Amid the yellow flags, turnovers and other mistakes typical of a season opener, the Cicero-North Syracuse football team figured out the winning formula just in time.
Junior tailback Erik Pride’s big second-half production, set up by a physical and powerful offensive line helped the Northstars fight past Henninger 20-15 in Thursday night’s Kickoff Classic at the Carrier Dome.
For Pride, who was having a standout 2015 season until a broken leg sidelined him, it was a satisfying comeback. It also marked the second consecutive year that head coach Dave Kline beat the team he used to coach – but it was quite stressful, start to finish.
Immediately, the C-NS defense was pressured when Henninger drove inside the Northstars’ 20 on the game’s opening posssession, but Omar Mere ended the threat by intercepting Giovanni Vigilotti’s pass at the 15.
A flag-filled first quarter followed, and the Northstars gave the Black Knights another big chance when it fumbled a snap at its own 25 and Tyler Mitchell fell on it for Henninger. This time, Henninger capitalized, Mitchell catching a 12-yard touchdown pass from Vigilotti.
So C-NS trailed 6-0, for all of 14 seconds – the time it took Tyler Days to receive the ensuing kickoff and, picking up a string of great blocks, tore up the middle and, untouched, went 95 yards to the end zone to even it, 6-6.
Vigilotti’s 42-yard scramble got Henninger yet another chance late in the first quarter and, moments later, he found Mitchell again alone streaking for the end zone, the TD covering 15 yards.
Mitchell again hurt C-NS early in the second quarter, intercepting Conner Hayes’ pass at his own 37, but it came as the parade of penalty flags continued, this time hurting Henninger, who turned it over when a fake punt didn’t work.
C-NS turned that into points as Pride, hinting at what he would do later in the evening, scored from 15 yards out and Kyle Cody recovered Peyton Watts’ fumble for two points and a 14-13 Northstars lead.
Just as importantly, the Northstars stopped Henninger inside its own 10 late in the half, so despite the turnovers and six times allowing the Black Knights into its end of the field, C-NS kept that slim one-point margin going into the break.
But a flubbed kickoff and an intentional grounding penalty on Hayes in the end zone in the opening minute of the third quarter gave Henninger a safety and the lead back, 15-14.
More penalties and miscues followed on both ends, the game just waiting for someone to take it.
Pride did so, especially when the Northstars simplified its offense and ran him behind efficient blocking from a line with five new starters – Lorenzo Thompson, Adam Mosher, Rocco Rachettea, Kaleb Woodcock and Reis Spicer.
It was Pride finding the end zone from four yards out with 9:56 left to give C-NS a 20-15 advantage. And the defense made a big play when Tom Flynn sacked Vigliotti for a 17-yard loss minutes later to thwart another scoring chance.
From its own 19, the Northstars then tried to put the game away, staying exclusively on the ground with Pride eating up yards. But Hayes’ two-yard TD run was called back for a chop block, and Pride was stopped at the one with 1:23 left, giving Henninger one more chance.
Needing to go 99 yards without a time-out, the Black Knights did reach C-NS territory, but Watts intercepted Vigliotti’s deep pass at his own 10 with 10 seconds left to lock up the Northstars’ victory.
Next Friday at 6 p.m., C-NS visits Corcoran, the prelude to the “Star Wars Cup” game against archrival Liverpool on Sept. 16 at Bragman Stadium.
