BAY VILLAGE, OHIO – Being a complete team means knowing how to finish games. The Bay Rockets showed everyone on Friday night just how dangerous they are, and how to put another solid team away when it counts the most.
Leading 7-3 entering the fourth quarter, the Rockets scored four times in the final 12 minutes, turning a close game into a blowout as they topped the Rocky River Pirates 35-3 to move to 6-0 on the season.
The Pirates, who hung in and had their chances but couldn’t convert, fall to 3-3 on the season, 1-1 in Great Lakes Conference play.
The final quarter was nothing short of a disaster for Rocky River, as they turned the ball over three times, and watched helplessly as Bay quarterback Conner Shell ran in three touchdowns to seal the win.
Shell ended the night with 11 rushes for 40 yards and the three scores, and throwing the ball was 4-for-8 for 65 yards with an interception and touchdown.
It was not a good night to throw the ball, as gusty winds made it extremely tough on both sides to be able to do much through the air.
Pirates quarterback Junior Colton Sullivan had a tough go of it, going 9-for-24 for 71 yards with an three interceptions.
Rocky River tried to wear down Bay with a power run game, as they used the tandem of Matthew Popovich (14 rushes 49 yards) and Ross Hartman (nine rushes 41 yards) to attempt to gain ground all night.
It didn’t work, as Bay time after time was able to use their defensive speed to stop River force multiple punts throughout.
Bay went up 7-0 with 6:25 left in the first quarter with the only touchdown in the first three quarters, as after a 54-yard run by Trey Psota, Shell hit Matthew Cover with two-yard touchdown pass with 6:25 left in the first quarter.
The Pirates only points came on the leg of kicker Michael Conrad, who was true on a 31-yard field goal with 7:16 to play in the first half to cut the Bay lead to 7-3.
Conrad had missed a field goal earlier in the game.
The game remained 7-3 until the fateful fourth quarter in which the Rockets scored four times to seal the win.
The first touchdown came following a 14-play drive that covered 78 yards, and ended with Shell going in from 8 yards out on a third down to make it 14-3 with 10:23 left.
The Pirates mistakes then snowballed, as they fumbled the kickoff and five plays later it was Shell going in from a yard out to make it 21-3. The big play of the drive was Shell throwing a perfect pass to senior wide out R.J. Sunahara for a 30-yard gain.
Following another Pirates turnover, this time an interception, Shell capped off a six-play, 52-yard drive with a one-yard plunge to make it 28-3 with 5:02 left.
Junior defensive back Max Showalter put the final icing on the cake on the next drive, picking off a Sullivan pass and going back 32 yards to cap the scoring at 35-3.
Psota was the leading ground gainer for the Rockets, rushing for 119 yards on 20 carries to lead the way for Bay, who will play at Normandy next Friday.
The Pirates will look to get back on track as they will host the Valley Forge Patriots on Friday at home.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final |
| Rocky River | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Bay | 7 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 35 |
Player of the Game:
Bay Rockets QB Conner Shell
On a night when throwing the football was not really in the cards due to the at times gusty winds, the Bay Rockets relied more on the legs and smarts of quarterback Conner Shell to lead them to a 35-3 win over Rocky River.
Shell did throw for one touchdown in the first quarter, and then in the fourth quarter the team scored 28 points, three of those four scores going to Shell on rushes.
The first rush to make it 14-3 came on a key third down as he sliced through the Pirates defense for an 8-yard score. The other two scores were simply one-yard plunges to convert drives.
The quarterback ended the evening with 40 yards on 11 rushes total with three touchdowns, and was 4-for-8 for 65 yards with a touchdown and interception throwing the ball.
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