Cocalico and Cedar Cliff are an even 3-3 against one another since September of 2014, but not for long. The Cocalico Eagles will head out on the road to face off against the Cedar Cliff Colts at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Cocalico comes in on ten and Cedar Cliff on six.
Cocalico stacked a eighth blowout onto their ever-increasing hoard on Friday. They took their game at home with ease, bagging a 42-10 victory over Conestoga Valley. Given Cocalico's advantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania football rankings (they are ranked 23rd, while Conestoga Valley is ranked 113th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Aaryn Longenecker and Sam Steffey were among the main playmakers for Cocalico as the former rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown on only 11 carries and the latter rushed for 80 yards and three touchdowns. Longenecker was no stranger to the big play, taking off on a dash that went for 54 yards.
Meanwhile, with a playoff game on the line, Cedar Cliff rose to the challenge on Friday. They blew past South Western 31-7. Considering Cedar Cliff has won seven matchups by more than 19 points this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Cedar Cliff's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Bennett Secrest, who threw for 189 yards and two touchdowns. Erik Schriver and his 107 yards on the ground were also a key factor in Cedar Cliff's win.
Cocalico's win was their seventh straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 10-1. It's not like the team was facing easy opposition over that stretch either, as it included 10-1 Wyomissing and 10-1 Manheim Central (their opponents had an average overall winning percentage of 66.3% over those games). As for Cedar Cliff, their victory bumped their record up to 10-1.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Friday's match: Cocalico has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 322.5 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Cedar Cliff struggles in that department as they've been averaging 219.5 per game. It's looking like Friday's matchup might have some serious battles in the trenches. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other football content.
Cocalico came up short against Cedar Cliff when the teams last played back in September of 2021, falling 33-27. Thankfully for Cocalico, Ethan Dorrell (who threw for 246 yards and three touchdowns while completing 71.4% of his passes, and also punched in a touchdown on the ground) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
