Same opponents, same lopsided result – only the venue was different.
For the second season in a row, the Cicero-North Syracuse football team kept its neighbors from Liverpool off the scoreboard in their ‘Star Wars’ Cup clash, prevailing 41-0 Friday night at LHS Stadium.
A year ago, on its home turf at Bragman Stadium, the Northstars’ 34-0 shutout of the Warriors signaled that C-NS had championship intentions, and while they were not quite fulfilled, a rivalry long in Liverpool’s favor had turned.
Now they were on the Warriors’ home turf, and the expectations had changed. Liverpool was 1-1, coming off a loss to Union-Endicott and still learning about itself, while C-NS was 2-0, sitting at no. 13 in the state Class AA rankings and certain about what it could still accomplish.
For a time, fueled by the home crowd, the Warriors’ spirit kept things tight as the two teams played through a scoreless first quarter and were still 0-0 midway through the second period, too.
But the dreams of a Liverpool upset began to dim when Erik Pride scored from two yards out, initiating a 21-point barrage that, by halftime, had demoralized the home side.
Pride tormented the Warriors’ defense throughout the night, amassing a career-best 255 yards on 27 carries behind a big, imposing offensive line that, once again, dominated the line of scrimmage.
Pride’s second touchdown also came on a two-yard plunge, and ahead 14-0, C-NS applied a lethal blow on the last play of the half.
The Northstars had the ball on Liverpool’s 30. Conner Hayes flung a desperation pass to the end zone, and Lukas Merluzzi beat two defenders to grab it. Hayes added the extra point, and it was 21-0 at intermission.
When C-NS stopped the Warriors inside its own 20 early in the third quarter, it took away Liverpool’s best chance at points. But that didn’t satisfy the Northstars as Pride scored for a third time from 25 yards out.
Gaiden Nelson joined in the fun with a 14-yard TD sprint that made it 34-0 before Hayes found Peyton Watts in the end zone from 10 yards out.
C-NS would head on the road next Friday to face Auburn, who started 2-0 before a 19-18 defeat to Nottingham. Liverpool, meanwhile, faces its other neighborhood rival when it travels to Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium to take on Baldwinsville.
