Having reigned in Section III Class AA football for the last two years, Cicero-North Syracuse is quite aware of the target it presents to all of its rivals – one in particular.

Liverpool wants nothing more than to upend the Northstars somewhere in 2019, and will get a chance to do so next Friday night at Bragman Stadium with the “Star Wars Cup” on the line.

First, though, the Warriors had to go to the Dome and withstand a serious challenge from Fayetteville-Manilus in Friday night’s Kickoff Classic. Liverpool did so by taking over in the second half on both sides of the ball to defeat the Hornets 21-7.

Earlier in the evening and a few miles down the road at Alibrandi Stadium, it was C-NS making an impressive 2019 debut by earning a 21-0 shutout over Christian Brothers Academy.

What was so striking about Liverpool’s effort against F-M was the way all phases of the game worked out following a rough start that included seeing Brayden McClain’s 85-yard punt return for a touchdown in the first quarter called back for an illegal block.

With the game still 0-0 in the second period, McClain’s 22-yard punt return set up the Warriors’ first scoring drive. Key runs by Dakari Mack and Bryce Mills set up Mills to find the end zone from two yards out.

Liverpool’s lead did not hold up until halftime. F-M countered with a mix of runs and passes, the key a fourth-down 17-yard connection from Zak Conley to Jordan Leuze. The pair combined again for a four-yard TD pass less than a minute before intermission.

So it was 7-7, but only until the first drive of the second half, when the Warriors started to take over with a 62-yard scoring drive, all on the ground.

Behind the blocks of linemen Jake Ronan, Ryan Saffiotti, Nick Reed, Nick Hall and Nate Graser, the Warriors used four different backs, including quarterback Brendan Mancuso, who scrambled 17 yards deep into F-M territory before Mack went one yard for the go-ahead TD.

Even more important was what happened in the last minute of the period. F-M, down 14-7, had driven inside the Warriors’ five-yard line, only to have the defense sack Conley on third down and, on fourth-and-goal, see Max Michalak intercept a pass at the goal line and return it 59 yards.

More of the Warriors’ ground game followed, and from the Hornets’ six Mancuso rolled out and found the end zone with 8:34 left. Not content with that, Liverpool forced three more turnovers in the closing minutes, including interceptions by Mills and Christian Matthew.

Combine all this with special teams that included three successful extra points by Jacob Graser and a series of high punts from Jalen Graham, and Liverpool has a winning formula that just might turn around its recent woes against its neighbors from C-NS.

Still, the Northstars seem as formidable as ever, as it showed to a CBA side trying to bounce back this fall after winning just one game in the 2018 season.

From start to finish, the C-NS defense smothered the Brothers, keeping things from getting close with a crucial stop inside its own 10-yard line in the last minute of the first half.  This gave the offense ample time to find its rhythm with new starters at most of the skill positions.

J.J. Razmovski, who is the first player other than Conner Hayes to go under center for C-NS since 2015, threw three touchdown passes – strikes of eight and 40 yards to Matt Wentling-Raymie after a first-quarter 39-yard scoring strike to Adron Pafford.