PITTSBURGH — The heat was on to begin with. Slippery Rock's ground game only made it hotter.

The Rockets ran the ball 52 times for 368 yards — 35 times for 234 in the first half — and rolled to a 40-18 season-opening high school football victory over Perry Traditional Academy Saturday at Cupples Stadium.

Temperatures hovered above 90 degrees on the artificial turf.

“We knew it was going to be warm and that they (Perry) were big up front,” Slippery Rock senior guard Colten Raabe said. “But we were prepared for this.”

Perry's tackles included 6-foot-3, 285-pound Jawan Engram — being recruited by Richmond and other Division I schools — and 6-1, 268-pound Kenyatta Thomas. The Commodores' guards weighed 242 and 230 pounds, respectively.

It didn't matter.

Seven different players ran the ball for the Rockets in the first half. Quarterback Jake Whitmer attempted only two passes all day and Perry netted just 25 yards offensively in the first half. Slippery Rock had a 26-0 lead by halftime.

“I wasn't surprised by what I saw from them,” first-year Perry coach Ken Wright said of Slippery Rock. “That's a physical football team and they come straight ahead.”

Perry, coming off a 3-6 season after winning the City League title in 2012, got off to a rough start Saturday. Amir Williamson fielded the opening kickoff at his 2-yard line, drifted back into the end zone and took a knee. The officials ruled the ball down at the 2.

Three plays later, Rocket sophomore defensive end, Ryan Dutton, making his first varsity start, tackled running back Moses Giles in the end zone for a safety.

Following the free kick, Slippery Rock drove 27 yards in nine plays, converting a pair of fourth downs. Travis Lauster scored on fourth-and-goal from the 2-yard line.

“We didn't get the call on that opening kickoff, but there's nothing we could do about it. We have a good enough team to overcome one play,” Knight said.

Slippery Rock put together scoring drives of 64, 67 and 66 yards later in the half. Whitmer scored on a 3-yard run, Mark Cessar booted a 36-yard field goal and Ken Anderson scored on a 3-yard run.

“We played well in the first half, but that opening kickoff was a big play,” Slippery Rock coach Brendan Hathaway said. “If we don't get off to that quick start, this game might have gone differently.”

The Commodores dropped three passes in the first half, each of which could have resulted in big plays. Perry quarterback Shawn Rutherford — nephew of former Pitt star quarterback Rod Rutherford — threw for 135 yards and two touchdowns in the second half.

Perry pulled within 33-18 with 3:14 to play before Jared McDowell scored on a 47-yard run seconds later to seal the deal.

“If we don't drop those early passes, we'd have been in this game,” Wright said. “We ran better routes in the second half and started making plays.”

Travis Lauster led the Rockets with 13 carries for 79 yards and two touchdowns. Ryan Lauster rushed for 77 yards, McDowell for 71 and Whitmer for 68.

“We enjoy blocking for those guys,” Raabe said. “The saying among our linemen is that we block for them and they run for us.”

Travis Lauster had an interception for the Rockets, who turned the ball over twice. Amair Newring intercepted Whitmer early in the second half and William Cleveland recovered a fumble in the first half.

“We use a lot of backs to keep everybody fresh, especially on a day like this,” Hathaway said. “But we came out a little flat in the second half. We have to play hard for four quarters.

“This is a nice win, but we have a lot of work to do.”

Slippery Rock 9 17 7 7 — 40Perry Academy 0 0 6 12 — 18SR P15 First Downs 1152-368 Rushes-Yards 25-1040 Passing Yards 1490-2-1 Comp.-Att.-Int 9-24-1368 Total Yards 2532-1 Fumbles-Lost 0-010-90 Penalty Yards 12-90First QuarterSR — Ryan Dutton tackles Moses Giles in end zone for safety, 10:44SR — Travis Lauster 2 run (Mark Cessar kick), 5:56Second QuarterSR — Jake Whitmer 3 run (Cessar kick), 10:05SR — Cessar 36 field goal, 6:28SR — Ken Anderson 3 run (Cessar kick), 1:03Third QuarterP — Giles 4 run (kick failed), 3:14SR — Lauster 7 run (Cessar kick), 1:19Fourth QuarterP — Desmond Hardy 12 pass from Shawn Rutherford (pass failed), 9:34P — Amair Newring 14 pass from Rutherford (pass failed), 3:47SR — Jared McDowell 47 run (Cessar kick), 3:00Individual StatisticsRushing: Slippery Rock, Jake Whitmer 9-68, Travis Lauster 13-79, Ryan Lauster 5-77, Jared McDowell 4-71, Brandon McKnight 10-21, Ken Anderson 4-44, Trent Porter 3-17, TEAM 4-(-9). Perry, Shawn Rutherford 5-14, Maliek James 4-1, Moses Giles 7-20, Amir Williamson 7-59, Damien Danenas 2-10.Passing: Slippery Rock, Jake Whitmer 0-2-0-1. Perry, Shawn Rutherford 9-24-135-1.Receiving: Perry, Deontay Wadley 1-18, Desmond Hardy 2-8, Tala'l Rogers 3-62, Amair Newring 3-61.