Cornell looking to take program to new heights despite tough conference schedule

By: Matthew Purucker
Wednesday, August 21, 2024 | 6:01 AM

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Not too long ago, the Cornell football program was shut down. From 2012-15, it was part of a co-op with Quaker Valley.

Since then, Cornell coach Ed Dawson has been along for the ride. After a breakthrough 9-2 campaign in 2019, the football program was on the rise. In three of the past five seasons, Cornell has won at least eight games, amassing nine victories twice (2019 and 2021).

From keeping the program afloat, the goals are now much loftier.

“The expectation is always to win it, to try to make a good strong run to win the (WPIAL) championship,” Dawson said.

Cornell has been close. The program reached the WPIAL semifinals in 2019 and 2021, suffering crushing defeats to Clairton and Bishop Canevin respectively. A Rochester upset knocked the seventh-seeded Raiders out of the playoffs last year.

Despite Cornell’s recent success, the Black Hills conference has not gotten any easier. In addition to the Raiders, the conference boasts Bishop Canevin, which had a 10-2 record last year, and it adds Serra Catholic, a Class 2A school last season. Of course, Fort Cherry, the defending WPIAL champion, is not going away. Also, Avella and Carlynton left for new conferences.

“I said it last year, (but) it got even stronger. It’s one of the best conferences from top to bottom (out) of all classes. … It’s going to be highly competitive, which is going to be great for the kids,” Dawson said. “I think every game will be a big game.”

Nevertheless, the Raiders have players on their roster that they believe could get them over the top. Khylil Johnson appears he could lead the way. As a sophomore, he rushed for 910 yards and finished with over 1,000 yards of total offense.

However, Johnson is not the only Raider who can carry the workload as Cornell attempts to keep up with its 2023 average of 26.9 points per game.

“We’ve got a ton of talent right now, and personally, I think that every skill player can make something happen,” Dawson said.

Likewise, the defense is hoping to continue stifling opponents, having allowed only 13.1 points per game last season.

“Jamarcus Pierce up front will be a four-year starter. Nick Bennet (is) a second-year starter. … We’ve got a lot of guys,” Dawson said. “Johnson led the team in interceptions. We’re not concerned with numbers. We’re just concerned with coming out with the victory.”

With Dawson having the players he needs to find success, he believes the season will come down to how well the team can stick to the game plan and stay true to its identity.

“We’re pretty physical. This is a new group, so it’s hard to see where they (are). We’ve got a new quarterback to step up (Mark Stuckey, a junior transfer from Allderdice), so we’ll see,” Dawson said. “Anyway, we’re planning to be physical every Friday night.”

Cornell

Coach: Ed Dawson

2023 record: 8-3, 5-2 in the Class A Black Hills Conference

All-time record: 203-261-11

SCHEDULE

Date, Opponent, Time

8.24 at Brashear, 1

8.30 California, 7

9.7 at Riverview, noon

9.13 at Burgettstown*, 7

9.20 Bishop Canevin*, 7

9.27 Serra Catholic*, 7

10.4 at Fort Cherry*, 7

10.11 at Rochester, 7

10.18 at Chartiers-Houston*, 7

10.25 Monessen*, 7

* Conference game

STATISTICAL LEADERS

Passing: Christopher Jackson*

81-159, 976 yards, 15 TDs

Rushing: Khylil Johnson

96-910 yards, 5 TDs

Receiving: Mikey Keyes

24-443 yards, 7 TDs

*Graduated

FAST FACTS

• Ed Dawson marks a decade of being the coach of Cornell this year. He was hired in 2011 and served as an assistant on Quaker Valley’s staff during the 2012-2015 co-op.

• Cornell lost its first 18 games after returning to play in the 2016 season. That losing streak was snapped by a 22-6 win over Northgate in the final week of 2017.

• Carolina Panthers cornerback Dane Jackson attended Cornell from 2011-2015, playing for Quaker Valley during the co-op. He received a second-team All-ACC selection in 2019 when he played for Pitt.

• Frank Letteri, who coached Cornell for 23 years and is honored by having the Cornell football stadium named after him, was inducted into the Geneva College Athletics Hall of Fame in 2020. Letteri played football for Geneva in the 1940s and earned Little All-American honors in 1947.

Tags: Cornell