CENTRAL NEW YORK – Sitting at 2-0 following a win over Madison County rival Chittenango on Sept. 6, the Cazenovia boys golf team looked to improve upon the 2-1 mark built in the opening stages of the 2024 season.
And the Lakers won three consecutive matches before a key early-season showdown with unbeaten Christian Brothers Academy which took place Friday at Cazenovia Country Club.
Again, the Brothers’ depth and balance proved too much as it beat Cazenovia 202-228, with Nico Segall’s 41 for nine hole stopped by the CBA quartet of Luke Snyder (38), Emmet Kilmartin, Dempsey Horan and Will Young (40 each).
Edmond Richardson got a 44, which the Brothers’ Ryan Hayden matched. Behind them, Owen Porter and Caleb Gilmore both shot 47 and Connor Bell finished with a 49.
A weather-shortened match with Cortland last Monday at Willowbrook ended 125-128 in the Lakers’ favor, with Segall posting a 20 in the five holes that got completed.
Richardson’s 21 matched the Purple Tigers’ Finn Thomas, and while Koda Hubbard got a 22 for Cortland, Ben Bianco put up a 26 and Shamus Newcomb a 28 to preserve Cazenovia’s lead and Jake Hightchew clinched it with a 30 behind 28s from the Purple Tigers’ Carter Urtz and Owen Michales.
All nine holes were played a day later at CCC where the Lakers prevailed again, handling Homer 213-245. A close individual race had Bianco shoot 41 to edge 42s by Richardson and Newcomb. Cooper Lysaw led the Trojans with a 43, but three Lakers followed led by Segall and Gilmore each shooting 44 as Hightchew finished with a 45.
Playing a third match in as many days, Cazenovia prevailed again on Wednesday at CCC, topping Mexico 222-249.
Segall’s 42 was part of a top-four Lakers sweep. Bianco, with a 43, was one shot behind, with Hightchew and Gilmore both shooting 44 ahead of the low Tigers round of 47 from Evan Hansen. Newcomb finished with a 49.
Back on Tuesday afternoon, Chittenango got into the win column at Beaver Meadows, the Bears defeating Phoenix by a score of 231-259.
Alex Pappas, shooting 42, edged the Firebirds’ Cameron Dryer (43) for the individual honors. Anthony Thousand was third with a 45, while Logan Higgins, Sam Martin and Finnegan Gardner each shot 47 and Trevor Bentz finished with a 50.
Making it back-to-back victories on Wednesday, the Bears edged Homer 244-247 at Rogues Roost, with Thousand shooting 43 just behind Lysaw’s 42 and ahead of Ryder Armstrong’s 44. Gardner was fourth at 46, and it took a 50 from Pappas and 52 from Higgins to help Chittenango hang on.
Like Cazenovia, the Bears would face Homer and Mexico back-to-back, staying at Rogues Roost Thursday and getting its second win in as many matches, prevailing 231-250 over the Tigers.
Easily claiming the individual title, Thousand shot 39, with Perry’s 45 tying Mexico’s Cayden Roy for second. Martin got third with a 46 and Pappas was fifth with a 48 as Matt Huckabee contributed a 53.
