All work and no play is the mindset for the Cicero-North Syracuse football team, one of just four Class AA teams left standing in Section 3 as a date with Baldwinsville looms on Friday.

“We know that there's still a lot of football left … and that we can't take anything for granted, even though we played before," senior Joseph Main said. "And we know that they're a different football team and we've been preparing in multiple different ways to play this Friday.”

C-NS enters Friday night as one of the hottest teams in Class AA, leaning on their grit throughout the season.

“We have a lot of toughness no matter who is running the ball or defense-wise," senior Leonzo Zimmerman said. "Defense had been doing a great job of stopping other opposing offenses, so, I mean, [it’s] starting on how well both sides of the ball have been able to communicate.”

“I think the way that we play football in the second half is just … unmatched," senior Jaxon Razmovski added. "Our coaches in the locker room just give us a huge speech and tell us what exactly we need to do. And on the defensive side of the ball, they definitely pick it up a lot.”

Behind the scenes, head coach Dave Kline builds the culture of winning through hard work.

“Coach Kline [has] given us a great opportunity, a great opportunity to win, a great opportunity to get great coaching," Zimmerman said. "He doesn't let up no matter the week, no matter the opponent. Coach Klein has done a great job preparing me in my teammates for this game.”

“You just realize how much we need to get in and grind," Kline said. "And these guys love it. I mean, they love the fact of opportunities to win, to play for a successful program. They have a lot of fun playing it and you know we've been lucky. You've been fortunate in great numbers through our feeder programs and that's continued.”

The Northstars have had a target on their backs all season after winning the sectional title in 2022, and are on the doorstep of a second.

“We've just got one thing in my heart now," Main said. "It's just people this Friday night. And if all goes according to plan, we'll be in the Dome on Saturday night.”