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Phil Blackwell

Stories by Phil

WG baseball beats Proctor, C. Square

Wildcats miss C-NS Ilacqua Tournament due to rain

It had reached the point in the season where the West Genesee baseball team had a right to feel fatigued, having played six times in an eight-day span. But through that stretch, the Wildcats went 5-1, capped by last Monday’s strong effort at home against Utica Proctor, where it got the runs early and turned to Evan Reichel to preserve a 4-1 victory over the Raiders.

Marcellus softball runs win streak to nine

Ludden, Westhill go through various ups and downs

Though lingering in the shadow of OHSL Liberty division neighbor Solvay, the Marcellus softball team has built its own long win streak, which reached nine in a row, starting last Tuesday with a hard-fought 7-6 victory over Phoenix.

Leff, Manahan win track races at Loucks Games

J-E boys finish third at Weedsport Invitational

Amid a full weekend of track and field meets all over the state, Marcellus senior Ryan Manahan and junior Laura Leff both went to White Plains for the 46th annual Glenn D. Loucks Games, and both would earn victories.

Skaneateles baseball hits late-season slump

Lakers struggle against top foes, pitchers

At just the wrong time, the Skaneateles baseball team started to slow up against some of the OHSL Liberty division’s better sides.

Boys golf Lakers win pair of key matches

Skaneateles takes fourth at Warrior Classic

For the second time in less than a week, the Skaneateles boys golf team got involved in a close match against Cazenovia, this time at home, and again came out on top in the Laker clash, this time by a four-stroke margin as it prevailed 216-220.

J-D, CBA baseball go through ups and downs

Rams fall to Ludden; Brothers beaten by Homer

When it got off to a 12-1 start and rose as high as no. 2 in the state Class A rankings, expectations for the Jamesville-DeWitt baseball team soared in accordance. Those expectations are tempered after a pair of late-season league setbacks, starting May 2 with a 5-4 defeat to Homer and continuing with last Tuesday’s 9-1 loss to Bishop Ludden.

Red Rams recover from Niskayuna defeat

J-D roars past Fulton, Cortland; ESM struggles

Many different angles could be offered in regards to the Jamesville-DeWitt boys lacrosse team’s 10-9 defeat to Niskayuna on the night of May 4. Maybe it was an indicator that the Red Rams’ state title run might not be as smooth as originally imagined. Or perhaps J-D, while aiming to beat the Silver Warriors, could let go of the outcome knowing a possible rematch in the state finals would carry far more weight.

Ryan sets sectional 3,200 mark in Oneida meet

F-M senior leads Hornets to sweep of team titles

Dwarfing all the other developments in Friday’s weather-shortened Oneida Invitational, Fayetteville-Manlius boys track and field senior Nick Ryan broke the Section III record on his way to a victory in the 3,200-meter run.

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B’ville boys lacrosse sweeps Liverpool

Bees rally again to stop reigning Class A champs

Though not at the top of the Section III Class A ladder, the Baldwinsville boys lacrosse team is pretty close, as a strong late-season push means it will have a strong seed when the playoffs start next week.

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B’ville girls lacrosse fights past Liverpool

Bees stumble in non-league defeat to C-NS

In some way, the Baldwinsville girls lacrosse team’s crowded finish to its regular season – nine games crammed into a 16-day span – was perfect preparation for the post-season, since so many of those games were against high-quality opposition.

B’ville softball falls to West Genny, Oneida

Bees push state-ranked Indians to 10 innings

Even with the close call it gave to Cicero-North Syracuse on May 1, the Baldwinsville softball team remained, to some degree, a group still in search of some consistency.

Skaneateles girls beaten by Caz in track showdown

Boys Lakers finish second at Weedsport Invitational

Though strong on many fronts, the Skaneateles girls track and field team did not have enough – at least yet – to keep up with Cazenovia. In last Monday’s OHSL Liberty National division first-place showdown at Buckley-Volo Field, it was Cazenovia emerging with an 83-58 victory, mainly because it kept earning key points in field events and swept the relays.

Golfing Lakers finish fourth at Warrior Classic

Caz also splits pair of league matches

Tournament play for the Cazenovia boys golf team commenced Saturday at Hidden Valley Golf Club in Whitesboro, with the Lakers facing 11 other sides in the Warrior Classic. Getting a team total of 408, just two behind OHSL Liberty division leader Westhill, Cazenovia found itself in fourth place. New Hartford won with 372 as host Whitesboro posted 391.

