Good starts.

Not-so-good finishes.

The Slippery Rock High football team opened the game with a blocked punt that Shane Thompson returned 36 yards for a touchdown and opened the second half with two quick scores to take a three-point lead.

The rest of the game, however, at Sharon didn't go to plan for the Rockets in a 31-20 setback.

Ryan Montgomery swooped in to block a Sharon punt at the end of the Tigers' first possession, making an easy scoop-and-score for Thompson for a 7-0 lead.

But the Tigers responded on a quick four-play, 63-yard drive culminating with an 11-yard TD run by Labrae Norris.

Sharon (1-3) went on a 14-play, 66-yard drive on its next possession and got a 27-yard field goal out of it from Jake Auchter for a 10-7 lead.

The real back-breaker for Slippery Rock came at the end of the half when a 40-yard pitch and catch from Brett Salsgiver to Tyvell Richardson set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Salsgiver with five seconds left in the half for a 17-7 lead.

“We've had that problem this year,” said Slippery Rock coach Larry Wendereusz. “We call them money plays and we haven't been able to cash them in and get teams off the field.”

Slippery Rock (1-3) had just 57 yards in the first half — 31 coming on a hook-and-lateral on the last play of the second quarter.

Things were much better for the Rockets to start the third quarter.

Montgomery caught a swing pass from William Mokel and weaved his way 54 yards for a touchdown.

Following a fumble on Sharon's first offensive play of the ensuing drive, Thompson plowed into the end zone from the 1 and the Rockets led 20-17.

“We came out in the second half and played Slippery Rock football,” Wendereusz said.

“For awhile,” the coach added.

Sharon took the lead for good with 38 second remaining in the third quarter on a 5-yard TD pass from Salsgiver to Jaon Phillips.

The Tigers put the nail in the coffin late in the fourth quarter on a 15-yard TD run by Richardson after the Rockets failed on a fourth-and-short.

Mokel had his moments, throwing for 169 yards, but was also intercepted three times.

Slippery Rock managed just 24 yards rushing after gaining 144 yards on the ground in the first meeting in Week 1, a 27-7 Rockets win.

“You can't come out and not be ready to play,” Wendereusz said. “I don't think we matched their intensity or their sense of urgency.”

Slippery Rock 7 0 13 0 — 20

Sharon 7 10 7 7 — 31

First Quarter

SR — Shane Thompson 36 blocked punt return (Alex Duffalo kick), 9:33

Sh — Labrae Norris 11 run (Jake Auchter kick), 7:02

Second Quarter

Sh — Auchter 27 field goal, 8:26

Sh — Brett Salsgiver 1 run (Auchter kick), :05

Third Quarter

SR — Ryan Montgomery 54 pass from William Mokel (Duffalo kick), 10:32

SR — Thompson 1 run (kick blocked), 6:27

Sh — Jaon Phillips 5 pass from Salsgiver (Auchter kick), :38

Fourth Quarter

Sh — Tyvell Richardson 15 run (Auchter kick), 2:28

Individual Statistics

Rushing: Slippery Rock, Shane Thompson 5-12, William Mokel 4-7, Ryan Montgomery 3-3, Brett Galcik 3-2. Sharon, Nigel Dignall 22-107, Labrae Norris 6-26, Brett Salsgiver 7-23, Jayden Robinson 8-22, TEAM 1-(-3)

Passing: Slippery Rock, William Mokel 13-26-169-3. Sharon, Brett Salsgiver 11-17-136-0

Receiving: Slippery Rock, Ryan Montgomery 5-82, John Sabo 3-31, Ryan Galcik 2-44, Shane Thompson 2-9, Ethan Plesakov 1-3. Sharon, Jaon Phillips 7-51, Tyvell Richardson 3-59, Labrae Norris 1-24