SLIPPERY ROCK — Wanted: Healthy players.

That's the classified ad SlipperyRock HighSchool football coach Clyde Conti may be placing this week after watching more key cogs OF his team go down with injuries in a 35-17 loss to Sto-Rox in the home opener Friday night.

"We're a decimated team right now," said Slippery Rock coach Clyde Conti. "I'm not one to make excuses, but we're decimated. We have a bunch of ankles now. I'm not sure what you do."

Chase Conti left on the game's second play with an ankle injury that was eerily similar to the one that has sidelined J.R. Thompson for the season. Adam Brydon left later in the game with another ankle ailment that didn't look like a simple twist.

Vince Papley also missed some time with a right bicep injury, but he returned.

As it turned out, Anthony DiMichele inflicted his injuries to Slippery Rock on the scoreboard.

The Sto-Rox wide receiver returned a punt 58 yards and caught touchdown passes of 77 and 21 yards — all in the first half — as Sto-Rox built a 21-7 lead at the break.

The Rockets' defense, though, played well for most of the game against the Vikings (2-1). But, once again, big plays stung Slippery Rock (0-3).

DiMichele made his fair share with the long punt return and the long touchdown catch on a play that looked very bad for Sto-Rox in the beginning.

Vikings quarterback Jules Crosby rolled to his right and appeared hemmed in by Slippery Rock's swarming defense, but he eluded the pressure and found DiMichele on the sideline. He shimmied to his left and ran for a 77-yard touchdown.

Sto-Rox also got an interception return for a touchdown and scored again on a 3-yard drive set up by a snap that sailed well over the head of SlipperyRock punter Craig Bicehouse.

"We gave them the punt (return) — that was a mistake, we wanted to kick the ball out of bounds," Conti said. "They intercepted one and we centered the ball over our punter's head. That's three touchdowns."

SlipperyRock used a fake punt to set up its first score, an 8-yard run by Papley, that tied the score at 7.

"Slippery Rock made some plays," said Sto-Rox coach Jason Ruscitto. "Coach Conti is a real super guy. I enjoy talking to him. He's a wonderful coach. I'm just honored to be on the same field with him tonight."

Despite the bad plays, Slippery Rock made its share of good ones and nearly crawled back into the game in the fourth quarter after falling behind, 35-7.

Sto-Rox had a hand in that as Crosby fumbled three center-quarterback exchanges and lost two of them.

But the Rockets could capitalize on only one of the turnovers, scoring on a 17-yard pass from Powell to Papley.