Mars' Ethan Painley (71) holds back tears after a loss to McKeesport in a WPIAL Class 4A football semifinal game Friday, Nov. 8, 2024, at Gateway High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle

Mars head coach Eric Kasperowicz addresses the team after their loss to McKeesport in a WPIAL Class 4A football semifinal game Friday, Nov. 8, 2024, at Gateway High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle

Mars' Gabe Hein (30) holds back tears after a loss to McKeesport in a WPIAL Class 4A football semifinal game Friday, Nov. 8, 2024, at Gateway High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle

Mars' Logan Becker (11) shows his emotions after a loss to McKeesport in a WPIAL Class 4A football semifinal game Friday, Nov. 8, 2024, at Gateway High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle

Disappointed Mars players kneel after a loss against McKeesport in the WPIAL Class 4A football semifinal game Friday, Nov. 8, 2024, at Gateway High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle

Mars players sign the alma mater with after the WPIAL Class 4A football semifinal game against McKeesport on Friday, Nov. 8, 2024, at Gateway High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle

McKeesport's Anthony Boyd (5) breaks up a pass to Mars' Brady Jordan (22) in a WPIAL Class 4A football semifinal game Friday, Nov. 8, 2024, at Gateway High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle

Mars' Eric Kasperowicz (5) escapes a tackle from McKeesport's Kaedyn Daniels (54) in a WPIAL Class 4A football semifinal game Friday, Nov. 8, 2024, at Gateway High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle

McKeesport's Kemon Spell (6) runs for a touchdown in the first quarter against Mars during the WPIAL Class 4A football semifinal game Friday, Nov. 8, 2024, at Gateway High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle

Mars' Gabe Heins (30) breaks free to score the first touchdown of the game against McKeesport in a WPIAL Class 4A football semifinal game Friday, Nov. 8, 2024, at Gateway High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle

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  Mars' Ethan Painley (71) holds back tears after a loss to McKeesport in a WPIAL Class 4A football semifinal game Friday, Nov. 8, 2024, at Gateway High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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  Mars head coach Eric Kasperowicz addresses the team after their loss to McKeesport in a WPIAL Class 4A football semifinal game Friday, Nov. 8, 2024, at Gateway High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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  Mars' Gabe Hein (30) holds back tears after a loss to McKeesport in a WPIAL Class 4A football semifinal game Friday, Nov. 8, 2024, at Gateway High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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  Mars' Logan Becker (11) shows his emotions after a loss to McKeesport in a WPIAL Class 4A football semifinal game Friday, Nov. 8, 2024, at Gateway High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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  Disappointed Mars players kneel after a loss against McKeesport in the WPIAL Class 4A football semifinal game Friday, Nov. 8, 2024, at Gateway High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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  Mars players sign the alma mater with after the WPIAL Class 4A football semifinal game against McKeesport on Friday, Nov. 8, 2024, at Gateway High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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  McKeesport's Anthony Boyd (5) breaks up a pass to Mars' Brady Jordan (22) in a WPIAL Class 4A football semifinal game Friday, Nov. 8, 2024, at Gateway High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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  Mars' Eric Kasperowicz (5) escapes a tackle from McKeesport's Kaedyn Daniels (54) in a WPIAL Class 4A football semifinal game Friday, Nov. 8, 2024, at Gateway High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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  McKeesport's Kemon Spell (6) runs for a touchdown in the first quarter against Mars during the WPIAL Class 4A football semifinal game Friday, Nov. 8, 2024, at Gateway High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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  Mars' Gabe Heins (30) breaks free to score the first touchdown of the game against McKeesport in a WPIAL Class 4A football semifinal game Friday, Nov. 8, 2024, at Gateway High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle

MONROEVILLE — Field position matters.

Unless, like McKeesport, you have running backs who pretend playoff football games are track meets.

Mars punter Mason Childress trapped the third-seeded Tigers within their own 5-yard line twice in a seven-minute span during the first half of Friday night’s WPIAL Class 4A semifinal. Both times, McKeesport showed urgency getting to the end zone in what wound up a 35-7 Tigers win at Gateway High School’s Antimarino Stadium.

