As it turned out, a little delay went a long way to helping the Liverpool football team move to the top of the Class AA-1 division standings.
The Warriors were locked in a tight battle with visiting Christian Brothers Academy last Friday night when incoming weather forced the game to be stopped early in the third quarter.
By the time they started again on Saturday morning, Liverpool was refreshed – and proceeded to run all over the Brothers, picking up a 27-7 victory.
It had already proven a rough start for CBA, normally a powerhouse program. Not only had it started 0-3, it had seen one of its players need to be revived on the field during the second quarter of its Sept. 14 defeat to Elmira at Alibrandi Stadium.
Still, the Brothers went out in front of Liverpool in a wind-swept first quarter, driving to the Warriors’ four-yard line before Tim Denham scored and Jaden Buckingham kicked the extra point.
Gradually, though, the Warriors’ ground game began to assert itself, especially on a second-period drive that culminated with Jacob Vacco finding the end zone from 10 yards out.
Ryan Metzler’s PAT made it 7-7, where it stood at halftime as both sides hoped that an earlier start time (6 p.m. instead of 7 p.m.) would allow them to beat the impending storms.
Just after the second-half kickoff, though, the sight of lightning sent everyone off the field. After the weather passed through, it was decided that the game would resume at 10 a.m. the next morning.
Refreshed, the Warriors went right after CBA as Cade Clouthier, from the Brothers’ 43, broke through the line and tore to the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown.
More big runs would follow as Liverpool’s offensive line overwhelmed the CBA front. Just before the third quarter ended, Vacco capped off another drive with a three-yard TD plunge that made it 20-7.
Finishing his day with 146 yards on 20 carries, Vacco added a six-yard scoring run with four minutes left. Clouthier also carried the ball 20 times, accumulating 125 yards.
Defensively, Liverpool kept the Brothers in check before and after the delay. Bryce Mills had five tackles, with Vacco and Malachi Upshur each getting four tackles. Max Michalak earned an interception and Darreon Nixon forced a fumble.
Now, Friday’s game against Corcoran carries even more meaning, since the winner is alone in first place in the AA-1 division. The Cougars, forced to forfeit wins over Baldwinsville and West Genesee for the use of an ineligible player, won its lone league game against Nottingham on Sept. 15 before falling 30-8 to Elmira last weekend.
