SLIPPERY ROCK — Another week, another team with speed to contend with for the Slippery Rock HighSchool football team.

And a lot of it.

The Rockets play Central at 7 p.m. today at Veterans Stadium in Erie. There, they will face a team that shares their 2-6 record, but certainly not their team speed.

"They're lightning fast," said Slippery Rock coach Clyde Conti. "Everyone can run. We don't have their team speed."

But here's something that Slippery Rock does have these days: An offense that can score points and a defense that has been staunch.

The Rockets rushed for 390 yards against Meadville last week and cracked the 20 point mark for the first time this season in a 28-12 win.

The defense shut down the Bulldogs and didn't give up an offensive touchdown.

"We're coming off a great performance," Conti said. "There's no reason we can't step it up another notch."

Quarterback Jonathan Powell has been stepping it up another notch each week, but he went up about three notches against Meadville.

The sophomore quarterback was a force running the football. He chewed up 169 yards on the ground and tossed a 32-yard touchdown pass to tight end Vince Papley in the win.

"I'm very pleased with Jon," Conti said. "His work ethic has been super and he's grown a great deal."

And so has the team.

SlipperyRock has been ravaged by injury and started 0-5. The Rockets have won two of their last three games, the only loss coming against undefeated Titusville.

Conti and his team certainly feel a lot better now than they did a month ago.

The Rockets are also looking forward to finishing out the final two games of the season well.

"Our goal is to play as well as we can and to get better," Conti said of the final two games. "I have a lot of faith in our kids. I would feel the same way even if we were 8-0 or 0-8.

"I just want our kids to enjoy the moment. It zips by so fast. We just want to enjoy these kids for the last two games."

Central is also 2-6. It lost a close game in the muck in Oil City, 14-13, last week.

Central is led by running backs Derrick Hemphill, who had 158 yards on just 13 carries and two scores against Oil City, and Brian Hill, who added 53 yards on 13 carries.

The passing game has been inconsistent for Central this season, but it likes to go into a shotgun set from time to time to spread the field and open up running lanes for its young, speedy backs.