TRIB TOTAL MEDIA • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2020 • 123
DREW LOPEZ
Coach: Ed Dawson
2019 record: 9-2, 6-1
All-time record: 181-244-11
SCHEDULE
Date Opponent Time
9.11 OLSH* 7
9.18 at Northgate* 7
9.25 Shenango* 7
10.2 at Union* 7
10.9 Burgettstown* 7
10.16 Rochester* 7
10.23 at Fort Cherry* 7
*CONFERENCE GAME
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Passing Zaire Harrison*
128-238, 2,230 yards, 24 TDs
Receiving Kaden DiVito*
42-530 yards, 6 TDs
Rushing Harrison*
114-666 yards, 15 TDs
*GRADUATED
FAST FACTS
• Cornell reached the WPIAL
playoffs last season for the
first time since 2011.
• The 32-27 victory against
California in 2019 was school’s
first WPIAL playoff victory.
• Cornell is a merger of Coraopolis
and Neville Township in
1971.
• The only time the Raiders
won a conference title was
in 1983 when they were a
member of the West Hills
Conference.
• The Raiders’ first playoff appearance
was in 1980, a 19-0
loss to Shenango.
EMILLIO GONZALES
CORNELL RESTOCKS
AFTER BREAKOUT SEASON
Cornell took a break from competing in
football in the WPIAL in 2012.
The program returned to action
in 2016 and promptly went
winless.
But that was the start of
something special. The Raiders
steadily improved and in
2019, reached the WPIAL Class
A semifinals and earned the
school’s first postseason victory
in the process. They finished
9-2.
Now Cornell coach Ed Dawson
has the job of replacing the core of his
offense.
Graduation took away quarterback Zaire
Harrison, running back Savon Wilson and
wide receivers Kaden DiVito, Isaiah Langston
and Blaine Sims.
Harrison threw for 2,230 yards and 24 touchdowns.
He also led the team in rushing with
666 yards and 15 touchdowns. Wilson caught
19 passes for 332 yards and
rushed for 305 yards. He scored
nine touchdowns.
DiVito was the leading receiver
with 42 catches for 530
yards, Langston had 25 catches
for 549 yards, and Sims had 23
catches for 291 yards.
“We have to restock the
shelves,” Dawson said. “We
return three linemen, wide receiver
Raequan Troutman and
running back Ameer Hibbler.”
Finding a quarterback to replace Harrison
is Dawson’s main concern. Battling for that
spot is his son E.J. Dawson, Kaden Madan,
Robert McKnight, Emillio Gonzales and Micah
Dickerson.
“We’ll have good competition for the job,”
Dawson said. “I told them they had to be patient.
Zaire got better and better every year. He
got stronger and was smarter every season.”
Returning up front are Shaun Godfrey, Craig
Pulford and Mark Fanchar.
The returning skill players back are Troutman,
who had 24 catches for 318 yards, and
Hibbler, who rushed for 231 yards and scored
seven touchdowns.
While the offense stole the headlines last season,
Dawson said the defense was overlooked.
The defensive unit, which should be a
strength this season, allowed an average of
15.3 points per game, giving up 20 or more
points in four games.
“We’re going to be fast on defense,” Dawson
said. “We might not be big, but we’ll need to be
gang tacklers and get to the football. Creating
turnovers is the key.
“I believe we’ll have the skill to score points
on offense. But I’m counting on our defense to
key us in games early in the season.”
by PAUL SCHOFIELD
CORNELL • BIG 7
“We’re going to be fast on
defense. We might not be
big, but we’ll need to be
gang tacklers and get to
the football. Creating
turnovers is the key.”
ED DAWSON
CORNELL COACH