By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

It is not a trend that Rootstown wants to keep, but it has worked the last two weeks.

For the second straight game, the Rovers used a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to capture comeback victories over their opponents.

Last week it was Champion and on Friday it was former Portage Trail Conference opponent Field.

The Rovers, who trailed 21-12, ultimately picked up a 27-21 triumph at home on Robert C. Dunn Field and improved to 3-0 in the process.

“This week challenged our kids to play four complete quarters,” Rootstown head coach Chris Knopick said. “We have talked about and preached mental toughness since the season Egan. Field is a good football team, and we knew they would come out swinging.

“The key for our guys was to stay positive, keep fighting and impose our will in the fourth quarter,” Knopick said. “Our guys believe they can win and have done it back-to-back weeks now. We are incredibly proud of the growth and heart these young men have shown over these first three weeks.”

Trailing 21-12, the Rovers got their first touchdown of the fourth quarter on a 15-yard pass from quarterback Luke DeAngelis to Dawson Morgan. Hutton Krieger’s extra point cut the Falcons’ lead to just 21-19 with 7:22 to play.

Senior running back Cody Coontz then gave Rootstown (3-0) the lead on a 30-yard run, then also converted the 2-point conversion to lift the Rovers on top 27-21.

Coontz and the Rovers’ offensive line was once again electric, with Coontz rushing for 184 yards on 26 attempts (7.1 yards per carry average). Coontz scored two more touchdowns and now has nine on the season.

In the air, DeAngelis continued his high-completion percentage and connected on 7-of-11 passes for 79 yards and the touchdown.

Coontz got the Rovers on the board early, with a 10:44 touchdown run of 3 yards. The extra point was no good and Rootstown led 6-0.

Field got into the end zone for the next two scores, the first, which put the Falcons up 7-6, came on a 13-yard run by Drexal McAmis, who had a big game on the ground.

The second score came on a 13-yard pass from Braxton Baumberger to Tanner Row from 13 yards out to lift the lead for Field (1-2) to 14-6.

DeAngelis ran for a 7-yard touchdown to cut the Rovers’ deficit to 14-12 and the conversion run was stuffed to keep the score that way.

Field’s 21-12 lead was established on a 21-yard run by Victor Brown that was completed by Carter Hall’s third extra point of the game.

McAmis was the focal point of Field’s offense, rushing for 169 yards on just 19 carries 8.9 per carry), while Brown received an enhanced role in the offense from the previous two weeks (58 yards on 6 carries).

On Field’s final possession, a pass attempt was tipped and intercepted by Chris Cooper with 26 seconds remaining to seal the game for the Rovers.