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D is for Dominant – Mars Whips Armstrong 38-0

Tagged under: District 7, Gameday Hub, News, pfn

| October 13, 2023

Mars – Mars improved to 4-0 in Section 2 play with a 38-0 thumping of Armstrong Friday night at the Mars Sports Complex. 

They say “D” is for dominance- precisely what the Fightin’ Planets used to cruise to their third straight victory. 

“That’s a good football team with a great offense,” said Mars head coach Eric Kasperowicz. “They embarrassed last year up at their place. That stung, and our guys remembered that. We put together a total team effort on offense, defense, and special teams. I’m proud of the guys, especially the seniors, with it being senior night tonight.” 

Mars limited Armstrong to 164 yards of offense while gaining 376 yards – being about as balanced as you get, rushing for 189 yards and passing for 187. 

The game was far from last season when the Riverhawks beat up the Planets 55-31.

Following a slow start from both teams, Mars broke the stalemate last in the first quarter when Evan Wright scored on a 48-yard touchdown pass from Luke Goodworth.

Evan Wright went on to have another big game for Fightin’ Planets as he rushed for a game-high 142 yards on 26 carries while adding the touchdown reception. 

Mars would add to their lead late in the first half when Jacob Maple caught a 35-yard touchdown from Goodworth with 84 seconds to play in the half. 

Luke Goodworth completed 9-of-18 passes for 187 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. 

The score was set up by Aidan Alessio’s interception at the Riverhawks 38-yard line. 

The Fightin’ Planets would grab two first-half interceptions, both of significant value – the first came by Jacob Maple in the red zone with the game scoreless, two plays after Chase Jablonski intercepted a Goodworth pass at the Mars 22-yard line. 

“We couldn’t get into any rhythm; they kept us from getting first downs,” said Armstrong head coach Frank Fabian. “We’re a tempo offense; one first down can turn into a bunch. But we couldn’t get that initial first down. It’s a credit to them; they had us off balance all night.”

The defense wasn’t the only thing clicking for the Planets as they blocked a punt to begin the second half, leading to Wright’s 13-yard touchdown run a play later.

“We saw something in their punt team that we could take advantage of,” Kasperowicz said. “We got close early, then we made a little adjustment. Our kids got the block point, and it was almost a scoop and score.” 

Mars then drove 44 yards in 12 plays, capping off the drive with Mason Childress’s 23-yard field with 1:39 remaining in the third stanza, pushing the lead to 24-0. 

Evan Wright scored his third touchdown of the night on a 44-yard run, 1:29 into the final quarter, following a 4-play 80-yard drive. 

Subsequently, Mars invoked the mercy clock with 2:55 to play in the contest. Ayden Yocum scored on a 20-yard run. Yocum rushed for 54 yards on seven carries.

“That’s a good football team,” said Kasperowicz. “They were a semifinalist last season and the number one team out of our conference. To come out and play like this, I’m incredibly proud of the guys. We started a little slow, but our guys kept battling, and eventually, things started to pop.” 

Jaydon Oliver completed 10-of-23 passes for 103 yards with two interceptions. Alex Patton rushed for 35 yards, while Ian Olsen caught five passes for 60 yards to lead the Riverhawks.

Armstrong will look to bounce back next Friday night when they host Highlands. 

“Our kids are still battling despite the injuries we have,” concluded Fabian. “We still have a chance to go 7-3 possibly; now that we’re facing adversity, we’ll find out what kind of team we have.”

Mars will look to remain unbeaten in the section when they travel to Hampton. 

Game Highlights:

Mars 38 Armstrong 0

Score by Quarters

Armstrong – 0 0 0 0 – 0
Mars – 7 7 10 14 – 38

Scoring Summary

First Quarter

M – Evan Wright 48 yd pass from Luke Goodworth, (Mason Childress pat), 1:35 – 1-48

Second Quarter

M – Jacob Maple 35 yd pass from Goodworth, (Childress pat), 1:24 – 3-38

Third Quarter

M – Wright 13 yd run, (Childress pat), 9:39 – 1-13

M – Childress 23 yd field goal, 1:39, 12-44

Fourth Quarter

M – Wright 44 yd run, (Childress pat), 10:31 – 4-80

M – Ayden Yocum 20 yd run, (Childress pat), 2:55 – 3-40

Individual Stats

Rushing: A – Jaydon Oliver 12-4, Kyan Kline 4-16, Alex Patton 7-35, Rex Harmon 1-(-1), Joe Bartolowits 1-7. Totals: 25-61. M – Wright 26-142, Ayden Yocum 7-54, Goodworth 1-(-7). Totals: 34-189.

Receiving: A – Ian Olsen 5-60, Chase Jablonski 2-18, Patton 1-5, Bartolowits 1-(-3), Kline 1-23. M – Liam Hein 2-8, Maple 1-35, Wright 1-48, Aidan Alessio 2-47, Cole Yoshioka 2-28, Ethan Kresinski 1-21.

Passing: A – Oliver 10-for-23, 103 yards, 2 INT. M – Goodworth 9-for-18, 187 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT.

Interceptions: A – Jablonski. M – Maple, Aidan Alessio.

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