Sports: A slow Sunday with a look at the competition ahead

FORT COVINGTON, New York (WWNY) - Just one contest was on the local sports menu Sunday. It was a Boys’ N.A.C. Lacrosse contest in Fort Covington as the Salmon River Shamrocks hosted OFA.

The Shamrocks looked to remain unbeaten while the Blue Devils looked to move into a tie for 1st place with Salmon River with a win.

Salmon River would lead 10-5 at the half, but OFA outscored the Shamrocks 5-1 in the 3rd to trail by just 1 after 3 quarters.

Each team would score twice in the 4th and Salmon River would hold on to beat OFA 13-12

Mason Cree and Sebastian Laughing led the way for Salmon River in the win with 3 goals each and Xavier Delormier had 15 saves for the Shamrocks.

It was Dylan Irvine with a big day for OFA as he netted 6 goals and Tegan Frederick added 4 goals.

Alex Worden had 10 saves in the loss which dropped OFA to 4-2 on the season.

A full slate of boys’ lacrosse games are on tap in Section 10 on Monday, including Canton hosting Colton Pierrepont.

The Golden Bears are off to another solid start this season sitting at 2-1 in the Section 10 standings, with wins over OFA and Plattsburgh.

Last season, Canton finished with an 8-4 record and lost to OFA in the Section 10 Class C/D semifinals.

Coach Jeff Meyers is confident his team will be in the mix for a Section 10 Championship this season.

”Overall, I think we can compete with anybody in our section. Our goal from Canton is to always win our section and then compete the best we can in states. I think our young guys are gonna be very effective for us and I think we have some good leaders at the top which will help keep us together,” said Meyers.

”This year we remember a lot of what happened last year, and we need a building year. We’ve got a few young guys out there that are looking really strong. A lot of us seniors, this is our last year, so we have a lot at stake and we don’t want to go out soft. That’s what we’ve got for this year,” said Canton Senior Defender Owen Hall.

”My expectations are great for this year. I feel like we’ve got a good strong team and we’re gonna do well. It got stolen from us last year and this year it’s not. It’s coming home,” said midfielder Josh Aldous.

Turning to the baseball diamond, a tight race is already shaping up in the Frontier League’s D Division, with the Belleville Henderson Panthers battling with both Lyme and Copenhagen for the top spot early on in the season.

The Panthers are hoping a strong rotation and some timely hitting can put them all alone atop the standings at the end of the season.

The Panthers finished 2022 with a 14-4 overall record, 9-2 in the Frontier League D Division, and lost in the Section 3 Class D Quarterfinals.

Coach Paul Gibbs has 5 seniors on this year’s roster but boasts a strong rotation once again in 2023.

”This year’s team- we’re a little young in some positions but we seem to have talent. We brought back most, all of our pitching crew and we’re looking to be as good if not to try to improve on what we did last year,” said Gibbs.

This season, the Panthers have gotten off to a 2-2 start with wins over Lyme and Alexandria, scoring 29 runs in those victories.

The players are confident the deeper the team gets into the Frontier League schedule, the better the results will be with some of the younger players getting some much needed experience.

”I’m pretty confident in this team. We have a lot of young guys that are learning and years on will be good. I feel like we can make a good run in sectionals and win the Frontier League,” said 1st Baseman Caleb Williams.

How well the Panthers do this season will revolve around junior pitcher Brittan Cross, who as a sophomore led the team with 40 strikeouts and was one of the aces of the staff.

Cross says in order to repeat the success of last season, the team must stay positive and together as the season progresses.

”Our strength, I’d say, being able to stay together in it and not really get mad at one another. Staying as a team and being together as a family mostly,” said Junior Pitcher Brittan Cross.

”To win the league and do well on the mound we’ve gotta be accurate. We’ve gotta be smart on the bases and get our bats going the way we should. I think if we come together and do that, we’ll be fine if the pitching crew stays up and stays around the plate. Limit our walks, we should be fine,” said Gibbs.

Look for the Panthers to be in the mix for a Frontier League and Sectional Title this season.

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