Buckling down
ADAMS TWP— At halftime, it looked like The Billy Bair vs. Mike Pelto Show Friday night.
Mars running back Bair ran for 153 yards and two scores while Pelto, the Union-New Castle quarterback, threw for 224 yards and three touchdowns. Bair added an interception return of Pelto to make it three scores each and Mars led 27-20 at the intermission.
The Planets defense clamped down on Pelto in the second half and Bair ran for two more scores as Mars posted a 41-20 high school football victory. It was the 100th victory of Scott Heinauer's coaching career at Mars.
Bair added to his record-setting 2007 campaign with 307 yards on 26 carries for Mars (5-1, 5-1).
"He was like a battering ram that just kept coming and coming," Scotties head coach Stacy Robinson said.
Bair touched the ball on 56 percent of the Planets' 48 plays from scrimmage.
The Scotties' best chance for victory came at the end of the third quarter, when Mars quarterback John Brake was hit as he attempted to lateral to Bair. The ball flew over Bair's head and Pelto recovered it at the 8- yard line.
A first-down run for a loss, followed by two short passes, set up Union's first play of the fourth quarter, a fourth-and- goal at the Mars 5-yard line. Union (1-5. 1-5) had not attempted a field goal or extra point all night, so the Scotties went for the first down.
It might have seemed like every Planet on the field sacked Pelto at the 20-yard line, but, in reality, it was only four of them.
That was the theme of the second half for the Mars defense: pressure the quarterback relentlessly.
Pelto followed his impressive first-half performance with only 22 passing yards in the second half. Union's running game never did get going and collected only 77 yards.
Mars' Chris Herold returned the opening kickoff to the 45-yard line before Bair and Shane Kaclik alternated productive runs. Bair then jaunted 29 yards for the score.
Anthony Ciafre had only one carry in the game, on Mars second drive, but he used it to maximum benefit as he outran the Union defenders down the right side for an 80-yard score.
Pelto responded with an 11-play, 73-yard drive, culminated by a 20-yard pass to running back Markus Allen to tighten the game at 14-8.
On the next possession, Bair intercepted a Pelto pass and returned it 46 yards for the score.
From that point through the fourth quarter, Pelto completed 13 straight passes, including second-quarter touchdown tosses of 18 yards to Linnell Robinson and 43 yards to Markus Allen.
"Sure, we made adjustments at halftime," Mars coach Scott Heinauer said, "But the key was being in position to make a play and making it."
