GROVE CITY - The conventions of high school football didn't apply here.

No grinding out tough yardage with the running game.

No hesitation when it came to attempting field goals.

No playing it safe.

Instead, Grove City and Slippery Rock engaged in a football game that was more like a prizefight in pads.

Grove City landed the final flurry of blows to emerge with a 34-31, double-overtime victory at Forker Field Friday night.

"Yeah, it was a win," said Grove City coach Jeff Bell. "But it wasn't the way we anticipated."

Nothing happened as anticipated in the renewal of this rivalry, not even the overtime periods.

Slippery Rock (0-4, 0-3) rallied from two double-digit deficits in the game, crawling back from a 10-0 score at halftime and from a 24-10 disadvantage in the second half.

The Rockets took their first lead of the game on the first play of the initial overtime when senior quarterback Ben Collins rolled to his left and hit David Hewitt sliding in the back of the end zone for a touchdown.

Grove City was down to its last gasp on its possession on fourth down at the 8, but senior quarterback Jesse Alfreno found tight end Keenan Kimes on a quick pass over the middle for the tying score.

Kimes had to reach over two Slippery Rock defenders to catch the ball.

Grove City (3-1, 2-1) had a fourth-and-goal at the 1 on its possession in the second overtime and was set to go for the touchdown, but the Eagles were called for a delay-of-game penalty.

Bell called a timeout and huddled his team together.

"If it would have been fourth-and-1, I would have gone for it," Bell said. "I called the kids over and asked them, 'What do you want to do? Go for it or what?' They said 'Gordon can make the points, we'll stop them on defense.'"

Craig made the 23-yard field goal and Grove City's defense kept its promise.

On the Rockets' first play, freshman Dwayne Martin stepped in front of Collins' pass intended for Hewitt in the right corner of the end zone to end the game.

Craig hit two field goals in the game, but also had one blocked.

The kicker, who also plays soccer, had a field goal blocked last week in a loss to Reynolds.

"I tell you what, last week we got one blocked and I went away from him," Bell said. "This week, we had one blocked and I stuck with him."

The only points of the first half were on the leg of Craig until the very end of the second quarter.

With one second remaining and the Eagles at their own 46, Grove City ran a draw play to sophomore fullback Chris Clark, who broke two tackles and outran Collins for an improbable 54-yard touchdown run that sent the Eagles into halftime up 10-0.

That was just the first sign of the wild things to come in the second half.

The third quarter saw a defensive touchdown by each team, a 33-yard field goal by Slippery Rock kicker Craig Bicehouse and a 70-yard screen pass from Alfreno to Clark for another score.

When the dust had settled, Grove City had overcome three turnovers in a span of four offensive plays to lead 24-17.

The fourth quarter was just as strange.

Neither team found any success running the football in the first three quarters, so both teams simply abandoned the ground game

The two quarterbacks combined to throw 56 passes for 436 yards and four touchdowns.

Alfreno was 13-of-29 for 234 yards and two scores and Collins was 12-of-27 for 202 yards and two touchdowns.

Collins scored on a 1-yard dive early in the fourth quarter. He later rolled to his right and threw all the way across the field to his left to J.R. Thompson for a 23-yard touchdown pass with 2:06 remaining in regulation to tie the score.

"We made it look like Arena Football," Bell said. "It was like Arena style. Let's see how many formations we can come out in and start winging it."

Clark rushed for 79 yards on 13 carries, but 54 came on one run. Throw out that long run by Clark and Grove City rushed 29 times for minus-8 yards.

Slippery Rock didn't have much success on the ground, either, gaining just 66 yards on 30 carries.

For the Rockets, the loss was a microcosm of their season.

Close, but not close enough.

"This is as good a group of kids I've ever been around," Conti said. "These kids played their hearts out. All I know is if we ever win, boy, are we ever going to celebrate."

Thompson, just a sophomore, was a star for the Rockets on both sides of the ball.

He caught four passes for 76 yards on offense and also made 12 tackles on defense.

But it wasn't enough.

"Grove City is a terrific football team," Conti said. "They have wonderful athletes.

"We're trying. We're trying," Conti said. "It's hard. This is what I mean about effort, with kids up against it. I think some kids are growing up for us. Maybe some day ..."