FOOTBALL: Cobras Don't Bite Bobcats Over Parade

Bel Air High School's football team lost its first game in the new Bobcat Stadium a week ago, but it waited for tonight to host its grand opening parade through the downtown area. 

Mike Woods, head coach of Bel Air's opponent tonight, Harford Tech, said he will not use that to fire up his team. But Bobcats coach Dave Huryk would not blame him if he did.

"If I were sitting in their [shoes], I would use that as motivation for my kids," Huryk said. "I would definitely say, 'Look, they scheduled us for this big opening because they think they can beat us.'"

Bel Air's principal, Joe Voskuhl, said scheduling the stadium opening in the second week was not about waiting to play the Cobras. It was about making sure the stadium was fully functional by testing it in the first week. 

"We wanted to make sure that we felt pretty confident that by this Friday everything would have passed inspection," Voskuhl said.

Woods responded diplomatically and said his team is focused on the game, which will kick off at 7:30 p.m. after the 6:30 p.m. parade.

Both teams are coming off of lopsided season-opening losses: Bel Air fell to Franklin 31-12 while the Cobras lost at home to Western Tech 38-18.

Woods was clear, though, that the threat of beginning the season 0-2 was not cause for panic.

"It's not going to be desperation. We play one game at a time," said Woods, who claimed that the Cobras will need to be flawless to win tonight. "We need to be pretty perfect. … Bel Air's a good team."

Huryk showed equal respect for the visiting team, which will travel about 10 minutes west on Churchville Road to reach Bobcat Stadium. He said Harford Tech's ability to throw and Bel Air's troubles with defending the pass in the team's first game would make for an interesting match-up.

"Harford Tech's a solid team," Huryk said. "I think [with] their strengths, and if you could deem it as our weakness, they're in a decent situation against us."

Harford Tech, however, is just as worried about stopping Huryk's ground game as he is about the Cobras air attack.

"We had a little bit of a rough time last week against Western Tech," Woods said. "[Bel Air has] some pretty good backs, some speed, we need to try to contain them."

The coaches know each other all too well, as Huryk said that he hopes to control the clock and convert more third down opportunities. Last week the Bobcats faced 4th and short too many times.

"Our biggest thing is to try to prolong drives and keep the ball out of their hands and come to play solid," Huryk said. "They're going to come in here and try to beat the snot out of us so we've got to be prepared for them."

How considerate, then, for Bel Air to let the Cobras join in on the festivities. At least that is what Woods is telling his players.

"We're looking at it as being a good thing," he said. "They're holding a parade for us to come play them, so we're ready for it."

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