By Andrew Koob

New Castle News

Tyler Root wasn’t happy with his performance the first two weeks of the season.

With Shenango holding a 1-1 record following a win against Western Beaver and shutout loss to Neshannock, the junior tailback had totaled just 136 yards on 30 carries with zero trips to the end zone.

Against Rochester, a team that defeated the Wildcats 32-27 a season ago, Root would have to make his mark.

Mission accomplished.

The 5-foot-8 tailback almost doubled his season total, rushing for 232 yards and three scores, all coming from at least 40 yards, as Shenango thrashed the Rams 49-21.

“The first few games, I was pretty disappointed in how I was contributing to the team, I thought I could do more,” Root said. “That was a really tough loss against Neshannock but it felt good to bounce back and win like that.”

Beyond a 54-yard touchdown run that was negated by a penalty, the offensive line continuously won the battle in the trenches.

Root was the main benefactor in the rushing game, as the Wildcats ran all over the Rams to the tune of 346 yards.

“Really just a great job by the line,” Root said. “Gaps were working for us really well. On two of those runs, I didn’t even get touched, the hole was wide open and all I had to do was hit it and burst through.”

Shenango coach Mike Commesso agreed.

“It’s nice to be able to strike quickly,” he said. “It makes a big difference, it was a great game for Tyler. He really stepped up, he’s very explosive and a nice weapon to have.”

Root’s performance Friday came at the right time, giving the Wildcats a much-needed boost after they were blanked by Big Seven leader Neshannock. Shenango now holds third place in the conference, following only the Lancers and a 1-0 Vincentian Academy team, instead of falling into the abyss of teams stuck at .500 and below in Big Seven play.

“We just have to make sure we keep improving every week,” Root said. “Keep getting better, keep listening to coach (Commesso) and keep getting on each other and not falling back. We have to improve every week and see where we’re at towards the end of the season.”

While Root topped the stat sheets in week 3, Shenango has relied on a number of tailbacks to carry the workload. Heading into the game against Rochester, the Wildcats had three players, including Root, in the top nine of Lawrence County’s top rushers.

Against Rochester, it was Root’s turn to stuff the stat sheet. But both the tailback and coach know that, on any given day, any player can step up.

“We have a lot of people we can count on with this team. I know if I can count on Jason (Wallace) or Evan (Kendall) or Hunter (Waskin) or anyone. If I’m having a bad game, they can pick up my slack and it’s the same thing for them if they’re having a bad game, I can pick it up for them. We can always count on each other, that’s the good thing about this team.”

“We have four capable running backs,” Commesso added. “Wallace and Tyler are getting the ball, getting the carries but if they need a rest we’ve got another fullback in Brett Hoover and another tailback in Waskin that have done some nice things too. We feel good about our backfield, we’re a running football team so it’s nice to have a few backs that are capable of doing some good work out there.”

*****

POSITION: Running back/defensive back

TEAM: Shenango

GRADE: 11

PARENTS: Mark and Michelle Root

KNOWN FOR: Rushed for 232 yards and three touchdowns on 13 carries in Shenango’s 49-21 win over Rochester

FAVORITE PRO PLAYER AND WHY: LeSean McCoy (Philadelphia Eagles). “I like his running style. I think he kind of runs similar to the way I do.”

FAVORITE PRO TEAM AND WHY: Washington Redskins. “Always my dad’s favorite team and he’s kind of brainwashed me.”

FUTURE PLANS: “Hopefully play football somewhere in college, maybe get a scholarship. I just want to play football out of high school.”