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from Cazenovia Republican Digital Edition - May 4, 2022

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Cazenovia boys tennis gets 3-2 win over CBA

By PHil BlACkwEll

Over the years, the Cazenovia boys tennis team often had its path to the top of the OHSL Liberty division blocked by the likes of Christian Brothers Academy.

This is exactly what made the Lakers’ 3-2 victory over the Brothers last Monday afternoon so particularly sweet as close, hard-fought matches went Cazenovia’s way.

Traian Cherciu, in first singles, won 6-3, 6-3 over Chanu Yang. By those same scores, Garret Lounsbury lost to Soren Kang, but Jake Wardell got through two close sets to beat Gabriel Yang 6-4, 6-4.

Needing a point after Ethan Camp and Carter Ruddy fell 6-0, 6-2 to John Engle and Will Vandemeer, Cazenovia saw Andrew Falso and Gabe Reagan rally to clinch the match 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 over Fabrizio Arezzo and Finn Doyle.

The Lakers were then off until Friday afternoon, when it took on Homer and, by a 4-1 margin, was able to improve its overall record to 5-1.

Cherciu lost in two sets, but Lounsbury battled past Raymond Meng 7-5, 6-4 as Wardell beat Randolph Kruman 6-2, 6-3. Ruddy and Cy Lurie had a 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 win over Brandon McLaughlin and Jackson Henderson as Reagan and Falso rallied in first doubles to beat Jake Camp and Conor Powers 4-6, 7-5, 6-1.

Chittenango softball blanks Cazenovia, 25-0

By PHil BlACkwEll

While it has battled consistency throughout this young season, the Chittenango softball team can take solace in the way it dominated against its neighbors from Cazenovia when they faced off last Monday afternoon.

Enjoying the warm temperatures, the Bears’ bats warmed up, too, and didn’t cool down until it had put together a 25-0 victory over the Lakers.

A four-run first inning was followed by nine-run outbursts in the second and third innings, Chittenango eventually producing 17 hits while pitcher Caroline Porter kept Cazenovia hitless.

Madison Wagner led the way, going five-for-five with a home run, four singles and three RBIs. Lily Callahan went four-for-five, scored four times and drove in four runs as Allison Soulier also had three RBIs. Lauren Machan scored twice and earned two RBIs.

Moving on from this game, Chittenango prevailed again a day later, topping Altmar-Parish-Williamstown 10-2 with runs in the first three innings and a six-run rally in the sixth to get away from the Rebels.

Olivia Jackson went three-for-three, with Soulier and Stephanie Huckabee earning two hits apiece as Wagner and Avree Salce joined Soulier in scoring a pair of runs.

Then, in a doubleheader Thursday against Hannibal, the Bears overwhelmed the Warriors with 53 total runs, winning the first game 33-4 and the second game with a 19-0 shutout.

As this went on, Cazenovia absorbed a 7-5 defeat to Phoenix, dropping to 1-3 on the season, while Chittenango’s win streak continued Friday by topping Westhill 14-6 to move its record to 7-2.

Cazenovia baseball beats Chittenango, 10-6

By PHil BlACkwEll

When Cazenovia baseball team has managed to take the field around the various weather interruptions, it has put together some big numbers.

After piling up 28 runs in an April 22 shutout of Jordan-Elbridge at Cortland’s Gutchess Field, where Jack Byrnes threw a five-inning no-hitter, the Lakers were at it again last Monday against Hannibal, this time “settling” for 20 runs on the way to blasting the Warriors 20-1.

Having scored three times in the first and second innings, Cazenovia unloaded for 12 runs in the top of the third, ultimately accumulating 23 hits.

Byrnes and Jack Donlin both hit home runs, combining for six RBIs. A.J. Rothfeld went four-for-four and scored four times as Sully Clarke went three-for-four with three RBIs. Donlin also pitched a complete game, striking out 10 and only surrendering three hits.

Far more modest numbers were achieved a day later when Cazenovia took on Chittenango, but the Lakers still had more than enough on hand during a 10-6 victory over the Bears.

Two first-inning runs got Cazenovia in front. Then, with the score 3-1, the Lakers batted around in the bottom of the fourth, plating six runs to all but put the game away.

Helped in no small part by the Bears committing seven errors, Cazenovia saw Donlin score three runs and Byrnes score twice, with Jacob Grevelding and Jacob Szalach earning RBIs. Byrnes pitched six innings and amassed 13 strikeouts as Chittenango got two hits and two RBIs from Ty Kelly.

