ERIE _ Joe Korcinsky's coronation as Mercer County's new career rushing king coincided with the Greenville High School football team being crowned as the county's third District 10 titlist of the weekend.

Paced by Korcinsky's 28-carry, 122-yard, 4-touchdown per formance, the Trojans triumphed over Grove City, 35-6, Saturday evening at Erie Veterans Stadium in the D- 10 Class AAA title tilt.

Korcinsky, the Trojans' talented tailback, eclipsed former Sharon standout Michael Archie's Herald coverage-area career rushing total (5,136), as the Greenville senior increased his 3-year tally to 5,164.

And in addition to surpassing the area's career yardage mark, Korcinsky also extended his own scoring standard, as he now has amassed 90 touchdowns and 561 points.

``I'm very, very happy for Joe,'' 20-year head coach Bob Stone said. ``He's certainly a great running back and I also look at that as, sort of, a feather in the cap of the rest of the kids, too _ this football team. Obviously, any time you have a back that's over 1,800 yards (1,853), you have a very, very fine back, and some good kids helping him.''

In actuality, Grove City (7-4) was able to limit Korcinsky to head coach Jeff Bell's pre-game goal of between 100-125 yards, but the Eagles also were guilty of Bell's greatest concern: turnovers. Grove City fumbled seven times, losing the ball on four occasions, while quarterback Justin Bell was sacked twice and intercepted once.

And Greenville (11-0) capitalized completely, converting three of the miscues directly into scores.

With Greenville already in possession of a 7-0 lead, an Anthony Errera fumble less than two minutes into the second stanza was recovered by Matt Korcinsky at Grove City's 33-yard line. Seven plays later, Joe Korcinsky tallied his second 4-yard TD, as the Trojans assumed a 14-0 margin at intermission.

Approximately seven minutes into the third period following a 3-and-out Grove City series and a Jon Chanadet punt, Korcinsky capped an 8-play, 45- yard drive with an 11-yard TD jaunt, extending Greenville's lead to 21-0.

In the fourth frame, Craig Greenfield's interception of Bell set up Korcinsky's 35th TD of the campaign, from a yard out, then David Ryhal's recovery of another Errera fumble ultimately set the stage for Todd Shimshock's 1-yard burst. Jon Titzel's fifth consecutive successful conversion kick concluded Greenville's scoring.

Don Lewis accounted for Grove City's lone score when he swept left end for 11 yards just 10 seconds before the final gun.

Greenville's third District 10 title in five seasons ('93, '96, '97) was a preseason goal, according to Stone (164- 40-6), who moved within one victory of Sharon's Jim Wildman (165-67-6) on The Herald's all-time career coaching list.

``I think that's one of the nice things about the middle of August,'' Stone, reflecting back on the opening of 2-a- day training camp, mused. ``Everybody's undefeated and everybody still has a shot at it and, of course, you always make goals.

``But to be very honest with you, I had a great deal of faith in these kids. You would never say this in August, but I thought they at least had a shot at it (D-10 title). I didn't know that we'd win it, but I had a little more faith in these kids, probably, than some other people did.''

Despite a troubling 99 yards lost on 13 penalties, Stone said, ``I think we were able to make some plays when we had to and I guess, maybe, that was the difference.

``But I think Jeff Bell has really done a good job with those kids,'' Stone praised.

``It's disappointing to lose a game like this, but I can't be disappointed with the effort of the kids,'' Bell, the first-year coach, said.

``I think we came out to play and I think we were prepared to play. We had some mistakes at inopportune times and turnovers that hurt us. I told the kids when we came up here, we'd have to play almost the perfect game to beat 'em, and, unfortunately, we didn't do that.

``You like to win 'em all, but I've gotta be realistic,'' Bell said with a wry grin. ``For the first year, I learned a lot of things as the season went on and was very fortunate to work with a group of kids that I had for my first year, 'cause they did a great job and the (14) seniors did a great job leading the team and made it easy for me.''

D-10 AAA Championship
 GROVE CITY 0 0 0 6 6
 GREENVILLE 7 7 7 14 35
 Scoring plays

Gv _ Korcinsky 4 run 
(Titzel kick)

Gv _ Korcinsky 4 run (Titzel kick)

Gv _ Korcinsky 11 run (Titzel kick)

Gv _ Korcinsky 1 run (Titzel kick)

Gv _ Shimshock 1 (Titzel kick)


GC _ Lewis 11 run (pass failed)
Team stats GROVE CITY

 GREENVILLE
 7....First downs....17
 81...Rushing yards....178
 173..Passing yards....125
 20-13-1..Att-comp-int....16-8-2
 2-19.Sacks-yards lost....0-0
 235..Total yards....303
 7-4..Fumbles-lost....0-0
 5-28.Penalties-yards lost....13-79
 Individual stats

Rushing: 
GROVE CITY _ Rihel 2-37, Russell 4-14, Lewis 1-11, 
Errera 12-8, Wise 1- 8, Currence 1-3, Bell 2-2, 
Brutley 1-(-2); 
GREENVILLE _ Korcinsky 28-122, Martsolf 5-31, 
Shimshock 10-24, Bailey 1-1.

Passing: 
GROVE CITY _ Bell 18-11-1- 151, Bonner 1-1-0-18, 
Como 1-1-0-14;
 GREENVILLE _ Mason 16-8-2-125.

Receiving: 
GROVE CITY _ Schuessler 3- 50, Errera 3-35, 
Currence 3-18, Como 1-25, Lewis 1-18, Miller 1-14, 
O'Brien 1-13; 
GREENVILLE _ Strausser 3-54, Korcinsky 3- 34, 
Carter 2-37.