Doug Popovec’s long touchdown run hands Slippery Rock football thrilling comeback win over Conneaut

October 05, 2024 Last Updated: October 05, 2024 12:42 AM Sports

Slippery Rock tackles Conneaut in a football game at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)

Slippery Rock's Alex Cornelius resists a tackle during a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. Slippery Rock won 16-13. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

Slippery Rock's Logan Schlobohm smiles after a touchdown in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)

Slippery Rock's Caleb Bruner celebrates a touchdown in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)

The Slippery Rock High School marching band performs at half time in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)

Slippery Rock High School marching band performs at half time in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)

Slippery Rock's Cole Pearson, left, Owen Long and Colton Boyer celebrate winning their game in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)

in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)

Slippery Rock's Owen Long gets checked for a concussion after a hard hit in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)

in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)

Slippery Rock tackles Conneaut in a football game at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)
Slippery Rock's Alex Cornelius resists a tackle during a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. Slippery Rock won 16-13. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
Slippery Rock's Logan Schlobohm smiles after a touchdown in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)
Slippery Rock's Caleb Bruner celebrates a touchdown in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)
The Slippery Rock High School marching band performs at half time in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)
Slippery Rock High School marching band performs at half time in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)
Slippery Rock's Cole Pearson, left, Owen Long and Colton Boyer celebrate winning their game in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)
in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)
Slippery Rock's Owen Long gets checked for a concussion after a hard hit in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)
in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)
in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)
in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)
in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)
in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)
in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)
in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)
in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)
in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)
in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)
in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)
in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)
in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)
in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)
in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)
in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)
in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)
in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)
in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)
in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)
in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)
in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)
in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)
in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)
in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)
in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)
in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)
in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)
in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)
in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)
in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)
in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)
in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)
in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)
in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)
in a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle (10/4/2024)

SLIPPERY ROCK — Doug Popovec made the right read. Owen Long gained the right yards.

And Slippery Rock righted its ship with a 16-13 homecoming football victory over Conneaut Area on Friday night at Troy-Alan Stadium. The win snapped a four-game losing streak for the Rockets (2-5), who were outscored 152-24 during that skid.

“It’s great to win anytime with a young football team,” Slippery Rock coach Larry Wendereusz said. “Especially when you have a bunch of kids who have been working their butts off all year.”

The lead changed hands three times in the fourth quarter after a two-play turnaround gave Conneaut (3-4) a 7-6 lead in the third period. Leading 6-0, the Rockets took the second-half kickoff and used their running game to attain a first down at the Eagles’ 16-yard line. The ball was knocked out of running back Long’s hands at that point, Conneaut’s Devin Miller recovering the fumble.

On the next play, Joseph Furgiuele got loose around left end and scampered 81 yards for an Eagles touchdown. Wyatt Luke’s PAT gave the visitors a 7-6 lead.

“Our philosophy here is, ‘Don’t count the plays, make the plays count.’ Our kids did a good job of flipping the page after that exchange,” Wendereusz said.

Zach Lasko booted a 31-yard field goal to give the Rockets the lead back with 9:32 to play, only to see Conneaut answer with Ben Easler’s screen pass to Furgiuele that went for a 23-yard score and a 13-9 Eagles lead just more than a minute later.

“It looked like we had this game, that’s why this loss is so disappointing,” Conneaut coach Josh Blood said. “But Slippery Rock played with a lot of intensity on homecoming. This was a good football game.”

The Rockets were apparently stopped on their next possession, but punter Lasko raced up the middle on fourth-and-4, barely reaching the sticks. Slippery Rock soon faced another fourth-and-4 from its own 49.

Quarterback Popovec kept the ball, broke free up the middle and raced 51 yards for the eventual game-winning score with 3:25 remaining.

“I was supposed to give the ball to Owen on that play,” Popovec said. “I saw their defensive end was crashing down, so I pulled the ball back and kept it.

“There was a seam up the middle. Once I was in the clear, I just ran as fast as I could.”

Conneaut turned the ball over on downs at midfield with 56 seconds left, but still holding all of its timeouts.

Long, who had 28 carries for 104 yards on the night, made his last carry count. He burrowed up the middle for 4 yards on second-and-4 to ice the victory.

Slippery Rock's Logan Schlobohm smiles after a touchdown during a football game against Conneaut at Slippery Rock High School on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. Slippery Rock won 16-13. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle

“Yeah, I was pretty tired,” Long said. “But in that situation, just run to contact, take the hit and get what you need.

“This win feels really, really good.”

Furgiuele had 17 carries for 159 yards for Conneaut, his sixth 100-yard rushing game in seven games this season.

“That kid is a very good running back,” Wendereusz said. “They put the ball in his hands a lot for a reason.”

Jacob Reich and Talon Hoover recovered fumbles for the Rockets, Reich’s recovery snuffing out a Conneaut threat at the Slippery Rock 10 in the first half.

The Rockets host Titusville next Friday.

Conneaut Area 0 0 7 6 - 13

Slippery Rock 0 6 0 10 - 16

Second Quarter

SR - Doug Popovec 2 run (kick blocked), 7:55

Third Quarter

C - Joseph Furgiuele 81 run (Wyatt Luke kick), 8:22

Fourth Quarter

SR - Zach Lasko 31 field goal, 9:32

C - Furgiuele 23 pass from Ben Easler (pass failed), 8:11

SR - Popovec 51 run (Lasko kick), 3:25

Individual Statistics

Passing: Conneaut, Ben Easler 8-15-46-0. Slippery Rock, Doug Popovec 6-11-80-0, Fred Campagna 1-2-2-0.

Rushing: Conneaut, Ben Easler 3-14, Joseph Furgiuele 17-159, TEAM 2-(-7), Wyatt Luke 2-6, Brayden Feeney 1-5. Slippery Rock, Doug Popovec 13-73, Alex Cornelius 5-19, Fred Campagna 1-7, Owen Long 28-104, TEAM 1-(-1), Kaine Humphrey 1-1, Zach Lasko 1-4.

Receiving: Conneaut, Joseph Furgiuele 4-48, Brayden Feeney 1-(-1), Alex Paskorz 1-1, Wyatt Luke 2-(-2). Slippery Rock, Doug Popovec 1-2, Cooper Glass 3-58, Logan Schlobohm 1-0, Cole Schwartz 1-7, Alex Cornelius 1-15,