INTER-COUNTY LEAGUE Rams triumph over Rockets with strong running game
Lowellville's coach blamed his team's deficient defense in the first-half for the loss.
By CHUCK HOUSTEAU
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
LOWELLVILLE -- Mineral Ridge played opportunistic football Friday to pull off a 21-6 Inter-County League win over Lowellville on the road.
The Rams (4-1, 1-0) forced four Lowellville turnovers while running backs Micah Hall and John Hack rushed for 263 yards to turn back the late charging Rockets.
Hack scored two touchdowns, his second after Lowellville fumbled deep in Mineral Ridge territory at the start of the third quarter. That turned out to be the key play of the game.
The Rams are this week's No. 6 team in Division VI Region 21 of the computer playoff rankings. The Rockets are No. 9.
Turnover
Trailing 13-0 at halftime, Lowellville (2-3, 0-1) took the second-half kickoff and drove from their own 39-yard line behind big runs by Lucas Gonzalez and John Moore to the Mineral Ridge 11.
Tailback John Calderon coughed up the football, and John Desmond came up with the loose ball to end the scoring threat.
On the very next play, Hack broke off tackle and raced 89 yards untouched to give the Rams a 19-0 lead.
Hack teamed with quarterback Vance Keirsey to score on a two-point conversion for a 21-point lead.
"It's one of those things you look for in a close game," said Mineral Ridge coach Shawn Brown. "Our defense created a big turnover there, and the next play we score.
"Good teams are supposed to [take advantage of turnovers]," Brown said. "If the other team turns the ball over, you're supposed to take control and put some points on the board."
Rockets' efforts
Lowellville tried to rebound on their next possession as the Rockets got their offense going in the second half behind the strong running of tailback Gonzalez.
The senior rushed for 165 yards on 29 carries and scored late in the third quarter on a 1-yard run that ended an 11-play, 70-yard drive.
"We got our offense going in the second half," Lowellville coach John Turco said. "We did what we thought we'd be able to do, but we just couldn't get it done in the fourth quarter.
"I thought we came out in the second half and did a pretty good job of shutting their backs down," Turco said.
"Our kids didn't quit, but the reality is when you don't play defense -- and we didn't in the first half -- you aren't going to win."
Running game
The Rams established the running game right from the start, and Lowellville's defense was not able to rise to the challenge.
Hack and Hall rushed for 170 yards in the first half, and that enabled the Rams to get on the board twice in the second quarter.
Keirsey got the first score on a 5-yard run, and Hack followed with a 1-yard tally.
"Our offensive line came of age tonight," Brown said. "Everyone knows what a great passer Vance [Keirsey] is, but you have to be able to run the ball.
Keirsey only attempted five passes and completed 338 yards.
Hack rushed for 146 yards on 11 carries, and Hall added 117 yards on 20.
Lowellville had 3 drives in the final-quarter stretch into Mineral Ridge territory, but a fumble ended one, while an unsportsmanlike penalty ended another.
The Rams' Nick Diana got his second interception of the game at the Lowellville 1-yard line in the waning seconds of the game.