For all the rhetoric and rivalry between the Kennedy Christian and Sharpsville football programs, the line of scrimmage remains the bottom line. And more often than not, the team that controls it, wins.

So it was on Saturday afternoon at Butala Stadium, where the host Golden Eagles gained an early edge on this season’s Mercer County Athletic Conference Class A competition via a 31-10 victory.

Kennedy, keyed by the tailback tandem of Justin George and Danny Harris, amassed 285 yards rushing while gaining an average of 5.1 yards per play. Conversely, KC coerced the Blue Devils into a trio of turnovers while stifling Sharpsville’s offense, allowing only 137 total yards.

"I was very impressed with my offensive line,’’ began head coach John Turco, regarding Golden Eagles Eric Eshenbaugh, Joe Canciello, Greg Shaffer, B.J. Jarrett, Jake Dougherty, Andy Wilds and Galen Hurl, in addition to blocking back Brian French.

"The holes were there,’’ Turco understated.

George posted a game-high 24-carry, 147-yard, 3-touchdown performance that included second-stanza scoring sprints of 38 and 11 yards, giving the Golden Eagles a 12-3 halftime lead.

During the second half, Harris handled the handoffs, gaining the go-to status by running for 98 yards on 14 totes, including a 26-yard third-period TD and 1-yard final-frame plunge. He finished with 126 yards on 19 carries and picked up necessary yardage on three consecutive third-down plays during the Golden Eagles’ 13-play, 80-yard march that culminated in the first of his two TDs.

"Danny really ran the ball, but French and Justin and (the were really crushing people,’’ Turco pointed out. "And I said from the very beginning, if we can run the ball between the tackles and take time off the clock doing it, we’d win the football game.’’

"The problem is and (Turco) did right: You have to stop (Justin) George, No. 1,’’ Sharpsville mentor Paul Piccirilli assessed. "So when you try to put extra help in stopping George and the trap, somebody else is weak along the defensive side and they beat us with that.

"I hate the ‘slow-death,’ where they’re just powering you, but they did that anyway,’’ Piccirilli ruefully admitted later.

In addition to the second half-opening drive that extended the Eagles’ edge to 18-3, a 15-play, 80-yard march that consumed 7:50 and was capped by Harris’ second score sandwiched Sharpsville’s lone TD and increased Kennedy’s lead to 25-10 with 8:11 remaining. That series was highlighted by Ryan Squatrito-to-Nick George aerials of 9 and 12 yards that converted third downs into drive-sustaining firsts.

During the first half, Kennedy failed in all four of its third-down situations. However during the second half, the Golden Eagles garnered a 6-for-8 success rate on third down. Sharpsville, conversely, converted three of five first-half attempts, but missed both of its second-half tries.

"When you control the ball for eight minutes, they are doing something right on third down,’’ Piccirilli noted. "We stopped them pretty good on the first two downs, but it’s just one of those things. They had the advantage, they had the momentum, and it’s just tough getting that back sometimes.’’

Sharpsville (0-1, 4-2) savored a 3-0 lead with 6:47 remaining in the first frame on Ray Rotell’s 22-yard field goal that capped a 9-play, 71-yard, 5-minute, 6-second march.

However Kennedy (1-0, 6-1) responded, beginning at the 3:04 mark of the period. Following Rotell’s punt, the Golden Eagles embarked on a 9-play, 78-yard drive that concluded with Justin George’s 38-yard run 66 seconds into the second stanza for a 6-3 lead.

With 4:40 remaining in the half, a Randy Veccia fumble was recovered by Kennedy’s Tony Rossi at Sharpsville’s 28-yard line. Four plays later George’s second score afforded KC a 12-3 margin at intermission.

Midway through the third period, trailing 18-3, Sharpsville staged a comeback bid, fueled by Veccia’s 46-yard kickoff return. Eric Major’s 14-yard run, augmented by a grabbing-the-face-mask penalty, set up Sharpsville at Kennedy’s 24-yard line. Veccia’s 10-yard run on second-and-8 set up Billy Stiger’s 10-yard scoring sprint on a quarterback draw, and Rotell’s conversion kick drew the Blue Devils within 18-10 with 3:01 left in the third period.

But Rotell’s shanked 4-yard punt set up George’s 5-yard run -- his 22nd TD of the campaign -- with 3:36 remaining to conclude the scoring. Both coaches are cognizant the District 10 playoffs remain a realistic pursuit.

"The bright spot of everything is I think our No. 1 playoff game is next week against West Middlesex (7-0),’’ Piccirilli forecasted. "I think the winner goes to the playoffs and I think the loser stays home. With Iroquois being 1-6, it looks like they’re gonna take the top two teams out of the French Creek (Valley Conference -- Linesville and Union City) and the top two teams out of our place (MCAC), and the nice thing about it is, we’re at home on ‘Senior Night,’ so if (the Blue Devils) can’t get fired up for that, then you don’t want to play football.’’

"I think that, probably in a month, we’ll be playing them again,’’ Turco said of Sharpsville. "I just have that feeling. I’m not overlooking Slippery Rock (Kennedy’s next opponent) and I’m not overlooking the Big Reds, because, my gosh, they’re 7-0 right now and they’ve got an outstanding team. But we’ll just see what happens in the next two weeks. I’m just glad Sharpsville will have to play the Big Reds and not (us) next week. We’ll just go down to Slippery Rock and see what we can do down there.’’

