SLIPPERY ROCK — Slippery Rock High School's 26-7 loss on Friday night to Quad-A giant Erie McDowell was a microcosm of how the year played out for the Rockets.

Trailing 6-0 and driving early in the first quarter, Slippery Rock running back David Bauer fumbled the football away inside the Trojan 30-yard line.

Three plays later, McDowell's Anthony Weaver was in the end zone for the second time. Weaver's runs came from 1 and 60 yards away.

On the ensuing kickoff, McDowell (7-2) attempted a high pooch kick. The Rockets signaled for a fair catch, but botched it, giving the Trojans the ball right back.

Seven plays later, McDowell scored again to take a 20-0 lead.

"The fortunate break for us was the pooch kick," McDowell coach Joe Tarasovich said. "That was a big break to get on them quick like that."

The McDowell game wasn't the only one the Rockets (4-5) could have won this season. Before dropping a 34-31 double-overtime decision to Grove City Sept. 23, Slippery Rock lost on the final play at Fairview in the season opener.

To add insult to injury, the Rockets held Reynolds to less than 100 yards of total offense in a 15-2 loss and saw two big plays decide the outcome in a 14-9 setback to Sharon.

But Slippery Rock finished with four straight wins before Friday's loss.

"We got some kids back (from injury) after the Grove City game," Slippery Rock coach Clyde Conti said. "I think that made us stronger. What I really like about these kids is that nobody looks for any excuses. They just keep trying to work harder."

The Rockets' defense, which held a high-powered Wilmington offense scoreless last week, faced a backfield featuring a record-breaking halfback.

Weaver rushed for 196 yards and scored two touchdowns, breaking the school's single-season rushing record in the third quarter. The senior currently has 1,498 yards on the year, 55 more than the old mark.

"Anthony Weaver is a special young man," Tarasovich said. "We're very fortunate to have a young man play as hard as he does. When guys break a record, sometimes they might not deserve it. (Weaver) deserves everything he gets this year."

For the Trojans, the next step is the District 10 AAAA championship against archrival Erie Cathedral Prep next Friday.

Despite the district expanding to six playoff teams in AA, Slippery Rock was left out. Hickory received the third bid from Region 3 and will meet North East next Saturday at Veteran's Stadium in Erie.

"I don't think we deserved to get in," Conti said. "It was, to my understanding, that there would be four teams going into the playoffs."

Conti said the decision to add teams in the middle of a season is a questionable call.

"If people feel there should be more teams, that should be something that is discussed and etched in stone prior to the season starting," Conti said. "That's just my opinion. That's not taking anything away from the kids at Hickory or anything like that."