For the past few years, Liverpool's varsity football team has lived by three words: Return to dominance. That aspiration became more realistic in Friday night's annual "Star-Wars Cup," as the Warriors defeated defending Class AA champion Cicero-North Syracuse in a 10-0 shutout at Michael J. Bragman Stadium. With the win, Liverpool (2-0) defeated C-NS (1-1) for the first time since the 2015 season - the last time the Warriors won the sectional title. Liverpool coach Dave Mancuso credited his team for its good practices throughout the week. "We had the best week of practice that I've had here in maybe 10 years," he said. "I didn't have to yell at anybody, they were all on time early and they knew what this game meant to them." Similar to last week's 21-7 victory over Fayetteville-Manlius, Liverpool's defensive front made its presence felt. But instead of allowing one touchdown, the Warriors did the unthinkable and kept the Northstars scoreless. The Warriors only forced two turnovers, but both were during pivotal moments of the game. Junior defensive back Brayden McClain intercepted a pass thrown by C-NS junior quarterback J.J. Razmovski late in the first quarter, which gave Liverpool favorable field position just outside of the red zone. McClain's pick led to a 1-yard touchdown run by Liverpool senior fullback Jacob Vacco, giving the Warriors a 7-0 lead. The second turnover by C-NS was made on a critical fourth down in the fourth quarter. Liverpool used a variety of run plays to drive the length of the field for the remaining nine minutes of the game. "That play was one of many that we had on Tuesday on the practice field," Mancuso said. "Our defense has just been playing great." C-NS had more mental mistakes in the first half than points, as the offense was called for four penalties. The Northstars advanced the ball past midfield only twice in the first 24 minutes. Liverpool's swarming defense pressured Razmovski all night long. Warriors running back/defensive back Bryce Mills landed two sacks on the junior quarterback in the second quarter alone. But rather than talk about himself, he praised his captain, Vocco, for his performance. "I can't say enough good things about him," Mills said after the game. "Every single day (at practice), he's early and he's the last one out. He keeps guys in check. He's the best. When you got guys like that in the locker room, you can't lose." The Warriors' win was the perfect way to measure how they stack up against the rest of the section. After playing at the Carrier Dome in Week 1 and on the road in Week 2, Liverpool will play at home for the first time this season next Friday against Henninger. C-NS is on the road against Rome Free Academy.
