Thirty-five long months after it last played a meaningful game on its own campus, the Liverpool football team will run out onto the new turf at Warrior Stadium next weekend and welcome defending Class AA champion Baldwinsville.
Yet it will do so with an 0-2 record. The Warriors went to Alibrandi Stadium Friday night and put up a spirited effort against Christian Brothers Academy, yet still took a 31-21 loss to the Brothers.
Having dropped its opener 26-9 at Rome Free Academy a week earlier, Liverpool looked for – and got – better output from its offense at CBA, but not before it fell into a double-digit deficit.
The Brothers got on the board in the first quarter when quarterback Tyler Hamblin rolled out and ran 34 yards for a touchdown, the only points in that period.
Continuing to pound away at the ground, CBA doubled the margin to 14-0 in the second quarter on Cirro Nicoletti-Watson’s 27-yard TD run.
Needing something to stay close, Liverpool finally got it when Luigi Barletta found Bobby Broddus on a 25-yard TD pass. Connor Rogers’ extra point made it 14-7, where it stayed until halftime.
After CBA made it 17-7 on Riley Dixon’s 29-yard field goal, the Warriors struck again through the air, Barletta finding Zavon Watkins deep as Watkins finished out a 57-yard TD play and Liverpool closed within three, 17-14.
Again, the Brothers relied on its ground game to score early in the fourth quarter, Mike Vavonese scoring from 15 yards out. Again, Barletta answered with a big play, hitting Ethan VanMarter deep on a 66-yard TD reception.
So Liverpool only trailed 24-21 when, late in the fourth quarter, CBA drove to the Warriors’ 17-yard line. A stop was needed here.
Instead, the Brothers used a trick play to seal the win as Vavonese took a handoff, then threw down to the end zone – where Evan Adamo caught it for the touchdown.
Even with the improvement from the first to second games, the Warriors still find itself winless as its long-awaited turf debut beckons – and so does Baldwinsville.
Looking like it has a great chance to repeat in Class AA, the Bees have started 2-0, blanking West Genesee 24-0 and crushing Central Square 63-13 behind a massive offensive line, powerful ground game and ferocious defense. In sophomore Tyler Rouse, B’ville has a two-way star that could match the departed Malik Burks’ dominance by the time he is done.