Laurel’s playoff hopes take a hit in loss
Laurel (13) vs. Rochester (35)
Written: Oct 13, 2012
Laurel’s playoff hopes take a hit in loss
By Ron Poniewasz Jr.
New Castle News
Time is running out on the Laurel High football team.
The Spartans are battling to stay alive for the fourth and final playoff berth in the Big Seven Conference. Last night, however, Laurel’s postseason hopes may have been dealt a crushing blow.
Rochester’s Dante Marsick scored five touchdowns, all in the first half, in a 35-13 conference win over Laurel at Spartan Stadium.
The Spartans (3-3 conference, 4-3 overall) will need help down the stretch to reach the WPIAL playoffs. Laurel is a half-game behind fourth-place Union (3-2, 4-2), which plays at Shenango (2-3, 3-3) tonight. The Scotties, though, own a 38-19 win over the Spartans earlier in the season.
The top four teams from each conference in Class A reach the WPIAL playoffs.
“It’s not going to get any easier for us next week with Sto-Rox (on the schedule),” Laurel coach Jerry Holzhauser said. “I know our kids will practice hard and get ready for them. Our kids are hard-working kids and they’ll give it their best shot next week.”
The Spartans will be pulling for the Wildcats tonight. Laurel closes the regular season by hosting Shenango.
Marsick opened the scoring for the Rams on the second offensive play from scrimmage. He hauled in a short pass from quarterback Ben Richko, hit the right sideline and cruised in for an 82-yard touchdown just a minute into the contest.
“Marsick is an outstanding back,” Holzhauser said. “He’s a good runner with good speed. He’s a heck of a back. It’s not easy to contain someone of that caliber.”
Marsick added touchdown runs of 1, 62, 44 and 1, lifting Rochester to a 35-0 halftime advantage. He rushed for 121 yards on eight carries, while hauling in two passes for 104 yards. All of Marsick’s work came in the first half.
“It’s what’s we expected of Marsick,” said Rams coach and 1981 Shenango graduate Gene Matsook. “It’s what we think he can do.
“I think people are missing the boat, though, with our offensive line. They’re playing really well. They’re coming off the ball well and doing a good job for us.”
Marsick’s one-yard dive with 5.3 seconds to go before the half and Richko’s conversion kick initiated the mercy rule.
Despite trailing by 35 at the break, Laurel controlled the ball in the first half. The Spartans executed 32 plays from scrimmage in the first 24 minutes, compared to 21 for the Rams.
“Against teams like that, you want to control it and keep it away from them,” Holzhauser said. “When they had it, they capitalized with it. We did the best we could to try and defend them.
“They have a good back and a strong defense. You try to control the ball to keep it away from players like Marsick.”
Said Matsook, “That’s what bothered me a little bit. They started to keep the ball away from us. We told them at halftime that can’t happen because teams are going to try and do that against us.”
Laurel’s best drive in the first half started with 6:23 to play in the opening quarter. The Spartans started at their own 35 and marched to Rochester’s 27 before turning it over on downs two minutes into the second quarter. Laurel moved the ball 38 yards in 15 plays, chewing up 8:23 off the clock.
Junior Dalton Rosta got the Spartans on the board in the third quarter with an 18-yard touchdown run. Rosta finished with 15 carries for 100 yards. It was his second-straight 100-yard rushing game.
“Dalton is a hard runner,” Holzhauser said. “I couldn’t ask for anything more of him. He ran the ball hard and blocked well.
“We have a lot of young guys on the line that stepped up and did a good job for us.”
Jake McDougal added the other Laurel score when he dashed in from 20 yards out with 1:12 remaining.
Rochester recorded a total of eight fumbles, losing three of them. All of the Rams’ lost fumbles came in the second half.
“We have to get that corrected,” Matsook said. “The fumbled snaps, I’m getting tired of that. I know next week, that’s not going to happen again because they’re going to be out there for a long time practicing that.”
(Email: rponiewasz
@ncnewsonline.com).
ROCHESTER LAUREL
12 First downs 11
192 Yards Rushing 184
12 Yards Lost 33
180 Net Rushing 151
6 Passes Attempted 7
5 Passes Completed 3
0 Passes Intercepted 0
158 Yards Passing 26
338 Total Yards 177
8-3 Fumbles-Lost 2-1
0-0 Punts-Average 2-28.5
2-10 Penalties-Yards 3-20
ROCHESTER 14 21 0 0 —35
LAUREL 0 0 7 6 — 13
Scoring plays
ROCHESTER — Dante Marsick, 82-yard pass from Ben Richko (Richko kick).
ROCHESTER — Marsick, 1-yard run (Richko kick).
ROCHESTER — Marsick, 62-yard run (kick failed).
ROCHESTER — Marsick, 44-yard run (O’Shea Anderson run).
ROCHESTER — Marsick, 1-yard run (Richko kick).
LAUREL — Dalton Rosta, 18-yard run (Noah Wertz kick).
LAUREL — Jake McDougal, 20-yard run (run failed).
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