So the Lakers are, once again, Section III Class C boys lacrosse champions. Only this time, it’s not Skaneateles celebrating. Cazenovia, who only began building its program 15 years ago, culminated its rise to the top by beating Skaneateles 12-6 in the May 28 Section III Class C championship game at Cicero-North Syracuse’s Bragman Stadium. Not only was it a clash of two Laker rivals and the top two seeds in the Class C tournament bracket, it also brought together the top two-ranked teams in the state – Cazenovia at no. 1, Skaneateles at no. 2. Skaneateles was at the top before Cazenovia, who had lost their first meeting 10-8 on April 8, prevailed in the rematch 18-9 in a game where one of the top Skaneateles players, Paul O’Donnell, missed the second half with a strained shoulder. No doubt, Skaneateles partisans believed that, with O’Donnell present for all four quarters, it would turn things around and spoil Cazenovia’s first-ever trip to a sectional final. Yet right from the start, Skaneateles found itself unable to contain a Cazenovia lineup that, at many positions, was physically bigger and stronger. In particular, the high-scoring tandem of O’Donnell and Kevin Rice were hounded. As in the first two meetings, Cazenovia defender Doyle Judge followed Rice everywhere and, when he attacked, another defender or two would help out. The same was true with O’Donnell as, for Cazenovia, Clayton Goris handled most of the defensive duties, but received aid whenever it was practical. For two sides that prided themselves on high-scoring offenses, the first quarter was quiet, with Skaneateles only trailing 2-1. But it started to get away early in the second period as Cazenovia got goals by Joe Nardella and Connor Cannizzaro 43 seconds apart. And the deficit grew to 5-1 before O’Donnell, in a rare opening, beat Ben Romagnoli 16.7 seconds before halftime, cutting the margin to 5-2 and giving Skaneateles fans some hope that it could turn things around. Instead, Cazenovia continued to defend with precision and power, as Romagnoli stopped 13 of the 19 shots he faced, and its lead grew to 10-3 by the early part of the fourth quarter. It didn’t help that, until the final period, face-off specialist Kevin Valente was kept quiet as Nardella and John Greacen won most of the face-offs for Cazenovia. Refusing to give it away, Rice exploded for three quick goals, cutting the margin to 10-6 with more than six minutes left to complete a comeback miracle. But back-to-back goals from Cazenovia’s brother tandem of Sean and Connor Cannizzaro, who finished with four goals apiece, put it away. Skaneateles finished at 17-2, and both losses were to Cazenovia. Rice, O’Donnell, Mike Richards, Conor Hueber, Valente, Brady Hueber, Jeff Higman and Kevin Valente lead a departing senior class that accomplished so much as athletes – including, for many of them, the first state boys soccer title in school history.