September 14, 2012 7:00 a.m. —
A week ago, Mercyhurst Prep was supposed to be at Bears Stadium taking on Union City in its Region 2 opener and trying to put behind it a Week 1 loss to Central Tech.
But after a full week of the practice, the Lakers were informed that their game against the Bears had been canceled.
“It was definitely a disappointment to say the least,” Mercyhurst Prep coach Matt Morgan said.
It wasn’t all bad for the Lakers, though. With no game Friday, the Mercyhurst Prep coaching staff was able to do something they otherwise would not have had the opportunity: See its unbeaten Week 3 opponent live.
“We wanted to be playing for sure,” Morgan said. “But the next best thing was we got to scout Cochranton.”
And what did Morgan find out about the Cardinals?
“I walked away impressed,” he said. “We are going to have to be on top of our game or they are going to be 3-0.”
Cochranton is off to an outstanding start.
The Cardinals are 2-0 with wins against Seneca and Cambridge Springs; and those wins were by an average of 33 points with the Cardinals averaging 49.5 points per game.
“If you lose a football game you want to come back the next week and play someone you can beat and rally from there,” Morgan said. “When you lose a game, sit a week and then go up against a team that is unbeaten and probably the best looking Cochranton team I’ve seen in a number of years, that is a tough assignment.”
It’s a pretty tough assignment for Cochranton as well.
Despite falling in Week 1 to Central Tech (36-13), Mercyhurst Prep boasts another talented squad. The Lakers are led by Cornelius Barclay, who ran for 143 yards on 14 carries against the Falcons. Thomas Higgins also topped 100 yards, finishing with 123 yards on 15 carries. Both Barclay and Higgins scored touchdowns.
“We’ve seen them on film,” Cochranton coach Nate Liberty said. “Great running backs, big line, run the Wing-T very well. They’ve been very successful in Region 2. It’s a big game for us.”
Indeed. Mercyhurst Prep has won four of the last six Region 2 championships. But for the first time in several years, there is some chatter about Cochranton. A win over the Lakers would go a long way.
“We’re excited,” Liberty said. “We’re ready. I get a chance to see what we’re really made of, so I’m excited.”
The key will be settling down a Cardinals squad in a big game situation they have not been accustomed to since winning the French Creek Valley Conference in 2003. Since then, the Cardinals are a combined 16-59.
“These first two games got us in the right direction and that’s what I’m trying to get instilled in these kids. I’m not going to bring up the past. I brought it up in our first meeting. After that, I didn’t mention it again. We’ve just got to keep going forward.”
Notes: Cochranton and Mercyhurst Prep kickoff tonight at 7 at Tulio Field in Erie. Mercyhurst Prep won last year’s meeting 26-0. Austin Andrews and Chad Eisenhooth have been the Cards’ go-to guys on offense. Andrews has rushed for 169 yards on 21 carries with four touchdowns. Eisenhooth has scored three rushing touchdowns and has 137 yards total on the ground. He has thrown for another 158 yards and two touchdowns.
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