NORTHERN CAMBRIA Northern Cambria and United entered Friday nights game with a lot in common.

Both teams made the playoffs last year and returned a solid core. Both teams are big and strong up front and like to run the ball. And both teams got off to a good start last week with victories.

But the Colts separated themselves from the Lions with a 28-12 win in a Heritage Conference football game at Duffy Daugherty Field, improving to 2-0 for the second straight season.

Northern Cambria ultimately won the battle on the line of scrimmage, and the offense managed 347 total yards compared to the Lions 174.

We knew coming in that theyre a good football team, United coach Kevin Marabito said. Theyre big up front. They gave us fits, and we had a couple injuries. We werent disciplined enough to win a football game.

The two teams had something in common during the game, too: Both had to make adjustments due to injuries.

Neither could find the rhythm they wanted in the rushing game with their running backs out.

The Lions lost starter Tylor McLaughlin, who rushed for 162 yards last week, early in the second quarter.

Hes probably going to be out, our guard is probably going to be out and our quarterback I dont know, Marabito said. Were pretty-well dinged up. But its the next guy up. Thats what we always say.

With one of their starters in sweatpants on the sideline and another banged up in the first quarter, it took the Colts a while to get their running game going. Although once they did, they rolled up 247 yards on the ground.

We really couldnt find our groove, Northern Cambria coach Sam Shutty said. We challenged our guys just to play our game. And I dont want to say they took us out of the game, but not having Logan Onkst tonight really threw off our balance. We had some younger guys in there, tried to do a couple things with some older guys and move people around. But we just didnt execute very well.

When one of our guys go down, the other ones have to pick the load up. Ben (Vasil) got dinged up early, and I didnt know if we were going to have him, either. Then (Adam) Kopera came in and did a good job, but he wasnt quite proficient in what we wanted to do. Its just a lack of reps and a matter of getting better.

Mark Marino passed for 100 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 91 yards and a score to lead the Colts.

Right off the bat, Northern Cambria was experiencing dj vu. Last week, the Colts started the game on defense and allowed Penns Manor to drive right down the field. Friday night, the Colts started on defense and let the Lions march right down the field.

Theyre slow-starting, and thats the thing we have to improve, Shutty said of his defense. I know I get mad at them at a game, but when you watch film, they are very aggressive. They swarm to the ball. But we have to be faster off the start. We let them drive down the field opening drive. Last game, same thing right down the field. Then they tighten up and kind of get their legs and really get after it.

On the 10th play of the opening possession, Uniteds Kyle Silk seemingly was stopped at the line of scrimmage, but he broke loose for a 21-yard dash to the end zone. However, the touchdown was negated by what the officials said was a false start penalty, meaning the play should have been whistled dead before Silk ever took off. The two teams combined for 18 penalties.

On the next play, Silk mishandled a bad snap that was recovered by Northern Cambrias John Paronish, putting and end to the Lions early momentum.

That hurt. Those are things we didnt do last week, Marabito said. We were perfect with things like that. Tonight, things just didnt go our way.

The Colts capitalized, and Marino hit Frankie Jones for a 40-yard touchdown pass with 3:44 left in the first quarter to take a 6-0 lead.

In the second quarter, United turned the ball over on downs with 1:08 left at the Northern Cambria 21-yard line. The Colts cruised down the field and capped the drive with a 21-yard pass from Marino to Vasil as time expired, giving them a 14-0 advantage going into halftime. The touchdown was set up by a 34-yard pass from Marino to Paronish.

Northern Cambria passed just twice in the first week, but put the ball in the air 10 more times Friday. Marino finished 4-for-12.

This was something we watched on film. We thought wed have the pass, Shutty said. Protection I was worried about, and it showed early. But we were able to get some throws down field for big plays. And we dropped some big plays. Thats the trouble with that, so we have to get better there.

United tried to pass the ball more, too, and also threw 10 more passes Friday than in its first game. Silk finished 4 of 17 for 49 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

The Lions got on the board in the third quarter on a 10-yard pass from Silk to Nate Fabrizio at the 5:39 mark after the Colts fumbled on the opening drive of the second half.

Northern Cambria then answered with touchdowns on back-to-back drives a 10-yard run by Kopera and a 1-yard run by Marino and took a 28-6 lead with 9:06 remaining in the game.

The Lions scored on their final possession, a 13-yard run by Dom Eritano with 24 seconds left to finalize the score. Silk had to be helped off the field after the two-point conversion attempt failed.

It was gut-check time for us, Marabito said. A couple players got hurt, and you have to bounce back. But they have a good football team. We need to cut back on some mistakes. And if we couldve got that first score, it couldve been different, but thats part of the game. The kids played hard. I give them credit. But we have to clean up some of our mistakes.

Scott Yingling added 65 rushing yards for the Colts, and Vasil had 62. Eritano led United with 44 yards.

The Lions will try to rebound next week against a Penns Manor team that is also 1-1 after a come-from-behind win at West Shamokin on Friday.

Well see what type of football team we are, Marabito said. The mental attitude has got to be there, and I feel sure these kids will bounce back. Its a tough one to lose, but those are the ones you have to suck up and go with it.

Northern Cambria faces a daunting task against defending conference and District 6 Class 2A champ Ligonier Valley, which has carried its dominance from last season right through the first two weeks of this one. The Colts then face Homer-Center in their fourth game.

This is what happened last year, Shutty said. We started out 2-0 and we just get into that meat grinder. And these werent easy games. Were banged up. Injuries the first game, injuries this game. And its only going to get tougher.

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Colts pull away from Lions to move to 2-0 - Indiana Gazette