CENTRAL NEW YORK – When the Section III boys soccer playoffs get underway next week, Cazenovia and Chittenango will both have strong seeds and championship ambitions.

Chittenango, having avenged its earlier defeat to Cazenovia, followed it up with, among other things, yet another star turn from Gavin Karwoski in Tuesday’s 4-0 win over Solvay.

Both early and late in the game, Karwoski kept the Bearcats off balance, eventually notching three goals for his sixth consecutive multi-goal game and fifth hat trick.

Not only that, but Karwoski had the assist on Chittenango’s other goal by Landon Touchette, while Solomon Mullin and Jake Wagner gained assists. The Bears’ defense held the Bearcats to just three shots all night.

This happened as Cazenovia shut out Cortland 3-0, pulling away with a pair of late goals after only leading 1-0 at halftime.

Unlike with Chittenango, this production was spread out, with goals from three different players – Nate Gale, Eliot Comeau and Alex Dolly. Cole Frazee contributed an assist, too, with Cazenovia enjoying a 16-2 shot advantage.

In Thursday night’s action Chittenango put away Canastota 4-0 and again it was a Karwoski showcase with two goals in each half by the senior to push his season total to 34, among the best in the state this fall.

None of these goals were solo efforts, either. Twice, Wagner picked up assists, with Touchette and Ryan Thousand also picking up assists.

All of this would get severely tested when the Bears, on Saturday, closed the regular season against the same undefeated Lowville side who was no. 10 in the state Class B rankings and had blanked Cazenovia 2-0 a week earlier.

Chittenango was able to play Lowville to a 1-1 draw, the only goal for the Bears coming from Touchette off a feed from Wagner. Simeon Rush scored for the Red Raiders and its defense contained Karwoski, only the third time all season he was unable to record a goal.