Village riding high on Rockets

Don't be surprised if the train whistle is blowing Friday in Lowellville.
That happens there during high school football games, with the railroad track running parallel to the stadium.
It just never happened in the 11th week of the season, because the Rockets have never played host to a first-round playoff game.
Until Friday, when Leetonia visits to open the 2002 playoff season.
Community support
The excitement around town is unbelievable, said Lowellville athletic director Robert Ballone.
Lowellville sold 100 T-shirts last year when the Rockets qualified for the playoffs and lost to Mogadore in the first round.
This year, Ballone reports, 600 T-shirts displaying the playoff berth and Inter-County League championship have been sold.
Lowellville's success -- the football team went unbeaten in the regular season and finished second in the computer ratings -- has kept Ballone busy.
"I'm coming home from Columbus right now, and I've been on the phone for an hour straight," the athletic director said Monday.
At an OHSAA meeting in Columbus, Ballone took four pages of notes on hosting a playoff game.
"And I write small," he said. "Writing four pages for me is like 10 for someone else."
Take a seat
The biggest project was getting enough seats to accommodate the overflow crowd that is expected.
The city of Campbell allowed Lowellville to borrow seating from Roosevelt Park to accommodate 500 people, and Ballone purchased another 250 to raise capacity to 1,500.
With plenty of standing room available for fans, Ballone expects nearly 3,000 to be in attendance.
Parking has been an issue at Lowellville games, too, but lots around the new school being constructed should alleviate much of the problem, Ballone said.
"It's a good feeling to have," he said of the preparation. "We'll get it done, and it'll be fun."
Football matters
While Ballone handles off-the-field issues, Lowellville coach John Protopapa has the responsibility of preparing his team for Leetonia.
"They're kind of like us," Protopapa said. "They like to run the option a lot."
Behind quarterback Mike Palumbo and running backs Andy Peterson and Jeff Peterson, state-ranked Lowellville has totaled 3,700 rushing yards this season (370 yards a game).
Fullbacks Bill Wharry and Brian Wharry and linemen Andrew Mamula and Ben Bestic also have contributed to the Rockets' rushing attack.
Protopapa attributes Lowellville's success to the players' attitude.
Not only did the Rockets begin lifting immediately after the 2001 playoff loss, but they continued to do so the day after Christmas and thereafter.
"It wasn't just a couple of kids. We had good attendance," said Protopapa, who teaches at Chaney. "That's the kind of kids I'm dealing with down there.
"It seems like it's starting to police itself now," Protopapa added. "Juniors and seniors are telling freshmen and sophomores, 'We don't do things this way. We do them this way.' "
Weekly ritual
Taking the season "one game at a time" is often a coach's clich & eacute;. But Lowellville players made that their focus in fulfilling their goals this season.
At the beginning of the season, players covered their game schedule with tape. After each game, a piece of tape came off, revealing the next opponent.
"We really don't see who does it," Protopapa said. "We don't ask."
In Lowellville right now, the football program is running smoothly but making a lot of noise -- similar to the trains that are part of the Rockets' home-game experience.
XBrian Richesson covers high school sports for The Vindicator. Write to him at richesson@vindy.com.