When a lopsided result takes place, as it did again for the Cicero-North Syracuse football team in Saturday night’s 40-0 victory over West Genesee in the Section III Class AA final at the Carrier Dome, it’s difficult to say that any single play or sequence made the difference.
Yet it’s hard to ignore what took place in the opening three minutes, which turned out quite decisive.
Just when it looked like the Wildcats would puncture the armor the Northstars had built up winning 29 of its previous 31 games, the C-NS defense made a stand, and never let the challengers get close to earning points against them again.
“Our defensive goal is to shut teams out every single game,” said senior linebacker Josh Lawrence.
Here, Lawrence and his defenders met that goal, and in doing so laid the foundation for a second consecutive sectional championship for the Northstars and the continuation of a quest for what the program hopes is its first-ever state title.
“The defense is dialed in,” said head coach Dave Kline. “These kids have bought into everything we have asked them to do.”
Against a WG team it beat 27-10 late in September in Camillus, the Northstars had to deal with plenty of intensity from the Wildcats in those initial snaps as it aggressively pursued C-NS’s dangerous group of skill players.
This paid off when, on the game’s third play from scrimmage, Conner Hayes was rushed into a short throw that Christian Rossi picked off and returned to the C-NS 30.
But instead of gaining a valuable early lead, the Wildcats were unable to pick up a first down as Tyler Cook threw incomplete on fourth down.
It didn’t take long for C-NS to assert itself on offense, too. Moving to WG’s 44-yard line, it went for it on fourth down and Hayes, rolling out, drew in the defense – which allowed Shy’rel Broadwater to get behind the secondary and, wide open, catch Hayes’ 44-yard touchdown pass.
That was all the points the Northstars would need, for its defense continued to harass Cook on every possession, forcing a fumble near midfield late in the first quarter that C-NS recovered.
Points came from that takeaway as Hayes threw a 10-yard scoring pass to Nate Geloff early in the second period. And the defense continued to assert itself, never more so than a sequence where Lawrence broke through and sacked Cook on back-to-back plays.
WG knew that, to have any chance, it had to keep the Northstars from its trademark big plays, but that didn’t even last until halftime.
Taking a handoff at his own 23, Jeremiah Willis started right and then dashed left, using his speed to outrun every Wildcats defender on a 77-yard jaunt to the end zone, the extra point making it 20-0, where it stood at halftime.
Not to get left out, Jaiquawn McGriff unleashed his own highlight-reel TD in the third quarter, a 43-yard run where he changed direction several times, broke multiple tackles and cut back until he found the corner of the end zone.
McGriff scored again from 10 yards out, set up by a 35-yard run from Willis, and Da-Ron Brown added final touch with his own 44-yard TD run early in the fourth quarter.
Now C-NS heads back to the state tournament, where it will get to play on home turf at Bragman Stadium next Saturday when it faces Section IV champion Elmira in the Class AA regional final. The winner will face Lancaster or Rochester Aquinas in the Nov. 17 state semifinal at Union-Endicott.
Kline said his team’s focus during the week, and fun playing the game, is what makes them special. Lawrence said this year’s group has better chemistry than the 2017 sectional champions.
Willis was more succinct. “We realized, last year, that we can make it (to a state championship),” he said. “So why not go all the way?”
