In a rivalry as intense as the one in football between Liverpool and Cicero-North Syracuse, separation is sometimes difficult to attain.

Yet the Legends were able to get that separation on a rainy Thursday night at LHS Stadium when it defeated the Northstars 21-7 in the season opener for both teams, a game where three different factors turned the game in Liverpool's factor.

First it was the ability to play a clean game. Not once did the Legends turn it over, and it also avoided penalties at key spots, something which bothered C-NS including a touchdown called back in the fourth quarter.

Then it was big plays – two of them in particular as Liverpool struck for long TD plays in the second half which counted for the ultimate winning margin.

Finally it was the Legends' defense ability to keep the Northstars out of the end zone most of the night. Three times C-NS drove it inside Liverpool's 10-yard line but managed just a single score on Miy'Jon McDowell Reid's one-yard plunge midway through the third period.

The Northstars were kept from even having the ball for much of the first quarter. Liverpool took the opening kick off and, over a span of 11-plus minutes, drove 64 yards in 18 plays.

Converting three fourth downs on that drive, the Legends converted on the last of them when John Sindoni threw a five-yard scoring pass to Amari Gunn, though it was Liverpool running the ball for most of that drive thanks to Alejandro Rivera and a strong front line.

C-NS would get chances to answer in the second period, only to get stopped on a fourth down at the Liverpool nine and then have quarterback Braydon Dems fumble at the Legends' 20 and Ny'Zyer Moore recover in the last minute of the half.

In the short term the Northstars were able to recover and put together its own long drive with the second-half kickoff, Dems' 14-yard pass to LaCuzio Wright putting it on the one-yard line before McDowell Reid scored two plays later.

The 7-7 tie did not last even two minutes, though. From midfield on Liverpool's next possession Rivera broke several tackles and dashed 50 yards to the end zone, putting the Legends ahead for good.

Then MiQuan Russo intercepted Dems for Liverpool's second turnover of the game, leading to the clinching score early in the fourth quarter. Again at midfield, Sindoni threw a screen pass to Daxton Archer who, like Rivera did on his TD, forced his way past several broken tackles on his way to a 51-yard score.

Liverpool would twice more stop C-NS drives in the homestretch with Nico Leone's last-minute interception sealing a second consecutive regular-season win for the Legends in this annual series.

Next Friday Liverpool plays at Corning, while C-NS has its home opener at Bragman Stadium against another Section IV team, Elmira.