them 16-4 in the second quarter to establish a double-digit lead that grew to 37-17 by the time the third period was done.
Brunelle got half of his 18 points from three 3-pointers, while Murray and Matt Kline helped out with 10 points apiece. Kauchan Gorman added six points and John Travernia had five points.
As for Skaneateles, it welcomed General Brown on Saturday afternoon and, taking over in the game’s middle stages, was able to defeat the Lions 57-45.
The Lakers trailed 11-10 through one period, but steadily worked in front by halftime and, in a decisive third quarter, held GB to just eight points while extending its margin to 38-29.
Reid Danforth had an impressive all-around effort for Skaneateles, accumulating 20 points, six rebounds, four steals and three assists. Carter Loi contributed 14 points, with Charlie Girzadas and Jack Peenstra earning six points apiece and combining to pull down 11 rebounds.
Geting home from there, Skaneateles will pay a visit to J-E on Friday, two days after challenging Westhill.