Notes: Sharpsville standout Ronnie Haywood (409 yards rushing 5.5 yards/carry) was felled by a first-quarter concussion and did not return, while freshman safety Joey Perrine suffered a fourth-quarter neck injury and was administered to by team physicians and on-duty emergency personnel. He was placed on a gurney and taken from the field via ambulance, but his condition was not known as of press time although Piccirilli assured, "They were just taking precautions. He could grab, he had feeling, just a little numbness, so they just wanted to take him to the hospital.’’ ... Matt Cascio also recovered a fumble for Kennedy, Jarrett was credited with a sack, and Hurl intercepted a pass after Stiger was pressured by Nick Artis. Eshenbaugh, the special teams’ long-snapper, also raced downfield to down a punt at Sharpsville’s 4-yard line. ... Watson and Matt Holsopple recorded sacks for Sharpsville, while Stiger sprinted for the game’s longest play from scrimmage, a 39-yard keeper that set up the game’s initial score.

Approximately a year ago, the West Middlesex High football team was 1-6 and no one was complaining about the Big Reds’ schedule. So indignation emanating from the tiny hamlet is understandable when naysayers take pot-shots at this season’s success.

And although the club needs not validate itself to anyone, Friday night’s 28-22 non-league victory over visiting Cambridge Springs punctuated its seventh straight success -- the best start in Big Reds’ gridiron annals in the modern era.

"These are the same people that beat us last year. We were 1-6 last year and the only win we had last season was against Cochranton and we didn’t even play them this year. But that was because we were getting beat like we were ‘supposed’ to,’’ noted West Middlesex head coach Rick Resatar. "Now the kids have stepped up, the community’s stepped up, and we’re into it and we’re on a little bit of a mission.’’

That journey includes a Mercer County Athletic Conference Class A crown and attendant District 10 playoff berth, and that opportunity will be presented as the Big Reds visit Sharpsville, then host Kennedy Christian during the next two weeks.

"I think they’re really quick; I was surprised by their quickness. They’re aggressive. I think they’re a pretty good football team. ... I have no complaints; they just beat us,’’ assessed 18th-year Cambridge Springs head coach Walt Nottingham.

Against legitimate playoff contender Cambridge Springs (4-3), the Big Reds (7-0) responded, led by senior tailback Chad Fette. The fleet Fette flew for 270 yards on only 16 carries, including second-half scoring sprints of 51 and 68 yards. In addition, he staked West Middlesex to a 16-0 halftime edge by running for 5- and 3-yard touchdowns and tossing a pair of 2-point conversions.

Fette extended his season totals to 1,111 yards rushing on 137 carries (8.1 yards/carry and 158.7 yards/game), with 17 TDs and 106 points.

"I was surprised by him,’’ admitted Nottingham. "We were really concerned about outside -- and they really did hurt us, at times, outside -- but he just came up the middle real quick, and I was surprised by his speed.’’

Sixty-nine seconds into the second half, West Middlesex extended its lead to a seemingly safe 22-0 before the ‘Spa staged a comeback bid.

Following a Fette fumble at his own 30-yard line with 6:51 remaining in the third period, the Blue Devils tallied on quarterback Dan Wheeler’s 24-yard option run on a second-and-4 play.

Then when West Middlesex’s next possession resulted in Dan Mihalcak 27-yard punt, the ‘Spa embarked on an 11-play, 54-yard scoring drive, culminating in Dan Green’s 9-yard scoring sprint and subsequent 2-point conversion run which drew the Blue Devils within 22-14 with 9:04 remaining.

However the Big Reds responded in the form of Fette, who sprinted 68 yards to paydirt on West Middlesex’s first play from scrimmage for a 28-14 lead.

On its ensuing series Cambridge Springs consumed almost five full minutes as a 10-play, 62-yard march culminated in a 35-yard Wheeler-to-Green scoring strike and David Hendershot’s conversion run that trimmed the Big Reds’ lead to 28-22 with 3:40 left.

West Middlesex covered the inevitable on-side kick and Fette gained 39 yards on two carries to Cambridge Springs’ 10-yard line. However he slightly injured his right shoulder on the second carry, and a Mihalcak fumble on first-and-goal from the 6-yard line with 2:32 to play gave the Blue Devils one last gasp.

On a third-and-9 play from his own 17-yard line, Wheeler whipped a slant to Green that split West Middlesex’s secondary and gained 58 yards to the Big Reds’ 25-yard line. However the play was negated by an illegal procedure call for a faulty formation.

Joe Habarka then sacked Wheeler for a 7-yard setback on a third-and-14 play, securing a seventh straight successful West Middlesex weekend.

Although not pleased with his pass defense -- Wheeler posted a 10-for-17, 128-yard passing performance -- Resatar reserved praise for the Big Reds’ offensive line, including Ben Buzard, Chad Bauer, Joe and Jason Habarka, Bob Krusey, Justin Barnes and Justin Slater.

"That is the best our offensive line has played all year. And if you’re ever going to peak, this is the time you want to do it, going into the next couple weeks,’’ he said.

Resatar served as an assistant coach on a state champion Warren-JFK team and a 10-0 Lowellville squad, but admitted his fourth edition of the Big Reds is special.

"We’re having a lot of fun. ... Just come out and watch us play. I have no predictions, nothing like that.

"But if we go out and we play hard, however it ends up, it doesn’t really matter as long as we go out and know that we played the best that we can.’’

Notes: This is the third team since West Middlesex’s grid program was revived in the mid-1960’s to reach the 7-win plateau, the others occurring in 1985 (8-2) and ‘90 (7-4, the school’s only D-10 playoff berth). ... Trevor Robinson, the sophomore who was stricken with meningitis, was back on the Big Reds’ sideline in street clothes and could resume practicing soon, Resatar related. ... Joe Habarka, filling in for injured Mark Rubeo (knee), registered a pair of sacks.