The start of a new season is a reminder to all that everyone starts with the same record. Last season's letdowns are forgotten and replaced by hopes and championship aspirations. For the three Clay-area school district, the new season is welcomed by all. Gone is Baldwinsville's crushing 35-8 playoff loss to Liverpool. Forgotten is Cicero-North Syracuse's four-game losing streak to end a season full of such promise. Over is Liverpool's devastating 41-34 overtime playoff loss to West Genesee. 2009 is full of fresh starts with players graduating and underclassmen more experienced, it's an exciting time. For these three districts, their coaches, players and fans, it couldn't be a better time. Ready for some football?
Baldwinsville Bees
Baldwinsville is fresh off a 5-3 record in 2008, which includes the team's blowout loss to Liverpool. The Bees will have their chance at revenge when they face the Warriors on Sept. 25.
Senior running back Malik Burks is expected to be one of the team's most potent weapons this season. At 5'10 and 180 pounds, Burks is one of the state's premiere backs and looks to build on his impressive career resume. As a junior last season, Burks electrified and ended the regular season with four consecutive 200-yard games. While Burks wasn't much of a factor in the passing game, having just four receptions the entire year, but he has an excellent skill set and should be much more involved in the offense than last season. Overall look for Baldwinsville to attempt to open it more than 2008, when the team failed to score 30 or more points in every game.
In their attempt to return to their 2008 form the team will once again return quarterback Niko Manning. The 5'11 senior failed to have a 200-yard passing game last season but he also turned the ball over little and was a quality game manager for the Bees. Defensively, the team lost star Alex Hipolito, who was a tackling machine and will be extremely difficult to replace.
The Bees had one of the top defenses in the Section a year ago and that will continue to be the case this year with several experienced defensive players returning. The team will count mainly on their running game and strong D with Manning not winning the games himself, but not losing them either. A blowout playoff loss this season shouldn't be expected, but a return to the section championships may be.
Liverpool Warriors
The Webster dictionary defines the word “chaotic” as a state of utter confusion. That single sentence alone is enough to describe the 2008 season of the Liverpool Warriors. The team without a home, essentially on the road the entire season, forced to forfeit their opening win due to an ineligible player, and ending on a wild 7-point overtime loss.
Yes, that was 2008; now comes another season that could be in chaos if history repeats itself.
Fortunately for the Warriors, their head coach doesn't see it that way.
“If anything it builds confidence” said head coach Dave Mancuso. “They saw how they could have won the game, what went right and went wrong. They can build off that and now it has our kids ready to play.”
And play they will, just not at home for the second consecutive season. Liverpool's stadium is under construction and should be ready to go this time next year, but in the meantime the Carrier Dome will most likely play host to Liverpool's home dates. The “home” games last season were poorly attended, something Mancuso believes will pick up this year as his team moves to the Dome. He also described not having a true home stadium as a great situation this season with his team sharing the same stadium as Syracuse University Football. Another year playing elsewhere may make the team a little bit homesick but their new team philosophy, “Home in the Dome,” suggests otherwise.
Liverpool is stocked to the brim with young talent, and while they must replace a two-year starter at quarterback and several other players lost via graduation, Mancuso is confident the team will mesh well. Stud running back Greg Bell returns and has added both weight and muscle to his athletic frame. Bell rushed for over the century mark three separate times, including a season high 223 yards in the final regular season win over rival Cicero-North Syracuse. Along with the returning Bell and a solid offensive line, players such as Rich Green and Division One prospect Dee Harris will take the field.
The biggest question mark on the team will be at quarterback where Cam Jones takes over. The 5'11 Jones gives Liverpool an added dimension that the team really hasn't had in the past and will be even harder to defend. The first-year starter can throw the ball deep and is a terrific athlete which blends perfectly with a star running back and NFL-style offensive line.
Schedule-wise, the team will play the usual cast of characters, but Mancuso named Baldwinsville and C-NS as the toughest teams on his schedule.
“No matter what the record is, in a rivalry game anything can happen. Both of these teams are extremely physical and very good. It will be a challenge,” he explained.
Challenges are something the Liverpool Warriors know all too much about, and this season is no different. The school's goal every year is to win the sectional championship, but to also see all of their players play to their full potential.
“The kids playing to their full potential has always been a goal, I can sleep well at night with that,” Mancuso said.
Cicero-North Syracuse Northstars
Cicero North Syracuse began last year with high hopes and high expectations. After a 4-0 start, things seemed to be going the way everyone thought they would, with an undefeated season on the minds of many.
The storybook, fairy-tale ending, however, turned out to be one rotten apple as the team combusted and lost their final four games to finish the season a lackluster 4-4.
“It was a disappointing finish no question,” North Stars head coach Steve Ellis said
The team had a constant revolving door at offensive line, never starting the same unit twice, and the team's main difference-maker, Chad Dubiel, was injured during the fourth game.
“As tough a finish as it was, we still weren't all that far off from where we would like to be,” Ellis said. “2008 is over, and nothing we do this year will have anything to do with last year.”
The team's coaching staff and players now worry about getting better each day with the team evaluating talent at every position and aiming to play to the team’s strengths.
Ellis pointed to a very inexperienced offensive line being one of the team's main concerns this year; he’s also attempting to find a true difference maker on the team. While the Northstars return few experienced players on both sides, star quarterback Ryan Lacey returns. In three of the team's games last season, Lacey completed better than 63 percent of his passes and should see even better numbers this season with several of his passing targets returning to the team. Tom Padula returns to take carries at running back, but look for his numbers from last season to decline slightly due to the offensive line issue. Padula will be accompanied in the backfield by three new running mates in Blake Monday, Malik Merritt and fullback Mike Parody. One of the team’s biggest strengths this season will be on special teams as star punter/kicker Andrew Falvey returns.
The North Stars have the potential to make the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season as long as they find an answer to their inexperienced lines and if some of the more lesser known players develop more quickly than expected. Thankfully Coach Steve Ellis returns some talented and experienced skill position players who will remember last season's poor finish. Despite some graduation losses the team should be more prepared and a record of last season or better is possible.
Sep
11
Clay area schools ready for football in '09
Paul Lybolt 09/11/09
CATEGORY: General Society
TAGS: Football, Baldwinsville, Liverpool, North Syracuse
TAGS: Football, Baldwinsville, Liverpool, North Syracuse