CENTRAL NEW YORK – Twin victories on the opening day of April proved the Liverpool and Cicero-North Syracuse boys lacrosse teams were gearing up for a championship challenge.

C-NS got that win by enduring summer-like heat against General Brown and doing just enough to pick up a 9-8 win over the Lions.

Forced to pace itself with temperatures at 70 degrees and the artificial surface at Bragman Stadium making it warmer still, C-NS would battle early-season conditioning issues.

Still, the Northstars inched out in front, kept that 4-3 margin into halftime and then made it 7-5 through three quarters, just enough to fend off a late General Brown push.

Elijah Martin and Ian Leahey accounted for most of the offense, Martin scoring four times and Leahey contributing three goals plus a pair of assists.

Mason Ciciarelli also had a goal, joining Donovan Chaney and Colin Stanton in the assist column. Leyton Sullivan had eight saves as GB goalie Luke Secreti’s 15 saves kept it close.

Liverpool already had a March 29 win over Westhill to its credit when, against Section II’s Bethlehem, it spread around its attack and pulling away to beat the Eagles 15-8.

Aaron Clouthier, with four goals and two assists, led the way. Bradley Cole scored three times, with Brady Michaud and Joe Sacco each earning two goals and one assist. Owen Michaud and Dom Grosbeck both had a goal and two assists as Gavin Kenna and Mason Gridley also scored.

This led to the season’s first big SCAC Metro division game, Liverpool visting Fayetteville-Manlius, and in a tense defensive battle the Warriors lost 9-7 to the Hornets.

Trailing 4-2 at halftime, Liverpool battled back and tied it, 6-6, by the end of the third quarter, seeing Osbeck get four assists and a single goal as Sacco and Brady Michaud scored twice, Gridley and Owen Michaud both finishing with one goal and one assist.

F-M won the fourth quarter, though, overcoming Owen Salanger’s 18 saves as T.J. Conley, Kyle Freyer and Robert Madden led with two goals apiece.

C-NS won that same day 16-5 over Tully/Fabius-Pompey, getting four goals from Ciciarelli and three goals from Leahey. Martin got two goals and two assists as Stanton and Tyler Milewski also converted twice, Cy Liberman adding two assists. Rocco Albanese, La’Quan Lemon and Donovan Chaney had single tallies.

Rebounding well from the F-M loss, Liverpool won 17-10 over Webster Thomas Thursday afternoon, led in a big way by Clouthier and Sacco.

All that Clouthier did was render seven goals and two assists, and the Titans couldn’t focus on him because Sacco scored six times, setting his own career mark while dishing out three assists.

Osbeck and Cole also got three assists, with Osbeck taking on a pair of goals and the Michaud brothers also getting goals, the Warriors improving to 3-1 overall.