By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

For the second straight week, Rootstown’s punishing ground game led the Rovers to victory.

One week after senior Dawson Morgan followed the healthy blocking of his offensive line for 300-plus yards, he delivered once again.

On Saturday, Morgan ran the ball 25 times to gain 220 yards and scored a pair of touchdowns.

The effort, amongst others, highlighted Rootstown’s commanding 41-0 victory at Robert C. Dunn Field on Saturday over Champion.

The game had been moved to Saturday after the Rovers’ home field was deemed unsafe for play on Friday night because of wet field conditions.

Rootstown (2-0) jumped out to a 7-0 lead on a 9-yard run with 2:22 left in the first quarter, then ballooned its lead in the second quarter with three more scores.

Morgan had the first, again finding the endzone, with this one coming from 7 yards out.

Nick Malek scored the next two.

One on offense and one on defense.

Malek pulled in a 22-yard pass from quarterback Ryan Piscitani to give the Rovers a 20-0 lead with 3:40 before halftime.

Thirteen seconds later, Malek pulled another pass out of the air. This one an interception that he raced 40 yards for the pick-six.

Conversion runs on both of Malek’s touchdowns were stuffed, giving the Rovers a 26-0 lead at halftime.

After a scoreless third quarter, the Rovers opened a 15-point fourth quarter on a 1-yard run by Tristen McKibben. The Rovers then notched a safety when a botched snap by the Flashes was recovered by one of their own players.

Kiel Reuting scored the Rovers’ final touchdown, pushing across the goal line on a 1-yard run with 1:00 to play.

The Rovers will travel to Field to take on the Falcons next Friday for Week 3.