CENTRAL NEW YORK – If ever there was a good and appropriate time for the Skaneateles and Marcellus boys lacrosse teams to resume their fierce rivalry, this was it.
On and off the field the week had proved quite difficult for area fans, whether it was the cancellation of Westhill’s season or the weather postponement of Tuesday’s game between West Genesee and Fayetteville-Manlius.
And now the Mustangs, two-time defending Section III Class D champions and no. 2 in the state rankings, hosted the state no. 12-ranked Lakers who were riding a seven-game win streak.
Good as Skaneateles was playing, what it did here may have surprised everybody outside of its own circle as the Lakers took apart the Marcellus defense and did not let up until it had a 20-10 victory in the books.
Fittingly Luke Mizro set the tone, assisting on Ty Calabro’s goal in the opening minute and then scoring twice off long shots later in the first quarter before settling into the role of main passer the rest of the night.
All Mizro did was pile up seven assists, steadily increasing his production along with the team as it built a 7-3 lead after one period and, after a modest second quarter, took off again in the second half, the margin growing to 20-8 at one point in the fourth quarter.
Most of Mizro’s passes went to Charlie Carbonaro or Braedan Taggart as the pair each finished with five goals, Carbonaro tacking on a pair of assists. Landon Brunelle managed three goals and three assists as Calabro also scored three times and Ty Kennedy chimed in with a pair of goals.
This was not the only big-time lacrosse game on Friday night as a far closer battle unfolded at Mike Messere Field between West Genesee and Baldwinsville and the Wildcats survived it, beating the Bees 15-14.
Going into the game at 9-0 and no. 6 in the state Class A rankings, WG had endured plenty of close calls this spring including one from B’ville in an 18-16 decision when they first met April 15 at Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium.
It was apparent that the rematch would follow a similar course when the Bees, trailing early, nearly caught up in the second quarter and only trailed 6-5 at the break.
From there both attacks would strike often, B’ville leaning heavily on the duo of Zach Bice and Brady Garcia as Bice set a career mark with seven goals and Garcia scored five times.
What ultimately helped the Wildcats hang on was that it had a little more production outside of Charlie Lockwood, who matched Bice scoring seven times to run his season total to 44 along with earning a pair of assists.
Jake McMahon got three goals, with Nash Oudemool and Jack Wenham each scoring twice. Chace Cogan got a goal and two assists as Jon Shoults was quite busy in goal, recording 18 saves.
Far from all this, Jordan-Elbridge played Tuesday against LaFayette/Onondaga and lost 18-7 to the Lancers, though Jayden Castaldo picked up three goals and two assists. Joe LaFluer scored twice, with Nixon Karcz adding a goal and two assists and Tom LaFluer also converting.
A 20-5 defeat to Fulton followed on Friday night, the Eagles outscored by the Red Dragons’ Xavier Doty netting seven goals to go with two assists. Karcz had three of J-E’s goals, the others going to Joe LaFluer and Ryan Gibbs as Castaldo got two assists.
