No. 3 Homer boys lacrosse will take on No. 1 Jamesville- Dewitt in the Section III Class C finals at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at East Syracuse-Minoa High School.
The championship game is a rematch of last year’s final. The Red Rams knocked off Homer 18-4 in that contest.
Homer has reached the championship game after knocking off No. 6 Indian River 13-5 in the first round and No. 2 New Hartford 7-3 in the semifinals. Jamesville- Dewitt earned a first-round bye, then beat No. 5 Carthage 17-2 in the semis.
“Eighteen of our guys remember standing on the 40-yard line after the game last year while J-D collected their medals,” Homer head coach CJ Nye said. “That feeling has fueled us to work hard in preparation for Wednesday. J-D is one of the top teams in the state and if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best.”
The Trojans’ defense has continued to be the key to their success throughout the playoff run. Goalie Landon Manning has had a strong run, including making 14 saves in the semifinal game. The defensive effort in front of him has been tough and physical, making Homer a difficult team to deal with.
Daniel Stiles enters as the Trojans’ leading scorer with 72 points on 38 goals and 38 assists. Alex Votra leads in goals with 40 and scored four in the semifinal contest. Cooper Swartz also has 38 goals on the season and led the team with four goals in Homer’s first-round game. Other key contributors include Brycen Poole, Mason Potter and Chris Slade.
“We will have to lean on our stout defense,” Nye said. “We are going to have to buckle down for four quarters and focus on making stops each possession. If our defense can play as a solid unit and let Landon see the shots we want, we know we can run with anyone. It’s not enough to just make the stop, we need to value the ball and clear at a high rate. We failed on a lot of clears in last year’s game and opportunistic team like J-D will make you pay for any sloppiness.”
Luke Patchen leads Jamesvile-Dewitt with 46 goals and 71 points. Ryan Babikan (39) and Jackson King (31) add two more 30-goal scorers to a potent offensive attack. Braeden Baker and Andrew Laubenstein each have scored 29 goals, and Miles Patchen adds 22. The Red Rams have a deep, talented offense that will be a tough test for Homer’s strong defense.
J-D comes in at 14-3, with its last loss coming on April 24 at West Genesee. Homer is 11-7 and has not played Jamesville-Dewitt yet this season. The two teams also have not played any common opponents.
“This group has had a lot of fun this year and we want to keep it going,” Nye said. “A big part of this process is our guys believing in themselves and the guys around them. Since day one we have consistently talked about our goal to win a sectional championship. We are excited for this opportunity.”
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
BASEBALL
McGraw or Oriskany vs. Elmira Notre Dame, 4 p.m. Saturday at Conlon Field, Binghamton
BOYS LACROSSE
No. 3 Homer vs. No.1 Jamesville- Dewitt, 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at East Syracuse-Minoa High School
TRACK & FIELD
Boys Section III State Qualifier, 4 p.m. today at C-NS High School
Girls Section III State Qualifier, 4 p.m. Thursday at C-NS High School
Section IV State Qualifier, 5 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday at Union-Endicott High School
