By Chuck housteau

sports@vindy.com

CANFIELD

Confidence can play a key role for high school football teams — especially in week one.

That emotion played heavily for Lowellville and then Youngstown Christian in the Rockets’ 25-21 victory on Friday night at Canfield Stadium

The Rockets ran out to a 19-0 lead in the first two quarters and were heading for another score with just over two minutes remaining before half against a young Youngstown Christian team.

Lowellville was playing with a lot of confidence at that point while the Eagles seemed as if they were just hoping to survive and get ready for week two.

And then it happened.

YCS’s Nick Gonda blitzed and hit Lowellville quarterback Evan Filip who was attempting to pass and the junior coughed up the ball. An alert Anthony Harris scooped up the ball and raced 57 yards for a score.

Suddenly it was 19-7 and the Eagles had some hope.

Lowellville regrouped and scored another touchdown with 18 seconds left in the half on a 3-yard run by Tony Schialdrone to regain momentum heading into halftime.

But not so fast.

Youngstown Christian came out and made a game of it against the Rockets in the second half.

“I think we got overconfident,” said Lowellville coach Mike Palumbo. “When you play a team like Youngstown Christian that has a lot of speed and athletic ability you can’t let up.

“They have the big-play ability to make a game close.”

The Eagles scored a touchdown in the third quarter on a 4-yard run by freshman Darien Townsend and another on a fourth quarter, 34-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Ryan Coryier to sophomore Nick Gonda.

Youngstown Christian’s defense also came to life and shut down the Rockets vaunted rushing attack that had accumulated 271 yards and 17 first downs in the first half.

“I was proud of our kids in the second half,” said YCS coach Brian Marrow. ““We literally came inches away from getting a chance to win this game.”

Marrow was referring to a decision by Palumbo late in the fourth quarter. The Rockets’ coach elected to go for a first down on a fourth and 1 at his own 20.

The Rockets made the first down by inches and continued their drive which ate up seven minutes. Lowellville finally punted the ball back to YCS but there was just three minutes left in the game.