Photo by Sam Yu Frederick's Brend DeHaven (5) looks for running room while being pursued by Urbana's Paul Grabowski. The Cadets have a big MVAL Piedmont gaame against Middletown on Thursday.
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Two days after the MPSSAA wiped away their perfect record for using an ineligible player, the Cadets' focus had returned to football.

They host Middletown at 7 p.m. Thursday in a battle of the top two teams in the MVAL Piedmont Division.

"We've known for four weeks because we turned it in. I am the one that found it," Frederick coach Vince Ahearn said of the infraction, which occurred in the season opener against Tuscarora, a game the Cadets won 21-0.

"Shoot, when you find something like that, your heart, everything just disappears. It goes down into your throat, your stomach, whatever ... It's a good lesson for the guys. That's what you do with everything that you do. Anything that comes up, you try and turn it into a teachable moment."

Upon realizing its mistake, Frederick made an appeal to the MPSSAA, hoping to avoid punishment against the team's record.

But Monday's ruling by the MPSSAA dropped the Cadets to 5-1 and nullified their best start since 1968.

"We talked to the kids right after it happened," Ahearn said. "The thing we told them that I feel is important is they still have complete control over their destiny. That's what they've done. For five more weeks, they've won ballgames."

But Ahearn acknowledged the forfeit still stung when it became official Monday.

"I think the kids were gritting their teeth a little bit, but they have handled this thing extremely well," he said.

"It's been amazing to watch them develop their own personalities and handle adversity."

Middletown (4-2) will present the Cadets with another challenge Thursday night.

The Knights looked formidable, while rolling to wins in their first four games.

But they have since lost two in a row, including a 42-0 blowout at Linganore on Oct. 5.

Last week, they led North Hagerstown 21-13 before giving up 21 points in the second half of a 34-21 loss.

"We were not near as physical as we needed to be the last few weeks," Middletown coach Lorne Ridenour said. "We turned up the heat in practice this week as far as the intensity of the drills and the types of drills we did. We are trying to get our guys to play more physical."

The teams have split their four previous meetings with Middletown winning the last two.

Ahearn expects a big crowd and an electric atmosphere for Thursday's contest.

"There are different benchmarks throughout the season and this is one that we knew was going to be an extremely tough game," he said.

"Since we started playing Middletown , I think it's become a huge rivalry. It's going to be at home and we fully expect the entire Middletown community to come on over top of the hills to support their group. It's going to be a great environment for both communities."