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West Genesee High School trailed Cicero-North Syracuse High School 5-0 on senior night on May 12, 2022.

West Genesee came into the contest just 8-5, often battling back from deficits throughout the 2022 season. But with playoffs just around the corner, there wasn’t much room for error.

“We regrouped and made a few adjustments, and we came out firing in the second half,” said Eric Burns, West Genesse’s head coach.

In the second half, the Wildcats rallied from behind to pull out a 8-7 victory.

“This team always finds a way to face adversity and then overcome it,” Burns said.

Since its inaugural 1957 season, West Genesee has been one of New York state’s most successful high school lacrosse programs. The Wildcats have appeared in 22 state championship games, winning 15 — more than any other in state history. However, 2022 would prove to be a stepping stone for the Wildcats, as they worked to avenge their 2021 Section III Class A final loss to Baldwinsville High School.

“It was a pretty hefty celebration when they beat us,” Burns said. “One thing I try to get these guys to do is… use that as fuel and fire to never want to see that again, unless it’s us.”

The 2021 loss sparked new change within the program. Burns, a West Genesse alumnus and former All-American during his playing days with the Wildcats, took over at the helm over the summer of 2021, tasked with leading his team back to a sectional title game.

Burns developed a tough nonconference schedule for the Wildcats. In the offseason, when Burns organized West Genesse’s opponents for out-of-state trips, he said he always looked to schedule games against some of the best teams in the country or states they travel to.

“It teaches our guys to play smart and fast, and that only helps us for later on down the season,” Burns said.

In a game against Penfield early in the season, the Patriots notched six goals in the opening half as the Wildcats fell behind by multiple goals. West Genesse bounced back in the second, allowing just one score in the third and fourth quarters before converting on a last-second opportunity to win 8-7. Senior midfielder Jack Mellen said that comeback win prepared the Wildcats for the rest of the season.

“It showed us that we’re never out of any game we play,” said senior midfielder Jack Gianuzzi.

After a 13-7 record before the postseason began, West Genesee defeated Auburn 9-1 in the Section III Class A semifinals before facing Fayetteville-Manlius in the final. The two teams had familiarity with each other going into the game, having split a pair of games between one another earlier in the season.

“We really wanted to avenge the loss that they gave us in the last game of the season.” said Liam Burns, senior attack and Burns’ son.

Mellen said the team had planned around a couple of the Fayetteville-Manlius’s key players in the midfield and defense. In the game, Liam scored a season-best seven goals and chipped in four assists to help West Genesee secure the New York State Section III Class A championship in a 19-7 victory.

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“These guys had a little fire in their bellies that day,” Burns said. “They came out hungry, more than we’ve seen in their other games.”

West Genesee went on to the New York State Class B Tournament, winning its first game against Vestal before losing in the semifinal to Canandaigua Academy 5-1.

“Whoever’s in front of us on any given day is going to get our best game,” Burns said. “And our opponents are going to give us their best games because of our name.”

Published on February 28, 2023 at 10:37 pm