ONONDAGA COUNTY – Somewhere the Cicero-North Syracuse football team was going to relinquish its spot atop the area Class AA ranks, but few could have imagined just how it would unfold.
From Jaxon Razmovski’s late-season suspension to head coach Dave Kline’s surprising resignation days before last November’s Section III title game, it all got away from the Northstars even before Christian Brothers Academy beat them at the JMA Dome to deny a sixth consecutive sectional title.
Putting it back together first required a new head coach. C-NS ultimately chose Jim Ryan, who had gone 10-7 in two seasons with Bishop Ludden/SAS but, before that, was an assistant coach for nearly a decade at the college level at Hobart and Morrisville State.
Most of the C-NS staff remained, though, and Ryan said their presence allows him to ease into his leadership role without having to make wholesale changes.
“Consistency and collaboration is important, so I don’t have to shake everything up,” he said, adding that the program’s high expectations and winning mentality is already well-established.
Several standouts return on defense for C-NS, including Xander Provost at end, Marcus Reed at linebacker and Anthony Johnson at safety. Terrell Wright, Donovan Chaney and Connor Bednarski add to the depth in the front seven as Miy’Jon McDowell joins Johnson in the secondary.
Offensively, the big task involves replacing Razmovski, who started most of the last three season. Reed got the start at quarterback in the sectional final and, after a full off-season of fine-tuning, is ready to start full-time under center.
“He’s an incredible leader,” said Ryan.
Up front, Syracuse University recruit Kardiear Shepherd anchors the line. At 6’7” and 320 pounds, Shepherd might draw many double teams at left tackle, taking pressure off fellow linemen Brecken May, Mason Craven, Donovan Keener and Brady Collins.
They’ll all block for Johnson and McDowell, who return at running back as Owen Ellis, Wright, Antwaun Dixon and Alex Salloum move in at wide receiver next to Bednarski and Carson Kimmel at the H-Back spot.
And if the Northstars need points close to the goal line, they can turn to kicker Jacob Purdy, who made 30 of 32 extra points a season ago and figures to get more field-goal opportunities this fall.
One thing C-NS certainly wants to do is maintain its recent superiority over Liverpool, whom it meets Sept. 20 at Bragman Stadium, but it won’t be easy.
Liverpool made major strides in Joe Sindoni’s second season as head coach, going from 2-6 to 5-4 and winning a sectional playoff game before CBA handled them in the semifinals on its way to the state championship.
All this was done with several injuries to key players and a young lineup full of freshmen and sophomores. Sindoni said that their growth and maturity should lead to even more progress this fall.
Junior John Sindoni (1,221 passing yards, 15 touchdown passes) returns at quarterback. He said that his biggest off-season work involved running and building up speed, anything to move out of the pocket and become more dangerous both as a passer and a scrambler.
Sindoni has lots of receiving options. There’s 6’7” sophomore tight end Oakley Keegan, who could line up wide in the spread thanks to two other possible tight ends, Isaiah Morris and Christian Washington, to complement wide receivers Jayden Devereaux and Antonio Rivera, with Avi Camby taking over at tailback.
The Liverpool offensive line in 2023 was brand-new and most of them are back, starting with Matt Reed (315 pounds) at guard flanking center Nolan Huson (250 pounds), while tackles Jared Curcio (240 pounds) and Cole Henning (250 pounds) have both bulked up to add more size.
A big change on defense involves moving Ty Kere Jones from linebacker to defensive end, trying to take advantage of his bigger 245-pound frame while working on the line with Reed, Curcio, Dakota Healey and Kolin Toxey.
The leading tackler a season ago, Dom Carroll, returns to start at middle linebacker, flanked by Morris and Washington, while the secondary features last year’s Class AA leader in interceptions, Dante Klix, part of a secondary with Rivera, Camby and Devereaux. Sophomore Amari Gunn is handling the kicking duties.
With opening games against Rome Free Academy and Baldwinsville, Liverpool will face big, physical tests even before it gets to C-NS, while the Northstars have a sectional final rematch with CBA Sept. 13, a week after going back to the Dome for this weekend’s opener against Section V’s Victor.