When Cazenovia challenged reigning sectional Class A champion Christian Brothers Academy on Thursday, it got overwhelmed in a 24-1 defeat to the Brothers.

With its top pitchers resting, the Lakers gave up nine runs in the first and third innings, only getting on the board when Peter McCole drove home Grevelding in the top of the second. Ethan Harris (four RBIs), Cooper Marko (four-for-four, three RBIs) and Jack Landau (home runs) paced CBA’s 19-hit attack. Baseball l Page 14

Weather issues had allowed the Cazenovia boys lacrosse team to sneak in another full week of preparation for its toughest stretch of the regular season.

Over the course of six days, the Lakers would take on three high-quality opponents, two of which were direct rivals for supremacy in the area Class D ranks.

First was last Monday’s showdown with reigning sectional champion Westhill, a tense game where Cazenovia got off to a terrific start, but could not sustain it in a 9-6 loss to the Warriors.

Cazenovia’s attack clicked while building a 4-1 first-quarter lead. But Westhill countered with four unanswered goals in the second period and took the lead for good.

Throughout the second half, Cazenovia tried to regain its early magic but could not do so, seeing Warriors goalie Owen Mahar record 11 saves to prevent a comeback.

Brody Coleman and Jack Wright had two goals apiece. James LaFever and Forrest Ives had the other goals, with Chris Vecchiarelli winning 10 of 17 face-offs. For the Warriors, Kyle MacCaull had three goals, with Kyle Rosenberger adding two goals and one assist. Just as instructive was Wednesday’s game against undefeated Christian Brothers Academy at Alibrandi Stadium, where the Lakers were the better team most of the way, yet still fell to the Brothers 12-9.

It was all due to the third quarter. Prior to that, the game was played at Cazenovia’s pace as it didn’t let CBA quicken the tempo, patiently working the ball around and converting enough to inch in front, 5-4, going to the break.

But everything changed in the third period. The Brothers won a series of face-offs and scored seven times, not letting up until it had built an 11-6 advantage.

Battling to the end, the Lakers saw Coleman light it up with six goals as Jack Wright scored twice and Vecchiarelli had the other goal. LaFever added an assist as, for the Brothers, Dan Anderson (four goals) and Joe Papa (three goals) led the way.

Trying hard to turn this around in Saturday’s game against Marcellus, the Lakers could not quite do so, taking a narrow 7-6 defeat to the Mustangs.

Chittenango lost last Tuesday to Skaneateles, 19-9, unable to keep up with a wellbalanced attack where Ethan Hunt (four goals, one assist), Colin Morrissey (three goals, three assists) and Sean Kerwick (two goals, five assists) also had big point totals.

But the Bears turned around Thursday and beat Fulton 21-9, mostly with a three-man show. Vince Lazzaro scored eight times and got two assists, with Connor Meeks-Vaughn getting six goals and four assists as Brandon Barnard banged out nine assists to go with his pair of goals.

Then, in Friday’s 21-8 win over Holland Patent, Chittenango got eight goals from Meeks-Vaughn as Barnard gained five goals and three assists. Jack Lamphere had a three-goal hat trick, with Lazarro and Ryan Moesch adding two goals apiece.

Cazenovia boys track and field runner Cooper Hughes battles to the finish in the 800-meter event during the April 23 Vernon-Verona-Sherrill Invitational. Hughes finished fifth in a time of 2:11.40.

Caz boys track fourth at VVS Invitational

The Cazenovia varsity boys outdoor track team took fourth place at the April 23 Vernon-Verona-Sherrill Invitational, where the strength of the team was the 400-meter runners, each achieving season best and sectional qualifying times.

Andrew Kent took second place in 51.54 seconds, a time that meets the “super standard” for the Section III state qualifying meet, followed by Dan Millson in fourth place (54.84, personal record) and Jaden Kaplan in eighth place (56.04, personal record).

Also, Kent delivered the outstanding individual performance of the meet, winning the 200-meter race in 23.44 seconds, qualifying for June’s state meet and close to the 22.58 school record he set in 2021.

Cazenovia had two scorers in the pole vault, with Sam Wilcox and Killian Blouin both clearing 8 feet 6 inches, Wilcox taking fourth place and Blouin fifth place.

