The East Liverpool football team celebrates with head coach Paul Cusick after his 200th win as a head coach Friday. (Photo by Michael Burich)

EAST LIVERPOOL — East Liverpool quarterback Ben Myers knew coming into Friday’s game with winless Cambridge that the Potters needed a win.

Good thing he has coach Paul Cusick pushing him and the Potters.

“He’s a great coach,” Myers said. “I don’t think we’d be in the position we are without him. He’s a tough coach but he’s a good one. He turned our program around.”

After a rough start, the Potters turned it on to take a 34-0 victory which also served as Cusick’s 200th career coaching win.

“You just think about all the guys who played for you and all the guys who coached for you,” Cusick said. “I love getting it and it feels good, but it’s something I never really thought about. It just kinda happens. I don’t know if it means I’m old or what, but it’s a nice accomplishment.”

Cusick’s career has spanned three seasons at Leetonia, 24 at Crestview and three at East Liverpool.

The Potters snapped a four-game losing streak and are 2-4, the exact same record as last season through six games.

Cambridge (0-6) has lost 27 straight.

Myers, a junior, in his first year as a starter took a big step against the Bobcats as he passed for 171 yards and a touchdown in the rout.

“He really looked comfortable tonight,” Cusick said. “He made some really good reads. Hopefully that gives him a lot of confidence going forward. He was playing point guard and that is what we needed him to do.”

“I struggled the first half of the season,” Myers said. “I needed this win to bounce back and work on getting better every day in the second half of the season.”

The Potters spun their tires early with two touchdowns called back because of holding penalties in the first quarter. The breakthrough came late in the second quarter as Myers hit Meshach Harris on a 41-yard pass which helped set up a Myers 2-yard touchdown run with 2:11 left in the half.

Harris had a big day of his own with four catches for 117 yards.

“(Harris) is great young player and he’s only going to get better as he continues to work,” Myers said.

The Potters recovered a fumble on the ensuing kick and that set up a Myers to Dre’Kiem Ambercrombie 29-yard touchdown strike to make it 13-0 at the half.

“His size is like no other receiver I have played with,” Myers said. “With him you know the matchup is going to be there with his size and his height.”

Cambridge didn’t give up and had a chance to get on the board early in the third quarter after recovering a fumble on a Potter punt return attempt.

Faced with fourth down from the Potter 20, Cambridge quarterback A.J. Lawrence heaved a ball into the end zone that looked like it was right in the bread basket of a Bobcat receiver but the back judge failed to get out of the way and the ball bounced off the official’s head and down to the turf.

The bizarre play resulted in several flags afterward and a Cambridge player ejection.

“I saw (the offical) trying to get out of the way and I said ‘I think that’s going to hit him,'” Cusick said. “It was fortunate for us and unfortunate for them. But that happens. We’ve had it happen in the past too.”

Amir Baker, who had 13 carries for 109 yards, scored the first of his two touchdowns on the day with a 44-yard yard scoot on the play after. He added a 24-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Tamar Tisdale rushed 10 times for 83 yards and a touchdown as well.

Game notes

¯ The 50-50 was $292.

¯ Natalie Watson was named the homecoming queen at halftime.

¯ A member of the Cambridge staff fell down on the sidelines before halftime. He was upright and talking when he was taken away by an ambulance during the intermission.

¯ It’s the second time in Columbiana County this season a coach has hit 200 wins. St. Clairsville’s Brett McLean accomplished the feat at Beaver Local earlier this season.

¯ The Potters head to Brooke next Friday for the first of three games against West Virginia opponents on the back side of the schedule.

CA: 0- 0-0- 0– 0

EL: 0-13-7-14–34

SCORING

E–Ben Myers 2 run (Camden Wright kick)

E–Dre’Kiem Abercrombie 29 pass from Myers (kick failed)

E–Amir Baker 44 run (Wright kick)

E–Tamar Tisdale 8 run (Wright kick)

E–Amir Baker 24 run (Wright kick)

——

C EL

First downs 9 12

Total Yards 93 370

Rushes-yards 37-88 28-199

Passing 5 171

Comp-Att-Int 2-10-1 8-14-0

Punts 5-30 0-0

Fumbles-Lost 1-1 2-1

Penalties-Yards 5-60 8-85

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INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

RUSHING–Cambridge, East Liverpool, Marshall Laishley 25-106; East Liverpool, Amir Baker 13-109, Tamar Tisdale 10-83.

PASSING–Cambridge, A.J. Lawrence 2-10-5-1; East Liverpool, Ben Myers 8-14-171-0

RECEIVING–AWAY, East Liverpool, Meshach Harris 4-117, Dre’Kiem Abercrombie 4-54.

INTERCEPTIONS– East Liverpool, Tamar Tisdale