By TODD KRISE

t_krise@ncnewsonline.com

Warning to Laurel High’s future football opponents: Don’t check Tyler Forbes’ status on Facebook.

“We got more comin’,” the determined Spartans’ quarterback wrote minutes after his team’s convincing 37-13 win over Monaca on Friday night.

Forbes did more than enough to lead his team to victory, compiling 191 yards of total offense and accounting for three scores.

The performance earned Forbes the Lawrence County Athlete of the Week award, as selected by the New Castle News sports staff. The award is sponsored by Washington Centre Physical Therapy.

“It just means we’re not done yet,” Forbes said of his Facebook comment.

He’s right. The Spartans (4-1 conference, 6-1 overall) need one more win to clinch a playoff berth in the Big Seven Conference.

Forbes and his teammates inched one step closer to that goal with their win over Monaca. The victory is one of their most impressive of the season, mainly in part of the amount of injuries Laurel has had to overcome.

Seniors Dan Poremski and Torrey Price were out with injuries, while junior Steve Jones missed with the flu and senior Jake Dando was out with pneumonia.

Forbes gave Laurel the lead when he scampered in from 30 yards out for his sixth rushing touchdown of the year. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound senior also connected on two passing touchdowns with tight end Shane Caldararo.

The catches were Caldararo’s first of the season.

“He stepped it up,” Forbes said. “I knew he could do that. He has good speed and good size and I knew he could come down with the ball. He’s just a weapon we hadn’t used yet.”

Forbes’ throwing arm is another weapon the Spartans have yet to utilize this season. As a sophomore, Forbes threw for a county-high 1,312 yards on 69 completions. He followed that up with 916 yards as a junior, but only has thrown for a modest 335 yards this year.

So what gives?

“Early in the season, we felt it was important to keep the ball away from people,” said Laurel coach Jerry Holzhauser, referring to the high-powered offenses of Clairton and North Catholic in Weeks 1 and 2. “The longer we had the ball (the better) and running the ball does that for you.”

The Spartans have had 11 different ballcarriers this season with Forbes and running backs Caleb Weisenstein and Dylan Jones getting the bulk of the carries.

But as Laurel makes its way into the WPIAL playoffs, teams will become aware of the Spartans’ rushing attack.

“I think you’ll see us pass a little more because the run is eventually going to open the pass game up,” said Forbes, who had his first 100-yard passing game this season against Monaca. “People are loading the boxes up. There are man coverages out there.”

Added Holzhauser, “We do feel that we can go out and throw the ball 30 times if we wanted to. The first game I coached here, we threw more times than I think in the last eight years.”

Forbes started playing football in third grade and has since risen through the Spartans’ program. He and Dando shared the quarterbacking duties through junior high until Forbes was named varsity starter three seasons ago.

Forbes said he has spoken to a “couple” college coaches about the possibility of a scholarship. However, he has yet to be offered one.

“I definitely want to play football in college,” he said, ‘but we’ll see what happens.”

Holzhauser believes Forbes has the ability to play at the next level.

“Often times a coach sees something and the next play the defense changes,” he said. “If you can have a quarterback that could look at a defense, identify where the best running play or pass play is then that is a great advantage. Tyler is able to do that.”

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THE FORBES FILE

Tyler Forbes

POSITION: Quarterback/defensive back

EAM: Laurel

GRADE: 12

KNOWN FOR: Forbes is a three-year starter at quarterback. He passed for 113 yards and two touchdowns last week against Monaca. He also rushed for an additional 78 yards and a touchdown. Forbes has five interceptions on defense.

PARENTS: Blaine and Kim Forbes

FAVORITE PRO TEAM AND WHY: “Miami Dolphins. When I was growing up, my mom went to school down at Miami and she liked the Dolphins. I said, ‘I like the Dolphins too.’ ”

FAVORITE COLLEGE TEAM AND WHY: “Penn State. I like its tradition.”

FUTURE PLANS: Forbes will major in business management at a college soon to be determined.