BALDWINSVILLE – For more than half a decade, the Baldwinsville football team has understood that the path to a championship in the area Class AA ranks runs straight through Cicero-North Syracuse.
It’s no different in 2023, with the Bees again ambitious and again aware that getting past the Northstars, either in the regular season or post-season, remains the objective.
A season ago, the Bees reached the sectional semifinals and were close most of the way with C-NS before taking a 21-7 defeat, bringing to an end a 5-4 campaign.
From that team, Greg Marinelli returns at quarterback for his senior campaign. He ran for 512 yards and eight touchdowns in 2022 while also passing for 588 yards.
The idea of a true multiple threat under center adds a dimension to an offense long associated with workhorse running backs, dominant fullbacks and big linemen.
With Brandon Levin (1,033 yards, 15 TD’s in 2022) graduated, there’s a group of new backs led by Kaleb Young, who averaged nearly eight yards per carry a season ago and scored four times.
Anthony Noda and TeiShawn Wade give the Bees depth at tailback, with Judson Ferris, Dylan Garcia and Padraig Orczek all set to work at fullback.
They work behind a solid offensive line that returns both of its tackles along with its center. Fred Pickard, Lucas Houghton and Dimitri Ioannidis are all seniors, with several players, including Parker Messmer, battling fot the starting spots at guard while also rotating in the defensive line.
Also back is Nico Wellman, who backs up Marinelli at quarterback but also could line up in the backfield or at wide receiver with Logan McIntyre and Trevor Valenti, while at tight end Griffin Killian, B’ville’s leading receiver in 2022 with 12 catches for 260 yards, needs to be replaced.
On defense, the Bees should have a standout secondary again led by Marinelli, who snared a remarkable eight interceptions in 2023, along with Wellman, Valenti, Noda and Union-Endicott transfer Gavin Donaldson.
Gone are the Bees’ top two tacklers from 2022, Nick Foster (69 tackles) and Toby McIntyre (54 tackles), as is Killian and Kaleb Paul, who recorded two interceptions to go with his 44 tackles, but Ferris, Dylan Garcia and Brady Garcia all return and should have strong seasons.
B’ville has just three home games, opening with trips to Jamestown and Vestal before the Sept. 15 home opener with Elmira.
Three of the Bees’ five league games are on the road, too, though C-NS does visit on Sept. 22 to offer a timely midseason examination, returning much of its top offensive talent but replacing several key starters on defense.
