Cincinnatus senior Ava Larrabee and Tully junior Julian Shay are the Cortland Standard’s November Athletes of the Month, sponsored by the Royal Auto Group. Larrabee and Shay are sharing the award due to their standout play in their respective teams’ postseason runs.
Larrabee scored five goals and dished out five assists in the postseason, leading Cincinnatus to its third consecutive state semifinal. The senior was an ace on free kicks, scoring two goals directly off corner kicks in the Section III Class C quarterfinal against Frankfort-Schuyler.
Larrabee displayed great leadership on the field and was always positive, even during the difficult and stressful parts of games. She was a rock in the middle of Cincinnatus’ formation that will be missed.
Cincinnatus went 21-1 on the season.
Shay returned in the quarterfinals of the Section III Class C playoffs after dealing with a hamstring injury for weeks and immediately delivered for Tully. He went off for eight goals and three assists in his five postseason games. That included a one-goal, three-assist performance in the sectional final against rival Fabius-Pompey, overtime winners in the sectional semifinal against Manlius Pebble Hill and in the regional final against Southern Cayuga and two goals in the state semifinals against Allegany-Limestone.
Shay needed to overcome a lot of adversity this season to return for the biggest games and proved himself to be one of the most dangerous scorers in the state. With lots of the core of this Tully team graduating, Shay will have full reign to be the man next season.
The Black Knights finished 16-6 this year.
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The Cortland Standard would like to thank Bernard’s Custom Logo for being the Athlete of the Month plaque sponsor.
