As if it were scripted, the Liverpool boys cross country team will get a chance to claim the OHSL Colonial National division championship in the best way possible.
When the Warriors beat Baldwinsville, 21-39, last Wednesday at Longbranch Park, it set up a showdown this Wednesday between Liverpool (5-0) and its biggest rival, Cicero-North Syracuse (5-0), with the league title at stake.
To make it possible, the Warriors needed every one of its top runners to be in good form against a B’ville team that had just won the East Syracuse-Minoa Invitational on Sept. 30.
Colin Heenan led the way, battling with B’ville’s Brian Lang to the line before winning the individual title in 16:04, five seconds ahead of Lang.
Ethan Hickey helped push the Warriors ahead for good when he took third place, in 16:11, while Brian Picciotto claimed fourth place in 16:35.
Justin Lambert led the next wave, getting sixth place in 16:59 as Nick Scalione was seventh (17:07) and Dan Phoenix (17:10) took eighth place. Mike Compson sneaked into 10th place, in 17:27.
A match with CNS also looms for the Liverpool girls, who could not take out B’ville last week in a tight 26-30 contest.
Miranda McConnell pulled ahead of her teammates and pursued B’ville’s Amanda Sprague to the line. McConnell finished in 19:44, seven seconds behind Sprague.
Brigid Heenan would earn fourth place, in 19:51, but the Bees would earn four of the top six spots to take an insurmountable lead.
Still, Jennifer Mieczkowski got seventh place (20:32), leading a pack that included teammates Stacy Murphy (20:38), Naomi Bloomingdale (20:40) and Trina Bills (20:42).
