Nick Burdo, Connor Thiel and Matt Petit were at the forefront for a Liverpool boys swim team that offered a rousing start to its 2014-15 season at the expense of its neighbors from Cicero-North Syracuse. The host Warriors beat the Northstars 98-64 last Tuesday night, taking charge at the outset when Petit, Burdo, Thiel and Troy Miller got together and tore through the 200 medley relay in one minute, 41.17 seconds, a time that will be difficult to top all season. Then, on his own, Thiel won the 200 individual medley in 2:13.95, while Burdo went 21.43 seconds in the 50 freestyle to beat out Petit (23.55 seconds) and Miller (23.84 seconds). Petit won the 100 freestyle in 52.25 seconds, while Miller was second in 55.32 seconds. Nick Matthews pulled away from the competition on the diving board, earning 222.05 points. James Hunter had a strong showing in the 200 freestyle, prevailing in 2:05.61, while Rainer Grimme was first (1:09.87) in the 100 backstroke. Moving to the 200 freestyle relay, Liverpool saw Burdo, Miller, Petit and Trevor Thompson roll to another victory in 1:37.10, with C-NS gaining second place in 1:47.10. Only at the end of the meet did the Northstars find some success. Scott Cooley took the 100 breaststroke in 1:10.40, with Zach Dengos second in 1:11 flat. Dengos also helped Nate Ancona, Mitch Eager and Nate Perrotta go 4:19.41 in the 400 freestyle relay. Liverpool has a difficult act to follow – namely, a 2013-14 season that included a New York State Public High School Athletic Association title in the 200 freestyle relay (1:27.10), a boatload of school records and a second-place finish in the Federation meet. Dan Roche, the reigning state champion on the diving board with 565.80 points, and Garrett Clarke (third in the 100 breaststroke and eighth in the 200 IM at the state meet) graduated, but Burdo (third in the state in the 100 freestyle a year ago), Petit, Thiel, Miller and Liam Henry lead a strong returning cast. Meanwhile, C-NS would try to rebound Thursday night against Fayetteville-Manlius at its home pool at Le Moyne College, and would do so, defeating the Hornets by a score of 100-76. At the basis of this victory was a Northstars sweep of all three relays. Ancona, Payton Connors, Scott Cooley and Sean Cooley got it going when they swam the 200 medley relay in 1:56.04. Then, in the 200 freestyle relay, Dengos joined Cooley, Owen Flaherty and Matt McAndrew to post 1:46.58 for another first-place finish. And closing out the meet, Dengos, Perrotta, Cooley and Ancona would swim the 400 freestyle relay in 4:03.63. Individually, Dengos won twice, beating out Ancona, 2:22.85 to 2:26.52, in the 200 IM, while also taking the 500 freestyle in 5:51.64. Ancona would prevail in the 100 butterfly (1:07.13) as Owen Ukleya gained first place in the 100 backstroke in 1:10.49. From there, the Nothstars visit Pulaski on Tuesday. Liverpool stays home for its own meet against F-M next Thursday night.