CICERO – Four times, the Cicero-North Syracuse football team have placed itself on the brink of playing for a state Class AA championship, only to get stopped.
It happened again in last Saturday’s state semifinal at Bragman Stadium as Bennett, the Section VI champions from Buffalo, led from the opening minute and never let the Northstars recover, prevailing 38-0.
Every intangible factor appeared in C-NS’s favor. Not only was it playing on its home field, but the Northstars also had the benefit of a full week of preparation.
That wasn’t the case for Bennett. The Tigers had its regional final against Rochester McQuaid pushed back by a COVID-19 outbreak among McQuaid players and coaches.
Bennett won that rescheduled game 26-14 last Tuesday, but had just three days to prepare for C-NS after a request to move the game to Sunday was denied.
Against a Tigers offense led by 2,000-yard rusher Dominac Allen, the Northstars immediately got burned by Allen when he took off 60 yards for a touchdown on the second play from scrimmage. Then Dominic Howard ran in for two points.
C-NS couldn’t answer and, a few minutes later, the Tigers doubled the margin, Jamario Tolliver scoring on a six-yard run and Jeremiah Rowell’s two-point conversion to follow.
So the Northstars trailed 16-0, and it nearly got worse before the C-NS defense stopped Bennett inside its own 15 on fourth down early in the second quarter.
Yet the offense remained quiet, having twice driven inside the Bennett 20 without finding the end zone,and the Northstars’ 16-0 deficit held until halftime.
But C-NS went three-and-out to start the third quarter and the Tigers, taking possession, moved to the Northstars’ 28 before Allen ran right and tore down the sidelines for his second TD of the night, Ahmar Bradberry tacking on two points to make it 24-0.
Desperate to get something going, the Northstars went to the air and Jayden Louis picked off Anthony Testa, returning it 60 yards for six points, the seventh time this season Louis had a TD on an interception.
Bennett scored once more on defense when Brian Patterson picked up a C-NS fumble and brought it back 51 yards, the ensuing conversion making it 22 points in the third period.
The Tigers secured a first-ever state finals appearance against Carmel this Saturday at the Carrier Dome, while the Northstars concluded with a 9-3 record.
