CENTRAL NEW YORK – Before anyone else, it was the boys golf teams of Cazenovia and Chittenango making their way into regular-season action to start the 2024-25 area high school sports season.
And at the tail end of this opening sequence, the Lakers and Bears met head-to-head Friday afternoon at Cazenovia Country Club, with Cazenovia prevailing by a score of 210-228.
A tight individual race unfolded between two Lakers, with Ben Bianco’s 38 for nine holes just enough to hold off Nico Segall’s 39 and both ahead of the 40 from the Bears’ Anthony Thousand.
Edmond Richardson’s 43 and Caleb Gilmore’s 44 helped Cazenovia pull away, Shamus Newcomb adding a 46. Sam Martin was second for Chittenango with a 44, with Matt Huckabee and Wyatt Perry both posting 47 and Finnegan Gardner earning a 49.
It all teed off Aug. 29, with the Lakers taking on Westhill at Camillus Golf Club and, in a tight match, taking a 215-222 defeat despiteSegall shooting 38, the only individual total under 40.
Three Westhill golfers – Danny Young (40), Anthony Sampo (41) and Trevor Young (42) – beat out the 43 from Cazenovia’s Paul Mitchell as Bianco added a 44. Jake Hightchew’s 48 was just ahead of Gilmore’s 49 and Richardson’s 50.
On its second try, the Lakers got into the win column last Tuesday at Beaver Meadows, defeating Phoenix 224-255.
Competing at the same course where the Section III fall championships will take place in early October, Richardson and Bianco tied for low individual honors, each shooting 42 to beat out the 43 from the Firebirds’ Jack Hayes. Segall finished fourth with a 44, while Gilmore and Hightchew both finished at 47.
Chittenango also began its season Aug. 29, falling to Christian Brothers Academy 199-224 in a match at Rogues Roost, the Bears’ home course.
Perry posted 41 to lead Chittenango, but four CBA golfers matched or bettered it, paced by Zach Cooper’s 36. Alex Pappas put up a 42, with Thousand shooting 43 as Gardner (48) and Martin (50) followed.
Returning to Rogues Roost Wednesday afternoon for its own match against Westhill, Chittenango took a 213-245 defeat.
Thousand shot a 43, third behind the Westhill duo of Danny Young (39) and Trevor Young (40). Perry finished with a 45, beating out a 50 from Pappas and 52 from Huckabee as Gardner and Trevor Bentz both posted 55.
