The No. 6 Cincinnatus boys soccer team had its season cut short by No. 11 Sauquoit Valley in the first round of the Section III Class C tournament Wednesday at Fireman’s Field. The two teams played to a 2-2 draw and the Red Hawks won 4-2 on penalty kicks.
The two teams played a mostly even game, with Cincinnatus getting the better looks while being unable to score. Cincinnatus led 2-1 at halftime.
The Lions put striker John Schuyler in goal for the penalty kicks. Sauquoit Valley converted on all four of its penalty kicks, while Jack Stafford and Schuyler both missed the goal wide. Schuyler made his first attempt, but didn’t wait for the whistle and missed the frame on his second attempt.
Cincinnatus nearly won the game at the end of the first overtime period, with Trevor Shevalier knocking in a pass from Schuyler with the clock winding down. Schuyler passed the ball across the goal with about 1.2 seconds left and the ball didn’t cross the line in time. Cincinnatus head coach Jherrett Maroney didn’t have to do too much refocusing after the near miss and ensuing ruckus.
“We’ve had difficult moments in the year and I think external reinforcement only works so much,” Maroney said. “Some of it has to be intrinsic and come from you. These guys have dealt with those difficult moments and they just keep pushing and grinding.”
Cincinnatus also had a near miss at the end of the second overtime, with Stafford shooting a ball across the box that went untouched with two seconds left.
Shevalier gave the Lions an early lead that the Red Hawks erased, then Schuyler put the Lions up 2-1 with just 13.6 seconds left before halftime.
Sauquoit Valley knotted the game at one with 5:08 left in the first half on a Rocco Femia goal, then Femia nearly put his team ahead 1:03 later.
Emmett Tompkins evened the score at two with 20:38 left in regulation after his high header hit Cincinnatus goalkeeper Collin Holtmart in the hands. Holtmart protested that he was hit as he attempted to make the play, but the officials allowed the goal to stand.
Cincinnatus held Sauquoit Valley star Quincy Stayton silent most of the match. He got free a few times but couldn’t make any big plays.
Maroney was pleased with the effort overall, given they were playing a team with a deceptive 3-11-1 record heading in.
“We talked a lot about it prior to the match because we knew the league they play in is stronger than the league we’re in,” Maroney said. “The record we didn’t pay too much attention to. We knew it was going to be a tough game and a solid game all around. We knew who their players were and we did our research. We did really well nullifying their better players, I thought.”
The rookie head coach was gutted by the loss but was still appreciative of the effort he got all season from his guys.
“Honestly, I’m disappointed but I’m just so proud of them,” Maroney said. “I just kept saying it to them because they give me everything they have and it’s all you can ask for. They’ve done that throughout the season. As sad and upsetting as the circumstance is, I can’t say enough how proud I am of them.”
Maroney took over from longtime head coach Gordy Brown and led the Lions to a 14-3 season and another CCL title. He accomplished a lot on the field but was more happy with the accomplishments off the pitch in year one.
“One of the goals coming in was to establish a good and close environment where guys are looking after each other,” Maroney said. “First and foremost, we’ve done that. There’s always more work to be done in that regard, but we’ve laid the foundation for groups moving forward.”
BOYS SOCCER
No. 2 TULLY 7, No. 15 THOUSAND ISLANDS 1
Ryan Rauber went for a hat trick and Tully scored four unanswered goals in the second half to win in the first round of the Section III Class C tournament.
Mehdi Durson added a goal and an assist for the Black Knights, while Connor Bastedo, Jaxson Willis and Tommy Santurri all added a goal and Sean Mize and Ryan McNerney dished out an assist each. Oscar Breitzka made one save in the win.
No. 7 DERUYTER 4, No. 10 COPENHAGEN 3
Justin Booth put away two goals and DeRuyter took a 2-1 lead into halftime to eke out a win in the first round of the Section III Class D tournament.
Josiah Hannafan and Gavin Miller scored a goal each for the Rockets, Cooper Millett added two assists and Daniel Holl contributed one assist. Dylan Foster stopped three shots in the victory.
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
HOMER 3, LAFAYETTE 1
Eila Spanbauer, Izzi Tutino and Dannica Smith all had big days for Homer in a 26-24, 23-25, 25-19, 25-19 win. Spanbauer went for 14 kills, two aces and 15 digs, Tutino added 11 kills and Smith pitched in 30 assists, three kills, four aces, a block and five digs.
Marias Partis (13 digs, one kill, one ace, one assist), Viviana Fox (nine digs), Samantha Sovocool (seven digs, one kill, one ace), Mickenlee Harris (four kills, two digs) and Bailey Dady (one kill) all aided the Trojans’ effort as well.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
FOOTBALL
Oswego at Cortland, 6:30 p.m. today
Westhill at Homer, 7 p.m. Friday
Trumansburg at Groton, 7:30 p.m. Friday
Solvay at Southern Hills, 6:30 p.m. Friday
Moravia at Unatego/Franklin, 6 p.m. Friday
Dryden at Oxford, 1 p.m. Saturday
BOYS SOCCER
No. 8 Cortland at No. 1 Jamesville-Dewitt, 5 p.m. today
No. 7 Cooperstown at No. 2 Tully, 3 p.m. Friday
No. 7 DeRuyter at No. 2 Faith Heritage, 3 p.m. Friday at Jones Road Field
No. 6 Oxford or No. 11 Delhi at No. 3 Marathon, 3:30 p.m. Saturday
GIRLS SOCCER
No. 9 McGraw at No. 8 Sackets Harbor, 3 p.m. today
No. 8 Frankfort-Schuyler at No. 1 Cincinnatus, 3 p.m. today
No. 5 Tully at No. 4 Fabius-Pompey, 6:30 p.m. today
No. 11 Oriskany at No. 6 DeRuyter, 3 p.m. today
No. 6 Homer at No. 3 Mexico, 5:30 p.m. Friday
No. 5 Unatego at No. 4 Groton, 3:30 p.m. Friday
FIELD HOCKEY
No. 5 Homer at No. 4 Whitesboro, 5 p.m. today
No. 6 Moravia at No. 3 Marathon, 3:30 p.m. Friday
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
Groton at Candor, 6:30 p.m. today
Watkins Glen at Dryden, 6:30 p.m. today
Moravia at Spencer-Van Etten, 6:30 p.m. today
Dryden at Tioga, 5:45 p.m. Friday
GIRLS SWIMMING & DIVING
Dryden at Watkins Glen, 11:30 a.m. Saturday
