In this file photo, Austin Bails (3) of Triad rushes the ball around the outside while Isaiah Bruce (21) watches against Ridgemont. The Cardinals will travel to Springfield Catholic Central to take on the Irish for Week 3 of the season.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Sam Dillon)
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The Triad Cardinals have crawled out of the darkness and into the light so far this season.
The Triad gridders have had their struggles over the past few years, but to date, this year has seen Triad turn a 180, winning its first two games.
Head coach Joe Cardinal summed up his team’s good fortune in one word . . . earned.
“I would say our season so far is earned,” he said. “Our kids have earned those two wins with their work ethic in the offseason and with how hard they have played these first two weeks.”
Triad has tallied more than 110 points on offense against two smaller schools, Bradford and Ridgemont, while a young defensive secondary has helped hold the opponents to only 14.
Cardinal credits Triad’s success on defense to its ability to grow rapidly in the early season.
“We have J.C. Alexander and Coleman Hauck, both sophomores in the secondary,” he said. “We do grades every game and we have seen the grades get progressively better with those guys.”
The Cardinals will square off against a mystery offense when they make the trip to Springfield Catholic Central (0-2) tonight.
Cardinal said the Irish have shown several different types of offensive sets in films and it is an unknown as to which offense is going to take the field.
“The real thing is they are an unknown as to what we are going to see,” said Cardinal. “We have three films on them and in every one, it is something different.
‘They could come out and be a wing T team or they could come out and be five wide.”
What Triad does know is who they will be keeping their eye on tonight.
“Jayden Borden and Mykah Eichie,” said Cardinal.
Borden will play several positions for the Irish, lining up under center, out wide and in the backfield. When he is taking the snaps, Cardinal said he “has one of the stronger arms that you will see in high school football.”
Eichie will play both ways at wide-out and cornerback. He will provide a test to Triad’s youthful secondary.
“Eichie is a really good player,” Cardinal said. “He is a really physical wide receiver.”
Triad will receive some help with the return of Logan McCoy.
McCoy, the back-up quarterback, was only available for minimal field time last week due to an injury sustained in Week 1. However, Cardinal said he is good to go this week and will be Triad’s quarterback against the Irish.
Jordan Simonelli, who went into the preseason as the starting signal-caller, has been sidelined for the entire campaign so far due to injury.
Cardinal, though, is hopeful to get him back next week.
“Jordan is still a week-by-week deal,” he said. “I don’t think we will have him by Friday. We are going to go with Logan this week. Logan has done a really good job for us.”
With players returning to offense for Triad, Cardinal will look to return some of his other starters to their intended positions to give the Cards their best offensive look.
“It is nice to have players like Isaiah Bruce, Dylan Rice and Austin Bails who just have speed and are great football players,” Cardinal said. “We will have some wrinkles trying to get those guys the ball in space.”
Even with all of the talent in the skill positions, Cardinal said it all boils down to controlling the line of scrimmage.
“It doesn’t matter what we do with the other six (players),” he said. “If our offensive line doesn’t do its job, then our offense doesn’t work.”
Cardinal added that his linemen, both defensive and offensive, have been the backbone of the team this year. He looks for them to provide more of that support this week.
With rain in the forecast, Cardinal believes the keys to success will be holding onto the ball and maintaining field position behind a solid line with hopes of moving to 3-0.