Perhaps serving as a culmination to an unprecedented three-year run in program history, the Cicero-North Syracuse football team placed 10 players from the 2018 Section III and regional Class AA champions on the All-State teams voted on by the New York State Sportswriters Association.
Leading that group was Northstars senior running back Jaiquawn McGriff, a first-team All-State selection, the only Class AA player from Section III so honored.
Though none of the C-NS players got on the All-State second team, senior quarterback Conner Hayes, a starter since his freshman year in 2015, earned third-team status.
Then the Northstars had wide receiver Shy’rel Broadwater and defensive back Jeremiah Willis as part of the All-State fifth team, with offensive lineman Brady Mills chosen for the sixth team.
Four others – offensive lineman Matt Hogan, linebacker Josh Lawrence, linebacker Jack McDonald and defensive back Nate Geloff – received honorable mention All-State honors.
C-NS won 31 of its 34 games the last three years, falling in the 2016 sectional final, but then taking the first two secitonal and regional titles in program history. The Northstars lost in the state semifinals to Lancaster in 2017 and Rochester Aquinas in 2018.
Liverpool, who claimed a league title last fall in the Class AA-1 division before a sectional semifinal defeat to West Genesee, placed linebacker Jacob Vacco on the All-State honorable mention list.
As for West Genesee, whom C-NS beat for the sectional title, it had six All-State selections, topped by fifth-team linebacker Brendan Hammerle and sixth-team choices Chandler McAvan (tight end) and Areece Appleton (defensive end).
New Rochelle running back Jordan Forrest, who ran for 1,672 yards and 22 touchdowns while leading his team to the state Class A final, was named the NYSSWA’s large-school Player of the Year.
