DISTRICT 10-AA Sharon turnovers ignite the Rockets

Slippery Rock captured the school's first District 10-AA football championship.
By BILL ALBRIGHT
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
HERMITAGE -- According to an old adage in the game of football, teams win games with offense but championships with defense.
The Slippery Rock High football team proved that to be the case Friday as the Rockets defeated Sharon 17-7 to capture the school's first District 10-AA football championship.
"They said it was going to be a blowout," Slippery Rock Clyde Conti said. "We didn't have our quarterback [Mike DeCola] and some people were saying, 'Cinderella, she is not going to the ball.' "
Next stop
The Rockets improve to 8-3 and will face District 9 champion Brockway in the first round of next week's PIAA playoffs. Brockway upset Karns City 14-7 Friday to earn a trip to the state tournament.
"Now I have to go back into my stomping grounds," said Conti of his return to play a District 9 (Brockway-Clarion area) team after being relieved of his coaching duties in that area.
"I feel pretty good right now, and all I wanted was a chance to coach for someone who wanted me," Conti said. "That is all I wanted and I got it here."
The Rockets defense took control of the game from the outset, causing five Sharon turnovers during the first half.
"Turnovers just killed us, but that is a part of the game," Sharon coach Bo Reichart said. "You can't fumble the ball and throw interceptions like we did tonight and expect to win."
The first, a recovered fumble by Steve Regal, led to the first Slippery Rock touchdown on a 2-yard run by Travis Sarver.
"I thought we played good defense all year, and in a team sport, you have to play good defense to be successful," Conti said.
Later in the period, the Rockets doubled their advantage when Sarver scored again, this time from 4 yards away.
Big plays
Big plays on the drive were a 26-yard pass connection from quarterback Ben Collins to Rich Lee followed by a 51-yard jaunt by Sarver to the Sharon 4-yard stripe to set up the TD.
Leading 14-0, the Rockets completed their 17-point run less than two minutes into the second period with a 26-yard field goal by Darin Dick. The possession was set up by yet another mistake by Sharon when Sarver got into the act on the defensive side of the ball with a fumble recovery.
Facing the 17-point deficit, the Tigers picked up their only score of the game in the fourth period.
Kelvin Newby capped a 55-yard, seven-play march that was kept alive three times by major infractions against the Rockets.
For the game, Slippery Rock was penalized 115 yards.
Sharon ends at 7-4, and Reichart was anything but disappointed with the season.
Season's ride
"We started 0-2, won four in a row, lost to Wilmington, then won three more in a row," Reichart said. "One of our goals was to get to the district championship game, and we did that.
"We just didn't get it done tonight. Our kids always play hard and I never question their heart," Reichart said. "We came out and played hard, but give Slippery Rock a lot of credit because they did what they had to do tonight."