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NEW MANCHESTER -- The Oak Glen football team enters this week's game against Edison looking for its thrid straight victory, while the Wildcats are looking for their first win of the season at 7 p.m. Friday night.
The Golden Bears have had to work hard for their victories in the past two weeks as the game's came down to the final play.
Oak Glen defeated Warren Local 17-14 Saturday night at home thanks to a 34-yard field goal by Collin Williams as time expired.
"We responded well in the fourth quarter," Oak Glen (2-2) head coach Ted Arneault said. "We were able to rally. There were things we did well, and we did some things we need to work on."
The Golden Bears led 14-0 at halftime, but the Warriors battled back and tied the score at 14 with 2:48 left to play in the fourth quarter. Oak Glen defeated Buckeye Local 28-21 in Week 3 in double overtime.
Edison enters the game coming off of a 54-0 loss to Union Local on homecoming night.
"Looking back on last week, some of our younger guys who have not had the opportunity to play were able to see some time," first-year Edison (0-5) head coach Nate Moses said. "That is a positive. They were able to get some experience out on the field. That will help this program out."
Oak Glen began the season by losing to Weir 52-0 and Steubenville Catholic Central 63-28. Though the score turned out to be lopsided, the Golden Bears led the Crusaders on a couple of occasions in the first half.
"Offensively, their freshman quarterback (Nick Chaney) is not looking like a freshman first and foremost," Moses said. "He is a big kid. He likes to throw the ball down the field. They like to throw deep. He's a big kid for being a young kid."
The Golden Bears can also have success running the football.
"They run, they pass and they run misdirection," Moses said. "They have a nice fullback who runs the ball hard. They like to get the ball to their athletes outside. They are going to be a challenge for us."
After a couple of rough weeks to start the season, Oak Glen has done a better job defensively in its two victories.
"They play a traditional 4-4. We are real impressed with the speed of their defensive backs," Moses said. "They fly to the ball. They are an athletic group. They have some big guys up front, and they have speed in the back."
Prior to its loss to Union Local, Edison fell to East Liverpool (21-0), Wellsville (26-14), Toronto (34-13) and Beaver Local (33-6).
"They have a couple of talented running backs," Arneault said. "They have the ability to run to the perimeter as well as up the middle. They are going to be a challenge for us. We want to keep them out of their comfort zone. They have two talented running backs that we are going to have to keep our eyes on."
The Wildcats have struggled to stop the run in their losses the last two weeks against the Beavers and Jets.
"Defensively, they use multiple formations," Arneault said. "They are physical. They played Beaver Local; that was a challenge for them, and they were in the game into the second half. They have nice skill. They are going to present a challenge for us."
Last season, the Wildcats defeated the Golden Bears 19-14 in Week 6 at Cartwright Memorial Field.
"Last year we lost by five points," Arneault said. "It's over and done with. This is a different year, a different attitude and a different team."
Edison has not won a game since that night as the Wildcats are in the midst of a nine-game losing streak. They simply have to take care of business according to Moses.
"That is our first goal," he said. "We want to impose our will on teams, but we have not been able to do that yet. The first thing for us is we have to take care of what we do."
The Golden Bears knocked off the Wildcats 31-27 back in Week 6 of the 2015 season in the last game the two teams played at Oak Glen. Moses said he expects Friday night's game to be another close game.
"I think it is going to come down to which team makes the plays when they need to and which team makes the fewest mistakes," Moses said. "It is a matchup we are looking forward to, and I am sure it is a matchup their coaches are looking forward to as well. It is going to come down to mistakes. We are going to do our best."
Homecoming games are always a big deal. There are a lot of distractions that come along during homecoming week, and Arneault said he and his staff need to do a good job of keeping their players focused on the task at hand.
"Homecoming makes it exciting, but there is still a game to be played," Arneault said. "Their former teammates will be coming back to watch them. We will have alumni returning."
The Wildcats have been dealing with injuries throughout the season, but Edison is fairly healthy going into this week's game.
"Surprisingly, we are the healthiest we have been all year," Moses said. "We have got a transfer from Beaver Local, Zak Kestner, and he will be able to play this week. He will help us. We are healthy. We are as healthy as we have been since Week 1."
Like the Wildcats, the Golden Bears have played a lot of younger players this season, and Arneault said he hopes they take another step forward Friday night.