LIVERPOOL – If, as is often said, adversity reveals character, then the Liverpool football team overflowed with character last spring.
Glad to have any opportunity to play after a canceled fall season, the Warriors still went through all kinds of drama, ranging from a positive COVID-19 test that halted play to numerous injuries to a rash of penalties which cut short its latest battle with rival Cicero-North Syracuse.
Through it all, Liverpool still won four of five games, a tribute to the resilience of a talented senior class that head coach Dave Mancuso said will be tough to replace.
Brendan Mancuso, Malachi Upshur, Adrian Marzullo, Brayden McClain, Jake Ronan, Kar’trell Lavender, Jeremy Valerio and Jon Worthen were among those who graduated, but the Warriors are far from depleted.
The squad that goes into the Carrier Dome next Friday for its fall opener against St. Francis (Buffalo) features some new faces, but also high-quality and proven players on both sides of the ball.
Much will hinge on how senior Jalen Graham fares as he takes over at quarterback. Graham’s improved throwing ability and decision-making, along with vocal leadership, adds to a skill set that includes work as one of Section III’s top punters.
At least Graham won’t have to worry too much about protection. Few teams in the area can match the tackle combination of 6-foot-4, 300-pound senior Nate Graser, a four-year starter, and 6-foot, 315-pound senior J.J. Guindy.
That pair, along with 275-pound senior Crispin Ogindo, gives the Warriors enough of a solid foundation that it can take its time figuring out who will start at guard.
With Upshur gone, Dakari Mack and Jahmir Boutwell are set to take over at tailback, with Anthony Kelly and Lance Phillips both on hand at fullback.
Mancuso raves about the ability of sophomore Tai Sholtz, who with Jason Swanson hopes to catch passes from Graham when he isn’t throwing it to junior tight end Jayden Forde.
On defense, Liverpool’s strong spot is at linebacker, where Mack is a forceful presence, helped in no small part by fellow senior and captain Gianpaul Cooper and junior Aaron Clouthier.
Mike Fontinella is the likely fourth starter at linebacker behind a front four that includes Bruce Wingate, Urijah Matthews and Cade Leombrone, while Sholtz is set to start at safety next to Boutwell and Ben Curtis at cornerback.
There’s also a familiar face from C-NS who has transferred to Liverpool – LaQuan Lemon. A top tailback and defensive back, Lemon is expected to provide a big-play spark.
Lemon’s presence marks a reversal from how it’s gone in recent years. Several current C-NS players, including Jamar Ballard and Farouk Ibrahim, were once in the Liverpool program before moving next door.
This only adds further intrigue to the rivalry between the Warriors and Northstars, who don’t meet this fall until Oct. 8, by which point Liverpool will, barring any changes, have five games in the books.
That’s enough time to do what Mancuso described as a long process of seeing whether the new starters can match the standards of the established starters, not to mention the large group of graduating seniors.
“The key to our season is for the younger kids to play to the level of the returning seniors,” said Mancuso. “We’re going to try to grow up real fast.”