The 4x100 meter relay team JP Hoak, Tommy Insel, Wyatt Scott, and Andrew Lee took second place in a season- best time of 47.64 seconds. The 4x400 team of Kaplan, Scott, Insel and Kent was third in 3:54.70

Fifth-place finishes included Hoak in the 100 meters (12.34, sectional qualifying); Cooper Hughes in the 800 meters (2:11.40, sectional qualifying); Will Austin in the 3200 meters (11.27.80, personal record) and the 4x800 meter relay team of Millson, Brayden McColm, Quinn Smith, and Will Austin (10:00.80).

Smith and Connor Frisbee both had sectional qualifying jumps in the high jump, clearing 5’2”, with Smith taking sixth place. Wilcox rounded out the scoring with a sixth-place finish in the discus (89’ 10.5”, personal record).

Individuals achieving personal records on the day included: Frisbee (19.2) and Willem Light-Olsen (22.7) in the 100 hurdles; Austin (5:28.90) and J.D.Dolly (5:33.90) in the 1,600 meters; Braydon Weismore (1:10.54), Light-Olsen (1:15:54), and Matthew Tugaw (1:18.64) in the 400 meter hurdles; Dolly (2:24.90) in the 800; Miles Weiler (31’2”) and Aiden Bailey (29’10”) in the shot put; Weiler (72’3”) in the discus, Weismore (15’6”) in the long jump, and McColm (12:19.30) in the steeplechase.

The meet was notable in that it marked the return of senior captain and all-CNY cross country runner Cassidy Gilmore, cleared to compete again after recovering from a nagging injury. The team will receive a huge boost going forward, as Cassidy works his way back to top form.

After a meet with CBA on Tuesday, Cazenovia went to Friday’s Onondaga Central Invitational, where it finished third with 56 points, trailing only Class A schools Oswego and East Syracuse Minoa/

Hughes won the 800 in 2:04.76, edging the 2:04.87 from Homer’’s Tommy Mahunik, and Kent tore to victory in the 400 sprint in 51.45 seconds while also helping Hughes, Millson and Kaplan win the 4x400 in 3:37.74.

Also, Kent went 22.84 seconds in the 200 for second place, with Clement throwing the discus 102’6” for third place. McColm took fourth in the 1,600 in 5:07.75 as Blouin was sixth in the pole vault and Frisbee seventh in the long jump.

Caz girls sweep league foes, win Onondaga meet

By KuRT WHEELER

The Cazenovia girls track and field team finally got its weather-delayed regular season off to an impressive start as it won two dual meets and dominated the Onondaga Central Invitational with a first place finish among 18 teams.

First, the Lakers topped Christian Brothers Academy 122-18 and overwhelmed OnTech Charter School 136-3 in a double-dual meet contest last Tuesday, achieving 38 new season bests despite the cold conditions. Katie Whitney, Melanie Michael, Susie Pittman and Grace Dolan won three events each to pace the Lakers in its first home contest of the season, since its scheduled April 19 meet with Westhill was cancelled due to the foot of snow that fell a day earlier.

Whitney won the 100 (13.2), 200 (28.1) and anchored the 4x100 relay to victory in 53.8 seconds. Michael won the 100 hurdles (17.8), 400 hurdles (1:17.0) and helped the 4x100 to victory.

Pittman topped the pole vault (8’6”), high jump (4’6”) and triple jump (30’7”) to lead Cazenovia in the field events. Grace Dolan added a trio of wins in the 400 sprint (career best of 1:02.4), 4x100 and 4x400.

Corinne Albicker was a double winner as she captured the long jump at 14’2” and helped the 4x100 to first while also adding second place finishes in the 100 hurdles (18.9) and triple jump. Olivia Wong 12:01.4 in the 3,000) and Claire Braaten (2:38.4 in the 800) were also individual winner for the Lakers’ on the track.

Braaten, Nadia Segall, Dinah Gifford and Kate Millson won the 4x800 relay while Mary Williams, Olivia Ruddy and Meghan Mehlbaum teamed with Dolan for the 4x400 victory.

Olivia Morse threw a career best of 71’11 ½” to win the discus with Skye Stanford second in a best of her own at 66’6”. Williams won the shot with a 24’ ½” effort with Danielle Smith close behind at 23’10 ½”.

The Lakers were even more impressive at the Onondaga Central Invitational on Friday, scoring 122 points to top the 18-team field with Oswego (57) and Vernon-Verona-Sherrill (56) finishing a distant second and third. Cazenovia earned 18 season bests during the meet including six new sectional qualifiers and three State Qualifer performances.

