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RICHMOND -- The Edison football team got off the schneid last week, and the Wildcats will look to continue their winning ways this week.
Fresh off a victory last week against Monroe Central, Edison is set to take on undefeated Martins Ferry at 7 p.m. Friday night out at the Edison Unified Sports Complex.
The Wildcats rallied to defeat the Seminoles, 14-13, last Thursday night at home.
"Winning that game was extremely important," Edison (1-2) head coach Mike Collopy said. "I told the kids how proud I am of them. I am prouder of them than I have been of any team at any point.
"Obviously, there was the flow of the game. We were down seven, and then there was the lightning break. We came out, and we scored. They got the ball, and then they went down and scored, but we were able to block the extra point. That was big. Coach (Steve) Trifonoff had a really-good block scheme, and the guys went out there and executed it.
"We got the ball back, and we scored again. We were able to stop them on defense. The game was back-and-forth, and we were able to find a way to come out of it with a win."
On the other side, Martins Ferry enters this week's game coming off a 53-15 victory against Brashear last Friday night at home. Martins Ferry defeated Mt. Gilead, 42-19, on the road to open the season before topping Mifflin, 60-6, in Week 2 at home.
"They're very good," Collopy said. "They are outstanding. We have seen them on film and in person. They have size and speed. Their running back (Walkquem Cox) is really good. Colby Kropka is a good quarterback. They have a good offensive scheme. (Jakori) Cox is a really-good receiver. (Elijah) Roby is a good receiver. (Christian) Shetler is good in the slot.
"They have size. They are good upfront on the offensive line. They are well coached.
"Defensively, they have a lot of the same guys. Their defensive line is really good. Their linebackers and their secondary are fast. They get to the football. They're physical."
The Purple Riders want to run the football to set up the pass.
"They want to run the football," Collopy said. "That is Coach (Justin) Kropka's MO. I have known him for many years. He wants to establish the run. They want to run the football, but they have athletes out on the perimeter. They want to get the ball to them. They are run first. They use their run to set up their pass."
The boys from Belmont County will bring a lot of pressure when they are on defense.
"They want to bring pressure on defense, that's for sure," Collopy said. "Coach (Bryan) Mays has been a head coach at Cadiz and at Indian Creek. He is their defensive coordinator. They want to bring guys. They are going to show you different looks. They are aggressive on both sides of the ball."
After playing on Thursday last week, the Wildcats have gotten back to their normal practice schedule.
"It's a normal schedule," Collopy said. "Our Monday was a typical Monday. It was just earlier in the day. We put in what we wanted to put in on both sides of the ball."
It will not be easy for the boys from Jefferson County to defeat Martins Ferry.
"We are going to have to limit their big plays on offense," Collopy said. "They are a team, and they have guys who can take it and go 80 yards. We have to be able to get them back into the huddle. Offensively, we are going to have to possess the ball. We are going to have to stay on schedule. We are going to have to be able to convert on third down. We are going to have to good play from our special teams. It is a really-big game for us. We are going to have to play our best, that's for sure."
The Wildcats defeated the Purple Riders, 48-20, last season on the road.