By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

Considering the circumstances, Pete Thompson described Friday’s halftime locker room as uncharacteristically calm.

The Rockets’ Ayden Knuebel embraces contact on a run that turned into a 15-yard score to end the third quarter.
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He had just watched his team be outplayed for 24 minutes by the visiting Field Falcons, who competed with a hungry fire and well-executed games,an, despite entering as the underdog.

Thompson conceded that the Falcons won the first half, even though his Rockets held a narrow 10-6 lead at the break.

“Field simply outplayed in that first half half,” said Thompson, who became the Rockets’ winningest football coach last week in a victory over Ravenna. He now has 79 wins (of his 114 career wins) with the Rockets after being hired in 2017. “All of the credit has to go to Field for that. Coach Dutch, his staff, his kids, they outworked us. They came in with a great gameplan, and to be honest, we felt fortunate to have the lead at halftime.

“We knew that we had to get to business. It was time to go to work,” Thompson added.

The Rockets’ work shift began and ended in an absolutely dominating third quarter that turned a hard-fought narrow halftime edge to complete control of the game.

In the blink of an eye, Streetsboro had turned the game upside the down on its way to a 38-6 Metro Athletic Conference win.

Streetsboro junior Marcus Council hauls in a catch that turned into a 34-yard touchdown and the first of four scores in the third quarter for the Rockets.
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Four third-quarter touchdowns could be described in one word: Boom.

The Rockets four scores over the course of 11 minutes showcased a more disciplined team, helped by a few adjustments, to return the team back to its identity and big-play ability.

It all was jumpstarted by an onside kick to start the second half.

Streetsboro quarterback Colton Cox rolls out to his left as he keeps his eyes on an open receiver down the field.
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“We had talked as a group that after our second score, we were going to do an onside kick no matter what,” Thompson said. “Our second score came on a field goal to end the second quarter, and we had the opening kickoff of the second half, so we stuck with the gameplan on that one.”

Logan Sadowski, who had a terrific night kicking in all phases, delivered the perfect onside kick that dribbled across the ground, then bounced into a high hop that cleared the Falcons’ initial return team and Janiere Cook sprinted onto the ball and recovered it.

On the Rockets’ second play, Colton Cox hit a sprinting Marcus Council in the seam for a 34-yard touchdown pass.

Boom, Streetsboro, 17-6, at the 11:15 mark.

On Field’s ensuing possession, on a third-and-6 play, a pass thrown down the center of the field was intercepted by Council at the 50-yard line.

Field quarterback Mason Fultz tries to elude Streetsboro defenders on a first-half carry.
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Two plays later, Council corralled in a push-pass sweep around the left edge, made a move and burst down the left sideline.

Boom, Streetsboro, 24-6, at 9:02.

Field’s next offensive series resulted in a punt after a three-and-out.

Four plays later, Manny Gibson sprinted around the left side on a run set up by misdirection and raced 47 yards for the touchdown.

Boom, Streetsboro, 31-6, with 4:58 on the clock.

Field’s offense continued to fail to find its rhythm and on its next possession, Council came up with his second interception of the game that he ran back into Falcons territory.

Five plays later, Ayden Knuebel broken through arm tackles to cross the goal line on a 15-yard run.

Boom, Streetsboro, 38-6, with 6 seconds in the third quarter.

Rockets receiver Kyle Giacomo pulls in a catch that went for 46 yards and set up the Rockets’ first touchdown of the game.
Paisley Nader/Portage Sports

“Our guys responded well in the third quarter,” Thompson said. “The onside kick, then the quick score after, gave us momentum, and we just kept picking up energy as we went. When we’re right, we have the ability to be an explosive team.”

Council was part of that explosion, finishing the game with 84 yards rushing on just six carries and a score, 58 yards receiving and a score, as well as two interceptions. As a team, the Rockets rushed for 201 yards, with eight different ball-carriers.

Cox had a very nice game through the air. He completed 13-of-20 passes for 238 yards and spread the ball around to eight different receivers. Gibson had 81 yards receiving and Kyle Giacomo had 46 yards.

The third-quarter dominance overshadowed a honorable first half for the Falcons.

After Field failed to potentially take an early lead when a 32-yard field goal went awry on a bad snap that turned into a 17-yard loss and turnover on downs, the Rockets got on the board first with 2 seconds left in the first quarter on a 1-yard plunge by Knuebel.

Falcons running back Victor Brown pushes through a hole and into the second level of the Rockets’ defense.
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Sadowski delivered the point-after for a 7-0 lead.

The Falcons (2-7, 2-4 MAC) answered with a 32-yard scoring pass from freshman quarterback Mason Fultz to sophomore receiver Alex Williams. The extra point was blocked after a low snap disrupted the operation to make the score 7-6.

Sadowski then connected on a 29-yard field goal as time expired to end the first half for the 10-6 Streetsboro advantage.