Michael (17.50 in the 100 hurdles), Braaten (2:34.42 in the 800) and Susie Pittman (State Qualifier height of 8’6” in the pole vault) were all individual winners for Cazenovia, who also swept all three relays.

Whitney added a pair of impressive second place finishes, running a career best, State Qualifier time of 12.95 in the 100 meter dash and a season best of 28.19 in the 200. She also anchored the 4x100 relay of Dolan, Albicker and Michael to victory in their fastest time of the year at 53.13.

Dolan added a second place finish of 1:02.75 in the 400, with Mehlbaum sixth in a career best 1:05.03. The duo were joined by Williams and Ruddy to win the 4x400 in a season best time of 4:26.90.

Segall ran her best 800 ever to finish second to Braaten in the 800 at 2:34.49. She was joined by Wheeler (season best of 2:35.2), Millson and Gifford to win the 4x800.

Gifford (fifth in 11:57.75) and Wong (fourth in in 11:49.66) both achieved season bests in the 3,000. Williams and Grace Kingsley scored in the 1,500, while Michael added a fourth in the 400 hurdles and Bonnie Pittman a sixth in the 100 hurdles to round out the Lakers’ track scoring.

Katie Pavelchak led the high jump with a third-place finish, while Susie Pittman added fourth place points in both the high jump and long jump in the field events for Cazenovia.

The Lakers will return to action against Solvay in their final home meet of the season this Wednesday as it strives to celebrate Senior Night with another win.

Bonnie Pittman scored in three events versus CBA and was one of 19 girls to achieve a season best at the meet.

TwOLEgENDSOf ThEICE

Phil blackwell

Seven days apart, hockey fans around the world found themselves in mourning for two men who, in their own way and with their own styles, fueled championship dynasties bridging the 1970s and 1980s.

The passing of Mike Bossy on one Friday in April, and Guy LaFleur the following Friday, seemed especially cruel on the eve of the playoffs, the stage where each of them made permanent marks as their respective team’s most potent scoring threats.

It’s unimaginable to ponder Montreal without “The Flowe”, no. 10 in “Bleu, Blanc et Rouge”,, one of the last great players who didn’t wear a helmet, tearing down the ice with those flowing locks.

Similarly, the New York Islanders didn’t reach the summit until Bossy arrived, adding skill to a group that already had plenty of toughness and attitude but now had an unstoppable sniper on the wing.

My youth of loving hockey (cheering for the Buffalo Sabres, of course) involved Bossy’s Islanders sitting at the top, having dislodged LaFleur’s Habs. Between them, they won it all eight straight formative years.

In terms of pure love from the Montreal faithful, only Rocket Richard and Jean Beliveau topped LaFleur’s standing. All were Quebecois, of course, and their success carried with it a bit of rebellion against the Englishspeaking portion of Canada. No wonder the Forum was as much shrine as it was hockey rink.

Even on a team with legends like Dryden, Robinson, Gainey, Lemaire, Cournoyer and Shutt, with the incomparable Scotty Bowman behind the bench, LaFleur carried his own magic. He had so many big goals, none more important than the slap shot in 1979 that made Don Cherry forever pay for having too many men on the ice.

Bossy picked up the mantle. No one else has ever scored 50 goals nine straight years. Only Rocket had done the 50-in-50 games thing before, and only some guy everyone called The Great One did it after.

But Bossy’s goals-per-game average tops them all– Gretzky, Howe, Ovechkin, everyone. There’s also the 19 straight playoff series wins, almost certain never to be done again.

Their careers did differ in how they ended. LaFleur, similar to Phil Esposito or Brett Hull, chased rainbows a long time after his prime. Bossy left at 32 with his body and mind intact, something even Bobby Orr couldn’t claim.

Maybe the best thing about them is that they bridged eras in this sport. Howe, Richard and Bobby Hull carried the sport before, with Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and others taking the torch in the mid-1980s and beyond.

Oddly, perhaps the best part about them was that, because they were great but part of all-time great teams, they never got drawn into the tiresome GOAT debates that plague so many sports.

LaFleur had a squad of Hall of Fame teammates. So did Bossy, who had Bryan Trottier, Denis Potvin, Billy Smith, Clark Gillies, John Tonelli and Bobby Nystrom around to make their own impact on a team coached so well by Al Arbour and built perfectly by Bill Torrey.

