Pruning cherry tree whose secondary scaffolds were left unpruned

In my backyard there is a cherry tree which has secondary scaffolding branches which have not been pruned for 2 to 3 years. As a result, 1) these have  almost no lateral branches 2) have an abundance of  spurs on the 3 year old and 2 year old portion of the growth. I now want to promote laterals on these secondary scaffolds by pruning them. If I head these back to a spur on the 3 year old portion (or maybe a 2 year old portion) of the wood , will laterals grow in the vicinity of the spurs ? I would like to head back to an outer growing spur. Technically  I know I need to head back to a outer growing but I cannot make out any "regular buds" on the 3 year old or 2 year old portion of the growth. Will the heading to the spur promote adventitious bud growth ? Any tips appreciated. I have read the "how to prune neglected fruit trees" on the web but they do not specifically address this issue