The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
Sectional play kicks off Wednesday
A bevy of area teams begin their postseason journeys on Wednesday as the Section III boys soccer playoffs get underway. A year removed from falling to perennial powerhouse Westhill, No. 5 Cazenovia enters postseason play as the No. 5 seed, eyeing a return trip to the Class B finals. Chittenango, Oneida, Vernon-Verona-Sherrill, and Camden join the Lakers in the Class B bracket, while Stockbridge Valley and Hamilton will represent the area in the Class D playoffs.
Class B
Cazenovia (12-4) earned the No. 5 seed in the bracket and will take on No. 12 Lowville at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 23 at home. After opening the season with a 3-2 mark, the Onondaga High School League Liberty National division champion Lakers blazed to a 9-2 finish, scoring wins over fellow Class B playoff teams Chittenango, Oneida, Marcellus and Skaneateles in the process.
Chittenango (9- 6-1) navigated a perilous OHSL Liberty American division that includes Class B No. 1 seed Westhill to the No. 8 seed. The Bears and head coach Brian Thomas opened their regular season with an 8-3 mark but lost four out of their last five to finish third in their division heading into postseason play. The Bears will face No. 9 South Jefferson on Wednesday, Oct. 23 at 7:15 p.m. in Bear Country.
Oneida (5-10) enters postseason play as the No. 13 seed despite beginning its season with a snake-bitten 1-8 mark that included five one-goal losses. First-year head coach Nick Grossman and his Oneida side righted the ship down the stretch, winning four of their last six bouts - all four victories came against Tri-Valley League Pioneer Division foes - to secure a playoff berth. Oneida will look to shake up the bracket on the road against No. 4 Westhill (112-3), the three-time defend
ing Class B champion, on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.
No. 11 Vernon-Verona-Sherrill (6-9-1) joins their longtime rival in postseason play and will face off against No. 6 Skaneateles (11-5) in the opening round of sectionals on the road Wednesday, Oct. 23 at 6:30 p.m. The Red Devils have already been playing in a postseason-like atmosphere, using back-toback wins over Lowville and Frankfort-Schuyler in its final two games of the season to score a postseason bid. Now, head coach Frank Mitchell and his Red Devils will try to keep that momentum-rolling in sectional play.
No. 10 Camden (7-7-2) enters postseason play as the Tri-Valley League Pioneer Division champion. The Blue Devils and coach Bradley Scanlan square off against No. 7 Mexico (8-53) on Wednesday, Oct. 23 at 6:30 p.m.
Class C
Otselic-Valley (4-11), which includes players from Morrisville-Eaton, drew the No. 15 seed for a contest against No. 2 Bishop Grimes (13-3). OV and head coach Jacob Preston will look to snap an 11-game Grimes win streak in first round play on Wednesday, Oct. 23.
Class D
A one-win teamin 2018, Stockbridge Valley (10-6) was one of the most improved teams in the area, working to a fourth-place finish in the Central Counties League, good for the No. 12 seed. Head coach
Jerdy Genge and the Cougars travel to a familiar opponent in the opening round: CCL foe and 2019 champion Cincinnatus (13-1-2) at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday. In two regular season meetings, Cincinnatus defeated Stockbridge 2-0 and 6-0.
No. 13 Hamilton (5-83) also hits the road for an opening round bout in the Class D sectionals. Head coach Brian Rose and the Emerald Knights weathered a 1-7 start, going 4-4 down the stretch to capture a postseason bid. Hamilton visits No. 4 Manlius-Pebble Hill (11-4) on Wednesday at 3:00 p.m.