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RICHMOND -- The focus is on Harrison Central.
The Edison and Harrison Central football teams enter this week's matchup trending in opposite directions. The Wildcats enter this week's game with a perfect record of 7-0, while the Huskies enter the game having lost three out of their last four games, including two straight.
Edison will look to win its school record eighth straight game when it takes on Harrison Central at 7 p.m. Friday night on Senior Night at the Edison Unified Sports Complex.
Harrison Central, on the other hand, is looking to get back on track after falling on hard times as of late.
Last week, Edison and East Liverpool were tied at 14 at halftime before the Wildcats scored 35 unanswered points to pull away from the Potters en route to a 49-14 victory at home.
Edison (7-0) head coach Mike Collopy said his team played much better in the second half compared to the first.
"Absolutely," he said. "We had offensive penalties that put us behind the sticks. If you don not get positive yards on first down you end up with 1st-and-15 or 1st-and-20.
"Defensively, our alignment was not where it needed to be. We did not lineup in the right spots. Those are things we are going to continue to work on and address."
East Liverpool had the ball in Edison's territory on the first drive of the second half, however, a botched snap on a punt gave Edison the ball in good field position, and the Wildcats took off from that point.
"Liverpool had a good game plan," Collopy said. "They did a good job. We will learn from it."
Things did not go nearly as well for the Huskies last week at home as Beaver Local recorded a 65-7 victory at Wagner Field.
"You don't forget about it," Harrison Central (4-3) head coach Anthony Hayes said. "I'm not going to forget it, and I hope the kids do not forget it. We were not focused. We did not meticolously prepare for the the game. You want to keep it in your mind. You don't want to lose sight of that."
After starting the season 3-0, the Huskies have fallen in three out of the last four weeks with none of the three games -45-15 to Union Local, 43-0 to St. Clairsville and 65-7 to Beaver Local – being close. Harrison Central's lone win during that stretch was a 31-7 victory against East Liverpool up at Patterson Field.
The Beavers scored three straight touchdowns on pick 6s.
"I know some people will say Murphy's Law, but everything was under our control," Hayes said. "We can't blame the weather. It was all in our control. We did not perform well. We did not execute."
East Liverpool had most of its success on offense last week running the ball against Edison, and the Huskies will look to do the same this week.
"It is no different this week," Collopy said. "They have a powerful tailback. They have two good fullbacks. Their line is good. They have good skill players. Their quarterback is an athlete."
The Huskies have had success running and throwing the football this season as the boys from Harrison County have scored at least 31 points in all four of their victories.
"They have a nice mix," Collopy said. "They use play-action passes. They can spread guys out. They want to get the ball to their guys in space. We are going to have to defend that. We are going to have to tackle in space."
The Wildcats have also had plenty of success on the ground and through the air this season.
"They are 7-0, but we have to focus on who we are," Hayes said. "We have to focus on ourselves. We have to get to a better place. Our focus is on ourselves."
Harrison Central will not be able to focus on stopping one thing Friday night as Edison has had plenty of success through the air as well on the ground.
"Their quarterback is an athlete. He has been playing for years. Their line is good. They have good skill players.
"They have seen success the last two years. That has elevated them. They are more confident. They're hungry."
The Huskies also have plenty of talent on the defensive side of the ball.
"Their front three on the defensive line are really good," Collopy said. "Their inside linebackers are tough. Their outside linebackers can run. Their secondary has athletes. They use their speed. Their coach puts them in the best positition to do their best."
Harrison Central is focused on fixing its issues this week, however, that will not be easy to do against Edison.
"They are 7-0 for a reason," Hayes said. "We have to be meticulous in everything we do. We have to be sharp. We have to execute."
Special teams often get overlooked, but the Huskies have a major weapon in their kicker.
"Their kicker is outstanding," Collopy said. "He kicks and punts. He puts his kick offs into the endzone. He's a good punter. He's a real threat as field goal kicker for sure."
The Wildcats have plenty of talent in all three phases of the game.
"They have good athletes," Hayes said. "They have seen success. They have come a long way."
The Huskies did not have a good week of practice leading up to the game against the Beavers, and it showed on the field.
"We have to fix things," Hayes said. "We have to get back to who we can be. The effort at practice wasn't there last week. We have to prepare hard all week. If you don't practice well, you are not going to play well when you get on the field."
Collopy and the Wildcats are not looking past the Huskies.
"Every week is a mini season," Collopy said. "We are going to have to be ready. We are going to have to be prepared. We have to clean up our mistakes and move on from there."
Edison is focused on Harrison Central and not all of the festivities that surround Senior Night.
"Hopefully, we take the apporach that this is the last home game of the regular season," Collopy said. "It is the last home game not only for the seniors but for the whole team. We can't get caught up in everything that is going on.
"The most important thing this week is the game. Just like last week with Homecoming, they most important thing was the game."
What is Harrison Central going to have to do to leave Jefferson County with a win?
"We have to be focused on us," Hayes said. "I hate to keep beating a dead horse, but we have to take care of ourselves. We have to do a better job."
Edison enters this week's game in fifth place in the Ohio Division V Region 17 rankings. The Wildcats as of yet do not control their own destiny when it comes to making the playoffs.
Harrison Central is in 14th place in the rankings.
The Wildcats will be out for revenge this week as the Huskies came away with a 27-17 victory last season on their home field.