Cicero-North Syracuse coach Stephen Mirizio described his flag football squad as a diverse group that has built a culture in just a couple of years.
It's made the Northstars a strong contender for a sectional championship title.
"They just want it so bad for each other," Mirizio said. "They've done such an amazing job."
On Friday, second-seeded C-NS put it all together in a 12-6 overtime win against third-seeded Liverpool in the Class A semifinals.
"It was a fantastic team effort," Mirizio said. "It was back and forth, but they played their hearts out."
C-NS and Liverpool were knotted at 6-6 heading into OT. The Northstars' score came late in the second half on a long run to the end zone by junior Shanyrah Burton-Sledge.
Liverpool started with the ball in extra time, but C-NS's defense forced them to turn it over on downs.
"That stop was huge," Mirizio said. "The defense held their own and put us in a good position."
The Northstars got the ball and proceeded to storm downfield. On 4th-and-1 at the 1-yard line, senior quarterback Olivia Cook lofted a short pass to Piper Adams for the game-winning touchdown. "It was awesome," Mirizio said. "It was great to see smiles on the girls' faces."
C-NS (10-3-1) will face either top-seeded Syracuse East or fifth-seeded Fayetteville-Manlius in the Class A title game at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Henninger High School.
Syracuse East and the Hornets square off in the other semifinal contest on Saturday at 1 p.m.
"It was a great feeling to get that win, but now it's time to regroup and prepare for Tuesday," Mirizio said.
