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RICHMOND -- The Edison football team rebounded from a shaky start against Monroe Central to cruise to a big season-opening victory.
The Seminoles took an 8-0 lead after the first drive of the game, however, those were the only points the boys from Monroe County scored as the Wildcats rolled to a 42-8 victory last Thursday at the Edison Unified Sports Complex.
"Obviously, when you watch film you are going to see mistakes, and you are going to identify areas you need to improve," Edison (1-0) head coach Mike Collopy said. "There are areas where we did well. On the whole for the first game, we made a lot of sloppy mistakes. That falls back on me.
"We have to work on the little things. I was proud of our effort. The kids played hard. They have been working hard. It was just the first game, but we want to keep it going."
The Wildcats will look to continue its strong play this season as Edison is set to take on Wellsville at 7 p.m. Friday night at home.
The Tigers enter the game on the other side of the coin as Toronto defeated Wellsville, 34-8, last Thursday up at Nicholson Stadium.
The Orange-and-Black are led offensively by standout running back Isaiah Greathouse, who ran for 80 yards in his team's loss to the Red Knights.
"Absolutely, he is an outstanding athlete," Collopy said. "They will line him up at running back, they will put him in the slot and they will spread him out. He is also a good defensive back. We are definitely going to have to account for him.
"We know they have good athletes. Their quarterback is athletic. He can run and throw. They have athletes at receiver.
"They are a typical Wellsville team. They have hard-nosed kids. They play hard."
Wellsville struggled against the run against Toronto as the boys from the Gem City tallied 239 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.
"Defensively, they like to take advantage of the athletes they have. They run to the ball. They are aggressive.
"It is a typical Wellsville team. They use different formations. They can spread you out. Their quarterback can hurt you with run or pass."
Greathouse intercepted a pass last week.
Controlling the line of scrimmage is key to winning a football game.
"We might be bigger," Collopy said. "I do not get caught up in size. Size doesn't matter. If you look around the state of Ohio, the best teams don't always have the biggest guys. They have hard-nosed kids, who play hard and they are well coached."
The Wildcats ran for 358 yards and five touchdowns last week in the win against the Seminoles. Quarterback Gage Cline ran for 142 yards and three touchdowns, while Mason Eisnaugle ran for 138 yards and two touchdowns.
Cline also threw for 94 yards.
Monroe Central threw for 119 yards yards, while rushing for 45.
"Defensively, we are going to have to defend the pass better," Collopy said. "We are going to have to sustain drives. We are going to have to take care of the ball. We are going to have to play well on special teams. Coach Ramsey is a good coach."
Playing on Thursday night last week gives the Wildcats an extra day to prepare for their game this week.
"You just play the week you have," Collopy said. "We had a short week last week, and we had to adjust. We have an extra day this week, but you prepare the same. I do not get caught up in all that."
The two teams were scheduled to play last season, however, the game was canceled due to Wellsville dealing with COVID-19 issues.