By Phil Keren

Correspondent

Streetsboro rolled through its regular-season schedule undefeated and was rarely tested.

The Rockets played well enough to trigger a running clock in nine of its 10 games.

While it was gratifying to record an undefeated season, Streetsboro head coach Pete Thompson and his staff wondered how the team would respond to adversity.

They got their answer on Friday, when the Rockets defeated Cardinal Mooney 42-21 in its opening round playoff game in Division IV, Region 13.

At two points in the second half, Cardinal Mooney pulled to within seven, but the Rockets responded with run-heavy scoring drives to earn the win in a hard-hitting contest.

Thompson was pleased to see his squad face a challenging game and earn the victory.

“They put the work in during the week and certainly it showed,” Thompson said.

He added that Cardinal Mooney had a two-platoon system, with 11 players on offense and 11 different ones on defense, while the Rockets have six or seven players that play on both sides of the ball.

“I thought we wore them down in the second half and the fourth quarter,” Thompson said. “It’s not easy playing here sometimes. We practice hard and it’s not always easy for the kids, but as I just told them, nights like this are when (the hard work) pays off.”

In the first half, Streetsboro’s touchdowns came on a 50-yard run from junior running back Manny Gibson, and runs of 2 and 6 yards from senior quarterback Cohen Klimak. The first of Klimak’s touchdowns came at the end of a 12-play, 50-yard drive that started after the Rockets’ defense recovered a Cardinal Mooney fumble.

That drive included Klimak scrambling for 11 yards on fourth-and-8. The other touchdown march was an 11-play, 64-yard drive which included a screen pass from Klimak to Gibson that picked up 26 yards on third-and-19. With 4 minutes left in the first half, Streetsboro was cruising along with a 21-0 lead.

Cardinal Mooney then countered with 14 unanswered points: A 10-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Vince Gentile to senior Carlos Gomez shortly before halftime and then a 3-yard touchdown run from senior running back Adyn Paige at 8:23 of the third quarter.

As it clung to a 21-14 lead, Streetsboro utilized all three phases of the game to increase its advantage to 14 again.

After picking up one first down on its next drive, the Rockets were forced to put from their own 41-yard line. Klimak booted a 49-yard punt that was downed by the coverage team at the Cardinal Mooney 11-yard line. The defense then forced a three-and-out, triggering a 36-yard punt from Mooney to give the Rockets the ball at their 49-yard line.

On second-and-7, Klimak dropped back and tossed the ball down the middle of the field to senior tight end Jackson Gula for a 27-yard gain to the Mooney 21. Klimak then ran the ball on five consecutive plays, the final being a 4-yard cutback run into the end zone.

Streetsboro had a 28-14 advantage with eight seconds to go in the third quarter.

The Rockets didn’t have time to savor the touchdown, though. On the first play of the ensuing possession, Gentile took the snap, backpedaled and threw a pass to junior wide receiver Dennis Clark, who caught the ball near midfield and sped away from the Streetsboro secondary for a 78-yard touchdown.

For the second straight time, the Rockets answered a Cardinal Mooney touchdown with a scoring drive of its own.

Streetsboro put together a 10-play, 71-yard march that chewed up 5 minutes and culminated with Klimak scoring on a draw play from 4 yards out. The score gave Streetsboro a 35-21 advantage. Every play of the drive was a run, with Klimak carrying the ball on the final five plays, including a 22-yard run.

“That’s what we pride ourselves on, being able to run the ball, and we challenge our offensive line all the time,” Thompson said. “I think we’ve got one of the best offensive lines in Northeast Ohio.”

On Cardinal Mooney’s next possession, the Cardinals moved from their own 20-yard line to the Streetsboro 38-yard line, with Gentile completing 4-of-6 passes for 36 yards. Gentile completed a pass to Clark, but he was stopped for a 2-yard loss. Facing fourth-and-12, Gentile threw a long pass down the sideline to junior receiver Tyon Flowers, but the pass was broken up by Klimak.

Though he was probably still catching his breath from the defensive play he just made, Klimak broke away for a 44-yard run on the Rockets’ first play of scrimmage after the fourth-down stop.

On fourth-and-11 from the Cardinals’ 19-yard line, Klimak connected on a sideline throw to senior running back Trace Herman for a 13-yard gain. Two plays later, junior running back Janiere Cook scored on a 6-yard run with 1:07 left.

Thompson praised the gritty play of Klimak, who was the difference-maker for the Rockets.

“What Cohen Klimak was able to do in this fourth quarter, just refusing to go down, running through tackles, putting his team on his back, I love that kid,” Thompson said.

Thompson noted Cardinal Mooney played a very tough regular-season schedule and observed, “Their losses are to teams that are going to play a lot more football here in the playoffs.”

The Cardinals’ defense “hadn’t given up over 30 points all year,” said Thompson, who added he was pleased with the way his team was able to move the ball effectively.

In addition to Klimak, Gibson also made a strong contribution, recording 85 yards rushing on seven carries, and catching 3 passes for 48 yards.

“He brings a different element to us on the offense,” Thompson said. “He’s good with the ball in his hands. He gave us a great start to the game (with) that burst that he had on the jet sweep.”

For the second straight week, Streetsboro played without sophomore running back Marcus Council, who has rushed for 763 yards on 62 carries this year. Thompson said Council sustained an ankle injury in Week 7, then played sparingly in Week 8 and injured the ankle again in Week 9. He sat out the regular-season finale, as well as Friday’s playoff opener.

Thompson said he hopes to have Council back next week.