BALDWINSVILLE – Even before the 2022 season started, the Baldwinsville football team was enthusiastic about the Friday night when Christian Brothers Academy would arrive at Pelcher-Arcaro Stadium.
And when that evening arrived, the team, and the school, did all it could to make the night special, from players donned in black uniforms and pants to a student section doing the same, all in an effort to perhaps deliver a big win.
But the reigning state Class A champion Brothers, now part of Class AA, would upend all the plans, making enough big plays and enough stops to defeat B’ville 29-8 and stay undefeated.
Helped in no small part by its epic 42-41 win over Cicero-North Syracuse two weeks earlier, CBA had climbed to no. 6 in the state Class AA rankings, providing a bigger target for a Bees squad bent on bouncing back after its own defeat to C-NS.
Quickly, B’ville found that it could move the ball on the Brothers’ defense, and one early drive paid off when the Bees reached CBA’s two-yard line before Nick Foster scored and added his own two-point conversion.
They were still tied, 8-8, when in the second quarter the Brothers moved in front for good when it drove to B’ville’s 21 before Jordan Rae fired a pass to Jason Brunson in the end zone.
Overall, the Bees’ defense did a solid job containing the Brothers’ explosive attack, holding it to a season-low total in points. Greg Marinelli and Kaleb Paul each intercepted Rae as Foster produced a team-best seven tackles and Toby McIntyre added four tackles.
Meanwhile, the offense continued to produce opportunities through its ground game. Brandon Levin gained 151 yards on 26 carries, with Marinelli getting 47 yards on the ground to go with six-for-14 passes for 67 yards.
However, when it was needed, CBA’s defense was able to make stops, forcing Marinelli and Nico Wellman into three interceptions.
Rae gave CBA a cushion in the third quarter, firing a 52-yard touchdown pass to highly-touted receiver Syair Torrence, and later added a seven-yard scoring pass to Amarri Pitts.
B’ville, now 2-2 on the season, is home again next Friday to face Utica Proctor, who improved to 3-1 by winning 32-20 at Liverpool, the game important to both teams in terms of where they will eventually finish in the Class AA regular-season standings.
