For a Baldwinsville football program that has not changed too much over the years, both in its leadership and with its philosophy, what will take place in 2016 will require some adjustment, regardless of the ultimate won-loss record.
Most of all, there’s the home field. Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium now has Field Turf, installed during the spring and summer, and the first home game on that new surface takes place Sept. 9 against West Genesee.
Though the school district has long needed an all-weather field to address the multiple sports teams (soccer, lacrosse and field hockey along with football) and community groups that use it, returning offensive lineman Mike Spicer remains nostalgic.
“It takes a little tradition away,” said Spicer. “When you think of B’ville, you think of grass.”
Or, more specifically, thoughts turn to a field that, in September, was thick and pristine, but that, by October, often had turned to mud thanks to weather and use. It was ideal to the run-oriented attack long preferred by head coach Carl Sanfilippo, who begins his 32nd season at the Bees’ helm.
But even an old-school coach like Sanfilippo sees the advantages this Field Turf will provide. He said it will benefit his team the most in the latter stages of the season, when players can know they’ll have proper footing instead of chewed-up grass to work on.
Aside from getting used to the new field, the theme for B’ville is to the quest to take at least one more step forward after back-to-back defeats to Liverpool in the last two Section III Class AA semifinals.
Ben Dwyer started all but one game at quarterback a season ago as a sophomore. Now a junior, Dwyer again runs the offense, though senior Dominic Samoraj is in position to take over should the need arise.
Jack Buis inherits the featured running back role. Given the greats that have flourished in that position at B’ville, including Malik Burks and Tyler Rouse, it’s not surprising that Buis, a 5-foot-8, 185-pound senior, said he has learned as much as he can from those backs in order to create his own successful legacy.
Of course, the Bees would ideally not have one back do most of the heavy lifting, so Jake Walsh and E.J. Edmonds are poised to work at tailback, too, with a staple of fullbacks, including Thor Sutphen, Nick Cacciola and Troy Anthony, also on hand.
Junior Gabe Horan brings a 6-foot-5, 240-pound frame to the tight end spot. He might prove to be the Bees’ top receiver, though it ha s returning senior Steve Banuski anchoring a group that includes Dononvan Smith and Jason Kenneweg.
Mike Spicer, at tackle, is one of two returning starters on the offensive line, joining 270-pound guard Cameron Majchrzak, who like Dwyer was a sophomore starter. Otherwise, the starting spots could go to any number of linemen, including Tanner Judkins, Brandon Francisco, Dan Pinkerton and Alex Garcia.
Once again, B’ville should have a strong defensive unit. Bill Spicer, the defensive coordinator, said that at least six starters are back, including Spicer, Horan and Majchrzak on a formidable front line, where, again, depth should allow for many player rotations.
At linebacker, Cacciola, Anthony and Sutphen all return, part of a 4-3 unit that’s big up front and quick in the middle. The only questions are in the secondary, where standouts Sam Mahar and Ryan Ingerson are gone, but Buis and Samoraj remain on hand.
All of this depth is a long-time B’ville trademark, partially a result of the way they take care of injuries and leave little to chance. Sanfilippo said that helmets are checked at least twice a week, often three times, to make sure they’re properly padded.
Thus, in an era where there’s increased awareness of concussions, B’ville only had three diagnosed concussions during the 2015 season among all its varsity, JV, ninth-grade and modified teams – and this in a program with 180 active players.
B’ville will face a big test right Friday night when the season opens at Christian Brothers Academy, considered by many the favorite to win the sectional title. But it’s not a league game, nor is the West Genesee home opener.
Instead, in the revamped Class AA-2 division, the Bees will be reunited with Liverpool, and the two will square off Sept. 23 at LHS Stadium in between home dates with Utica Proctor, Auburn and Cicero-North Syracuse before an Oct. 14 regular-season finale at Nottingham.
But regardless of the system of play or the field it’s played on, B’ville’s approach remains consistent– lots of hard work, which tends to translate to lots of wins most autumns.
