Marian Catholic held off a late surge from Tri-Valley to earn a 17-14 victory on Friday night.
The Colts struck early when Damian Rodino scooped up a fumble and raced 55 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter, giving Marian instant momentum. Kicker Jah Bushati tacked on the extra point for a 7-0 lead.
In the second quarter, Bushati extended the advantage with a 31-yard field goal before quarterback Gregory Tirpak connected with Jordan Price on a 85-yard touchdown strike. With Bushati’s extra point, Marian built a commanding 17-0 cushion.
Tri-Valley refused to fold. Before halftime, Parker Hatter capped a drive with a 7-yard touchdown run, and kicker Nathan Hillard’s PAT cut the deficit to 17-7.
Both defenses controlled the tempo in the second half, with neither offense able to generate sustained scoring drives. The Bulldogs made things tense in the fourth quarter when Lucas Schwartz returned an interception for a touchdown, pulling Tri-Valley within three points at 17-14. But Marian’s defense closed the door, protecting their lead in the final minutes to secure the win.
With the victory, Marian Catholic improves to 2-0 on the season and 1-0 in Schuylkill League play. The Colts will look to keep their perfect record alive next week when they travel to face Panther Valley. Tri-Valley, meanwhile, falls to 1-1 overall and will aim to bounce back and prepare to host Pine grove next week.
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