Runnin' Rinaman
ADAMS TWP — It wasn't the 110 meter hurdles, but that didn't slow down Mars senior speedster Ori Rinaman.
After a fumble looked like it might swing the momentum to Greensburg Salem, Rinaman intercepted the next pass at his own goalline and sprinted past everyone for a 100-yard touchdown return that put the dagger in the Golden Lions chances.
Behind Rinaman and a stifling defense, the Planets dominated the game after a shaky start to claim a 44-6 victory over the Golden Lions on Friday night in a key Greater Allegheny Conference contest during homecoming at the Mars Athletic Complex.
Up 24-6 with less a minute remaining in the first half, the Planets fumbled deep in their own territory to give the Lions a golden opportunity.
But Rinaman, a track star for Mars, took an errant pass from Greensburg Salem's Brady Mason and wasted no time bursting right up the middle of the field.
By the time he hit the 50, he was five yards clear of any defender, and he only pulled further away as he continued downfield.
“We fumbled, which was the worst thing that could probably happen, but you just gotta keep your head up,” Rinaman said in a celebratory
Mars locker room after the game. “The ball came my way and everyone else was blocking for me. It takes a team, and everyone blocked the whole way to the endzone. There was nobody there.”
However, the night didn't start out nearly as promising for Mars (2-2, 2-2).
A quick three-and-out on the game's first possession forced a punt, and a low snap caused the punter to put a knee on the ground to field it, resulting in Greensburg Salem taking over at the Planets 16 yardline. The next play, it was 6-0.
Mars responded with a nine-play, 65-yard drive that mixed runs and passes throughout.
Rinaman fought his way into the endzone from 1 yard out to tie the game, and Caleb Brake's extra point put the Planets up for good.
The Planets played like their backs were against the wall after losing a hard-fought game to Franklin Regional last week.
They owned the line of scrimmage the rest of the game and allowed only 151 yards of total offense, with most of that coming when the game was out of hand.
“I don't think our kids panicked. I think our kids held their composure,” Planets coach Scott Heinauer said. “We played like we are capable of playing.
“I'm proud of our kids. We could have packed it away, but you know what, that's not what we do here at Mars. Mars football comes out and plays hard from the start to the end.”
Senior quarterback Jake Rosswog also provided a spark for Mars, completing five passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns. One of those scores went to sophomore Isaiah Johnson, who streaked down the sideline and beat two defensive backs to haul in a 50-yard touchdown.
Along with the interception return for a score, Rinaman rushed for 108 yards on only 15 carries and found the endzone twice from the backfield.
The win gets the Planets back to .500 in the ultra-competitive Greater Allegheny Conference, which has only one team, Hampton, without a conference loss.
It's setting up to go down to the wire, and Mars wants to have a say.
“We knew this was a must-win game,” Heinauer said. “We weren't coming off this field unless we won the game. The story is simple. We knew that.”
