Just when it looked like it was poised to earn back-to-back wins, the Cicero-North Syracuse football team received a late and unpleasant surprise.
The Northstars saw a late lead at Corcoran evaporate Friday night, the Cougars riding the spectacular play of Shaquille Breland past CNS 33-24.
Coming off a 43-14 romp of Rome Free Academy a week earlier, CNS expected more success at Corcoran, where it had started 0-2 under first-year head coach Tyrone Fisher.
Jeff Hart’s two-yard touchdown run put the Northstars ahead, 7-0. Jahar Shields scored from 22 yards out to cut the margin to 7-6 early in the second quarter, but the extra point was missed.
Hart returned a few minutes later and, from midfield, took off on a 49-yard scoring run. Late in the half, CNS nearly got in again, but had to settle for Steve Messur’s 22-yard field goal, so the Northstars were up 17-6 at the break.
When, early in the third quarter, Hart found the end zone for the third time on a two-yard run and Messur made the extra point, CNS had a 24-6 edge, ready to run away again.
Instead, Breland began to stir. His two-yard TD run late in the period,along with Shakim Buckmon’s two-point pass to Cyrell Haygood, made it 24-14 just as the fourth quarter got underway.
An inspired Corcoran defense forced a quick punt, and Breland struck again, catching Buckmon’s 40-yard scoring pass to cut CNS’s lead to 24-20.
Again, the Northstars gave up the ball. Again, the Cougars moved into CNS territory. From the Northstars’ 23, Buckmon was flushed out of the pocket, but ran around and, while still scrambling, went to the end zone – where Breland caught it for the go-ahead score.
Now down 27-24, CNS still had a chance to stage its own comeback. But Breland stepped in front of a Corey Scanlon pass, his interception setting up Shields’ clinching 12-yard TD run.
Still 1-1 in Class AA-1 division play (1-2 overall), CNS will look to recover back home when it faces Nottingham next Friday at 7 p.m. The Bulldogs are also 1-2 and are coming off a 35-21 loss to CBA.
