Rockets soar to WPIAL playoffs
MAPLETOWN – All that Jefferson-Morgan had to do was win by three points at Mapletown Friday night in order to capture the Tri-County South Conference title, but the Rockets were not settling for just 3-point victory as they trounced the Maples, 35-0. Prior to Friday night’s action, the Rockets were in a three-way first-place tie with California and Monessen, all at 4-1 in the conference.
The WPIAL tie-break situation was complicated, but basically if Jefferson-Morgan won by just three points, it would have enough tie-break points that neither California nor Monessen could tie or pass the Rockets, no matter the outcomes of their games.
“Well hopefully we’ll get a decent seed and play at home,” said Jefferson-Morgan coach Jan Haiden. “That will be a big plus. That was our concern. We wanted to play at home.”
Junior running back Justin Falcon secured the conference title for the Rockets as he punched in the Rockets first score early in the second quarter.
Falcon, who rushed for 89 yards and two scores on 13 carries, plunged over the pile cap a 6-play, 25-yard drive that was set up by a failed fake punt attempt by the Maples.
Early in the contest, with rain falling consistently throughout the night, it looked as if the game was going to turn into a defensive struggle as neither team scored in the first quarter. But with the proper adjustments and a jumpstart by Falcon, the Rockets never looked back.
“The weather played a big factor for both teams. It’s slippery. It’s muddy,” said Haiden. “You don’t play the same game as you do on solid ground.”
The Rockets quickly adapted to the conditions as they put up four additional rushing scores.
Just before halftime, quarterback Mike Mox found the end zone from one yard out, and the Rockets took a 14-0 lead into halftime.
The second half much resembled the first, as the Rocket offense continued to punish Mapletown on the ground, while the defense shut down the Maples, only allowing two first downs all game while also forcing two fumbles, recording two sacks, intercepting a pass, and blocking a punt.
Following senior Bill Sweeney’s punt block, Falcon added his second score of the game on a 4-yard plunge, but with the failed extra point attempt, the Rockets led by 20.
In the fourth quarter, senior Jarrod Moskola added a pair of touchdown runs for the Rockets, including a 36-yard scamper just one play after the Maples turned the ball over on downs making the score 35-0.
Moskola, who was silent in the first half, would finish with 93 yards on 18 carries.
In recording their second straight shutout, the Rocket defense yielded only 55 yards of offense to the Maples.
“Our defense has been good all year,” said Haiden.
“We haven’t given up many points to anybody. They play really well as a unit and we’re proud of them.
“I give Jefferson (-Morgan) a lot of credit,” said Mapletown coach George Messich. “I really expect Jefferson to do well in the playoffs.”
With the win, the Rockets improve to 6-3 (5-1) and capture the no. 1 seed in the Tri-County South Conference, while the Maples fall to 4-5 (2-4).
“We’ll be back to work Monday,” said Haiden. “I told them to have fun this weekend, and Monday we’ll be back. We practice three days in pads. We do that every week.”
Jefferson-Morgan must now wait until Monday night to find out who its first-round opponent in the WPIAL playoffs will be in a game to be played next week, while the Maples will take on Bentworth.