In both instances, it was vast, wildly divergent talents who, put together, produced some of the best hockey ever played. No one person did it alone – something we might need to remember.

These days, regardless of the team sport, it’s too easy to fixate on a superstar (especially quarterbacks) and hang the glory of championships solely on them. They’re ready-made narratives, perfect for hot takes and a whole lot of hot air.

Reality is different, and the NHL provides the ultimate antidote. When they hand out the Stanley Cup, every player and coach associated with the run gets carved into the trophy, and most of them are granted a full day to take the Cup home, the experience of a lifetime.

Great as Guy LaFleur and Mike Bossy were, and singular as their talents, they always understood, and conducted themselves, as small parts of a larger story of accomplishment. They had every right to feel entitled to idol worship, and preferred to be down-toearth.

No wonder their deaths hurt so much, even if it was divinely timed as 16 teams begin their spirited pursuit of the same hockey Grail they once made their own.

Phil Blackwell is sports editor at Eagle News. He can be reached at pblackwell@ eaglenewsonline.com.

Laker girls lax takes loss to Westhill Cazenovia girls golf opens with defeats

By PHil BlACkwEll

Hitting the heart of its league schedule, the Cazenovia girls lacrosse team looked for any sort of momentum.

But the Lakers lost on April 24 to Marcellus 15-3, a game where only Madison DeAngelis, Dali Dennisson and Riley Knapp were able to pick up single goals.

Julia Reff tacked on an assist, with Mackenzie Halliday picking up six saves. On the Mustangs’ side, Claire Card had five goals and one assist, with Anna Spitzer and Lucy Powell each scoring three times and Spitzer getting three assists.

Looking to turn it around when playing at Christian Brothers Academy on Wednesday night, Cazenovia instead saw the Brothers play a big first half on the way to topping the Lakers 18-8.

Scoring at will in the early going, CBA was up 13-3 by the break, with Gracie Britton earning six goals and two assists and Amelia Bonacci matching that point total with five goals and three assists.

Finding some success in the late going, the Lakers saw Knapp pick up four goals, with Charlie Prior getting two goals and one assist. DeAngelis got three assists and Megan Kuhn two assists as Katie Rajkowski and Caitlyn Smithers earned one goal apiece.

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By PHil BlACkwEll

Through a month of starts and stops, the Cazenovia girls golf team kept practicing and waited for its 2022 season to get underway.

And when it finally did last Monday at Camillus Golf Club, Sophie Clancy had the best individual round, but it wasn’t quite enough for the Lakers in a 216-237 defeat to Westhill.

Clancy’s nine-hole score of 49 in windy conditions was one shot better than the Warriors’ Catherine Dadey.

Claire Marris had a 60, but Westhill’s Hannah Johnston equaled it and her teammates, Charlotte Ross (52) and Bella Jones (55) topped the 61 from Grace Probe and 67 from Kim Marris.

In Thursday’s 200-225 defeat to Christian Brothers Academy, Clancy shot 48 to equal the Brothers’ Grace Catalano and Bella Meade, while Marris and Probe both improved to 56. Bella Fazio had a 65, matched by Jordan Bradley as Lucy Hagan shot 66.

Baseball

l From page 13

Another setback came on Saturday, Cazenovia falling 3-0 to Phoenix in a game that was scoreless, Donlin matching Ty Corey zero for zero, until the Firebirds struck for all of its runs in the top of the seventh. Clarke, in defeat, went three-for-three, with Donlin adding a pair of hits.

Before this, Chittenango, who has gone through its own early-season ups and downs, met Homer last Monday and struggled in a 9-4 defeat to the Trojans.

They traded two-run rallies in the first inning before Homer went in front with three runs in the third, then pulled away late as Ian Gilbert went three-for-four with two RBIs.

The Bears got two hits and two RBIs from Austin Khammar, with Kelly scoring twice as Drew Thomas and Tanner King each had an RBI and Carlos Torres-Carman scored two runs, aside from pitching four innings.

After the loss to Cazenovia, Chittenango recovered on Thursday with an 11-1 win over Hannibal that featured two hits and four RBIs from Carlos Torres-Carman as David Bruno drove in a pair of runs. Austin Khammar and Bryce Bishop had two hits apiece.

On Saturday, the Bears blanked Fulton 5-0 behind pitcher Kyle Peryer, who struck out six and held the Red Raiders to five hits, also getting two hits at the plate as he and Kelly both earned RBIs.