By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

Seven up and seven wins for Rootstown football.

Rootstown’s Chris Cooper tries to elude a Warren JFK defensive back during Friday’s game in Rootstown.
Shannon Eldreth/Special to Portage Sports

The Rovers turned away visiting Warren JFK on Friday at Robert C. Dunn Field on Homecoming weekend with a dominating 49-14 victory.

With the victory, Rootstown improves to 7-0 on the season and entered Friday’s game ranked No. 7 in this week’s Associated Press state poll in Division VI.

“I am incredibly proud of our guys and how they played,” Rootstown head coach Chris Knopick said. “They played extremely physical and played excellent in all three phases of the game. They had a great week of practice, and they are learning to prepare at a championship level.”

The Rovers jumped out to a 14-0 lead after the first quarter and extended it to 28-7 by halftime.

Dawson Morgan led the offense with 192 yards rushing on 29 carries.

The senior scored three touchdowns, rushing into the end zone on runs of 4, 2 and 3 yards.

Morgan’s output was part of a team rushing effort that included 46 attempts for 334 yards, with Dominic Duvall (second-quarter TD) rushing for 40 yards and Damien Reuting, who scored a fourth-quarter touchdown, for 33 yards to complement Morgan.

Quarterback Ryan Piscitani, who got the Rovers on the board in the first quarter on a 25-yard pass to Chris Cooper, completed 5-of-9 passes for 105 yards.

Cooper was the recipient of four of Piscitani’s five completions, which resulted in 76 yards. In addition to his first-quarter score, Cooper added a second touchdown in the fourth quarter from 39 yards out.