HAMPTON TWP — With his defense stifling the Mars attack, Hampton running back Andrew Bly knew one touchdown could break the game open.

As Bly slipped a tackle at the line of scrimmage, he saw his opportunity 73 yards ahead of him.

Bly's touchdown run early in the fourth quarter gave the Talbots enough points to hold on for a 10-7 victory over the Planets Friday night.

In a contest dominated by defense, the Talbots (4-3, 2-1) found themselves clinging to a 3-0 lead when they regained possession with 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

But it took only one play to turn its advantage into a two possession lead.

"I just ran it, broke a few tackles and got down the field," Bly said as his teammates celebrated with the homecoming crowd. "My fullback drew them outside and it opened up in the middle and I just ran it. This is the best our team's played yet, but the best is yet to come."

Despite the big touchdown run, it was the Hampton defense that stymied the Planets (4-3, 2-1) and fueled the victory.

Mars running back Austin Miele managed just 33 yards on 18 carries He did surpass 1,000 yards rushing this season, needing only 11 yards to do it, but he didn't earn the milestone until the third quarter.

The Planets recorded only 58 rushing yards on 35 attempts, an average of 1.6 yards per carry. Overall, the Planets had 113 total yards.

This was the kind of game Hampton expected and knew it could win.

"This week, we had to line up and play smashmouth," Talbots head coach Jacque DeMatteo said. "We were running to the ball, getting off blocks. We're just a little bit tougher right now, and I like that about our kids.

"We're not flashy. I told the kids we were going win the game 10-0, and it turned out to be 10-7."

The toughness and discipline has been on display in Hampton's last two outings, as the Talbots have only six penalties for 40 yards and have allowed only 17 points.

After trailing 10-0 early in the fourth, Mars did fight back with its own score on the following possession. Miele was let loose receiving the ball and caught four passes, three for first downs. He finished the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run, pulling the Planets to within three points.

But Hampton held onto the ball until punting in the last minute and Mars couldn't score on a last-gasp attempt.

"I mean, I just think we came in here thinking they were just going to roll over, and that's not the case," Mars coach Scott Heinauer said. "I told them all week, you try to guard against that, but kids look at a record and think they're going to roll over and fall over.

"I thought that's exactly what happened. We didn't get moving until the second half and you've got to play two halves of football," he added

The Planets had minus-3 yards of offense in that first half and didn't record a first down. Quarterback Eric Guzak was sacked three times, Miele rushed for 1 yard on 9 carries and the team had five penalties.

With the win, Hampton moves into a tie with Mars, Knoch and Franklin Regional for first place in the Greater Allegheny Conference.