Breakthrough win for Dogs

It was another tight battle between two familiar foes in Saturday’s Section III Class C-1 basketball semifinal matchup against Thousand Islands at Cicero-North Syracuse High School with neither team looking to back down and finish their season on a disappointing note.

But in the end, it took two big circumstances to change the entire outcome of the game and put the No. 2 seed Westmoreland team out on top once again over second-seeded Thousand Islands, 58-42.

The win advances the Bulldogs into the boys basketball sectional finals for the first time in school history.

"I’m elated because it’s a really special moment not only for me but the kids and I owe it all to them," Westmoreland coach Jim Sojda said. "The bottom line is these kids worked hard with the consistent pushing throughout the season. We had a goal and we wanted to accomplish that goal and I think we did a good job of doing that."

The win sends the Bulldogs into the Class C-1 championship round to battle the bracket’s top seed, Tully, on Friday at the Utica Memorial Auditorium in a 6 p.m. start. Tully defeated fifth-seeded Sandy Creek in the other semifinal contest on Saturday at C-NS, 49-46.

For more of this story check out the Rome Sentinel.