ADAMS TWP — Use any cliché you wish: The Wright Stuff, All the Wright Moves, Everything’s All-Wright.

But one thing is certain: It was the Wright night for a certain Mars High football player in the Planets’ 51-7 stomping of visiting New Castle Friday night at the Mars Athletic Complex.

Junior running back Evan Wright, showing his form from a year ago before being derailed by an injury, ran for 207 yards and three touchdowns as the Planets raised their early-season record to 2-0. He had 150 yards and two touchdowns in Mars’ opening 34-26 victory over Montour.

“He’s a stud, we knew that coming in,” said Mars first-year coach Eric Kasperowicz. “He’s going to be our workhorse. Tremendous kid, top strong, wrestler, low center of gravity. And he runs hard.”

Wright compiled 178 of his yards on 19 carries in the first half. Only a minute into the game, he ran through the right side of the line virtually untouched on the way to a 49-yard touchdown.

With the Planets leading 15-7, Wright scored from two yards out early in the second quarter and only minutes later took a pitch from QB Eric Kasperowicz and raced 45 yards down the right sideline to give Mars a commanding 28-7 lead.

The Planets also had a fine running performance by senior Garrett Heatherington, who turned in 64 yards on nine carries, including touchdowns from 16 and four yards out.

In the first half especially, the offensive line – staffed by Augustus Aubrech, Isaak Winters, Adam Budzilla, Xander Parnley, Alex Jablunovsky and Leo Saver – opened big holes for Mars runners. Often the ball carriers went untouched for yards.

“We were able to get rolling,” Coach Kasperowicz said of the Planets’ no-huddle offense. “Our tempo was key. They couldn’t get lined up at times and we were able to gash them.”

The Mars defense shut down the New Castle attack when it mattered. The Red Hurricanes managed an 80-yard run very late in the game by Braylen Sibley against Planet non-starters, but only 31 yards on the ground otherwise.

New Castle scored its lone touchdown on an 88-yard kickoff return by Kaevon Gardner only seconds after Wright’s opening 49-yard touchdown run.

“New Castle is a good team,” Coach Kasperowicz said. “They have a lot of good athletes. They’re going to win a lot of football games.”

In a game that necessitated imposition of the mercy rule in the fourth quarter, Mars also got touchdowns from Adam Rohrbaugh, a 16-yard pass from QB Kasperowicz to make it 35-7, and a four-yard TD run by Joseph Zottola in the closing minutes.

Mars defenders Luke Goodworth and Zach Dentel intercepted passes to further stifle the New Castle offense.

The Planets were awarded a rare safety to make their lead 37-7 when New Castle punter Malik Jefferson shanked a kick from his own end zone and the ball bounced around until an NC player swatted the ball out of the end zone.

Mars will line up again Friday at Blackhawk.

New Castle 7 0 0 0 -- 7

Mars 15 13 9 14 -- 51

First Quarter

M – Evan Wright 49 run. (Mason Childress kick.) 11:06

NC – Kaevon Gardner 88 kickoff return. (Angel Porras kick.) 10:50

M – Garrett Heatherington 16 run. (Wright 2-point conversion.) 2:29

Second Quarter

M – Wright 2 run. (Childress kick.) 9:40

M – Wright 45 run. (Kick failed) 6:42

Third Quarter

M – Adam Rohrbaugh 16 pass from Eric Kasperowicz. (Childress kick.) 3:52

M – Safety (New Castle batted ball out of end zone). 1:12

Fourth Quarter

M – Heatherington 4 run. (Childress kick.) 10:15

M – Joseph Zottola 4 run. (Childress kick.) 3:05

Individual Statistics

Rushing: New Castle, Kaevon Gardner 3-18, Lochlaen Murphy 3-83. Mars, Evan Wright 23-207, Garrett Heatherington 9-73.

Passing: New Castle, Kyrell Harris, 4-7-19-2. Mars, Eric Kasperowicz 9-16-68-0.

Receiving: New Castle Tyler Laekins 3-16. Mars, Noah Nesselroad 3-52, Adam Rohrbaugh 3-29.