ADAMS TWP — Bill Bair had his usual game.

The same can't be said for Mars' defense.

Despite 238 rushing yards from Bair, the Planets allowed New Brighton to run for 332 yards as the Lions pinned a 37-8 home football loss on Mars Friday night.

The Planets' one touchdown of the game, a 77-yard run by Bair that tied the contest with 5:36 left in the first quarter, was followed by New Brighton's 29 unanswered points.

"I think our kids saw the 1-2 record New Brighton came in with and thought they weren't as good as they were," said Mars coach Scott Heinauer. "But they're a good football team."

Bair was able to put the Planets on the doorstep of more points throughout the game, but Mars could not capitalize.

Chris Karns missed a 25-yard field goal late in the first quarter that would have given Mars an 11-8 lead.

On its first possession of the second half, Mars drove 49 yards in nine plays but, trailing the Lions 22-8, went for a fourth-and-goal from the 6 and saw John Brake's pass fall incomplete.

The Planets had two other drives thwarted by interceptions, another ended on a fumble and a fourth was stopped on downs.

"The stuff we're running on offense isn't complicated," said Heinauer, referring to Brake's fumble and three interceptions. "But we had a lot of kids who didn't execute tonight."

New Brighton's Eric Walker proved to be a thorn in the Planets' side as the senior rushed 15 times for 144 yards, 140 of them coming in the first half.

He opened the scoring with a 54-yard run midway through the first quarter and added a 4-yard run late in the third quarter to put the Lions up 30-8.

"He's a solid ballplayer and has been for New Brighton for the last few years," said Lions first-year coach Mitch Carver. "I told him before the game tonight that it was time for him to carry the mail and he did."

Mars' defensive letdown spoiled Bair's latest performance. In the first half, he became just the second player in program history to go over 3,000 rushing yards for his career, joining 2003 graduate Brad Mueller.

Five of his 24 carries went for at least 20 yards, including his long scoring run, during which he leaped over a defender just beyond the line of scrimmage and outran two New Brighton players to the goal line

Chris Herold added a two-point conversion on the ground for Mars.

The Planets (3-1) will return to Tri-County North Conference play next week when they host Cornell.