DIVISION I PLAYOFFS Harding must face rugged St. Edward in opening test

The Eagles beat the Raiders 45-12, in a game that was eventually forfeited.
By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
WARREN -- Two years ago, the Warren Harding High football team finished first in its region and was rewarded with arguably the toughest matchup in the state.
Guess what? It happened again.
The Raiders (8-2) will play host on Saturday to Lakewood St. Edward (5-5), which last month had to forfeit four of its wins -- including a 45-12 victory over the Raiders -- for using an ineligible player.
The Eagles, who lost to Cincinnati Elder in last year's Division I state final, sued the OHSAA over the ruling, but are now expected to drop the lawsuit.
"We figured that they would be in," said Harding coach Thom McDaniels. "Our region is awfully tough, and you eventually have to meet and beat those teams and whoever is left standing gets to keep playing."
Deserved to be there
Fitch coach Neal Kopp, whose team scrimmaged St. Edward before the season, thought the Eagles would have won their lawsuit and thought they deserved to be there.
"For all intents and purposes, they're a 9-1 team," said Kopp, whose team also competes in Region 1, "and it saved what could have been a real mess.
"Now there's not going to be an asterisk next to Region 1.
Familiar matchup
This is Harding's fourth straight playoff matchup against the Eagles. The Raiders won in 2001 and 2002 before falling 21-13 in last year's regional semifinals.
Does it help that they're playing at home?
"Normally I would have said yes, but they beat us 45-12 at home already," McDaniels said.
Harding, which has won three straight, played eight playoff teams this year, losing to three: St. Edward, Ursuline and Cleveland St. Ignatius.
"Our schedule is an asset at this point," said McDaniels. "We're a young team and we've gotten better as the season went along. It took a little longer to get there than I expected, but now we're coming off three wins in a row and we've done what we've needed to do to win."
After a 56-0 loss to St. Ignatius in week seven, the Raiders defeated Cleveland JFK, Massillon and Akron Hoban to secure the top seed. They'll need to play even better to beat St. Edward.
"I think we have to compete for four quarters, and I don't think we did that the first time we played," McDaniels said. "We have to play better football in every aspect of the game. We didn't present our 'A' game the first time, and at this point of the season, that's what you have to do."
Back again
McDaniels, who led Canton McKinley to a state title in 1997, missed the playoffs in his first year at Harding, but has advanced each of the past four years.
"We're very proud of that," McDaniels said. "That's our objective, to be a perennial playoff participant, and when that happens, it pays off over the long haul.
"Every week that we can practice and play is another week or two or three or four or five more than a whole lot of other people play. You get more reps and more coaching and that carries over, especially for the underclassmen."
Over the years, McDaniels has learned what it takes to be successful in the postseason.
"I think three things change," he said. "First, playoff competition is more physical. Second, the officiating changes. You don't have crews, you have five individuals who have been thrown together from various parts of the state. So the officiating is more unpredictable.
"And third, your margin of error is diminished. The teams are fully capable of taking advantage of every mistake you make."
scalzo@vindy.com