Rockets rise far from sudden
SLIPPERY ROCK — Last season was not a complete loss.
Despite the 0-10 record turned in by the Slippery Rock High football team, the building blocks for this season were laid in 2010, said Rockets’ coach Brendan Hathaway.
“Last year may not have been a success in the win column, but it wasn’t a failure, either,” Hathaway said. “You could see the improvement and we carried that over into this year.”
Now, Slippery Rock (7-3) will play the biggest game in the two-year Hathaway regime at 7 p.m. Friday when the Rockets play Meadville in the first round of the District 10 Class AAA playoffs at Slippery Rock University.
It was an upset 25-18 win over previously unbeaten Meadville in late September that launched the Rockets on their playoff run.
Slippery Rock rallied from an 18-7 deficit in the fourth quarter to win that game.
That loss sent the Bulldogs reeling. Meadville was blown out by Grove City the next week and then lost two more games in a row to seemingly fall out of the playoff race.
But Meadville rebounded with three straight wins, including 63-0 and 55-0 victories the last two weeks over Franklin and Titusville.
The win over Titusville didn’t come without controversy.
The Bulldogs were determined to get running back Artel Foster 1,000 yards for the season to join teammates Fred Epps and Terence Goodrum in that club.
Foster was shy of 1,000 yards in the fourth quarter with Meadville leading 48-0 after a touchdown. The Bulldogs recovered an onside kick and fed Foster until he reached the mark.
Meadville coach Ken Achenbach could not be reached for comment.
The Bulldogs have averaged 360 yards rushing per game this season and haven’t attempted a pass in the last two weeks.
“They run the ball and that’s what we try to do as well,” Hathaway said. “Our defense played really well the first time against them and we need that kind of effort again.”
Slippery Rock also is dangerous in the running game with an unorthodox offense that features wide splits between the offensive lineman and an option attack that hinges on deception.
Junior quarterback Ryan Currie has been adept at running the attack and checking into the correct play.
Currie has 673 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns to lead the team.
Currie helped the Rockets complete an undefeated home schedule last week with a 23-12 win over Greenville.
“It was important for us to play well and finish undefeated on our home field,” Hathaway said.
Slippery Rock is relatively healthy heading into its first playoff game since 2008.
That playoff run ended against Wilmington at SRU in the District 10 Class AA title game.
