CENTRAL NEW YORK – All through the first month of the regular season the West Genesee football team has displayed tough and consistent defense, even if it only resulted in a 2-2 overall record.
And the defense again stood out Friday night at Mike Messere Field, helping to carry the Wildcats past Utica Proctor 23-6 by pitching a first-half shutout and then keeping the Raiders quiet for most of the last two quarters, too.
All the points WG needed came from a pair of Elijah Apps trips to the end zone. Apps scored on a 17-yard pass from Jack Wade in the first quarter and returned to go four yards for a touchdown in the second period.
Staked to that 13-0 lead as Connor Parker went one-for-two on extra points, the Wildcats limited big plays on the Raiders’ part, even as the shutout was broken when Wyatt Robinson threw a four-yard scoring pass to Marco Rivera Ramirez late in the third quarter.
By then, Parker had hit on a 28-yard field goal, meaning it was 16-6 going to the final period, still within Proctor’s range – but not after a patient Wildcats drive culminating in Wade’s four-yard TD pass to Raul Colon.
Keying the defensive effort, Colon made five tackles and Jay’Mari Newsome added four tackles, with Anthony Baggett and Liam Kelly both earning interceptions. On offense, Brian Simmons’ five catches for 105 yards set up most of WG’s scores as Wade finished 10-for-17 for 182 yards without turning the ball over.
This happened as Jordan-Elbridge broke out of a four-game skid against Port Byron/Union Springs in impressive fashion, earning a 46-6 victory over the Panthers.
Nixon Karcz did most of his damage for the Eagles through the air, completing six of 13 passes for 200 yards, and four of those passes went for touchdowns to Joe LaFluer, whose four scoring receptions covered 160 yards. Karcz added 75 yards and a TD on the ground as Kuchaun Gorman added 62 yards on 12 carries.
J-E had its best defensive showing of the season, too, led by Colton Munson, who recorded seven tackles. Nick Loperfido had six tackles, with Gorman recording five tackles.
Westhill scored a lot of points, too, in Friday’s game against visiting Chittenango, yet it still wasn’t enough as the Warriors lost a 54-42 decision to the Bears.
Elijah Welch’s 29-yard TD run kicked off a first half where Westhill scored three times, Welch adding a 29-yard TD pass to Collin White and Jack Hayes scoring on a one-yard plunge.
All that did was produce a 22-22 tie, though, and the Warriors’ defensive struggles were augmented when Welch threw an interception returned for a TD that put Chittenango in front 30-22 going to the break.
Then the second half amounted to a long chase. Twice the Bears extended its margin and twice Westhill answered on short TD runs by Hayes (six yards) and Welch (seven yards) before Welch scored again on an 11-yard dash early in the fourth quarter cutting the deficit to 46-42.
Seamus Gardner’s late TD sealed it for Chittenango, who overcame Welch completing 17 of 22 passes for 226 yards and adding 134 rushing yards on 17 carries. White had three catches for 70 yards and Keller O’Hern’s three completions went for 67 yards.
