SLIPPERY ROCK — It took Jono Powell and the Slippery Rock High football team only two plays to get off and running against Canandaigua Academy (N.Y.), which came into the game with an 18-game regular season unbeaten streak.

On the second play of the game, Powell sprinted 61 yards to the 1, then ran in for a touchdown on the next play to give the Rockets an early 7-0 lead on the way to a 31-21 win over the Braves Friday night.

Slippery Rock kicker Mike Ramirez booted a 38-yard field goal later in the first quarter to give the Rockets a 10-0 lead.

But Canandaigua (6-1) quickly answered.

Braves quarterback Marshall Johnson capped a nine-play, 71-yard drive when he ran up the middle for a 15-yard touchdown to cut the SR lead to three points early in the second quarter.

The Rockets, however, scored on a 10-yard Isaac Osborne run that gave Slippery Rock a 17-7 halftime lead.

In the second half, Powell scored from 3 yards out to give Slippery Rock a commanding 24-7 lead.

Canandaigua scored twice in the fourth quarter, but it was too little, too late as Slippery Rock beat the Braves, a team that is the equivalent of a Quad-A school in Pennsylvania and has an 80-player roster.

The key to the win was a balanced running game centered around Powell.

"This offense isn't directed around one person," Powell said. "Everybody has a job and everybody does a great job doing it."

The Rockets (7-1) did a great job against the Braves on both offense and defense.

Slippery Rock held Canandaigua to 136 yards on the ground, not allowing their top back, Nicolas Michalko, to break a run longer than 12 yards.

On offense, the Rockets were led by Powell, who ran for 145 yards and two touchdowns in the game. Slippery Rock amassed 418 yards of offense.

"He's our trigger man," said SlipperyRock coach Clyde Conti. "In 29 years of being a head coach, he is the first quarterback that I have ever had go over 100 points. He is a fine leader and it trickles down to the rest of the team."

Conti will need Powell to pull the trigger on the Rockets offense this upcoming week against No. 3 Wilmington, which has what Conti calls the "premier program" in District 10.

"Everyone knows that Wilmington coach Terry Verrelli is an icon," Conti said. "The Wilmington kids are in it all the time. For Slippery Rock, they have been playing football since 1966 and this is only the second time that we've enjoyed back-to-back winning seasons, so it's tough here."