Schedule update, October 16: Lourdes at Cornwall has been postponed to Saturday, October 17, at 1 p.m. Both Cornwall and Lourdes list the change on their school schedules.
Back in August, Lourdes called its shot. Now the matchup is here—and that confidence deserves to be taken seriously.
At KOT845’s preseason combine, Lucas Pascale made the message clear in our interview: he wanted Cornwall to know Lourdes was coming.
I’ll admit it. Back then, the idea of Lourdes walking into this matchup and beating Cornwall sounded like a bold preseason promise. After last season’s 62–20 Cornwall win, there was plenty of reason to be skeptical.
It doesn’t sound funny anymore.
Our Lady of Lourdes is 5–1, riding five straight wins and heading to Cornwall on Saturday, October 17, for a 1 p.m. kickoff. This has the ingredients of a heavyweight Class A matchup. Lourdes can win it.
They’ve done it before
This program has history worth remembering. In 2022, Lourdes beat Cornwall 8–7 in the Section IX Class A championship. That was a title decided by one point, against the same opponent the Warriors face Saturday, October 17.
Lourdes returned to the championship game in 2023, when Cornwall won 47–8. The Dragons also won last year’s meeting by 42 points. Both sides of that history matter: Lourdes knows what winning this matchup can mean, and Cornwall has set a demanding standard since that title game.
The question now is whether this Lourdes team can turn its preseason belief into another result that changes the Class A conversation.
The confidence has results behind it
Since losing its opener to Washingtonville, Lourdes has beaten Pine Bush, Valley Central, Kingston, Warwick and Minisink Valley. Friday’s 47–14 win over Minisink was the latest statement.
A week earlier, Lourdes scored 52 against Warwick but allowed 35. Holding Minisink to 14 gives the Warriors something stronger to bring into Cornwall week: an offense producing points and a defense coming off a convincing performance.
Cornwall brings momentum, too. The Dragons beat Minisink 49–20, then Warwick 50–6. That’s 99 points in two games. Their 3–3 record doesn’t make this an easy assignment.
Lourdes has to finish possessions, protect the football and keep Cornwall from turning mistakes into a scoring avalanche. Cornwall has to handle a team arriving with much more than an August prediction.
Division play starts here
Lourdes and Cornwall both enter 0–0 in Class A Division 2. Goshen and Wallkill, who meet Saturday, are also 0–0. The overall records describe how these teams have played; the division games decide which two advance.
Saturday’s winner starts 1–0 with the head-to-head result. The loser has two division games left and is not eliminated. Each playoff place has to be earned within a division that includes all four programs.
Now comes the test
Pascale’s message gives this game a hook. Five straight wins give it substance.
Lourdes doesn’t have to apologize for believing it can beat Cornwall. It has to prove it for four quarters.
In August, we heard the callout. Saturday, we find out how far these Warriors can take it.
Lourdes at Cornwall · Saturday, October 17 · 1 p.m.
Game Center → · Cornwall–Lourdes history →
More Week 6 coverage
Coach I’s picks for all 21 games → · Who can clinch this weekend → · Section IX in the state rankings → · Complete Week 6 guide →
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