Cornell’s opponent in Friday night’s WPIAL Class 1A quarterfinal playoff matchup at West Allegheny High School won’t be much of a mystery.
The Raiders saw all they needed to see of Fort Cherry on Oct. 4 when the unbeaten Rangers put a 35-6 whipping on them.
That was the last time the Raiders wound up on the wrong end of the scoreboard. Since that loss, Cornell has won four straight games, including last week’s 34-20 victory over No. 8 seed Leechburg in the opening round of the playoffs, entering Friday night’s 7 p.m. matchup.
The Raiders, seeded No. 9, have put together a 9-2 overall record, including a 4-2 mark in the Black Hills Conference, good for third place behind conference king Fort Cherry and runner-up Bishop Canevin.
The six points that Cornell scored in its first meeting with Fort Cherry were the fewest the Raiders put up all season. The next-fewest points came in a 29-22 loss to Bishop Canevin.
Cornell had no trouble putting points on the board in last week’s playoff win over Leechburg. And playing a big part in that was junior do-it-all Khylil Johnson, who ran for one touchdown, threw for a second and caught a third.
Johnson has been making a name for himself all season, and it’s no surprise to Cornell coach Ed Dawson.
“Khylil is a phenomenal athlete,” he said prior to last week’s game against Leechburg. “He’s one of the best athletes in the WPIAL overall – he’s got a great frame and his body is becoming durable as he grows.”
Dawson said that because Cornell doesn’t get much media attention, “it’s hard for people to see what we see week in and week out. But he has plenty of time to grow and put special things on film.”
On the season, Johnson has averaged nearly 11 yards per carry in piling up 844 yards and he’s rushed for 15 touchdowns. In addition, he’s caught 28 passes for 454 yards – a 16.2 yards-per-catch average – and five touchdowns. He’s also thrown a pair of touchdown passes and returned three kicks for touchdowns.
Johnson has had plenty of help offensively, however. Walter Clarit leads the ground attack with 1,089 yards rushing in 113 carries – a 9.64 average – and he’s scored 13 touchdowns.
Quarterback Mark Stuckey has completed 76 of 130 passes for 991 yards and 15 touchdowns. He’s been intercepted just four times.
Mikey Keyes gives the Raiders a second solid receiving threat, as he leads the team in receptions with 29 for 438 yards – 15.1 yards per catch – and four touchdowns.
Cornell had its hands full with Leechburg last week. After building a 20-6 lead midway through the third quarter, the Raiders saw the Blue Devils score consecutive touchdowns to pull within a point at 20-19 with less than 9 minutes remaining in the game.
But Damian Blackwell’s 50-yard punt return for a touchdown provided some breathing room, and Stuckey’s second touchdown pass of the night – a 24-yarder to Johnson – put the game on ice for the Raiders.
Fort Cherry, meanwhile, cruised to a 56-14 win over Brentwood in its playoff opener to improve to 11-0. The Rangers are ranked No. 1 in the state by TribLive.com and No. 3 by PA Football News.
Junior Matt Sieg is Fort Cherry’s star attraction; the Penn State commit has rushed for 1,313 yards and 20 touchdowns and also passed for 963 yards and 18 touchdowns against just three interceptions.
Sieg’s top two receivers have been Shane Cornali, who has caught 29 passes for 576 yards and nine touchdowns, and Braydon Cook, who has 20 receptions for 273 yards and three touchdowns.
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