Andy Close
WARREN, Pa. – The kickoff to the 2023 high school football season is upon us. Eisenhower looks to run its regular-season winning streak to 13 games, while Warren will try to find a way to slow Ethen Knox and the Oil City run game.
Cochranton at Eisenhower
Eisenhower rolled through the regular season unbeaten before falling to Reynolds in the 1A title game. They must replace a bulk of their offensive line, as well as 2,000-yard rusher Benji Bauer, but do return some talented skill players in the form of quarterback Shawn Pascuzzi, running back Tucker Lindell and tight end Kris Bunk, the latter of whom was an all-state selection.
Cochranton, meanwhile, is looking to bounce back from a 1-7 mark in 2022. Walker Carroll is expected to make the move to quarterback for the Cardinals, while Blake Foulk returns at running back and Noah Cummings shifts to receiver.
Warren at Oil City
What will Ethen Knox do for an encore? He was among the leading rushers in the nation last season, rushing for 3,705 yards and 41 touchdowns. The Oilers went 7-3 a year ago and fell to Slippery Rock in the D10 quarterfinals. Henry Milford returns to anchor both sides of the line, while Kevin Pearsall returns at linebacker after amassing over 100 tackles last season.
The Dragons are young and must replace a number of starters along the line under the direction of first year coach Cody Bupp. The Dragons do have some talented players returning, led by running back/defensive back Tommy Nyquist (1,028 rushing yards, 528 receiving yards in 2022), as well as quarterback Eric Dippold (1,403 yards, 14 touchdowns).
