Eastern football is on the 1-yard line.
Darius Merriweather could sense it in the summer. He could feel it during the first two games.
He looks at the Vikings and doesn't see just another 0-2 team. He sees a 0-2 team on the brink of a good season.
"We're not the same team as last year," said Merriweather, the Vikings' senior wide receiver and strong safety. "I think we're ready to show South Jersey just what kind of team we can be."
Eastern is one of the hard-luck teams of the early season. The Vikings' 0-2 record might seem like a continuation of the program's struggles from last season, when they went 1-9.
But Eastern's losses have been to No. 9-ranked Williamstown and No. 2 Cherokee. In both games, the Vikings held leads in the second half.
Against Cherokee, Eastern led with less than five minutes to play, but the Chiefs converted a fourth down for a touchdown and a 20-17 victory.
"It's the old story: Are you going to quit, or are you going to fight?" Eastern coach Dan Spittal said. "I think these kids are going to battle through this. We're getting better.
"I told the kids the other day, 'In 2003, we were 0-2 and we ended up winning the South Jersey [Group 4] championship.'"
These Vikings might not be ready to repeat that remarkable run, when the 2003 team went from a No. 8 seed to sectional champ. But Merriweather thinks his team is ready to win some games.
"We're 0-2, and we're not too happy about that," Merriweather said. "But we're working hard every day. We're confident. We know things are going to improve."
Merriweather said the loss to Cherokee, while disappointing, showed the Vikings that they could play with any team in South Jersey.
"You never want to lose, but I don't feel like we completely lost the game," Merriweather said. "We've been right there. I think that game made us stronger because it made us realize that if we can play with a high-powered team like Cherokee, we can play with anybody."
The Vikings have been getting some good work from sophomore quarterback Tom Flacco, a transfer from Camden Catholic. Despite battling an injury to his left (non-throwing) shoulder, Flacco has made big plays in both games.
The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Merriweather is coming off one of the best games of his career. He returned two punts for 22 yards, made several tackles on defense, and caught eight passes for 144 yards and two TDs against Cherokee.
"It was a confidence builder for us," Merriweather said of the game.
Merriweather, who also is a hurdler for the Eastern track team, isn't a speedy wide receiver. But Eastern offensive coordinator Rick Brown said Merriweather is one of those athletes who runs faster than his 40-yard dash time once the football is under his arm and tacklers are in pursuit.
Merriweather has a scholarship offer from Southern Illinois. He's also involved with Old Dominion, while programs such as Rutgers and Iowa also have expressed interest.
Merriweather said he doesn't want to focus on college until after the season. And he plans to help the Vikings to a few victories before his high school career is over.
"I think we're on the verge," Merriweather said. "I saw it in the summer."
Contact staff writer Phil Anastasia at 856-779-3223, panastasia@phillynews.com, or @PhilAnastasia on Twitter.
