INTER-COUNTY LEAGUE Lowellville rolls over Springfield in ICL showdown

The Rockets capped their 75-yard opening drive with a touchdown.
By GREG GULAS
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
NEW MIDDLETOWN -- Jeff Peterson scored three touchdowns and quarterback Jack Noble added two scores and three interceptions Friday as the Lowellville High football team topped Springfield 34-8 in an Inter-County League contest.
Peterson also had 113 yards on 13 carries while Noble picked off more Springfield aerials than he threw completions (two) as the Rockets improved to 5-1 overall, 2-1 in the league.
The Tigers, playing in their Homecoming game, dropped their third straight as they fell to 1-5 while remaining winless in three league outings.
"Our offense set the tone of the game for us tonight," Lowellville coach Cliff Jamieson said. "This was without question our best offensive showing this season. We knew that our offense was there. Tonight, we were able to put it all together on both sides of the football."
Opening drive
The Rockets took the opening kickoff and marched 75 yards. Peterson capped the seven-play drive with the first of his three scores, on a 29-yard run, as the Rockets opened a 7-0 lead just a little over four minutes into the game.
After holding the Tigers on the next series, Peterson's 45-yard punt return put the ball on the Tiger 23. That set up Noble's first touchdown of the night, a 1-yard run that gave Lowellville a 13-0 lead after the first 12 minutes.
"This was a very important game for us," Noble said. "We were coming off a loss last week to South Range, and Springfield Local is our arch-rival. We wanted to get back on the winning track and we did just that tonight."
Noble and Peterson provided all of the fireworks in the second quarter for the Rockets, as well. Noble's 59-yard interception return at the 7:14 mark made it 19-0, while Peterson's 32-yard scamper on a fourth-and-2 pushed the margin to 27-0 at halftime.
"It's like our offense played off of our defense and vice versa tonight," Peterson said. "It was a total team effort."
Final touchdown
After a scoreless third period, Peterson pushed the Rocket lead to 34-0 with a 4-yard plunge, his third and final touchdown of the night.
When Noble's punt with a little over three minutes remaining traveled just four yards, the Tigers were able to avoid a shutout when Tom Morell scored from two yards out with just 28 seconds remaining. Sophomore quarterback Andrew Schuler then added the conversion run and Springfield Local got on the board for the first time in a little over eight quarters.
The Rockets had 142 yards rushing on 31 carries, with Noble completing two of four passes for 33 yards, as Lowellville had 175 yards of total offense.
The Tigers rushed for 84 yards on 25 attempts, with two Tiger quarterbacks (Mason McCambridge and Andrew Schuler) combining for six of 19 passing for 72 yards, and 156 yards of total offense. They suffered four interceptions, however, with all but one coming in the first half.