ONONDAGA COUNTY – To at least some degree, every high school football season brings about big changes since a large group of players graduate, meaning rosters and lineups require constant adjustments.
But as the kickoff of the 2024 season nears, the usual roster turnover is accompanied by three new head coaches and, in a couple of instances, teams moving into new classes and divisions.
The biggest move is made by the area’s biggest school, West Genesee, who after a spell in Class A goes back up to the AA ranks, quite hungry in the wake of a narrow sectional semifinal defeat to East Syracuse Minoa in 2023.
Jack Wade returns at quarterback for the Wildcats, having thrown for 1,207 yards and 12 touchdowns a season ago. He will be throwing to the likes of Anthony Baggett and Rob Newell while the backfield looks to replace Francisco Cross in front of linemen Peter Guy and Connor Parker.
Linebacker Elijah Apps, WG’s leading tackler last fall (89 tackles) is back to lead the defense, part of a strong front seven that includes Jay’Mari Newsome (55 tackles, six sacks) and Christian Burns (53 tackles) up front.
Four local teams play in Class C West, and two of them have new coaches – Marcellus hiring Matt DiCarlo and Bishop Ludden/SAS tapping Melvin Baker.
DiCarlo brings a wealth of head coaching experience to Marcellus from his eight seasons at Central Square in the 2010s. Given the task he faced with the Redhawks, he knows quite well how to rebuild a program.
And that’s what the Mustangs face, having only won seven games the last three years. Just four seniors graduated, though, and Marcellus has plenty of athletes, from Mitch Donegan to Chris Doshna, who have won big in other sports wearing green. Beau Lawrence saw action under center as a freshman and takes on a much larger role this fall.
Ludden/SAS turned to Baker after Jim Ryan left to coach at Cicero-North Syracuse. In doing so, they chose a 1998 Ludden graduate who has assisted with the program while serving as a chaplain at Syracuse University and Le Moyne College.
The Gaelic Knights went 4-5 last fall. A core of talented players are back, from quarterback X’Zavion Streiff, who has thrown for 2,646 yards and 25 TD’s in two seasons as a starter, to Jahbari Clarke, who totaled 1,111 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2023. Jahmarion Clarke, Darion Clarke, Tom Cervantes and Tiziere Sheard gives Ludden/SAS speed and experience on defense.
Far more stable is Skaneateles, who went 7-3 a year ago and finished second in C West before a sectional semifinal defeat to General Brown, with good reason to think it can contend again.
Many offensive stars return for the Lakers, from top rusher Torin Bennett (559 yards, eight TD’s) to top receiver Brady Ellis to quarterback Hugh Carroll. Ellis is even better on defense, having amassed 64 ½ tackles from his linebacker spot in 2023 while Colton McDonald works up front and a strong secondary includes Bennett, Landen Brunelle and Cole Krauter.
Solvay has improved in recent years and comes off a 4-4 campaign, though a season-ending three-game skid put a damper on what the Bearcats did early in the fall and no local team faces a greater challenge on offense with the graduation of Jaysin Bliss, who piled up 1,639 yards and 17 TD’s last season, along with Jeff Sharpe and Luis Mojica.
It might prove more of a pass-oriented offense with Jakob Frost at the helm, a full season of starting experience behind him. Many starters have to be replaced on defense, too, though Xavier Hardy is back after six sacks, 42 tackles and a fumble recovery in 2023.
Still in the Class B West division, Westhill doesn’t get a chance to play most of its neighbors, and it has battled to find some consistency, coming off a season where it went 3-5.
Elijah Welch, though just a junior, threw for more than 1,300 yards and ran for more than 800 yards as a sophomore. Top receiver Collin White (30 catches, 593 yards) is back, too, as is Keller O’Hern and Jack Hayes at the skill positions. Brody Clayton, fresh off a 52-tackle season, and Colin Shiel lead Westhill’s defensive unit.
Jordan-Elbridge finds itself coming off a 2-7 season in 2023, though that record was a bit deceptive since three of the Eagles’ defeats in October were by a combined four points.
There’s plenty of provent talent in J-E’s lineup led by Nixon Karcz, who last fall threw and ran for a combined 2,046 yards and was responsible for 22 touchdowns. He’s back, as is Kushaun Gorman, who had his own 1,000-yard rushing campaign, top receivers Joe LaFluer, Dylan Czarnecki and Nick Lopefido and, on defense, Ellis Titus, who amassed 73 tackles a season ago.