Caz girls edge Westhill, stomp Chittenango

Lakers move close to winning record for 2013

Though it has gone through a fair share of ups and downs, the Cazenovia girls lacrosse team is making a return to the Section III Class C playoffs with a chance to spring some surprises against the higher seeds.

B’ville baseball handles Auburn, Oswego

Bees return Blewett, await rematch with C-NS

Even as the Baldwinsville baseball team was steadily building a win streak through the middle part of the regular season, a vital piece of the long-term plan was in question. Scott Blewett, the Bees’ right-handed pitching ace, was injured April 29 in a 15-5 win at Liverpool when sliding into a base. It caused him to miss a start and a week of action.

F-M boys roar past RFA, Corcoran

Hornets, 15-0, set for West Genesee showdown

Almost like a movie script, the Fayetteville-Manlius boys lacrosse team’s two-decade quest to earn a Section III Class A title may hinge on conquering the one opponent most responsible for prolonging that drought.

Solvay softball maintains unbeaten mark

Bearcats dominate Skaneateles, J-E, Syracuse East

The possibility of an undefeated regular season looms for the Solvay softball team, with a pair of non-league games against Central Square and Oneida next week holding the key to that quest.

Rain washes out C-NS baseball Ilacqua Tournament

Northstars still unbeaten; await showdown with B'ville

About the only thing capable of stopping the Cicero-North Syracuse baseball team at this juncture in the season is a hot pitcher – or, barring that, precipitation. The rain that had mostly gone missing through the end of April and the start of May resurfaced late last week, just before the Northstars were to host its annual John Ilacqua Jr. Memorial Tournament.

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F-M golfers drop showdown with Auburn

Hornets go 3-1 for week, nearly set record against Oswego

All was in line for the Fayetteville-Manlius girls golf team to claim sole possession of the CNY Counties League regular-season championship. But Auburn had other ideas, as it defended its home turf at Owasco Country Club Friday afternoon and beat the Hornets 183-206, part of a three-way match where F-M did defeat Baldwinsville, who shot 218.

Girls Wildcats take first loss to CBA

WG plays amid sadness over passing of parent

In the larger context, the fact that the West Genesee girls lacrosse team’s 7-6 defeat to Christian Brothers Academy Thursday night broke up a possible undefeated season just didn't matter all that much.

O’Hara perfect in C-NS win over Auburn

Northstars nearly stunned by East; Liverpool beats West Genny

Though it had lost 4-0 to Cicero-North Syracuse on May 3, the Liverpool softball team had to be pleased with the progress it made since it lost to those Northstars by a margin three times larger earlier in the season. Yet anyone trying to stop the Northstars must find a way to hit Sydney O’Hara, who added to her long resume with a perfect game in Wednesday’s 5-0 victory at Auburn.

Walsh gets no-hitter against Chittenango

Warriors get 21 K's from Pena in win over Grimes

In each of his last three starts - against Skaneateles, Solvay and Cazenovia - Westhill baseball pitching ace Ben Walsh had finished with a one-hitter, twice seeing no-hit bids get thwarted in the seventh inning.

CBA girls lacrosse tops unbeaten West Genny

Defense comes through late in Brothers' 7-6 win

Much of the time, the Christian Brothers Academy girls lacrosse team leans on, and showcases, its high-powered attack. However, that had to change on Thursday night, when the Brothers went to Camillus to face unbeaten, defending state Class A champion West Genesee, always a difficult opponent against which to score goals.

F-M track sides run past Corcoran

Boys Hornets claim first-place battle with Cougars

Another perfect run for the Fayetteville-Manlius track and field teams through the CNY Counties League American division is in the books. The Hornets secured it with Wednesday’s sweep of Corcoran, where it beat the Cougars 93-47 on the boys side and 101-40 on the girls side.

Westhill boys track claims showdown with Solvay

Wilkinson, Cometti both win twice among individuals

Having two schools together, as the Westhill/Bishop Ludden boys track and field team does, brings some advantages. And those advantages were on display Wednesday at Earl Hadley Stadium, where the combined Westhill/Ludden side turned back Solvay, 86-55, to seize first place in the Onondaga High School League’s Liberty American division.

