Mars football routs Beaver in Week 1 win behind stingy defense, Gabe Hein’s 4 TD night
BEAVER — When the freezing air is biting and the stakes are higher, Mars football will look back on Friday night’s 42-7 win at Beaver as its defensive outline.
With time winding down in the first half and the Planets (1-0) ahead by 28 points, Eric Kasperowicz’ team stuffed the host Bobcats twice at their own 1-yard line, inducing a turnover on downs and sealing a first-half shutout.
“It’s good just to be able to see that,” Kasperowicz said. “I’m extremely confident — we stopped them (at the goal line) — but it’s good to get on film and understand where we need to be as a defense, where we need to fit, what they can possibly do to us because it’s gonna happen again down the road. We’re gonna need some big stops down there.
“To be able to get that Week 1 was very beneficial. ... We practiced against a couple of those scenarios, and we were able to go out and execute.”
Beaver (0-1) didn’t shed its goose egg until 7:19 remained in the game, and only after struggling during an 11-play, 65-yard drive.
“We definitely track what our defense does with the starters in and when they’re not in,” Kasperowicz said. “But, you know, the expectation is zero. I thought they did a great job there. ... They (Beaver) finally put it in at the end.”
Kasperowicz dubbed senior linebacker Zach Dentel “our quarterback of the defense.” On the Bobcats’ drive that ended in a goal-line stand, Jonah Justice had a clear path to the end zone on a rush before Dentel dove to trip him up for an inconsequential 23-yard gain.
Dentel was also tasked with upending the Bobcats’ center on a tush push play on fourth-and-inches at the Planets’ 41-yard line in the first quarter. Beaver quarterback Travis Clear tried to bounce it, but ran into the waiting arms of junior linebacker Jameson Garvin.
“I was on the line to set the edge there,” Garvin said. “I got off scot-free, so the quarterback pulled the ball. He didn’t see me, so I just (popped) him.”
Junior Smyth Dunaway broke up a Clear pass intended for Micah Pupi on fourth-and-goal from Mars’ 11 on the Bobcats’ second-to-last possession of the first half.
“We’re a team, we play as a team, so I guess no, technically not,” Dentel said of the effort being a shutout in principal. “I mean, the defense did what we had to do when we were out there. ... It was close enough.”
The Planets struck four plays into the contest, with senior receiver Gabe Hein, a Sacred Heart commit, housing a jailbreak screen from midfield. On the ensuing kickoff, Mars junior kicker Dom DeBasi dropped in a perfect backspin boot for Ryan Walker to pounce on.
“That’s just an execution error,” Beaver coach Cort Rowse said. “I mean, you can’t do that against good teams. You’re just giving a score away.”
“You’ve just got to make sure you kick it at the bottom so it can really roll over,” DeBasi said.
First-time varsity starting passer Colin Yurisinec hit Hein for another passing score four plays later.
“Double down,” Kasperowicz said. “It’s like getting a 10 in blackjack. You’re doubling, man.”
Hein finished with four touchdowns and 142 yards on six grabs. Yurisinec went 8 for 11 for 162 yards and all threw all four of Hein’s scores. Sophomore Hunter Schroder rushed for 106 yards and two touchdowns on five totes, while senior Ayden Yocum totaled 101 yards on 18 carries.
Mars 14 14 7 7 — 42
Beaver 0 0 0 7 — 7
First Quarter
M — Gabe Hein 50 pass from Colin Yurisinec (Dom DeBasi kick) 10:19
M — Hein 21 pass from Yurisinec (DeBasi kick) 8:48
Second Quarter
M — Hunter Schroder 42 run (DeBasi kick) 11:08
M — Hein 21 pass from Yurisinec (DeBasi kick) 8:27
Third Quarter
M — Hein 33 pass from Yurisinec (DeBasi kick) 8:30
Fourth Quarter
B — Jonah Justice 5 run (Ty Cosky kick) 7:19
M — Schroder 46 run (DeBasi kick) 2:55
Individual Statistics
Rushing: Mars, Hunter Schroder 5-106, Ayden Yocum 16-101, Joseph Zottola 4-15, Nate Walker 1-(-6). Beaver, Jonah Justice 18-114, Avery Scales 5-44, Isaac Sessie 4-16, Jax Weiss 2-1, Jacob Crossland 1-1, Travis Clear 5-0, Philip Marino 1-(-1).
Passing: Mars, Colin Yurisinec 8-11-162-0. Beaver, Travis Clear 3-12-44-0.
Receiving: Mars, Gabe Hein 6-142, Brady Brennan 2-20. Beaver, Philip Marino 1-39, Alexander Korcinsky 2-5.
