ERIE — It was Harold Coles all of the time — almost.

Fairview’s senior running back carried 43 times for 302 yards and four touchdowns Saturday as the Tigers (8-2) advanced in the District 10 football playoffs with a 28-21 victory over Slippery Rock at Veterans Stadium in Erie.

Fairview never attempted a pass. Coles carried the ball on all but five of the Tigers’ offensive plays.

“We give the ball to the tailback. That’s how we play the game,” Fairview coach Jim Brinling said. “We’re not about the entertainment football that is played on Saturdays and Sundays.

“This is our brand of high school football. Running the ball is how we try to win.”

The Rockets (5-6) never led in the game, but came back to tie twice and nearly wiped out a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter.

“Our team faced a lot of adversity this year with injuries and never quit,” Slippery Rock coach Travis Sarver said. “We gave everything we had on this field today and were in it until the very end.”

Coles scored on runs of 7, 46 and 56 yards before his 4-yard touchdown run capped a 59-yard drive and gave Fairview a 28-14 advantage with 9:09 to play. But the Rockets weren’t done.

A 55-yard return of the ensuing kickoff by Trent Porter gave Slippery Rock the ball at the Fairview 30. Nine plays later, Ryan Lauster scored on a 3-yard run with 4:24 remaining.

The Rockets pooched an onsides kick high in the air and Stephen Heller recovered the ball at the Fairview 44. Slippery Rock went three-and-out, however, as Lauster’s fourth-down pass deep down the left sideline sailed past everybody incomplete.

Lauster attempted only three passes all day.

“Our defense came up big after we botched a pair of kickoffs ... Geez, how about those two plays?,” Brinling pondered, shaking his head. “That’s something we’re gonna have to work on.”

Slippery Rock had recovered a short kickoff that Fairview’s return team backed away from midway through the second quarter. Jonah Foster pounced on that loose football for the Rockets.

But, again, SR turned the hall over on downs as Porter was stopped for no gain on fourth-and-2 from the Tigers’ 27.

Coles has 2,320 yards rushing this season and set a Fairview single-season rushing record Saturday. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound back has a scholarship offer from Kent State and is considering offers from Ivy League schools Princeton and Cornell as well.

“They test your gaps in running the ball with him and try to take advantage of defensive mistakes that way,” Sarver said. “We hit him hard, but he made more plays than we did.”

The Rockets countered Coles’ production with solid games from Porter and Lauster. Porter had 24 carries for 146 yards and a touchdown while Lauster had 21 carries for 118 yards and two scores.

Lauster raced 31 yards for a touchdown on a third-and-14 play to tie the game at 14 midway through the second quarter. Porter had 259 all-purpose yards Saturday.

Porter finished the season with 1,298 yards and 11 touchdowns, Lauster 1,376 and 12 scores.

“Both of those guys play with so much heart,” Sarver said. “I love those guys. I love all of our seniors. I measure a football player on effort and this group gave all they had.”

Brinling lauded the performance of Slippery Rock as well.

“They have the same philosophy we do, only in a different style,” Brinling said. “Run the football. They do it very effectively.

“They never quit and we knew they wouldn’t. This was an excellent high school football game and I have a lot of respect for that program.”

Fairview 28, Slippery Rock 21

Slippery Rock 0 14 0 7 — 21

Fairview 7 7 7 7 — 28

SR F

13 First Downs 16

52-286 Rushes-Yards 48-307

14 Passing Yards 0

1-3-0 Comp.-Att.-Int 0-0-0

300 Total Yards 307

3-1 Fumbles-Lost 1-0

7-70 Penalty Yards 1-10

First Quarter

F — Harold Coles 7 run (Anthony Cooper kick), 6:15

Second Quarter

SR— Trent Porter 1 run (Nick Stutz kick), 8:49

F — Coles 46 run (Cooper kick), 7:01

SR — Ryan Lauster 31 run (Stutz kick), 5:53

Third Quarter

F — Coles 56 run (Cooper kick), 6:57

Fourth Quarter

F — Coles 4 run (Cooper kick), 9:09

SR — Lauster 3 run (Stutz kick), 4:24

Individual Statistics

Rushing: Slippery Rock, Ryan Lauster 21-118, Trent Porter 24-146, Hunter Premintine 3-14, Seth Slater 3-14, TEAM 1-(-6). Fairview, Harold Coles 43-302, Andrew Morosky 2-1, Noah Coffman 1-1, Clayton Halmi 2-3.

Passing: Slippery Rock, Ryan Lauster 1-3-14-0. Fairview, Andrew Morosky 0-0-0-0.

Receiving: Slippery Rock, Calvin Rossi 1-14.