ADAMS TWP - With 11:51 remaining in the game and Mars trailing 7-6, head football coach Scott Heinauer decided to go for it on fourth-and-18 from the Shenango 27-yard line.

His gamble paid off.

Planets quarterback D.J. Cannon's 27-yard touchdown pass to Josh Kiel was the game-winning score in an 18-7 Mars victory over visiting Shenango Friday.

Paul Ferrese led the Mars ground game, rushing 22 times for 135 yards and a touchdown.

But those yards didn't come easily.

For the most part, the Shenango defensive line held Ferrese in check. But the Wildcats broke as Ferrese ran for 78 of his 135 yards on his 18th and 19th carries. His 54-yard dash for Mars' third and final touchdown with 5:30 remaining in the game sealed the Planet win.

Much of the first half was dominated by solid defensive play. Cannon intercepted two Rocco Colavecchia passes to help prevent Shenango from reaching the end zone. Meanwhile, the Shenango defense held Mars to just 83 yards of offense in the first half.

The scoring didn't begin until the 4:02 mark in the second quarter, when Colavecchia scored Shenango's only touchdown on a 4-yard quarterback sneak.

The second half was a different story.

Cannon ignited the Mars offense on the team's first possession of the third quarter. His 43-yard touchdown pass to Matt Whittington put Mars within one point of tying the game, but the Planets failed on their two-point conversion attempt.

The failed conversion was inconsequential after Cannon completed his 27-yard strike to Kiel at the start of the fourth quarter. Cannon finished the game with eight completions for 122 yards and no interceptions.