ADAMS TWP — Opening-drive touchdown? Check.

Defensive goal-line stand on the drive to follow? Yep.

Third-down stop on the opponent’s next series after that? That, too.

Chartiers Valley, the 13th seed in the WPIAL Class 4A playoffs, had the start it needed as an underdog in Friday night’s first-round visit to Mars. A personal foul penalty — the Colts’ first of seven on the night — wiped it all away.

The infraction that came after a momentum-providing stop of Planets tailback Evan Wright on a second-quarter 3rd-and-5 allowed fourth-seeded Mars to continue its first scoring drive. The tide turned completely in what wound up a 44-19 Planets gridiron victory.

“It’s obviously disappointing when you have them dead to rights and we can’t capitalize,” Chartiers Valley coach Aaron Fitzpatrick said. “The other team is well-composed. It’s something that we’ve got to work on. ... My players are emotional, and they will continue to play with emotion. I teach them and I tell them to do so, because that gets the most out of them.”

That intensity caught up with the Colts (3-8), though. Wright punched it in from 10 yards out four plays after the aforementioned penalty. Another personal foul on Mason Childress’ point after set Mars (9-2) up to kick off from the Chartiers Valley 45-yard line.

Planets coach Eric Kasperowicz saw an advantage.

“It’s always in the game plan,” he said of the well-executed onside kick that ensued. “We had the penalty and it was just kind of like, ‘Well, if we don’t get it, the ball is at the 35 anyway.’ So, we might as well give it a shot instead of booming it to the end zone.”

Childress tapped the ball with his right foot, ran by, and waited for it 10 yards downfield. He boxed out an up-man before scooping it up.

“Find a flaw in the receiving team, just kick it there, and hope for the best,” Childress said. “We execute it very well.”

A little over two minutes later, he’d boot a 26-yard field goal to cash in on the extra possession. A three-and-out and two-yard Colts punt set the stage for Wright to hit pay dirt on a seven-play, 52-yard march, giving Mars a 17-6 lead at the midway point.

Wright bolted for a 61-yard score two plays into the third frame and once more eight minutes later. Cole Yoshioka had a 64-yard pick-six, and Luke Goodworth found Ethan Kresinki for a 25-yard air strike before the final quarter began.

That marked 44 unanswered points for the Planets, who watched Chartiers Valley go 76 yards in 11 plays to start the contest. Colts quarterback Chase Schofield plunged in from short yardage before the team doinked the extra point attempt.

“Anything is possible,” Fitzpatrick said. “Just with that start, we’ve done it before. We had the same start against West Allegheny, same start against Central Valley. It’s a confidence booster. It’s just, at that point on, we’ve just got to learn how to finish a game with a young team.”

The defense shrugged it off, not allowing another score until the outcome was clear.

“That touchdown was nothing,” Childress said. “It doesn’t mean anything. It happens every game. ... Start off slow, pick it up.”

Mars hurried down the field on its first series, but Wright was stuffed on four straight plays on the goal-line.

“It’s frustrating,” Kasperowicz said. “We’re trying to figure out that formula to start fast. When we start fast, I think we’re pretty dangerous. But, again, showing some resiliency. ... We made some adjustments — especially defensively — and it was just a matter of time before we got Evan going.”

The Planets will square off with Central Valley at a neutral site in next week’s quarterfinals. The Warriors downed Highlands, 28-7, Friday night.

“I hope it kind of alerted the kids,” Kasperowicz said. “This is playoff football in Western Pennsylvania. We’ve got a tough Central Valley team next week who’s going to come in ready to go. We can’t start slow. We don’t want to go get behind on those guys.”

Chartiers Valley 6 0 0 13 — 19

Mars 0 17 27 0 — 44

First Quarter

CV — Chase Schofield 1 run (Chad Wright kick missed), 5:35

Second Quarter

M — Evan Wright 10 run (Mason Childress kick), 6:41

M — Childress 26 field goal, 4:29

M — Wright 5 run (Childress kick), 1:06

Third Quarter

M — Wright 61 run (Childress kick), 11:42

M — Cole Yoshioka 64 interception (Childress kick), 9:06

M — Wright 12 run (Childress kick), 3:21

M — Ethan Kresinski 25 pass from Luke Goodworth (Childress kick missed), :05

Fourth Quarter

CV — Rudy Morris 31 pass from Michael Lawrence (Wright kick), 7:41

CV — Austin Efthimiades 8 run (Wright kick missed), 6:24

Individual Statistics

Rushing: Chartiers Valley, Austin Efthimiades 8-88, Michael Lawrence 5-20, Justin Terhune 1-2, Chase Schofield 6-(-1), Tayshaun Lewis 3-(-2). Mars, Evan Wright 22-118, Ayden Yocum 2-14, Luke Goodworth 1-3, Nathan Tak 9-(-8).

Passing: Chartiers Valley, Chase Schofield 3-4-64-0, Michael Lawrence 2-7-32-1. Mars, Luke Goodworth 12-20-133-0.

Receiving: Chartiers Valley, Justin Terhune 3-64, Rudy Morris 1-31, Julius Best 1-1. Mars, Liam Hein 6-40, Evan Wright 1-30, Ethan Kresinski 1-25, Cole Yoshioka 1-24, Blake Yates 2-15, Ayden Yocum 1-(-1).