UTICA – Perhaps because it takes place a bit later in the calendar than it has in most regular seasons past, the football clash between Cicero-North Syracuse and Liverpool that takes place next Friday night at LHS Stadium carries even more weight.
Of course, the recent history of this series, from the long Northstars winning run broken up by the Warriors in 2019 only to get avenged in an epochal Section III Class AA semifinal, followed by a game last spring ended by officials early in the fourth quarter due to flaring tempers on both sides.
And even when Liverpool lost to Baldwinsville on Sept. 17, its subsequent success means that, at 3-1 in league play, it sits right behind state Class AA no. 8-ranked C-NS in the standings as the ‘Star Wars’ Cup game looms.
Events this week may have bolstered the Warriors’ spirits, too.
The Northstars were supposed to play Henninger, but a COVID-19 quarantine canceled the game, leaving C-NS to deal with an unscheduled bye week after it had romped past its first three league opponents by a combined 110-21 margin.
Liverpool had none of these concerns, traveling last Saturday to Utica Proctor and, with a strong all-around performance, subduing the Raiders 29-6.
No team had gone to Utica and beaten the Raiders on its home turf since 2018. The Warriors cared little for this and, on its second offensive play from scrimmage, took the lead when Jah’Deuir Reese ran 26 yards for a touchdown.
Right from the outset, Liverpool’s defense stymied Proctor, forcing a turnover and several punts. Early in the second period, another Warriors drive found the end zone, Dakari Mack scoring on a one-yard plunge.
When the Raiders fumbled a handoff and Liverpool pounced on its for a second turnover, it promptly drove to the goal line from where quarterback Jaylen Graham plunged in with 41 seconds left in the half.
Adding the two-point conversion, the Warriors went to the break up 22-0, then took the second-half kickoff and needed less than three minutes to pull further away, Graham this time going 14 yards for the TD.
Only here did Proctor settle down and make some stops, but Liverpool’s defense maintained the shutout until the Raiders’ Todd Abraham scored on a two-yard run with barely a minute left.
Nine different Warriors had at least three carries, displaying the backfield depth. Reese led with 90 yards on nine carries as Liverpool only had to throw twice all afternoon.
The Warriors know this kind of effort must be on hand to have any chance against C-NS’s diverse attack, where two quarterbacks (Jaxon Razmovski and Anthony Testa) alternate and Jamar Ballard can control the ball on the ground, complementing an aggressive defense that controls the line of scrimmage.