Liverpool track gains sweep of C-NS

Warriors boys, girls both clinch league titles

All through the spring, the Liverpool track and field teams watched Cicero-North Syracuse finish ahead of them most of the times they got together for large-scale weekend meets. But when they went head-to-head Wednesday afternoon, it ended quite differently, the Warriors winning both meets and sweeping the CNY Counties League regular-season championships in the process.

Girls lacrosse Lakers romp past Marcellus

Big close to first half leads Skaneateles to 17-9 win

All of the evidence of why the Skaneateles girls lacrosse team is favored to reclaim the Section III Class C throne was on full display throughout Wednesday night's 17-9 victory over Marcellus at Hyatt Stadium in a clash with the OHSL Liberty division regular-season title on the line.

Cazenovia boys lacrosse rips Skaneateles

Visitors recover nicely from OT loss to Westhill

How things have turned in the long-standing boys lacrosse rivalry between the two sets of Lakers from Cazenovia and Skaneateles. Where once Skaneateles owned full command of the series, now it’s Cazenovia’s turn to rule, and it never did better than in Tuesday’s visit to Hyatt Stadium, where it took apart those other Lakers, especially on the defensive side, and earned a 10-1 victory.

Skaneateles girls track drops battle with Cazenovia

Campbell sets school record in 100 hurdles

Though strong on many fronts, the Skaneateles girls track and field team did not have enough – at least yet – to keep up with Cazenovia. In Monday’s OHSL Liberty National division first-place showdown at Buckley-Volo Field, it was Cazenovia emerging with an 83-58 victory, mainly because it kept earning key points in field events and swept the relays.

Caz girls track wins showdown with Skaneateles

Lakers still reign OHSL Liberty National division

Originally, the Cazenovia girls track and field team's meet against Skaneateles was set for mid-April, at the start of both teams' OHSL Liberty National division slate. But they agreed to move it back, and that move gave the meet much higher stakes.

C-NS baseball pushes record to 13-0

Northstars add four more wins to perfect mark

The longer it stayed undefeated, the more a target the Cicero-North Syracuse baseball team would become – but at least so far, the state Class AA no. 3-ranked Northstars have turned back every possible challenge.

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C-NS softball blanks Liverpool, edges B’ville

Warriors have easier time defeating Bees in 3-1 week

Just looking at the numbers, the Liverpool softball team has made up some ground on Cicero-North Syracuse – but has not yet caught up. In last Friday’s battle at Gillette Field, the Warriors’ pitching duo of Dana Nicoletti and Peyton Bellrose mostly contained the Northstars, but it still wasn’t enough as Liverpool lost a 4-0 decision.

Track Northstars handle West Genesee

C-NS boys win New Hartford meet; Liverpool next

To some degree, every Cicero-North Syracuse track and field season centers around the annual showdown with Liverpool. There’s even more on the line in 2013, though, as both meets this Wednesday – the boys at Bragman Stadium, the girls at LHS Stadium – feature undefeated sides within the CNY Counties League National division.

Liverpool track sides sweep Baldwinsville

Warriors use weekend meets to prepare for C-NS

Everyone on the Liverpool track and field teams is primed to take their respective shots at Cicero-North Syracuse on Wednesday, with the CNY Counties League National division titles at stake.

Mustangs’ Manahan, Garn win big in weekend meets

West Genny also nabs wins in New Hartford, Rome events

Whether it was the boys New Hartford Invitational on Friday or the girls Rome Invitational on Saturday, Marcellus track and field stars Ryan Manahan and Rachel Garn both found their way to the forefront with impressive, season-best victories in their specialties.

J-E boys, girls lacrosse earn big wins

Boys win four straight; girls upset Onondaga

Jordan-Elbridge’s boys lacrosse team had its most successful stretch of the season, winning four times in six days to nail down a Section III Class C playoff berth - and by the time the week was done, the girls Eagles also had a signature win in the books.

WG girls fight past Honeoye Falls-Lima

Wildcats survive another close call against Section V foe

Even though it stayed unbeaten, the West Genesee girls lacrosse team dropped out of the top spot in the state Class A rankings, replaced by St. Anthony’s (Long Island), who has beaten top opponents from six different states.

