The Rocks scored again the next time they touched the ball, going 67 yards in nine plays. On fourth-and-four, Del Gais faked a handoff, stepped back and hit senior Matt Barbaro for a 25-yard touchdown reception. Brady sacked Del Gais on the conversion attempt to keep North ahead at 14-12. 

DiRico and Carroll added scores in the second half as the Spartans put up 21 unanswered points to close out the game. DiRico (85 yards on seven carries) was superb on both sides of the ball for North, which ran for 297 yards. Case added 69 yards on six carries.

Despite falling to 0-2, head coach Russ Pajer appreciates the effort he’s getting from the Rocks. “We need to execute better if we’re going to win, but it’s certainly not for a lack of effort,” Pajer said. “The guys are giving it their all every time they’re on the field. It’s tough. We have a few injuries and not a lot of depth. We just have to keep working hard, and try to improve our execution.” 

The Spartans hope to continue their winning ways when they travel to North Shore (1-1) this Saturday. The Vikings are coming off a 35-14 loss to Roosevelt. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m.