Blocked punt victimizes Rockets
SLIPPERY ROCK — Turning points are not always clear-cut.
This one was.
Leading Grove City 17-14 late in the first half of Friday’s District 10 Class 3A football championship game, Slippery Rock sent out its punt team after being stopped near midfield.
Shawn Young got a hand on Nick Kingerski’s boot, which traveled just a few yards in the air before hitting the turf and bouncing amid a number of players from both teams. No Slippery Rock player downed the ball, but several Eagles were backing away from the action. That is, until Eagles’ junior Gavin Lutz raced in, scooped up the ball and raced 61 yards for a touchdown with just 38 seconds remaining in the half.
Jacob Stuccio added the extra point and the Eagles took a four-point lead they would never surrender in a 42-23 victory at Slippery Rock University’s Mihalik-Thompson Stadium.
“We practice that type of play all the time,” said Slippery Rock coach Larry Wendereusz, “but you never know exactly how it’s going to play out in a game. It was a great heads-up play by their guy.”
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