ESM baseball falls to J-D, beats CBA

State-ranked Red Rams fall to Homer, too

East Syracuse-Minoa’s baseball team managed to emerge from back-to-back games with Jamesville-Dewitt and Christian Brothers Academy with a hard-fought split.

F-M boys lax turns back LaFayette

Lux becomes school's all-time leading scorer

Two of the oldest boys lacrosse programs in Central New York gathered on Saturday when Fayetteville-Manlius took on LaFayette, who had just picked up its 700th win earlier in the week. The Lancers more than proved its worth by scoring the most goals anyone has against the Hornets this spring, but much of that production came in the late going, and F-M did enough early to hang on and prevail by a 14-11 margin.

CBA track hosts Brother Basilian Invitational

J-D, ESM both compete in Rome, New Hartford meets

As it does each May, the Christian Brothers Academy track and field teams brought in top athletes from across the area for the Brother Basilian Invitational at Alibrandi Stadium, and the home sides had plenty of reason to smile by the time it was all done.

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Girls lacrosse Bees start busy stretch

B'ville wins three straight after CBA defeat

Off a defeat to West Genesee on April 26, the Baldwinsville girls lacrosse team now faced an even more daunting examination – nine games in a span of 16 days, most of them against high-quality opponents.

B’ville track sides fall to Liverpool

Both teams get wins at high-profile weekend meets

Again, the Baldwinsville track and field teams found themselves on the wrong end of a decision against a major rival. Despite strong individual performances in last Wednesday’s meets against Liverpool, the Bees fell to the Warriors on both sides, including a 77-64 loss for the boys side at Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium and an 81-60 defeat for the girls at LHS Stadium.

Girls lacrosse Lakers set for Marcellus rematch

Skaneateles easily dispatches Westhill, Cazenovia

Back on April 15, the Skaneateles girls lacrosse team was pushed into overtime at Marcellus, but emerged with a 14-12 victory and Class C favorite status. All of that will be on the line again Wednesday night, when the revenge-minded Mustangs , no. 3 in the latest state Class C rankings, traveled to Hyatt Stadium for a highly-anticipated rematch with the state no. 2-ranked Lakers.

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Skaneateles girls set 4x100 relay school record

Lakers also beat Hannibal, set up Caz showdown

As it inched toward Monday’s showdown with Cazenovia, the Skaneateles girls track and field team continued to handle the preliminary parts of its OHSL Liberty division schedule and also made some history along the way.

Skaneateles tennis holds off Marcellus

Singles play key as Lakers go through 2-0 week

Zach Driscoll’s tough singles victory in a match that went to the wire helped the Skaneateles boys tennis team hang on and beat rival Marcellus 3-2 last Monday afternoon.

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West Genny softball beats J-D, 3-2

Wildcats recover from trio of losses, including C-NS

Though the West Genesee softball team lost three times last week, it ended up on a particularly high note that nearly matched the excitement of its epochal 13-inning victory over Liverpool on April 25.

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Caz baseball falls to Westhill, 5-0

Lakers unable to solve Walsh in Class B final rematch

The last time the Cazenovia baseball team was at NBT Bank Stadium, it was making history and claiming the 2012 Section III Class B-2 title. Nearly 12 months later, the Lakers were back, ready to take on Westhill in Friday's rematch of last spring’s overall Class B final won by the Warriors, and sending its best pitcher to the mound.

Girls track Lakers roars past Jordan-Elbridge

Caz to square off with Skaneateles for first place on Monday

Continuing to set the pace in the OHSL Liberty National division, the Cazenovia girls track and field team piled up high finishes and points in last Wednesday’s meet against visiting Jordan-Elbridge, stopping the Eagles 106-35 while also beating Norwich 110-31.

Caz softball goes 3-1, rallies past Westhill

Lakers finish third at Jack Lowell Tournament in Oneida

A well-timed offensive outburst late in the contest helped the Cazenovia softball team overcome a four-run deficit in last Tuesday’s game against Westhill and beat the visiting Warriors 6-4 to move back above the .500 mark amid the busiest stretch of the season.

Caz girls lax goes 1-1, beats Tully

Dorrance gets 10 assists in playoff-clinching win

Right from the start this spring, the Cazenovia girls lacrosse team’s attack has centered around the ability of Kayla Dorrance to find someone cutting to the net and deliver the perfect pass to set up an easy goal.

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