Anthony Boyd’s 95-yard scoring sprint ran out the clock on the first quarter, then Kemon Spell covered 71 yards with one carry during his team’s next possession. Quarterback Brady Eastman burrowed in from 2 yards out on the following snap, finishing off a four-play, 98-yard march that lasted 1 minute, 15 seconds.

Mars' Ethan Painley (71) holds back tears after a loss to McKeesport in a WPIAL Class 4A football semifinal game Friday, Nov. 8, 2024, at Gateway High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle

That effort made it 21-7, leaving far behind an early 71-yard bubble screen touchdown jaunt by the seventh-seeded Planets’ Gabe Hein.

“They don’t seem like it, but they’re a big-play offense,” Mars coach Eric Kasperowicz said. “If they can pop a long run like that, it’s kind of demoralizing. ... They were more physical than we were.”

Spell is a sophomore Penn State commit who recruiting service On3 ranks No. 7 nationally in the Class of 2027. He had touchdowns of 55, 36 and 56 yards on the night.

“Encourage our teammates,” he said of seeing the long fields during the first half. “We’re back deep. You’ve got to encourage your line because it starts up there.”

Mars' Gabe Heins (30) breaks free to score the first touchdown of the game against McKeesport in a WPIAL Class 4A semifinal football game Friday, Nov. 8, 2024, at Gateway High School. McKeesport won 35-7. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle

“Once our guys get into open field, they’re tough to catch,” McKeesport coach Matt Miller said. “We knew if we could spring it, get through that line and, you know, maybe something big could happen.”

After Hein’s score, which came on the second play of the contest, Mars (6-6) punted six times, turned it over on downs three more and had the clock expire on them to end matters. The Planets had just 21 yards from scrimmage in the third quarter, while Spell had a pair of splash runs in that frame.

Spell had 176 rushing yards by halftime. The Tigers (8-4) finished with 410 yards and a 12.4 yards per carry average.

Kasperowicz stressed pride in his crew, which won five of its last seven matchups after a 1-4 start and losing senior signal-caller Luke Goodworth to injury in a September loss to Aliquippa.

McKeesport's Anthony Boyd (5) breaks up a pass to Mars' Brady Jordan (22) in a WPIAL Class 4A football semifinal game Friday, Nov. 8, 2024, at Gateway High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle

“Just a ton of adversity,” Kasperowicz said. “With Luke and being a totally different offense to then losing him and kind of having to (re-identify) ourselves throughout the season. I know as a coach, I got better. The players have just been tremendous.”

McKeesport returns to the WPIAL title game after losing to Aliquippa 35-21 last year. The Tigers will take on Thomas Jefferson, which beat the Quips 38-21 in Friday’s other semifinal, next week.

Mars 7 0 0 0 — 7

McKeesport 14 7 14 0 — 35

First Quarter

MA — Gabe Hein 71 run (Mason Childress kick), 11:02

MC — Kemon Spell 55 run (Ian Shiffler kick), 8:55

MC — Anthony Boyd 95 run (Shiffler kick), :00

Second Quarter

MC — Brady Eastman 2 run (Shiffler kick), 5:25

Third Quarter

MC — Spell 36 run (Shiffler kick), 9:38

MC — Spell 56 run (Shiffler kick), 6:06

Individual Statistics

Rushing: Mars, Eric Kasperowicz 23-99, Gabe Hein 5-77, Ayden Yocum 5-35, Nate Walker 2-(-10). McKeesport, Kemon Spell 16-280, Anthony Boyd 4-103, Brady Eastman 12-25, Anthony Cromerdie 1-4, TEAM 1-(-2).

Passing: Mars, Nate Walker 17-26-86-0. McKeesport, Brady Eastman 0-3-0-0.

Receiving: Mars, Eric Kasperowicz 5-38, Mason Childress 4-26, Gabe Hein 7-10, Jameson Garvin 1-18.